Home DIY

I've used old pillows in a refuse sack before.

Did the job perfectly.

I like that option. Thanks

It was once gloriously leafed upon its whole length, but we went on holiday having forgotten to water everything (not an uncommon occurrence) and this was the result.
We have quite a Darwinian approach to houseplants...

Paint help please :)

Been relentlessly scraping wallpaper paste off walls all over the house for weeks and weeks (and weeks) now, about finished that, filling holes and cracks and sanding etc.

Now for paint, GF bought loads of this dulux easy care. For an undercoat/primer are either of this big tubs of white that have been lying about for ages ok? Any benefit to watering down or adding PVA?

Trying to read up on it all and confused myself

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I’m very much not pro but I’d happily water down the big Dulux ~10% and use that. Mixed well: I don’t know what “vinyl matt” means really on the other one

Sorting out what happens to the paint if it goes over paste residue is more trouble than just relining - if when the paper came off it exposed bare plaster chances are a 1:1 mix of paper paste to water was used to seal it.
PVA should be the binder or part of those paints (I've never known anyone add it). I don't trust non trade Dulux - prices would be set by the retailer and the paint mixed to that price even though akzonobel are a major paint player. Zinsser gardz should seal in paste residue through bare plaster but its a clear coat - by all means just a mist coat could work and you'll pull it off fine

[watering down paint is to help set the absorption rate for subsequent coats on bare substrate , most wall paint will be 65% water in the tub but bare plaster / filler will absorb that water so fast the paint won't cure and or worse flake off, in the textbook term 'evening the porosity',,]

These are the steel ones.
That wall isn’t going anywhere!

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Cheers bluehuw, really appreciate it.

Wallpaper was from at least the 80s, pretty confident I've got it all now as gone over every patch at least 4 times with a fabric softener mix and scraper and then sanded twice.
Let's see how we go.

For other rooms I've not yet started do you recommend lining paper then? I was avoiding that as that as thought wasn't ideal but would save me a lot of time I suppose

It's all horrifically tactile, allowing yourself to have room a,b,c, to where you want them will help deciding where to get the others to

Another paint question though - I removed the carpet from my stairs, and discovered they’ve been painted wood at some point. I might just repaint, although possibly temporarily. What’s good but not crazy ££ floor/stairs paint that isn’t going to just get trashed. White, as not glossy as poss. Thank you

Looks sturdy enough!

It's grim dirty and fiddly, the actual paint doesn't need to be special - standard oil eggshell will suffice [probably be the most sympathetic to what it's going on to], but the detail of preparation to get a wow finish is hard - they take a lot of punishment even and especially if covered for years (residues tack holes brittle over layed paint not to mention caulking)

garden path edging

I've used Everedge and am happy enough with it

I’d probably go with Leyland hard wearing eggshell over Leyland primer. The cheapest option would be primer only and that’s what I’ve had on my workshop stairs for years.

Borders under control (pending some pointing)

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spent the afternoon extending our bt master socket to an extension socket under the stairs. the AB unfiltered output on the mk4 faceplates make it so simple so long as you dont mess up the connections.

even managed to get cabling barely noticeable unless you're actively looking for it. feel a bit annoyed at myself for not getting it done a year ago when was getting the place ready to move in if that's all it would have taken. all the bits have been sat in the drawer this whole time.

on the plus side the sideboard next to the front door is no longer piled high with homehub, asus router, ring alarm base and hue base. speed test is slightly faster than before somehow and no dropouts.

frees up the mesh router from the hallway (had one under the stairs already attached to switch and home server) so now I have one to put in the garden office.

next step stop procrastinating and just drill the massive hole in the living room wall for the 2 shielded cat6a runs to enter so i can finally run the ethernet and close the trench i dug for the power and data in the garden about 15 months ago.

I completed a big paint job before going on holiday and forgot to wash my brushes and roller cages. What's the best way of getting them cleaned up (water based paint)?!

Bin. Purchase new

How people waste time washing rollers and brushes is beyond me. In the bin

Dremel kit recommendations?

• No real need for cordless so corded is fine
  
• Only needed for random/occasional usage e.g. chopping ends of mudguard stays and rounding the ends - polishing some copper pipes and chrome in bathroom (Brasso and Autosol)
  
• So not looking for a 30000 piece kit or a 2.4GW motor
  
  

(Trying to do Amazon, can do Screwfix/etc, also happy with eBay)

Because we should all be making a concerted effort to create less waste?

I’d like to improve the appearance of my floorboards without sanding (not going through that shit again).

Any suggested products/methods to try?

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Carpet?

1. Sand
   
2. Paint
   
3. Carpet
   
   

Take your pick