Home DIY

We've had the rooflight added, but everything else was as it was when we bought the house.
Surveyor reckoned the kitchen in its current form dates from the 90s sometime, but where was always some kind of structure sitting here (as the loo used to be against the back wall).

Not in a conservation area nor a listed building fortunately.

not sure why you would need to design to regs then (might choose to) - you could add 25mm PIR insulation between rafters and 50mm below the rafters and plasterboard. It depends on how much work/money you would like to spend

I'm not sure what thread to put this in so thought I'd try here.

I should possibly buy a safe, not for anything particularly valuable but would be good to have somewhere (preferably fireproof) for documents, passports, credit cards, backup hdd, etc

First I guess, any tips on what safe to buy? Second, the more relevant question for here, how do you stop burglars just buggering off with them? I assume the best option is to bolt them into a brick wall? If so, how do you make that look not shit?

A proper safe would be so heavy, that any burglars would need your help (plus some sort of roller arrangement and an LGV with a tail lift) to get it out of your house.

I suppose it depends on what size you need, but I've got one of these for work docs and stuff.

https://www.safe.co.uk/products/yale-value-safe-office.html

It has holes accessed from inside the safe to screw into whatever you're attaching it to. I put it in a cupboard and screwed it into the wall behind. It was such a pain in the .... putting the screws in from inside the safe that I doubt I'll ever be able to remove it with the door open. I suppose with enough determination you could extract it with the door shut but it would have to be a very determined burglar.

you want to be aware of override keys on these things. they're super easy to pick.

you would normally bolt a safe to the wall from the inside but even so, <5 secs and you can get in anyway with a little skill. you're better off doing something like lifting a floorboard or making a hole in a wall somewhere random and hiding your stuff in there. my dad used to hide valuables in the fridge when they went away as he figured no burglar would look there.

Have a look on YouTube - I’ve seen a vid re. Safes and places to hide things which was enlightening. Voids in door frames, false switches etc. seem like good places.

As an aside to the safe chat. Our house when we bought it had 3 (three) safes in various places. The final one we only found after living there for 6+ months. One is an ancient victorian one currently rusting on a palette outside. The small 'jewellery' one has a proper old-school dial and every time I go in it to get out passports I get the thrill of pretending to be a safe-cracker. It's really one of my regular minor pleasures in life - I love it. Get one with a dial, not a key/keypad - you won't regret it!

I'm on the lookout for a Lidl/Parkside 12v cordless planer. Kicking myself for not getting them when they were in a couple of months ago (no battery and seemingly no easy/cheap means of getting a battery and charger at that time). Have since picked up their 12v recip saw that came with a battery and charger, so now want the planer for some awkward jobs on my list.

Not keen on paying the jumped up Ebay prices, so if anyone has one they want rid of, or sees one, please let me know.

An awkward space will help prevent someone running off with it, but it's more likely they'll know how to get in.

The main thing is having it somewhere discrete. It will be heavy so you'll need to think about that.

imo fireproof is a must. You could always buy a couple of fireproof document bags and then make some sort of hidy-hole lined with something fire resistant. But I think for the hassle and cost, you're better off just getting a proper safe.

There are also lots of hidden container things you can get. You want to search for drug stash boxes, as that market sector has a much better range of modified household objects, than people hiding their personal valuables.

It's just a wall fixed batten + ply shelf. But but fuck me is it a game-changer.

Combined with moving non-essentials up into the loft it is freeing up room for me to start moving things around and tidying.

Still a long way off what I want it to be, but I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel.

Next up:

• move contents of the left shelves to the right and under the bench shelf.
  
• buy and put up twin slot
  
• a million and one features and tidying to the bench
  
• load of other stuff
  
  

Also I finally got around to trying out my mitre saw. I know it's often said, but man I should have just bought any old cheap one years ago. That said I do really like this DeWalt one, it is a really good size and the right one for me to have got.

Just need to get the handles on it and get it out of the box permanently. I just figured for the time being a square box is easier to move around.

General question to anyone with an electrical mind...

This is what I have powering the brick shed, an outdoor storage cupboard with a fridge, a wooden shed.

What is the max power I can be running off this? And could it be upgraded to something delivering more and more modern, or is that totally unnecessary?

Cheers.

Realistically max usage (ie all the things at once) estimates would be:

• tumble dryer 11A/2500W
  
• hoover 4A/900W
  
• fridge 1.5A / 100W
  
• Computer 1.3A/300W
  
• Radio <0.5A/15W
  
• light <0.5A/60W
  
  
  

Sounds like you should get a eletrical survey and get it done properly.

We just got one was only £60 for piece of mind.

Yeah. I was wondering about that. But given how hard it's been to find a tiler (or get them back), my motivation is low.

Overall I'm not too concerned as the previous owner was apparently an electrician and a (commercial) electrician mate checked out the house before we bought it - altho idk if they checked out the sheds.

I can recommend ours if you're in north london?

That (or the modern equivalent) is what I will be installing in my shed. The yellow switch is likely the sockets and the white is the lighting circuit. If installed OK, the above would be fine as far as I can see (IANAE).

you're better off doing something like lifting a floorboard or making a hole in a wall somewhere random and hiding your stuff in there.

This. In a stout fire proof box.

I keep getting tempted by these sorts of things that pop up on Facebook marketplace, but where to put it...

Has anyone ever tried to move one of these things? How many people / what equipment would you need to get it in the back of a Zipvan?

Pallet truck or similar

Maybe an engine crane?

I've moved one. Out of my brother's hallway cupboard, from the house he bought. Up a shallow flight of steps and into a flatback Transit.

It weighed a fucking tonne. Very likely, literally.

Strong webbing, studwork battens and short scaffolding poles, and an uncle who is by no means a spring chicken but has spent his working life throwing bus, HGV and crane engines around.

Not recommended.

Out of my brother's hallway cupboard, from the house he bought. Up a shallow flight of steps

farkin 'ell. Can see why the vendors left it behind!

I was convinced it was going to crush the rear of the Transit van. Looking back, no idea how we got it up there! :D

Moved into a house that had a massive safe, apparently the previous owner was some sort of illicit bookie. Place also had about 5 phone lines!

Had to pay a mate of the builder to dispose of it.....