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Beyond Blue Home Improvement Thread

geoff
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni
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
1,301 Replies 1,301

Tony has made a good point about the brushes, another idea especially if you're painting with enamel (turps based) just pop the brush in a glass of water if you're going to use it later on or the next day, then give a good shake, and away you go.

With a roller and brush in acrylic and going to have lunch roll the roller around in the paint putting a heavy coating on it, same with the brush, it will be fine while you eat your lunch, just roll it around on tray when you want to start again, getting rid of the heavy load.

Randomx, if rocks, scraps and metal are going to be thrown into your trailer you would be best to get a new metal bottom installed, ply won't last that long with all of this be thrown in it, but it's a good suggestion by Tony.

If you're drilling metal, start with a smaller drill bit then work up to the size you want, but give it a rest for a few moments, otherwise you will burn it out and then it won't even drill butter.
If the door bit turns red, it's useless, throw it away.
Drilling a hole in a door for a new one, also take out the round circular bit, give it a rest, but by doing this it removes all the chips from the cut, otherwise you will be trying to drill through the door plus the chips created from the cut.
Let the drill do the work, pushing it as hard as you can will be worthless, you're putting too much pressure on the drill and the drill bit, and to buy any drill bits from a cheap store won't do anything except waste your money. Geoff.

blondguy
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Thankyou Geoff & Dory for your help with my enquiry

Thats helped me out a lot. I forgot to mentioned that I have approx 60 'uprights' for retaining walls to do. They have rotted and all need to be redone. I have clay and rock fragments to dig through

I originally dug out for the uprights 26 years ago using a crow bar.....ugh!

Have a great day everybody 🙂

Go Ford! (Bathurst)

Doolhof
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi All,

This is an excellent thread! Just want to congratulate Geoff and Tony and Everyone who contributes here.

Now I know where to go with any handyman questions I might have.

Cheers from Dools

geoff
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni
hi All, just wondering if anyone has a hole in the wall that needs to be repaired, fire away. Geoff.

white knight
Community Champion
Community Champion

Geoff,

My local ATM works fine...

Doolhof
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi Geoff,

We recently had one of those. My Dad was a builder all his life so he fixed it for us. It was very interesting to see how he repaired it.

One time Dad fixed a "huge" hole in the garage wall, as I hit the accelerator instead of the brake and drove part of the car through the back of the garage! Now that was one heck of a hole to fix!

Thanks Geoff , but man my trailers could have anything thrown in yeah, guess so. Although the last one was a flat bed and l only had treated pine 6x1 boards for a floor but man , the work that little trailer did, it even had v8's onit , a few times, and strangely enough the boards were still pretty good when l sold it ., 10yrs or so later.. Couldn't believe how they stood up.

Anyway yeah right with the drilling . l get real impatient drilling metal my bits are always blunt or ruined haha, and l strangle the poor drills. Everything you say not to do . Cheers mate.

Guest_128
Community Member

Hi Geoff,

I am away for a couple of days, will post when I get back,

awsome thread

Dory

hi I was actually referring to holes in the wall caused by furniture knocks, even someone who lost their temper and punched a hole in the plaster, this can easily happen, but if you own properties to rent out then make sure you get 'Landlord's Insurance', this will cover damage done by tenants, such as carpets, lino, windows etc, plus loss of rent, well worth the money. Geoff.

blondguy
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi Geoff

I need your advice regarding my heavy duty market umbrella stand if I may

Its huge and old....Its been bolted into my paving since 1997....and its rusting through the paint. It holds a serious umbrella. How can I leave it bolted in the ground and get rid of the rust?

I know how to repaint it but do I need an angle grinder or something? Or do I have to take it out of the paving?

Any help would be great..Paul