The Home Improvements Thread (2)

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I may have been ambitious in thinking I could do this in 2 days.

Forgot how expensive pond pumps are. Over R3k for a 300l/hr pump at zero head. Head hight from bottom of the garden to the pond is about 1m but distance is 14m of pipe.

Ended up using a 400w submersible pump and normal 20ml black pipe.

Next week I'll sort out lighting and plants. All the rocks came from 2m underground when I dug up my well. 20210523_154101.jpg20210523_154002.jpg
 
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Is there a lock I can replace this with that'll function as a slam lock?
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xrapidx said:
Is there a lock I can replace this with that'll function as a slam lock?
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I've only seen them with cylinder locks. Magnador may be able to direct you, they've always been very helpful for me.
 
xrapidx said:
Is there a lock I can replace this with that'll function as a slam lock?
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you want a latch lock, which yeah will most likely mean it will also become a cylinder lock, so you would need to drill/cut out for the cylinder.

also make sure the latch then is guarded, as if it can latch closed it can be slipped to open.
 
Steamy Tom said:
you want a latch lock, which yeah will most likely mean it will also become a cylinder lock, so you would need to drill/cut out for the cylinder.

also make sure the latch then is guarded, as if it can latch closed it can be slipped to open.
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The magnador supplied latch locks allow you to do an extra 2 key turns, which slides another piece of metal in over the latch which can't be slipped.

Problem is remembering to actually lock the gate and not just slam it closed.
 
signates said:
Done with the pond for the most part. I'll be adding plants eventually but slowly.

Ended up getting a DC pump with a variable speed. Currently it's on setting 2 of 5 and still providing enough flow.

Short video
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Just be mindful that water is kept away from the building.

The last thing you want is rising damp issues
 
smiley-zn said:
Just be mindful that water is kept away from the building.

The last thing you want is rising damp issues
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The house is just under 1m above ground level built in the late 70's. There's some damp on the outside walls already but stops where the floor of the house starts. Been that way for a few years already without any rising damp beyond that point or anything inside the house.
 
A question about the process of plans with CoCT when doing major renovations.

So when submitting plans for building, your plans get approved. Then the builder lets the inspector know that building has commenced, they come out and check a couple of times. Question is, do you then need to have a final inspection done for occupancy if you are building extra rooms like I did?

And if I were to go ask council for my latest plans now, would the latest plans be the final approved plans - or is there a step that makes the approved plans now the actual plans of the house?

Not sure if I'm asking that correctly - hopefully I'm making sense. I'm just thinking that just because plans are approved it doesn't automatically make those the latest plans of the house as it stands, since the work may never be carried out.

Asking because I told my previous builder to go fark himself, and I don't want to sit with an insurance issue or struggle when I want to build again and my plans are suddenly not up to date.
 
SAguy said:
A question about the process of plans with CoCT when doing major renovations.

So when submitting plans for building, your plans get approved. Then the builder lets the inspector know that building has commenced, they come out and check a couple of times. Question is, do you then need to have a final inspection done for occupancy if you are building extra rooms like I did?

And if I were to go ask council for my latest plans now, would the latest plans be the final approved plans - or is there a step that makes the approved plans now the actual plans of the house?

Not sure if I'm asking that correctly - hopefully I'm making sense. I'm just thinking that just because plans are approved it doesn't automatically make those the latest plans of the house as it stands, since the work may never be carried out.

Asking because I told my previous builder to go fark himself, and I don't want to sit with an insurance issue or struggle when I want to build again and my plans are suddenly not up to date.
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So the process is largely the same across the municipalities...

The inspector will come out at defined points in the process to check foundations, walls, roofing etc... and once all is complete they come out for a final inspection and issue an occupancy certificate if all is in order. Even if you do just add a few extra rooms and such.

You should be able to get the inspector to come out yourself to do that final inspection and find out from them what they require to issue the occupancy certificate for you.
 
ToxicBunny said:
So the process is largely the same across the municipalities...

The inspector will come out at defined points in the process to check foundations, walls, roofing etc... and once all is complete they come out for a final inspection and issue an occupancy certificate if all is in order. Even if you do just add a few extra rooms and such.

You should be able to get the inspector to come out yourself to do that final inspection and find out from them what they require to issue the occupancy certificate for you.
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Cool, I think I'm going to have to do that then. Just want to get my certificates sorted for electrical and plumbing and then I'll get him out.

Last thing I want is a fire of something and then I have to beg one of you guys to let me and the wife move in
 
SAguy said:
Cool, I think I'm going to have to do that then. Just want to get my certificates sorted for electrical and plumbing and then I'll get him out.

Last thing I want is a fire of something and then I have to beg one of you guys to let me and the wife move in
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Yeah, just a word of warning... the plumbing one MAY be tricky... plumbers aren't always that happy to sign off on someone elses work...

BUT I'm not sure if they're 100% necessary for an occupational cert for renovations (I didn't need one)
 
ToxicBunny said:
Yeah, just a word of warning... the plumbing one MAY be tricky... plumbers aren't always that happy to sign off on someone elses work...

BUT I'm not sure if they're 100% necessary for an occupational cert for renovations (I didn't need one)
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Luckily I chased my builder's plumber off a while back and got my own plumber to supervise all the rework, so that shouldn't be an issue.
 
When we did the kitchen, no structural change - the city insisted on certificates for all the work, was a pain as the plumber who did the work had died - and the actual builder was a POS, fortunately, my final payment required all certificates, and signoffs :D.

I'm not 100% sure why they insisted on being involved, they only arrived at the end - and all it got me was them increasing the value of the property by R500k. (a property they hadn't seen beforehand, and only saw the kitchen)
 
SAguy said:
Luckily I chased my builder's plumber off a while back and got my own plumber to supervise all the rework, so that shouldn't be an issue.
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Either way, if you get compliance company out to do the cert, they ain't going to care who did the work..
 
Wanting to replace a section of grass outside, about 3m x 2m with a "stone" garden - the grass always dies in winter - and the dogs proceed to bring in all the mud with them, how deep should I plan for stones? (so I can work out how much to order)
 
xrapidx said:
Wanting to replace a section of grass outside, about 3m x 2m with a "stone" garden - the grass always dies in winter - and the dogs proceed to bring in all the mud with them, how deep should I plan for stones? (so I can work out how much to order)
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Depends on the size of the stone but 10-30cm deep. If you have some bad clay soil and don't want the soil to bubble up, throw a layer of building sand before the good landscape fabric/weed guard.

I skipped the fabric and after a year I need to dig up the stones again as it's getting muddy. Going to make it deeper anyway for drainage as I've gutter running onto it and crap clay sand.
 
xrapidx said:
Wanting to replace a section of grass outside, about 3m x 2m with a "stone" garden - the grass always dies in winter - and the dogs proceed to bring in all the mud with them, how deep should I plan for stones? (so I can work out how much to order)
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I've done stones a few times, old house and a smaller patch at current house.
Both times I've done about 10cm - 15cm, but - and don't skimp on this. Put down proper weed fabric, and make sure to even tape together any overlaps/seams/joins. Even peg down the corners if you can.

It serves a few purposes. Limits weeds/grass a fair amount, prevents stones from being tramped down into sand, and most importantly.. makes refreshing it annually much easier. I get a garden executive to just about remove all the stones and throw them back in a bucket at a time after removing leaves and twigs.

If you don't do a proper clean then eventually enough leaves and sand blows in to actually give weeds a place to grow, defeating the purpose of the fabric.

Stones are not maintenance free - I was lied to when I first did it :ROFL:
 
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