Home DIY

We tried for a while (behind a cooker) and it became pretty manky within a few months.

Have just got some thin copper sheet and bent it and glued it on, so it still looks neat but something that can be splashed and wiped etc

Thanks, that's what I was hoping.

Have since noticed that the underside looks a much better surface than the current top. Think I'll just flip the whole thing over.

Thanks for windowsill feedback, we might just go for a standard sill to match the rest of the house and make life simple.

I've been having a closer look at the (ongoing) install of our bifold. Feeling a wee bit concerned when the installers and builders are acting as though the job is all but completed.

What I think is damp proof membrane is partially installed under the door threshold but a large section of it is lose and has little hope of being tucked under. Also shining a torch from inside reveals that there seems to be no seal at all under the threshold between outside and inside. Finally, if anyone has any thoughts on the best practice to fill the void where the new flooring will eventually sit I'd love to have something to compare with whatever plans the builders come up with.

How concerned should we be ?

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If it stays like that you'll be getting more pet slugs than you probably want

Work is starting this week on my new built in cabinet. Finalised the design and have all the necessary wood.

Only thing I haven't done is spur a socket. As the picture so beautifully shows, I'll be spurring the socket and creating a new one on that corner. The wall I'll be chasing is dot and dab with probably 10mm behind the plasterboard. The wall for the new socket is plasterboard with no insulation behind (small loft space in the eaves).

I assume trunking is required? Any tips for what's best to use to secure the trunking and fill accordingly?

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Lack of seal shouldn't be a problem - the design should be such that water is not getting down there in the first place. Sealant should be the defense of last resort, not the front line. You could always put some sealant in there is you're worried, I suppose.

Worth checking with the builder / installer in any case. And with the manufacturer, as they will likely have specific installation instructions.

Is the DPC a problem? It's not as if the bifold can get damp. There seems to be plenty of room to wedge it through though.

If you're chasing the wall you are going to be flouting the rules a bit because cables should only be running horizontally or vertically from visible outlets on the wall. I have done this going round corners myself but strictly speaking it's not allowed. There is an area at the edges of walls where wires can be run without accessories visible on the surface but that doesn't apply in your case.

Normally you would go down, under the floor and back up to get to where you want the socket. Depending on the subfloor type you can create access hatches or lift boards and pull the wires through.

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/how-to/electrics/permitted-wiring-zones

I thought the safe zones were horizontal including corners...

I'll be running the socket horizontally from the socket, and the new socket will be at the same height.

What's the benefit of a circular saw compared to a track saw? Just cheaper or other stuff too?
Was pondering picking this Ryobi one up as it seems a decent price https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08LNXXW38?

I was questioning myself as I wrote it. I have done it before but didn't think it was allowed. Maybe someone else can confirm. Further searching reveals it's muddy waters.

The underfloor route would often be preferred as corners tend to have a bit more going on structurally but that depends on the age and construction and I think you're in a new build?

I see now why you are thinking trunking would ensure the wires stay on the horizontal. In my experience trunking is not often used in walls. There's a type of capping which is useful in solid walls if you are plastering over the chase.

Thanks. Definitely not going through the floor for a 2m run, especially as the new socket location is in eaves with nothing behind it. Should be easy to drill through in the corner.

I think I'm going to go with some oval conduit / conduit clips.

Assuming some pre-mix plaster to fill the hole then a skim of fine filler should do the trick? I'm hoping that I can get away with leaving a lot of the plaster in place by cutting only where there are dots behind the board and feeding the conduit through.

I just had a real electrician (tm) do some corners for me. Chased into plaster walls. He isn’t the type to fuck about with noncompliance - he suggested corners as a good spot to spur through from other rooms if necessary, and mentioned safe zones exactly as described above.

Think you’re good.

You might be right, just all the bifold installs I've watched online the first step is to run a bead of silicone where the threshold will sit and then install the threshold and away you go. So I was a bit surprised to only find a few packers and fresh air.

I guess I'm trying to figure out what's best practice so they don't just brush off any questions in order to get it done faster.

It's quite useful to save the plasterboard if you've cut it out with an oscillating tool or stanley knife and then put a larger sheet of plasterboard into the gap, screw it in above and below and fix the old plasterboard to it. That way you only have a small cut line and some screw holes to cover. It's especially useful if the plasterboard is skimmed because it will then match the depth of the old finish.

Anyone got quotes for a timber front door recently? Cost is way more than I thought they would be. For timber door with couple of glass panes, generic furniture and fitting/ making good the surround I am getting quotes of £5k - £9k. Seems like a huge amount! However never bought a door before so no clue how much it should cost…

That's pretty strong but inline with a few quotes I've seen on here. Maybe try the Owning Your Own Home thread, it's often better on the how much should I pay questions.

Thank you! Will post there!

I’m not sure I understand. What an I doing with a larger piece of plasterboard?

Tuck it in & attach behind the hole you just made to support the bit you cut out

Edit: video worth 18 words ↓

Pretty much this but with screws and filler instead of adhesive.

https://youtu.be/8X3__7RMgMQ?t=213

I want to add some sockets to a ring main, is it better to spur off or extend the ring?

I have reasonable access to the wiring in the loft and I can drop new cables down inside the wall to back new boxes or - probably my preference - through the ceiling (and run cable through surface mounted conduit) from there to pattress boxes.
Spurring off would use slightly less cable and fewer connections in total but is there anything else to consider (apart from total potential load on the circuit)?

You can only spur once. If you extend the ring you can then spur from that later if you want.

It's preferred that you make connections in existing backboxes rather than just splicing into the ring under floors or in the loft etc. It's just a question of convenience in the future if someone is working on the circuit or fault finding. You have to balance that with convenience now of course!

Our side return is tiered with crumbly concrete. There are various drains in the corners and one manhole in the centre of the bottom tier.

We want to gate off the stairs that lead up from the end of the side return and put a new floor surface down so it's a bit more suitable for us to just open the door and get kiddo outside.

What are our flooring options?

I'd almost like some kind of rubbery playground surface but don't know how that works with steps. I don't really want anything that can be lifted up either, like tiled rubber. The big step between the two main tiers is the problem as the corners have gone and it's crumbled to shit.

Pouring 'nicer' concrete over is one thing but have no experience of doing steps. Also don't know how I'd need to prepare the current floor (other than sweep away loose bits and clean it as much as poss). Also drains etc. There are a couple of air bricks to avoid too, so don't want to raise the floor too high and don't want to risk going above any membrane that may or may not exist in the walls.

Paving : / meh. Maybe.

Any others?

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Thanks, think I will go for extending if possible then. Don't think I was clear in my description... I wasn't suggesting a string of spurs all off the same point, it would have been several spurs so the cable would drop straight down to each socket. But still I think extending makes more sense like you say. I will have to get back up in my horrible loft and see what I can find, there's cables everywhere!

No problem. It's very rarely clear from the text description in the case of electrical installation! You asked for downsides and really the future potential to create a spur if you extend the ring is the only advantage I could think of. Good luck in the loft, these jobs are very often much worse in the planning and get worse the more you think about them.