Home DIY

Anyone got a nice but not pricey air hammer for removing brick wall and concrete recommendations?

I need to fix some metal post bases to some flagstones (which are the copings of a stone wall). I've settled on using m8 concrete screws, since rawlplugs just weren't up to the job. Awkwardly the flagstones are angled to one side of the wall to help water run off. What's the best thing to use as a shim underneath them to make the post base vertical? Beveled washers are quite pricey and, ideally, I'd like to support the whole are of the post base (roughly 150 x 100mm). Is there anything easily available or easy to fabricate?

On the floor chat, a lot of my floors are "bouncy" and sink a bit if you put something heavy like a wardrobe on them. Can't get under the floor to look (flooring is all laminate and taking a bit up would be destructive) but wondering if anyone had any thoughts on what may cause that and, more importantly, what we might need to budget to fix it.

House is standard 1900s terrace.

Either the floor joists are rotten and you’re in for a massive, massive bill or the laminate is lifting slightly, usually because it’s expanded a bit and there hasn’t been sufficient space left to accommodate this so it’s bowing, which you can either just ignore or try to alleviate.

Show us the bits where the floor meets the walls and skirting.

Bouncy laminate is my hope, rotten joists is the fear.

I'll get pictures later but can't see much where the floor meets the skirting to indicate either way..

The floor will either butt up hard to the skirting (no expansion gap, could well be your issue), or will tuck under the skirting (probable expansion gap but maybe not big enough) or there will be some trim on top of the floor that attaches to the skirting (probable expansion gap but maybe not big enough). If it’s option 2 or 3 you’ll need to pull off the skirting or trim to see, so it’ll start to get messy.

It ought to be possible to feel the difference between bouncy joists and a bowed laminate that will push down a few mm then firm up as it touches the floorboards, but it’s tough to do/explain remotely.

We had similar in a room (1970s bungalow). Turns out the boards had shrunk over time and weren't locking together any more, making them bounce. Was a 1 day job for a carpenter/handyman to replace with chipboard.

Our floors are bouncy, but that’s because our house was cheap infill in the 1910s, joists are 2x8s, 24” on centre.

our joists are randomly spaced as I learnt while trying to line up loft boards

I should say, nominally 24” on centre.

If it stayed like this and no additional framework was installed it looks like I may have a clear run to the fascia?

It should have insulation in it, so maybe above that. There's probably some reg about how close ducting can be to insulation, but it's not like anyone is gonna check.

Cheers. The laminate goes under the skirting with a bit of sealant between it and the skirting so can't really see what kind of expansion gap there is.

Doesn't really feel like laminate bounce, although again it's hard to say why.

The fact I'm hearing the hose flop about up there when the fan is turned off is not filling me with confidence, but next weekend I'm going to pull out the current pvc hose and stick a camera up there for a look. Exciting times! Thanks for the reply.

If you really must have total support, the easiest method is to use a flowing grout.
Cementitious is cheapest, but make certain you buy dual phase expansion. (Most of the better brands are).
You'll need to build a (dismantleable) box to contain the grout. You could even cast in place M8 studding and just use two nuts above the post bases.

Anyone got advice on caulk that I can sand and oil with Osmo. Something along the lines of a caulk/filler for between floorboards - imagine it would need to be flexible hence not standard filler.

It’s for wood/sheet panelling on a wall that has some gaps.

Thanks!

Liberon do a wood filler that can be stained and sanded

Osmo do a floorboard gap sealer

Not really helpful in this case, but I have had OK results with 2-part filler by mixing some tinted osmo into it.

Just seen the Osmo gap sealer!

I think I might go for that as they explicitly state it can be sanded and oiled over with Osmo.

Never knew the did gap filler / sealer. Thanks all

I have a galvanized steel (I think) post, essentially a scaffold pole, holding the concrete porch/lintel above the front door up which needs repainting - what is my best bet for getting something to stick and stay on for @ 5 years + please?

Hard to recommend anything especially. Exterior metal work, especially black seems to be the worst for longevity. I've tried Hammerite in the past, brushed or sprayed. That lasted about 5 years. Now I'm trying priming with a dark grey tinted primer, it's a fairly specialised one from a firm called Ray Munn in Fulham. Then 2 coats of an acrylic topcoat.

I like Zinnser All Coat on wood or walls but not seen the long term results on metal.

As with all things decorating a lot depends on the preparation. Get rid of any flaking paint and key everything with sandpaper.

Thanks, it’ll be white, I May just Hammerite it then.

mordant solution-zinc plumbate primer-dulux metalshield.
supposedly good for 10 years.

i have just stripped by hand back to the galvanising a load of crittall windows and i'll be doing the above but probably use white vinegar as a degrease/mordant as i was careful not to make the galvanising shiny and its been bare for a few weeks so starting to dull and form new oxide coating.
i found a slightly dulled scraper 'walked' up the surface rather than chiseled was was the best method to remove most of the paint then a scotchbrite to remove the remaining flakes.

Ah, thanks, will investigate.

Any recommendation for starlock blades for a multiool? They seem to have a huge range of prices and a few I've used blunt fairly quickly, particularly tile cutting ones.