What "man jobs" have you done today?

PermaChanged · 29 Jan 2023 at 12:29

Haha, so the plug in the left shouldn't have a plug at all, it should be wired to a master board which controls the electronic trvs attached to the underfloor heating manifold - as we've not yet got the heat pump connected or plumbed we're adding a little bit of heat to the house with a true monstrosity, which is this.... that low wattage pump is the least of my worries :cry:

To clarify, I did not wire the melted plug myself, the temporary boiler has been borrowed from a builder who used to screed floors, and had it to help force dry them.

roccles · 29 Jan 2023 at 13:25

Currently tiding the bottom corner of the garden that for years has just been a dumping ground.

So today I moved a tree (June berry) that has been overshadowed and suffocated by my neighbours huge leylandiis. It hasn't really done anything other than try and reach some sunshine so very lanky . Hopefully it will fair a bit better in its new location.

New plot

Looking a bit tidier now but not really sure what I will eventually do with the space, it a big area ~7mx4m but quite tricky with the slope and the bleeding overhanging leylandiis!

{SAS}TB · 29 Jan 2023 at 15:03

Got set up just before 9.00 this morning and fired up the chainsaw

Messy job this log chopping malarky ...

Fast forward 4ish hours .....

I think I'll leave splitting them to another day / weekend / series of weekends ....

There were a few obviously older absolutely sodden and starting to rot rogue chunks

And two barrows of fresh woodchip / sawdust ..

Old wood and sawdust were deposited in the "woodland area" and will act as mulch / bug hotels

I don't mind admitting, I am absolutely knackered !

Richie · 29 Jan 2023 at 15:07

roccles said:
Currently tiding the bottom corner of the garden that for years has just been a dumping ground.

So today I moved a tree (June berry) that has been overshadowed and suffocated by my neighbours huge leylandiis. It hasn't really done anything other than try and reach some sunshine so very lanky . Hopefully it will fair a bit better in its new location.

New plot

Looking a bit tidier now but not really sure what I will eventually do with the space, it a big area ~7mx4m but quite tricky with the slope and the bleeding overhanging leylandiis!

I'd be cutting every last bit of leylandis that is overhanging the fence line from ground level to the top of the damn things.... These things should be banned IMHO.

Wildflowers would do ok there if you felt nothing else would grow. Plenty of shade loving wildflowers around. You could also place things to encourage wildlife.

roccles · 29 Jan 2023 at 15:16

Richie said:
I'd be cutting every last bit of leylandis that is overhanging the fence line from ground level to the top of the damn things.... These things should be banned IMHO.

Wildflowers would do ok there if you felt nothing else would grow. Plenty of shade loving wildflowers around. You could also place things to encourage wildlife.

I completely agree, they have no redeeming features and when left to run riot cause chaos. Unfortunately the neighbour seems to have no interest in doing anything with them.

I bought a chainsaw on a pole last weekend so I can get a bit higher but they are so big I am still going to have 10s of feet of overhang and it still looks crap from my side. May have to bite the bullet at some point and get the professionals in to cut up against the fence line.

b0rn2sk8 · 29 Jan 2023 at 16:14

PermaChanged said:
Haha, so the plug in the left shouldn't have a plug at all, it should be wired to a master board which controls the electronic trvs attached to the underfloor heating manifold - as we've not yet got the heat pump connected or plumbed we're adding a little bit of heat to the house with a true monstrosity, which is this.... that low wattage pump is the least of my worries

To clarify, I did not wire the melted plug myself, the temporary boiler has been borrowed from a builder who used to screed floors, and had it to help force dry them.

Interesting, are you planning to manage the zones based on individual room temp sensors?

Everything I have read about heat pumps is that it’s better to keep all your TRVs open to let your emitters run all the time keeping everything low and slow for the best SCOP. The water temp is then modulated using weather compensation.

The idea is that you don’t want the heat pump to be cycling (on off on off etc) as is used a lot of energy.

lookitsjonno · 29 Jan 2023 at 16:59

Installed a cheapo camera for the wife, after much deliberation (steel lintel etc) went into the sofit and I'm pretty pleased with the result

gingergundog · 29 Jan 2023 at 17:50

lookitsjonno said:
Installed a cheapo camera for the wife, after much deliberation (steel lintel etc) went into the sofit and I'm pretty pleased with the result

Onlyfans?

Mason- · 29 Jan 2023 at 17:53

No photos. Cleared first floor gutters. Scraped moss from patio and retaining walls then sprayed with Spray and Leave.

Still got the driveway to do…. Hard and slow work.

Zefan · 29 Jan 2023 at 17:58

Fixed the dishwasher (broken clip on a rack in the bottom drawer) with a cable tie. To let me know how amazing I am please call 0121 DO ONE.

gingergundog · 29 Jan 2023 at 18:21

@lookitsjonno phew that could have gone one of two ways, glad you saw the funny side

Buffman · 29 Jan 2023 at 18:49

Fitted new spindles and oak base rail to my top of stairs /landing

Cost me 28quid for a thin oak strip under the baserail (so it tied it to the floor and the rails fit)

Will look better when I remove marker tape!

Not sure how ill finish the edging on this bit, chamfered it so it wasnt proud of wall (needs oiled)

Potentially could add an oak strip but hard to get something that has similar pattern/colour to the oak base rail (both these ones are oak and osmo oiled)

theone8181 · 29 Jan 2023 at 20:16

Busy day yesterday, laid underlay in daughters room, trimmed the door to fit new carpet (replaced that old rubber underlay) and then built her a new bed. Figured an afternoon of video games was justified. Need to do the door again but planing doors is always a fan as I was playing it safe. Did go a bit vigour and took a chunk off the edge of the door (planed to edge) so need to fix that at some point too.

BennyC · 30 Jan 2023 at 09:23

Joined two quite twisted 33mm boards, then scratched my head about how on earth I was going to get it level :cool:

Fitted in to the larder cabinet I've made to match the rest of my O/H's in-frame kitchen. I can live with 3mm

Mitred some plasterboard for the extract housing as this is being filled/painted not plastered. Fitted said housing.

Then made a start on my cutting list for the doors and cutting the rebates for the centre panels.

+ replaced garden gate.

dlockers · 30 Jan 2023 at 21:11

Did my returns and corners on the dado yesterday. Managed to paint it up today.

PermaChanged · 31 Jan 2023 at 10:56

b0rn2sk8 said:
Interesting, are you planning to manage the zones based on individual room temp sensors?

Everything I have read about heat pumps is that it’s better to keep all your TRVs open to let your emitters run all the time keeping everything low and slow for the best SCOP. The water temp is then modulated using weather compensation.

The idea is that you don’t want the heat pump to be cycling (on off on off etc) as is used a lot of energy.

The heat pump shouldn't be cycling, as there's a secondary loop going through the hot water cylinder to provide heat there which is topped up via an immersion for legionnaires prevention - 28m primary pipework splitting to 22mm for the UFH manifold, and 22mm in to the cylinder.

Yes, the rooms are individually thermostatically controlled, we're aiming for constant flow temps of ~45c with lower temps the better really for SCOP as you say, but it's capable of 32l a minute @ 45c/11.2kw output.

Hoping to be able to switch off the loop to the cylinder in warmer months and put the ASHP in to cooling mode, and make the house comfortable through summer

dlockers · 31 Jan 2023 at 11:07

Chaps - I need to mount an 18mm MDF cupboard door. I've bought two types of brackets but neither inspire confidence and they both go into the leading edge of the MDF board. This will obviously just split the wood.

Is there a recommendation for brackets? Maybe even regular kitchen door brackets as it weighs just as much?

dirtychinchilla · 31 Jan 2023 at 11:28

dLockers said:
Did my returns and corners on the dado yesterday. Managed to paint it up today.

Love that colour!

dlockers · 31 Jan 2023 at 11:33

dirtychinchilla said:
Love that colour!

It is leftovers from my old house - I luckily retained it - and got permission it was roughly right.

Unfortunately I have only a fraction of the Valspar Furniture paint left so I am hoping to get away with the bucket of matching Valspar Emulsion for the wooden MDF cupboard; given it is going on top of Leyland MDF primer.

vail3r · 31 Jan 2023 at 12:34

dLockers said:
Chaps - I need to mount an 18mm MDF cupboard door. I've bought two types of brackets but neither inspire confidence and they both go into the leading edge of the MDF board. This will obviously just split the wood.

Is there a recommendation for brackets? Maybe even regular kitchen door brackets as it weighs just as much?

if you pre drill the holes to the right size it won't split. I've made my own doors for a wardrobe with kitchen hinges before and worked well using forstner bits to make the hole. I did bugger one up by going too far though