The Home Improvements Thread (2)

[Smokey mcpot]

Yeah dude, people don't know what things cost, and they just think it is an easy job, just a few screws and you are done, which it certainly is not. R2850 is quite reasonable to supply and fit.

Without going to deep into cost breakdown... the door that was being supplied cost R2100(client chose the door). The price was actually just a favor to a friend who referred me. Wasn’t really profit to be made on the fitment. So I guess being turned down was a blessing in disguise for me haha

 

[Smokey mcpot]

Totally agree, and in my case the frame was a bit skew so the side of the door had to be planed a bit to make it fit. It is not as easy as going to shop and it just fits.

Most people tend to think that fitting a door is just a matter of buy and screw onto the frame.

then they come with raw doors which still need to be treated haha

 

[GrootBaas]

Have a feeling that there is a small leak in my pool - probably in the underground pipe between the pool and the pump. The water level is dropping much faster than I would expect. You just can't win when it comes to swimming pools Going to switch off the pump for a few days (which sucks cause the water will go green quickly in this heat) and see if the water continues to drop and where it stops. I knew a pool was going to be admin, but jeez...

 

[Steamy Tom]

Have a feeling that there is a small leak in my pool - probably in the underground pipe between the pool and the pump. The water level is dropping much faster than I would expect. You just can't win when it comes to swimming pools Going to switch off the pump for a few days (which sucks cause the water will go green quickly in this heat) and see if the water continues to drop and where it stops. I knew a pool was going to be admin, but jeez...

you should do a bucket test at the same time

 

[ToxicBunny]

Have a feeling that there is a small leak in my pool - probably in the underground pipe between the pool and the pump. The water level is dropping much faster than I would expect. You just can't win when it comes to swimming pools Going to switch off the pump for a few days (which sucks cause the water will go green quickly in this heat) and see if the water continues to drop and where it stops. I knew a pool was going to be admin, but jeez...

I won't lie, buying a house with a pool has been one of the best and worst decisions I've made in relation to a property...

They're fun and all that when they're useable, but hells bells when its not working right its a PITA and it can be a huge money pit.

 

[GrootBaas]

you should do a bucket test at the same time

Good idea, thanks! Didn't even think of that.

 

[APoc184]

Have a feeling that there is a small leak in my pool - probably in the underground pipe between the pool and the pump. The water level is dropping much faster than I would expect. You just can't win when it comes to swimming pools Going to switch off the pump for a few days (which sucks cause the water will go green quickly in this heat) and see if the water continues to drop and where it stops. I knew a pool was going to be admin, but jeez...

Before you start digging. Check the gasket on the multiport valve.

We had a similar sudden drop in the levels... And also thought it was in the pipe from the weir to the pump.

Client of mine suggested I check the MPV, because that is usually the first thing to go instead of a pipe.
What happens is the gasket either perishes or gets unseated. Then while pump is running on filter it also dumps some water down the waste pipe.

Was a R100 fix and 5min job for us.

 

[GrootBaas]

Before you start digging. Check the gasket on the multiport valve.

We had a similar sudden drop in the levels... And also thought it was in the pipe from the weir to the pump.

Client of mine suggested I check the MPV, because that is usually the first thing to go instead of a pipe.
What happens is the gasket either perishes or gets unseated. Then while pump is running on filter it also dumps some water down the waste pipe.

Was a R100 fix and 5min job for us.

Thanks, will keep that in mind. Never occurred to me that that the valve can be the culprit. Doubt it's that though as I replaced that complete unit not too long ago. My issue also seems to occur even when the pump is not running and since the valve is much higher than the pool, that shouldn't be an issue.

That said, it's been something like 16 hours now and the water level dropped by 1cm. This is in a 8x4m pool so it's ~320liters?!?! BUT, the water level in the bucket dropped even more, so it could be evaporation. I took the solar blanket off for this test.

Only about 1cm to go before the water will fall below the weir entry, so going to keep it going for now.

 

[Getit]

Hi All, anyone have any recommendations on laying polished concrete/epoxy/skimmed screed flooring throughout a house?

A few contractors say you can lay this over tiles however I am wary that if and when tiles crack the new floor would as well?

Anyone have a concrete floor that hasn't cracked after a few years?

 

[Smokey mcpot]

Screed flooring is not one of my favorites as most of the time it cracks.
if I were to do it I’d make sure that the ground underneath has been done properly. Like a fresh concrete floor underneath the screed. Epoxy is more forgiving and not as sensitive as the colored screed.

over tiles can be done, but if the floor is not perfect right now I wouldn’t do it.
Also check how much floor needs to be raised as it won’t just be a simple screed over the tiles, I would first to a cement topping and get it level before doing a screed.

 

[SAguy]

Hi All, anyone have any recommendations on laying polished concrete/epoxy/skimmed screed flooring throughout a house?

A few contractors say you can lay this over tiles however I am wary that if and when tiles crack the new floor would as well?

Anyone have a concrete floor that hasn't cracked after a few years?

Probably not really applicable in most cases, but if your builder is a rubbish and useless as mine then Vinyl flooring or even tiles are easier to lift/replace if they need to fix a stuff up.

With the horrors we've had with plumbing, if we had put in polished concrete flooring in (like we strongly considered initially) we would have been in a world of pain.

Having said that, flooring that cost us R50k installed has now cost nearly R80k do to constant damages by builder - which may not have been the case if it was a concrete floor.

(sorry, I'm cynical about renovations right now - let me have a few months to moan and grieve)

 

[ToxicBunny]

Thanks, will keep that in mind. Never occurred to me that that the valve can be the culprit. Doubt it's that though as I replaced that complete unit not too long ago. My issue also seems to occur even when the pump is not running and since the valve is much higher than the pool, that shouldn't be an issue.

That said, it's been something like 16 hours now and the water level dropped by 1cm. This is in a 8x4m pool so it's ~320liters?!?! BUT, the water level in the bucket dropped even more, so it could be evaporation. I took the solar blanket off for this test.

Only about 1cm to go before the water will fall below the weir entry, so going to keep it going for now.

Yeah, as much as it sucks, just leave it to keep going, if it drops below the weir AND the jet then you may have a leak in the pool itself or its evaporation

 

[ToxicBunny]

Hi All, anyone have any recommendations on laying polished concrete/epoxy/skimmed screed flooring throughout a house?

A few contractors say you can lay this over tiles however I am wary that if and when tiles crack the new floor would as well?

Anyone have a concrete floor that hasn't cracked after a few years?

I would reiterate @Smokey mcpot on this one....

I wouldn't do it personally, every one that I've seen has cracked in relatively short order when its been done over the top of an existing floor (and even worse when done over things like tiles).
My brother did it in his house in CPT, had all the existing floors ripped up and then the floor re-screeded and all that and even then within about 2 years there were spiderweb cracks all over the place.

 

[SAguy]

I would reiterate @Smokey mcpot on this one....

I wouldn't do it personally, every one that I've seen has cracked in relatively short order when its been done over the top of an existing floor (and even worse when done over things like tiles).
My brother did it in his house in CPT, had all the existing floors ripped up and then the floor re-screeded and all that and even then within about 2 years there were spiderweb cracks all over the place.

It looks stunning - but once it cracks repairing it is a mission, and probably not going to ever look the same.

 

[Smokey mcpot]

People need to remember, the later of screed is only a few mm thick. Very fragile stuff. So when things drop on the floor you’re most likely going to have a crack. Even going to the displays at the suppliers I saw the cracks and asked them why that happens. They couldn’t answer me (even though I didn’t need the answer haha).

to recap:
- epoxy floor, an option if the guy knows what he’s doing as it’s tougher than screed
- Polished concrete another option if the guy knows what he’s doing
- colour screed not my favorite at all and I’d probably stay away. Better off buying a regular self leveling screed and just leaving the colour as it will last longer than the colour screed products.

for all of the above, make sure the floor is prepped properly and done properly.

 

[Smokey mcpot]

It looks stunning - but once it cracks repairing it is a mission, and probably not going to ever look the same.

I saw a shop in the mall having a screed floor done. Store opened and in the first week I went in there with the intention of checking out the floor... holes everywhere. Weekend came and I saw repairs being done.

about 3 months later I saw them tiling the floor

 

[ToxicBunny]

People need to remember, the later of screed is only a few mm thick. Very fragile stuff. So when things drop on the floor you’re most likely going to have a crack. Even going to the displays at the suppliers I saw the cracks and asked them why that happens. They couldn’t answer me (even though I didn’t need the answer haha).

to recap:
- epoxy floor, an option if the guy knows what he’s doing as it’s tougher than screed
- Polished concrete another option if the guy knows what he’s doing
- colour screed not my favorite at all and I’d probably stay away. Better off buying a regular self leveling screed and just leaving the colour as it will last longer than the colour screed products.

for all of the above, make sure the floor is prepped properly and done properly.

Yeah, I did an epoxy type floor in my garage and its been very very hardy to all the abuse I've put it through, has cracked and chipped in a few places but largely its still in good knick.

If I was to build my own home from the ground up now, I would go with a polished concrete floor to be honest because I love the way they look, but I can only imagine how much it costs because the guys have to know what they're doing.

 

[ElixirCoder]

Hi All, anyone have any recommendations on laying polished concrete/epoxy/skimmed screed flooring throughout a house?

A few contractors say you can lay this over tiles however I am wary that if and when tiles crack the new floor would as well?

Anyone have a concrete floor that hasn't cracked after a few years?

Polished concrete over tiles is not a good idea. For a proper polished finish, your existing floor is stripped and then ground down and polished using special diamond polishing pads. Epoxy can be applied on top of that. a special screed can be applied over tiles.

Regarding cracking, are your tiles cracking presently? If yes, then the cracks will appear through the floor. However, you should note that most large concrete and screed surfaces are prone to some cracking, particularly when applied over a different substrate. Most of the time that suits the more rustic/industrial look.

 

[Getit]

Thanks all, thats what I thought and feared with regards to screed. I think the way to go is ground down and polished concrete with epoxy over that. When I get around to doing it Ill let you guys know how it turns out

 

[TheSlinger]

What could one do with old wooden floors to protect them from spillage of liquids? Aside from not spill of course