DIY thread...

[rinks]

Why didn’t you make Sky properly repair their fuck-up? They should have checked for signal before drilling through your wall. And why did they need such a wide hole?!

Anyway, they might have done you a favour. You could buy one of these (if you haven’t already got one), and use it to see what’s going on outside.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Endoscope-Panc ... B01MR8EONS

[Dual]

Bump!

We're currently trying to smarten up our flat a bit in case we ever get the chance to sell it.

I'm ok with filling in small cracks (nocontextbait) but we have one big hole I'd like to fill (nocontextbait2).

When we first moved in we called Sky to put in a satellite dish and they drilled a hole through the wall. Then they realised they couldn't get a signal at the front and so the dish went on the back.

They put a plastic cap over the hole and it's never bothered me so I just left it.

Is there any easy way to fill it? I'm assuming Pollyfilla isn't going to be any good for a big long hole (nocontextbait3), are there any other simple solutions?

Expanding foam.

[Green Gecko]

I'd just use a small shot of builder's foam from a can (it expands a LOT so don't over do it), then cut it back with a knife and fill the texture with any generic filler product. Sand it with 120 grit, go to 200+ if you really want to and then paint it. Shouldn't show up at all. You can try just shoving in some scrunched up paper so the foam doesn't just fill the wall too.

[Jenuall]

Be careful with expanding foam, depending on the construction of the wall you may cause damage to the cavity if you put too much in there

[Green Gecko]

Yeah. You only need to shoot it for perhaps even half a second.

[Moggy]

Expanding foam sounded good until Jenuall frightened me!

I can't really get Sky to fix it, it was 9 years ago. It doesn't bother me at all, I'm just tidying up in case I get the chance to sell the place.

Cut a piece of plasterboard to just smaller than the hole. Drill small hole in centre and thread and knot string in it. Pop the piece inside the hole, put caulk or filler around the hole then pull the piece in place. Once dry, push the string inside the hole, fill that hole and tidy up the join by sanding.

That's a pretty good idea. Sounds like something I could manage.

[darksideby182]

I'd just use a small shot of builder's foam from a can (it expands a LOT so don't over do it), then cut it back with a knife and fill the texture with any generic filler product. Sand it with 120 grit, go to 200+ if you really want to and then paint it. Shouldn't show up at all. You can try just shoving in some scrunched up paper so the foam doesn't just fill the wall too.

This.

[Dual]

Expanding foam sounded good until Jenuall frightened me!
.

It's literally designed for the application you're describing. It's not going to damage anything. It's idiot proof - just make sure you put enough newspaper down on the internal side because it can get everywhere.

[Moggy]

Expanding foam sounded good until Jenuall frightened me!
.

It's literally designed for the application you're describing. It's not going to damage anything. It's idiot proof - just make sure you put enough newspaper down on the internal side because it can get everywhere.

I trust you and Gecko. I don't trust myself.

[Jenuall]

Expanding foam sounded good until Jenuall frightened me!
.

It's literally designed for the application you're describing. It's not going to damage anything. It's idiot proof - just make sure you put enough newspaper down on the internal side because it can get everywhere.

Professional grade injection foam is designed for cavity wall insulation, that's a very different prospect from getting a can of expanding foam from B&Q and just winging it.

I'm not suggesting it's going to blow up Moggy's flat or anything, just stating that if he goes down that route then it needs to be done with care

[Dual]

What are you on about professional grade expanding foam? He's filling a small hole that runs from the inside of his flat to external not insulating the building!

Moggy get a tin of this or the b & q equivalent

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense- ... 50ml/75470

Shake the can, stick in the tube, inject, wipe off the excess and stand back and admire your handy work.

[rinks]

24 hours from now.

[Jenuall]

What are you on about professional grade expanding foam? He's filling a small hole that runs from the inside of his flat to external not insulating the building!

Moggy get a tin of this or the b & q equivalent

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense- ... 50ml/75470

Shake the can, stick in the tube, inject, wipe off the excess and stand back and admire your handy work.

Expanding foam isn't magic and spraying it into a random hole in the wall can go badly if the foam goes where you don't want it to or expands to cause pressure onto more sensitive things like pipes or wiring. The amount of pressure exerted by foam can vary greatly depending on the type/brand

[Victor Mildew]

Moggy with a builder spraying his foam in his 8 inch cavity

[Moggy]

24 hours from now.

[darksideby182]

:lol:

What are you on about professional grade expanding foam? He's filling a small hole that runs from the inside of his flat to external not insulating the building!

Moggy get a tin of this or the b & q equivalent

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense- ... 50ml/75470

Shake the can, stick in the tube, inject, wipe off the excess and stand back and admire your handy work.

Expanding foam isn't magic and spraying it into a random hole in the wall can go badly if the foam goes where you don't want it to or expands to cause pressure onto more sensitive things like pipes or wiring. The amount of pressure exerted by foam can vary greatly depending on the type/brand

It really won't effect pipes or wiring, if any excess it will just spill out of the hole and once set can be removed.

[Moggy]

Cheers guys, I've decided to risk it and will just blame you all if the foam ends up destroying the world.

[Green Gecko]

I've used a SMALL SHOT of expanding foam to pretty much do what's described, create stuff where there isn't stuff and then cut it back, in this instance the bottom of some door skirting/moulding that suddenly terminated (I planned to tidy up and fill around this, only for my brother to poke it out thinking it was overspill or something while I was still waiting for it to dry properly . Actually to add to that, after perfectly masking off a "fake" sort of doorframe using satin white paint with a brush, after hours of sanding, my cousin came over and was asked to paint the corridor, he painted over the entire frame I made with junk rollere'd-on matt white emulsion - part wood, part "fake" paint on plaster - I had spend 3 weeks creating. As prior to that it was literally just a door shaped hole in a wall. It then of course started to onion skin because it was matte paint on an oil satin white, which won't provide any key).

Product was just from Homebase (which is gooseberry fool, go to Screwfrix) as I bought it for something similar, a 2inch wide gap between a wall and a corner where the "builder" didn't butt some plasterboard up against the adjacent wall for some stupid as hell reason.

Artists literally sculpt with this stuff, just spray a small amount and see how much it expands by. Then cut it down to what you wanted with a sharp blade (I use scalpels).

I fix up a lot of crap work done like that to at least make it look pretty. My job previously was a gallery tech so I know how to make a wall look good and my job literally was 75% filling holes in walls from previous fittings. I also spent a large part of my degree doing similar things for regular art exhibitions on campus etc and a few in towns and cities, you always have to clear down your work and make good or you get fined for them to do it for you.

[That]

Terrifying footage of the expanding foam escaping Moggy's flat:

[Moggy]

I asked some friends to help me out.

It didn't go well.