What "man jobs" have you done today?

NickK · 20 Jul 2020 at 15:30

So far today (day 1 of vacation):
* washed the car (7 months - it's now white not grey)
* tried several places for fence paint - nope. At least the car got a battery charge
* Took delivery of excavator. Although I have to wait til Wednesday to get digging - did the lifting the excavator on it's arm and dozer to widen the wheels.. fun

* did weekly shop
* chillax

IvanDobskey · 20 Jul 2020 at 15:39

Hedge said:
Should probably have left a couple of inch gap at bottom to stop water tracking up the wood. Although I doubt it really matters that much.

Planning to trim a little off. Problem is, although the gate is straight, the path isn't quite level. So there's a nice gap one side, but not the other.

kai · 21 Jul 2020 at 07:57

So many jobs going on at the moment. The fence was around 8 years old and had started to rot due to it being fixed poorly in the first place. During the weekend, i removed the old fence and started to put up new posts. I have had to learn (via YouTube) to do a lot of jobs myself as getting hold of tradesmen at the moment is difficult.

Each post i used two bags of post fix. I have kind of taken it as far as i can and hoping the builder can finish it this week before the decking area starts. This is a view from the newly converted garage into an outdoor office. Yesterday i fitted the Alarm ring system, and put up all the wifi cameras and converted everything to Philips Hue.

Mounted the TV and got everything ready for the desk this week.

neepheid · 21 Jul 2020 at 14:16

Rescued the washing machine - was making a hell of a rattling noise. Managed to drain it without flooding the place and remove the foreign object from the detergent pump impeller. Not a coin, but a metal object which looks like the top of a mechanical pencil. I hope it's not part of the washing machine!

Then I "fixed" the vacuum cleaner - Dyson ball sticking and making a clicking noise. Turned out the filter inside the ball had come loose. Didn't even know there was a filter in there, so of course it hasn't been cleaned since the machine was new so it's drying out now before being reassembled.

Ongoing, but we're redecorating a room - old house so the more wallpaper we strip, the more cracks and anomalies we find in the old plaster on lath. If funds were no object I'd say gut the room back to the framing and resheet it but it's going to have to be a mend and make do this time. So I'm filling a lot of holes. 3 walls done, 1 to go.

fobose · 21 Jul 2020 at 15:01

Found a leak in my bathroom last week that caused the skirting to pop away from the wall in the next room. As I've had to remove the bath panel to find the leak (from the corner of the bath, mastic failure), I've decided to give the skirting board and door/frame a rub down as its awfully yellow. Before I can rub down the skirting though, I've had to cut away and scrap off all this bloody mastic....

joelk2 · 21 Jul 2020 at 20:51

Not today but yesterday I finished off tidying the garden and on the weekend laid the turf. Garden makeover pretty much complete.

And for anyone wondering what it was like before. (This is just after I started digging)

All dug by hand. Whole old patio was dug down approx 700mm and wheelbarrowed out by myself.

Derek W · 21 Jul 2020 at 21:03

Decent effort and great result @joelk2

Edit
Also nice outdoor #cornersofa

joelk2 · 21 Jul 2020 at 21:13

Derek W said:
Decent effort and great result @joelk2

Edit
Also nice outdoor #cornersofa

Thanks. It was tough going to be honest. To the point somedays I was so exhausted I thought I might collapse. Was all done on evenings, weekends and the odd day off as I was fortunate enough to still be working through the lockdown.

Corner sofa was the wife's choice but goes well in the garden. We have a storage box out of shot for all the cushions.

Derek W · 21 Jul 2020 at 21:52

Hopefully get some good weather for the rest of the summer / autumn so you can enjoy the space

Fluke? · 23 Jul 2020 at 18:52

joelk2 said:
Not today but yesterday I finished off tidying the garden and on the weekend laid the turf. Garden makeover pretty much complete.

And for anyone wondering what it was like before. (This is just after I started digging)

All dug by hand. Whole old patio was dug down approx 700mm and wheelbarrowed out by myself.

Really nice job. We have a wield little mound/slope of a lawn with crap grass, soil which is more stones and bits of crud than anything that something would like to grow in and paving slabs with no drainage. Needs a LOT of time and/or a lot of money spending. But before then the kitchen needs doing, oh and the bathroom.

NickK · 23 Jul 2020 at 21:22

After the fishing trip yesterday, it was day 2 of the pond dig. Started digging down a bit more but the main thing was the removal of the rebarred concrete telescope pier. The digger couldn’t move it, so had to SDS chisel and drill through the base. Then once the rebar was exposed cut with an angle grinder.

I also have some OSB3 board to sure up the walls in the hole, timber to make a frame to support the fence posts and make a frame for a tarpaulin. Saturday will be a drown pour so I have one day to ensure that sand isn’t going to errode.

the board is only needed long enough to get the slab pour and the block walls in place.

fobose · 23 Jul 2020 at 21:28

Thought about getting in someone to sort out the rest of my wood work (glossing) in the house. Checked my daily rate, realized I don't earn £150 a day. Starting sanding door frames on my middle floor. 1 down (and undercoated / caulked). 4 to go

joelk2 · 24 Jul 2020 at 08:09

Derek W said:
Hopefully get some good weather for the rest of the summer / autumn so you can enjoy the space

the weather is unfortunately the least of my worries.

Diagro · 24 Jul 2020 at 16:01

Had a plumber out this morning. To diagnose the boiler not producing constant hot water for showers and the like. needing two taps on to get it to register and heat.
£45...
They wanted a further £170 to replace a part.. the part is £35..Oh and zero warranty if it goes wrong.

So... popped to local plumbing shop. Bought the part. Fitted the part with help of a youtube video.. Boiler now works as intended.

Lokwyr · 25 Jul 2020 at 22:13

Captain said:
Yeah gravel is a no go, got the quote out of curiosity but it's no good for taking a motorbike over.

Gravel has a propensity for travelling on to the pavement and road. Use chippings. They don't roll and cats around here don't foul on them.
I considered epoxy but SWMBO opined it looks like cornflakes (I know- colours are an option!).

Captain · 25 Jul 2020 at 22:22

Lokwyr said:
Gravel has a propensity for travelling on to the pavement and road. Use chippings. They don't roll and cats around here don't foul on them.
I considered epoxy but SWMBO opined it looks like cornflakes (I know- colours are an option!).

I went for Tarmac.

Siver74 · 27 Jul 2020 at 00:00

I did some maintenance cleaning and inspection on my power tools. Also checked on the CO detector that's barely given attention at home after reading this read on CO poisoning. Had a drink to chill, it has not been a relaxing day.

tedaC · 27 Jul 2020 at 08:29

dismantled old decking

Evilpaul · 28 Jul 2020 at 22:12

Evilpaul said:
Rotten old shed turned into rotten old flat-pack. Going to spend the evenings this week turning it into small enough bits to fit in the car, for disposal at the tip. The fence gets replaced next week.

It's gone, sort of.

All split up into a size that'll fit in the car. Doing it with only hand tools was a dumb idea.

fobose · 29 Jul 2020 at 08:51

You all look like you've been having much more fun than me! I've been tackling my hall way wood work some more. I am now 2 of 5 doors/door frames complete. On to the 3x bedroom heavy fire doors now and door frames.

I wasn't planning on changing the carpet for a while but I've cut around the skirting / door frames to make life easier so looks like I will have to get it changed this year after all