Onoff

Took the first steel off...might be a tad high on the right...

Was debating uscrewing the former angles by the drain now along with taking out the screws holding the flat plates down? Not sure how well I rammed in the new stuff against old but I did prime the old first with neat SBR.

Yeah I've read similar. Got a good piece somewhere about how for many years concrete has a protective effect on steel reinforcing within due to its alkalinity. Over time though CO2 seeps in and acidifies everything causing the steel to rot. The article was on why the early art deco concrete buildings failed and what was being done to save them. There's some process now that arrests the rot. Guess modern admixtures have an effect too on concrete today?

I have no idea how long this mix will take to dry out before tiling. With the SBR in it's unchartered territory. The old 'X' mm per day is out the window I imagine? Does the fact it's waterproof concrete mean water is excluded from the start, how does this stuff dry out? Will it dry quicker? Couldn't resist trying a bit more tamping on the rhs section last night. Funny how that bit is now "drying" quicker. Tbh it was bringing fibres to the surface so had to force myself to leave it. Not sure if I should have covered it with a plastic sheet...too late now? I might go over it with a heavy metal plate just to knock the odd snot off of it here and there The wife commented how much bigger it looked last night...

Trying to bring the cost of a (still decent) jb down I'm thinking maybe a Wiska / Magic box with gel filling. I might go and have a play later with a bit of swa & Wagos. The Wiska boxes jump massively in price though from the small 80x80, 110x110mm to the 160x140 size. The bigger one though has superior (easier) glanding via 3 holes at the bottom. Could maybe turn a smaller, square one thru 45deg to still keep the entries on a downward facing face... Tbh you could fill up a cheaper IP6x box with gel still... https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Manufacturers/Wiska/Boxes_Adaptable_Moulded/index.html

How about Wago-Capsules? Cheaper than Pratleys https://www.connexbox.com/wagobox-capsule-ip68-adaptable-junction-box-grey.html In and out with the swa. Internal connections using Wagos so maintenance free. Then a short bit of flex in 20mm flexible conduit to each light. You need the earth plate to keep continuity of the armoured: https://www.connexbox.com/wagobox-capsule-lid-steel-earth-bonding-plate-for-20mm-glands-with-earth-cable.html

Interesting mix that was! Smells like when you work with plastic. Pretty sticky! 5l bucket cement 7.5l bucket 10mm pea shingle 7.5l bucket sharp sand So 1 : 1.5 : 1.5 3:1 water to SBR A handful of fibres Repeat! Seemed to go in alright though: You can see the fall line: And from a distance how it falls overall. Not sure if it'll float when bit drier or even if it's necessary. Hoping the angle and flat steel plates will come off alright and not be stuck. Whatever, TF for thick tile adhesive!

14.35hrs Easter Sunday...firing up the mixer!

That looks the mutt's nuts, what a transformation! These LED lights, (like so many now inc pricey ones), have non replaceable bulbs so you ideally want to think about how you might replace them when one packs up. It's replace the whole fitting rather than just the bulb. They'll be easy to fit before back filling and paving but thereafter possible a pita unless you have some flexibility within the cable so you can take the light off of the wall from the front and withdraw that bringing some cable with it to have enough wriggle room to fit the new light. With the swa you would really have to form loops and leave a void behind each light. The double thickness blockwork helps if anything. Backfilling and paving...You might as well be putting it all under concrete! Beware fitting maintainable junction boxes where you can't get to them.

Modding the stud work for the pocket. I could have just stuck the pocket between the studs but I want it to line up with a specific tile layout. That white area of thick old render is hollow sounding and pretty loose tbh. It's an old blocked up doorway there I think, filled in with thinner blocks than the rest of the wall. Someone even made an attempt to render over the cream painted wall! Bodge after bodge.

Plenty container projects to look at on Pinterest. I think condensation might be a big issue.

I reckon CT1?

Yeah but you were rushing to get to the pub! Looks great btw!

More a premonition.....

And they're comparatively lightweight so you haven't got to worry about whether you've secured your battens to the wall really well and whether they'll support the hundreds of kilos of tiles you've bought!

I always put the lid down before I flush tbh. Read somewhere that "germs" will waft about 6' from the loo in all directions when you flush. Not good in a small bathroom. Also that they'll go through 10 layers of loo roll... I choose to believe!

I think I might carry on with figuring the studwork pockets before I concrete. Otherwise I won't be able to tread on that area for a week and it'll slow things up...

Surely if you don't flush there's no need to put the seat down?

All ready for filling up with my exotic pea shingle mix. Can't think of anything else that'll delay it! Fall according to Geberit was 1-2% which equated to 13-26mm. I was going to go for the 1% but with no glass screens for the mo and no UFH working I figured get rid of the water a bit quicker. Aimed therefore for slap bang in the middle 18mm (1.5%). According to the laser level on the steel former it's 450mm at the high ends and 432mm where the steel is flat under the yellow cover. I'd say luck more than judgement but it is tbh judgement! All vacuumed and vacuumed again. I just need it stop raining so I can get on with it!

Looks the business that!

You don't have to use those brass inserts. You could blank off and redrill for glands on those angled faces and come in from the rear. Or either side of the brick light position lay a brick cut to half it's depth.

Got it. You then cut the D shaped bits out both sides to allow cable access.

Doesn't the bit with the brass inserts screw onto the 60mm deep front section? Won't that put the brass inserts beyond or very near beyond the back of the brick? What is the diameter of the threaded part of the brass insert?

Make it nice so you can use it as a man cave when SWMBO gets the ar5e!

Would soda crystals work? I only ask as in the States soda blasting is a big thing and they sell the residue from the cleaning process to the rail companies who use it for weed control on the tracks.