The Home Improvements Thread (3)

WAslayer said:
Out of interest, did you ask them if they supply thermal break aluminium windows..? These use a nylon connection around the entire frame, creating a thermal break between the inside and outside frames.. pretty much a aluminium sandwich with nylon as a filling..
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I actually learned about these reading the uPVC (Rehau) brochure.

I don't see many places supplying these and I suspect they may be quite a bit pricier too. The insulation properties are also not as good as uPVC though.

The contractor kind of wanted me to reconsider the uPVC for longevity reasons but they do have a 10 year warranty on them and that's just a tradeoff I'm willing to make because I know aluminium windows last forever basically, they're just terrible for everything else. Going to put awnings over the windows where I can to prevent as much direct sunlight on the windows to prolong their life.
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
I actually learned about these reading the uPVC (Rehau) brochure.

I don't see many places supplying these and I suspect they may be quite a bit pricier too. The insulation properties are also not as good as uPVC though.

The contractor kind of wanted me to reconsider the uPVC for longevity reasons but they do have a 10 year warranty on them and that's just a tradeoff I'm willing to make because I know aluminium windows last forever basically, they're just terrible for everything else. Going to put awnings over the windows where I can to prevent as much direct sunlight on the windows to prolong their life.
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Forever indeed.. my aluminium windows are going on 60 years old and they are in great functional condition.. the only problems are seals which are shot that can't be replaced and the window panes are not sealed with rubber but some form of window putty that's also completely shot.. they need replacing..

I am loathe to consider uPBC because of longevity.. that and 3 bedrooms of the house has floor to ceiling and wall to wall window frames and sliding door..
 
Say no to crack was the theme for the week. Also then the platform for the JoJo tanks, albeit a little overkill in the foundation there.

The old 42kva Spoornet surplus is still there, need to get around to it's refurb and sale cos it's far too big for my uses.
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DrJohnZoidberg said:
I actually learned about these reading the uPVC (Rehau) brochure.

I don't see many places supplying these and I suspect they may be quite a bit pricier too. The insulation properties are also not as good as uPVC though.

The contractor kind of wanted me to reconsider the uPVC for longevity reasons but they do have a 10 year warranty on them and that's just a tradeoff I'm willing to make because I know aluminium windows last forever basically, they're just terrible for everything else. Going to put awnings over the windows where I can to prevent as much direct sunlight on the windows to prolong their life.
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Got mine from Leroy Merlin back in the day (their early marketplace was a much better experience). Really wanted to do the whole house uPVC but ended up with about 13 sliding doors (some rooms just have the doors no windows), 11 - 2.4 x 2.1m including a larger special order of a 5m and 3m sliding doors. Decenik & Veratec branded. This was just post COVID with it's price escalations and issues with getting ships to dock, so order took a few months, eventually with me connecting directly to the supplier.

The product itself does really well, I just don't think there is enough marketed for it. A lot are Turkish products which although has moderate UV exposure, the highveld takes it up a notch, so was conscious of that.

They were pretty cheap (cheaper than most aluminium quotes) but these were not double glaze. I still find their r value clear to feel in the rooms, plus excellent noise insulation and no visible degradation from UV, no warpage. Although we were able to see where some tiny corners were cut (drainage holes not drilled), relatively minor but annoying nevertheless.
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Mosgi said:
Got mine from Leroy Merlin back in the day (their early marketplace was a much better experience). Really wanted to do the whole house uPVC but ended up with about 13 sliding doors (some rooms just have the doors no windows), 11 - 2.4 x 2.1m including a larger special order of a 5m and 3m sliding doors. Decenik & Veratec branded. This was just post COVID with it's price escalations and issues with getting ships to dock, so order took a few months, eventually with me connecting directly to the supplier.

The product itself does really well, I just don't think there is enough marketed for it. A lot are Turkish products which although has moderate UV exposure, the highveld takes it up a notch, so was conscious of that.

They were pretty cheap (cheaper than most aluminium quotes) but these were not double glaze. I still find their r value clear to feel in the rooms, plus excellent noise insulation and no visible degradation from UV, no warpage. Although we were able to see where some tiny corners were cut (drainage holes not drilled), relatively minor but annoying nevertheless.
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What part of the country are you in? Would be good to see how they hold up over time.

All the UPVC products they manufacturer here should have additives for the local UV conditions, so they should last for a pretty long time.
 
WAslayer said:
Think these are called slim line door handles.. builders and Leroy Merlin should have you sorted..
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TedLasso said:
Sharp. Thanks to the correct search term found it for R169 at my local builders. Thank you for your help . Also glad it's under R200 to fix - shew..
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Replaced it easily yesterday. Also became apparent why this door handle behaved so wierdly from the day it was installed. The square rod/pin connecting the two handles was shorter than required - Looks like the company that built the door used what they had at the time. The replacement handle pin fully connected from the old side to the new side.
 
I know that our local conditions don't really require it but I still really don't believe that I cannot find a single local supplier online that sells Euro-style insulated exterior doors.

Locally, it's either solid wood or aluminium. Aluminium is out the question already as it's a terrible insulator and most of the wood doors are just installed with common wooden frames that usually don't seal very well.

I may end up just going with UPVC for the entrance door too as I'm going to spend all this money on double glazing the windows and don't want to have a door that just negates all that.

Example of the doors I'm talking about:

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DrJohnZoidberg said:
What part of the country are you in? Would be good to see how they hold up over time.

All the UPVC products they manufacturer here should have additives for the local UV conditions, so they should last for a pretty long time.
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Sure thing, Midrand, pop me a DM and we can arrange...
 
Is anyone using MediaMTX?

I have a few cameras and am finding some of them struggle with multiple connections (NVR, Google Home, Home Assistant, etc).. specifically the Reolink and TPLink.
 
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xrapidx said:
It worked for me what I still look like the day I did it. What painters did has been redone twice.

I can't remember the exact steps, but I seem to recall
1. Clean
2. Permabond
3. Permabond mixed with paint
4. Paint

Just remember paint does expire. I've reused old paint without issue though.
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Thanks mate. All done. House looks amazing . We decided to go with a dark grey colour and it just makes everything look so much more modern. R16.1K all in, with all the paint (Plascon Micatex (4 x 20L), Permabond, etc). Even used it to paint the pool pump enclosure.
 
TedLasso said:
Thanks mate. All done. House looks amazing . We decided to go with a dark grey colour and it just makes everything look so much more modern. R16.1K all in, with all the paint (Plascon Micatex (4 x 20L), Permabond, etc). Even used it to paint the pool pump enclosure.
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Pics? Also need to do our boundary walls before the spring rains.
 
It makes a huge difference, I hate vibracrete in general - but painting makes it at least 50% better looking
 
Suggestions on getting rid of smelly odour from shower drain? It's one of those linear ones. No blockages as water flows nicely. So far, I've opened the cover and thoroughly cleaned the trap etc but the smell still persists.

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_Jakes_ said:
Is it a gas smell? If there is no venting or the vent is blocked the water in the p-trap gets sucked out and it allows gas from the sewer pipes to enter.
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I wouldn't say gas smell. It's that typical odour you get similar to an outside open drain. Problem is the drain hole is facing away from me as shown in the pic so I was thinking of getting a product (suggestions welcome) that can be poured in and left overnight to kill the odour and any bacteria that's causing the smell. As I mentioned, no blockages as water flows freely.

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SHL said:
I wouldn't say gas smell. It's that typical odour you get similar to an outside open drain. Problem is the drain hole is facing away from me as shown in the pic so I was thinking of getting a product (suggestions welcome) that can be poured in and left overnight to kill the odour and any bacteria that's causing the smell. As I mentioned, no blockages as water flows freely.

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that small square box isn't really a trap, is there a trap after this?

I would flood it with vinegar and bicarb
 
Steamy Tom said:
that small square box isn't really a trap, is there a trap after this?

I would flood it with vinegar and bicarb
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I was going to ask if there was a trap installed, we installed similar shower drains in our last house and current house with no issues other than the tons of hair I have to remove after my wife showers.
 
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