Home DIY

It’s a rabbit hole once you start... I ended up replacing mouldy chipboard floor boards with the proper P5 stuff, then 6mm wedi board fixed with tile adhesive, seams taped then tiled on that.

Ive lifted floorboards, coated wood glue everywhere the used lots of good screw to fix them down,,,, cant stand wobbly floors,,, youtube has a couple of vids

We used 18mm plywood fixed every 15cm. You want something thick enough not to flex. That was for a slate tile floor in a first floor bathroom.

Cheers all.
@Dramatic_Hammer sounds like a rabbit hole I'm happy to dive down, any links to the gubbins you bought?

how confident would you be in a paint that doesn't flake next to this much heat?

It's a fair point. But bricks are slightly porous, so I would expect paint to absorb. The only bricks I've painted in a fireplace were aesthetic and didn't have the fire used - but the paint did look like it soaked in rather than sat on the surface. On motorcycles exhaust paint ultimately fades and often flakes over time. However, that's subject to the elements, so again I think it would work. The stubbornness of the current stains gives me more confidence.

In terms of cleaning my gut says you need to use a sandblaster .

The plastering option looks better - it's a different look from a black fireplace so that's just a preference thing. Someone else would be better to chime in, but I'd have thought you'll still get some soot from general fire prep, cleaning, etc. even if you're careful.

Floorboards https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-P5-T+G-Chipboard-Flooring---22mm-x-600mm-x-2400mm/p/164536

Backer boards - benefit of polystyrene core boards is that they stop water soaking in as well as not disintegrating/rotting when wet.
https://www.insulationexpress.co.uk/marmox-multi-board

Waterproof tape
http://www.marmox.co.uk/products/accessories/waterproof-tape

I just used standard flexible tile adhesive to fix the marmox down - ended up with solid floor that doesn’t creak or flex and didn’t make a big step into the room.

Layers bottom to top:
P5 moisture resistant floorboards
Flexible tile adhesive
Marmox boards
Marmox tape (seams and edges)
Flexible tile adhesive
Tiles

Thinking being that if the tiles or grout fail, the layer underneath is essentially tanked and it that fails, the layer underneath can cope with some water.

When can I invite someone with more skill than me into my house to fix a couple of coat racks to a shit plasterboard wall and reoil my benches (as I really have no time now)?

I think you could have always done this if they were able to follow social distancing. We have just had plasterers start working again after not being here for 10 weeks and their concept of social distancing or additional precautions for preventing spread is far from what you might expect. Both relatively elderly ~70 and very heavy smokers.

Work carried out in people’s homes, for example by tradespeople carrying out repairs and maintenance, can continue, provided that the tradesperson is well and is not showing coronavirus symptoms and neither they nor any of their household are self-isolating. Again, it will be important to ensure that a 2 metre distance from any household occupants is maintained for everyone’s safety.

was the guidance for Scotland

New relay came, the number on the overload is different: B60-120(old) vs B45-108(new) so I swapped them and fitted it.... no cigar, same issue, motor tries to run but the overload cuts in after a few seconds. Is it worth while / safe to try the new overload in the new relay, or is my fridge likely to catch fire?

Last thing I can think to try, otherwise the part gets sent back.

B60-120(old) vs B45-108(new)

I think the lesser values of the new one would have it trip sooner.

If the capacitor is fine, it's possible that the motor has actually seized and won't turn.

Sure, I guess it's fingers crossed for a credit note from Currys then. Thanks again!

.

having smashed this firebrick back thing up to let the raven out, I need to get a new one.

But what is it?

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Wait, ‘the raven’?

Oh god. I am mortally embarrassed. Of course

Just bumping a previous question to see if anyone can help:

“ Does anyone know where I could get some melamine coated birch ply cut to size? Looking to replace some shelving - thinking face coated ply with the edge grain showing.

I’m in Scotland so it would need to be delivered.”

Cheers

There was terrible noise at about 5am. flapping. then quiet.

A couple of times in the day I banged on the fireplace but heard nothing. In the afternoon I thought I would suck the corpse out using a hoover, but that didnt work. Stuck a camera in and took a pic, to see if anything was there. There was something there. The raven was there.

Silent. Waiting.

I knew what he wanted me to do.

Managed to smash the tile thing. He then casually hopped out, up onto the foot of the bed. He was huge. Waaaay bigger than he looked at first. Flew around the room like a mentalist a few times. Then off out the window he went.

Goodbye raven.

He didn't say it, but if I am ever in deep trouble I think he will come.

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I was asking about something similar a few months ago. I think you said that Howdens in Possil might be good, but that could have just been for cabinet doors... @Bobbo had this suggestion: https://www.lfgss.com/comments/15135666/

Hi, looking for some forum electrical help. 

Want to fit two wall lights. Old ones have been removed (by someone else in the past). 
This has left with cables coming out the wall. One set of cables is a single cable with three wires. This seems straight forward, just plug each cable into the correct hole on the light fitting. 

However, the other set of cables is actually two cables coming out the wall (each with a set of 3 wires). 

Now initially I thought I can just jam each of the two (say blue) wires into their corresponding (neural) fitting on the new light etc etc. However, looking a few vids online, i'm now thinking that one of these goes to the light switch and as such I need some funky wiring setup. Previously there was a single light fitting located at this point. Both lights are controlled by a single switch.  

Question is whether my initial assumption was correct or do I need some sort of junction/'rose' setup? And if it is the latter, any pointers. 

Thanks in advance. 

edit - photo added

A raven never forgets. He's a beauty.

From you post I would say you are best getting an electrician to look at this for you which you are now legally obliged to do. There are a few on this forum
The brown sheathed cable is the live the Blue is the neutral the green and yellow earth. It is not clear from the photo if there is a switch cable perhaps inside wall?

He didn't say it, but if I am ever in deep trouble I think he will come.

Hahhhhhh

Embarrassingly, this was the motivation I needed.

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I'm obviously scraping away the excess. And popping over to the shop to post back at lunchtime.

In answer to your original question getting a new fire brick for this fireplace will be very difficult. Do you still have the bits? If so you could use Fire Cement to glue it back together looks like this has been done before. Fire cement comes in a pot and is like a putting which goes hard when heat applied.
Good story