Home DIY

We use Y-Cam

It was more a general comment, but yes, it's likely the cause of the issue with the hinges of @Quincy

We get some similar structural movement with the timber framed house builds which are typical for new Scottish houses. As the timber dries out, square frame openings turn into a parallelogram. Or sometimes sided of door frames end up bowed or twisted.

I need to fix this rotten portion of our kitchen.

yeah I know I still haven't done it.

Has anyone tried something like this, or have any views on this approach:

Remove the rotten wood (chisel?)

prep the 'good' wood that's now exposed for epoxy

re-build with epoxy and finish

paint

I don't want to replace the worktop, or even the rotten part. But I will if I can't avoid it.

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Thanks.
The Hikvision domes have been a consideration as they look to be reasonably discreet and on paper good resolution. Plus I have a reel of cat5 and connectors, so only need small holes compared to coax with BNC and a power cable.

As you say, a bit spendy.

I think our upload speed of 0.7Mbps wouldn't reliably support one Y-cam transferring to the cloud, let alone 3 or 4 of them.

Local hard drive/NAS is probably the way to go, with remote viewing if required.

Firstly what caused the wood to rot?

Also longer you leave it....by the time the laminate worktop showed signs of damage it had damaged the carcass too.

Can you remove the sink easily? Getting that out of the way will give you access to get power tools in to clean cut and the replace the wood.

Neglect. Yes - it should have been addressed earlier. This kind of work top isn't really suitable for the area surrounding a sink IMHO but there we go - we didn't install it.

Cutting the whole lot out would be simple even without removing the sink. The tricky bit - to me - is where to get a replacement section that I can splice in? Who sells random bits of worktop?

Have you looked on the underside on the offchance that there is a label stuck to it saying "B&Q knotty pine work-surface" or similar?

Could you aesthetically fit another material in there?
Quartz, concrete, soapstone, slate, granite...

I had a worktop that was a bit like this... turned out not to be damaged too deep.... I think I let it dry out for a week or two, maybe bleached it to kill any mold, and it was already looking lots better. After that sand it down and then reseal.

We have a similar problem with 3 windows not closing. On side hung windows there is a 3-4 mm gap at the bottom on the hinge side, no gap a the top. The hinges are easy clean models that can open very wide. This type
https://www.windowware.co.uk/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/28218/

The plastic locating lug seems to have worn away. I can see what the problem is but have no idea how to take out old ones and replace with new.

They have only been in for 8 years but the house was rented out while we were overseas in 2016/17 so anything could have happened. Further complications are that the builder who did the work has retired and the company that made the windows has gone out of business so they cannot help us.

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These are the friction stays that I prefer to fit, as the spring in the top cap seems to work nicely.
https://www.avocet-hardware.co.uk/collections/friction-stays/products/phocas-friction-stays?variant=42298148421

I feel that the easy clean and egress hinges may be more prone to wear, as the plastic sliders tend to travel further compared to a standard opener. Obviously egress hinges serve a safety purpose, opening the sash wide and off to the side so you can climb out (rooms at the end of a corridor, away from exit doors). Easy clean also open wide, but the sash ends up more central so you can easily reach the outer pane... If you dont need 90 degree opening for easy cleaning, I'd go with standard ones, with a bonus of them being cheaper too.

Did you see post Post #16665 a few days back. Being side hung, yours are less of a juggle against gravity.

1. Undo screws securing bottom hinge to the frame.
   
2. Undo screws securing top hinge to frame
   3 - 8
   .
   .
   .9..Secure top hinge with two screws
   .10. Secure bottom hinge with two screws
   .11. Test close
   .12. Fit reminder of screws
   

Like some sort of sink surround?

Has dammit got any suitable bits left?

Depends on what the work top was but see in anyone is selling or giving away a bit of what you need.
That may be the hard bit.

I don't think a full surround (although if it was me I would take out any woodtop within a foot or two of the sink, but he already knows that), maybe just at the back, possibly with an integrated backsplash?
Were you addressing this to @Howard?

First line was to you, as you guessed the rest was to Howard. Am on a phone so I find it a little difficult.

maybe just at the back, possibly with an integrated backsplash?

Were you addressing this too

Heh, I want it less fucked with as little effort and investment as possible.

I think the original top might have been from Ikea. The carcass is.

Thanks for that info. I will look at the Phocas hinges to check if there are any problems with the position of the screw holes. I am a bit worried about handling the weight of the window while fixing the last screws. I am thinking of rigging a sling from a ladder outside the window. It is a bit tricky as the one in the photo is above the porch roof and one of the others is above a big bay window.
This might be a silly question - do they come in matching pairs when you buy them or do I have to order top/bottom or left/right ones?

I found this naff video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LKQ4NpViQJ where the Handyman cuts out the scenes where he almost drops the window outside.

If they are large/heavy or difficult access (over a side return with glass roof) it's really a 2 man job. I've pulled some stunts with rope to ensure a window can't fall 3 stories but it's nothing I'd want to describe in a court of law!

With the screw holes you can usually drill a pilot for the new screw positions if they are different from the existing.

People worry about double glazing but it's probably less complicated than a sash window.

An intermediate bodge is to use some Hydrochloric Acid (the weak stuff you get from the chemist). Try and keep it covered with cling film for a week or so. It should bleach the wood back to its native colour and then varnish.

Thanks all for the window advice. new hinges bought from Screwfix for £7 and fitted within 15mins. Dream scenario.

Has anyone tried something like this,

Nothing that bad, but I'd support Chrisbmx's point, and query whether it is rotten, and to what extent? They look more like mold spores, than rot. When you stab it with the point of a sharp knife is it totally soft, or still hard?

My two experiences were;
1) sanding back and refinishing a mates worktop that had a couple of very minor patches like that, which were fine after sanding and re-Danish oiling.

2) a friends place we house sat, where their grooved draining board section used to get pretty manky with the same black patches - although not quite that bad. We went away for a short holiday, and in the run up I was militant about keeping it as dry as possible, then put silicone gel packs near it to dry it out while we were away. When we came back it was x100s better. I used bleach or maybe vinegar and if I hadn't been forbade from messing about I think it could have been refinished and been 80% as good as the rest of the top (idk whether the silicone made a difference - or if was just air).

The problem you've got is that the solution is to not use the sink and have some hot dry weather.

Your suggestion is a good one.

Another thought for a low effort, cheapish solution - bleach the fuck out of it. Dry it as best you can, stain sand and stain the whole counter a dark enough coverup colour you can live with, then seal properly.

A middle ground would be using a router / similar to create a fake "panel gap" around the sink, then just do the above to that area - an ebony stain might contrast well... or use a tea soak followed by an iron vinegar stain with some creative blow torching followed by epoxy, to make it look yeo olde....

...Or a filler-primer sanded smooth, painted a colour, then heavily lacquered/epoxy/similar to make it look like a man made material. If you had a router, you may even be able to route out the right amount to make the whole thing flush.

I think the problem with a lot of these wood worktops is that they both use average-to-shit wood, and the protective layer is shit. My folks solid wood counter still looks flawless what must be almost 10yrs on.

Screw holes being in a different position can be advantageous, because you get fresh plastic for the screw to go into, not a possibly stripped hole.

Even hinges that can be opened either way come as a pair. Ones that only open way come as left/right, top/bottom pair. Avocet did accidentally send me a pair of two right hand hinges in a larger order, so check before starting the work.

At 8 years old, I'd assume your windows have the glazing beads on the inside, so reasonable access to remove the beads and remove the glass... no fannying about outsidd on ladders with slings. With 3 reasonably large windows to do, I'd invest in a couple of chisels, a glazing shovel and maybe a cheap suction cup and remove the glass. That way your not holding a heavy sash and glass from the first floor. Plus it has been known for people to fit longer replacement screws or pilot drill too far and catch the edge of the glass which doesn't end well.
With the glass removed, its obviously lighter and so much easier to hold onto.
https://www.windowrepairshop.co.uk/epages/es115683.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es115683_shop/Products/C139

https://www.windowrepairshop.co.uk/epages/es115683.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es115683_shop/Products/J19

https://www.screwfix.com/p/double-cup-suction-lifter/6299p

Thanks for all the tips. I will have to get measuring and shopping. The double glazing units are aluminium framed but probably about the same weight as plastic. The glazing beads are on the outside. I wonder what the difference is between the £6.99 suction lifter and the £59.99 CK suction lifter at Screwfix.

£53 ?

I found this naff video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LKQ4NpViQJc
­ where the Handyman cuts out the scenes where he almost drops the window outside.

Link was missing the 'C' from the end.

By the the sound of his comments at the end, he found it more difficult than he envisaged. Personally, at that size of window he's working on, it's borderline worth taking the glass out 😕
If your reasonably strong, competent with a screwdriver, you have good working access and a friend to pass the screw you dropped then leave it in. At least with side hung, you can rest some of the weight on the bottom of the frame.

Remove it, if there's a chance of dropping it on someone or something expensive below, or your your just unsure of handling the weight in that position.