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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

white knight
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hi Geoff. A great idea for a thread.

Id describe myself ad a tinkerer. But I have designed the interior layout of 4 houses, built my own home (two storey quaker house), built a train that carried 20 children (a ride on mower was the base for the loco), 3 rotundas, bridges and around 50 cubby houses.

That doesnt compare to a qualified builder like yourself and a lot of my work is creative.

My latest project as you know is building our own caravan that we towed around Australia. A larger one has been designed.

I learned how to build things by asking heaps of questions so here members can ask you, or if absent I don't mind lending a hand.

Tony WK

Wonderful idea Geoff, and an incredibly generous offer from both yourself and Tony.

Not much of a handywoman myself but, if I need advice in that area, I now know where to come. (-:

Thankyou.

Sherie

Quercus
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi Geoff,

This is fantastic! I have a confession to make... I am utterly useless at anything related to fixing stuff. I killed our lawnmower by running it without oil every time... Noone mentioned oil!

But worst worry....I have no idea how to change a tyre. I carry water and snacks at all times in the car for the kids in case of a flat tyre and having to wait red faced while hubby comes or the RAC.

Any chance you could give me "changing a tyre 101" in really basic terms? I suppose I could go on YouTube but I trust you more.

❤ Nat

Hi Nat,

Sorry Geoff if I'm intruding. Go to a speed shop and buy tyre inflation foam. Two cans. That will get you out of trouble.

Tony WK

Hi Tony,

Oh my goodness is that actually a thing? See! This is why this thread is vital! You have just gotten rid of something I worry about just with a piece of advice I would never have known otherwise! Thank you.

❤ (and admiration for kick ass skills)

Nat

geoff
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni
hi Quercus, good point by Tony, it's your best option, however my motor technology is very limited and that includes lawn mowers, but I hate having to pull the cable on a lawn mower numerous amounts of times and nothing happens.
I won't be able to answer all questions, but will try and it doesn't matter whether someone else comes in with a solution, because all of us may solve it a different way. Geoff.

OMG Geoff!

Thankyou! I haven't had my work boots (Redback's) on for ages. I'm doing (and have done) heaps of reno around the house, a lot had to be with tradies. One thing I tried to find on YouTube, was so complex I had to let it go. I don't want to pay someone to do it if I have the ability.

I have a 60+ yr old home with fibro outside. I know this is made with asbestos, and want to paint it. I can clean with detergents, but if I want to rub it back so the paint adheres better, it's a high risk activity and very labour intensive with precautions involved.

My question: Can I paint over a gloss external finish (after washing down) without preparing the surface first by rubbing back?

None of the YouTube video's or Google sites explain this; I've looked and looked.

Would really appreciate your help! 🙂

Sez x

hi Sez, yes you wash it down without rubbing too hard, especially if there are cracks, so when the asbestos is wet it can't be of any danger, although that's still something to be careful of, because if it's wet it falls to the ground and doesn't float in the air, but still wear protective clothing as well as a cheap mask.
After you've finished washing as much as you want, the rags need to be thrown away, but they should be bagged and sealed, maybe a couple of times.
Do you know what type of gloss enamel you want to paint over, well if you don't know, then get a rag and dip it in methylated spirits, once you rub this on the surface and paint easily appears on the rag, then it's acrylic paint, that means brushes can be washed out with water, if nothing happens then it's turps based paint, so I need to know what type of paint it is.
If it is turps based then go to your paint shop and there is a paint where you can paint over this enamel to prepare for your acrylic, that would be safer than trying to rub it down.
Don't use a genie high-powered cleaner, but the answer is yes you can, talk to your paint shop and ask about this prepare paint to use. Geoff.

geoff
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni
Can I just say that this thread was suggested to me by a dear friend who is definitely on this site, only because he asked me about what to do repainting, I'm so pleased it was suggested. Geoff.