Home DIY

You can replace sockets yourself easily and cheaply enough, take a photo before you take any wires out of the back for reference if you are unsure.
If the cables inside the socket are all melted then I'd probably get a professional opinion / get the cable replaced.

I'd be more concerned about why that didn't trip a fuse somewhere and what caused it in the first place. If you can then check the wiring in the plug itself - though not easy to get those moulded plugs apart. Wouldn't be surprised to see a loose connection somewhere.

What paint for skirting boards?

Also how much?.... at a rough guesstimate I'd say we've got 30m to do.

Johnstones Aqua Guard or Albany Super Satin.
both really nice water based satinwood in white or tinted.

Beware the Albany colour card though, Brewers have old stock of cards printed in 2019 and the colours are way off so get a tester pot or look at the newer printed cards.
found this out the hard way but really nice paint despite it being made by crown which I tend to steer clear of.

I need to remove and re grout the terrace. I have a grinder but am considering getting a osculating multi tool and tool for it. Has anyone done this job? Grout is concrete about 1cm wide.

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Rent a hammer drill, a nice big Bosch will get that up in minutes.

I have a multi tool and it wouldn’t have the power needed.

Tiles stay. Grout replaced. That tile gets replaced however

If the tiles are staying a grinder with a narrow disc might be easier. Certainly tidier

For the time and effort of regrouting I’d go straight to replacing the lot. It’ll probably be quicker and easier.

I hear you, but my bank balance doesn't. It just needs making good as they're leaking in a few spots.

Just get a hammer and a masonry chisel. Relaying the whole thing is madness.

If I could work out how to upload a working video from my iPhone I’d show you the magnetic loft eaves storage panels I had done. You can get sprung magnetic catches, and some combo of sprung catches + straight forward magnets should give you what you want. Ours was a panel you press the top of and then it pings out. Bottom held by magnets. You could just have magnets and a pull cord/webbing loop poking out?

I need to do the whole terrace, 50m2 or so, so manually isn't ideal.
I'll try my grinder and disc and if not good will get a tool of sorts.

Shit a brick! I didn’t think we were talking that big. Even if a few more tiles are blown regrouting looks the best. Possibly a diamond disc run down the centre of the grout line and then knock the rest into the grove with a chisel/bolster?

I’ve had a mock up in the garage with magnets at the bottom and a rebate at the top. It seems to be a goer. I like the idea of webbing instead of knobs thumbs

That's actually the only bad tile, I just has that photo on my phone. Was really to show grout width. Yeah that's a good idea.

Ah, sorry. I assumed it was remove the duff tile and re-grout.

Cheers for that. Got a mate who’s an electrician coming to have a look. It was an extension cable that the dishwasher was plugged into. Been smelling the odd smell for quite a while and use the dishwasher once a day at least. Thankful nothing worse happened. Usually keep the recycling quite close.

I wish

Yeah, 50m2 is no joke. It’s well into “pay a professional to do it” territory for me. I am a cackhanded simpleton, though.

Is this indoors or out?

If indoor, given its Spain, it'll have concrete underneath right? You don't need to take all the grout out, you need to create enough space/depth to allow the grout to hold.

I bet any money there is a tool/blade/head specifically for this purpose. Find out what it is then buy or rent it.

I guess you've already covered this, but probably a good idea to figure out what caused the cracking. Just in case you spend aged regrouting and then it cracks again.

I did this job on a small bathroom with a Fein multitool (original and still the best!). Went through a few tungsten carbide coated grout grinding specific bits. It's slow going and painful but safer than a diamond grinding disk. With the amount you have to do I would consider a diamond grinding disk on an angle grinder and very steady hand though. Way more risky but much quicker.

This is the kind of disk I used :-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/63502125210-Segmented-Tungsten-Carbide-Colour/dp/B019A32UPU/ref=asc_df_B019A32UPU/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=256433357675&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3732394181502132717&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006836&hvtargid=pla-332656894948&th=1

Thanks all.

@hugo7 it seems that a osculating multi tool is that tool, reciprocal saw or grinder too. I have a grinder and fill try that first. It is outside terrance on the basement, so concrete slab floor.

@Cupcakes I believe just bad grout and building quality, leading to cracking in the grout. It looks like a concrete grout. It's clearly been an issue as someone has covered the grout with a mastic sort of thing. An expoy grout should work. There is some cracking in the block wall underneath so some subsidence has happened, but hasn't moved more since I've been here so hopefully that's over. Honestly the whole thing needs to be knocked down and re done, but that's for another year.

@Airhead yeah but if a different job with 1cm grout strips to inside. I'll try a grinder, as I own one already.

Forgot to mention I also used a very narrow chisel and a scraper blade. The chisel was the fastest method. In areas where the grout is really solid you don't need to rake it all out.

Anyone got a recommendation for boiler service in north east London? John at full flame isn't answering the phone