Home DIY

@aggi @Airhead legends, cheers!

yes, we should all be using aerogel that they use on spaceships

Spacetherm: 0.015 W/mK

Appropriate for the DIY thread 😀

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Aerogel onesies for all instead of heating subsidy. Economy fixed.

So 8mm of the cork stuff gives the same insulation as 3mm of PIR? Mmmm cosy.

It's interesting.

The cork stuff is sprayed on. Someone shared a really good pdf guide to retrofitting insulation, and one of the things it was insistent about was that the lambda value and the ability to form a really, really good fit and seal were of almost equal importance. Obvs. spray stuff can form a really, really good fit, where boarded stuff struggles.

There are definitely methods for making board insulation snug, but part of me really worries about any spray on insulation. Especially after so many people basically ruined their houses with it, lol.

https://www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk/news/2021/12/21/rpsa-warns-250000-homes-could-be-unmortgageable-due-to-spray-foam-insulation/

Do you still have that guide?

There are definitely methods for making board insulation snug

Expertise, time and money.

part of me really worries about any spray on insulation.

Yep, that's the problem with 'mix on site' insulation - it's very hard to remove.

A friend was looking at a house with spray insulation under the roof tiles. It had no fire certificate that I could find from the manufacturer and the installer wouldn’t cooperate with producing one. You’d have to destroy the roof to get it off and roofs are designed to breathe so the thing probably would have rotted. Proper sketchy stuff.

The cork wall spray does look to have a fire cert though.

I just can’t see that such a tiny amount of insulation will make a difference. 50mm of PIR is the minimum I’d say to notice a difference. Then vapour barrier and 25mm batons on top then plasterboard, but you’ll be coming 80mm into the room so you’ll need to mess about with wiring and window reveals and what not. A great deal more effort than squirting something on the wall.

Can't for the life of me find it now :(

Anyone tanked a cellar? Wondering whether it’s something to take on solo or if it would be better to get someone in

Painting this room at the weekend and need to fill and sand this. And tips on what filler to use? Was planning to fill on Fri night, cut in on Sat morning, then sand the filling back and paint the walls, with a second coat on Sunday.

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Gyproc Easifill. Either pre-mixed or in a bag.

If you use Toupret interior filler mixed with warm water it will dry in a few hours on the sort of depth you need there. You should sand what you have there now back first though.

Use Zinsser Gardz on top of the fresh filler if you don't want it 'grinning' through the new paint.

I only avoid Easifill because it's quite soft when dry and doesn't seem to sand as well.

quite soft when dry and doesn't seem to sand as well

You obviously have more experience than me, although I have filled MANY cracks in this bastard house, I've not had a problem with it being too soft to sand. Although, that being said, I have not used Toupret interior but I've not thought easifill was lacking in that regard. I have found that the ready mix dries harder or at least more consistently than when I try to mix it. And that is absolutely because I am an idiot and winging it in terms of getting the right consistency. It just depends how much I'm doing at any one time on whether I go ready mixed or bagged for cost effectiveness reasons.

Thanks both. Very helpful. Going to my local decorator supply merchant later and will see what they have.

It's probably only a subtle difference. I do use easifill for joints in plasterboard. It is a lot easier to feather with a sponge.

I use a mix of powder or ready mixed fillers but the ready mixed is normally for tiny quantities when you need to fix very small areas. It's worth measuring the weight of filler by a small quantity, say a plastic cup and then measuring the amount of water the manufacturer recommends to mix with that. Then you have 2 measurements you can replicate on site and your mixes will improve.

The plastic cup idea is a good one, thanks. I am forever mixing far too much also.

Another tip for DIY-ers who can't be arsed to rake out and fill hairline cracks is Polycell "Crack-free Ceilings" crack filling paint. I've done a few now in areas where the room has been decorated and I really couldn't be bothered with the mess/hassle of properly filling. One was a loooong but tiny hairline crack in the ceiling of mini_com's room. It got filled once, but came back. Left it a few seasons to see if it would get any worse and to know if I needed to panic. Stayed the same. Painted with this stuff and the crack has yet to come back. Despite the room above being in more constant use now. It says it is a matt finish, but definitely dries with a more satin result. So even brilliant white on brilliant white, you need to go over it with your ceiling/wall colour.

Wups

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Nice. See you got some new batteries too. SPENDY.

I'm interested in the circular saw. Would be good to know how well it can double up and do the job of a track saw. I suspect I will need both at some point but would probably be able to get by with a circular and tracks for the medium term.

Ohhh didn't spot you have the router too....

Easyfill is my choice too. Be prepared to do another fill after the first coat of paint, there are usually little dips you don’t see and feel until it’s painted.

Are you starting Stevo's Building Co?

I have a corded track saw that's going nowhere fast. I needed to get rid of the bosch as I very nearly hoofed it into the rec when it kept stalling just cross cutting a 2x6.

I played around with the different options on powertoolmate.co.uk with regards to which tools came with or without a battery vs just buying two batteries outright. Maybe saved a tenner doing that.

Router is mainly because I love my little trim router, but the cable makes it 10x more of an arse to use. Same reasoning for the multi-tool.

Annoyingly, they packed the saw blade loose with the saw so it has scratched it up. Won't affect the use of course, but it's annoying when you've just bought something new and shiny.

I'll be selling off the old bosch equivalents (router and multi-tool are not bosch). People here can have them for cheap if they want. But seeing as I've done nothing but bitch about them, I doubt anyone would want them.

Worth pointing out that changing saw blades for different purposes is very helpful, especially if you have problem with the saw bogging down in a cut.

More aggressive blades will rip hardwood with ease where they would bog down all the time with a fine blade.