Home DIY

Dulux trade centres are very expensive. It is almost always much cheaper (the only exception being if you have an account at a trade centre and spend a lot on it) to get paint matches etc. done at Wickes / B&Q / Homebase. The paint comes in a different tin but is pretty much the same product.

Anyway Zinsser paint is better.

The tough and durable dulux paint is similar to the diamond Matt, but a fair bit cheaper if you can find a shade you like.

We actually went for colour matched dulux scuff shield which is normally more expensive, but they discounted it to a fair bit less than diamond Matt.

We’ll see how well it holds up against a 5y and 18m old.

The 5 year old was spotted doing headstands against the wall with shoes on the other day…

Zinsser the go to for sealing over algaed interior breezeblocks? Or am I biociding them first?

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Remove as much as you can with a wire brush and then biocide before painting it over.

I'm not an expert when it comes to painting but since the decorator I used to sub out work to has retired I have been badly let down by everyone else I've got in to do the work so have had to take it on myself. Based on recommendations from @Airhead (who knows much more about painting and decorating than myself) I've started using Zinsser paint and would need a very good reason to change now. All of their products that I've used go on easily and allow you to get a really good finish with little effort (no messing about slacking paint off etc). I've been so impressed that I've almost enjoyed doing painting work (in the past I've turned into a bear with a sore head every time ive had to pick up a paintbrush).

Zinsser make 2 products that look like they would do the job:

Perma-white an interior grade paint that has fungicidal properties (it can also be tinted so colour matched). I've used this recently on a bathroom renovation where there had previously been problems with water leaks and poor ventilation (an extractor fan that hadn't worked for at least 5 years) it went on easily, covered up residual stains from the mould well after treatment.

Watertite a mould and mildew proof water proof paint for basements. I've not used this but given how good their other products are have no reason to doubt it won't be good. Their website recommends it for basements etc. (your photo looks like a basement - if it's not I would recommend that you identify and address the source of the damp before painting anything)

Edit also what grumpy git says re removal and treatment. If there are kids/pets about t-tree oil diluted in water and sprayed on the wall works well in my experience.

Finding out why they are mouldy will be useful too - otherwise it will just come back, no matter what chemicals you throw at it.

Crumbs, thanks for that reply. Nothing is ever simple when rectifying 50 years of bodges, looks like more wall scrubbing is in my future then. Then spraying and more scrubbing.
I'll probably primer it first as well. Or tank with slurry then primer. Lovely.

@TW It's a utility room that was created by covering over an old alleyway, and the wall to the left is a retaining wall.

The guy installing boiler wasn't happy to put the new one where the old was (on that left wall) as it was rusting out.

Dude!

Under what wizardry of search terms did you find this?

I've been looking for a spur and socket combo for ages.

the wall to the left is a retaining wall.

Chemical tanking may be your best bet then, if the ground is not well draining on the other side.

What @TW says but it could (less likely but could) be caused by the wall being cold utility rooms tend to be pretty humid places if there is a lot of moisture in the air it is possible that permanently cold wall + constant supply of warm(ish) humid air = massive amount of condensation.

Got the Wendy House up, but there's a bit of play on the front panel, left to right near the top. This ma(es it feel a bit wobbly when i jiggle it. Obvs that's a grown adult but still. I assume it's largely down to the door way taking out a lot of where the strength would have been.

I've added screws marked in green. But was wondering about adding a batten on the inside (marked in pink). It would be connected to the front panel and then screwed into from the two side panels.

Thoughts?

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Would diagonals (yellow) not be better against racking?

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Probably. Could do both in a fucked up A formation.

A few more angled cuts. This might be the point at which I buy the mitre saw. Just reticent to add more shit to a crowded space as I still haven't
finished my bench...

... but it's close and in its current state is actually functional as a workbench as I've arranged my spare bits of mdf and ply as a top. So it's now quite nice to be able to work on building the bench on the bench.

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For simplicity of cuts I’d do this:

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Random q.
My parents land line is shite - it’s really crackly, and mobile reception is also crap. Is there a way of getting an internet based land line? Or does that not exist?

Yes. It's called voip and it's how the majority of business landlines now work.

I'd have thought consumer options are available.

Cheers that's a good shout.

Open day is this afternoon and I'm kicking myself for forgetting to oil the steps. Especially as I'd keep them in the shed to dry off after cleaning. But there are a few other bits, plus locating it, so it's going to be WIP for a while.

My parents land line is shite - it’s really crackly

Open a voice fault with BT. If you can hear the crackling then the engineer can too and that is usually easy to get fixed. Shouldn't cost you anything providing you can hear the crackle from the internal socket of the NTE5 (see https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BT_NTE5.JPG).

If the Internet is over the phone line (ADSL/VDSL/FTTC) then fixing a voice fault is likely to improve the Internet speed and reliability too.

Virgin have their landlines coming through the internet (if you're on cable).

If the internet is coming through the landline you probably want to have that sorted anyway.

I'd have thought consumer options are available.

Openreach are hoping to kill analog voice service on phone lines by 2025. meaning everyone who wants to keep using it will need some sort of IP dongle.

Good to see all the answers on paint, all on point. I've been using Little Green on the most recent job but I'm always recommending Dulux Trade Diamond, my hallways/kitchen are in this.

On the cleaning marks front I use Wonder Wipes from Everbuild and they clean paint gently enough. The spray will take some emulsion right off the wall though. I use them all the time on decorating jobs.

Decorating tools. Purdy rollers, Wooster brushes. I have been using these cheaper ones recently and really like them :-

https://www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/viewprod/p/PROFORM_BLAZE_OVAL_ANGLED_SASH_HANDLE_PAINT_BRUSH/

It's a good site for that stuff. Also Painters Pit Stop forum for lots of pro painter tips.

@bobble

Thanks for all the phone line tekkers. Will investigate further and get my parents to open a complaint with BT

I tried to join PPS but they wouldn’t let me in. Bastards.

Sorry about that, I didn't realise it was a closed shop!

Any idea what this is around my window and any harm in removing it, touching up if necessary and painting? I assume it was too hold a blackout or similar but no idea...

Cheers

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