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Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

The Great DIY Beginners Support Group

100 replies

SunnieShine · 23/07/2023 11:03

OK, so there seems to be a few of us who need to get jobs done at home - but don't know where to start/how to do it/need a confidence boost and some accountability.

I have a hunch we are all FAR more capable than we think we are.

So let's "buddy up" and start working through that list, one job at a time .

Who's with me? 😀

OP posts:
redavocado · 23/07/2023 11:11

My people! We're part way through a part-diy renovation, nothing major or structural but DP is not overly motivated and I'm 7 months pregnant so things have ground to a halt!

Today my plan is to start sorting out the junk in the spare room so we can eventually lift the carpet and see just how many gaps are in the floorboards.

WaspLady · 23/07/2023 11:13

Hello, I’ll join! I need to know how ti put my bathroom mirror up on a no fines wall. Any kind of plugs just fall out, someone told me you need a hammer drill to drill into if properly but this seems excessive just for a mirror 🤣

3BSHKATS · 23/07/2023 11:20

So yesterday my son and I attempted to sore plywood to put down in the bathroom so that we can put the floor down and then I can hopefully move the beautiful bathroom vanity unit that is currently sat in my hallway way into the bathroom. Getting a plumber to come and fit it in is Plan B.

Original poster
SunnieShine · 23/07/2023 18:13

redavocado · 23/07/2023 11:11

My people! We're part way through a part-diy renovation, nothing major or structural but DP is not overly motivated and I'm 7 months pregnant so things have ground to a halt!

Today my plan is to start sorting out the junk in the spare room so we can eventually lift the carpet and see just how many gaps are in the floorboards.

Blimey, that sounds pretty impressive to me. I'm more at the changing a loo seat level. Mind you, I will need to saw through the fixings as they are hard to reach, then fit a top-fixing one in its place which is fiddly.

How did you get on with the decluttering?

OP posts:
Original poster
SunnieShine · 23/07/2023 18:21

WaspLady · 23/07/2023 11:13

Hello, I’ll join! I need to know how ti put my bathroom mirror up on a no fines wall. Any kind of plugs just fall out, someone told me you need a hammer drill to drill into if properly but this seems excessive just for a mirror 🤣

omg, I had to look up no fines wall. 😦Apparently, it's tricky to fix anything to it. Have you considered a very lightweight mirror and no more nails?

OP posts:
Original poster
SunnieShine · 23/07/2023 18:27

3BSHKATS · 23/07/2023 11:20

So yesterday my son and I attempted to sore plywood to put down in the bathroom so that we can put the floor down and then I can hopefully move the beautiful bathroom vanity unit that is currently sat in my hallway way into the bathroom. Getting a plumber to come and fit it in is Plan B.

So you put the plywood over the floorboards, then vynal or whatever on top?

This is of interest to me as I need to replace the flooring in my bathroom.

I don't get why this would be a plumbers job though - am I missing something? 😯

OP posts:
HugoDarracott · 23/07/2023 18:47

I want to get into this. I have loads of painting jobs but all outside so weather is stopping me doing those. I've insulation to install, toilet seat to change, taps to change, and probably loads of other stuff I've forgotten. I do write lists but then get depressed and give up. Just remembered I have loads of loose coping stones that need mortaring in. Again weather is stopping me!

@3BSHKATS do you mean you're fitting plywood over the joists? How is that going? I think I'll need to do this to fit insulation under our lounge floor.

woollenlampshade · 23/07/2023 19:06

@WaspLady I had to google that and it says no drilling due to the voids in the concrete. So is there plasterboard over the no fines wall? If yes then there are some really strong fixings for plasterboard (I have a 2 door mirrored cabinet held on to just the plasterboard)

For anyone needing help with DIY and who to trust, we have renovated a couple of houses, installed bathrooms, tiled floors, walls, dismantled and relocated sheds, poured small concrete slabs. YouTube is absolutely brilliant for info, so off the top of my head for all sorts, Skill Builder, Gosforth Handyman, Ultimate Handyman, Proper DIY, Plumberparts. Really professional people giving great advice.

redavocado · 23/07/2023 19:42

SunnieShine I feel for you! I absolutely hate toilet seat installation! I can do it, I just find it unnecessarily fiddly plus there's the close proximity to the loo.

Decluttering went well. DP is a bit of a horder so we found all kinds of things that have probably moved house with us several times. It took longer than I thought so it'll probably take a few more sessions to get through the rest.

redavocado · 23/07/2023 19:43

WaspLady · 23/07/2023 11:13

Hello, I’ll join! I need to know how ti put my bathroom mirror up on a no fines wall. Any kind of plugs just fall out, someone told me you need a hammer drill to drill into if properly but this seems excessive just for a mirror 🤣

I also had to google no fines wall. That sounds like a nightmare! Are all your walls like that?

Original poster
SunnieShine · 23/07/2023 19:51

HugoDarracott · 23/07/2023 18:47

I want to get into this. I have loads of painting jobs but all outside so weather is stopping me doing those. I've insulation to install, toilet seat to change, taps to change, and probably loads of other stuff I've forgotten. I do write lists but then get depressed and give up. Just remembered I have loads of loose coping stones that need mortaring in. Again weather is stopping me!

@3BSHKATS do you mean you're fitting plywood over the joists? How is that going? I think I'll need to do this to fit insulation under our lounge floor.

It's so easy to get overwhelmed and confused about where to start. I think sometimes you just need to start somewhere.

So in my two days off work week after next I solemnly do declare to change the toilet seat and start painting my bedroom. 🤓

Which means I have to buy/find all the necessary ready to start - a job in itself if you ask me...

OP posts:
Original poster
SunnieShine · 23/07/2023 19:56

redavocado · 23/07/2023 19:42

SunnieShine I feel for you! I absolutely hate toilet seat installation! I can do it, I just find it unnecessarily fiddly plus there's the close proximity to the loo.

Decluttering went well. DP is a bit of a horder so we found all kinds of things that have probably moved house with us several times. It took longer than I thought so it'll probably take a few more sessions to get through the rest.

You got started, that's the bit that undoes many of us. So hats off to you. ✔

OP posts:
Original poster
SunnieShine · 23/07/2023 19:57

Thsnk you for those YouTube recommendations, that's my lunch hours sorted. 😁

OP posts:
Nortam · 23/07/2023 20:41

I'm going to lurk on this thread and hope to have something to contribute soon. We are buying a dump of a house and have no money so diying will be the only way to get a lot of the non essential jobs done.

Diyextension · 23/07/2023 20:47

Ive done my fair share of diy over the years and i too had to google “ no fines”. 🙂.

whenitwereallgreenfields · 23/07/2023 20:48

I need to know how to scrape back
The peeling (?damp) paint above my shower cubicle and repaint it

Fraudornot · 23/07/2023 20:56

Count me in! Loads of jobs to do in the house - learnt to prep and paint a bedroom from you tube and it was really satisfying

GrouchyKiwi · 23/07/2023 21:05

Ooh, me too please!

I have just bought a wee mouse sander. I'm going to practise on little coffee tables and then eventually do windowsills.

I also need to learn how to remove wallpaper and fix anything terrifying that might be underneath it before painting. I am a slack painter and usually just whack up a coat over whatever is already there, but there are some sections of historical mould in the wallpaper rooms so I need to be sure it's all OK under there.

FruitBadger · 23/07/2023 21:09

Ooh, can I join?!

I'm a very recently single parent, "D"H is a builder who used to do all work that needed doing. He was a bit territorial about his power tools and things being done right, so I've lost my confidence in terms of having a go at things.

There's lots that needs to be done here, as he's left me with a renovation project we started 10 years ago which he lost interest in. Fortunately mainly redecorating, with a few skirting boards but there are a couple of bigger items that I'm not sure if I'm quite brave enough for! I'm determined to get it all done without asking him for help or advice! 💪

BigGreen · 23/07/2023 21:15

Me too please. We have lots of jobs to do before we sell our house (I mean if it sells in this crazy market?!)

PureBlackVoid · 23/07/2023 21:39

Can this double up as a procrastinator support thread? 😁

I have a looong list of DIY jobs, some I’ve started but the problem is I get so fed up with the fiddly bits/stuck on how to do something, give up and move on to the next thing. Then all the fiddly bits pile up.

My top priority jobs are:

To finish painting the spare room. I painted it all, then when I took off the frog tape, I ripped bits of paint off with it 😑. So now I have the worst part, which is tidying up the edges. I have been putting it off for 3 months.

After I’ve finished painting it, I need to put down some beading, to cover the gap between floor and skirting (a bodge job not done by me!), but the problem is the bedroom door closes right up against the wall so regular beading would get in the way. I’ve been trying to find a flat beading that sort of matches the floor colour, but frustratingly had no luck.

I also need to patch up the walls in a boiler cupboard, so that I can add hooks and things for mops/dusters etc, and just generally make it a little nicer. I’m thinking of some cheap wall panels, but it’s a very small cupboard and I’ll have to get up close and personal with the boiler pipes (which makes me nervous as I’m clumsy). The cupboard ceiling is also curved so I’m still trying to figure that one out.

I also need to finish painting new doors I had fitted last year. Again I started them, the paint was very drippy, so I need to sand and start again which I am not looking forward to.

3BSHKATS · 23/07/2023 22:15

Oh goodness ive done nothing today, i know itll look lovely when its done but it feels far away from done

WaspLady · 23/07/2023 22:17

Haha I’m glad my house is as perplexing to everyone else as it is to me 😂 Re the mirror, I’m actually not sure what is on the external walls tbh. it doesnt feel like there is plasterboard and there is no cavity so I’m assuming not. ExH did get it to stay up for a while with some large kind of rawl plugs but it eventually fell off again and I’m worried about it landing on one of the children. It’s not actually that heavy so if might stick up if anyone can recommend some heavy duty sticking stuff that will cope in the bathroom!

NotBotheredAnymore · 23/07/2023 22:19

*Sits quietly in the corner as will be needing these ideas once moved.

3BSHKATS · 23/07/2023 22:20

SunnieShine · 23/07/2023 18:27

So you put the plywood over the floorboards, then vynal or whatever on top?

This is of interest to me as I need to replace the flooring in my bathroom.

I don't get why this would be a plumbers job though - am I missing something? 😯

Show quote history

The plumber needs to plumb the sink in. I thought that I needed a plumber to lift the toilet up and then put it back down again so I could get under there.. but apparently that’s quite straightforward easy thing to do. I’ll let you know if we’re under 6 feet of water.