Home DIY

But if it takes 3 weeks to cure you’re not saving time over mineral oil plus the cost of it : )

It's not exactly a labour intensive process.

Personally I don't like using mineral oil as a wood finish because it's an incredibly vague catch all term for a petrochemical - you don't know what you're getting. Worse case scenario it is defined by the world health organisation as a class 1 carcinogen (known to cause cancer in humans). I certainly wouldn't want it around my food or my kids food. I avoid using it at work because I deal with enough toxic shit without having to worry about more of it.

I use the white food grade stuff.

Ta will also investigate

It’s worth noting that mineral oil isn’t a drying oil, so the surface will remain a bit greasy and the oil will transfer to whatever you put on the worktop. It’s a form of paraffin, basically. Linseed oil is a drying oil, albeit a relatively slow drying one if you get the pure stuff. I wouldn’t use boiled linseed on a worktop, I would use raw. The linseed oil product Bobbo recommends looks good but I haven’t tried it. Osmo Polyx oil is a hardwax, and dries within a day or two to a fairly water resistant wax finish.

I remember my grandma used to keep a bottle of liquid paraffin in the cupboard. It lubricates the stool, apparently. Helpful if your diet doesn’t include many vegetables.

Does anyone here regularly buy from Dulux Decorator Centre (store, or online) and want to split a 50% discount. Ideally someone who buys large amounts, not just a single 5l can.

is there a recommended/go-to interior white matt paint?

not too bothered about getting a specific shade 0f white - more something that goes on easily enough and can deal with family life with 2 small kids and a dog - will be painting every wall and ceiling* in a 3-bed, if that helps at all.

*will use specific stuff in bathroom and kitchen where needed

I've used Dulux easycare with no complaints.

I looked at zinser allclean but it was very expensive.

Thanks!
3 for 2 in B&Q at the mo, so hoping three 10L tubs of the Dulux does the trick - for £96 seems like a decent shout :)

You might want to look at the various trade offerings too. The diamond Matt is meant to be decent, although opinion seems split whether it is much different to the easycare

That’s lovely 🥰

Just done a load of matt white painting here with Leyland trade. On special offer and tubs had 20% extra so one of the cheapest options. Went on OK, needed 2 coats on already painted walls and 3 on new, plaster (first was pretty watered down). Quite a nice white, whiter than the Dulux we used upstairs.

Leyland trade + 1

Painters seem to recommend it for it’s durability - probably the scrubbable version though…

Definitely greasy for the first couple of days, but it soon feels dry to the touch. I’ve never had oil marks on paper that was set on the counter though I’ve never left it overnight so it might show in that situation.

Leyland trade is normally touted as the best value option by professionals. Dulux diamond trade is very durable but expensive, also has a slightly plastic finish.

Dulux diamond

When I used to sub out decorating the guy I used hated this stuff with a passion because it couldn't be touched up. It all came down to a bad experience he had where an angsty project manager got him early to make things look further along than they were; the roof wasn't on when he started. He ended up having to repaint every room multiple times because someone would inevitably fuck it up.

thanks! the ‚hardwearing’ version is fairly similarly priced to the dulux - so will try to weight things up but likely make a completely arbitrary decision when the time comes :)

Upthread discussion of 'mineral oil'.
As far as I know PetroCanada had the first refinery that produced true 'White' mineral oils.
https://lubricants.petro-canada.com/en-gb/brand/puretol-white-oils
I first heard of these around 1994-5.

Previously 'mineral oil' was based solely upon viscosity, ignoring the amount of aromatic content that would have caused the toxicity concerns mentioned by @Bobbo.

Such 'mineral oils' would have been de-odourised, as Sulphur, or Nitrogen containing molecules stink, but there would possibly have been some other impurities present.

The PetroCanada Mineral Oils, are as far as I know fully hydrogenated, they contain little that is aromatic, and consist of only straight or cyclical alkanes. This means they have very reduced reactivity, but should soak into timber, if applied in thin layers.

Mineral oils were used as laxatives as they pass through the human digestive system barely changed and act as a lubricant in the lower intestines and sphincters.

This also explains the old wives tale of not eating handfuls of sultanas/raisins/currants. They all had mineral oil coatings used as a process aid to reduce clumping in the process from bulk to filled retail units.
Such 'process aids' do not have to be included in the ingredients listing.

My grandma was spooning down liquid paraffin in the seventies so god knows who made that or how clean it was. Lived into her eighties though.

How hard would it be to DIY a humidity sensor extractor fan in my brick shed?

I assume the wiring will be the hardest part as the physical installation is "just" drilling out a hole/bricks to the right size.

Can it be run from a spare plug? (the tumble dryer is on a plug in the same location)

Online searching isn't too helpful as everything assumes it's a bathroom and will be on when the lights are on. Whereas this will mainly come on when the tumble dryer is on and the lights will be off.

It will work fine from a plug. Connect something like https://www.screwfix.com/p/manrose-1361-remote-bathroom-fan-humidity-control-with-timer/44376 between the fan and the plug. Apparently you should put the sensor far away from the fan.

Cheers. That makes sense.

Thanks for all the tips on avoiding Farrow and Ball, went Dulux Heritage and thoroughly impressed even after one coat. Definitely the poshest paint I've used, just needs another coat then will put the picture rail up.

@Soul sinfully late, reply but the garage is looking great.

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Such a difference from the before photos, from memory.

Cheers re: the garage. Unfortunately I’ve made literally zero progress since as I’ve been ill. Hoping to spend a few nights this week making some progress.