steveoelliott

Thanks Folks... I do have a decorator coming in a couple of months so I'll ask them to tend to it.

Hi Folks, Some might call be picky but on a house purchased a couple of years ago there are places where the coving joints are visible and in some cases to me look terrible. Of course one option would be to replace the coving but i'd rather not go down this route. Just wondered if there are any quick fixes, patch ups etc that folks can recommend. Would a plasterer be able to cut out a section and install a piece better for example without having to do the whole room / wall? I've attached a couple of pictures.

Hi, Earlier this year I had some porcelain copings installed by a builder on a couple of parapet walls... They were laid on top of a DPC and further down there is also a cavity tray. They were laid using a PU adhesive and pointed using this grout slated to be suitable for external work: https://www.screwfix.com/p/mapei-ultracolor-plus-wall-floor-grout-anthracite-5kg/68981?tc=AT1&ds_kid=92700058176434344&ds_rl=1249416&gclid=Cj0KCQjwu7OIBhCsARIsALxCUaM8HefqhZ2XvMMOcJ5FKFNq4X0YmiH3W2L9uTkjt9LmIvJn8v0K6AcaArp1EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds I've noticed that on a couple of the coping joints hairline cracks are appearing in the grout... Now this is possibly to be expected given the massive amounts of expansion / contraction that must occur especially as being south facing these stones are very hot to touch on warm days. The question is how best to address this... The gap I am sure is too narrow for mortar and therefore grout is seemingly the best option. It looks like where it has cracked it would need raking out and redoing. Are there any better options out there for this purpose? One could seal over the top with a silicon sealer but I think that would look terrible. In theory with the DPC and cavity trays any water ingress should be handled by second / third lines of defense but if I see the cracks present it makes sense in my mind to rectify them. I've attached 2 pictures, one is as is and the other is zoomed right in. How much water would actually penetrate is unknown but I suspect they will get worse if not addressed.

Finally decked out... Now after the rain we had, you can see the water between the gaps in the promenade slabs but decked out it doesn't look horrendous at least. I'm a little concerned about the water freezing during winter months and whether that will present any issues. I also noticed some hairline cracks in the grout between a couple of the copings that I will seek to get addressed. I suspect this is due to expansion / contraction but a flexible grout was used. There is a DPC under the copings but it makes sense to correct hairline cracks if I know they are there.

Hi all, Today, I had a go at being a little practical / hands on myself and put up some Ben Simpson floating shelves... I had my Dad help me but I did make a fundamental error with the second shelf... I got the measurement 2cm out and ended up with 2 shelves that were not aligned with each other. A schoolboy error but I'm sure it happens more than most will admit. In future I'd actually make a template first to avoid the scope for my ineptitude hampering my own progress. Anyway... to correct this my father said just drill the holes you want 2cm to the right... Now these are 10mm holes with plugs that hold the floating screws; my thoughts were that this is very close to the original hole so opted to drill 5cm higher and 2cm to the right to afford a "reasonable" gap. My question is, although of course there is no exact science, but how close can you go to an existing hole / fixing in brick? I guess this would be breeze block actually but still. Thanks...

Thanks all for your feedback... Per the pictures, the issue is with where the door closes against the vertical edges. They sit very tight indeed. I intend to get my carpenter contact to take a look and remedy. I think Mr Punter's suggestion does make sense. Like many things there is more than one way to skin a cat ?

Thanks folks... I have got a recommendation of a good carpenter so will ask them to take a look and advise. There is no "operational" issue per se just I know another coat of paint will cause me problems.

Thanks... What is involved in that out of interest? Not that i'll be attempting it myself

Hi Folks, As I come around to start a decorating project in a house I purchased ~18 months ago, I can't help but notice how tight many of my doors are to the frames. Clearly you wouldn't want huge gaps but with them being as tight as they are it means when the frames are painted they are inevitably going to stick / rub with paint transfer between materials (that has happened as you can see in the picture previously). Question is how to get around this... Of course one could "heavily" sand the frame edges to gain a few mm thus preventing them sitting so tight but I figured there may be a better way. Looking at the way the hinges sit, they look OK to me but I am not even particularly handy let alone skilled in carpentry. My plan was to get a carpenter to look at these whilst quoting for some other bits but in advance i'd welcome any feedback. Thank you...

Thanks Tony... If you see an example of my doors / hinges, they look to be tricky to get around but based on what you have said, a competent decorator should capable of avoiding getting paint etc on hinges / door furniture? It just seems easier to me to take them off and then you can get to the architrave properly.

Hi Folks, I have a couple of questions for the decorating experts... I am in the process of looking for a decorator to essentially decorate the whole house in stages. I've had a couple previously but been left disappointed by a lack of attention to detail / finishing. As an example paint ending up on hinges / door furniture etc. I admit I am a perfectionist but I don't mind paying top money for a top finish. Do most decorators remove doors / to paint the architrave? Without doing so it would be (certainly for somebody like me) very difficult to not get paint on hinges or miss out areas etc. The second question (can of worms open) is whether to go with oil or water based. I've been told to opt for oil based satin. Apparently it's hard wearing and doesn't yellow as quickly as oil based gloss. I did once use Johnstones water based gloss and the finish was OK but no where as nice as oil based. Thanks folks

No worries thanks a lot. At least I know what I need to order now anyway.

Thanks Mark... Actually after comparing with some grub screws mine are definitely m4's. Do you have any of these kicking about? If not I'll purchase some online.

It wouldn't reach the back box for sure but having pulled a spare socket screw, I can see it looks a whisker narrower. Maybe it is 3.5.

Appreciate all the responses and information... folks.

That would be awesome Mark. If you have 6 to spare then PM me and let me know what I owe you. Otherwise i'll buy a bulk load. I measured the shaft size and to my rather untrained eyes it looks to be 3mm.

Thanks Mark. See requested photos attached.

Hi Folks, I have some old Laura Ashley curtain poles where the screws that secure the pole to the brackets have been lost / missing. Here is one of the ones I still have. Does anybody know where I can source these from? Thank you...

Hi Nick, So I had another plumber come out that is definitely G3 certified and they were shocked at some of the errors made and explained them to me. As you stated ,where the previous plumber had placed the EV was the wrong side of the control block and with a check valve on the control block, they had effectively put the EV on the cold water side and there it is doing absolutely nothing for the cylinder as water can't flow backwards from the inlet block. This actually now also explains some other weird behavior I noticed like occasionally hearing the water meter ticking periodically with no open outlets (it's next to my office in a store). Upon inspection it even at times runs backwards! What is clearly happening is where the EV is installed on the cold water without a secondary PRV etc. I am effectively buffering the pressure between the supply pressure as it fluctuates and my internal pressure. So... the action plan now is to move the EV to the correct position (it probably isn't even needed) but since I have it now I may as well have it. I will then have another PRV on the cold main close to the supply (secondary PRV) and a check valve on the output from the UVC. This is all a huge learning experience for me and I appreciate your detailed responses and help Nick.

Not much consolation I'm sure but I have worse than this on a newly laid PVC roof: Similar kind of response from the roofing contractor. He did acknowledge that there is a step up to the outlet and that significant work would be needed to rectify. I just wish it was pointed out to me before as I would have corrected it. I've put it down to experience.

Understood... I will put this to the person I have come out next week. Without them, short term, what is the likely result?

I have now told the guy not to continue with any other work… I’m going to get somebody else out next week to take a look. Interestingly I’ve also noticed after running the bath taps for sometime upstairs, I get air coming out / spluttering. May or may not be related of course. I will be sure to advise the person that comes out your advice Nick.

Thank you for your response… there is no secondary PRV or non return fitted as yet. I could not convince the guy to, hence I clearly need somebody else to look at this. Regarding EV position, I can’t as a lay person in principle see an issue with this besides best practice but frankly I am no expert. I will see about addressing this.

Thank you for being so so helpful. Just wish you were local to me one to be my plumber and second to buy you a few beers! So although they have wasted effort installing the EV on a T piece below the multi block, does that actually matter / affect operation? My instinct says it should not matter besides being a wasted effort. Just FYI if you recall I don’t have a balanced cold. These parts are clearly also not heatre sadia parts and the TRV is lower (although that doesn’t bother me if safer) but does this matter? Finally for expansion vessels make noise in operation? You can hear mine making squeaking / creaking noises when water is heating, it’s amplified somewhat by being in the loft.

For completeness... I've added some pictures of the replacement TRV which I believe is wrong spec... Was originally 10 bar; now 7. I guess arguably this makes the cylinder safer but must be a reason they use a 10 bar. In addition I've taken a photo of the take off for the 18L white expansion vessel which is just below the PRV. Also taken a picture of the replacement PRV which again i'm not convinced is correct specification.