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

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

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

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.

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.

Hi Geoff,

Thanks so much for starting this thread - terrific idea. Thanks also to Tony for offering to help. I've recently moved back into the family home (alone) after renting for the last 27 years - lots of bits and pieces to do around the house. I'm absolutely clueless - I can hammer in a nail - that's the extent of my home handywoman skills. Quite sure I'll be back for advice fairly soon.

LH

Great thread Geoff,

i like to potter around and do things myself, so this will come in handy.

cmf

hello LH, the nails these days aren't what they used to be like, they bend easily and there are houses up where I live in an old section of the town, where the wood is so hard you have to drill a hole before you can ever think about using a hammer, a smaller hole in diameter than the nail. Geoff.

Oh Geoffrey!

How marvellous! Your response was just what the dr ordered. Will test over the weekend and let you know. I have quite a few cracks and 'wounds' to fill prior to painting. Not looking forward to undercoating if I need to as it means double the work.

I'd like to paint it a navy blue with white trim. It'll freak the neighbours out, but hey, it's what I like. They'll just have to get used to it.

Thanks again; (and thanks to your friend for the suggestion)

Miles of smiles...

Sez x

Gday Geoff , fantastic idea mate and thanks to you and tony,

l'm fairly handy, renoed a few houses and l'm doing my new old place right now and there's always something l need to know so l'm gonna be lovin this thread and picking your brain haha , matter of fact , got a bit of an issue right now when you get a minute.

The house had a very shitty small front room because the weather had been getting into it for yrs but it also gets great sun so l've ripped out the walls to build a deck out of it.

Thing is , the floor was buggered too so l had to take that out too in the end and put in all new floor rails and joists , is that the right word, anyway , for a new floor.and also a new post to support the old roof section that was left, only bit of the whole room l saved actually.

Turned out the old room use to be an old deck before and with weather that front part of the house had sunk on the blocks a bit so l had to jack that wall up level again too first and all my levels were starting to get me confused.

So when l put in the new floor rails and then put on the new boards, l messed up. And the new deck boards running up to the front door now sit about 15ml above the front door bottom board , what's that called you know the heavy board they put under the door . floor level.

So now with heavy rain and wind , rain will blow in all the way to the front door and because the new deck boards are 15ml higher, the water runs inside a bit under the door.

Been trying to figure out how l can level the under the door board with the new deck boards and stop the water coming in. Any ideas ?

Hi Geoff , I have a question of that is okay.

We have a dining table constructed from solid teak timber. The problem is it has like marks and stains on it from coffee cups and oily food stuffs. It is not varnished so everything seems to soak into it or something. I actually do not like that glossy varnish look. I prefer the natural timber look and natural colour.

Anyway I was thinking to sand it back some and then possibly rub some bees wax into it. What do you think, would the bees wax protect it? Or is there something else out there more suitable? And if sanding is the way to go, like what sand paper would I use? Like I know there is different types of sand paper.

thankyou Geoff

Hey Geoff

What a crackerjack thread Geoff as well as your kindness to offer your knowledge to others too!

If I can ask you....I have a double garage with Colorbond trim above the cement sheeting profile. The metal trim is in cream. I am thinking about buying some Dulux Weathershield in charcoal. If I clean the Cream Colorbond trim do you think Dulux Weathershield will stick to the colorbond?

I know this may simple to many people but its not to me. Im a bit stuck...actually very stuck and have no idea what I am doing at all!

Only when you can Geoff...I know you are busy with new posters

My Best

Paul

I do not want you to feel stressed or anything Geoff, so I am happy to wait patiently in the line. All cool with me...

Shell

hi Paul, I'll do the easy first, absolutely just give it a good clean, if you don't clean it, it will flake off eventually. Geoff.

Thanks Geoff. I suppose it's hard to believe I've never used a drill - honestly! I've banged a few nails in over the last couple of weeks and have noticed they're a bit bendy Have my work cut out for me, don't I? LH

hi Ladyhawke, you can buy a cheap cordless drill from a store, they are very easy to use, if you go to a hardware store they will show you, although the drill won't be charged up, there are drills that don't need a key to tighten up the particular size drill, so easy to use, and you won't be trying to find the key.
You can also get screws that are self-drilling by using your drill with a phillips drive bit, although once again if the timber is too hard you will still have to drill a smaller hole than the nail, but when drilling let the drill do the work DON'T FORCE it or you'll break the drill bit.
If you take this email down to your hardware store they you show you. Geoff.

hi Sez, wear some gloves and a mask when filling any holes or cracks because this is where the sheeting has been broken and disturbed the fibres, it will be OK though, just protect yourself.
If you have to undercoat get the paint shop to tint the undercoat in the same colour as your top coat, then it won't be as bad as you think when applying the top coat. Geoff.

hi Randomx, the bearers sit on the stumps and the joists sit on top of the bearers but in the opposite direction, so if these were brand new then there's a chance they will shrink and fix the problem on its own, so just to make sure what I'm saying, have you made this into another deck or room?
A weather shield fitted to your door might help, that is when you open your door the w/shield that's attached to the front bottom on the outside of your door will stop water getting.
These shields can be adjusted by moving the little round ball with one hole in it, about the size of 5c piece, which is screwed into the door jamb and when you close the door the w/shield will hit this 5c piece and close the door so nothing can get under it, wind included.
There are expensive door seals so google 'Buy Raven Seals online', but a handyman or cartpenter may have to install these if you don't feel confident because you will have to take the door off to fit it.
There is another way but it's arduous and depending on the room under the house whether it's easy to crawl under is to take a handsaw, chisel with you and maybe a milk crate, where you sit this crate or anything else to fit snuggly under the joist, then cut with the saw in an upward direction of 15 ml on the joist, either side of the bearer, and then chisel it out, maybe another job for a handyman, I've done it before, plus I built a decking for my SIL that fitted exactly the same level as the house boards, because her daughter was in a wheelchair, but the bearers and joist shrunk only about 15 ml.
Have a look at these options and let me know. Geoff.

hi Shelley anne, try and get rid of the stains by doing this, sometimes it works sometimes just half, anyway try turps first, if not then mix equal parts of non-gel toothpaste and baking soda making it into a paste then cover the stains with this and leave alone, but when rubbing off, GO WITH THE GRAIN ALWAYS.
By sanding it, especially if it's well ingrained, you will have to do the whole table otherwise you'll end up with a pocket where all liquids will flow into.
Do you have a belt sander or can you borrow one, but make sure you practice on something else first, again GO WITH THE GRAIN, never against it because you will see the scratch marks when it's finished.
You can coat it with beeswax maybe cheaper than other alternatives, but you have to keep putting the wax on the table, another way is to get a short haired roller, rub it done so there aren't any loose hairs on it and then apply some estapol onto it, and if need be finish off lightly with a brush going in the same direction as the grain, just to get any bubbles out of it.
If you feel comfortable using a can to spray then try that, making sure that you have reapply within a certain time limit, otherwise you will have to wait a few days.
There is a little spray gun you can buy from the hardware which is great if you know how to use one. Geoff.

Hey LH, I found a good drill for $18 at Kmart. Does not require a key Yu put the drill bits in. I love it, use it all the time.

(sorry Geoff for hijacking 🙂)

hi CMF, no worries I was a bit frightened to mention any stores, but yes you are correct, for $18 you can't go wrong. Geoff.

Tip

Many items have rechargeable batteries.

I use cheap 24hr timers.

My battery drill goes to charge one hour per day so its ready when I want it.

Same with my trickle charger on my battery of my ride on mower.

My air compressor has a timer that I turn the timer around when using it. That means its on for one hour then goes off. That way it doesnt start up in the middle of the night.

I also use one for my soldering iron.

Tony WK

Hi Geoff,

Thank you SO much for the detailed, yet easy-to-understand information. I'm quite sure I can do as you've instructed. I'm so very glad this site operates on anonymity!

Regards, LH

Hi CMF,

Very much appreciate the details on the drill. If I found myself in a hardware store, I'm so clueless I'd end up buying whatever the salesperson suggested.

This is such a terrific site.

LH

Thanks very much Geoff. Sorry about my explaining ,think l took the long way round with that one. .

But yeah , turned the old room into a deck.

Anyway that's an idea , that strip should keep the wet out , cheers for that. But nope not enough room to get under it unfortunately and l nailed on the new deck floor pretty good too so no getting them off to do it from above either, not without wrecking them.

Anyway thanks again , l'll shop around for a good strip and try that.

Cheers