The DIY thread

[Stevo985]

Just now, VILLAMARV said:

And how does raising the height on the new patio affect the height of your steps

This is my only consideration. The patio/concrete is already raised, so it would just be the extra height of adding a patio on top. But there's at least a foot, if not 18 inches, of clearance from the external doors down to the existing concrete so I think it should be ok. No air bricks or anything it would be covering.

 

[Mandy Lifeboats]

The cement has fallen out from under my front door frame.  There are also a few bits of the damp course where cement has fallen out.  

I'm absolutely awful at doing anything like this. 

Does anyone know of a cement product that is very easy to apply?  

Does anyone have any tips or tricks that might help?  

 

 

[bickster]

You are just telling us the concrete is already there to cover your tracks aren't you

[Mandy Lifeboats]

4 hours ago, bickster said:

You are just telling us the concrete is already there to cover your tracks aren't you

You are confusing my repointing problem with the patio I built shortly after the wife's mother disappeared. 

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Mandy Lifeboats
Spelling mishsteaks

[VILLAMARV]

6 hours ago, Mandy Lifeboats said:

The cement has fallen out from under my front door frame.  There are also a few bits of the damp course where cement has fallen out.  

I'm absolutely awful at doing anything like this. 

Does anyone know of a cement product that is very easy to apply?  

Does anyone have any tips or tricks that might help? 

There is a gap and crack filler (fnar) that comes in a caulking gun type tube like silicone tubes which I've used on really small cracks in render - someone else had bought it and I was a bit confused really as to why they wouldn't just mix up some mortar and fill the gaps - but I was soon proving myself wrong. The nozzle made for really easy application i guess it comes in a range of colours. Mine was prior to painting so I didn't care about a colour match really. The picture would suggest it's up to a re-pointng job

Not cheap compared to a bag of cement and a bag of sand but a lot less hassle especially if you hate trowels and it's a small job.

 

[Stevo985]

I need a reducer and can't find one anywhere.

When we got our flooring done the conservatory floor was too high in relation to the lounge to have flat floor all the way through. So they put a shitty metal reducer on there that isn't even big enough. (I complained and got money back by the way)

So I need to buy a new reducer to fit. but it needs to be deep (about 2.5cm I'd say) long (at least 2.8m) (insert kenneth here) and a light oak colour

I can't find anything suitable online. Anyone got any ideas?

 

This is almost perfect but I need it to be a bit longer (Kenneth)

 

[Genie]

1 minute ago, Stevo985 said:

I need a reducer and can't find one anywhere.

When we got our flooring done the conservatory floor was too high in relation to the lounge to have flat floor all the way through. So they put a shitty metal reducer on there that isn't even big enough. (I complained and got money back by the way)

So I need to buy a new reducer to fit. but it needs to be deep (about 2.5cm I'd say) long (at least 2.8m) (insert kenneth here) and a light oak colour

I can't find anything suitable online. Anyone got any ideas?

 

This is almost perfect but I need it to be a bit longer (Kenneth)

 

Maybe a local carpenter would knock you one up? 

[Stevo985]

Just now, Genie said:

Maybe a local carpenter would knock you one up? 

Good idea actually. I need to get a carpenter in anyway to box in something in one of the rooms so could do two in one

[blandy]

1 hour ago, Stevo985 said:

Anyone got any ideas?

Local carpenter make one for you?  Make one yourself even. Places like jewsons or local timber merchants can sell you the wood. It doesn’t have to have the right angle cut out if it’s the same depth as the flooring tiles/boards

[stuart_75]

2 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

I need a reducer and can't find one anywhere.

When we got our flooring done the conservatory floor was too high in relation to the lounge to have flat floor all the way through. So they put a shitty metal reducer on there that isn't even big enough. (I complained and got money back by the way)

So I need to buy a new reducer to fit. but it needs to be deep (about 2.5cm I'd say) long (at least 2.8m) (insert kenneth here) and a light oak colour

I can't find anything suitable online. Anyone got any ideas?

 

This is almost perfect but I need it to be a bit longer (Kenneth)

 

Quickstep to lengths around 2.7m I think. I've used their flooring and trims for a few years, very good quality.

Edited September 19, 2023 by stuart_75

[Mandy Lifeboats]

It's been a satisfying summer of DIY.  

• 2 bedrooms redecorated with built in wardrobes replaced in 1. 
• Stair bannister and spindles sanded (never again) and painted.  
• Rear garage door repaired and repainted. 
• Various areas of brickwork repointed. 
• Driveway and patio pressure washed. 
• Fence panel fitted. 

No trips to A&E, no major mishaps and no calls to tradesmen to undo my mistakes. 

 

[Mandy Lifeboats]

On 10/08/2023 at 19:01, VILLAMARV said:

There is a gap and crack filler (fnar) that comes in a caulking gun type tube like silicone tubes which I've used on really small cracks in render - someone else had bought it and I was a bit confused really as to why they wouldn't just mix up some mortar and fill the gaps - but I was soon proving myself wrong. The nozzle made for really easy application i guess it comes in a range of colours. Mine was prior to painting so I didn't care about a colour match really. The picture would suggest it's up to a re-pointng job

Not cheap compared to a bag of cement and a bag of sand but a lot less hassle especially if you hate trowels and it's a small job.

 

Thanks for this link. I used this to repoint and it looks great. 

[VILLAMARV]

9 minutes ago, Mandy Lifeboats said:

Thanks for this link. I used this to repoint and it looks great. 

[Stevo985]

On 10/08/2023 at 19:01, VILLAMARV said:

There is a gap and crack filler (fnar) that comes in a caulking gun type tube like silicone tubes which I've used on really small cracks in render - someone else had bought it and I was a bit confused really as to why they wouldn't just mix up some mortar and fill the gaps - but I was soon proving myself wrong. The nozzle made for really easy application i guess it comes in a range of colours. Mine was prior to painting so I didn't care about a colour match really. The picture would suggest it's up to a re-pointng job

Not cheap compared to a bag of cement and a bag of sand but a lot less hassle especially if you hate trowels and it's a small job.

 

 

2 hours ago, Mandy Lifeboats said:

Thanks for this link. I used this to repoint and it looks great. 

Holy shit this is the exact thing I need and couldn't find anything like it anywhere. I'd basically given up

We put a new house number up (Like everything else in the house the old one looked like it had been bought in 1950 and never changed), but the old one left some unsightly holes in the cement.

I was about to resort to filling it with filler and getting a sample from dulux that was cement colour to paint over it

 

This will do the job perfectly

[blandy]

2 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

 

Holy shit this is the exact thing I need and couldn't find anything like it anywhere. I'd basically given up

We put a new house number up (Like everything else in the house the old one looked like it had been bought in 1950 and never changed), but the old one left some unsightly holes in the cement.

I was about to resort to filling it with filler and getting a sample from dulux that was cement colour to paint over it

 

This will do the job perfectly

You can also get (from B&Q it all) tubs of sharp sand and cement mix for about a tenner, for loads of the stuff or £5 for half of loads - I have bought 2 this summer and repointed some walls and paving slabs. It's super easy to use and way more cost efficient than a squirty pump thingy (though that said if you only need a tiny bit, then the tubes are slightly more convenient, perhaps

https://www.diy.com/search?term=mortar+mix

 

[Mandy Lifeboats]

20 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

 

Holy shit this is the exact thing I need and couldn't find anything like it anywhere. I'd basically given up

We put a new house number up (Like everything else in the house the old one looked like it had been bought in 1950 and never changed), but the old one left some unsightly holes in the cement.

I was about to resort to filling it with filler and getting a sample from dulux that was cement colour to paint over it

 

This will do the job perfectly

I got mine from "The Range".  It was £2.69 a tube. 

https://www.therange.co.uk/decorating/paint-and-painting-accessories/painting-accessories/fillers/soudal-repair-express-cement/?position=6&s=168210

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by Mandy Lifeboats
Added details

[Xann]

Don't delay on cleaning your gutters. Over flow did for the mortar here.

Now to point it.

[Seat68]

Anyone know how to surface roads, I see an opportunity for some easy, very well paid work in Poland. 

[sidcow]

Got me one of these bad boys. 

I have to say it is **** ace.  £40 off Amazon and unless you're actually going to chop down a proper tree it will handle most stuff really well including some small conifer trees and pretty big branches off bigger trees. 

 

 

Edited February 2 by sidcow

[Stevo985]

I'm buying a shed.

 

I want to put it at the back of my garden, only potential issue is the neighbour at the back of the garden has a wall onto our garden that will be slightly shorter than our shed.

It's the side of their house so I can't see it making any difference to them whatsoever, but also I don't know them so they might be mental.
So I want to make sure I'm doing everything by the book.

However I'm getting conflicting information online.

Some sites say the shed has to be 2.5m tall or less if it's within 2m of the property boundary.
Others say it has to be 2.5m tall or less AND more than 2m from the property boundary.

I'd rather the former was the case, as it being 2m from the back wall would look a bit odd. But like I said i want to do everything by the book. Does anyone have a robust source? Or knowledge?