Home DIY

I use Zinsser AllCoat most of the time these days. I'm using the Satin for first time and it seems pretty thin but probably just what I'm painting is a patchwork of repairs. I've just ordered some B.I.N. Aqua which should be a good replacement for coverstain as a primer on bare wood, it's moisture vapour permeable unlike coverstain. Only just released though, I'll get a chance to try it this week.

One of the paint systems that gets old timers misty eyed is the oil based Dulux Weathershield which has a very thin initial primer that soaks into the wood, that primer is no longer made (I still have bit!) I've got some windows that were painted in that system 13 years ago which still look pretty good. A lot of painters like the waterbased version too.

The oldest All Coat ones I painted are about 7 years old now and holding up ok.

This is probably a very unlfgss answer, but I bought this as it's what was in Wickes (which is down the road):

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Sandtex-Microseal-Ultra-Smooth-Weatherproof-Masonry-15-Year-Exterior-Wall-Paint---Pure-Brilliant-White---10L/p/137586

On our porch 2yrs(?) on its fine. On our concrete slab seating area it has chipped from the kids playing with stones.

So my assessment is that it's fine where there won't be foot traffic, but I'm not sure any paint, paint, would hold up to that.

If it’s good enough for you…

I think it also comes in Pinterest Grey to match UPVC windows.

Cheers. Was also on my radar, made the mistake of buying their oil based primer though.

Surprisingly decent paint the Sandtex Masonry. I've got some I use for touching up the top of walls and other small jobs. Lasted ages in the pot and good opacity.

I've got a bit of a peculiar plumbing situation, and I wonder if anyone here has come across something similar (and hopefully, solved it)

Our cold water pipes make a fairly horrifying shrieking sound. I don't think it did it when we first moved in, and it does vary a bit. It seems to only be triggered by stuff that's further away from the stopcock, in the bathroom upstairs. Kitchen sink doesn't make it happen, nor washing machine.

Flushing the toilet, running the cold sink tap etc makes a super load noise UNLESS the shower has been running for a while. Brushing teeth after a shower, no shrieking. Running the tap etc also makes the shower head drip quite a lot, I'm pretty sure that's been getting worse too.

I can only think that it must be in some way pressure-related. I thought for a while that the stopcock was not opened up enough, I had to shut it off to fit the washing machine and then it did give the warning for 'not getting enough water', so opened it up more. Then some more as an experiment re the noise. Eventually the stopcock started to drip a tiny bit so I tightened it up again, no discernable change in the noise.

Probably going to get a new stopcock and have all that area of pipework sorted out as part of the new kitchen, but ahead of having a plumber spend hours diagnosing, is there anything I should try?

I'm the same with the daily email.

I cannot praise having the whetstone enough. My tools are now sharp when I need them.

Pocket screw unit today....

Pocket screw unit today....

Saw that, but already have a wolfcraft one, otherwise I'd have been all over it.

I'm being good. Got some wine arriving next week that took a chunk of what is laughingly described as disposable income

Floor paint for wooden floors - what makes it different to any other paint?

Doesn't have to be floor specific. what did you want to use?

Often happens when the stopcock in a water tank is close to closing, it starts to vibrate and causes all sorts of vibration. Replacing the washer is an option, replacing the whole stopcock is usually not that expensive if you're diying it.

Cool, thanks. It took a lot of gt85 and effort to get it to close enough so I could connect up the washing machine so it’s probably on the way out. There’s about 5 other tap handles under there for various feeds, it’s like a brain teaser

When we moved into our house we entered a whole world of brown courtesy of the 90 year old owner. Slowly but surely we have been stripping the house back, rewiring, plastering and decorating to take out the 60s and 80s attempts at updating and making it look like an old house again, but one that works properly. I’ve hated this corner of the kitchen for the 3 years we’ve been living here and actually bought the new sink that long ago. I cut thé new worktop maybe a year ago. But there have been so many other jobs, a stroke and subsequent recovery from that, plus crisis with the in-laws that pushed this job back.

Finally I have had the time to get it sorted. There’s a bit of carpentry left to do but boy, is it looking better!

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hate to point it out now that it's all done but if you look closely you'll notice you've accidentally used a bunch of all different patterned tiles there mate, you've not managed to follow the pattern at all ;)

looks good mate.

today I am physically wracked with full body pain after a very long and unrelenting painting and decorating schedule for the past couple of weeks. I think I may have inadvertently triggered the family-line arthritis in my first and second knuckles of my left hand so that's fun and standing up straight is a bit of an issue thanks to cutting in eschers hallway yesterday.

today I need to paint final accent wall in gf's study
touch up a few spots in the hallway to try and avoid another coat being needed.
put up coving in every. single. fucking. room.

tomorrow I need to run all my ethernet cable under the floors even if i don't terminate it all so i don't need to pull up the new carpet once it goes in.

thursday will be painting remaining trim and touching up all the carnage ruining my hard fought crisp edges.

gf has a week off so is helping me by painting the skirting and so far she is 2/2 for fucking up the finish on every single room she has held a paint brush in so i feel like my to-do list is getting longer the more I am helped which is not helping my stress levels.

carpet fitting is confirmed to go ahead on friday so have a firm deadline to get everything done that will involve making a mess.

good news is after that is done we can start moving in after 4 long months of hard work and I can turn my attentions to our summerhouse.

Oh bollocks! I'll have to redo it now.

The amount of work I've done in this kitchen alone and it's still not finished. I removed the pine ceiling, repainted the original ceiling and beams, removed two built in cupboards, re-formed some of the walls that were damaged from that, removed a woodburner and flue, removed a rad, replaced another, it's been rewired, and replastered by professionals, and I've done the sink thing, and yet still I have to remove a load of cement rendering that was slapped all over the original granite fireplace and seems to be welded to it. That's a job I wish I hadn't started in the first place.

Hi all, would really appreciate feedback from the experts on what I should do with a severely degraded chimney stack. Builders proposed to take it down, as it looks very shaky and fireplace is not in use (closed and plastered over). Downstairs neighbour is having damp issues on the chimney breast right under the stack when it rains heavy, so we are thinking water is coming in through the super degraded chimney stack.

My only concern about removing the stack and taking it down to the level of the flat roof is potential problems with condensation and lack of airflow.

Does anyone have any insight on whether I would need to vent the chimney Breast somehow if we close it off on the top with roofing felt?

Thanks so much!

Usually the removed chimney is still vented at the top and not fully covered.

I have a few solidwood boards (maybe x6 ~800mm lengths) which are currently around 40mm thick. I want them resawn to a more sensible thickness, which should be a simple job for a bandsaw with a ripping blade. Anyone know of anywhere in South London I could get this done?

Imagine the peckham reclamation yard would sort it

Had another look at the tap, took the screw at the back out, but cannot get the spout off. It doesn't pull straight up, nor unscrew, it just rotates freely. The collar is part of the spout itself.

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It's only the grub screw, or locking nut (collar) that can be holding it in place.

Sometimes they're a little stubborn to remove. It should come straight out: upwards, no twisting needed.

Ta. I'll have another look when I get a bit of time