What "man jobs" have you done today?
- Thread starter jaybee
- Start date
thedoc64, that makes my tidying up of our garage seem nothing 
I've been slowly trying to tidy up our garage, and having discoved a mouse the other night putting traps down (one of the humane ones caught a pair of mice in the first day).
I've been slowly trying to tidy up our garage, and having discoved a mouse the other night putting traps down (one of the humane ones caught a pair of mice in the first day).
A good quality roller pole makes all the difference. Screwfix do a fantastic "no nonsense" branded (their own) one for about £7.
Bit more in the garden and small pond.
The sleepers may not look pretty but they are solid in the middle, not sure what wood it is but its solid.
Beautiful inside..
This saw cuts through them very well I found..
Ends cut off and squared up on a few..
They were going free so I will use them, I love the rustic look. Had another delivery from the farther in law..
Using the not so good ones in another project anyway..
I have to say the timberlok screws are amazing. Had to pre drill through the first sleeper, it still struggled in the end grain of the other one :shock:
Dug a bit more out of the pond and started the bottom drain..
Need to dig a bit more out but it started raining as usual...
Doing the concrete ring next then I can finish digging the sides.
All the goodies i.e filter, pumps, UV etc have been ordered and being shipped this week. Just waiting for some quotes on the box liner so I can order that.
The glass will be ordered when the guy emails me back.
Had my 3 year old 'Helping :whistle: :whistle: ' which was fun lol.
The sleepers may not look pretty but they are solid in the middle, not sure what wood it is but its solid.
Beautiful inside..
This saw cuts through them very well I found..
Ends cut off and squared up on a few..
They were going free so I will use them, I love the rustic look. Had another delivery from the farther in law..
Using the not so good ones in another project anyway..
I have to say the timberlok screws are amazing. Had to pre drill through the first sleeper, it still struggled in the end grain of the other one :shock:
Dug a bit more out of the pond and started the bottom drain..
Need to dig a bit more out but it started raining as usual...
Doing the concrete ring next then I can finish digging the sides.
All the goodies i.e filter, pumps, UV etc have been ordered and being shipped this week. Just waiting for some quotes on the box liner so I can order that.
The glass will be ordered when the guy emails me back.
Had my 3 year old 'Helping :whistle: :whistle: ' which was fun lol.
thedoc64, that makes my tidying up of our garage seem nothing
I've been slowly trying to tidy up our garage, and having discoved a mouse the other night putting traps down (one of the humane ones caught a pair of mice in the first day).
New 2 flooring done and dusted !!!! Just waiting for it to fully cure, so i can roll my tools back into their pad !
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- Joined
- 13 Apr 2010
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- Sunny Sussex
Whilst what you are doing is brilliant and hopefully it won't happen to you but those old sleepers often in the summer leach tar, I've seen a few gardens be ripped out because of this. Not nice for the kids.
First time ever tiling a floor on Saturday, went pretty well in the end, only real issue was had to have a small section in the corner, its not so bad because it wont be seen once the sink is in
Then tiled the back of the toilet on Sunday, this also had to have a thin tile section on the left. i wanted the toilet to be centered on the tile so wasn't anyway around it that i could think of. Had massive trouble cutting these tiles, the score and snap cutter would only work 75% of the time and bust the corners on others, and a wet cutter would slightly chip the edges. I need to figure this out because they are going on the bath.
Lesson learned for next time would be to level the floor because a couple of the tiles are a mm out and i couldn't fix it with adhesive.
Then tiled the back of the toilet on Sunday, this also had to have a thin tile section on the left. i wanted the toilet to be centered on the tile so wasn't anyway around it that i could think of. Had massive trouble cutting these tiles, the score and snap cutter would only work 75% of the time and bust the corners on others, and a wet cutter would slightly chip the edges. I need to figure this out because they are going on the bath.
Lesson learned for next time would be to level the floor because a couple of the tiles are a mm out and i couldn't fix it with adhesive.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but you would have been better of shifting the floor tiles an inch or so over to the left, so to have avoided that thin tile section.
I think that the 'pros' snap a chalk string down the centre of the room first, so as to check for this kind of thing, but if this is your first floor tiling job, you probably wouldn't know that sort of tip anyway!
In my experience walls are rarely exactly 100% 'square' (builders tolerances!) so any slight difference in the width of a small strip of tile becomes more obvious.
In practice, once it was all finished, I doubt if anyone wound ever notice whether the toilet was exactly in the centre of the tiles or not... and although ours was done for us, I wouldn't actually know whether it was or not!
However , once it is all finished, you can proudly hold your head up and say "that is all my own work'... well done!
I think that the 'pros' snap a chalk string down the centre of the room first, so as to check for this kind of thing, but if this is your first floor tiling job, you probably wouldn't know that sort of tip anyway!
In my experience walls are rarely exactly 100% 'square' (builders tolerances!) so any slight difference in the width of a small strip of tile becomes more obvious.
In practice, once it was all finished, I doubt if anyone wound ever notice whether the toilet was exactly in the centre of the tiles or not... and although ours was done for us, I wouldn't actually know whether it was or not!
However , once it is all finished, you can proudly hold your head up and say "that is all my own work'... well done!
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Indeed! i wish i could have moved the toilet an inch to the left, that would have been perfect. Apart from that its was pretty good. One thing i was pleased with was getting the holes in the right place for the radiator pipes! Ill be grouting them tonight to finish them off, Im looking forward to having my bathroom back!
I am sure you are!
Actually, on looking at the pictures again, a half tile 'movement' might have been better, and I don't think that you would then have had any small pieces.
However, as you obviously know, they are quite wide tiles, which probably doesn't really help, although it does mean that any variations in anything less than a full tile tend not to be so noticeable... if you see what I mean!
Actually I think I had better shut up now, before you hit me!
Actually, on looking at the pictures again, a half tile 'movement' might have been better, and I don't think that you would then have had any small pieces.
However, as you obviously know, they are quite wide tiles, which probably doesn't really help, although it does mean that any variations in anything less than a full tile tend not to be so noticeable... if you see what I mean!
Actually I think I had better shut up now, before you hit me!
Anything that makes it easier next time is appreciated! the problem i had was the toilet had to be in that place and i wanted a full till over it, if there was a join that wasnt dead centre over it, every time i had a pee my ocd alarm would be going off! 
Soldato
- Joined
- 19 Jul 2013
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- 2,731
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- derby
jet washed the patio. to clean our grey slabs up that were black.
They weren't grey...
They are red and yellow which was a surprise. so started doing other parts. the concrete steps to the house not grey but a limestone coloured concrete this place is filthy outside but enjoying doing a bit at a time
They weren't grey...
They are red and yellow which was a surprise. so started doing other parts. the concrete steps to the house not grey but a limestone coloured concrete this place is filthy outside but enjoying doing a bit at a time
I jetwashed all of ours on Saturday too. They were black and green but underneath they were grey
Also washed the moss of the fence panels and walls. It amazing what a bit of water under pressure can do.
Used some instant cement mix from wickes to patch some holes. It's great stuff for small jobs. It goes off so quickly though I've had to make a small batch at a time otherwise I'm left with a hard block in the bottom of my bucket!
Thank you kind sir.
I do hope that does not happen. I haven't smelt or seen anything like tar whilst cutting them and jet washing them off. They are 20-30 years (when they were put in the last place) old and are untreated as far as I know.
Will certainly keep an eye out for that though thank you maccapacca.
This morning I did something I've meant to do for 2 years now....
CEMENT THE DAMN SPINNING CLOTHES LINE IN PLACE!!
so many times have I had to reseat that thing as it's falling over in the soft ground. Our days of tussling with one another are now over my friend, the battle is done and I am the victor! Hoorah
Oh and whilst it has been sunny and warm in the garden I've cut out a lot of dead wood in the shrubbery. Satisfying.
CEMENT THE DAMN SPINNING CLOTHES LINE IN PLACE!!
so many times have I had to reseat that thing as it's falling over in the soft ground. Our days of tussling with one another are now over my friend, the battle is done and I am the victor! HoorahOh and whilst it has been sunny and warm in the garden I've cut out a lot of dead wood in the shrubbery. Satisfying.
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