DIY thread...

[Rex Kramer]

Oh, not seen this thread for a while. I'll add the projects we've completed in the last year or two (Or three? I can't really remember due to covid throwing everything off).



Radiator & mirror set up, all finished

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

In the process of sorting our bathroom out, really like that mirror where did you get it from?

[Victor Mildew]

Bathroom looks smart, well done

[Errkal]

Laid the carpet out this morning and trimmed it down a little after work I'm going to try and get it to the point I can start attaching it to grippers and do finaly trim and tucking. Its all very exciting very very much looking foward to having a proper place to work!

[Dual]

Have you got a carpet stretcher to tuck it in to the edges?

[Dowbocop]

Our carpets are a disgrace. They were put in by the previous owners and aren't the best build quality (although they looked nice enough). We then proceeded to add a cat and a child to the mix. The child curled one out on the carpet this morning and the cat tries to dig under any door that's closed, so every door in our house has frayed carpet ends.

I want to just bin the lot off and get the floorboards sanded and varnished, but apparently that's not good for energy efficiency and is going to be a massive job.

[Errkal]

Have you got a carpet stretcher to tuck it in to the edges?

I do indeed, so I can stretch attatch to grippers when trim and tuck. Figured it isn't a massive room so I would give it a go and if I dont strawberry float it too bad I'll do the rest of the house as we decorate, if it sucks I'll hire someone in future, but it didn't seem like "that" hard a task just a bit fiddly in places and requires some thought.

[Dual]

Good man. Yes it's quite straight forward if you take your time. Most DIY jobs are really.

[D_C]

In the process of sorting our bathroom out, really like that mirror where did you get it from?

I believe we used this place There are probably other sites selling them cheaper mind you.

[Errkal]

Good man. Yes it's quite straight forward if you take your time. Most DIY jobs are really.

Thats what I figure, if I dont rush it should ok, its just fiddly in places when you haven't done it before.

[Errkal]

Managed it through the day yesterday as little breaks for work doing a bit here and there. Not a bad job I think, a few scruffy bits where it cut slightly wrong so didn't have enough to tuck under the skirting as much but mostly went well and seems decent.

Now for the logistical nightmare of moving a 40kg 2.5m desktop up the bloody stairs to build the desk.....

[Errkal]

Bathroom looks smart, well done

Judging by he Hue motion sensor on the ceiling it genuinely is smart

[Errkal]

Mostly done with the office now. Need cable clips to come to tidy up power leads and have a chair futon thing to assemble, but it's usable now.

[Dowbocop]

Had some lighting bants today. Got a new front room light fitting which needed wiring in rather than just screwing on. Hit up the fuse box, isolated the downstairs lights and was working my way through the job. Needed a bit more length in the earth cable so gently pulled it down, then as I was moving the neutral wire across to the correct clamp on the fitting the whole of our downstairs lost electricity for about ten/fifteen minutes. Wired it up, fuses came back on and appliances are fine, but now the light switch in our front room doesn't work and the kitchen lights are completely out of action. Wife is cooking via a reading lamp, a Stormtrooper lamp and an LED lantern. It's like she's on one of those back in time for dinner things

But joking aside I've strawberry floated up my house

[Errkal]

Had some lighting bants today. Got a new front room light fitting which needed wiring in rather than just screwing on. Hit up the fuse box, isolated the downstairs lights and was working my way through the job. Needed a bit more length in the earth cable so gently pulled it down, then as I was moving the neutral wire across to the correct clamp on the fitting the whole of our downstairs lost electricity for about ten/fifteen minutes. Wired it up, fuses came back on and appliances are fine, but now the light switch in our front room doesn't work and the kitchen lights are completely out of action. Wife is cooking via a reading lamp, a Stormtrooper lamp and an LED lantern. It's like she's on one of those back in time for dinner things

But joking aside I've strawberry floated up my house

Ceiling lights usually have a switched live that comes from the light switch so what looks like neutral might actually be the live and should have a sheith on it.

[Dowbocop]

Had some lighting bants today. Got a new front room light fitting which needed wiring in rather than just screwing on. Hit up the fuse box, isolated the downstairs lights and was working my way through the job. Needed a bit more length in the earth cable so gently pulled it down, then as I was moving the neutral wire across to the correct clamp on the fitting the whole of our downstairs lost electricity for about ten/fifteen minutes. Wired it up, fuses came back on and appliances are fine, but now the light switch in our front room doesn't work and the kitchen lights are completely out of action. Wife is cooking via a reading lamp, a Stormtrooper lamp and an LED lantern. It's like she's on one of those back in time for dinner things

But joking aside I've strawberry floated up my house

Ceiling lights usually have a switched live that comes from the light switch so what looks like neutral might actually be the live and should have a sheith on it.

There were multiple lives and neutrals all screwed into one of those 9-hole racks, with one earth screwed in separately. Only one of each was in use. The blue one which was in use had a bit of brown tape around it, creating a sort of Shrodinger's lampshade quantum conundrum in that I wasn't entirely sure which was live and which was neutral, so I just dodged the bullet and used different wires. That wire is probably switched isn't it?

[darksideby182]

Had some lighting bants today. Got a new front room light fitting which needed wiring in rather than just screwing on. Hit up the fuse box, isolated the downstairs lights and was working my way through the job. Needed a bit more length in the earth cable so gently pulled it down, then as I was moving the neutral wire across to the correct clamp on the fitting the whole of our downstairs lost electricity for about ten/fifteen minutes. Wired it up, fuses came back on and appliances are fine, but now the light switch in our front room doesn't work and the kitchen lights are completely out of action. Wife is cooking via a reading lamp, a Stormtrooper lamp and an LED lantern. It's like she's on one of those back in time for dinner things

But joking aside I've strawberry floated up my house

So you probably have RCD protection on the half of the fuseboard this is why half of the house went off, the reason is that the RCD monitors earth leakage so when you touched the earth to the neutral it will have tripped the fuse even if you have isolated the lighting circuit as the RCD covers more than one fuse. As for non working lights sounds you may have connected the light up wrong or not connected the cable into the terminal properly if you can take some pics of the wiring i may be able to help from the pics.

Yes I'm an Electrician

Edit:the blue wire with the brown sleeve is probably your switch live from the light switch.

[Albert]

leave the roller as is in the paint tray and cover it with a plastic back,

We all just going to let this slide are we?

[Dowbocop]

Had some lighting bants today. Got a new front room light fitting which needed wiring in rather than just screwing on. Hit up the fuse box, isolated the downstairs lights and was working my way through the job. Needed a bit more length in the earth cable so gently pulled it down, then as I was moving the neutral wire across to the correct clamp on the fitting the whole of our downstairs lost electricity for about ten/fifteen minutes. Wired it up, fuses came back on and appliances are fine, but now the light switch in our front room doesn't work and the kitchen lights are completely out of action. Wife is cooking via a reading lamp, a Stormtrooper lamp and an LED lantern. It's like she's on one of those back in time for dinner things

But joking aside I've strawberry floated up my house

So you probably have RCD protection on the half of the fuseboard this is why half of the house went off, the reason is that the RCD monitors earth leakage so when you touched the earth to the neutral it will have tripped the fuse even if you have isolated the lighting circuit as the RCD covers more than one fuse. As for non working lights sounds you may have connected the light up wrong or not connected the cable into the terminal properly if you can take some pics of the wiring i may be able to help from the pics.

Yes I'm an Electrician

Edit:the blue wire with the brown sleeve is probably your switch live from the light switch.

Thanks man, I really appreciate it! I'm almost certain it is an RCD fuse box (it has RCD written on it anyway!)

I will connect the switch live tomorrow and see if that fixes the problem. I think the way I described pulling the cable down made my wife think I'd rappelled off the stepladder with it when I actually just gave it a gentle tug for an extra inch of give when wiring it up. I'd be massively surprised if I have disconnected anything so with any luck just using the right wires will do the trick. When I put a bulb in the new fitting it does light up so I've done something right!

[Jenuall]

[Victor Mildew]

Any sort of wiring work terrifies me, I cut the power to the entire house, check all stuff is off multiple time, and when it comes to touching the actual wires, I'm like Alan Grant checking the power to the fence is still off by chucking wood at it.