Home DIY

Moving the kitchen, and after some advice to keep my costs to the absolute minimum re: regs and building control etc.

• Is moving a kitchen always notifiable work?
  
• Do you have to have a separate ring for kitchens or is it merely recommended? At the moment my sockets (2 bed ground floor flat, rewired in 80s) are on two circuits, one for the front and one for the back of the flat. The kitchen used to be at the back but will now be at the front. Therefore I was thinking if I don't have to add a new circuit then I can move sockets within the existing ring to become part of the kitchen, as DIYers are allowed to amend existing circuits.
  
• even if I do put in a new circuit, can I save money by doing all the legwork myself and then getting a spark in to sign it off, or is that not allowed?
  
• Similarly, can I do the legwork on a cooker circuit? Or are sparks likely to charge just as much to sign it off as they would to do the whole job?
  
  

Thanks

If you want 3rd party signing you have to organise it before the job begins, there are some but not all electricians whose registration bodies allow 3rd party signing. You might find it easier just to have them do it but it would save money if you prepare the run and make good afterwards. What building control is interested in is a bit of paper that says the circuit has been tested, the cables are the correct size, the breaker is the correct size, polarity is correct etc. The difficulty I've had is getting a registered sparks in if you are doing any non-notifiable work yourself, or maybe it's just my negotiating skills!

If you calculate the potential total load for the kitchen and if it's below the capacity of your circuit (take into account diversity) there's nothing to stop you from extending the circuit. The reason kitchens have separate circuits is the number of high wattage items they can contain.

You do still need to follow the rules of safe working etc. but you don't need to tell building control or prove that you've tested it. You should test it properly anyway but you should know which tests you need to carry out if you are taking the job on.

What windows company is it? if its Anglian, Everest, Safe Styles I can find out for you

No, it's none of those. They've given me a guarantee that if the quote changes then I can have a refund of the deposit and given that they've been around since 1999 and did a friend's windows too I think it's probably ok.

But thank you

Ah ok - yeah, I gave my window fitter a deposit (local bloke) seems pretty standard

Oh god. I feel your pain.
I got a paper tiger, some enzymatic solution, a 10l water spray bucket thing, a steamer, wallpaper knives, and then gave up my life for 2 days.

Happy to loan out the water bucket spray thing and a paper tiger and some knives. Also got some sandpaper you can have.

In other news:
has anyone got any ikea projects underway or thinking of starting any?

I've got bits that I don't think I'm going to use:
drawer runner for the komplement drawers/wire baskets that go in pax wardrobe

i've also got these
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/storage-furniture/shelving-units-systems/kallax-set-of-castors-silver-colour-art-00288657/

so you can wheel a unit around (kallax/expedit).

F R E E
Before my mind explodes.

<<<< hallway pics on previous page. Tidy paint job on the stairs too. I need to decorate our entire (4 storey victorian terrace) and am seriously daunted by the prospect. My missus want to reinstate a dado rail and paint much like you have here. Did you do it yourself?

When we bough tth ehouse in October it had just been renovated with top to bottom pale cream walls and thick cream carpets. All done really nicely but I fucking hate it. It seems like a colossal waste but I would dearly love to rip all the carpets out and have a runner, and repaint the hallways with darker colours and a dado. Unfortunately the garden and bathroom are more urgent though and budget will be tight so the great de-beige may have to wait a bit.

Got someone in to do it. One guy for flooring, skirting and some carpentry and another for the stairs and painting. Can send you the number if you need. Stair guy is in Rotherhithe

I wouldn't be too concerned with the carpet - whilst it might not be to your taste it's clean and new so may as well just not be too fussy about how clean you keep it with the thought you'll replace it eventually. Painting the walls is less of a drag as you can do it in stages over time

If you're happy with painter i'd like his number please. Cheers,

A

I might take you up on that. Whereabouts are you?

^^Ah i'm not too worried to be honest, was only griping. Garden and Bathroom are rightly at the top of the to-do list and once the painting is done after that we can take our time getting the floors how we like.

It's just a pain as i'm constantly forgetting things upstairs and having to run up three flights of stairs in my boots and the carpet shows every little of dirt.

Sunny Sydenham. SE26.
Right next to wells park.

Are you about tonight? Might pop over when i'm back from work...

.

Thanks, that's really helpful.

Done some calcs and with just the kitchen and living room on the front ring it will be fine at 32A, so I'll just move the sockets for the kitchen myself.

I'll get a spark in to do the cooker circuit and upgrade the fuse box at the same time, since both are notifiable.

If you're doing the fuse box, check you have earth bonding to the current spec. It's changed recently so a lot of places are affected. You need the bonding to run from within 60cm of the entry point of gas and water (given that it's metal!) to the consumer unit in a complete run. Required cable sizes differ according to the cable run but it's usually 10mm upwards.

There is a nice wardrobe from Habitat which is 184cm.... similar price too... http://www.habitat.co.uk/tatsuma-white-and-ash-3-door-wardrobe-313762

So weird looking at it under cover, coming along swiftly, you must be pleased.
Are you gonna be on the tools at any point or is it all contractors?

Two things I've bought recently that have been revelatory, expensive Corona paint brushes and a decent silicon/ct-1/caulk gun. A few quid makes all the difference.

Does anyone have a sledgehammer I can borrow?

I have two in Bromley. You can have one if you want...

May I borrow the other for a short period? I have a path that needs mending.