Be Excellent To Each Other

The tap would carry some residual heat from the hot water and transfer it into the cold water, but it would a pretty small amount and get cold really, really fast.

I suspect it's more to do with cooling the tap body down and residual heat from the pipes being placed too close to each other. Our boiler is in the loft...

The water from our rinsing sink has started pouring through the casing on our garbage disposal unit, tripping all the electrics.

Being the manly man that I am, I got my big spanner out (oo-er missus) and pulled the garbage disposal off (snort).

Then I unscrewed all the water pipes to check for blockages. After clearing out some gunk, cleaning down the garbage disposal grinding plate and putting it all back together everything worked again!

Then I ran some water again and the house turned off. A man will have to be called.

You have a garbage disposal? Do you live in America?

It's absolutely amazing. I would not be without one now.

Plus it's called The Insinkerator!

What's a garbage disposal for? I've never really understood the concept. I mean they're useful in films of course to make you dig your nails into the palms of your hand when someone starts poking their fingers into one to 'fix' it, but what do they do in real life?

They're fantastic for making a huge noise, stinking up the house and breaking.

All our food waste goes in it, peelings, teabags, etc. It means the main bin never has anything in it stinking away, and it chops it all up and flushes it away down the sink pipes.
Mr Dave - they only stink if you don't keep washing the waste away, and this unit has been installed here since 1991 according to the receipt, so that's not a bad track record (especially as it's probably the pipes that are the problem, not the unit).

In summary, the insinkerator is a must have.

Yeah, you have to bear in mind the one we had was 'looked after' my my mother. Who has an extreme aversion to cleaning.

Joans has been busy sealing the flat roof today. Nearly done!

Looks a good job, Joans!

Does he not have minions to do that ??

So I've got this great big Shadow of the Colossus poster and I've purchased some clear plastic poster holders (surprisingly expensive shit). I'm intending to cut the poster down into eight pieces and shove it on my kitchen wall for the lulz.

I've a feeling this is going to be a disaster so I'll chart my terrible progress here.

Poster plus poster holders.

Done. Weren't so hard.

Now to drill holes and stuff.

Bah. No drama.

Going up on the wall. Still time for last minute fuck ups!

In fact, looks a bit wonky on the right. HNNNGH.

More measuring and holes.

Screwing stuff in.

Just gotta slide the bits together and we're done.

And we're done! I've scratched the paint a bit sliding the bits on but I can get some touch up paint to sort that out.

Whatcha think BeeX?

Further back.

I think that bolting chairs to the wall doesn't seem very practical.

That's pretty great. I would have had the middle gap the same as the other gaps, but that's just a personal design preference really.

Very nice.

Is it Dimrill?

Y'know I didn't think about it that much but now I wish I'd narrowed the gap. Fuck taking it down and drilling more holes though, it'll have to do.

Ha! Sorry

Not sure whether to post this in here or the Nay thread but I have committed to a programme of works that includes, but is not limited to, changing all the windows and exterior doors, knocking down a wall inside, levelling the floor, laying a new floor, having the walls and ceilings skimmed, redecorating, changing all the lights, having the flat roofs redone, resetting all the ridge tiles and tidying the garage and doing the garden. That'll be my summer and all the money then. I'm sure it'll look nice when it's done.

Don't forget the before pics. I always forget the before pics

Started tiling the en-suite over the weekend. What a trauma setting that out was, especially around that pillar thing in the middle. I have part of one wall left to finish, then I need to seal it, then grout it! Woohoo!



And a close up of the pretty crackles

Your tiles are all cracked - you need to start again.

They crack even more when they're installed, while the adhesive is drying out. Sounds like a room full of rice crispies going snap and crackle. It was hugely disconcerting because I thought to start with that the weight of them full height was trying to pull the plasterboard off the walls. I kept looking up at it suspiciously while I sat under it doing the next section of wall...

Crazy paving - very 80s. Like your hair.

I don't even need to run that burn under the cold tap.

Let me get you some mayonnaise for that burn

Has any of the more creative types in 'ere ever created a stencil for wall painting before? I was thinking of just printing a design on paper and cutting it out but I reckon I'd have some paint problems like dripping down the wall and stuff.

Any tips?

Don't use too much paint?

Another tip would be if you could get hold of one of those old over head projectors they used to use in schools. You could project the image on to the wall then and paint it without using a template.

I haven't got any experience painting by hand and I don't think I'd be able to replicate the design myself.

I'm aware that I shouldn't use so much paint (obv) but, as far as I'm aware, most stencils are on a thick plastic sheet rather than paper. I just wondered if it mattered much.

I imagine that the thicker the stencil, the less chance you'll have of it getting soggy with paint.

I guess like all things, the best thing to do would be to try it. What's the worst that can happen?

Spray paint is best for stenciling. Go very easy and if you need a second coat, wait for the first to *dry* before laying on the second.

I've created stencils for walls. If it is a single use the best thing to use is thin acetate (like you would use for an OHP, really, though you buy it to print on. You don't wan thick plastic as it will allow pain to sit in the recess to drip down once removed. Use a temporary spray mount adhesive to stick the stencil to the wall, which will mean that it sits flush to the wall in each part and paint can't drip behind it 9which can happen if you just use masking tape to stick it up). As The Vision says, paint should be used very sparingly. Don't paint onto the stencil, rather dab at 90 degrees to the wall with either a very lightly coated stippling brush (remove excess paint first) or sponge (again, remove all excess).

Unlike Davpaz, I really don't like spray paint for stencils as it is all too easy to get drips and also because unless your design is one colour it is difficult to keep within the bounds of each section, but I'm no Banksy.

Naturally, you should listen to Mimi, as she is craftier than I

I'll investigate further. Thanks for your advices.

You used to be able to buy a material called frisk, which is effectively thin acetate with an adhesive coat that's easy to cut. Airbrush artists use it. Failing that, as Meems says, spray mount and thin acetate will achieve the same effect.

Replaced the pump on our washing machine, but worryingly the old one looks in fine condition.

Running a cycle now, so I guess we'll see.

Well, it worked fine.

You can all relax

Phew!

What a roller coaster ride that was! Phew.

Oops.

I've done that. Wakes up the senses

Christ, yes. There is some cut out or something apparently.

Did MrsA give you a bollocking, too, for breaking the power tool?

Annoyingly, seconds before, I had moved the cord to prevent it happening, then flailed away like a samurai at the holly bush and "Pop!".