markharro

I wonder if someone could help me with my issue - I need to finish these posts. As you can see plain steel ie non galvanised. I want to protect the steel but also produce a visual effect to mirror galvanising as we will have some other galvanised metal parts nearby. I had planned to use this Zinga product - https://www.promain.co.uk/zinga-96-zinc-cathodic-protection.html but spoke to their tech support and it is meant to go on bare steel so that would mean sand blasting the posts and thats not really an option. They suggested maybe using this spray to produce as an alternative sprayed on after I sandpaper the posts first of all - https://www.promain.co.uk/zinga-zingaspray.html Does anyone have any advice? Thanks

We have bought 2 Bette trays. Very good quality thick gauge steel. Not installed them yet but working on one atm.

Im in Scotland too and our "smart meter" stopped connecting earlier in the year. It took Octopus about 3 months to get an engineer out and it seems to be working again. The engineer appeared to be saying that if you make a real fuss they will install an external aerial for you but it seems this is the very last resort.

Thanks @Russell griffiths thats helpful. What about the screw length though - would 50mm be enough? Yes boarding up over the timber. I see what you mean about starting there and working down.....next time I will know better. I have planed the studs so that an 18mm ply spacer should level the board with the one below - hopefully!

Is anyone able to comment on my post above?

Thanks @Russell griffiths and @Alan Ambrose here is where I have got to so far. Next step to screw the board to the concrete. I have the fixings in the photo - the SS screws are 50mm. Will these be long enough? Also how many screws and what pattern for this section of board which is 800mm high by 900mm wide? thanks,

Thanks but I have already got the Hardie board and fitted half of it to studwork - just got this tricky bit over about 1m2 of bowed concrete to sort out!

I think I need something like this - https://www.fischer.co.uk/en-gb/products/frame-fixings/hammerfix-n/hammerfix-n-s-d but will the washer be an issue when we come to tile? Is this sort of thing better - https://www.fischer.co.uk/en-gb/products/frame-fixings/hammerfix-n/hammerfix-n-p - although again the plastic sleeve head will stand proud of the board. Maybe this - https://www.fischer.co.uk/en-gb/products/frame-fixings/hammerfix-n/hammerfix-n-s ?

I probably only need to mix up a 1/5 of a bag to use to stick hardie board to masonry at the back of our shower enclosure. Do I need to weight it and then accurately add the correct amount of water pro rata or is this overkill? Also will the rest of the bag contents go off once opened as I wont be using it for the main tiling for maybe another 2 months!?

Thanks Russell/Gary.......I guess we need to decide if we want a timber faced/solid door or a primed door for painting. Other than that there are 2 things - it seems hard to source a formaldehyde free door....the "prima plus" in this range is but it does not appear to be available in small quantities in the UK - https://halspan.com/product_type/3-layer-particle-board/?_product_range=non-fire-rated The other thing is that we are thinking of having flush doors using this sort of hinge - https://www.carlislebrass.com/ceam-3d-concealed-hinge-1266 It look like quite a deep hole needs to be routed for a hinge like this - would that be an issue with a chipboard door? I have found these which look like the Rolls Royce of doors but looks like they cost at least £600 upwards!! https://www.lathamtimber.co.uk/products/door-blanks/brands/moralt

What are the issues I need to be considering? Don't really know where to start with these...what are the standard options for internal doors? Do "eco" products exist?

Thanks yes this is the sort of thing. Not clear however how it would fit inside a standard UK wiring box but why so expensive! I think this would power an Apple Homepod mini though so thats interesting.

Thanks - @garrymartin the idea is to power an always on ipad or similar tablet to be used for smarthome controlling etc. Then I also have a couple of low power temp sensors and reader display which are powered via USB C

Hi Can anyone supply a link for what I am describing - basically a media socket dongle that will accept a PoE wire and output as a USB C female socket? thanks

We have a 3 phase supply and a 6kw array installed about a year ago. Recently I have applied for an Octopus tariff where they pay me for export. The application is held up atm as I have been told by the DNO that the installer has not yet put in a G98 submissions. I called the installer and spoke to a receptionist who indicated that they don't have to do a G98 and that only the G99 is mandatory; that a G98 is a lot of work and they will see if they have the time to do it? Is this correct? My understanding was that both G98 and 99 are needed where relevant?

I have a 7 metre one of this type and its fine - that is if you dont mind that it wobbles and sways a fair bit especially at the top. I have been using it for cladding and it does the job and supports both me and the missus lower down!

We have fitted what must be 2 or 3 hundred bits of D Fir cladding to date with 2 different types of SS screws mostly with no pilot holes and using an impact driver. I think maybe one screw has been an issue so far!

Thanks @Nick Laslett thats really helpful. Can I ask did you consider omitting a bead at external corners and instead creating a rounded edge with a rasp or similar......just wondering if that is feasible with Fermacell? And did you leave a shadow gap at the bottom of walls? That is the detail I am most interested in seeing with and without a bead.

Hi @Nick1c and @Nick Laslett sorry to hassle but it would be great to see some photos showing the Fermacell edge finish with and without bead. And @Nick Laslett are you saying you used a bead and then the FST to cover it? How did that work out? Could you apply it thickly enough at the bead to cover it properly? thanks

Do you know if there is an option with this brand for a battery that is compatible with our 3 phase supply? I have never heard of the make? Separately, can anyone advise on this......we have space in our utility for a battery but we are not fitting one yet. But I want to put in the wiring needed to future proof from the consumer unit to where any battery would be located. I understand I need to run a 32 A cable? What I don't understand is the specific cable needed for any future 3 phase battery?

Thanks @Nick1c thats very helpful. What you have done is exactly what I am planning and trying to figure out - using Fermacell and a small shadow gap at the bottom where it meets the concrete slab rather than skirting and also a shadow gap detail around doors ie no conventional architrave. I also was hoping to try applying the FST myself rather than getting a plasterer in to skim but I dont know how realistic that is. Have you done the FST skim and if so how did it go? I wondered about using a bead with the FST....is the problem the fact that the FST layer would be too thin to cover the bead properly? I did see a blog where an architect self-builder had used Fermacell and a bead at the bottom but he had then had the boards skimmed by a plasterer. This has got me thinking whether Fermacell could perhaps recommend a bead product that might be compatible with their FST!? PS I dont suppose you could post any photos of how your edges have ended up looking? Thanks

Thats just what we are thinking @Nick1c Did you fit yourself? When you say edges do you mean corners rather than where the boards butt together? I take it you didn't use an edge bead?

Gary you were right - one plug I wired in reverse. Chopped it off and put on a new one and problem solved. Thanks for all the help in fixing what was an annoying problem

Hi Garry - I forget now if its A or B but this has thrown up something to check...have I wired the plugs the wrong way around!? I will have a look tomorrow!

Thanks for everyones suggestions. I have connected a laptop and it is not showing an internet connection so as people are saying it seems that data is not flowing. Its very weird as all lights show in sequence when testing. The switch is a 500w 48 socket Ubiquiti Will need to think of some more trouble shooting to try