Home DIY

It’s a Palram skylight shed, loads of sizes/colours available and just about buildable by one person (on a still day).
The panels feel a bit flimsy but they’re apparently indestructible and I just need to find a way to get some shelves/hooks attached.

I was always told that horizontal splits in timber joist are nothing to worry about (don't quote me if it falls down) - I wouldn't personally do anything but I'm architectural not structural

Have you considered Toolstation 34150 or similar?

Galvanised Nail Plate.

Fully erect, MIL congratulated me on it this morning

Deserves another

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Need to seal these sleepers this weekend.

Any recommendations? Don’t want to stain them and would ideally like something that’s UV stable so they don’t silver.

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Could you use a UV stable decking oil?

I'm looking at running some mains wire externally. Most cables seem to state that they should be protected from the sun to avoid the outer degrading. Is this actually a risk with the sun in the UK? If so, is there some cable that doesn't require it, nothing seems to explicitly say it's suitable other than armoured cable.

Black cable (usually black flex) is UV resistant, but offers no mechanical protection - which is fine as long as it’s not at risk of mechanical damage like if it’s high up or totally out of reach. Otherwise you’ll either need a containment system like conduit, or to use an armoured cable.

There is a type of cable called HITUF or NYY-J that offers a thicker sheath and a bit of mechanical protection, which makes it less of a faff to install (steel wire armoured cable has to have the armouring connected to earth, so is a bit more involved to install), but it is apparently difficult to work with.

Cheers, I didn't realise that black stuff was UV resistant. It's about 8' up so should be OK. I do have eventual plans to use a more direct route with armoured cable but it looks like installing it may be fairly time consuming.

Cheers. Gone for the B&Q brand of the same thing - made by Liberon, because I can collect it this evening.

Okay I give up what are racist window fittings?

Greeks were racist against earth wind and fire I presume.

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I think it’s alluding to that style of wooden shutters/shades being a feature of slave owners’ houses.

To my knowledge, these doors in a Victorian house are in their original positions.

The borders can’t be original, but what would have been? Particularly the door on the right - would there just have been nothing around it? I just can’t believe that it would have originally had a border above and to the right side if there’s no space to have it on the left.

I’m completely redecorating this floor so want to address this annoying aspect while I’m at it. Maybe it’s not annoying and I’m just being annoying.

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It's pretty normal architrave. It's there to cover the messy edge where the plaster meets the door frame. It doesn't look particularly new and has a few layers of paint on it. The bit where it meets the wall and is a bit of a mess does suggest some changes happened there and whoever did it lacked the skills to make the repair invisible.

There's no reason why they wouldn't have originally fitted architrave only where it was needed but it does look like a later change (still a long time ago) lead to the architrave being removed.

So is it perfectly normal to only have it along the top and down one side if the other side is too close to the wall?

I guess it’s the only option really. I just wish whoever designed the layout just put the door way a few more inches away from the wall.

We need to source the paint for the chaps renovating our front door and wooden frames. We have been using a Dulux quick dry eggshell (colour is "Timeless") for the interior woodwork and like the colour/finish. We can obviously ask them to use that for the interior bits of the frames, but what about the exterior? It's a very subtle off white, so having trouble trying to match with something else.

Problem solved, ms_com found Loft White by Little Greene

We have a few doors like that in a house from the same era. Whoever put any newer doorways in left them equally close to the wall too. I've learned to ignore it for the most part.

I have this issue to tackle soon, new door is right up against some new boxing in which covers an immovable fuse so will require a different trim to the standard architrave. It may well end up looking like yours but hopefully neater. My guess is your wall has been built out with plasterboard or just subsequent layers of plaster. The door position is dictated by the lintel supporting the wall above so the only other option is a narrower door or a lot of hassle moving the lintel.

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Have it all over ours both original frames and 'new' ones from the 50s

Cement mixer arrived. First job after repointing my garden wall is going to be re-sufacing the concrete slab in my garden. It's getting foam underlay and artificial grass in place of the concrete flags covering it now, but I want it to drain well. It's there a concrete mix I can use that will be ok with being spread fairly thin and hold a slight slope?

Ignore: didn't realize you can get exterior leveling compound

LG Intelligent Exterior Eggshell is great paint. I have used a lot of it in Shirting (another white) all over our place.

Worktop fitted - quite pleased with our work, less pleased with the joint bolt holes being routed in the wrong place and the draper plunge saw we borrowed being a piece of shit.
Next step is fitting the sink and sealing the edges to the walls.

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Our friend is making our kitchen top out of Jesmonite (we can't afford Terrazzo). This is the first sample. I'm going to do some testing to see how robust it is.

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