Beyond Blue Home Improvement Thread

[geoff]

Hi everyone. I'm Geoff and have been a dedicated Volunteer on the forums for 13 years. I am proud to have stopped some of the stigmas that are associated with mental health as well as doing my best to help others too

Before my health went south I was a builder in all aspects of home construction and renovation. If you don't have a handyman around I hope I can offer you some tips that may be of help. I have had many years of experience in home renovation and will do my best to help you out if you are stuck and need some advice

I hope my experience may be of help to the people on Beyond Blue and make their life a little bit better. Even if you need help with the most basic painting job or putting up a shelf I can help there too with some tips

I will do my best to get back to anyone that has a question when I can as this is social yet important thread

Geoff

[geoff]

Hello Sleepy, I also had a flat inspection due yesterday but it was also cancelled, fortunately, my landlord is obliging and I don't think I'd move into a place where any repairs wouldn't even be considered, that's something you won't definitely know until you move in.

Net curtains where you can see out but no one can see in are cheap and perhaps your friend could nail each corner to the wall (or can suggest where to find the stud).

Can you roll up the blinds during the day and keep them in place with some cord and untie them at night.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[Birdy77]

Hi Geoff, hi Sleepy,

Sleepy, you could also use thumb tacks to pin a sheet along the very top edge of the window frame (if the frame is timber), the holes made just end up being pinpricks, and not visible anyway, as the holes would be on top of the window frame (facing the ceiling).

You asked for plant recommendations: i have a peace lily (Spathiphyllum) in a room that gets hardly any light. It has been in the same pot for donkeys years and i just water it once a week or so, it's tough and it's pretty, even flowering occasionally despite the lack of light.

Stay safe everyone.

🌻birdy

[Hanna3]

Hi Sleepy,

I've got old wooden framed slash windows, I bought some cheap lace curtains from the op shop and fixed them with thumbtacks into the wood at the top of the window, then bought blockout blinds at Big W and put them up over the sheers with thumbtacks - during the day I can tie the blockout blinds with a piece of ribbon around the middle, and then just undo the ribbon at night when I want privacy.

Another thing you can try is some bubble wrap over the inside of the window - cut to size with scissors fasten it with velcro dots or just sticky tape - it has the effect of frosting the window so you can't see through so clearly. It doesn't give complete privacy but it sure helps. I bought a big roll cheap from the Reject Shop. Good luck!

[Guest_1643]

I'm really excited to try the bubble wrap Hanna!! Until I can give the other handy suggestions ago. Great ideas!! I love that the bubble wrap can be done easily and quickly - like tomorrow and I can get that space. The plants are working well during the day, so i'm also going to add to them, and bonus, I have nice plants. Thanks !!

[Hanna3]

Hi Sleepy,

It's good if you can get the sort with big bubbles, but I just got a roll of the usual type from the Reject Shop - it's slightly blue in colour which doesn't bother me - and I used a double layer (just folded a long piece over) and stuck it to fit inside the window frames - even with lights on at night if I go outside you can just see my shadow a bit, not much at all - it's like a slightly blue coloured frosted window! With that and the plants you should feel a lot better - and it still lets in the light. It doesn't look glamorous but it works! Cheers!

Also there are lots of videos about how to use it on windows on Utube!

[Hanna3]

Sleepy, if you clean the window first and then just dampen the window with water from a plastic spray bottle, the bubble wrap will pretty much just stick to the window itself - then I just taped it onto the window frames to keep it more secure. Hope this helps! Cheers!

[Guest_1643]

Hi Geoff, yes I've been very disappointed with the landlords and how neglectful they are. I saw that Bunnings has some amazing plants and I'm keen to get some - thanks for the recommendations. I love the colour of the rubber plant, there's something so healthy about it, such a beautiful, deep green. Do you buy them with pots, or find your own pots to put them in? At Bunnings they sell just the plants but at some other fancier places they come with pots etc. I don't want to spend a lot but I want the plants to have a little home of a nice pot 🙂

[Guest_1584]

Hi to Geoff and all.

l've been wondering with the virus thing , is there any reason why we can't be outside around our house and property , is that safe ? We're on the edge of town got no adjoining houses either side and miles of open land across the front, And if people walk past they're a good 10 mtrs away from our yards and house.

l work at home from the yard and workshop but after l finish this next job l probably won;t be working for awhile later so we were just gonna start doing some outside reno's and stuff around the place. l couldn't see how that would hurt especially given the type of property we're on.

Any thoughts ?

[geoff]

Hello Birdy, I agree on the Spathiphyllum choice.

You could even leave the Xmas tree up without all the decorations, I had considered doing this but my son packed it away.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[geoff]

Hello Hanna, the bubble wrap is another excellent choice, the only problem is, I like to break the bubbles and hear them go 'click'.

Hi Sleepy, if you can buy the rubber plant already in a pot, then the plant 'is settled', rather than picking one up that's not in a pot, as it will take some time for the plant to establish itself and then start growing.

It's better to reply to each of you, except for this one, as you can focus muc better.

Best wishes.

Geoff.