My Bungalow

[boggie42]

Well if anything can go wrong, it usually does where we are concerned.
My wife and i were supposed to have started work rennovating our bungalow at the begining of november, but work commitments meant we did not get a free opening untill december 7th so we decided to go for it.
B&Q lost half of our kitchen so we had to drive around 14 stores to get all the bits we needed, only for us to open many boxes to find that people had either put the wrong door style into our boxes or some dis-honest people re-sealing boxes putting old doors back into the boxes and taking them back !!
Think i finally ran out of patience on the day before xmas eve when i had to return to the store 7 times in one day.
We finally finished the kitchen and living room on xmas eve so our tree went up about 5pm !
so today we are starting on our en-suite, then we have our bathroom and hall to wrap up the bungalow.

I have never layed a block or brick in my life and i want to build a 20'x10'x10' workshop out my back garden - can anyone give me any pointers or ideas on how i should tackle this ??

 

[Bankrupt]

I have never layed a block or brick in my life and i want to build a 20'x10'x10' workshop out my back garden - can anyone give me any pointers or ideas on how i should tackle this ??

Find a good builder to build the workshop.

 

[Deluks]

Buy the bricky tool with the associated DVD 'How to build a thingy'

 

[boggie42]

not enough cash to pay a bricky - all the available money i have will be needed for materials.
i am a firm believer in that nothing is beyond us if we just turn our minds to it and think logical.
the human mind is the best tool any of us will ever own, trouble is how many of us ever look after it properly !

the brickie mate, i think i have seen that advertised on one of the shopping channels during a restless nights sleep. could be just the job, but cant help thinking it will be like one of those super rollers that you fill once and paint your whole house !! mmmmmmmm

 

[RedHerring]

Firstly, decide if PP or BC is required. I doubt it but you know the situation best and you need to acquaint yourself of the requirements.
Secondly, decide on whether you're going to want all weather workability, once built 'cos that will affect your construction and methods.
Thirdly, decide on your budget and construction type /materials /style /equipment /access requirement and your skill/ tools available, etc. Perhaps these points may be fluid for a while and you may have specific questions.

Once you've arrived with a more definite project you'll be in a position to come back with specific questions relating to particular problems.

 

[Nige F]

not enough cash to pay a bricky - all the available money i have will be needed for materials.
i am a firm believer in that nothing is beyond us if we just turn our minds to it and think logical.
the human mind is the best tool any of us will ever own, trouble is how many of us ever look after it properly !

mmmmmmmm

indeed , I am living proof that Onanism destroys brain cells, That and working unprotected with lead . Result is in my posts

 

[Bankrupt]

I am a firm believer in that nothing is beyond us if we just turn our minds to it and think logical (sic)

Think logically and get on with it then ! - Good Luck with it.

 

[Framer]

so its not so much you cant afford it as you want it all done without paying someone to do it, after all it looks easy enough and not being in the trade anything thats not falling down looks a decent job

what do you do for a living?

 

[noseall]

Skills take time to learn. it is not a simple case of thought process, your muscles need to be in cahoots with even the most intelligent brain.

There are also the 'tricks' and the do's and don'ts, that can't simply be overcome with a healthy brain.

If you have the confidence, skill and know how then fill ya boots.

Bricklaying always seems to look easy.......

 

[Thermo]

if brickwork is beyond you, why not build a timber frame one if carpentry is more your thing?

 

[boggie42]

i never said it was beyond me - quite the opposite. i have the room to build a permanant structure, i have no neighbours and thought timber would need constant maintanance.
my logic behind a block built shed is that when rendered it should be trouble free if i go about it the right way.
appreciate some of the above replies however.

 

[lostinfens]

Bricklaying is EASY!! & I should know been doing it for nearly 40 years.
First off don't use Febmix, use Fairy(not Happy Shoppers, but Fairy) in your mix. Get a small electric mixer, about 10-12 shovels sand & half a bag cement-dont forget the Fairy- then drink TEA lots of it. Get used to using a trowel (buy a decent one WHS or Marshaltown -no other) by practicing for a day or so all the while drinking tea, do not at any time **** on your hands!! put them in your pocket if cold. Set out ACCURATELY it pays dividends, get your corners level by dpc, have a brew, and make sure its square. Assuming you have a square & level footing & have mastered the magical buttering flick, then go to pub, preferably for early doors & still wearing muck stained boots. I would advise against corners & go for any form of profile, eg door frame or straight timbers fixed in line with wall to suspend line (not string or even "string line" but "line") from. Then off you jolly well go, pausing only to wolf whistle at passing females or whatever (prob sheep in Mid Glam) & drinking tea. Do not under any circumstances purchase, look at or consort with anyone who has or knows anyone who has the "Bricky", for they have not reached the mystic heights grasshopper that you have.
Or you could just hire some poor struggling bricklayer.

 

[ColJack]

This B&Q kitchen, was it traditional oak shaker by any chance?
I think there was a bad batch of doors for that range as I had 2 plain white doors in the wrong boxes..
maybe a packaging error.. loaded the wrong pallet of cardboard into the packing machine maybe?