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  1. J

    Making a corner desk with limited skills

    Since I started a new job, my office desk isn't cutting it any more - not enough accessible desk and monitor space. So I'm looking to build a 190cm x 160cm x 80 / 60cm corner desk to fit a space in my study. I'm thinking of using planed scaffolding planks, and maybe finding off the shelf...
  2. J

    Where can I get this kind or architrave / moulding?

    We have a low set window with a curtain rail screwed directly into the old and crumbling wall - and the screw holes have failed - again. We want to mount the curtain rail (1.25m long) to a piece of wood (maybe 1.5m long and 10cm / 5" wide), and screw / glue the wood to the wall - should be...
  3. J

    What happens if you don't use the right trowel?

    My wife is in the process of laying a 600 x 300 porcelain tile floor on a flat, smooth and level concrete floor - probably the one saving grace here. However she appears to be using a 5mm trowel, and I understand she should be using something much deeper - 10-12mm, possibly even 20mm. I'm...
  4. J

    No power at socket

    I've got a double socket located inside a cupboard that, until very recently, worked perfectly. However it now appears to be malfunctioning - it was losing power intermittently (the light, phone and PC plugged into the extension cable kept flicking on and off) however now appears to have no...
  5. J

    Solar Thermal, Heat Pump, or what....?

    Theoretically this could be in the plumbing forum, but it'll become clear why it isn't in a second. We had solar PV installed in the winter on a SE facing roof. At the same time, we tried to ensure that there was sufficient space on the roof to install solar thermal (evacuated tubes). This...
  6. J

    Warped - Solid maple floor on underlay

    Help / advice needed!!! We have a solid maple floor on adhesive foam underlay which has been down for approaching 2 years without any problems at all. Its a long room, and these were (logically) laid widthways across the room. We came home yesterday to find that the floor has warped in...
  7. J

    Blocking off internal door

    OK, I accept that this is probably the dumbest question ever :oops: , but.... I'm blocking off an internal door, within a block wall. There are a couple of pipes mounted on the wall about an inch from the door. I've removed the architrave carefully, but do I need to remove the door frame...
  8. J

    Convert oil burning multifuel to wood

    For want of a better place to put this topic, I've put it here, so sorry if its the wrong place! I've been offered a Stovax Huntingdon multi-fuel fire for £50. It has until now been oil fed, plumbed into an external oil tank, apparently on the same system as the central heating. I'd be...
  9. J

    fish tank in bathroom

    My other half has asked whether it would be possible to put a fish tank at the end of the bath in the bathroom. This would be on the same level as the top of the bath. I'd guess this is zone 1. Electrics could theoretically come through the wall next to the bath. The other side of this...
  10. J

    Insulating eaves rooms

    We live in a chalet style dormer house, and therefore the first floor rooms are cut into the eaves. We also have a loft, which I've fully insulated. The first floor rooms are rather cold though in this freezing weather, and the heating (in the dormer window) in the main bedroom isn't...
  11. J

    Non loadbearing wall apparently is!

    We bought a early 1960's chalet style house a couple of months ago. On first viewing we were advised that there was significant cracking along 2 internal walls, however an engineers report had been produced to advise that this was not structural cracking. The floor had settled fairly early on...
  12. J

    Repairing gaps / holes after building work

    I've bought a 60's house and prior to moving in carried out some demolition work downstairs - I've removed a breeze block wall, and a builder has installed a couple of doors through 2 other block walls. We are also having a new bathroom built upstairs. We have now moved in to the house with...
  13. J

    What cable might this be?

    I've demolished a wall in my new house. There was a known single socket power outlet on the wall (2 x white cables - I'm guessing twin & earth). However there was also a pair of unknown thinner cables buried inside the wall. They stopped half way up the wall and go into the ceiling (as do...
  14. J

    Solid Maple floor on contaminated concrete

    I have 40m2 of 18mm solid maple flooring to install on a concrete subfloor which has previously had marley tiles stuck down, and left the black / bitumen residue on the floor. I think its fairly impractical to remove this residue due to the size of the floor and amount of dust created when I...
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