Home DIY

Given the imminence of baby crawling I need to start attaching wardrobes, chests of drawers, etc to the walls. Any suggestions on the best way to do this neatly.

I know the kind of thing that tends to come with furniture but all my searching is giving child locks for cupboard doors and the like.

You've obviously got a drainage issue in the garden

Yes and no.

The ground around the shed has a load rubble as well as heavy clay. But the whole garden gets waterlogged for the following reasons:

1. Heavy London clay
   
2. Water table (we have a brook and flooded areas not far)
   
3. Higher adjacent gardens on 3 sides, which in turn have higher adjacent gardens.
   
   

Because of 2. and 3. I don't think there's a easy way to resolve it. Currently water pools in a dug out section on our lower side.

Hire a digger and get some beer crates/gravel to create underground sump for the excess water (at the lowest point) Always wanted to try a mini digger !. And/or -for the path - dig out as much as you can do some edging and lay pebbles / gravel ? Just thoughts...

You can also create wells for the water to drain into, and then use an electric pump to remove the water and send it down the nearest drain.

The basic concept is that you create drainage channels that take the water towards buried tanks that have an inlet at the bottom. These should fill up when the garden gets boggy, and you can use an electric pump to drain them.

My thoughts exactly

So the forum consensus is dropping ~£10k on ground works over suggesting nicer looking stones.

I'll see what my OH thinks.

I've been building in some wardrobes, the doors are oak ply and I'd like to keep them as close as possible to how how they are. The off cut at the bottom has Danish oil in natural finish. What are my options?

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So the forum consensus is dropping ~£10k on ground works over suggesting nicer looking stones.

I'll see what my OH thinks.

Could always lay down an old grandfather clock 💁‍♂️

I mean you could be cheeky and order some for free from the IKEA spares site, don’t see why they wouldn’t work in other brands.

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/customer-service/returns-claims/spareparts/

106989 is the right angle wall bracket

I'm sure I (and other similarly cavalier, childless forumers) have a bunch of IKEA stabilising things I could send you

Does anyone know if you can purchase separates from an IKEA kitchen suite? I just need a door and the full single cabinet package to get one is annoyingly £180

Is the door not in this list?

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/cat/metod-kitchen-doors-23613/

Cheers, didn't know that was a thing. I've just requested half a dozen of them from the IKEA website. Half of the stuff is IKEA so I don't feel too cheeky.

Yeah, it’s handy, and they normally post out pretty quickly too.

I’ve found water based polyurethane varnish to have the least darkening effect on oak. It can give a bit of a plasticy finish if applied too heavily though.

Today's DIY at Brommers Towers - under-sink bidon storage. Next job is to fix the delaminating worktop...

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You have a drinking problem

Need

True. But the evidence of that is in the recycling bin.

Should be nothing like that cost, you can hire a bobcat for the weekend and do all the work yourself.

The forum’s favourite Polyx Oil comes in a variety with white pigment to reduce the darkening effect. I have never used that variety myself.

I’ve extended my osmo patronage to some oil based exterior white stain this weekend - it’s been a fucker to do - it went on (to the oak) all thick and I though it would soak in - didn’t - sort of sat on top - maybe the basecoat was go blame - maybe my application maybe the temperature - ended up sanding back to get the right look . UV protection oil on now and looking beautiful so all is forgiven.

Osmo polyx raw - has a very subtle milky thing which counteracts the darkening effect of usual oil.

Here’s an example of the darkening effect of regular Polyx on oak from a recent project: before and after.

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wut