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]

Hi Paul, you just reminded me of something, but yes the stain acts a sealer, so just make sure the architraves are clean, then you can use Dulux paint, is it water based or oil, just for curiosity.

If an air con is installed through the wall (not the window) then there could be a gap between plaster/wall panel, then you can seal these gaps by timber quad or mix up some plaster (maybe cornice as it dries quickly) and push it in with a spatula, a finger can be used but careful of any slight sharpness.

Once this plaster is dry, you can still remodel it with a damp cloth, then you can paint it if necessary.

Anyone concerned about putting an air con through a brick veneer flat/house residence then please post.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[Hanna3]

Hi Geoff, I'm disabled I have to have a handyman install the window aircon, but what about screwing a support bracket for it outside as it's fibro walls - an old fibro asbestos house? Thanks Geoff.

[ecomama]

geoff said:

Know what you mean EM and please let us know how it goes.

Pity I can't be there.

Geoff.

I wish you could be here too! My anxiety rises when Uncle is coming, I'll try to invoke "the calmness of Geoff" tomorrow lol.

I meant to say "insulation" not installation in my last post, sorry.
We're still putting the insulation in one panel of the wall between the louvre windows each side, just because we already have it so why not use it?

That wall doesn't get direct sunlight on it but does get a tiny bit of reflective heat and light off the metal fence (don't like metal fences here ugh)...

That "wall" with the panel in the middle of the louvres was going to be an indoor green wall with plants covering it on sheets of steel reo... (I already had the reo - yes alot of unwanted building materials here)

I'm actually thinking of putting the "green wall" against that metal fence to cut down the reflective heat / light into the room... what do you think Geoff?
Maybe that's more of a gardening question but it's in line with the whole "passive solar design" concept.

Soon I'll be designing the cabin and using as many aspects of passive solar design as absolutely attainable lol. I want that home to be cheap to cool and heat, have solar panels and water tanks plus NO mould lol! Difficult with the humid Summers we have but not impossible I hope.

Thanks Geoff!
EM

[blondguy]

Hi Geoff
Thankyou so much for your help on painting architraves

Dulux Interior Matt. Washes up in water so I presume it's water based

👍

[ecomama]

Dear Geoff

We got 3 panels of blueboard on the external wall up today. My Uncle is a perfectionist lol.. everything takes 5x longer but the finished product is wonderful.

The louvre rails arrived at his house in the city today. Ordered from the manufacturer just 2 days ago from an interstate company! SO much cheaper than buying from a middle man.

My Uncle mentioned a product called something like granitrex or such... to get a kind of rendered look on the external wall on top of the blueboard. Have you heard of this product Geoff?

A rendered look would go much better with the brick house than panelling I think... parts of the house were rendered by previous owners.
What type of paint would you paint a rendered external wall with? Just so I can match them up.

My Uncle and I are getting separate quotes for the glass panels for the louvres.
His in the city and mine here. It'll be VERY interesting to see who comes out cheapest.
I'll let you all know.
I'd also be interested to know how much the louvres costs complete with installation to see how much we've saved. Everyone told me louvres are so expensive but so far it's looking much cheaper.

Plus we needed to go this way for ventilation and air flow.

Has anyone painted rough sawn raw timber ceiling rafters? (or are they called beams? sorry IDK).
I would love some step by step advice about how to do this.
Atm they're a very very dark hardwood timber. I've decided to paint them white to lighten that room.
I imagine I'll need safety goggles for my eyes yuck! Don't want paint in my eyes.
Maybe an attractive shower cap too, to cover my hair.

We have TONS of paint left behind here, so what type of paints to use would also be very much appreciated.

THANKYOU!
EM

[geoff]

Hi Hanna, you could also have a pole set in concrete with a shelf (water proof) under the air con to support it rather than brackets.

The air con fitted through a window or a wall means that a stud is present, on either side of the a/con, then a bracket can be attached, the other one has different ways I can only imagine, a handyman or someone clever will be able to attach it.

You can also have a waterproof shelf sitting on top of these brackets, plase ask anything you want.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[geoff]

Hi EM, the green wall would be good, you may have to water the plants more often and if they start to buy, some shade-cloth maybe the answer.

I do miss the tank water and certainly noticed it so much when we (family) visited other people the taste was always so different, now I'm used to the town water here, but there is an enormous difference.

Hi Paul, can you test the paint before you do the whole lot, and do this by just painting a small area, 50mm x 50mm let it dry overnight, then see if it scratches off with your finger, if this happens, then you'll have to put an undercoat on, otherwise there will patches you knock etc where the Dulux paint won't hold.

I really hope this doesn't happen, save you a lot of work.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[geoff]

Hi EM, it must be great to have an uncle do this, I only wish I was still physically capable, never mind, and I do know about Granitrex or likewise products, the only catch is that we believe it will disguise any undulating in the walls or ceiling to make them look like a perfectly straight wall/ceiling, unfortunately, it doesn't this, allow its effect is good.

You can use acrylic paint and the paint shop will be able to match, as best as possible, the same colour.

To paint the beams, especially being rough, I would be using a small roller screwed onto a broom handle or stick, don't try and paint them by going up and down a ladder putting paint onto the roller, you'll be exhausted before you start.

Are you also painting between the beams the same colour and the old shower cap finished years ago, paint these days doesn't splatter like it used to, the other way is to paint them using a spray gun, tey are cheap at the hardware store and 4 times quicker.

Best wishhes.

Geoff.

[Guest_1584]

Hi Geoff

Funny ready about how the air cons are suppose to fit, mine old fella just rattles away in the window so l don't think it's screwed on anywhere. Has a skinny little rusty piece of pipe under and holding it up outside. Expected it to jump out of the window yrs ago but she's still hanging there, literally haha. But the funniest thing is that skinny little piece of pipe holding it up was freshly hack sawed through when l moved in , think the tenant here before tried to knock it off when he moved out but someone maybe me must of pulled up before he could get the air con out. Anyway l painted the pipe and put a clamp over the cut , might be old and a bit rough but gees, still does a great job.

rx

[Guest_1584]

PS , the air con itself l mean.

But my brother place is a house shed and h was moaning yesterday the his wall air con doesn't do anything. But when l saw it l see why it's only half the size of the usual window ones , so it'd only do a small bedroom or something.