Home DIY

Looks like it was never sealed. I would go with silicone over foam/caulk saver due to the door probably needing to move a bit.

Actually yeah I'd do some sort of sealant instead. It was just that wide bit that made me wonder if you'd need more.

I guess there's also a wider question as to why this has occurred?

If you were asking questions you could also ask why there's a 70mm drop in floor level ('level') from one end of the studio to the other. My answer would be that the previous owner's threshold for 'good enough' is considerably lower than mine.

Go on... give me some Screwfix links to make it really easy for me.

Expanding foam
Gun
Sealant ?

I wouldn't bother with a foam gun for one job, just get one with a nozzle.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/soudal-gap-filling-foam-hand-held-750ml/46137

Get a decent caulk/sealant gun: https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-heavy-duty-sealant-applicator-gun/136fr

How much more expanding foam are you going to be using for other jobs? If you're using an expanding foam gun, you need a gun, cleaner, and cartridge(s). If its just this job buy an all in one as it'll be £7 instead of £40. If you follow the instructions you can keep the foam for at least 3m (this is how long my has lasted so far, Idk if it'll be OK for longer)

I'd agree on just using that ready to go Soudal stuff.

For silicone, CT1 is the posh stuff that gets recommended a lot - Screwfix doesn't sell it, but Toolstation does.

Finally getting around to tiling the kitchen and it's got me thinking about sills. Currently we have the leftover tiles from the previous iteration which I'm looking forward to binning. I've asked the people who did our work surface to cut a pair of sills to match it.

Is there a particular way to lay them down onto a plaster finish? Presumably just the same adhesive we used to lay the surface down on the cabinets?
And is there a reason for the sort of T shaped sill boards I've seen people make from wood on YouTube? Does it add any protection or serve any purpose? Then silicone around the edges and tile from the top of it rather than behind the piece of silestone?

So currently the space available is 650 x 105 and it'll be 20mm thick. Sound about right? Overlap in that T shape? Size it slightly under so it's not too snug?

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T shaped sill boards

Just brings the rounded bull nose edge to a finish away from the reveal... I was going to have a bee in le bonnet about 'silicone' , if it's wood window frame to wood sill caulk is paintable - and even if pvc [edit and tile* ] to wood caulk is good (and paint it with the sill)
.* If the caulk messes on the tile it can be removed when dry just with a fingernail

Blue tape to mask off before you start

The sills itself is often held with screws probably with an adhesive (gripfill), not being what I do I'd go for a 'hammerfix' type to get to the block/brick work and have the plug in the timber, but potentially just a wall plug to right screw size (+ adhesive) will deffo hold it

Thanks. None of it's wood. Plaster over stone reveal, silestone sill, upvc (for now but unlikely to change within next 24 months) frame, porcelain unrectified tiles.

Bugger,, probably silicon, but the last thing to do

Thanks - out of interest and on the assumption I'm a five year old, why the reticence for silicone?

This is the stuff the fitters left when they installed surface last year:

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That looks like a wood batten packer adjacent to your finger in the first photo.

And it's probably sodden, helping the do along nicely.

I'd say dig it out with a point object but if there's one you can see, there's others you can't.

What's happening above the frame? If that's not sealed, I'd guess it was leading to most water ingress.

It just get used when unnecessary, the standard stick some silicone on it theory (skirting to floor, any joining surface in a bathroom, window frames etc), and it's a ballache to remove and definitely not paintable

[When @mespilus does input on sealants it usually gives me a few days research, One Part Polysulphide silicone, being the last]

I'd trust what they've left you

Top of the frame is an unknown, I'll investigate tomorrow but it's not as large a gap apart form the crumbling corner photographed. This is our third winter here, and although I'd noticed historic staining to the paint around the door we hadn't previously had a noticeable reoccurrence (unlike the wonderful mould doing its thing right now). Digging packers out is more effort than I can face, can I not just seal in and forget about them while they gradually either rot away or very slowly dry out over the coming years?

I would think you'll get close. Can you try a little piece?

Tape the wall and frame with this :-
https://www.sealantsonline.co.uk/Products/Everbuild-mammoth-professional-blue-masking-tape/EVE1251

push some caulk saver in there :-
https://www.sealantsonline.co.uk/ProductGrp/0044003d0002

and then :-
https://www.sealantsonline.co.uk/Products/Geocel-201-external-polymer-mastic-sealant/GEO4120

I cheekily carefully opened the pack and snipped a sliver 😁.

Danish oil on a test piece. Turned out perfect.

I'm quite pleased with the overall end result. It's very much a "don't look too close" job. But given there used to be a wall butting up against all this I'm quite pleased.

The end panel is a bit too short, but you only see this sitting down and there will soon be a veg rack and hanging plants. The one thing I am a bit annoyed about was not giving some consideration to the light cable. Before plastering I probably could have drilled at a slight angle backwards, freed the cable and passed it through. Doing that now is still possible, but would require fixing the plaster and a repaint.... Maybe if/when we repaint the room.

Still have to touch up the wall now I've caulked and paint the skirting.

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I do really hate whoever fitted this kitchen though. I hope our predecessors didn't pay them too much. Little things like at the other end of the counter there is no end panel next to the washing machine. This puts it too close to the cupboard doors and means the dishwasher can't be properly fixed both sides.

Yet there was 3" of dead space at the other end.

Afternoon. Bit of a weird one - has anyone installed an integrated loft ladder into an existing hatch?

My hatch is 56cm by 56cm and I've no idea if that's big enough to install one - they all look quite a lot bigger!

Ours:

Hatch hole = 57cm
Ladder width at widest = 40cm
Ladder width without handrail* = 36cm

*that I guess can be removed, but may add rigidity and be essential

Yes, I fitted one of these in my old flat (not sure if it was this exact model but very similar).
https://www.dolle-uk.co.uk/shop/loft-ladder-aluminium-alufix

You need to consider the height above and behind the hatch for quite a lot of them. I didn't have much so went with the concertina one which sits just above the hatch rather than pivoting behind it.

It was OK. Definitely nowhere near as useful as the bigger hatch and telescopic ladder I've got in my current place.

I installed one of these in an existing loft hatch and cut down the existing hatch cover, which sat on top of the hatch hole, to open with hinges at the ceiling level instead. Looking at the dimensions should work for you.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/3-section-aluminium-loft-ladder-3m/7431p#product_additional_details_container