Home DIY

Yeah, easy DIY job. I'm doing this downstairs at the moment but with 125mm PIR and plastic across the top of the joists/insulation to create an 'airtight' finish taped to the walls, etc.

The PIR insulation boards cost me about £750 for 50sqm, but it's from a store that was closing down and would usually cost more.

Cheers all. Yeah the boards aren’t tongue and grooved thankfully and they come up ok. We had internet installed over the weekend and the open reach engineer had so short a length of cable that I had to lift boards for him so that the cable could run through from the back of the house to the living room. I ended up also having to remove skirting, threshold and a door and its architrave which was a barrel of laughs. But yeah, the skirting pings off nice and easily.

It there's any crap taking space under the floor, take the opportunity to remove it to improve airflow. I filled many rubble sacks when I did ours.

Also run any cables or at least trunking you think you may need in future. Once that sucker is sealed you won't want to lift it again.

Is it bare earth underneath or concrete? I'm guessing bare earth. You want to make sure all your air bricks are clear because by putting down a membrane and insulating you're reducing the ventilation to your subfloor.

Am I allowed to run ethernet behind skirting boards? And if I'm not, does it actually matter?

Yes. You can literally buy skirting with a recess for ethernet.

From a quick google, "The requirements of BS 7671 are applicable to the installation of network data cables within a building – refer to (110.1. 2 indent (vi))." My understanding(happy to be corrected), the cables should run within prescribed zones, unless buried >50mm into the wall.

https://flameport.com/wiring_regulations/BS7671_selected_subjects/zones_concealed_cables.cs4

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I'm pondering getting a cheapo angle grinder. Got a few paving slabs that need cutting and I need to add some channels to some window sills and a few other minor things.

What's the advantage of a mains powered one over something like a Ryobi (I already have ryobi batteries)? I'm not going to be spending loads of time cutting in one go.

Are blades interchangeable between models/brands or do you need to get specific ones? Anything else to look out for or should I just get a Titan one or whatever?

Blades are normally interchangeable. The QR nuts are useful, so I'd buy one of those too.

I've never used a battery powered one, but even corded 4½" ones are fairly weighty. I haven't found a cord a hassle so far.

I got a makita one with a box on a deal which I'm happy with*. But if it's only occasional use (like mine) I'm not sure it's one of those items that you'd really feel loads of difference between cheap and expensive ones.

*bar the "always on" function of the power button requiring a knack to use

Edit this one now a bit more £s, but still a fair price:
Makita GA4530RKD Angle Grinder Slide Switch, 115 mm, 720 W https://amzn.eu/d/bQzvV3H
Available cheaper elsewhere without the box

Unless you have high capacity batteries (5 or 6ah on an 18v tool) you’ll just be changing and charging batteries constantly. And even with big batteries you’ll go through them quickly cutting slabs.

Pretty much all grinders use the same kind of discs Apart from the new and expensive x lock ones.

If you put a data socket on the skirting board it will extend the zone onto the skirting board. It’s a high risk place to put a cable, but if it’s just for an Ethernet link or extension I wouldn’t even think twice about it personally.

At the end of the day, little harm will come from damaging it, other than inconvenience. Which is rather different to a live pipe or cable getting damaged.

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Einhell angle grinders are quite good valve, they’re not the best, but if they go wrong, tool station or whatever normally just replace them on the spot. Where as with more expensive grinders they send them back to the manufacturer to be repaired/replaced.
Having said that I’ve had my Bosch grinder for over 15years and it’s still going strong.

Cheers all. I have one 4ah battery so sounds like wired may be the thing to go for, will have a look at what is available.

Any particular discs that hit the sweet spot of price and not shit?

Recently moved into a 1965, 3 bed semi in North Kent/Sevenoaks area. Some of the brickwork needs repointing which I'm happy to do. I assume this would be cement based mortar at this build date? Should I re-point with lime or keep cement? Is it pointless for breathability if the remaining mortar around the brick is cement based? Would I have adhering problems repointing with lime? Thanks

If it's cement originally, stick with cement.

Lime mortar is a lot more porous and soft - on old buildings, it goes some way to protecting the soft bricks by wicking water & degrading, instead of the bricks being damaged.

My guess is that it would degrade really quickly if you used it on modern brickwork. Also, it's just more of a ballache to do, and to find someone that can do it.

Perfect - thanks. This is what I suspected but wanted to double check.

@grog and I diy'd this in our house in Jan - insulation, sanding and treating. Definitely worth doing. (Side note - we ended up going for a Bona primer / Bona Traffic HD over Osmo).

As you say sanding will make a HUGE mess so it's worth hermetically sealing rooms off, so it doesn't get into the rest of the house, and it is very noisy so worth giving neighbours a heads up... Also, get way more sand paper than you think you need! I had to go back and get more even though we thought we'd got plenty.

ms_com wants the stairs to be bare wood with a runner. They are caked in decades of paint and crud so I have been putting off the very thought of it. But, I decided to take a punt on a £40 "IR" paint stripper from Amazon, and by christ it works!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paint-Stripper-Infrared-Tool-Decorating/dp/B09QMFYR73

Works exactly as advertised. Wait 10 min for it to heat up (only 400W), hold over the area to be stripped for 10-20 seconds, layers of paint turn to soft cheese and just strip off.

Had a crack at a more intricate newel post, and the shortcomings are it doesn't really get into the nooks and crannies, but for £40, it'll make stripping any flattish surface MUCH easier.

Yes I've done it before and am well aware of the dusty and noisy nature. Thanks @rhowe for the tips - there is a lot of rubble that we'll clear out whilst doing it and ensure it's future proofed as much as possible with cables running through etc.

I need to cut an elliptical hole for a 32mm waste pipe to pass through a wooden wall panel at a 45 degree angle - does anyone know, is this doable with a holesaw and an in situ jig (ie some bits of wood)? Is there an established method for this?

Or should I just cut slightly larger round holes and fill the gaps?

A hole saw will not likely be deep enough but if you made a jig, you could go at it from both sides to cut two edges then stitch drill and/or use a hacksaw blade to cut the rest?

Just in from wading around on my knees in 2" of standing water in the front yard, elbow deep in the drain below my downpipe with the jet hose clearing the bastard drain again. Last did it a year ago so not too bad.

I used a drill extender and holesaw bit to get through a stud wall and then the soil pipe. You can use a laser to work out the centre of the hole (ours was at a weird angle).

Cobalt drill bits, any recommendations?