I thought those were supposed to come on a sheet, rather than individually?
They do.
Try both laying them flat, cutting to shape around anything, cutting narrow sheets off and then, the real piece de resistance, grouting them in a way that looks good *and* is actually waterproof. Instead of 4 lines of grouting per 10cm2 you have 200 curved lines of grouting junction per 10cm2....an absolute pain in the....
To also add:
"Let's just replace a couple of windows and doors, and the downstairs bedroom is small" conversation escalated quickly.
Bathroom:
Shower tile grout kept cracking. Tried all kinds of solutions. Ended up putting a new tray in again. Retiled.
Cracked again.
Ended up taking the whole bathroom out. Pulling floor up and replacing two rotten joists and new floor boards.
New bathroom in.
9 months later compression fitting behind the shower (airing cupboard) gave way randomly. Blew tiles off the wall as it ran for a good hour.
All ok now. Just can't be arsed to paint it.
Garden I've been doing the garden for 2 years. Still no lawn.
Everything now is so damn expensive which doesn't help.
Outdoor winter cat shed. Fully insulated, utterly bomb proof, safe and security for sheltering in the worst of winters. Built in the stud framework method, the same way you'd build a timber framed house, so its pretty complex. insulation is between the frames, at least 50mm thick of multiple layers of foil coated bubble.over clad in osb, waterproofed,and a final felt over the entire structure.1" thick floor covered with extra warm 10mm closed cell foam. Multiple 5mm thick perspex windows and a 2 way cat door to the front, wide enough for even the tubbiest of pussy cats.
Its a flat slightly sloping roof, felt covered again, suitable for lounging on.
Has the little furry bugger ever used it ?. Has he £$%& 😡
I wish I'd never started. Cost twice the cost of a shop bought affair.
Digging a pond - during first lockdown I replaced a sandpit I made for the kids with a small pond, decided to go bigger and have a 15ft x 8ft x 4ft deep pond in same location in corner of garden. Had to cut down a 25ft holly tree so getting rid of the roots of that was a nightmare, we also back onto woodland and I keep hitting other roots, the soil is really stoney too and is a very solid crust after about 2 feet. This is all being done by hand as can’t get mechanical digger into garden. Massively underestimated how much soil I’d need to get rid of too so size and depth of planned pond is getting smaller by the day. Hoping to get it all dug before winter sets in, only able to do about half a day every weekend and then complete it in early spring, hopefully by which time the Thames Water hosepipe ban will be over. Surprised there isn’t gym equipment that replicates effort and motions of digging as it is bloody hard work
See that's where you've gone wrong, you're digging a pond when you're supposed to kinda dig the awkward silences
Thank you all for the deep sense of schadenfreude I have experienced during breakfast, you've said it all between you.
I seem to run on pent up frustration and swearing, seasoned with the unrealistic dreams of the other half*.
And so escape to work to get away from it all, except I'm a self employed handyman...
*Oh God the decorating choices. The bathroom has a dark grey theme. The bedroom has a dark olive green theme. It looks as though we are sponsored by the Army & Navy.
Digging a pond – during first lockdown I replaced a sandpit I made for the kids with a small pond, decided to go bigger and have a 15ft x 8ft x 4ft deep pond in same location in corner of garden. Had to cut down a 25ft holly tree so getting rid of the roots of that was a nightmare, we also back onto woodland and I keep hitting other roots, the soil is really stoney too and is a very solid crust after about 2 feet. This is all being done by hand as can’t get mechanical digger into garden. Massively underestimated how much soil I’d need to get rid of too so size and depth of planned pond is getting smaller by the day. Hoping to get it all dug before winter sets in, only able to do about half a day every weekend and then complete it in early spring, hopefully by which time the Thames Water hosepipe ban will be over. Surprised there isn’t gym equipment that replicates effort and motions of digging as it is bloody hard work
I feel your pain. Over the hottest part of summer we hand dug a 19x8x4ft pond for a load of inherited carp. **** my life. There were six of us over several weekends - like you we couldn't get a digger in and had three wheelbarrows on the go with I think 5 builders skips in the end. If the digging wasn't bad enough, it's the pushing of the barrow up the ramp to get it into the skip that did for me.
I reckon it’ll be solar roof tiles (Tesla make them)
@DickBarton they allegedly make them. I’m unsure if they’re available at all in the U.K. I signed up on the Tesla mailing list in 2017 for ‘more info on availability’. Not a peep yet.
I read they’re not as efficient as regular panels. Would’ve put that aside if we could have had the slate-like ones laid on our roof. I drew a blank on anyone local who had seen one. We’ve gone for regular panels but aren’t in a conservation area. Good luck.
DIY you wish you’d never started? 🤔 most things as there’s always a complication due to house age, previous poor work, or just … something.
The one I nearly gave up on was removing 2 excess doors from a bedroom. At one point the house was flats. Doors off. Frames out. Battens placed. The walls around the holes were not flat or even so had to make a ‘best fit’ with the board. Skimming was a challenge as the board and meeting points had very different ‘suck’. Plaster also fell off the adjacent wall on one so had to replaster that too. Should have just gotten someone in and had the whole room relined.
Easiest job. Kind of. Was rejigging the garage lighting wiring. Some interesting work from the previous folks. Lots of cable. A good wiring plan. And Wago connectors and boxes made it much simpler than using those old-stlyle junction boxes.
All of them.
See that’s where you’ve gone wrong, you’re digging a pond when you’re supposed to kinda dig the awkward silences
very good Northwind, a Hold Steady lyric for those not familiar with their work
@prettygreenparrot and @dickbarton
I reckon it’ll be solar roof tiles (Tesla make them)
@DickBarton they allegedly make them. I’m unsure if they’re available at all in the U.K. I signed up on the Tesla mailing list in 2017 for ‘more info on availability’. Not a peep yet.
Can't remember where i saw it, one of the green tech sites i would guess. But those tesla solar tiles are unlikely to see the light of day in any sort of volume, too expensive to make, not hugely efficient, and Mush has pretty much lost interest.
This thread has reminded me of IHNs Two Rules of DIY Jobs:
1) Any job that should only ten minutes will take at least two hours.
2) Any job that is going to be a bit of a palaver will be done in ten minutes.
@holdsteady, I agonised over whether to go with that or with a constructive summer reference, it became a diy project of its own.
Building a new patio, rockery, pond and walkways over the summer. Done every weekend over a 2 month period in weather ranging from +40°C to driving rain. All whilst suffering from a hernia and torn meniscus.
The damn thing is nearly finished, but I hate it so much that I don't want to be near it. Ever.