Home DIY

A bad USB-C cable can cause serious damage.

IIRC the story that did the rounds a few years back was someone deliberately plugging a high current laptop (there's a special category of USB C for devices over 3A) in to low current cables and seeing what happened. If you're just plugging your phone in to charge that doesn't really apply.

Electronics in walls are still a shite idea, but I don't think USB C is materially worse or more risky than USB A.

I'm going by whitequark https://twitter.com/whitequark/status/1035760558237204480

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Anyone done an engineered wood floor in a herringbone pattern recently, any good brands to go for? Always find household products (tiles, carpets, kitchens) an absolute minefield for price vs actual quality. Usually avoid websites who do "normally £55/m now only £20/m" as if there is that much margin in the product than it must be junk.

And Rointe d series electric rads, anyone use? Got a new flat with gas mains meter installed but was on old storage heaters (defunct since e7/radio relay box is dead), so would prefer gas, but no fitters about (rural Scotland) that can do it for 6 months. So likely gonna stick with electric, getting a new gas tariff just now seems like a terrible idea too.

Is a studwall garage door territory, or fairly straight forward? I keep getting ghosted by people coming to look at bathroom.

Bit of a different one, I'm getting an electric vehicle charger installed and want to keep any internal cabling as tidy a possible, for a lot of it the cabling will pass through the kitchen under the cabinets and behind the dish washer / washing machine. However, it will have to pass through the cloak room / WC under the stairs and I this is where I need help, initially I thought about putting it under the floor but the amount of hassle that would cause is too much for me to bear, installing some kind of cable tidy above the skirting is a no go so I'm now looking at behind the skirting board. I'm just wanting to know if this is a no go / within regs etc. It'll be a 32amp / 7kw supply which is higher than average so not sure if I'll be allowed to do this? I know the chaps installing will know but would rather know my option prior to them showing up.

Behind skirting board is a no no I think, unless shielded. @Nef

I'm now looking at behind the skirting board

As I understand it (and I am not a sparky - you should definitely be asking a sparky) you can run cable behind skirting if it is recessed specifically for cables (as in, the skirting is the trunking). Otherwise no.

Was looking to cut a rebate into the skirting or order new, something similar to this.

https://mdfskirtingworld.co.uk/the-rebate-option/

This would save a bit of hassle for me I think.

I'm almost sure this was correct. I have got them off, but predictably the adhesive (sort of gummy and sticky) has refused to leave. Any recommendations for how to remove? Having very limited success scraping with a stanley knife, imagine there is a chemical that might help - I have white spirit at home, is this worth trying or any other recommendations?

Pretty straightforward as long as you know what you're fixing to.

I am. Have dropped you a quick pm

Skirting is a no I’m pretty sure with regards to safe zones.

Under the floor mat be less hassle than you realise - depending on layout and how cunning the installers are with cable fishing tactics.

https://professional-electrician.com/technical/cables-concealed-walls-partitions-additional-protection-residual-current-devices/

I find lighter fluid often works well on residue from electrical tape, sticky labels etc.

+1 for lighter fluid, and it doesn't damage many things from my experience. Put some on a rag and it comes off quite easily, hold the rag over tougher bits for a bit longer to let it fully soak in.

Should be pretty straightforward. Plasterers seem to be thin on the ground at the moment! (plastering joke included for free)

Most people can make a stud wall up to the plastering bit.

It's a no as others have said. The level of shielding required to provide mechanical protection is generally outside of the domestic arena.

Lots of people do it though. If you did it in armoured it would be pretty safe, you're not allowed to though.

The skirting boards with recesses for wires exist for ethernet and telephone cables, extra low voltage led wires etc.

+2 for lighter fluid for most gluey things

Thanks all, will get some lighter fluid in then!

USB-C with power delivery is a different beast, it supports handshaking so both ends can decide what power and voltage to charge at, and can go up to 100W

https://blog.ravpower.com/2018/02/all-about-usb-power-delivery/

This stuff or similar sticky stuff remover is worth keeping around :-

https://www.diy.com/departments/de-solv-it-sticky-stuff-glue-remover-250ml/254704_BQ.prd

Best paint stripper for removing white paint from nice wooden banister?

I had thought heat gun but i dont want to ruin the shape, pics of ours (all white) vs our neighbours who restored theirs. (were thinking of just doing the tops, not the middle)

2 Attachments

How will you ruin the shape? Chemical or heat, some scraping and sanding will be involved.

not sure, we have a heat gun but someone told the OH they’ll take chunks out of they’re using a scraper and heat gun..

Infra red paint stripper. Be sure that middle rail isn't veneered board though.