Home DIY

Evening all, after what I thought was already a bad night out (parts nicked from my daily ride while locked up in public) I came home to find my house had been broken into, so I’ve got a few home security related questions please?

Firstly I’d like to install an LED floodlight with PIR Sensor to replace an old halogen one which failed a while ago. Does anyone have any experience with these, how powerful would be bright enough for a smallish garden, roughly 6x6m squared. From what I can tell 30W seems adequate, as while 50W seems slightly over doing it they also get quite spendy. The units Ive found seem to triple in price going from 30 to 50 watts. Also is it better to use a separate PIr Sensor and link it to a standalone floodlight? I’ve read lots of comments online saying the all in one units tend to be crap?

Any thoughts much appreciated!

Sorry to hear.

Personally two smaller lights illuminating the area would be better? Look at homebase as they are clearing out lots homebase branded stuff.

I got one from TLC electrical wholesalers that has 2 heads 8w each which is roughly equivalent to 160w. If you're in London 160w covers quite a bit of garden.

Sorry to hear about your break in.

My house is shaking in the wind. 4 storey late Victorian terrace (of 4 houses), we’re one from the end eastern end and fairly exposed to wind off the estuary as we’re 2 stories taller than the surrounding houses. We sleep in the top floor in the eaves and the house is shaking in high gusts. Fairly subtle but definitely happening. It woke me up. Should I be shitting myself?

It is gusting to 50mph but I'm not sure I'd be expecting a brick building to shake! On saying that, our loft conversion sometimes feels as though it's going to be blown off.

I’m essentially in the loft up here. Queasy wobble at the height of each really strong gust. No major cracks or worrying noises.

Should I be shitting myself?

No. It's been there since Victorian times and as the roof is presumably made of wooden joists/rafters some movement is to be expected. My parents' house (built 1968) has a wooden frame with tiles over it for the first floor instead of brick and does the same thing.

That said, if you're really worried about it get the joists/rafters looked at to check they're still structurally sound.

We're in a late Victorian semi - there was definitely a shimmer last night.

Also, it's uncovered yet more quirks with the recent (10 years ago, versus 120+ years ago) conversion work - the wind gusts through the eaves, and blows out the cupboard doors in the eaves storage.

At 3 in the morning.

Sounds like ghosts, who you gonna call?

I have installed one of these 30W PIR LED floodlights which covers my similarly sized back garden perfectly well.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-slimline-led-pir-floodlight-black-30w-cool-white/5625v

You can adjust the light sensitivity (how dark it needs to be before it will activate when some one walks past it), the time it stays on after activation and the distance within which it will detect people. 3 year guarantee and Screwfix are great at honouring their warranties.

We bought some nice oak internal doors from Todd Doors, some with safety glass, some blank. About £140 a pop iirc

2 Attachments

Late Victorian detached - one wobbly sash. Although it’s only two stories and there was some kind of bird quacking at regular intervals.

Anyone with experience on big size concrete slabs? 7x4m 15cm, 12cm deep....I know what to do to prepare site and build framework. However the pouring part on such a big area seems scary without prior experience.

How many joints do you envisage?

http://www.pavingexpert.com/concjnt1.htm

very good question....wasn't going to do any...the link you put says suggests that they are only needed for non-reinforced slab. I will be using reinforcing steel in mine...might be wrong though?

The usual recommendation is for some form of movement joint to be created in a non-reinforced slab

It's the '7m' dimension.
A joint, dividing this in two, may prove to be cheaper, and easier to lay, than getting enough reinforcement in your slab to account for the expected expansion due to normal temperature changes.

How good is your access to get the concrete to the slab? Or are you going all Thunderbirds with a truck mounted concrete pump?

fair point...yes 7 x 4 meters are the dimensions of the slab. The reinforcing mesh cost over £200 all together so I could do with that saving for sure....one thing though the concrete slab will be the foundation of a gym....heavy weight dropped from headheight to be expected so I wonder if reinforcing would not be best anyway?

Still considering my options (if there is any) with regards to pouring...access is not great....the slab will be at the back of our garden roughly 50-60 meters away from the drive. It's a semi detached house but no side access due to the side garage so was thinking truck with pump through the garage indeed...

I'm planning a slab of 5m x 3m x 150mm some time in late spring / early summer, as the base for a garden office.

I'll probably go the lorry & pump route, as I can't be dealing with wheel-barrowing a couple of tonnes of hardcore, aggregate, sand and cement down a narrow pathway.

Won't be reinforcing with any steel though - fibre mesh at most, but only if advised by the people we're buying the office from.

heavy weight dropped from headheight to be expected

Just tell the crossfitters to go somewhere else...

Just tell the crossfitters to go somewhere else...

you got me there...even if I don't do any olympic weightlifting, I would still keep dealifting....but with the rubber mats and plates I would hope the concrete slab will hold anyway..

I'm going to follow the following how to article...read a lot about how to do it, no one does slab the same way but this one seems pretty much bang on....

https://www.familyhandyman.com/masonry/pouring-concrete/concrete-forms-and-pour-a-concrete-slab/view-all/

fyi - the guy selling me the garden room recommended reinforcing on my side...

Which are you looking at? I was thinking something from Garden Affairs.

For some of the smaller offices, they suggest plinths rather than a full base. I guess it'sa weight thing.

Any steel mesh reinforcing has no effect upon the impact resistance of your concrete slab. The steel mesh reinforcing ensures that the inevitability of your slab cracking results in planned 'cracks'/joint occurs where you want it, and can effectively seal it.
Impact resistance depends upon the strength of Concrete you choose and any surface treatment you choose.
No wooden floor? That slab will be a constant heat sink and tough on any joints.

Bought it from these guys http://www.garden2office.co.uk/
They do DIY Kit so going that way to save some money. I look into it for months and they came out the best value for money. The quality of their build is really good (mainly made in Sweden). They have built one of friends garden room already and it was outstanding.

They mostly use plinths too which is absolutely fine in 90% of the case but I was advised against it for my purpose, heavy weight will create vibrations...

Impact resistance depends upon the strength of Concrete you choose and any surface treatment you choose.

Oh right ok so no reinforcement needed but obviously a joint or 2 should be added....when you say surface treatment what do you mean by that?

No wooden floor? That slab will be a constant heat sink and tough on any joints.

There will be 20mm rubber mat flooring, specific for gym.