Home DIY

I have to drill into bathroom tile this evening. I'm trepidatious. Any tips?

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Power+Tool+Accessories/Tile+Drills/d80/sd3178

or,
at a pinch if you have a steady hand,
and,
a variable speed drill
a small, 1/8th, metal drill very slowly to penetrate the glaze,
then use increasing size drill to the hole size you require.

All six of these holes were made using a standard masonry bit:

Hopefully not more than 5mm thick,
to avoid trimming too much from the lower edges of doors,
and,
willing to pay more for a better U-value.

Silica Aerogel, R-value 14mW/mK, http://www.proctorgroup.com/products/thermal-insulation/spacetherm

That's about 3x more insulating than Rockwool, not accounting for bridging, about 1.5x better than polyisocyanurate. Polyisocyanurate deteriorates over time (the gasses leach out and are replaced with air) and spray-on applications of it are pretty unpleasant.

I have to drill into bathroom tile this evening. I'm trepidatious. Any tips?

Don't push too hard - let the bit do the work.

Drill through masking tape.

Use these bits:

Fancy diamond bits are only worth it if you are drilling through glass.

Oh - and turn off hammer action.

Oh! So you're all experts on drilling into tile, but have any of you ever installed an electric towel rail? Useless, the lot of you!

That's certified work!

I fitted a shower screen. I gave up on masonry bits after 2 tiles and moved onto glass bits. They're not that expensive and it saves the risk of smashing tiles.

Don't push too hard - let the bit do the work. {Bok, Bok}

Drill through masking tape. {Bok BOK BOK}

Use these bits: {BOKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK}

Personally, I use a hammer and a nail.

More specifically, a saucepan and a knife.

I fitted a shower screen. I gave up on masonry bits after 2 tiles and moved onto glass bits. They're not that expensive and it saves the risk of smashing tiles.
Assuming they are standard ceramic tiles, you're probably pushing too hard.

Tiles should HTFU.

I used one of those cylindrical diamond coated drills the first time I had to drill through tile when I fitted the shower door, they do work well, and I guess if you want to ensure pinpoint accuracy the stick on thing is a nice-to-have, but I found marking the tile with a CD pen and then using a masonry bit worked just as well- significantly cheaper, also.

Personally, I use a hammer and a nail.

More specifically, a saucepan and a knife.

A saucepan? Get him, I used an old shoe.

Already thinking about ideas in the living room.

We've almost decided on units like this for the living room;

Would I be mad to give this a go?

Our fireplace won't look like that, it'll be an open fire with just one beam for the mantel piece and I'm thinking of brining the left hand side cabinet out further and at an angle so we could fit a bigger TV.

expanded polystyrene as in Depron?

2, 3, 6, 10mm thick?

Have you used Depron?

(It was a material that came out of my intitial websearch).

I'm thinking about installing an electric towel rail/radiator in my bathroom. I'm happy that it falls outside any of the controlled zones and my plan is to fit the element, mount it on the wall, fill it and route the cable through the door frame to a socket located just outside on the landing. I'll then get an electrician to fit a fused spur unit, wire it in and do the necessary notification that it complies with building regs.

Has anyone done a similar job? Any pitfalls to avoid? Any recommendations for fused spur units with a timer preferably in stainless (I've heard stories about their poor reliability). How much should I expect an electrician to charge for the above? Can anyone recommend one who'll do this in South London for a reasonable price?

Some light reading here

Have you used Depron?

(It was a material that came out of my intitial websearch).

• Mostly as a modelling material - hovercraft, RTP and RC aircraft etc. Used to buy it in modest size sheets for a silly price - more recently a colleague acquired a load of offcuts in various thicknesses from a local flooring contractor.
  
  

I've used some under laminate floor in a caravan - not exactly large scale, but it cuts easily enough with a very sharp blade and holds adequately with double sided tape (or foam friendly cyano or UHU POR for small areas)

http://www.depron-daemmplatte.eu/index.php?id=31&L=2 and other sites will give R values etc. - not something that matters when I only want it to fly - I used an insulating fibre board in my conservatory 20 years ago but will use depron or a similar hard foam next time...

Personally, I use a hammer and a nail.

More specifically, a saucepan and a knife.

Hahaha. Thanks fo rthe genuine tips chaps. I have a test tile I shall experiment on tonight.

Dooks I do actually have a couple of diamond drills that you can borrow if you have "the fear" of using a masonry bit.

Thanks D, lemme try the test tile thing first. I'll hit you up if it's not working.

I've posted in the Wanted section, but thought it might be worth mentioning here that I'm planning some demolition work this wekend and am looking for a demolition hammer/kango type tool for taking down a small section of low brick wall. Does anyone have such a thing they might be willing to lend/hire to me for less than the HSS rates?

And if anyone wants to borrow a medium duty angle grinder, I have one in my shed.

Anyone know someone who would give a free quote for replacing a back door? Not sure if I will need it done yet.

Failing that, any idea of a rough cost? Ply with a chipboard core, frosted reinforced glass panel in the top half, two mortice locks (one in the handle and one about a quarter of the way down the door.

Ta

I've posted in the Wanted section, but thought it might be worth mentioning here that I'm planning some demolition work this wekend and am looking for a demolition hammer/kango type tool for taking down a small section of low brick wall. Does anyone have such a thing they might be willing to lend/hire to me for less than the HSS rates?

And if anyone wants to borrow a medium duty angle grinder, I have one in my shed.

Do you really need a kango for that? Unless its reinforced take a hammer to it.