How about a cheap concrete or mortar mix then like this? 20kg but cheap & mix as much as you need. 10mm max aggregate size too so as long as your "trough" to fill is deeper than 10mm it'll level up nice.

 

https://www.diy.com/departments/blue-circle-multi-purpose-ready-to-use-concrete-20kg-bag/135767_BQ.prd?

 

You could put some Rawlplugs and screws into the brick to help grab the muck.

 

 

Edited July 30, 20188 yr by Onoff

[done tramadol/ naproxen.. didnt do much for my nerve pain -one flippin molar Im waiting on a GA for to remove would you believe, so painful its been- now Im on amitrypiline & codeine/ 60mg, most poss. Terrifyingly intense pain at times- wouldn't wish anyone to experience tbh].

 

That bag seems like the sort of thing- Q's: is it thin enough to level itself though (or is thinness just a Q of how much water you mix in?).. & is this mortar, or what's the difference between mortar & concrete? I did use a mortar mix now I recall.. from a 5l tub(?) but was v. thick so it stuck to a vertical wall 'trench' I needed to fill, before tiling (my bathroom I renovated 2 yrs ago & looks good!)

18 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

 

Cheers onoff- I'm signing off/ pain. maybe I'll have codeine dreams of me slaying hideous foam beasts! hope so.

1 minute ago, zoothorn said:

[done tramadol/ naproxen.. didnt do much for my nerve pain -one flippin molar Im waiting on a GA for to remove would you believe, so painful its been- now Im on amitrypiline & codeine/ 60mg, most poss. Terrifyingly intense pain at times- wouldn't wish anyone to experience tbh].

 

That bag seems like the sort of thing- Q's: is it thin enough to level itself though (or is thinness just a Q of how much water you mix in?).. & is this mortar, or what's the difference between mortar & concrete? I did use a mortar mix now I recall.. from a 5l tub(?) but was v. thick so it stuck to a vertical wall 'trench' I needed to fill, before tiling (my bathroom I renovated 2 yrs ago & looks good!)

 

It'll be fine.

 

Mortar is soft sand and cement.

 

Concrete is sharp sand + aggregate + cement. When you buy "ballast" to make concrete (by adding cement) then that's just sharp sand and aggregate mixed together. The aggregate is often up to 20mm diameter.

 

Concrete is stronger.

 

As I said the bag linked has aggregate to 10mm max diameter. 

 

Add water just not too much. 

So concrete will set 'level'.. but mortar isn't designed for that, more stick onto walls etc.

 

Or, is viscosity a factor in distinguishing between the two, apart from the addition of aggregate & the different sand?

 

And is your link bag able to do exterior (got to shore up a slate step) & this sill? (Id best make use of the bag before it goes 'off' I guess)

Steps and things I would be using a mortar mix - you don’t need the strength of concrete in any of this you are doing tbh

I was wondering if there was a small tub or bag of mortar too tbh.. & I've used one before, mixed in the tub too iirc so no spade/ outside mix job (better for me the king of pain this AM).

 

But would a mortar mix be able to 'level itself' Peter like a concrete mix? I refer back to my thickness Q's..

3 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

I was wondering if there was a small tub or bag of mortar too tbh.. & I've used one before, mixed in the tub too iirc so no spade/ outside mix job (better for me the king of pain this AM).

 

But would a mortar mix be able to 'level itself' Peter like a concrete mix? I refer back to my thickness Q's..

 

Neither mortar or concrete will level itself - if you get them that liquid then the strength is gone !

So how do I get it level then.. ? it needs a smooth level top for the insulated PB to fix to.. I cant put a level on the top on wet mortar.

 

Ive got the sill area ready for the mix anyway. Next thing after this is to 'bring forward' the sockets (one double, & one single switch w'red light).. I need some ideas one this: is it a Q of replacing these units.. is that what s'one meant by 'bringing them fwd'?

1 minute ago, zoothorn said:

So how do I get it level then.. ? it needs a smooth level top for the insulated PB to fix to.. I cant put a level on the top on wet mortar.

 

Ive got the sill area ready for the mix anyway. Next thing after this is to 'bring forward' the sockets (one double, & one single switch w'red light).. I need some ideas one this: is it a Q of replacing these units.. is that what s'one meant by 'bringing them fwd'?

 

if it is a metal one you probably can put it on - will wipe down with a damp cloth, or put an offcut of batten on and put your level on the batten. Some levels even have screw holes for attachment to the batten.

 

F

4 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

So how do I get it level then.. ? it needs a smooth level top for the insulated PB to fix to.. I cant put a level on the top on wet mortar.

 

Ive got the sill area ready for the mix anyway. Next thing after this is to 'bring forward' the sockets (one double, & one single switch w'red light).. I need some ideas one this: is it a Q of replacing these units.. is that what s'one meant by 'bringing them fwd'?

 

You COULD use a short level atop a piece of timber as a tamping board. Tbh I've even used my short box level to tamp without the wood and cleaned it off well. Or.....

 

Make up a right angled tamping tool like I did (without the slope like mine of course). Repeated here as you probably won't have read my other thread! :)

 

Put the muck on:

 

 

Knock up something like this:

 

 

Drag/tamp. I know you haven't got any pb on yet but you could screw on a board temporarily across the battens to act as "wall":

 

 

Crack a tinny!

Just seen your latest pic with the extra batten. Cut two short bits of batten and make a tamping tool like mine. Use the height of the double batten as the "wall".

I'm thinking you'll need 35mm extension boxes for those sockets. Thinking 25mm batten + 3mm pack + 9.5mm pb = 37.5mm so the box will be a couple of mm under.

 

Are you using 9.5 or 12.5mm pb?

 

You might be best getting from a local electrical wholesaler rather than suffering the postage cost if ordering on line.CEF, Edwardes, Newey & Eyre are names to look for. Some bigger builder's merchants might do them too.

 

Typical online supplier:

 

1-gang:

 

https://www.ukelectricalsupplies.com/norslo-extension-box-steel-1-gang-35mm.htm

 

2-gang:

 

https://www.ukelectricalsupplies.com/norslo-extension-box-steel-2-gang-35mm.htm?

 

 

34 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Just seen your latest pic with the extra batten. Cut two short bits of batten and make a tamping tool like mine. Use the height of the double batten as the "wall".

 

How high does the ‘muck’ need to go up? That extra batten seems quite high in relation to the height of the bottom of the opening window. Might just be an illusion however. 

 

 

13 minutes ago, newhome said:

 

How high does the ‘muck’ need to go up? That extra batten seems quite high in relation to the height of the bottom of the opening window. Might just be an illusion however. 

 

 

 

Assuming he brings the concrete infill level with the top batten then he needs to know where 27mm of insulated pb + wood sill or tile will come in relation to the window. That's a fixed window anyway isn't it?

On 27/07/2018 at 20:48, zoothorn said:

 

18 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

Assuming he brings the concrete infill level with the top batten then he needs to know where 27mm of insulated pb + wood sill or tile will come in relation to the window. That's a fixed window anyway isn't it?

 

Ah yes it’s non opening. Still looks quite tight tho doesn’t it if this pic shows the bottom batten? 

1 minute ago, newhome said:

 

 

Ah yes it’s non opening. Still looks quite tight tho doesn’t it if this pic shows the bottom batten? 

 

Then he needs to decide on what is happening sill wise & project some levels across!

 

6 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

Then he needs to decide on what is happening sill wise & project some levels across!

 

 

@zoothorn bit of planning needed. Releveling if this doesn’t work out will be harder than attacking monster foam! 

Hehe.. thanks for replies chaps. Very observant. I did some thinking tho: Ive put that extra batten on to bring me mm perfect with the old mortar top, some of which is still there @ front just behind this batten. The old sill was on here/ this H. So the new sill needs to be @ this H too, also bc the worktop's 27mm not 44mm like the old one (which tucked neatly under the old sill). If I continue this top line back to the frame.. Im 2mm just onto it RHS (5mm up onto it LHS.. so window's a bit on the cock). I might add a pine curved-edge sill onto the PB.. to look a bit smart n tarty. May not.

 

I went to screwfix- gave me wrong 'red' Soudal!/ need to go back get the 'blue'.. no probs. tried to find my mortar tub ready mix.. couldn't find the sod/ need to find where I got it before/ ideal for job, for me I think, being a newbie. I need to patch the odd bit too where Ive been a numpty.

 

Good stuff on the 'leccy box info- I'll go over this tonight. Next job I think.

 

TP only do 30mm insulated PB, in end of week @£22 (8'x4'). trying to figure if I can get 8'x4' PB & Extratherm boards in the car. I'll see if Huw's do 27mm.. I don't want to go too 'into' the window frame if I can help it.

 

Big thanks- zoot (weird codeine dream not of me slaying a foam godzilla.. but ross kemp chasing me at a music festival!! codeine...)

 

Not a bad moniker if thinking of a name change on here "Codeine Dreamz! 

@zoothorn has his own music  although it's possibly a more acquired taste than Verve. 

 

 

2 hours ago, newhome said:

@zoothorn has his own music  although it's possibly a more acquired taste than Verve. 

 

 

Now why does that music sound like one of those trainspotter journeys in the Flying Scotsman?

 

That's triggered my Zoot Music, though I need to know whether it is Zoo-Thorn or Zoot-Horn?

 

Anyhoo, it reminds me of the swing-dance-ish song Zoot Suit Riot.

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 20188 yr by Ferdinand

1 minute ago, Ferdinand said:

Now why does that music sound like one of those trainspotter journeys in the Flying Scotsman?

 

 

Cos you is clearly on drugs  

 

5 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

That's triggered my Zoot Music, though I need to know whether it is Zoo-Thorn or Zoot-Horn?

 

Anyhoo, it reminds me of the swing-dance-ish song Zoot Suit Riot.

 

Zoot Horn is it not, and that music is swingtastic