johnhenstock83

I'm looking to get a simple frame built in the downstairs cloakroom, which is currently just a space (1.5x0.9m) with some pipes in there. I am looking at wickes' CLS timber (38x63mm, I understand this is referred to as 2 by 1) and I was wondering if it will be strong enough for my application. all I'm looking for is to be able to fit a plasterboard sheet (12.5mm) to cover a very irregular wall, build a 80cm tall frame to hide a toilet cistern and have some further plasterboard cover a few pipes, again up to a height of 80cm. is this timber strong enough or do I need 2x2? thanks!

no, Howdens is never cheaper than the better quality competitors online, but they will (with the right technique) price match or beat the price. if you're not getting any joy, however, don't waste your time. for every item they sell, there are better and cheaper options online. for example, if you need kitchens, DIY kitchens beats any supplier in the UK in terms of everything. worktop express beats anyone on worktop. national skirting beats everyone on skirting boards and architraves etc. ... you get the point

what's the general consensus on the colour of around a bifold? bifold is aluminium, anthracite and the walls are white. do I use white caulk and blend it with the wall, risking a white strip on the door, or do I use anthracite caulk and risk seeing it on the wall? thanks

is there a dot and dab pattern that ensures a good fit? for example, not just dabs of adhesive here and there, but also a continuous line around? thanks

afternoon, I'm after a bit of advice before I do anything stupid. 1920s house with brick/brick cavity walls (approx 50mm cavity, uninsulated), structurally sound, inner brick work seems pretty decent for what it is (no huge lumps of mortar "dripping", almost no missing mortar between bricks etc.). the story is quite long, but the short of it is that for this project, there's not much money, so getting someone in to do the work (e.g. hardwall + skim) is simply not an option. I suggested dot and dab plasterboard, as there is a lot of DIY resource and the cost of materials is almost nothing. now I know dot and dab can look great and give you that straight wall finish, but I've done a bit of research and I'm in two minds about it. half the people swear that I'll end up with drafts, mould and falling pieces of wall, let alone damp behind (and as a result, IN) the plasterboard. the other half does it all the time, it seems to be the "standard" method aside from hardwall etc. the room it will go in is made up of 3 external walls (first floor), but is a bedroom, hence no huge amounts of humidity. it's also uninhabited during the day and there are large windows for ventilation, let alone a capable radiator to keep it nice and warm. the ceiling is also properly insulated (and I mean properly: 300mm mineral wool, cut to the mm, laid exactly as required by the manufacturer), so I'm hoping this means there won't be an issue with heat, ventilation or excessive humidity. will I regret getting it dot and dabbed? will the void between plasterboard and brick become this hidden from sight amalgamation of cold, humidity, drafts, mould etc.? or is it all overblown? thanks

what usually happens is the private pipes get moved or replaced. we went from 3 separate drains (old clay) to one plastic drain, moving everything as required. there's an inspection chamber just outside the extension and a cleaning access point in the house, in the utility room, meaning you can access the main drain from two directions, if ever needed. nothing goes in the floor, no hatch or anything. it's not even allowed, as far as I know.

thanks. I think there's a small misunderstanding. this is what I'm trying to achieve: what I'm wondering is if the stones I need come precut to the right angle so I can form a quarter of a circle, or whether they come as normal (square) blocks and I'll need to cut them to the right angle. I hope that makes sense. also, what do they "sit" on? is a few cm of concrete enough to hold them in place or do they need a proper foundation?

hi all, we're looking to build a driveway, but the front garden is too large (80sqm+). as such, we'd like to have some patches of soil for plants, shrubs etc. I would like to create a rounded boundary using some of those grey stones you see everywhere. can you buy ready "rounded" or do I have to calculate the angles and cut them myself? I would want something like this, but the shape is a perfect quarter circle (between two brick walls at 90 degrees). also, what would I need to be able to lay these? some sort of foundation? or is it enough to dig a little trench, lay some concrete and put these on top? thanks

so, let's clarify a few things, it's a language issue: a sewer is a "larger" underground construction to help facilitate the drainage of waste (and rain) water to a processing facility. sewers are owned and maintained by the water authority, they're usually deep, collect drainage from multiple properties/estates etc. it is very unlikely that a sewer main runs under your home or through your back garden, but not impossible. you can't build over them and they can't really be moved, it's extremely expensive and disruptive. a drain is a "smaller" underground pipe that takes household waste (and sometimes rainwater) to a nearest sewer. in doing so, it might travel through people's gardens and will probably have several inspection chambers along the way. the rule of thumb is that if it serves more than one property, it is a public drain (or a lateral one), but building over (or even re-routing) is possible with the right paperwork in place. then there are private drains, which only serve your property. up to the first inspection chamber ("manhole"), you can do pretty much what you want without asking for permission: build over, re-route etc. in your case, you will need to find out where your private and/or public drains are located, the main sewer is of less importance, unless the manhole is located in your backgarden. look for any inspection chamber/manhole covers at the back of the house, in the back garden, front garden or any side alleyways. if you make a drawing showing your property in relation to these (and the pipes leaving your house), we will be able to tell you what you're dealing with, but the only way to know exactly what's under the ground is to get a drain survey (CCTV), costs around £300.

I got some brackets, but unfortunately installation is impossible. they are meant to "click" inside the frame, but there's nothing there to hold them in place, it's literally just an empty profile. I think they've got some issues in their warehouses, with different versions of the same product being fitted to different kitchens, otherwise I can't explain why it's not ok. I'll try to talk to them again, but I gave up hope at this point, not the best experience I had. Should've gone with DIY kitchens, as I planned initially.

Go with oak, adds a nice finishing touch to open units. No kitchen supplier supplies caninets in more than 3-4 colours: white, grey, oak, cream.

Hi, we bought a 3 way pendant for the kitchen and I’m just wondering how to fix it to the ceiling. It’s a standard roof in a brand new extension (plasterboard + skim), but the light will go in between joists, so only the plasterboard will hold the weight of the lamp. what should I buy to make sure it stays there? thanks

only the extension has trickle vents (3 x 40cm above bifolds, always open), the remaining windows don't. in spring/summer/early autumn, we keep the top bit of the windows ajar at all times. in the winter, we ventilate every day, mornings and evenings. I was only asking about damp because I would expect the readings to be much lower, around 45-50% when we're not cooking etc. 60% is on the high side and any activity that produces a lot of damp (boiling water, long, hot showers) increase it to above 80% in the bathroom. it does go down quickly when I open the window. I'm also inquiring about the PIV system because in the winter, there is definitely condensation on the windows. it's not extremely bad, a quick wipe solves it, but if I can get rid of that by having fresher, cleaner, less damp air in the house, £300 is a really good investment.

hi, I was wondering if I can have a bit of advice here. I bought 6 thermpro hygrometers (simple ones, temperature and humidity only), one in each bedroom, bathroom, living room and extension. the house is a 1950s ex-council property with brick/brick cavity walls, porous mortar (lime?) and in good condition overall. the house has double glazed windows, which never condensate in between panels, so I trust they're in good condition. there is also cavity insulation in the form of polystyrene beads, they're dry. no damp patches anywhere, no leaks, no musty smell. however, if the windows are closed, humidity registers just above 60% in more or less every room. the new extension (brick/breeze block, 100mm insulated cavity, triple glazing bifold + skylights) is usually a bit higher, around 65%. if I open the windows it does go below 50%, does that mean I have a ventilation issue? in the winter, there is condensation on the inside of the windows, mainly after showering, washing, drying, cooking etc. I'm thinking to invest in a vent axia PIV, would that help?

Morning, we’ve created a small space behind the stairs, with the aim of creating a downstairs toilet. It’s about 0.9m x 1.8m. Drainage and pipes (soil pipe, water supply, sink drain) are installed and in place and I’m looking to start building the actual room. the idea is to build a frame that will cover the concealed cistern and the pipes on one of the walls, then either paint it, cover it with decorative panels or tile it. can someone point me in the right direction on how to build the frame? What size battens? How to fit them to the studwall? Anything else I need to think of? thanks

I'd like to second screwfix. We had a mixer tap with a pull out nozzle for quite a few years now, we bought a new one for the new house. Seville Pull-Out Spray Mono Mixer Kitchen Tap Chrome - Screwfix

it is, but I seem to be missing the brackets that click into place once attached to the door panels. they probably forgot to add them, I'll drop by. thanks!

We’ve got one of these, but I can’t figure out how to attach the door panels (top/bottom) to the larder rail. The base pull out units were simple, the panels came with a metal bracket that attaches to the screws in the frame, but the tall one doesn’t have anything like that, only some holes. Am I missing any parts or am I missing the point?

good to know, as a rule of thumb. thanks all, it worked :).

Single Thread Countersunk Pozi Screw 5.0 x 40mm | Toolstation are these good enough to hold a kitchen cabinet filled with glasses?

hi, thanks! the wall is breeze block on the inside, covered with dry wall and plaster, so the plug goes right into the breeze block. what type of screw would I be looking for? does it have to be a masonry screw or does it not matter, given it goes in a plug anyway?

hi, I'm trying to hang up two kitchen units, typical 900mm wall unit, standard height, standard depth (howdens). I received the wall brackets with the unit, managed to measure everything properly, but they don't include fixings. I got some green wall plugs, marked 8x40, what size (and type) screws do I need to buy to make sure they fit and they're strong enough? thanks!

unfortunately anything that's not miele, bosch or siemens will be of average quality, at best. sounds like the only option is to have these appliances replaced. good ones don't need to cost a fortune, though I can imagine you'd rather spend that money on something else.

instantpot... you get 11/13 functions in one device and they're a market leader, basically bulletproof. price is not bad either.

that's a good looking sink, similar to the one we chose initially. how would this be fitted? would CT1 hold it in place, assuming a nice, snug cut-out? thanks