Home DIY

My man.

Any recommendations for knee pads for occasional use? Virtually every time I'm doing DIY at some point I think this hurts my knees. Something separate rather than trouser inserts.

Also, any recommendation for a mask for sanding and stuff? I just buy disposable ones at the moment but wondering if it is worth getting a proper one.

Cheers

These knee pads and a 3M mask according to budget/needs - replaceable filters if needed.

I dont really like strap on knee pads, I find they cut off the circulation and prefer a knee pad.

I got this cracking macapline one recently

Def get a proper one. I wish I'd bought one when we bought our place. They're not even that expensive eg

https://www.screwfix.com/p/jsp-force-8-mask-respirator-with-press-to-check-filters-p3/1863f

^maybe cheaper elsewhere.

For knee stuff, if it's occasional I'd just go to the pound shop and get a garden kneeing pad and a set of knee pads.

E.g. For working on my motorbike I find it much easier to have a pad to move around. Then for the few times I'm on my knees for a long time the cheapo pads I have are fine.

Obviously if it's heavy regular use, treat yourself.

But definitely get a decent mask.

mask - face fit is important (all very what was learnt form COVID like) and obviously not generic, I think I'll make my next one a 3m - nice and rubbery (but don't 100% know the market), I have JVP P3 and P3 A2 - more weight and rubber (to fit face) on the P3 A2 . If the "stuff" and long exposure contains vapor i.e. Strine two part filler, cellulose thinners, or oil paint the A2 part is needed.. my rule is even with the smallest bit of rubbing down (even with a 240/320 grit) wear the mask..

Also I'm shit sure that 30 min in a good mask while doing 'nothing' give the lungs a nice brake from the general pollutants

I have the press to check one above, works well and i used it for sanding floors and any paintwork that might contain lead, happy to wear it for long periods of time without it aggravating.

My wife's best friend's wife has started doing some woodworking and when they were visiting recently and heard I was going to be building a playhouse for my daughter they got really excited and wanted to help. Which was welcome quality time. So I gave them the task of firing in screws with the impact after I had gone ahead and drilled pilot holes. They managed to properly disintegrate my 3 good PZ2 bits (on PZ2 headed screws, we got down to the dregs of the random bits drawer). I still have now idea how they did it. I was ignoring the noises and trying not to micro manage, or wince too visibly.

Using an impact properly is an art

Once you get it you don’t put it down

Before that point it’s just destruction left and right and all over the shop

I've got so many diy jobs at the moment I thought it best to try and procrastinate and redo the table from this boot sale bargain table and chairs set.

My eldest has killed on of the chairs and recently thought it would be fun to stab the top of the table until the fibres ripped.

Plan is to strip, spray and put a slatted wood top on.

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It's the perfect procrastination project because it turns out to have a million tiny little staples which mean that the quick first job of stripping will take much longer than expected.

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was being lazy as I don't have my workshop setup yet and ordered an overpriced decking step kit from b&q so I can just assemble it and not have to fuck about with cutting things to size while in the middle of the full house redecoration.

I am going to own my ignorance completely here, the package turned up completely soaked inside the plastic wrap and half the planks are green with dark green splotches.

is this a byproduct of the pressure treatment or just plain old mold like I suspect it is?

I realised putting moldy planks on the deck was a bad idea as soon as I took this pic so they are drying out in the sun with a sheet of plastic under them now.

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is this a byproduct of the pressure treatment or just plain old mold like I suspect it is?

Yes. It's a chemical treatment residue; the stuff that's forced in to the wood fibres when it's pressure treated. It disappears over time.

That's pretty vibrant mould. I'd say pressure treatment. It's a good eg of the problem with deliveries from these chains. Once had a load of insulation which was soaked at one end - as it had obviously been stood up in a puddle after some heavy rain.

I'm sure it'll fade. If you're worried clean with oxygenated bleach. If you don't have any you can use oxy powder instead - basically the same.

It'll fade anyway and as they're steps will get dirtier than the rest too.

It disappears over time, and the wood warps to fuck.

ftfy

Any of the big box stuff I've bought has been literally dripping with tanalith.

Sort of x-post, but thought I'd ask here as well.

Has anyone put up a u-channel slot on their blackout blinds, to hell lock out the light?

Did it work?

Cheers for all the suggestions on pads and masks.

I do already have a kneeling pad but find it a bit annoying to keep moving round, hence thinking of knee pads.

On masks with replacement filters, are they generic or are you tied to the manufacturer? I guess there is a risk that they stop producing the filter so the mask becomes defunct.

thanks all. I just didn't want to attach it to the deck and then have it spread all over if it was mold.

once my workshop is up and running I'll eventually build my own steps anyways I imagine but I need to remove the current step asap as it will impact running power to the summerhouse so this will make do for a few months or whatever.

Fellow decker noob here. If decking on top of an uneven patio, does the decking frame just sit on the existing paving stones, or should I be using the walls to create a floating frame, by fitting something like joist brackets? Can’t help but think wood on the floor will just rot.

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Shit wood is shit, so yeah.

Ive always bought 3m masks and the chances they discontinue the filters without making a different type that will fit are slim i recon.

Yeah - I did use those - and I would defo have it standing off the paving on posts by 25mm minimum - especially with that drain there. Maybe coat the corner posts ends with blackjack or something to seal them.

Or you can actually get adjustable plastic pedestals for this purpose instead of using corner posts.

Long since ran out of money for finishes, ie floors and stuff, so looking at ways to make it ok for a bit... anyone have any tips or experience of painting chipboard floor? As in the crap stuff that should just be base for a real floor to go on.

I've done it for clients. It works but then they find the sealant around the edges is not opaque enough. It never seems necessary and thick curtains would do the job.