Home DIY

way too many pieces to glue back together. The fireplace is never used, so if replacing it is going to be difficult then I can cut some ply or MDF to fit the gap.

you are now legally obliged to do

Only if it's notifiable work, I thought?

(Although a sparky should probably be your first port of call if you're unsure of what you are doing)

their corresponding (neural) fitting

Do not stick them into your head. This is a Bad Thing™

This work is not notifiable but you are obliged to carry it out safely and the way you are approaching it so far makes me think you might not be equipped with the knowledge or tools that would allow you to do it safely.

A professional would work out which wires do what and wire it safely. To do this they would use a voltage tester and experience. If you have a voltage tester and you can handle simple logic then you're halfway there.

If you switch the power off and check it's switched off you should be able to find out what goes where by testing continuity.

All that being said it's quite likely that you have a lighting loop there and simply connecting all the same colours together to the appropriate Line, Neutral and Earth connectors will make it work. It's relatively safe to try that.

We've had a leaky tap which is getting progressively worse. Have asked the plumber who insalled it a couple of times for info about make/model but no answer so far.

Is there anything I should look for as identifying features for what looks like a pretty generic sink fitted mixer tap?

Here is the tap.
The top bit is kinda wobbly on the mixer bit.
When the plumber installed it I remember he said it was a decent brand and he used it at home, but I wasn't familiar with it. It was his suggestion as something decent that wasn't as pricey as hansgrohe.

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Are you wanting to replace it or repair it?

The glands are probably generic parts, see if there's a way of taking the caps off the bits you turn off, underneath should look something like the top bit of this:

If so, turn the water off and just fit a new gland (<£10) with a bit of silicone grease on the threads (think that's safe?).

The valve may well have a part number on it, allowing you to buy an OEM version somewhere.

Last time my mixer tap went wobbly I had to buy a whole new curved pipe thing, cost a fortune. Was tempted to buy a whole new tap

Sort of part A3 here

https://www.tap-spares.com/images/product_images/large/3/2-TAP902223_2.jpg

Clay fireback in a cast iron fireplace, though you might find a cast iron insert in a reclamation yard.
If you end up buying an entire replacement kit for one part, it makes it an expensive raven...
http://www.vicfires.com/41_fireback/index.html

Thanks for the replies Zebra_Cyclist, Airhead and TW (very good point about not connecting it to my head!!).

Got three other wall lights in another room that are wanting replacing and they are still in place. Was thinking of seeing how they are wired-up and making a decision.
However, while relatively handy with DIY, electricity is a little scary.
Will likely just get someone in.

Electricity is baer scary

You can easily take apart, give everything a good clean, see if it's limescaled or a seal has gone. Put back together (carefully in the order it came off) with a smear of grease. That's sorted ours out a couple of times.

Thanks for this, saved into my Notion page, will replicate.

Staircases.

Fed up of using a ladder to get to the loft so planning on a staircase. Before I bring in people I have to pay to check regs etc, anyone want to hazard a guess if it's possible without knocking down a wall?

This is the space I've got to work with on the landing between the main staircase and a wall into the main bedroom.

Hatch: 740mm x 760mm (planning to check to see it can be safely enlarged so I have the 2m headroom all the way up).

Vertical: 2850mm (Landing floor to loft floor)

Horizontal: 1750mm (Landing wall to bannister)

Hypotenuse: 3344mm (Loft floor to bannister diagonal)

Depth: 920mm (Wall to point parallel with bannister on landing in case it makes a difference?)

Any guidance on what kind of stairs are permitted / what aren't etc?

My understanding is it needs a door at the top but beyond that, is it even possible to have a 'safe'/saleable one at that angle?

I guess a simple answer to your question would be the allowable angle of a staircase. Seems like you have the other measurements. I don't know the answer to that question but it might be easy to google.

Virtually a non-project but I needed a little table for our admittedly shallow dive into the barbecue world. Used neighbour's old fence boards over birch ply and a cafe table base I found at the end of the lane.

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OMG,,,, that would of freaked me right out,,,,,

Fascinating decking removal update.

Another 3 hours and another 7 horizontal sets of decking boards (and joists below) removed, so 13 down and 14 to go (fucked shed will stay for now and the people doing the patio will get rid of that when they put the new one up on a proper concrete slab elsewhere).

Next job is emptying the bike box (two of the bikes in there are to be sold once I've serviced them and ordered a few new bits and bobs) and then unscrew the base from the remains of the decking below (it got ripped up when the fence behind it was replaced). I'll then put it back on some old decking boards once I've cleared the next section.

Then I've got to saw up most of the decking boards so they'll fit in the car ready to take to the tip (when it starts accepting wood). Palms and arms are sore from giving 600 screws two turns each (before using an electric drill to take them out) and all of the sawing. Free lockdown workout though.

Added these two white shelves to our kitchen alcove. All the stuff on them was previously on the wooden unit on the left, and by taking the plates and bowls out of a cupboard we've managed to space all our dry goods/canned goods/herbs and spices out so it's actually usable.

A mini-Spxtz is on the way in December, so I'm fully expecting to run out of space in the whole flat. Luckily the ceilings are high....

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That's really effective.

If I varnish a pallet crate, will it prevent splinters?

(I have a pallet crate I want to leave outside for a while and don't want mini-H to get splinters)

Sand it first?
Or use shit loads of epoxy and just pour it on until it reaches 70s cafe levels.

I was going to give it a bit of a file and sand down on the rough bits.

But I want it to be low effort as I don't particularly want to varish it anyway.

I had one as a kid I played on, but it was much nicer and not a mishmash of raggedy prices.

A bit, but the wood they are made of is prone to splintering. I've just made a bench, chair an table out of pallet wood, a good dose of primer went a long way to smoothing the rougher parts.