The Home Improvements Thread (2)

[PhireSide]

Corded..

Tempting, but I don't have the dosh right now. I think I should take the drill apart again this weekend and maybe try clean the commutator again, maybe get in between the 'splines' and tackle it with some brake cleaner or something.

 

[Freakboy]

Any recommendations for a painter, builder/contractor and garden/tree removal experts in Centurion.
Our house transfer should go thru in a day or two so now we need to start getting thing ready for moving in.

For the painter can be a one-man or paint contractor, I just don't need somebody that is going to waste time or paint.

Then I need to enlarge some drainage holes on the upstairs patio that our house inspector recommended to stop water leaking into the walls. There are other items that also need to be attended too like some pavement bricks that need to be lifted and reseated, gutters to be fixed and downpipes extended, minor grouting around the outside bricks, etc.

Lastly I need some big branches that are hanging over the roof to be cut and some dead trees/stumps to be removed along with some minor other pants that have to go.

Suggestions will really be appreciated.

 

[Steamy Tom]

So there's a lot of brick bashing at a neighbours house today; took a quick look and they have two arched garage door entrances which they're now squaring off and opening to accommodate a double garage door by the looks of it.

There's no lintels across either of these existing arched spaces, so can only assume it will end in disaster at some point; particularly when they remove the centre column.... Waiting for the crash of building collapse...

they should use acros and strongboys, that said this isnt a load bearing wall (the trusses run parallel to it) I would never risk it though, at very least they are going to get some cracking.

They may well be making 2 square doors here though and keep the middle colum maybe just slightly thinner, still dumb then though they could have chopped enough to put a lintel in each side then removed material below

 

[Quintrix]

Any recommendations for a painter, builder

Suggestions will really be appreciated.

Will pm

 

[W@P]

So I got some quotes for some maintenance on one of my rental units. One was R108k and one was R78k. I went with the R78k one. This includes a few things. I was a bit lax regarding doing maintenance on these units and now it came back to bite me. The tenants never said a word about the condition of the house until the agent went and did an inspection the other day. I should have done all this last year already. Actually, feel ashamed that I let it get to such a state.

Anyway here are some pics of the current condition and the quote for those that are interested.
Will post the end result.

View attachment 1295900

So the work on the one house is finished. Came out rather well. Now the work starts on the other unit. Another R100k quote. FML.

 

[Claymore]

Ingco has one on special at mica for 1699..

Tempting. We have a prefab concrete granny flay, and a normal drill makes no impression on it. We had to borrow an SDS drill to drill holes.

 

[Claymore]

We've been living in renovation hell for a couple of months. So much done on a new house:

• Tiled almost the entire house (it had mixtures of tiles, laminate, and vinyl).
• Gutted the granny flat, tiled, painted, kitchen going in, redid the bathroom/shower completely.
• Re-paved the driveway/courtyard to get rid of a major slope.
• Giant 9x6 carport.
• Intercom.
• Security gates and trellidoors.
• Painted the house inside.
• Replaced most plugs and switches with modern ones. New lights in several rooms.
• Replacing most light globes (it had a mixture of LED, CFL, halogen, in warm and cool white). Replacing most downlighters too.
• Painted the white electrical cables on the facebrick walls.
• Redid the bathroom in granny flat #2 and hung a sliding door (it didn't have a door!)
• Replacing several internal doors.
• Removed an upstairs bar with dropped ceiling, sanded the floor, and a study desk is going in.
• Re-did some electrics which were dodgy.
• Roof over roller shutter door going in (it was open to the rain).
• Somewhat waterproofed the existing garage and carport.
• Mini geyser going in in the kitchen because the water takes 3-4 min to get hot.
• Fixed some sliding doors.
• New alarm system.

Getting there...

 

[SiR_BP]

I'm looking for someone that does waterproofing, any recommendations? The guy I have is quiet busy at the moment so not sure when he'll get to me.

Location: Cape Town, Southern Suburbs

 

[TedLasso]

We've been living in renovation hell for a couple of months. So much done on a new house:

• Tiled almost the entire house (it had mixtures of tiles, laminate, and vinyl).
• Gutted the granny flat, tiled, painted, kitchen going in, redid the bathroom/shower completely.
• Re-paved the driveway/courtyard to get rid of a major slope.
• Giant 9x6 carport.
• Intercom.
• Security gates and trellidoors.
• Painted the house inside.
• Replaced most plugs and switches with modern ones. New lights in several rooms.
• Replacing most light globes (it had a mixture of LED, CFL, halogen, in warm and cool white). Replacing most downlighters too.
• Painted the white electrical cables on the facebrick walls.
• Redid the bathroom in granny flat #2 and hung a sliding door (it didn't have a door!)
• Replacing several internal doors.
• Removed an upstairs bar with dropped ceiling, sanded the floor, and a study desk is going in.
• Re-did some electrics which were dodgy.
• Roof over roller shutter door going in (it was open to the rain).
• Somewhat waterproofed the existing garage and carport.
• Mini geyser going in in the kitchen because the water takes 3-4 min to get hot.
• Fixed some sliding doors.
• New alarm system.

Getting there...

Don't want to know costs but I do What's the hit so far?

Next one for us after getting my inverter in, is to redo the domestics quarters (that has always been vacant since we moved in) but which has a mix of various sanitary fixtures

 

[Claymore]

Don't want to know costs but I do What's the hit so far?

Next one for us after getting my inverter in, is to redo the domestics quarters (that has always been vacant since we moved in) but which has a mix of various sanitary fixtures

About R300K; most of that was profit from the sale of our previous houses. We wanted to just get everything done now, rather than doing it over years.

 

[TedLasso]

About R300K; most of that was profit from the sale of our previous houses. We wanted to just get everything done now, rather than doing it over years.

That's not bad at all all things considered. Spent about 250k a few years ago on exterior stuff and changing some windows and doors. Yours looks like extremely great value.

 

[PhireSide]

Corded..

I ended up getting this POS Ryobi to work. It ended up being a seized brush that caused arcing on the commutator which I cleaned up and then managed to get the brush moving again.

Total cost: R6 in flatting paper and a R33 can of brake cleaner

 

[Claymore]

That's not bad at all all things considered. Spent about 250k a few years ago on exterior stuff and changing some windows and doors. Yours looks like extremely great value.

We shopped around, and had some good contacts (especially with tiling!)

 

[Mosgi]

Folks

Anyone who has any contacts of a land surveyor.

Apparently I have 2 options, find the original occupation certificate or get a land surveyor in.

 

[Mosgi]

Folks

Anyone who has any contacts of a land surveyor.

Apparently I have 2 options, find the original occupation certificate or get a land surveyor in.

Alternatively anyone who actually answers a phone at the COJ building plans department

 

[Supine]

I was given a busted Ryobi SDS drill that I've been looking at fixing. It seems to receive power but the minute the trigger is pulled, it makes a 'poof' sound and I see a brief spark from the brush area. It doesn't trip the power or anything.

I disassembled it and gave it a good clean. The bottom bearing was a bit stiff but after working it with some Q20 and packing it with grease it moves freely again. The brushes still look good, but the commutator was full of carbon so I went at it with an emery cloth and got it nice and clean again. I packed the reciprocating rod on top full of grease (she was empty) but the same issue seems to persist. The motor moves freely, so I doubt it's a mechanical failure. I'm thinking the starter cap is busted, or there is a short somewhere, not that I could see one.

Is it worth fixing seeing as a new one can be had for around R2000? It's similar to this one, but probably an older model as it doesn't have speed control.

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I have one of these and it works really well.

 

[prod]

We have a section in our backyard that needs grass planted - I was thinking just getting some roll on lawn installed but someone suggested we wait until after winter. Good/bad idea? Cape Town Northern Subs if that makes a difference.

 

[Tinuva]

We have a section in our backyard that needs grass planted - I was thinking just getting some roll on lawn installed but someone suggested we wait until after winter. Good/bad idea? Cape Town Northern Subs if that makes a difference.

Cape Town winter grass do grow really slow because of cold.

Summer heat needs water every day.

Generally easiest time is April may with some heat and some rain. September is so so.

But my experience is with buffalo. Though it seems same with kukuja.

 

[ahmedy]

Guys, how do I stop my toilet from leaking into the bowl. I had tried to fiddle with everything possible in the cistern but have no idea what to change or adjust. The cistern constantly fills very slightly and the bowl leaks very slightly. If I closer the tap, the cistern will empty itself

 

[The_Mowgs]

Guys, how do I stop my toilet from leaking into the bowl. I had tried to fiddle with everything possible in the cistern but have no idea what to change or adjust. The cistern constantly fills very slightly and the bowl leaks very slightly. If I closer the tap, the cistern will empty itself

Follow the pipe in the middle to the bottom of the cistern and check for small pieces if debris that might stop the rubber at the bottom from making a 100% seal. Dont worry about the water inside, its clean drinking water.