Home DIY

My stupid fucking kitchen drain is blocked. Can't use the sink, the washing machine or the dishwasher.
What chemicals are foolproof? Sulphuric acid? One of those Mr Muscle products?

I have exhausted all mechanical options save ripping the fucking pipes out of the wall and doing a proper job. There are three right angles which make the 25ft Drain auger I bought unable to reach the blockage.

This stuff will definitely get through it...

It is sulphuric acid though so be careful as if seals pop and it leaks, it will melt walls / carpets etc.

My stupid fucking kitchen drain is blocked.

Stop stupidly f***ing your kitchen drain and things might improve.

This stuff will definitely get through it...

It is sulphuric acid though so be careful as if seals pop and it leaks, it will melt walls / carpets etc.

Will that get through standing water in the pipes or will bad things happen?

It should but i'd recommend using a plastic funnel if possible... it will mark / stain porcelain and the plug hole (especially if it's plated).

This page has some useful info on how to use it: http://www.dudadiesel.com/drain_cleaners.php

does anyone have a link to a dehumidifier buying guide?

Or, alternatively a recommendation for a dehumidifier to use in a small-ish bedroom?

I have a delonghi dem 10 that stopped working. I believe (from googling) that it just needs a capacitor replaced on the PCB. Basically the compressor won't kick in without it. By all accounts it is a simple and cheap fix if you are inclined to do that sort of thing. I just bought another one. You are welcome to the faulty one for free if you like?

For info, the delonghi dem 10 is recommended for a 2-3 bedroom house/flat

Ah thanks for the offer but I am looking to buy something with a warranty and receipt etc as my landlord will be re-imbursing me for the cost (or rather, it will come out of my rent). Plus, I am rubbish at fixing things!

I've been using an Ebac 6000 for a few years. If you deal direct with the factory, the aftersales back up is superb, should you need it.

http://www.ebac.com/products-6000-series.php

Been doing a bit of reading today in spare moments and it seems like their products are considered to be the best. The two that I had my eye are out of stock direct from them though..

Grand, offer is open to anyone. It's sitting in the box the new one came in so is available to anyone who can collect from Camberwell

Does anyone have any insulation spare? Either rockwool (or similar) or offcuts from rigid foil-backed boards. Anything from a carrier-bag's worth to a bin-bag's worth would be great.

Hello!

I am going to put some shelves up and I want them to fit just right, but I'm a total noob. Will a timber merchant cut shelves to size? Is this an economical way of doing it? I don't mind sanding and painting, obviously.

I don't have a workbench or big saw, and would rather not get into cutting loads of wood as I'd make a right turd-burger of it.

I'd think that most places will cut sheets to size, B&Q certainly does- haul the sheet off the shelf, take to the chap with the wall-mounted saw, give them your dimensions and wallop.

At risk of repeating and boring everyone, I'd recommend PJ Johnsons for timber cutting in LDN. For shelves, assuming you have brackets all set I'd go for 16 or 18mm MDF. Call Johnsons up, ask for someone you can email through a cutting list to, send the cutting list by email asking for a quote, confirm that quote and pay over the phone/cash on delivery. If you're fast, they're not too busy and it's not too much you need cut they might deliver tomorrow am.

Having said that any timber merchants will cut wood for you, I've just found Johnsons cheaper than most, fast, accurate and easy to deal with.

Oooh, if B&Q does that's a bonus, there's one up the road. Cheers

Baltic birch for shelves ftw.
Sand and oil or paint, whatevs.
It's way stronger than MDF, less glue to offgas, and looks purty.
Having a lumber yard (or whatever you call it over there) cut your wood can be risky, it can very well be someone who doesn't care too much about any measurement finer than 2.54 cm.

Hello!

I am going to put some shelves up and I want them to fit just right, but I'm a total noob. Will a timber merchant cut shelves to size? Is this an economical way of doing it? I don't mind sanding and painting, obviously.

I don't have a workbench or big saw, and would rather not get into cutting loads of wood as I'd make a right turd-burger of it.

Noob-level warning: walls are often not straight, so if the shelves are for a corner or alcove they may require trimming on site anyway. Measure very carefully!

Flat roof repairs - my old workshop is letting in water, any ideas, apart from buckets. Has anyone tried the aluminium paint ? Otherwise will just patch it with felt and bitumen, too much of a cheapskate to do it properly.

I cleared my kitchen drain at last.
It was impervious to hg drain unblocker and hg kitchen drain unblocker.
One shot sulphuric acid did a good job of turning a completely blocked drain into one that would drain slowly, and I'm sure that it would have eventually finished the job, but what really fixed the problem was making a ghetto wet and dry vac out of a detergent bottle and my dyson.
The amount of crap it sucked into the bottle was amazing. It took a wile but now the drains run clear. I've put one last dose of sulphuric down there to eat away at any residue.
The actual blockage, to my surprise, was caused by Vanish oxygen crystals that mrs Quinn has put in the washing machine as a pre treatment. That stuff formed bloody great cement-like lumps and built up like stalactites on the sharp corners of the waste pipe.

I did some really shit DIY today, but made a standing desk out of a £5 Ikea table.
It feels good so far.

Since taking this picture, I've reduced the size of the upper section so it sits further back on the lower section, and added some bubble wrap to make it more comfy when typing.

You have a chair, a giant ball and a bike to sit upon and you still want to stand?

Variety is the name of the game.
I haven't worked out yet how to make a desk that allows me to turbo whilst working, though.
Pink ball is very comfy.