Home DIY

For what it’s worth - we’re currently looking at the Britton ‘Hoxton’ range for taps and the like, think I’ve seen someone else on here doing the same.

Not really sure of quality, but the price isn’t as eye-watering as some of the competition. Sanctuary Bathrooms is another site that stocks these and other bits and bobs.

Lovely, will check them out!

I got some stuff from Sanctuary Bathrooms recently, good service from them.

As above we chose what we wanted and then ordered from whoever had it cheapest, so ended up ordering from various sites.

Need some big spirit levels. Any brand to look for? I'd been eyeing a set of 3 dewalt ones which had an introductory price at screwfix and seemed well reviewed but I ummed and ahhed and now they're full price. Stabila? Never heard of but people speak highly.. Need a couple of meters worth I suspect to line up kitchen cabinets.

Stabila are the only spirit levels I've used and seem pretty durable and robust, although for any distance I now use a Bosch laser level.

Got a leaky stopcock under the kitchen (oo-er) (vid attached).

Looks like the... gland nut(?) isn't a nut so much as a circle. Reckon some molegrips would do it to tighten? I've seen some YouTube answers say to pack under the gland nut with some PTFE tape.

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On site, it's either Stabila or lasers.

Re-installing radiators after decorating (Valves haven't moved) with simple caps on top. How difficult is it to not have it leak etc ... when setting up with PTFE tape etc..? I have two to do and don't think a plumber will be bothered to come round for this

Thanks @small and @Scilly.Suffolk - Stabila it is. A set comes with a case/bag as well which appeals.

maybe make sure you know how to isolate the water supply to the house in the street before you go anywhere near it with mole grips just in case you make it worse.

i managed to snap the main supply pipe below the stopcock once by pushing the washing machine against it and had to shut off the water outside, but it probably took me a good ten minutes to get the cover off and stuff, during which time i had mains water pressure blasting into the kitchen and ruined the floor...

Wood store update! As you can see the battens have dropped a lot. This is because the "rafters" are completely rotten and have fallen in, being held up mostly by rust and hope attaching them to the battens.
Doors have a fair bit of rot too.

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Removed everything and put a new roof on. Opted against re-tiling as I had all the materials to hand already to do a top plate, beam, and squiggly metal number plus I was told some of the tiles may have been repurposed for the main house roof so couldn't be sure there would be enough.
Left the door frame in place for now even though it lowers the entrance. Nothing new is fixed to it so it can be removed later, or new doors hung.

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Just tape the olives should be fine.

We had levels but a laser level gets used 10x more. It was really useful for installing the kitchen

The majority of that leak appears to be from the blue arrow tap body seal. Tightening that is unlikely to help.

The gland nut may be leaking slightly, but that would be evident between the spindle and rounded off nut. Red arrow.

With lead pipes, they could also end up leaking if you go swinging a wrench too hard. Also stopcock is likely to be old imperial sized if it goes pear shaped.

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A 40k kitchen needs doing right...
https://www.hilti.co.uk/c/CLS_MEA_TOOL_INSERT_7127/CLS_MEA_2D_LAYOUT_TOOLS/r11958673

Check out builders depot as I got mine from there and they were the cheapest.

Ha! That alone costs about what I'm spending on units / worktop / sink and potentially floor.

Does anyone recognise the toilet cistern flush mech and how it goes together. No maker marks or model.

Does the blue float interact with the flush so add pressure to the seal? Is there something missing.

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Had a major leak over Xmas while away (insurance sort of currently dealing with it.)

Due to lack of plumbers in the UK, I bled, removed, rinsed and refitted the radiator. Adding (originally missing) teflon tape to the screw threas and olive mating face on the rad. Took about 10 minutes including the garden hose based power flush

You can buy a whole kit from city plumbing that replaces the full guts out the toilet instead of trying to find the brand. We change them at least once every few weeks.

Are lead water pipes allowed nowadays?

Find a local bathroom shop - they'll be able to give you a pile of catalogues for all sorts of interesting suppliers and they'll chat for ages about your options.

I know, but there is nothing wrong in particular just want the flush to be fitted correctly.

https://superiorlevel.co.uk/