Recent content by 318Mike

Unless the whole surface is filled with packers and glue I cannot see how voids can be avoided (sic). Agree it would be quicker but...... M-in-Law had ants enter a room via a void under a sill. Initial entry was through an air vent.

As near to the mains riser as possible. I had limescale problem long before these devices were invented and an architect friend told me to get the biggest magnet I could find and attach it to the riser pipe. It worked. With the availability of rare earth magnets I wonder if they might be simpler...

Mine was also sand and cement and as 23 above mine never cracked. I also installed my own fire, hearth, chimney pipe and knocked down the original chimney stack and rebuilt my own. If your fire is for heating I would advise getting a single door rather than twin doors, it's just easier to load...

Yes, it would, my old sill was very similar to yours underneath. I used a hammer chisel and chipped away all the plaster and cement bit by bit. Its not difficult, just take your time and nibble away (NOT one big hit) and always aim the chisel laterally, that is along the wall not towards the...

The use of a rivet can only be the correct for the installer, not the client. Yes screws can and should be used and rivets are not the correct fixing in this case. Simple mechanical engineering. Rivets should only be used for permanent fixing, not for any part that may require removal or...

I had something like your window on our kitchen window sill. I removed everything, cleaned it up then left it to dry out, then I covered it all with tile cement and fitted a porcelain floor tile on top, the type of tile that looks like a floor board. A good layer of cement allowed me to set the...

Well I have done it. Simply measure the depth to the pane then shorten the screw a few mm less, thereby leaving the end clear of the pane.

Just replaced all my cockspur latches with MILA RMs. With yours I would remove the head of one rivet, do this as above bit I suggest you start with the smallest drill you have apx 2-3mm max. only go up in dia. once you have drilled deeper than the outside of the frame. When the head of the rivet...

You cant see the wear but if you open the window fully and grip it on the outer and inner side frames and give it a hard pull&push you will soon see and hear if there is wear. Buy quality hinges (do it once and do it right) MILA are what I used. Most screw holes will line up but be prepared to...

Recently replacec my ancient side hung hinges. Obtained stainless MILA hinges from Screwfix and replacement (slightly larger diameter than the original) stainless panheads from the bay. Essentials for me was a pair of suction grip handles (£9 apx) to make handling the window units safer, and...

Good choice. Peanut butter and Nutella will draw a rat better than any other bait Ive used!

Beware rats can carry Weil's Disease. Always wear rubber gloves when handling anything where there are signs of rat activity, droppings or urine. My guess is the pungent smell in the floor space is via a hole the rats have made in the stack pipe. This is because rat droppings normally dry out...

No. I allowed the system to cool, removed the valve and replaced the rings and new RTV head as in my post. Without a lubricant the new rings make inserting the valve a bit stiff but a small pot of O ring grease is available from Simply Bearings for a few £s which made it easy. The one thing to...

Mouse and bat droppings are the same colour, size and shape. The ID between them is that bat dropping turn to dust if you press them whereas mice are soft and can be smeared. Bats in a loft are harmless but mice can cause a variety of problems especially if they start to nibble electric wires.

In Europe many bathrooms and toilets do not have windows. They employ extractor fans are designed to be operated by the light switch and run a for a set time when the light is switched off. I don't know what is available in the UK but if you go into any big DIY shop in Europe they are cheap as...