Home DIY

any option to use draughtex?

I need a pry bar but not a wrecking bar to remove this terrazzo window stool which is in 5 pieces and 4.5m long.
The smaller ones seem to be for nails or ‘trim’ and look a bit lightweight, is there one for this job? Possibly with some kind of mortar scraper? Managed to carefully lift the first one with a bit of hammer persuasion as don’t want to damage the window, used a screwdriver to lift it this far but H&S do not approve the inappropriate use of tools.

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https://www.screwfix.com/p/magnusson-pry-bar-8/8640v

These (and similar) would be more than up to the task.

Or both.

A bolster might be more appropriate though.

You're cleaning it up and keeping it, right?

Thanks, will add that to todays order, bolster is more bang bang and I want gentle persuasion.
@TW would love to but we are adding 60mm of insulated plasterboard so it’s not deep enough, will be fitting some kind of granite in its place.
Shame to lose it as its’s made of blue/red chips with sparkles which I presume is glass.

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@TW would love to but we are adding 60mm of insulated plasterboard so it’s not deep enough, will be fitting some kind of granite in its place.

Hah - not that sort of bolster!

This sort:

@Dammit has my collection of pry bars over in Forest Hill that you are welcome to borrow. But not sure when he will next be over in Forest Hill.

Thanks. Will see how I get on next week with the small one once I get radiators out of the way to get under the front.

Ah that's a real shame. If you're fitting new windows they'll be much deeper than the existing, and can be set back into the room to make up the gap. I'd do whatever I could to keep them - so much nicer (and cheaper) than anything new.

Even if you keep the existing windows you could add 60mm of painted timber between the window and the reinstated cill - would eliminate a bit of cold bridging too.

New aluminium windows were 25k and nobody would take that job on as the reveal would need to be cut back and 6 stories of scaffolding needed plus no sill projection allowed by Dulwich estates even if they gave us permission to change them.
So it’s internal insulation and secondary glazing.
New sills (stools if being pedantic) are not that expensive as we will be using offcuts from a granite dealer.

Big job, fair enough. Secondary glazing would take up that 60mm gap nicely ;)

Had my bedroom replastered and took of the manky window trims beforehand. Stone frame behind looks and feels like a massive heatsink so thinking I might replace with angle trims with 50mm of insulation behind. Does this sound like a sensible approach of a massive waste of time considering the wall is uninsulated?

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is that dampness around the window frame?

Fresh plaster, it's still drying

I’m internally insulating 2 exterior walls. I need to move the radiator inwards but this this joist is in the way. What’s the best solution here? I’m thinking running the tails inside the insulation and coming out of the wall at 90 degrees.

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Looks like the pipe already crosses that joist. Can't you just bend it before instead of after?

Whilst all the cool kids are getting pebble dash removed, I'm having a small bit of the back wall and the adjacent wall pebble dashed. We're soon to do the kitchen and I'd like to change the kitchen waste pipe out at the same time with something nice to avoid having to go through the dashing. Is there such thing as cast iron waste pipe? Most cast iron pipes I can find seem to be soil stack etc. How was it done "back in the day?"

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i guess it depends on where in the insulation that pipe is.
Im going to fit 67mm kingspan k118 and as the boards are not quite tall enough for the room I’m leaving a space for the pipe runs with a thinner k118 board at the back leaving enough room for the pipe run, cutting back the 12mm PB on the thicker board leaving PIR exposed so i can bond a 9mm sheet to that and a 2x1 nailed to the floor to cover the pipes and then a skirting board over that.

Asbestos...

Ah, I see, unlikely to be finding that at my local merchants 😂. Current pipe is 1 1/2inch.
Will require some thought. Is it all pretty much PVC pipe these days?

My Japanese pry bars have been used for countless jobs like this and they're still going strong. It's the main reason I advocate for them so strongly vs cheaper imitations.

I snapped one of mine on some skirting! Generally though they are good for this sort of thing.

HOW?! I've had my full weight (85kg) on both of them and neither have snapped.

I believe so. Not sure what else would make sense

Don't know really. I was surprised but I didn't know the skirting was glued and screwed. Just kept pulling on it and it snapped. Was the smaller type though.

I think your muscles can exert more force than your weight though!?!