Home DIY

Seems like a weird design. Is the intention you use both of the lower fixing holes?

For dry wall one fixing in the top and one in the bottom would be better. Duoplugs might do the job but I would lean towards a mechanical fixing myself.

Could you use a timber batten on the outer face of the wall, fixed to studs, with the rail bracket fixed to the batten? That would avoid the need for plasterboard fixings.

I’d take the opportunity to replace it with a full-bore ball valve like this

https://www.screwfix.com/p/pegler-tee-ball-valve-red-15mm/29086

You might even find you get better flow at taps and shower etc.

You might get better long term results by fixing that in to a wooden baton that’s then fixed on to the drywall. You’d get the job of patching the drywall after you’ve got it in though.

Is the intention you use both of the lower fixing holes?

That seems very unlikely to me. Reckon it's alternate spacing for some reason.

Being fixed on each side of the rail means there's no force pulling the fixings away from the wall. They only have to cope with the vertical component, so shouldn't need to be as strong as you'd need for shelves etc.

Good point. Looks like the fischer plugs should be suitable so going to try it with them. If it falls down will escalate to finding/installing studs

Duoplugs all the way.
If there’s a bigger void behind and there’s more weight going on it then the fisher plugs with the long zip tie which allows the plug to either flip and pull tight behind the board or stay level and go into masonry.

That seems very unlikely to me. Reckon it's alternate spacing for some reason.

Well yes, quite.

so shouldn't need to be as strong as you'd need for shelves etc.

They bear less weight, but the loading changes frequently, there’s more leverage and folks overload them - which is why they always fuck dry wall if not fixed correctly.

I’ve uncovered an old steel in the arch between my living and dining room (it was boxed in with wood and I need to plaster over so I’m redoing with plasterboard).

It looks to be from the 70s, based on the newspapers stuffed in there. Should I try and get rid of the rust and treat it? Or leave well alone.

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Fuck me it's tough to tick off jobs when we finally have a lovely day.

Managed to fuck around with leveling part of the lawn and Danish oil some shelves. But even that has been a real struggle when all I want to do is chill on an outdoor sofa.

All the dark blue is gone. New downstairs loo.

Just need to finish cutting in the ceiling line.

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Before, inc horrible glitter on end wall.

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Much better, lighter and brighter

Did you do something to the tiles? Or do they just look a different colour because of the photography or the new paint colours? They look beige in the first picture and grey in the second.

Big improvement. Paint...with glitter in!?

Part camera, part temperature of new ceiling light. New bathroom pic is the accurate colour.

I think the phone overcompensated on the old pic as it was so dark in there.

Paint then a glitter paint on top. It looked good on the site but fucking shit irl. Immediate regrets. Only took exactly 4 years to do anything about it.

I've got this drill driver, which I've had for 11 years. It's done wonders in that time but its time might be up. One battery is totally dead, the other is on its way out, and I think these batteries are now obsolete.

Should I:

a) Buy aftermarket batteries and plough on - in which case, any recommended brands?
b) Get a Ryobi drill driver to go with the one+ system for other tools I've got?
c) Buy a battery adapter which is apparently a thing and buy newer Dewalt batteries?

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I need new hinges, I had someone come round and say “yeah no these can’t be fixed”.
That seems daft.

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Buy a battery adapter which is apparently a thing and buy newer Dewalt batteries?

Don't know if it's just the DeWalt to Ryobi one I got but although it works fine it does slowly drain the battery even when you're not using it.

Looking at the profile I would say it was older than 1970’s but it looks perfectly functional not sure why it has rusted so much is it in a humid location? Wire brush and paint with a couple of coats of red lead, which does not have lead in it anymore. Remember the lead a use a mask and keep well ventilated when you brush it down.
When you come to re plaster use at least 12.5 mm plaster board to give it a fire rating

Sounds like you might have already done it, but about the only plasterboard fixings I bother using anymore are the metal anchors like this: https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-hollow-wall-anchors-8-16mm-m5-x-52mm-10-pack/12229?tc=BC6&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwk6SwBhDPARIsAJ59GwcnPwvudm2nhI27huOrH-83EY99TVYZnsH0RnDFzPoIE1pREeLett4aAve2EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yes you need a fixing tool, but they're absolutely solid. You can bigger/smaller ones depending on the weight needing to be hung. And I'd just ignore the middle hole on that bracket like others have said.

Finally started tiling our porch. Would've started with the floor but it needs a bit more levelling which I'll do tomorrow

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Nice one, yeah already done but I'm going to have to become well aquatinted with various types for different jobs. Have some IKEA Svalnas shelves to put up at some point which have verticals fixed at 3 points. Not sure if I should aim to fix right back through the boards and into the brick/block if possible.

I'm really hoping for 'all you've got to do is xyz' - whether that is more fuss than a replacement idk - guess it's about how they've fallen out of functioning

Noddy question for the fount of all random knowledge that is LFGSS; need to replace some blinds for what appears to be a non-standard sized (but simple and square) window and I've got no idea what's good and what's not, and prices online are all not very helpful for comparison. Anyone have recommendations for somewhere to buy (blackout roman) blinds? The current venetian slats currently in the window are terrible at actually keeping light out..

You're right about pricing I've known £1k a piece for them to be made