Home DIY

I’ve just noticed our kitchen doors have a large gap to the outside world at the bottom where the two doors meet… to be fair, we’ve only lived here 5 years.

There’s a general ridge across the bottom of the whole double doors which has no weather protection.

Is there something specific missing like a seal? Failing that, any recommendations for what to put there to stop heat transfer?

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Ours has this.

However, I've checked and its part of the door frame rather than front fitted.

The door frame is formed of 4 peices if that makes any difference.

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I'd measure up and look on Builder Depot for a pvc trim piece. The put some of that sticky backed foam stuff on the top where it makes contact with the doors.

Thank you - they had a lovely 25mm hardwood dowel, so made a picture rail. A little annoyed for some reason I didn't fix it halfway between the lights and the ceiling but I'll survive.

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this sideways?

https://www.habitat.co.uk/product/9548783?clickPR=plp:9:176

👌🏻

Lovely! Can we have more pics of this space?

if you cover over with pvc trim i'd fill it with (at least) steel wool first to help deter mice and borrowers.

I've been meaning to investigate for a while, is it normal for some electrical appliances to have an audible humming noise, when switched on at the socket? Biggest culprit is the air fryer which I switch off at the wall. EICR passed which I did when we moved in.

The electric smart meter is a noisy fucker too.

The back of our kitchen leads up some wonky concrete steps to a washing machine room. How would I go about chiseling all of that floor out so it's the same level as the kitchen. My intention for this would be so I could lower the roof of that room which would allow me to lower the decked area above it/outside to eventually have a door leading out to the garden instead of a window that I have to climb through.

How DIY-ish is the first part - I think the lowering of the roof will be beyond me but am trying to cut costs where possible.

I'm not sure if you mean the whole floor or the bottom of the steps....

If the bottom of the steps, depending on how much you're talking about an sds and chisel set could do it. If it's deeper I'd work out a way to get a roughly even depth with an angle grinder/similar then chisel that out.

If the whole floor I reckon paying someone in one go is the way to go. You need to dispose of all the rubbish as well so I think even DIY costs will add up.

If it's the whole floor there's every chance that it's just the foundation slab

Yeah it's the whole floor. Sorry, was in the garden typing as I thought of it so wasn't my clearest post.

We're mid terrace against a steep hill. Our side return is at ground floor but at the end leads up a steep flight of steps to a decked area which is currently at two levels - the level closest the house being higher and above the utility room.

Access (apart from the exterior staircase via side return - still waiting for Weird Al do a Bluetones cover) is through a (large tilt turn) window in the office at the back of the house. The window aperture starts at knee height and is an awkward climb through. I'd like to be able to have floor to ceiling (or near enough) doors in the future.

But I think the only way to achieve this is to lower the height of the decking which means lowering the height of the floor in the util room.

Or just move but that's not on the cards any time soon.

The kitchen is already a step above the rest of the house (step up from hallway). The kitchen floor is boarded and there's a cavity/crawl space underneath big enough to crawl around down there. I've never looked what's under the concretey bit but suspect it goes to a slope of some kind and the utility room was a later addition to the house. So it could well be some kind of foundation to stop the hill above us sliding into the house.

childish scribble

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I’m sure the info I’m after is already in this thread, but I’m struggling to find it.

I need to re seal a couple of showers and need a sealant gun and white silicone. Any recommendations for both?

Mapei AC and whatever gun is cheap. What you really need though, are silicone profiling tools

As a contributor to a cycling forum, you could consider a Soudal sealant.

Sealant gun: you'll get an acceptable finish with whatever you can find.

PC Cox are a UK manufacturer of quality sealant guns.

Tajima make good sealant guns:
https://www.dm-tools.co.uk/Tajima-Dual-Power-Sealant-resin-Gun/P17354

Thanks both and yes, I’ve already got the profiling tools. Wish me luck

As a contributor to a cycling forum, you could consider a Soudal sealant.

Mapei tho

Definitely get profiling tools. But I wouldn't get a really cheap gun. They bend and break.

I'm happy with this screwfix on which is still inexpensive, but much more robust than my first.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-heavy-duty-sealant-applicator-gun/136fr

I have a cheap one and a good one (looks identical to that but I think I get it from Leyland). Good one is better in use, and the auto-release of pressure to avoid sealant oozing out when you put it down is good. BUT the plunger gets stuck in the moving bit of CT1 cartridges, fucking ballache to get out. It just needs to be 3mm larger in diameter.

That does depend on the viscosity of the material you have in the tube. Sometimes leaving the tube in hot water for a while or on top of a radiator can help. Some materials do need a more robust frame though.

I use a smoothing agent with my finger to finish bathroom sealants. This bottle has lasted over 10 years and a lot of showers/baths.

https://www.sealantsonline.co.uk/Products/00440027/OTT0043A

Agreed, Mapei for tile grouts and their range of waterproofing kits.
Soudal are sealant specialists.

Your choice is almost definitely a Cox pro-sealant gun.

Alright. Just did a load of frame sealing with the cheap gun. Wish I’d brought the good one home from work 🥴