The Home Improvements Thread (2)

[alqassam]

That seems a bit overkill?

Xiaomi has a security camera that can rotate 360 degrees for under R1k. It also has a speaker built in.

Investigate the echo show 5.

I would use that

 

[Shella]

The main bathroom

View attachment 672379View attachment 672381View attachment 672383

Looks really good. I like how the shower column is used as the support arm.

We also looking to do a curbless walk in shower.
I have read some mixed experiences on splatter outside the shower and leaking under the screen.
Any tips on avoiding this?
What's your experience been?
It looks like your shower floor is recessed and not flush with the rest of the bathroom floor.

 

[SAguy]

Looks really good. I like how the shower column is used as the support arm.

We also looking to do a curbless walk in shower.
I have read some mixed experiences on splatter outside the shower and leaking under the screen.
Any tips on avoiding this?
What's your experience been?
It looks like your shower floor is recessed and not flush with the rest of the bathroom floor.

We had a walk-in shower at our previous place, this screen:



We loved it, and would do it again. Things I would consider though:

• Make sure the people doing the plumbing and the slope of the shower knows what they're doing, a blocked drain in one of these is not fun
• Don't put anything that can't get wet on the open end of the shower. We had nothing but a wall and that was great, I wouldn't put a cabinet or anything there. It's not a lot of water that splashes out, but depends how tall you are - and if you're showering alone
  
• It is a bit colder than a closed shower in winter, so if you showered with the bathroom door open before you may want to close the bathroom door now.

 

[The_Mowgs]

Is plumbing like this allowed? The reason Im asking is the one pipe is obviously the toilet, the one small pipe the basin and the other the bath.

Recently the bathroom started to smell strange, not human waste strange but smelling badly and I have a feeling it has to do with this plumbing

 

[qscwbt]

Is plumbing like this allowed? The reason Im asking is the one pipe is obviously the toilet, the one small pipe the basin and the other the bath.

Recently the bathroom started to smell strange, not human waste strange but smelling badly and I have a feeling it has to do with this plumbing

100 % normal plumbing. All water end up going via sewage line. Along as the bath and the basin has a S trap you should not have smells.

 

[WAslayer]

Is plumbing like this allowed? The reason Im asking is the one pipe is obviously the toilet, the one small pipe the basin and the other the bath.

Recently the bathroom started to smell strange, not human waste strange but smelling badly and I have a feeling it has to do with this plumbing

Hair and other stuff clogged in the pipes also starts to smell after time.. whack some drain cleaner in the bath outlet and see if it helps.. if it doesn't, you probably don't have a s trap like mentioned above but, I would expect the smell to be there from when you moved in, unless the house was newly built..

 

[The_Mowgs]

100 % normal plumbing. All water end up going via sewage line. Along as the bath and the basin has a S trap you should not have smells.

Thank you, appreciate it. Will have to check as the smell is bad unless we leave a window open.

 

[The_Mowgs]

Hair and other stuff clogged in the pipes also starts to smell after time.. whack some drain cleaner in the bath outlet and see if it helps.. if it doesn't, you probably don't have a s trap like mentioned above but, I would expect the smell to be there from when you moved in, unless the house was newly built..

No not newly built and the bath and basin never gets used but think I should just chuck some drain cleaner in there for good measure.

 

[WAslayer]

No not newly built and the bath and basin never gets used but think I should just chuck some drain cleaner in there for good measure.

Quick and cheap fix if it works, otherwise you might have to put in s traps outside.. got enough space, would just look odd..

 

[qscwbt]

So Last year I asked how to mount a TV on a wall and hide the wires in a single brick wall. Got some advise on here. We also decided to do some more changes while we at it. We decided to close the front door with and add in a bay window.


before.
Small Tv room. Wanted to move the TV to the wall on the left. The door on the right is the front door. this door opened into the house, and was never used.



Busy Bricking up the front and adding a large window.


inside after the window was fitted.


I framed it with meranti wood. the seating area is boxed so that we have extra storage space.

Cut in the wall to hide the Tv wires.


Tv mounted and wires all hidden. And you cant see where we cut the wall.



And the final bay window. I did add the skirting after the photo was taken.

 

[qscwbt]

No not newly built and the bath and basin never gets used but think I should just chuck some drain cleaner in there for good measure.

There is your problem. Water in the Strap prevents smells from the drain. If a bathroom is not used the water in the s traps either evaporate or sometimes get sucked out if there is no vacuum breaker. And then hallo smells.

 

[maumau]

So Last year I asked how to mount a TV on a wall and hide the wires in a single brick wall. Got some advise on here. We also decided to do some more changes while we at it. We decided to close the front door with and add in a bay window.

View attachment 673659
before.
Small Tv room. Wanted to move the TV to the wall on the left. The door on the right is the front door. this door opened into the house, and was never used.


View attachment 673663
Busy Bricking up the front and adding a large window.

View attachment 673665
inside after the window was fitted.

View attachment 673667
I framed it with meranti wood. the seating area is boxed so that we have extra storage space.
View attachment 673673
Cut in the wall to hide the Tv wires.

View attachment 673675
Tv mounted and wires all hidden. And you cant see where we cut the wall.

View attachment 673679

And the final bay window. I did add the skirting after the photo was taken.

Nice job. Pic please from the same POV as the before pic.

 

[Shella]

We had a walk-in shower at our previous place, this screen:

View attachment 673599

We loved it, and would do it again. Things I would consider though:

• Make sure the people doing the plumbing and the slope of the shower knows what they're doing, a blocked drain in one of these is not fun
• Don't put anything that can't get wet on the open end of the shower. We had nothing but a wall and that was great, I wouldn't put a cabinet or anything there. It's not a lot of water that splashes out, but depends how tall you are - and if you're showering alone
  
• It is a bit colder than a closed shower in winter, so if you showered with the bathroom door open before you may want to close the bathroom door now.

Thanks
This is useful

Ours will be in a corner.

The closest item to the shower entrance will be about 3m away

 

[Kolmogorov]

There is your problem. Water in the Strap prevents smells from the drain. If a bathroom is not used the water in the s traps either evaporate or sometimes get sucked out if there is no vacuum breaker. And then hallo smells.

^This

A bucket of water down every unused trap every other week should do the trick.

 

[Ruxin]

Looks really good. I like how the shower column is used as the support arm.

We also looking to do a curbless walk in shower.
I have read some mixed experiences on splatter outside the shower and leaking under the screen.
Any tips on avoiding this?
What's your experience been?
It looks like your shower floor is recessed and not flush with the rest of the bathroom floor.

The splatter is not that much we have a very absorbant mat just out side which seems to catch all the splatter.
We enjoy the open shower and haven't had any issues with leaking.
The floor in the shower slopes to the trap.
I would suggest getting a competent installer and tiler to execute correctly.

 

[stepper]

How much can I expect to pay for ceramic tile removal per sqm?
I was thinking of using the builder's labourers since they on site already and it will go with the rubble.

 

[Quey_Quick]

I have a jacuzzi that we are looking to get rid of.

Any recommendations on someone who can do it? Ideally they need to leave with it as well.

In the north of JHB.

 

[xrapidx]

I advertised mine on gumtree - made it the buyers responsibility to collect and remove, but it was fairly easy, only had to cut the power, remove a sliding door - and out it went.

btw - get the value for it before you sell it, I advertised ours at R7,500 - and got a ton of messages, thought something was up, got a quote and they sold for over R40k new - promptly deleted the ad - relisted at R20k - and it sold almost immediately.

-- oddly enough - the above jacuzzi room I'm busy converting to a play room - painting it tonight, and then I'll have some questions about making a steps into the hole.

 

[The_Mowgs]

There is your problem. Water in the Strap prevents smells from the drain. If a bathroom is not used the water in the s traps either evaporate or sometimes get sucked out if there is no vacuum breaker. And then hallo smells.

Thanks for this. I will add some drain cleaner today and make a note to run some water through once a week

 

[alqassam]

Best product for ibr waterproofing. Basically where it touches the walls and the overlaps with the screws.

Got a quote of R8k sure incouldndonit for under R2k