Home DIY

I'm guessing the good, conscientious trades work for people with a lot of money

Like the commercial vs domestic situation. Throwing more money at the problem often cheers everyone up.

It's difficult when your income comes from what's left of someone else's income after they've paid tax. Then you have to pay tax.

Not excusing poor quality tradesmen but improving as a tradesman can lead to better relationships with clients who value you and can afford to pay a higher wage.

If you can throw a lot of money at a job and are able to afford to get work done twice you see that happening when it didn't go right first time.

Should maybe add that in my experience (anecdata warning) clients spending a lot of money will suck up some problems that clients spending 'a lot of money' in their estimation would take people to court over.

Then of course there are rich people who bankrupt builders for the huge expensive mistakes they make!

I work for a guy who has a lot of property on the go, massive renovations, all sorts of maintenance and the horror stories he gets from trades are shocking but when I've asked him why he puts up with it it's because he's happy to get the job done in the end and doesn't find it gets results if you fall out with people. I suppose there's an element of man management that most of us aren't trained for.

70kg Rad. The stuff of nightmares 😂

At least I got new Drayton valves to go with it.

What are my options for a 'normal' tap here? Current taps aren’t even at the same height, otherwise I’d have considered re-tiling and living with them.
Hack away (chisel?) plaster around current copper fittings/pipe, but then what? I've fitted taps to existing copper pipe behind sinks etc with tails, but what happens in a solid wall?

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Wall mounted mixer tap? I guess you need to find out where the pipes are coming from though.

Yep - but what needs to go between copper and tap? And how do I then refill the wall? Can regular tap tails just be plastered over? Doesn't feel right.

I presume they're both fed by a horizontal run from the right (hence the left hand tap being 2-3cm higher than the right)

Yeah, it's musher easier to absorb fuckups if a) you are creaming it and b) you can put them down in the taxable expenses column.

Great progress and looking good, keep sending updates!

Dont do it from a ladder!
Even ground floor ones are usually easier from inside.

Actually not as heavy as you'd imagine.

A normal double glazed unit is 20kg per SqM. Add on some for the frame and hardware.
Especially if its a top hung window, you'll have to hold it in place while getting the first couple of screws started when putting it back in.

I found that removing all of the screws from the bottom and leaving one in the top until I had a good grip of the window frame meant that when I unscrewed it then I felt like there's no way i'd drop it.

Good plan if its side hung (a hinge top and bottom on one side)

Top hung (a hinge either side at the top) is more awkward as you need to support the weight more when removing the last screws and more so getting it lined up when refitting.

Wrapping a cargo strap around the sash makes for a useful handle.
Have a couple of screwdrivers on hand as dropping one would be awkward if there's only one screw holding the sash

Not piped vertically from under the bath? Any isolators anywhere?

I'd dig into that plaster and see what the actual setup in there is

Good plan if its side hung (a hinge top and bottom on one side)

Top hung (a hinge either side at the top) is more awkward as you need to support the weight more when removing the last screws and more so getting it lined up when refitting.

Fair point, these were side hung so I could support their weight on the bottom when removing the screws

It's actually a sink not a bath. There is a mixer shower on the other side of the wall, so based on plaster/which tiles sound less solid behind them my presumption is something like this, with the hot and cold feed running inside the wall to both.

It’s a utility and will be used as such, so hoping to DIY it and get it usable rather than throw money at it, but looks like most of the tiles are at least going to have to come off. Probably a weekend job not a spur of the moment Monday evening one..

@Kurai has sent me an excellent diagram should this be the case.

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If I was you, id probs rough out the wall and take the pipes higher and surface mount them.

Cheers and @nathwilson22

It's top hung and probably not too far off a SqM so seems pretty awkward to do from the inside I'd have thought.

My thought was one person up a ladder holding it and another on the inside doing the screwing/unscrewing. I can't really picture how there would be space for one person to hold it and another to fix it from the inside.

This is exactly the kind of job I'd rip the tiles and plaster down on a Monday lunchtime then think on it for a week before getting back to it at 5pm on a Sunday.

Good luck!

not a spur of the moment Monday evening one

Ha. Quite.

Think @konastab01 is right about height -maybe something like this. Not sure enough depth to bend in front but could chase deeper and bend behind?

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Why not cold on the left, save you having to jump the pipe

In my mind putting the cold on the left will have the taps off to the left of centre

Is it not just, backwards? In my brain hot is always left.

British convention is hot on the left. The old wives' tale is that we do it that way because in the event of going to a sink in the dark for a drink or whatever, you're more likely to reach out and turn on the tap with your right hand, so it's safer if that is the cold tap.

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What about something like this?? Trying to work out if it has both feeds on the left side .. ? Maybe chisel out a sqaure, fit the tap and connections and plywood over in a small panel before tiling?

https://www.bigbathroomshop.co.uk/milano-mirage-modern-wall-mounted-round-basin-mixer-tap-chrome-65992?gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCD_3SWQrYRAVzN0K-Tx3rZFf-cT7HU8mOVPlpU97i4hO3gbkvPY19RoCaYAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

That tap would look rotten with that Belfast sink he has tho

NA convention as well.