DIY - blue Tape

[Tony Baloney]

We've been over this a few times with him. It's a small job just easier to get it sorted don't want any hassle getting our deposit back as we'll be cash strapped for the next few months with the new house. And he's paid for all materials cleaners paint.

Clean and repaint. Don't see you avoiding repainting. Then over to the next tenant.

[thejuice]

Oh well, here goes. Thanks for the replies.

[Hardy]

We've been over this a few times with him. It's a small job just easier to get it sorted don't want any hassle getting our deposit back as we'll be cash strapped for the next few months with the new house. And he's paid for all materials cleaners paint.

Clean and repaint. Don't see you avoiding repainting. Then over to the next tenant.

Yes, it's no big deal. Clean and repaint. It's a good idea to give it a coat of white undercoat before the first coat of emulsion, as any residual staining will show through any number of coats of water-based paint.

[pbat]

I am getting my house power washed today in preparation for painting.

I just arrived home and the guy was on my 3 story roof, soaking wet with a very dodgey looking roof ladder and not a harness in sight.

This got me thinking where do I stand with regards insurance for the painting, I have a standard home insurance. If this guy had slipped and was splattered all over my yard can he come after me.

Should I ask the painters have they any insurance before they start?

[thejuice]

Yes. Ask him for his insurance and his health and safety certificates. I don't know if he can make a claim on you to be honest though.


I'm in our new house 2 weeks now. Starting to hang blinds and the like. It's all dry wall (stud wall) shite, which I have no experience of. Have worked with concrete houses only.

Trying to put blinds hanging from the window. Tried to fix it to the frame above the window but only got fresh air after the drill went through the plasterboard. Though there would be wood?  It's an upstairs window, so is that normal?

Could someone recommend some rawl plugs for dry wall and what's the best for patching up dry walls. Joining Compound? Previous occupants took their blinds, curtains and pictures with them leaving a fair amount of holes here and there.

[Last Man]

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fassets.jewson.co.uk%2Fproduct-images%2F9541%2FMain%2F9541.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jewson.co.uk%2Ftools-fixings-ironmongery%2Ffixings-fasteners%2Fplasterboard-cavity-fixings%2Fplasterboard-fixings%2F&h=244&w=310&tbnid=wjPj6U8WJhtJ1M%3A&zoom=1&docid=0KlFxnltg1RuVM&ei=e7y-U_vZMaie0QXlpYCgAQ&tbm=isch&ved=0CC8QMygOMA4&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=625&page=2&start=8&ndsp=14

I find these are the best for plasterboard. As far as fixing the holes are concerned i use gyproc tape and joint compound, fine and easy sanded. dont know how to put an image on directly.

[thejuice]

Right so, painting and blind fitting all done. Thanks for the tips.

For my next trick I aim to convert my bay window into a window seat. At the moment it's all UPVC stuff. I'd like to take that out and replace it with a flat piece of hard wood. I might just take the cheap option of cladding the UPVC with some wood. I'll probably need to reinforce the supports under the window as it does look like it would take the weight of a person for long. I'd rather not replace the whole window frame either, which is white UPVC.

Anyone done something similar?

[Canalman]

Yes. Ask him for his insurance and his health and safety certificates. I don't know if he can make a claim on you to be honest though.


I'm in our new house 2 weeks now. Starting to hang blinds and the like. It's all dry wall (stud wall) shite, which I have no experience of. Have worked with concrete houses only.

Trying to put blinds hanging from the window. Tried to fix it to the frame above the window but only got fresh air after the drill went through the plasterboard. Though there would be wood?  It's an upstairs window, so is that normal?

Could someone recommend some rawl plugs for dry wall and what's the best for patching up dry walls. Joining Compound? Previous occupants took their blinds, curtains and pictures with them leaving a fair amount of holes here and there.

Get a carpenter in to do it I'm afraid if you want it done right. Fair bit of work involved in supporting brackets etc . Best imo to get it done right first as opposed to curtains coming down every few years or so.

Carpenter mate did the curtin poles etc for me and not a problem since.

[Hardy]

You got a carpenter to put up curtain poles?

(Bernard Dunne woulda done it for nuttin.)

[thejuice]

Cheers for the tip Canalman but I've done it all myself already.

It's the bay window seat now.

[Canalman]

You got a carpenter to put up curtain poles?

(Bernard Dunne woulda done it for nuttin.)

Yep and I am not that bad at diy. Probably didn't have the proper drills  or special supports when I "attempted" it the first and last time.
According to him anyway it is a job that is used to try out new carpenters to see whether they are any good or not.

[Ulick]

Right so, painting and blind fitting all done. Thanks for the tips.

For my next trick I aim to convert my bay window into a window seat. At the moment it's all UPVC stuff. I'd like to take that out and replace it with a flat piece of hard wood. I might just take the cheap option of cladding the UPVC with some wood. I'll probably need to reinforce the supports under the window as it does look like it would take the weight of a person for long. I'd rather not replace the whole window frame either, which is white UPVC.

Anyone done something similar?

I put up some floating shelves recently where the same approach might suit what you want to do. There's a place in Belfast called Bare Wood (http://www.inorthernireland.co.uk/profile/320627/Belfast/Barewood-Ltd/) who specialise in wood salvage and will cut, machine and shape reclaimed timber to your specifications. I got them to cut and machine a number of pieces of antique Douglas fir, each piece was cut 50mm thick, 220mm in depth and various lengths. Got some of that new combined stain and varnish stuff in a nice walnut colour and gave each length two coats.

At various points in the wood (marked to avoid electrical conduits in my wall), I'd got the Bare Wood bloke to drill a number of 12mm holes into timber. I then got a number of lengths of 12mm threaded bar, cut it into lengths of about 180mm and threaded one half into the timber. On the wall I drilled matching holes to take the other end of the threaded bar. Filled up the holes with 'No more nails' and slotted the timber with the exposed bar into the wall. Worked a dream for most. The odd shelf won't go in straight, either because the hole in the timber or hole in the wall wasn't dead straight or maybe the wall is poor quality with small voids. In such cases, increase the hole in the wall to 14mm and fill beforehand with an anchor-fix masonry/timer resin, slot the timer and bar into place, secure at desired level for about 10 minutes, then leave to cure. Each shelf will take me and the wife both hanging off it, the nice timber looks quality, and the lack of supporting brackets also looks good.   

[LeoMc]

Right so, painting and blind fitting all done. Thanks for the tips.

For my next trick I aim to convert my bay window into a window seat. At the moment it's all UPVC stuff. I'd like to take that out and replace it with a flat piece of hard wood. I might just take the cheap option of cladding the UPVC with some wood. I'll probably need to reinforce the supports under the window as it does look like it would take the weight of a person for long. I'd rather not replace the whole window frame either, which is white UPVC.

Anyone done something similar?

I put up some floating shelves recently where the same approach might suit what you want to do. There's a place in Belfast called Bare Wood (http://www.inorthernireland.co.uk/profile/320627/Belfast/Barewood-Ltd/) who specialise in wood salvage and will cut, machine and shape reclaimed timber to your specifications. I got them to cut and machine a number of pieces of antique Douglas fir, each piece was cut 50mm thick, 220mm in depth and various lengths. Got some of that new combined stain and varnish stuff in a nice walnut colour and gave each length two coats.

At various points in the wood (marked to avoid electrical conduits in my wall), I'd got the Bare Wood bloke to drill a number of 12mm holes into timber. I then got a number of lengths of 12mm threaded bar, cut it into lengths of about 180mm and threaded one half into the timber. On the wall I drilled matching holes to take the other end of the threaded bar. Filled up the holes with 'No more nails' and slotted the timber with the exposed bar into the wall. Worked a dream for most. The odd shelf won't go in straight, either because the hole in the timber or hole in the wall wasn't dead straight or maybe the wall is poor quality with small voids. In such cases, increase the hole in the wall to 14mm and fill beforehand with an anchor-fix masonry/timer resin, slot the timer and bar into place, secure at desired level for about 10 minutes, then leave to cure. Each shelf will take me and the wife both hanging off it, the nice timber looks quality, and the lack of supporting brackets also looks good.

Did you put them up in the bedroom perchance?

[macdanger2]

You got a carpenter to put up curtain poles?

(Bernard Dunne woulda done it for nuttin.)

Yep and I am not that bad at diy. Probably didn't have the proper drills  or special supports when I "attempted" it the first and last time.
According to him anyway it is a job that is used to try out new carpenters to see whether they are any good or not.

One of the biggest problems with people hanging things like curtains is that they undersize the rawl plugs and they can't take the weight

[nrico2006]

Simple question with a seemingly unattainable answer - does anybody know the name of the black tape that is used on clear glass tv stands or kitchen tables to create a border around the perimeter of the table/stand?  Have a few items that have peeled away badly.