dangti6

Last year I started laying some slabs for a path. I don't have a cement mixer so I mixed the mortar bed by hand in a wheel barrow. Due to various time restraints I did this on several occasions when I had a couple of hours spare to lay half a dozen slabs or so. So far this year my free time has been taken by other jobs more desirable than mixing mortar by hand. I have kept an eye out for a cheap cement mixer and often either beaten to it or left with adverts for mixers that appear to have been dredged from a canal. I don't want to buy new and hiring isn't really viable as I really don't get the time to throw full days at it in one go. I was watching a YouTube video recently where a builder used a paddle mixer for a small concrete job and I figured this could be an idea for my situation of small batches. Naturally I am looking at £30 Chinese paddle mixers and his machine was likely a decent one. So the question is, have any of you guys had experience with mixing mortar with cheap paddle mixers? As an emergency or more frequently. The adverts do state they mix concrete and mortar as well as paints etc, but then they would say that. Realistically if it begrudgingly lasts to do a number of mixes and is junk after, i'll be content.

Interested to hear how you get on and will be watching for any advice as I am contemplating doing my own block paved driveway. First I need to sit myself down and think honestly whether I have the enthusiasm as well as the back/knees to pull it off as it's not a quick job. I'll start by measuring the area and looking at the cost estimates for a firm to come in and do it. That usually motivates me, such as it has for you here. Are the interlocking blocks with the porous gravel infill any more susceptible to weeds than the standard ones that lock together with sand?

I screwed a wall plate to a 254 x 146 x 143 UB which had a flange thickness of 12.7mm. I used these which have a long enough cutting end bit to go through material of that thickness and possibly a bit more - I have the box somewhere and I'm sure it listed the max material thickness

Check the crates data sheets, loads to choose from for trafficked areas and can take many many tonnes.

Might be misinterpreting your final statement, but why not use crates? The older method of filling a soakaway with material reduces the volume and therefore requires a larger 'hole'.

Don't suppose you'd be fortunate enough to have photos from the for sale listing showing the original fence/boundary line at all?

I used RequestaPlan which was about £24 for the 3 plans required.

Did you ever see the report?

I rubbed it down with 180 grit on a block which took the marks and pencil off and applied the first coat at the weekend. Another brief rub over, again with 180 grit this morning and gone over with a second coat of osmo door oil. Beautiful stull to use, it really is. I was particularly careful to not apply too much oil, and laid it off before a wipe over with a microfibre cloth to take any excess off. The first coat was dry in less than 24h at ~13 degrees.

I have just had a tickle with some 180 grit - the finest I could find within my stash and it's working ? This is my first oiling job so it's all new to me. Am I right in saying 180 is too rough? Doesn't feel like it is. I'll take a trip out and get some 240/320 if that's the way to go for a better finish.

I have an unfinished oak veneered door which I need to slap some osmo oil on. There are numerous pencil marks from hanging it. Also a few marks which appear to be grubby or greasy finger marks from handling which I don't want to enhance with the oil. I ran some white spirit over the short edge as a test, and it didn't shift the pencil. I tried an eraser but the pencil is quite deep in the grain. I'm yet to sand, but as it'll be a light key sand I don't think I'll have much luck there within the grain either. Acetone is one contender. I'm reluctant to try it though for fear of it staining. Anyone had luck with it on similar? Unsure if it's more suited to solid timber rather than thin white oak veneer.

Thanks guys. I will add the kitchen storage units beforehand and leave the water/waste side of things 'til a later date as they are a 'nice to have' purely as there are feeds I can extend from an original extension behind the garage.

And I guess that's my concern - could they have reason to believe a garage containing a utility function is an attempt to use the room for a habitable purpose. Let's face it, I could make some further improvements to turn it in a bedsit and let it out if I was so way inclined (devils advocate and appreciate that's probably more of a planning issue and I am not concerned about planning). I guess I am hoping that would be a no, and you'd have to have made other material improvements to suggest that was the case and the inspector would only look at what was presented to them against the application and simply not concern themselves with a tumble dryer and water/waste source in view when they come to do final checks on a garage.

Building regulations, in the sense that the structure is a single skin building without insulation etc as it’s a garage and built to that requirement. My fear is/was that on the off chance that a BCO could perhaps class the extension as habitable under the guise of a garage they could play hard ball. Does sound like I am worrying unnecessarily, so will probably be assembling some kitchen units later!

I suspect I'd hear similar if the very helpful chap who has been out in the past signed it all off, but believe he may have finished up now due to retirement - feels like I have been on this project for that long too ? Due to demand and lack of resources etc in lockdown, the very first visit was from a BCO seconded from another county/LA - Devon in fact! And when we unearthed a redundant land drain digging the footings his suggestion to monitor the trench for 6 months makes me fear a busy body like that ruining my day. If what I propose is not against any legislation, then I will crack on. Just want to be forewarned.

I have had a garage built on to the side of my house for which I have gone down the building notice route. Got a couple of jobs to sort before calling the BCO back for a final inspection and sign off. Wife wants to claim part of said garage for a utility with kitchen cabinets, a sink and tumble dryer etc along one wall. I don't believe this should cause any issues as it's not habitable under the following explanation I found: Typically, habitable rooms provide the living accommodation of the dwelling. They include living room, dining room, study, home office, conservatory and bedrooms. They exclude the bathroom, WC, utility room, storeroom, circulation space and kitchen (unless it provides space for dining). If I was to add white goods and the hot/cold water and waste was noticed during inspection - is that going to question the use of the space at all? Looks like a garage but for all they know I could be creating a granny annex and that's the doubt I wish to avoid during final inspection. It's 40sqm but does have a large double garage door to indicate it will be used as a garage. The utility area will not be partitioned off in any way at all. Reason I question it rather than simply waiting for sign off in the coming months is due to an impatient wife questioning why I am not cracking on with her small part of the project ? We already have the kitchen units and tumble dryer sat in the house (in the way) ready to install now and I am at the point where I either keep them in the house in the way when there may well be no building regs fear in cracking on and installing them.

Did the epoxy this week. First coat was a primer/sealer which penetrated nicely in to the concrete - have to work fast. Top coat of 2 part epoxy went on lovely. Some holes filled but what I found was there were a lot more holes than I had realised. Guess the light grey gloss against the holes highlights them a lot more too. In two minds whether to buy more and add another coat - think even if I did, it wouldn’t fill all of them unless I made it really thin which I’m reluctant to do as the top coat should really be a higher build to be as robust as possible. Tempted to just leave it. Don’t intend to get the area wet or work out there without spill trays etc anyway.

Tried a cream cleaner and/or IPA?

If you cannot lift it to move it through the property, but manage to wheel it in to the room - are you going to be able to lift it up on to the island when you get there...?

My wife receives chilled medical supplies through the post and these are wrapped with about 2 sq.ft of sheep’s wool. I have been collecting them up and recently I threw some down in one of my loft spaces. Would probably take around a century to fill it but it saves space in the bin throwing it away ?

Will they allow you to order now and firmly lock in the prices for something that will be manufactured/delivered in several months time?

I did my own drawings. I have some pictures saved somewhere of the hilarious efforts I found when searching my local are to see what people had submitted which was a great confidence boost for doing my own using a 20 year old version of corel draw that I’d not used before. If you go on the planning portal it should list exactly what you need. My local authority had a handy list of the prerequisites and they insisted on knowing the paper size it was scaled to. Site plans and location plans will set you back about £20 for the pair. Then it’s your floor plans and elevations, both existing and proposed, and a roof plan in your case if you’re changing that. The main things they will want measurements marked against are the additions. You don’t have to mark the measurements against your existing property, but do against the new. They can scale against the original if they choose to. If you’ve checked your neighbours applications then there’s some good benchmarks to take inspiration from in terms of detail.

I’m going to rinse it all off as I have to do the perimeter later with a 4” disc on an angle grinder to get up tight to the walls. The dust that was created doing this dry without a hepa vac was mental and I can’t bare to be on my knees doing the edges so I’ll wet vac up the slurry and hose the room out. My anthracite coloured garage door covered in dust after having the door up.? (I was masked up)

I have now done a couple of passes with a diamond grinder and pinholes may be the least of my worries. Although the top layer of laitance came off easily I have found that there is pitting across the whole area which is no doubt caused by the wet mix and probably goes down deep enough to the point I can’t feasibly continue to grind to find a uniform layer without loosing a lot of depth. I’m in two minds whether a good quality 2 pack epoxy coating will cover over these larger areas without lifting. The optimist in me hopes a couple of layers of high build resin (first coat thinned to penetrate) will keep it all together providing I don’t hit these with pointed loads. Am I dreaming? It’s a domestic garage opposed to an industrial environment remember.

These people need to be handled firmly. May upset them as often these people don't like it when they aren't in control , but you need to make it clear to them so they don't believe they can wear you down to giving in by continuing to raise it. They may well stop engaging with you if it does sink in that they simply will not get their way, but that's their call. If you're now ready to sort the fence I would probably knock and say you are going to extend the fence from the corner of the extension and 'remember we previously discussed the trellis against the wall - is that still something you would like - nb I am not going to render that wall and that is final, but I am prepared to add a trellis'. And keep the leylandii tit for tat in your back pocket.