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

[Elizabeth CP]

Actually I did go back and see the last house we sold. It was interesting to see what the people did to it. It looked fantastic. Only wished we could have done the same while we lived there. We had to sell because of my husband's condition. The land was too steep & location not suited to a blind person. We won't be selling where we are now in the near future.

My son did a lot of the work on his grandad's house but he had help from the rest of the family with filling sanding painting etc. The good part was the house was sold before my FIL died so he got the pleasure of knowing what the family had done for him. He died not long after the sale so the family all benefitted through the inheritance. It wasn't a lot of money after nursing home fees paid & it was split between everyone but he wanted all his children to get something to enjoy.

Incidentally my son was only one when first given a hammer, nails & a saw to use by my dad. As a dad himself he has his wife supervise his young children using real tools to saw wood or hammer while he works on projects around the house. He wants his children to have the opportunities he loved as a child.

[Guest_1584]

Yeah agents are a tricky business, l always get at least 3 out. l've had the low price ones too geoff pretty amazing the differences .

Funny this friend of mine that's moved every 2 yrs his whole life , that's just what her likes to do so his sold a lotta houses. He reckons he doesn't even ask their price he just gets the best one he thinks out , tells him how much he wants for the house and put it on market,.

Not a bad idea really .

[geoff]

Hi Paul, fantastic advice and even some places that sell treated pine the stench is so strong it's overwhelming and yes wear a mask when cutting it.

It's not what will happen to you now, it's what will happen later on.

Thanks Elizabeth, ask your son to use both hands with the hammer, he may hurt one hand and not be able to use it, but then he has his other hand, same with his other tools.

Oh to move every 2 years RX would be such an effort, packing up, getting a transport company to move all the big and heavy furniture, he's stronger than me, I hate moving.

If you make a profit that's good and even better to put his own price on the house.

Real Estate agents just want to sell and will even tell you that the price is too dear just to get the property off their books just to boost their sale figures and the dollar.

Thanks to all of you for keeping this thread going, and there's a question I will ask whether anybody is having trouble replacing and that's replacing an inside door handle where no screws can be seen. Geoff.

[blondguy]

Hi Geoff, thankyou for your help with spreading the word about treated pine and how we should wear gloves and a mask when using it especially with the arsenic content it has as a preservative

If you had a newish home would you repaint the timber frames around the doors the same color as the walls or leave it in its original color?.....which in my case is Meranti stained in American Redwood. I know its trendy to paint the timber frames in a solid color that matches the walls.....just after your thoughts when you have a moment

Thanks Geoff

[Music_Freak]

Hi Geoff,

Sorry I've not been around. Frazzled with uni prep/stress.

I now have tin snips and I'm just wondering if it's easier to cut the colorbond roofing along the hill or valley part?

I'm planning to maybe cut it in 25cm sections which will leave me some scrap to adjust if needed, depending on what you suggest. I may even be able to sneak a few more centimetres.

[geoff]

Hi Paul, if you paint the architraves the same colour as the walls it opens up the area, you might see the scuff marks but you also do on the walls, so if it's a washable and good brand paint it should wash off, but the trick is to keep the remainder of the paint you have used so that you can just paint over the mark if you want to but make sure you stir the remainder in the can before you paint, otherwise it will leave a mark, so you're back to square one.

It also makes it easier if you want to paint the walls, you don't have to 'cut-in' as some people have trouble doing this as it's tedious.

I always liked to use a 120mm wide brush from the painter's shop and if you are painting the ceiling attach a broom handle to the roller, it should screw into it and a big roller tray saves time in having to keep filling it up and you get a better mix of paint, let me know if you don't know what I mean.

I remember many years ago I had to paint the ceiling in a shop that had many items for sale, delicate ones as well, back then there was a paint 'that didn't drip' so I didn't need to use a drop sheet, this made the job quicker.

All the best.

Geoff.

[geoff]

Hello Music_Freak, I'm very sorry I didn't answer your comment, please forgive me.

If I can answer the best way I can by what you have said.

Plumbers cut along the valley part when installing the metal roof and to cut along the hill, from what I understand you are saying is where the metal roof meets the gutter.

Am I on target.

Geoff.

[Music_Freak]

I was just wondering if there was a best or easiest spot to cut the roofing, that's all.

Probably won't be doing it for a while now though, with winter aproaching

[geoff]

Hi Music_Freak, I'm so sorry I haven't answered your comment, I've haven't been on the ball for the last few days, but now OK, hope you have been looking after yourself.

There are tin shears which make cutting it so much easier and they cost from $20 but are well worth it, especially if you can afford paying a little bit more or the nibbler can make cutting just as easy, depends on what you like.

Can I just ask whether the roof is on or is it going on, so it's on the ground.

Plumbers will cut the roof to size when it's on the ground and will also trim it when they are standing on the roof.

It's easier and safer for us to cut the tin on the ground.

The valley will be trimmed or cut to size on the roof, but if you want to cut the end of the roof (where it meets the gutter) or the last point of the roof where the water goes into the gutter, then maybe a nibbler maybe the easiest.

If you do it this way then get two ladders and put a plank between them so you are safe.

Ladders and myself are not a good mix, I've lost count of how many I've broken, wood and metal.

Let me know if I have answered your question, it's much easier to answer any queries when you're on site.

Geoff.

[geoff]

Hi Everyone, are you going to replace your front or back door then please let me know because there is something you must do.

Geoff.