Home DIY

3mm is ubiquitous and cheap.

Hardboard sags over time as it takes on moisture. Mind you it's still the standard for ceilings in France.

Also is a 5FT 60W 5600LM batton strip light going to be too much for a 8x6' shed?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-twin-5ft-led-batten-white-60w-5600lm/7223v

Or would a 5ft 45W 4000lm be more appropriate?

(I'm aware of my previous 2p on advising ALL THE LIGHTS! but it's only a small space.)

Cheers both.

If hardboard is likely to sag, what's the min plywood recommendation?

On the hardboard sagging, I should probably also check my joist spacings as I guess that'll affect it.

I've recently bought quite a bit of 5.5mm ply from Fulham Timber for flooring purposes. I don't know if I would want to go any thinner as it would seem too brittle to me.

I think anything thinner than 5.5mm ply would be classed as veneer. Shit veneer at that.

Cool. I'll use that as a benchmark.

Carbon fibre is the obvious choice. But sadly out of budget.

For sure. I wasn't using it for anything structural, just to give a flat surface over fairly rubbish but kinda already flat floor boards.

Still have a sheet and a half in the hall, such is my poor material amount estimating.

I recently bought some Leyland from B&Q (I think Contract Matt rather than Super Leytex) and I have been impressed with it. The Super Leytex looks like it would be better for painting over dark paint but even their cheaper stuff is good.

This is the inside of my recently-fitted front door. I couldn't paint it before it was hanged, for various reasons (some legitimate and some spurious and covering for my laziness).

My questions about painting it now:

• Should I take all the paint off, or as close to as practicable, or just sand it until there's a good surface paint it again?

• Should the side of the door be the same colour as the outside (probably blue) or the inside (probably white)?

• We're going to get new sidelights and transom windows as well. Has anyone seen this woodwork painted anything other than white, and would it look good?

Should the side of the door be the same colour as the outside (probably blue) or the inside (probably white)?

I aways thought you went with the inside / white for the edges. But then that's just based on helping my dad to paint my folks door over the years and may have just been laziness... Or even the logistics of leaving it open to dry for that long without getting robbed.

Cheers! That's the plan then. Thanks peeps

I know I said my bench would be done in bite-sized segments, but it's getting ridiculous.

Still light at the end of the tunnel. This is the central cross member and front leg. I've decided to ditch the other legs as I don't think they're needed.

The idea of the cutouts in the centre cross piece is that it will add stability as the 95x45* are on their short side.

After that is the cutting the half-lap for the lower cross piece, fixing it all up and then onto sorting out the work top. Pretty sure I'm going to go thinnish ply with a thick bit of moisture resistant mdf on top, then maybe thin hardboard as a disposable top layer.

*or whatever they are.

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Found answer on YouTube

[Question removed before I hit post. Presumably the lock had been too ...]

It should move, but if it's a tight fit it'll be reluctant.

Screwdriver right the way through the keyway so you can stand at the edge of the door and pull it towards you with both hands is something I've done in the past.

cheers just closed the lock so it stuck out and pliers!

I have an uneven concrete garage floor. There are a few lumps on it , and it's about 30mm out of level.

I would like to level it. Want to spend as little as possible rectifying. Is there a sensible way to get rid of the larger lumps, and then screed or add self levelling compound?

Would prefer not to have to take up the whole concrete floor as this will cost a fair bit all in

Most levelling compounds won't do 30mm in a single application and will probably be expensive for a whole garage. I guess you could lay a new layer of concrete on top with some kind of additive to avoid it being too brittle to get it closer to level and then finish off with levelling compound?

Not sure if they're suitable for taking the weight of a car etc.

Thanks, there will never be a car in there, so no issues there.

I can't really build up from the current level more than a little bit, there would be a step up in floor level from exterior to interior. Suppose it could ramp down to the door , but likely stats getting tricky to do.

I wonder if there is any way to cut out some of the bigger bulges there currently, most of the variance in height is limited to some small bulging higher areas

In that case get a grinder and do bits at a time.

I'd try and make some sort of rough level out of a long bit of scrap wood to make sure you don't miss any.

Idk if this would work at all, but I wonder if you got a floor sander and the lowest grit possible and take off the top layer and smaller imperfections before selfleveling and adding the final finish - paint, epoxy, etc.

Likely my best , if messy, bet . No idea how long such a thing would take though

Idk how bit a space you're taking about.

5 lumps, an evening(?). 25 lumps, a solid day or a few weeks doing a bit each free evening.

If you've got a lot, I'd treat it as a month job of trying to be dedicated and do 1m² a night.

Quick Google brought this up. I haven't read it.

https://amincorporated.com/how-to-sand-concrete-sanding-concrete/

Pistonheads seem to rate 2pac epxoy but I do know you're not meant to have it too smooth.

Hire a floor scabbler (a large machine that grinds concrete surfaces) they're loud, dusty and vibrate like hell but they can be used as a plane to level floors, you will need to re-finish the top with sharp sand and cement or a dedicated mortar repair product.

Looks a good shout, cheaper than renting the grinders goggle had brought up for me too