The Home Improvements Thread (3)

[WAslayer]

Drilling porcelain tiles is @#$@#$!
I misplaced my Alpen bit so went for 4mm and 6mm Bosch expert multi construction bits (both cheaper than one Alpen bit).
Did not want to fiddle with diamond ones since I had bad experience aligning it last time.
First drill tiles with 4mm and it was a #$# to drill 8 holes then 6mm went easier (had to cool bits in water every 20 seconds).
Tried to use Dewalt in hammer mode to drill deeper 6mm for plugs but ended up first doing 5mm sds and then 6mm normal masonry with it.
This is guest bathroom so it is quite small and not nice to move around.
Anyway tray for shampoo and rail for towels on opposite wall installed.
It would be nice that I got that cordless Bosch SDS on special instead of corded Makita.
View attachment 1860113

Alpen's profi multicut bits are amazing for drilling any tile and don't need hammer mode to use them either.. I use nothing else for tiles anymore..

 

[deesef]

Drilling porcelain tiles is @#$@#$!
I misplaced my Alpen bit so went for 4mm and 6mm Bosch expert multi construction bits (both cheaper than one Alpen bit).
Did not want to fiddle with diamond ones since I had bad experience aligning it last time.
First drill tiles with 4mm and it was a #$# to drill 8 holes then 6mm went easier (had to cool bits in water every 20 seconds).
Tried to use Dewalt in hammer mode to drill deeper 6mm for plugs but ended up first doing 5mm sds and then 6mm normal masonry with it.
This is guest bathroom so it is quite small and not nice to move around.
Anyway tray for shampoo and rail for towels on opposite wall installed.
It would be nice that I got that cordless Bosch SDS on special instead of corded Makita.
View attachment 1860113

I bought this set from Temu last year. Drilled about 20 holes through tiles into brick a while back. 6 of the holes were 8mm and the rest 6mm. Used the low gear at full speed with a Hikoki battery drill.

Those bits go through the tile like a knife through butter! Once the head of the bit was fully in the masonry, went over to hammer action. Was not necessary to cool the bits at all.

https://share.temu.com/GuCKaNLK1fB

 

[acidrain]

Does anyone know of a reasonably priced architect in the Cape Town area. Preferably someone who will also handle COCT DAMS application.

Looking to get started with my next set of plans and my last guy became a career man.

 

[maumau]

Does anyone know of a reasonably priced architect in the Cape Town area. Preferably someone who will also handle COCT DAMS application.

Looking to get started with my next set of plans and my last guy became a career man.

How far is George?

Would never have got through my renovations without this lady:

About – Studio IMW

studioimw.co.za

EDIT: Not sure how her prices compare because I didn't look around but she does a spectacular job.

 

[acidrain]

How far is George?

Would never have got through my renovations without this lady:

About – Studio IMW

studioimw.co.za

EDIT: Not sure how her prices compare because I didn't look around but she does a spectacular job.

Probably pretty far for her but I'll make contact and see. Maybe she knows of someone in the area.

Thanks for the recommend

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

While I have my ceilings open during my renovation I was thinking of adding some additional insulation using rigid foam boards like Isoboard. This will help insulate (will still have isotherm insulation in the ceilings) and hopefully also help reduce noise coming in.

I have a metal roof with a reflective underlayment then the purlin which sits on top of the beams. I'm thinking of putting some insulation on top of the beam in the gap between the purlins.

Has anyone done this? I'm just not sure how it would be secured so there is zero chance of any breeze causing it to possibly vibrate, not that there should be wind in my roof space but there will always be some air movement. Friction fitting it might be enough but not sure what the recommended installation would be here.

Image of where I'm thinking of putting it.

 

[WAslayer]

While I have my ceilings open during my renovation I was thinking of adding some additional insulation using rigid foam boards like Isoboard. This will help insulate (will still have isotherm insulation in the ceilings) and hopefully also help reduce noise coming in.

I have a metal roof with a reflective underlayment then the purlin which sits on top of the beams. I'm thinking of putting some insulation on top of the beam in the gap between the purlins.

Has anyone done this? I'm just not sure how it would be secured so there is zero chance of any breeze causing it to possibly vibrate, not that there should be wind in my roof space but there will always be some air movement. Friction fitting it might be enough but not sure what the recommended installation would be here.

Image of where I'm thinking of putting it.

View attachment 1861282

Lay the board down and every so often wedge a plank between the board and roof sheets.. Not so tight that it needs to be banged in with a sledgehammer, just a nice loose friction fit..

Between friction fitting the boards and something between the boards and the ceiling, they wouldn't go anywhere..

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Lay the board down and every so often wedge a plank between the board and roof sheets.. Not so tight that it needs to be banged in with a sledgehammer, just a nice loose friction fit..

Between friction fitting the boards and something between the boards and the ceiling, they wouldn't go anywhere..

I was thinking something similar but wedging something on top the beam and the where the insulation goes through so it pushes up towards the roof sheets.

The gap is around 80mm, and they do make Isoboard that thickness so probably wouldn't need much to secure it in there.

 

[WAslayer]

I was thinking something similar but wedging something on top the beam and the where the insulation goes through so it pushes up towards the roof sheets.

The gap is around 80mm, and they do make Isoboard that thickness so probably wouldn't need much to secure it in there.

I would probably go with the wedging upwards vs the 80mm board.. installing the exact size board in the gap could be a massive ball ache if you don't have an even gap down the length of the board..

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

I would probably go with the wedging upwards vs the 80mm board.. installing the exact size board in the gap could be a massive ball ache if you don't have an even gap down the length of the board..

Ye, I'd definitely get some samples to test before purchasing the whole lot.

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Electrical work starting on my renovations and spent way too much on Shelly relays. Went with the Pro ones that sit in the db, works out easier and cheaper.

 

[acidrain]

While I have my ceilings open during my renovation I was thinking of adding some additional insulation using rigid foam boards like Isoboard. This will help insulate (will still have isotherm insulation in the ceilings) and hopefully also help reduce noise coming in.

I have a metal roof with a reflective underlayment then the purlin which sits on top of the beams. I'm thinking of putting some insulation on top of the beam in the gap between the purlins.

Has anyone done this? I'm just not sure how it would be secured so there is zero chance of any breeze causing it to possibly vibrate, not that there should be wind in my roof space but there will always be some air movement. Friction fitting it might be enough but not sure what the recommended installation would be here.

Image of where I'm thinking of putting it.

View attachment 1861282

Are you planning to have the rafters exposed or having ceiling board?

I've done Isoboard ceiling in 2 of my rooms. Super simple to install and looks really good (compared to the plain ceiling boards). The only caveat is make sure you either run enough accessible conduit for later access and use or make sure all you cable runs are planned and confirmed a few times. Once those boards are in, they are in.

 

[RaptorSA]

Obviously, nothing groundbreaking here, but it feels good to be part of the club and about the only one in the complex who won't be moaning on Whatsapp when the next municipal water shutdown hits. Those unplanned days when you wake up and have to go without a shower for 2 days kills productivity and motivation.

750L should be enough for just me for almost a week, but left space for adding another tank in case it's ever needed.
The 0.9kW VSD Pump with brushless motor is not cheap, but it's pretty cool tech, looking forward to pushing it from 3bar to 5bar and see if it can finally run my upstairs shower heads a bit better.
Also added an unused tank inlet for potential future hookup to our borehole, if that happens I'll do the filters later.

It's also right next to a gutter that can potentially harvest water from 1/2 of the roof, the flat roof where my kitchen is and the entire carport roof where the solar panels live, will decide if it's worth it in future.
Busy painting a wood trellis to cover that hole in the wall and will wait for the concrete base to dry properly then seal and paint it too.

I don't think I'm going to try and hide it, I like the look of it and being able to see what's going on with no effort, will get some brasso and shine up the copper piping at some point, rather lean into the look so to speak.

View attachment 1852518

Turns out the crap I had to do after the backup tank installation ended up being a real PITA, but the result is now much nicer.
Leaned into the copper piping look and used Brasso to polish the pipes, then covered them in a layer of that special spray stuff that clings to metal and form a plastic barrier so you can just wipe them down in future.

Got the concrete area re-done so any water won't pool during the rains.
Then had to cart in a crapload of white polished pebble bags.
Busy growing a wild olive tree in the corner which I'll plant out in the garden in a few years. Even had to get a damn paint spray gun to do a custom trellis between the garage and the road since it would have taken me days to paint that damn thing by hand.

It's surprising how useful these AI chatbots are when you're doing projects. From calculating how much rocks you need to cover a triangular area, to looking up certain products you can use for corrosion resistance on pipes, even picking the right plants based on the location, amount of sun and what you plan to do with them in future.

The before mess:



After:

 

[RaptorSA]

Turns out the crap I had to do after the backup tank installation ended up being a real PITA, but the result is now much nicer.
Leaned into the copper piping look and used Brasso to polish the pipes, then covered them in a layer of that special spray stuff that clings to metal and form a plastic barrier so you can just wipe them down in future.

Got the concrete area re-done so any water won't pool during the rains.
Then had to cart in a crapload of white polished pebble bags.
Busy growing a wild olive tree in the corner which I'll plant out in the garden in a few years. Even had to get a damn paint spray gun to do a custom trellis between the garage and the road since it would have taken me days to paint that damn thing by hand.

It's surprising how useful these AI chatbots are when you're doing projects. From calculating how much rocks you need to cover a triangular area, to looking up certain products you can use for corrosion resistance on pipes, even picking the right plants based on the location, amount of sun and what you plan to do with them in future.

The before mess:

View attachment 1865121

After:

View attachment 1865122

So this Sunday I was walking through Builder's Warehouse to grab some fertiliser and I happen to see a little mechanical dial that you can add to a water tank that shows you the water level.
Pricing: R750.

That is insane, there is no way to justify a little dial with gears and a float for that amount.
But you know that thing where you just see something, and everything inside of you just knows you want this??!!?
It also doesn't use batteries, it doesn't integrate with my smart home etc. ... it's just there. And I love that.

So after some researching etc. I ended up getting the damn thing. 600 bucks from Chamberlains.
Eina.
I'm ashamed at spending that much money on something like this, but, I have to admit, the moment I installed it, it added that little touch that's been unconsciously nagging me ever since the installation was complete.



To make myself feel less guilty, I used some copper & red paint to customise & recalibrate the dial.
(Too many hours spent watching mechanical watch repair channels on Youtube, I have some top quality glow-in-the-dark powder somewhere, thinking about dipping the dial tip in it)

It's still too expensive for what it is, but, damn man, I love it. And what really makes it work is the fact that my tank is so small, if it was a decent 2+kilolitre installation it would be pretty much irrelevant, but there's something about being able to just walk outside onto the porch and use a quick glance to know what's going on. We actually had a water outage this weekend, it's ironic but I loved it, hoping we have another one soon so I can see the dial guage tick as I shower etc.



(I cut the municipal supply and watered the garden to see if the dial drops, works like a champ... the elongated string attached float it uses is close to being neutrally buoyant, so I might take a cue-tip and apply some low viscosity silicon oil I used on the shock absorbers of remote controlled cars to the string so it reduces friction and seals the fibres for longevity)



Also added a super simple mod, three charcoal paving stones (I'm a barefoot walker) so I don't keep cursing loudly outside each time I have to get to the tuinslang. The initial ones were cream but decided to change them to dark charcoal to tie in with the color on that lekker expensive 20 Meter Gardena tuinslang that's been one of my best purchases in recent memory. Will get the charcoal drain cover soon.
The dirt build up on the painted flooring is an issue, but I know why and will be solving that soon to finalize this little project.
I'm grateful for the insane rains we're getting, you get to see any possible design flaws that could accumulate issues over time so you can finalize something to last for decades with low maintenance.
(It never ends, does it?)

 

[Neuk_]

So this Sunday I was walking through Builder's Warehouse to grab some fertiliser and I happen to see a little mechanical dial that you can add to a water tank that shows you the water level.
Pricing: R750.

That is insane, there is no way to justify a little dial with gears and a float for that amount.
But you know that thing where you just see something, and everything inside of you just knows you want this??!!?
It also doesn't use batteries, it doesn't integrate with my smart home etc. ... it's just there. And I love that.

So after some researching etc. I ended up getting the damn thing. 600 bucks from Chamberlains.
Eina.
I'm ashamed at spending that much money on something like this, but, I have to admit, the moment I installed it, it added that little touch that's been unconsciously nagging me ever since the installation was complete.

View attachment 1866043

To make myself feel less guilty, I used some copper & red paint to customise & recalibrate the dial.
(I have some top quality glow-in-the-dark powder somewhere, thinking about dipping the dial tip in it)

It's still too expensive for what it is, but, damn man, I love it. And what really makes it work is the fact that my tank is so small, if it was a decent 2+kilolitre installation it would be pretty much irrelevant, but there's something about being able to just walk outside onto the porch and use a quick glance to know what's going on. We actually had a water outage this weekend, it's ironic but I loved it, hoping we have another one soon so I can see the dial guage tick as I shower etc.

View attachment 1866044

View attachment 1866051

Also added a super simple mod, three charcoal paving stones (I'm a barefoot walker) so I don't keep cursing loudly outside each time I have to get to the tuinslang. The initial ones were cream but decided to change them to dark charcoal to tie in with the color on that lekker expensive 20 Meter Gardena tuinslang that's been one of my best purchases in recent memory. Will get the charcoal drain cover soon.
The dirt build up on the painted flooring is an issue, but I know why and will be solving that soon to finalize this little project.
(It never ends, does it?)

View attachment 1866045

I am looking at one of these for our tank, can integrate it in to HA so I don't have to walk down the panhandle driveway to manually check...

ES Echosmart WiFi Smart JoJo Water Tank Level Sensor Smart Life/Tuya App

 

[RaptorSA]

I am looking at one of these for our tank, can integrate it in to HA so I don't have to walk down the panhandle driveway to manually check...

ES Echosmart WiFi Smart JoJo Water Tank Level Sensor Smart Life/Tuya App

I saw that thing pop on when I was researching. I even saw an entire remote wifi integrated water quality measuring system you can get for like R1500. We're so used to cheap hardware aren't we? Half a grand for a mechanical dial feels like a ripoff.

I might actually also get that one day, but as someone with a lot of smart home stuff, a part of me is really enjoying the analogue thing for a bit. My tank is also very visible when you walk from my Home Assistant dashboard a few meters onto the porch, that's why I've been annoying this thread with minutiae. If it was more hidden etc. the f**ks given over aesthetics would be less.

 

[Neuk_]

I saw that thing pop on when I was researching. I even saw an entire remote wifi integrated water quality measuring system you can get for like R1500. We're so used to cheap hardware aren't we? Half a grand for a mechanical dial feels like a ripoff.

I might actually also get that one day, but as someone with a lot of smart home stuff, a part of me is really enjoying the analogue thing for a bit. My tank is also very visible when you walk from my Home Assistant dashboard a few meters onto the porch, that's why I've been annoying this thread with minutiae. If it was more hidden etc. the f**ks given over aesthetics would be less.

There is something about old, mechanical, visual, analogue touch-and-feel devices that you don't get from modern devices Modern devices have their place though and in many cases are more user friendly, like for me where our tank and pump are down our panhandle driveway and I am the only one in the house that ever checks them.

 

[RaptorSA]

I am looking at one of these for our tank, can integrate it in to HA so I don't have to walk down the panhandle driveway to manually check...

ES Echosmart WiFi Smart JoJo Water Tank Level Sensor Smart Life/Tuya App

Just a question, can this actually integrate with HA?
I've been doing some googling and I don't have a definite answer.... seems it might have been added as part of the Tuya integration but I'm not sure.

It would be pretty cool to have the level on my HA dashboard as well.

 

[Neuk_]

Just a question, can this actually integrate with HA?
I've been doing some googling and I don't have a definite answer.... seems it might have been added as part of the Tuya integration but I'm not sure.

It would be pretty cool to have the level on my HA dashboard as well.

I can't say for sure, I assume it can since it is Tuya based, my plan was to get it in HA and then I can have an automation to alert us of dropping water levels which is indicative of a mains water supply issue.

 

[RaptorSA]

I can't say for sure, I assume it can since it is Tuya based, my plan was to get it in HA and then I can have an automation to alert us of dropping water levels which is indicative of a mains water supply issue.

I'm going to wait for you to take the dive then 'cause I'm seeing all kinds of mixed signals on that integration....