DIY/Home Improvement Thread

[Hollism]

I’ve been a homeowner for 10 days and so far I’ve:

 

-Removed an electric fire and replaced the switch with a socket

-Changed a light fitting

-Ripped up carpet on stairs

-Plumbed in Washing machine and Dishwasher

-Filled in a loads of holes in the wall with plaster

-(Started on) repainting a room

-Fitted some new blinds

 

 

All very minor stuff but I’m pretty chuffed since before I got the keys I’d barely done more than change a light bulb. Especially the light fitting- still amazed it works.

 

Definitely enjoyed it all though so far, and I’m setting my sights high. Once we’ve got the first few months bills out the way I imagine I’ll have a flat pack kitchen to do. (Want to be sure that finances are as we expect them to be before spending all that money.) Scared about the tiling but I’ll have a go.

 

 

Does anyone else have have any projects lined up for 2022? Or past projects/stories to share? Thought it would be nice to have an ongoing thread either way and if there are any seasoned DIYers who can help out with noob questions, you’ll be very welcome and appreciated in here

Edited 30 December 2021 by Hollism

[Izzy]

@Strokes- looks like there's a new contender to your throne here.

 

#askhollism

[Greg2607]

my biggest advice, is watch loads of youtube videos and TAKE YOUR TIME with anything you do. 

 

an absolute must is also having the right tools for the job!

 

i'm generally rubbish at DIY, but in my 30's, i seem to have found a way to get things done.  Without doubt, buying the right tools for the job i've been doing, has made life TONS easier!

 

this year i'm hoping to do some outdoor projects.  Namely, a covered seating area, that can act almost as an outdoor lounge.  i 100% expect to cock it up! (that's normally the thing that prevents me from starting!)

[davieG]

28 minutes ago, Hollism said:

Removed an electric fire and replaced the switch with a socket

This is a debateable one as to whether you're legally allowed to do this if you're not a qualified electrician? 

 

Any views on this?

 

I've done plenty of electrical work and although I did a mixed electrical/mechanical apprenticeship I doubt I'm classed as a qualified electrician.

 

Good Luck with the rest hope you have more luck than me recently where there seems to be a problem at ever step of everything I do.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Electrocuted myself changing a plug socket when I first moved into my flat. 

 

Other than that no major hiccups.

[Hollism]

56 minutes ago, davieG said:

This is a debateable one as to whether you're legally allowed to do this if you're not a qualified electrician? 

 

Wow surely not?

 

It was just a wall mounted one. One screw to hold in place and another couple it was hooked onto. (Ignore the 24 screws I removed before realising that only one needed to come off  )

 

Wired in like so before I touched it. It’s effectively no different to changing a socket like for like 

 

[davieG]

21 minutes ago, Hollism said:

Wow surely not?

 

It was just a wall mounted one. One screw to hold in place and another couple it was hooked onto. (Ignore the 24 screws I removed before realising that only one needed to come off  )

 

Wired in like so before I touched it. It’s effectively no different to changing a socket like for like 

 

I wasn't saying you were wrong just using it to query the laws as it seems to be a very grey area. I've added new sockets many times.

 

Here's some guidelines if youo can follow them.

 

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/partp.htm

[Free Falling Foxes]

20 minutes ago, Hollism said:

Wow surely not?

 

It was just a wall mounted one. One screw to hold in place and another couple it was hooked onto. (Ignore the 24 screws I removed before realising that only one needed to come off  )

 

Wired in like so before I touched it. It’s effectively no different to changing a socket like for like 

 

You have quite a bit of exposed conductor on the live and Earth. I would try and get the insulation closer to the terminal, especially on the live (brown).

[Hollism]

3 minutes ago, davieG said:

I wasn't saying you were wrong just using it to query the laws as it seems to be a very grey area. I've added new sockets many times.

Oh yeah I didn’t think you were saying that. Just meant that if I should have had a qualified sparky in, that law would be very daft indeed.

[Hollism]

Just now, Free Falling Foxes said:

You have quite a bit of exposed conductor on the live and Earth. I would try and get the insulation closer to the terminal, especially on the live (brown).

That was the ‘before’ photo. There’s no exposed copper now.

[Free Falling Foxes]

Just now, Hollism said:

That was the ‘before’ photo. There’s no exposed copper now.

Great.

Irony is, the one you removed might have been carried-out by a qualified electrician too.

 

My daughter moved into a new build and wanted a light switch changing. As I began to remove the switch, ALL the wires just fell from their teminals.

 

Anyway, good luck DIYing, you've got off to a great start.

[Wolfox]

6 hours ago, Hollism said:

I’ve been a homeowner for 10 days and so far I’ve:

 

-Removed an electric fire and replaced the switch with a socket

-Changed a light fitting

-Ripped up carpet on stairs

-Plumbed in Washing machine and Dishwasher

-Filled in a loads of holes in the wall with plaster

-(Started on) repainting a room

-Fitted some new blinds

 

 

All very minor stuff but I’m pretty chuffed since before I got the keys I’d barely done more than change a light bulb. Especially the light fitting- still amazed it works.

 

Definitely enjoyed it all though so far, and I’m setting my sights high. Once we’ve got the first few months bills out the way I imagine I’ll have a flat pack kitchen to do. (Want to be sure that finances are as we expect them to be before spending all that money.) Scared about the tiling but I’ll have a go.

 

 

Does anyone else have have any projects lined up for 2022? Or past projects/stories to share? Thought it would be nice to have an ongoing thread either way and if there are any seasoned DIYers who can help out with noob questions, you’ll be very welcome and appreciated in here

Have a look at DIY kitchens from Pontefract

 

Just did my kitchen through them <£3k and the quality is excellent 

 

All comes fully assembled with the doors on…. You just have to level it up (really take your time on the first one)

 

https://www.diy-kitchens.com

[Wolfox]

I don’t mind a bit of DIY…. Was working on my house to get it ready for Christmas all the way through the Xmas eve 7pm…

 

I even did a passable job at plastering the front room…!  
 

onto the back lounge after NYE…. Strip the floor boards, plaster the walls and decorate and then relax!

 

Spring will have me  rotovating the lawn, grading it and re-seeding 

Edited 30 December 2021 by Wolfox

[danny.]

1 hour ago, Wolfox said:

Have a look at DIY kitchens from Pontefract

 

Just did my kitchen through them <£3k and the quality is excellent 

 

All comes fully assembled with the doors on…. You just have to level it up (really take your time on the first one)

 

https://www.diy-kitchens.com

+1, very good for the money. I very almost used them 

[Strokes]

8 hours ago, Hollism said:

Wow surely not?

 

It was just a wall mounted one. One screw to hold in place and another couple it was hooked onto. (Ignore the 24 screws I removed before realising that only one needed to come off  )

 

Wired in like so before I touched it. It’s effectively no different to changing a socket like for like 

 

No you are ok as you are not making changes to the circuit.

[Strokes]

9 hours ago, Izzy said:

@Strokes- looks like there's a new contender to your throne here.

 

#askhollism

Such a cùnt  

[Unabomber]

My big one this year is do to the garden up. I moved house in August this year but before we did we had just done a garden transformation. So the lady buying my house will see the benefit, I want to do a similar transformation project on the new garden. Below is the old garden before and after.
 

[Buce]

28 minutes ago, Strokes said:

Such a cùnt  

 

It's ok, Strokes, you're unrivalled in your trolling...

[Strokes]

2 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

It's ok, Strokes, you're unrivalled in your trolling...

How very dare you, I’m at least 25% serious these days.

[Buce]

11 minutes ago, Strokes said:

How very dare you, I’m at least 25% serious these days.

 

Sorry, mate.

 

I must have blinked and missed it...

[Strokes]

2 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

Sorry, mate.

 

I must have blinked and missed it...

I try to disguise it in the joke thread, so people don’t think I’m going soft. Fortunately nobody reads that since @Izzystarted practicing comedy. 

[Facecloth]

1 minute ago, Strokes said:

I try to disguise it in the joke thread, so people don’t think I’m going soft. Fortunately nobody reads that since @Izzystarted practicing comedy. 

When did he start doing that? 

[Strokes]

Just now, Facecloth said:

When did he start doing that? 

How long ago was it you stopped reading it?

[Raj]

28 minutes ago, Unabomber said:

My big one this year is do to the garden up. I moved house in August this year but before we did we had just done a garden transformation. So the lady buying my house will see the benefit, I want to do a similar transformation project on the new garden. Below is the old garden before and after.
 

That's bloody nice.

 

[Buce]

2 minutes ago, Facecloth said:

When did he start doing that? 

 

I think he's still practicing...