What got you into DIY.
- Thread starter Mottie
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First time I tried plastering was the front wall of the main bedroom. I sought advice on what to use as the base coat and was told 4-5 mortar to 1 of cement.
I decided to use sand and used a ratio of 3:1 to make it a bit tougher as some of the internal brickwork was shot. Two years later and we are getting a full renovation done. Walls, ceilings, doors, door frames, windows & frames, complete roof strip and replace, new extension, bathroom/toilet etc
After a week I visited the shell of my house to find the builders hacking away at the wall I had plastered. Builder was fuming! They had been at it for 3 days using lump hammer and chisel, kango hammer with chisel blade and even tried someone holding a sharp bolster while someone else swung a sledge hammer. Builder threatened to kill whoever had plastered the wall if he got his hands on him. I said I was responsible for the electrics and had never plastered in my life!
They finally got it all off and completed the renovations. A number of years later I bumped into the builder in the pub and after a few beers admitted it had been me who plastered the wall. He took it in good fun by that time. I've only used polyfilla for small jobs since then. LOL
I decided to use sand and used a ratio of 3:1 to make it a bit tougher as some of the internal brickwork was shot. Two years later and we are getting a full renovation done. Walls, ceilings, doors, door frames, windows & frames, complete roof strip and replace, new extension, bathroom/toilet etc
After a week I visited the shell of my house to find the builders hacking away at the wall I had plastered. Builder was fuming! They had been at it for 3 days using lump hammer and chisel, kango hammer with chisel blade and even tried someone holding a sharp bolster while someone else swung a sledge hammer. Builder threatened to kill whoever had plastered the wall if he got his hands on him. I said I was responsible for the electrics and had never plastered in my life!
They finally got it all off and completed the renovations. A number of years later I bumped into the builder in the pub and after a few beers admitted it had been me who plastered the wall. He took it in good fun by that time. I've only used polyfilla for small jobs since then. LOL
Shame Righboy91 is not here, him and Mottie could discuss blisters. They could even give each other a hand.
Andy
As above mostly..
My dad's always done DIY and I've kinda followed in his footsteps, although I'm not as good as my dad, he built an extension on his house himself, I can't bricklay for toffee. I used to help him out a lot.
Moved into my own house 7 years ago and needed decorating and various bodges fixing, moved house same again, helped fit a mates kitchen. I prefer plumbing and electrics, would rather not do the bits that make it look nice as I find it boring.
I'll pay people do do the bits I know I definitely can't do (plastering), but in all honesty if I had to pay someone everytime we wanted to change a room we just wouldn't be able to afford it, and I just can't be one of those people that decorate my house once and then leave it till the day they pass.
Champagne taste lemonade budget sort of thing..
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Some mentioned repairing bicycles earlier, I grew up on Canvey island, I was known as the bike kid - I had my own shed and repaired everyone's bikes because I had the knack...
Having the knack has been my downfall
(Cue someone posting the dilbert video )
Having the knack has been my downfall
(Cue someone posting the dilbert video )
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Me and a mate used to make up bikes from spares & scrap from the local tip, he even was prosecuted for "rummaging on the tip" probably would be a recycling hero nowadays
D
Deleted member 18243
How long has DIY been going? It must be a new thing for it to have such a name. The name implies that things are normally (or were previously) done by others rather than yourself.
There was a DIY /Home Improvement show in the early '70s on telly. I remember this opening up a new world. Wow, the things to be found beneath your floorboards!
Watch old British films from the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s and you will see that "Home Improvement" wasn't part of life! Homes, apart from those of the very rich, were very basic with little if any enhancements, mod cons or decoration.
Fashions in DIY come and go. A Big Thing in the 70s was putting hardboard over beautiful old fireplaces and panel doors, and then in the '80s when DIY really started to boom the Big Thing was to remove the hardboard revealing beautiful old fireplaces and panel doors. Later still DIY-ers enthusiastically installed imitation fireplaces and panel doors. When will hardboarding come back into fashion?
There was a DIY /Home Improvement show in the early '70s on telly. I remember this opening up a new world. Wow, the things to be found beneath your floorboards!
Watch old British films from the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s and you will see that "Home Improvement" wasn't part of life! Homes, apart from those of the very rich, were very basic with little if any enhancements, mod cons or decoration.
Fashions in DIY come and go. A Big Thing in the 70s was putting hardboard over beautiful old fireplaces and panel doors, and then in the '80s when DIY really started to boom the Big Thing was to remove the hardboard revealing beautiful old fireplaces and panel doors. Later still DIY-ers enthusiastically installed imitation fireplaces and panel doors. When will hardboarding come back into fashion?
I remember a time when artex was the answer for all refurb work,also in the 80s i must of built dozens of stone or reclaimed brick fireplaces with slate hearths and a place for tv to sit with VCR below.
I remember a time when artex was the answer for all refurb work,also in the 80s i must of built dozens of stone or reclaimed brick fireplaces with slate hearths and a place for tv to sit with VCR below.
Steady on, I still have the stone. It is far too useful and practical to dismantle.
It was Barry Bucknell that had everyone panelling doors over with hardboard, to make them flush. All in black and white, in I think the early 60's - I never liked it and the painted hardboard covered doors never looked good for long.
You sound like my uncle!I remember a time when artex was the answer for all refurb work,also in the 80s i must of built dozens of stone or reclaimed brick fireplaces with slate hearths and a place for tv to sit with VCR below.
My mom only got rid of the stone last year!
Boarding over the spindles on a set of stairs so kids couldn't put their heads through them. That was part of the fun as a kid though boarding over them meant you didn't have to go all the way upstairs when playing hide & seek. LOL
D
durhamplumber
Very Very True.
D
durhamplumber
Lol...Just about everyone had that in the 80s!Fireplace the length of the lounge.
I removed mine, 30 years ago - it made a big difference to the amount of light on the stairs and the hall. It may defeat the hide & seek, but does allow your hand to suddenly appear through the spindles as someone is coming down the stairs
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Same here, but only 3 years ago! I was totally useless with DIY and my wife wouldn't even let me put up a shelf as I'd always drill the first holes in the wrong place.
Then moved to a house that looked OK, but was rotting from below and cold and damp in winter.
I still leave bricklaying, plastering, windows, plumbing and some electrics to the pros - I just do what can be done with simple tools! Mostly replacing floorboards and joists, although have now made to stud walls, built a bathroom, insulated the whole house and updated electric cables and even move my telephone cable without BT noticing. Last weekend I did my first siliconing in the bathroom, which I need to finish this - got some new plastic shapes to help with that. Going to do the shower too, rather than pay the local mastic man £100 - I taped and tanked over hardiebacker boards, with aqua tape seal around the tray, so silicone is just the belt on top of the braces really.
Although now I have a multitool, which I wish I bought when I started, I now feel like tackling more jobs... it's a fun tool. Not sure what though. I do need to hang some doors....
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