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No worries. The wooden frame around the metal toilet frame is simply there to attach the ply / plasterboard to and to give me somewhere to build a small cupboard above the toilet. The metal frame is very securely attached to the external wall of the house with expanding bolts and to the floor...

Hi, I'm currently most of the way through installing a wall hung toilet in our new bathroom. The frame I'm using is one of these http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/ceramica-wall-hung-toilet-2179-17927 and while I'm impressed with the build quality the instructions leave a little to be desired -...

I've lifted boards a meter to either side of the section shown in the photograph. 1m to the right of the photo the joist is rock solid so I reached under the floor and did the old stab a screwvriver in test. It looks like it's solid the whole way to the right. 1m to the left is a...

Hi guys, Just lifted a couple of floorboard to run some pipes in for a radiator and found that a section of one of the joists is in a very bad state. Looks like a nasty case of deathwatch beatle. I was wondering how to best go about repairing it? The damage appears to be mostly to the top...

Thanks, I'm still tempted to stick some levelling compound in there but one thing I've learnt is 99.9999% of the time the professionals already do a job the easiest way it can be done so mortar bed it is :D Got a follow up question though... Our plaster got a bit carried away while doing...

Hi, I'm about to start fitting our decorative hearth but I was wondering about how to best go about it. I've fitted a constructional hearth (at least 6" thick) and made sure the top is fairly level and at joist height. I realize now the constructional hearth should be level with the top...

Hi, We've been replacing a dud isolation valve in our heating system which has resulted in us having to drain the whole system :(. I was surprised to find though that the motorized two port valve controlling the heating which should have been closed was also letting by slightly. I've...

Hi folks, We've been considering trying to sand the hall floor but I'm not sure we'll be able to get a good enough finish for it to be worth the effort. The floor appears to be pine and is roughly 200 years old. It doesn't seem to have much worm but some of the softer wood between the rings...

Good point, I use low energy bulbs everywhere as well so I doubt I would be using 460W if every light in the house was switched on. I was thinking of using the 5A plugs more from a convenience point of view rather than a desire to draw that much power. The 2A plugs felt very small and...

Thanks guys, I had done some research before posting but the issue of what to use always seemed contentious. Having taken myself down the local shed last night I think I'll be going for 5A sockets and plugs. The 2A plugs were just too small for me to take them seriously and at the end of the day...

Hi guys, I've been giving some thought lately to how I'm going to light our living room as the standard lights dangling from the ceiling approach will conflict with the ceiling mounted protector (and nothing is allowed to interfere with that after years spent getting to the point where I can...

Cheers, cable tray it is then. I'm glad to know that it's ok to run the power cables in a tray too as that will make my life a lot easier. Thanks for the reminder to earth the tray I might have forgotten to do that otherwise. I have a country mile of 4mm earth cable I assume that would be good...

It's a four story (inc cellar) house. There is currently a 4" foul drain running internally from the cellar to the top floor with ample space available beside it to fit cable trays. The drain and cables will, obviously, be boxed in after work is complete. Some of the data cables need to go...

Hi, I've got to put a cable drop in our house. The overall drop is about 10m for the longest cables. There are two sets of cables: data and some power (2.5mm ring mains). I was thinking of installing two vertical trays / wire baskets one for the data and one for the power then cable tying the...

thanks Roughcaster, I knew it was going to be expensive but hoped it wouldn't be that much. I can't really claim it on the insurance as the leak was present (and the ceiling partially down) when we bought the house. Of course it's just got worse over winter but at least the leak is fixed :D

Hi guys, I've just had to remove a lathe and plaster ceiling in a bedroom before it finished falling down and hurt someone (bad leak in the roof - sigh). I was wondering roughly how much a 4mx4m lathe and plaster ceiling (using lime) will cost. I realize it's a slightly specialist job and...

Interesting suggestion about carefully stripping the outer sheath back. I found a few circuits wired like that in this house while I was taking out the old wiring. I assumed that it was fairly bad practice though as it left quite a lot of neutral and earth (most of which wasn't sheathed) in the...

Thanks, that confirms the conclusion I had come to. Now I've just got to mount the lights and run the wires!