House fixy-uppy shit

[Paulie Dangerously]

Had a downstairs shower and toilet put into the house I bought in December. Best money I ever spent. No more waiting for a shite or a shower. I spent about half an hour in here every morning just in my own little toilet retreat. Highly recommended. 

[dockers_strike]

Ah, the warm inner glow when you know you've just saved yourself about a hundred knicker.

 

We've got one of these flueless gas fires that has a vent box on the outside wall. It also has a little 'funnel' extension on it but the whole thing has rusted to fuck.

 

The thing is about 12 to 15 year old and I thought I might have a bit of trouble tracking the makers down. Fortunately, they're still in business! Problem was, they dont make the fire any more and the outside box is a little different.

 

But they said it would fit, all I had to do was replace a venturi pipe and 'break an electrical' connection! Piece of piss! The new box cover cost 50 plus vat and the new pipe, 10 quid plus vat. Total including carriage 80 odd!

 

Said to the old girl, Id have a looksee at changing it over but if it looked beyond me, Id get our electrician lad round.

 

Well the old box literally disintegrated as I took it off the wall. The new pipe that cost a tenner was already fitted in the old box and just had an extension on it. When I took the extension off, the old and new are exactly the same. Bastards!

 

And they never sent me any wiring instructions but that bit was easy to figure out.

 

Fitted the new outer cover, tested it and everything is working. Kushty. Reckon a fitter or sparky would have charges upto a hundred to take the old one of, make the changes and fit the new one.

 

Roll on winter!

[dockers_strike]

Looking for some advice from the forum experts about an outside job.

 

Old girl wants a small paved are laying so we can put a small 2 seat garden bench on it. The paved area will be twelve 450 x 450 slabs with limestone chipping covering an area about 4 foot by 5 foot either side and a little back and front.

 

We've got the bench, slabs, membrane, chippings and sand delivered. The area where it's all going has been levelled and a compacted soil base.

 

What's the best way to do this?

 

Membrane down first, sand base on top then slabs on the sand or sand down directly on the soil, slabs down and levelled then membrane either side of the slabbed area with the chipping onto membrane?

 

Any tips for making sure the sand base square and level would be good. Thanks.

[Mook]

On 02/07/2021 at 06:43, Paulie Dangerously said:

Had a downstairs shower and toilet put into the house I bought in December. Best money I ever spent. No more waiting for a shite or a shower. I spent about half an hour in here every morning just in my own little toilet retreat. Highly recommended. 

We're thinking about this being our next big project but I'm terrified of what it's going to cost. We have an outhouse we want to convert with plumbing in there already but I'm expecting the whole thing to cost about £12k to £15k, am I miles out?

[TheBitch]

4 minutes ago, Mook said:

We're thinking about this being our next big project but I'm terrified of what it's going to cost. We have an outhouse we want to convert with plumbing in there already but I'm expecting the whole thing to cost about £12k to £15k, am I miles out?

Nah. 
 

You’ve got to be way out there mate. £5k tops. Surely less than that. 

[sir roger]

https://www.pavingexpert.com/layflag1

 

Might be some useful info , ds.

[Champ]

22 minutes ago, TheBitch said:

Nah. 
 

You’ve got to be way out there mate. £5k tops. Surely less than that. 

You don’t know Edinburgh prices, Rich. We watch some of those property programmes and wonder what planet they’re on when we see some of the figures they come up with. It’s like putting your car in for repair…think of a figure and double it

[Champ]

25 minutes ago, Mook said:

We're thinking about this being our next big project but I'm terrified of what it's going to cost. We have an outhouse we want to convert with plumbing in there already but I'm expecting the whole thing to cost about £12k to £15k, am I miles out?

Knowledge is power.

Get someone to come and look at the job. Keep those figures in your head and it might not be as bad as you fear. At least you’ll know

[Paulie Dangerously]

3 hours ago, Mook said:

We're thinking about this being our next big project but I'm terrified of what it's going to cost. We have an outhouse we want to convert with plumbing in there already but I'm expecting the whole thing to cost about £12k to £15k, am I miles out?

Dm you 

[Paulie Dangerously]

Thinking about composite decking. Any advice?

[Champ]

20 minutes ago, Paulie Dangerously said:

Thinking about composite decking. Any advice?

So are we. I never thought I’d be saying this but there’s just too much maintenance with wood

[Paulie Dangerously]

19 minutes ago, Champ said:

So are we. I never thought I’d be saying this but there’s just too much maintenance with wood

The house I've bought has decking which is rotten in places despite being only 10 years old. I'm looking for next to no maintenence on the next lot so have priced it up and can get it all replaced for 3.5k with composite which is in a dark wood style. 

 

It does apparently fade over the first few years but better than having to treat it etc every year 

[Champ]

28 minutes ago, Paulie Dangerously said:

The house I've bought has decking which is rotten in places despite being only 10 years old. I'm looking for next to no maintenence on the next lot so have priced it up and can get it all replaced for 3.5k with composite which is in a dark wood style. 

 

It does apparently fade over the first few years but better than having to treat it etc every year 

Yeah. Ours is about 10 years old and is in a similar condition. We just don’t have the climate for it

[cochyn]

On 29/06/2021 at 13:42, dockers_strike said:

Fuck's sake, garage doors, they do my fucking head in. So both garage doors need a tidy up. There those 'cheap' galvanised up and over things. Thought about getting them replaced with those manual roller types but the cunt who came round to give us a price got all arsey when I asked about a discount for doing both so fucked him off.

 

Anyway, that's another story!

 

Like all garage doors, there some galvanic rust coming through so thought Id tackle that first. I remember Edd China going on about Kurust so thought I used that. Big mistake!

 

It works a treat curing rust and goes turns anything it touches, purple when dry. Couple of days later, I splash on some of my Screwfix no nonsense paint onlyto find the Kurust purple shows through. OK, 2 coats then. Nope, still shows through!

 

Had to get a tin of something called zinnerbins 'stain guard' only that went on looking fucking green! Thankfully, it's dried a kind of off white so hoping the gloss white covers it ok!

 

Be warned, if you use Hammerite Kurust, it cures the rust but shows through ordinary paint.

 

Next time, cover the Kurust with grey primer once it's gone off. Works a treat mate. 

[Champ]

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ekenaeset-armchair-hillared-anthracite-10450511/
 

I have hankered after one of these for ages but never had anywhere to put one but we’re in the throes of redecorating our living room and finally finally I think I’ve found a home for one after repositioning the tv.

 

It’s quite a small room and we’re embracing that to make a cosy space with dark walls and curtains. It’s definitely going to be my space. Cannot wait to bring it all together 

[Babb'sBurstNad]

16 minutes ago, Champ said:

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ekenaeset-armchair-hillared-anthracite-10450511/
 

I have hankered after one of these for ages but never had anywhere to put one but we’re in the throes of redecorating our living room and finally finally I think I’ve found a home for one after repositioning the tv.

 

It’s quite a small room and we’re embracing that to make a cosy space with dark walls and curtains. It’s definitely going to be my space. Cannot wait to bring it all together 

Lovely chair, perfect for reading by a window or lamp. I'm on the home stetch of doing my living room, and whilst I initially fancied trying my hand at reupholstering a mid century cintique armchair, I'm over the moon with the Ekenaset.

[cochyn]

2 hours ago, Champ said:

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ekenaeset-armchair-hillared-anthracite-10450511/
 

I have hankered after one of these for ages but never had anywhere to put one but we’re in the throes of redecorating our living room and finally finally I think I’ve found a home for one after repositioning the tv.

 

It’s quite a small room and we’re embracing that to make a cosy space with dark walls and curtains. It’s definitely going to be my space. Cannot wait to bring it all together 

Lovely. I liberated a similar Parker Knoll armchair from a skip years ago. Best seat in the house. I've been on the lookout for some period (1970's) bus seat velour fabric to re-cover it with. The search continues....

 

You will want to take up smoking though - Don Draper style - to maximise the chair's cool factor.

[Champ]

5 hours ago, cochyn said:

Lovely. I liberated a similar Parker Knoll armchair from a skip years ago. Best seat in the house. I've been on the lookout for some period (1970's) bus seat velour fabric to re-cover it with. The search continues....

 

You will want to take up smoking though - Don Draper style - to maximise the chair's cool factor.

Like this? Something I’ve not (yet) been able to work into our muted colour schemes https://www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk/authentic-moquette-fabric-by-the-metre

[dockers_strike]

10 hours ago, cochyn said:

Lovely. I liberated a similar Parker Knoll armchair from a skip years ago. Best seat in the house. I've been on the lookout for some period (1970's) bus seat velour fabric to re-cover it with. The search continues....

 

You will want to take up smoking though - Don Draper style - to maximise the chair's cool factor.

Going to be hard to source 1970s style stuff plus pricey.

 

Maybe try a bus interior restorer to see if they've any off cuts or old material they've taken off seats to be recovered? There's a place up in Blackpool who might help?

 

https://www.blackpoolbusandcoachtrim.co.uk/

 

Dont know if you know about this place?

 

https://www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk/authentic-moquette-fabric-by-the-metre

[Captain Turdseye]

13 hours ago, Champ said:

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ekenaeset-armchair-hillared-anthracite-10450511/
 

I have hankered after one of these for ages but never had anywhere to put one but we’re in the throes of redecorating our living room and finally finally I think I’ve found a home for one after repositioning the tv.

 

It’s quite a small room and we’re embracing that to make a cosy space with dark walls and curtains. It’s definitely going to be my space. Cannot wait to bring it all together 

Finally, finally got our living room painted (he’s just left!) but unlike yours it’s totally neutral, boring old magnolia & white. I was looking at a similarly small chair. The one I spotted was at  B&Q at the end of my street though and significantly crapper & cheaper than yours.

 

We’ve only bought a 3 seater sofa because there’s hardly ever more than two of us in the room unless we’re eating at the table. That little chair is the same colour as one of the shades on the sofa and my thinking is that I could slide the rug with the coffee table out of the way and slide that chair into its spot right in front of the telly when I want to play some PlayStation. 

 

 

 

 

All that’s needed to complete the room is some curtains for the sliding patio doors and maybe a new wall canvas.
 

Also gonna ask for permission to replace the light fixtures but in the knowledge that the letting agent will insist on using their own electricians, at which point I anticipate a conversation about the landlady paying for some or all of that work. 

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Nice chair that. Stick on an accent cushion and job's a good 'un. As I get older I definitely need a seat to move closer to the telly when gaming. 

[A Red]

Nice chair that, shame there isn't a B&Q in Cornwall

[Captain Turdseye]

Took that picture a couple of weeks ago. It’ll probably be gone when I go back. 

[Bjornebye]

1 hour ago, Babb'sBurstNad said:

Nice chair that. Stick on an accent cushion and job's a good 'un. As I get older I definitely need a seat to move closer to the telly when gaming. 

"Aww ehman dinnit sit on us c'mon haway" 

[Captain Turdseye]

As predicted. Only got them in green. The grey one I photographed is display-only and it’s got a big tear in the bottom. 
 

There’s five of them in stock in Braintree where I’ll be on the Bank Holiday Monday. Might have to leave the kids there to be able to fit it into the car though.