Hi Geoff,

I would like to repaint our front door.

How do i tell what sort of paint is already on it?

Can i paint straight on top with my new colour or do i have to strip it back first and redo?

Thank you 😊

🌻birdy

hi Birdy, you can paint oil based paint over acrylic paint, but only certain water based or acrylic paint can be painted over oil based, your paint shop will be able to tell you, however for you to know what type of paint is on, then get a rag and dip it in methylated spirits, then rub it over the paint, if the rag becomes covered with the paint from the door then it's acrylic based paint, so any paint will do.
People are turning away from oil based paint, simply because acrylic paint washes out with water, rather than oil based you need turbs to clean the brushes, but what happens is that people can leave the brush in a jar of turbs and it may stay there for days, making it much harder to try and clean.
Just rub down any loss paint, wash down with water a couple of times and you're ready to paint, just put a drop sheet down under the door so no paint will get on the doorstep or on the carpet.
If it painted in oil based paint then rub it down, then wash a couple of times and the paint store will recommend an acrylic paint that will paint over oil based paint and dry as hard as a rock.
Mathy may join in as he works at a large hardware store. Geoff.

Excellent! Thanks so much Geoff! 👍

hi Birdy, tell us how you go. Geoff.

Hi Geoff......and everyone!

Just a note that I recently bought some treated pine sleepers from Bunnings and failed to use gloves when loading them into my XR8. Whoops!

There is a tiny label on the end of the sleepers saying that the preservative is Arsenic based with a toxicity warning. I understand that some people can handle treated pine without an issue but my hands swelled up and blistered within 2 hours after loading only 6 8x8x2's

Its just a yellow flag when handling (some) treated timber....Of course there are retailers that dont allow Arsenic as a preservative in their stock on hand.

Just an interesting observation if it can help any people renovating their home or doing any landscaping

What are your thoughts Geoff?

Paul

Clarification

I mentioned the treated pine sleepers were 8x8x2 (in Imperial)

In Metric that would be 2400 Long by 200mm wide and 75mm thick

My apologies for living in the past with the old 'Imperial' system. Paul

hi Paul, that's a good point and sorry that it affected you so much, timber can be treated with 'Copper Chrome Arsenic', it's a preservative containing copper chromium and arsenic, however there were concerns raised regarding the potential health risks involved with CCA timber.
The Chromium holds the copper and arsenic in the timber and helps to reduce the chemicals leaching out, that's why it's a green colour.
The hardware stores now would be supplying treated timber that you can handle without your hands being affected, simply for legal reasons, so if you handled timber that has affected your hands and you weren't told to wear gloves, a legal case could develop, because you weren't warned.
It has been adviced not to use CCA timber for any children's equipment, patios handrails, new garden furniture or picnic tables, this should be told to you by the hardware store, however it can be used for poles, fencing and/or landscaping.
You will need to ask your hardware store what they sell. Geoff.

Hi all, Paul that's awful re the pine/blisters. I would think Bunnings should have proper signage, not just a tiny label at the end of the sleeper. The staff should be more aware too.

perhaps mention it to their head office?

cmf

Thankyou Geoff & CMF

Its so weird that just a few months ago I bought these sleepers (and yes...I forgot my gloves) and the Copper Chrome Arsenic is all over this product. That little warning was tiny at the end of the sleeper....

Contacting the head office is a good idea CMF. I just think they have their shareholders interests as a priority....not my health unfortunately.....doh!

hi Paul, I will contact the Head office for you if you want me to, don't know how far we'll get, but I have done it several times before on other issues, not to Bunnings but other products, please let me know. Geoff.

hi Everyone, a day of rest, although after lunch you may get an urge to do something in the house.
Just wondering if anyone has a toilet that continually leaks every time you flush it. Geoff.

Your a God sent

Jist got my son a pocket bike for Christmas. I know I need to turn the screw to adjust the mix. It's a basic pull start small motor. Do I turn it clockwise or anti clockwise to adjust the flow less?

Oops

Forgot to add. I work in the caravan and camping industry and can also make shade sails, awnings etc. Yes a female tradie but my base qualification is in leather work.

If anyone has any question please ask. Majority of fixes are cheap once you know the tricks

hi Bethie, I wish I could help you, but I'm as handy as a rubber spanner, this is something that Stevexr or someone mechanical. Geoff.

Hi Bethie and Geoff and everyone

Great to have a female tradie on the Beyond Blue Home Improvement thread :-)

I have a couple of questions about shade sails if thats okay

My Best

Paul

hi Paul, by all means fire away. Geoff.

Hi Paul

Of coarse it is ok. You know I check in like alot....🤣🤣🤣

Fire away.

hi Bethie, please stay around it is so good to have a female tradie with us. Geoff.

Thanks Bethie

I have a 5x5x5 Coolaroo Shade sail....and have the marine grade stainless steel brackets that I have screwed two ends of the triangle to the fascia board under the gutters....It wasnt recommended as per the instructions but its been holding for about 4 years....What is the best way to anchor the 3rd point of the shade sail...that looks good without the daggy look of a treated pine post?

I used a treated pine pole with rapid set concrete but it doesnt hold.....

There is a running gag on this thread that I am as handy as a 'rubber shovel' and they are spot on....I feel like Homer Simpson here...Doh!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated Bethie :-)

Thanks heaps

Paul

I am needing some advice. I am planning what to tackle next. My husband is blind so helps with heavy lifting etc but I need to do most of the work & I'm not confident with many aspects. My lounge needs painting to brighten it up.One wall is dark chocolate brown bricks which is dark & depressing. (My mood is influenced by drab colours) I want to paint the wall. Problem is there is a hole in the wall filled with a piece of chipboard hidden by the settee. Should I brick up the hole so it all matches. I have bricks that were pulled out when we demolished the brick surround for the oven. How hard will it be to make it look Okay. Any other suggestions.

Other task is finishing the kitchen. I need to remove floor tiles but they go under the kitchen benches. Is there any way of removing them without shifting all the cupboards. I need to paint the walls which look terrible but worried if I do this first I'll have to redo them when I do the floor if cupboards are moved.

I need to do things in a logical order so I can cope & do a good job. If I do too much I will get overwhelmed & that can trigger MH problems If I'm successful I feel better about myself which is helpful for my MH

Hi Paul

Swivel brackets that can be tensioned. Any loose thread burn with a lighter that seals them of as well. Just be sure to blow the flame out and wet your finger tips to pinch it. On your pine post use a stainless mounting bracket. If you carnt find swivel tensioners get Polly properline rope and use that. It's UV proof so works just as well.

Hi Bethie and thanks heaps for the help

I have two ends of the triangular shade sail attached to the fascia board under the gutters using marine grade stainless steel fittings. The 3rd point of the triangle is mounted to a treated pine post that breaks the concrete footing and starts to move....(the post itself)

How many bags of Rapid set concrete would you use to anchor the treated pine pole in the ground?

I thought one bag would be enough......Doh! Looks like I was very wrong....

Any more help is appreciated :-)

Thankyou so much. Paul

As a guess without seeing the ground 2. It's doing that because the shade sail isn't tensioned right. If it' bagging a bit try putting a few guide ropes under it to increase stability . Will help even the weight ratio out

Thankyou Bethie for that. I am as handy as a rubber shovel and I appreciate all the help I can get

I think the post moved in the clay and broke the concrete foundation....my error as I should have put more concrete around the treated pine pole to start with instead of just one bag of rapid set

Have a great day. Paul

hi Paul, probably dig the hole about 1200 mm deep and 400mm wide would be better at a slight angle or about a third of the length of the pole, and put some gravel just to cover the foor of the hole about one to two inches, the gravel could be broken bricks, broken tiles or anything like that, then put enough water in it as per instructions, in other words don't fill the hole the more water you put in it the longer it will take to dry and it won't be as strong, then put the bag or as much as it comes to the top, then get a stick and press around the hole, just to get rid of any air bubbles, if you need 2 bags then it will be stronger, and try not to fiddle with the pole for half the day.

Some rapid sets say to put concrete in first so read the instructions and wait a day or two, especially if the pole will be under pressure from the sail, and you don't have to trowel it smooth.

Remember to attach the turnbuckles or clicks to the top of the pole before you put it in the hole.

Elizabeth will answer your comment after this one. Geoff.

hi Elizabeth, I can understand that brown bricks wouldn't be very nice to see in your loungeroom, and in regards to the hole are you capable of bricking it up with bricks, it wouldn't have to be a good job, because once it's done and painted, you will not notice it.
It sounds like it was a chimney.

You could leave the chipboard, but for me, I wouldn't be happy with that, the hardware stores have premixed bags of mortar, but a local handyman might do it cheaper for you or a friend who is handy, because the premix mortar has never been the best when I used it for small jobs.

If you move the benches then the tiles on top of the benches will have to come off, but I need to know what type of floor tiles you have on the floor.

If you have ceramic tiles they may come off easily using a chisel, or if the tiles are cemented onto a false flooring such as 'hardiplank' or 'masonite', then you maybe able to lift the sheeting, but it's not going to be easy.

There would a false cover at the bottom of your cupboards which may pull off.
The flooring needs to be pulled up first, and you can do the painting without the new floor, when everything has been put in place, plus the hole has to be fixed before any painting is done.

If you do the painting and everything is in place get some covers so that nothing will get paint on it. Geoff.

hello, if you want to lean (less fuel) out the fuel mix turn the mixture screw in clockwise and out anticlockwise for richer (more fuel) you can read the spark plug to know if it is some whare near right after some running, black sooty = rich white/ orange = lean

there maybe 2 screws for fuel mixture one marked H for the high (open throttle) and one marked L for low (idle) there will also be a screw on the out side that is the idle bump screw, it stops the cable connected cam at return, screw it in clockwise to raise the idle (faster) and anticlockwise to lower the idle (slower)

when tuning, turn the mixture screws slowly and in small amounts, when leaning out, the revs will rise to a point of bog and a little more the engine will slow and stop, if this happens turn the screw out half a turn odd and re start. when making more rich the revs will drop and will sound burpy to the point of engine stop. you want to lean the mix and the revs to rise to the point just before bog and then turn back a small amount (1 8th of a turn) to slightly richen the mix this should be the optimum tune point. if you get lost screw the mix screw in to lightly seated and then turn out 1.5 turns this should be enough to get it started again. I hope this makes sence.

I assume it has a 2 stroke "whipper snipper" style engine with a diaphragm carburettor?

if you like post the name and model of the unit so I can look it up to know what im dealing with so I can assist you further. good luck I hope it goes well if you need let me know and il try to explain it all better..... hello

I presume they are ceramic or possibly porcelain. Unsure if this makes a difference. Ideally I hope to remove the cement sheet & then sand & polish floor to match adjacent rooms. The cupboards sit on plastic legs. Thought we would place wood under them to choc them up while we try to remove tiles from underneath. Then will try to cut the cement sheet near edge of cupboards so it can be pulled up from rest of room & then adjust legs on cupboards to suit changed floor height. I have a jimmy to lever up tiles & cement sheet & just bought a brick bolster to use as well. Issues are a couple of cover sheets sit on tiles & can't be moved without major issues. Hope we can knock out tiles from underneath. The other problem s the dishwasher. Do we need a plumberr& or electrician to disconnect & reconnect so it can be moved so tiles can be removed.

hi Stevexr, I can't thank you enough for replying to Bethie, it is really good to have someone who knows what he's talking about mechanically, only because I'm a rubber spanner. Geoff.

hi Elizabeth, the dishwasher should be attached by a pipe that will just unscrew by hand, you shouldn't need a plumber and just unplug the electrical cord, won't be too hard at all.

Sounds exciting to get rid of old tiles under kitchen cabinets, I would have volunteered without any doubt.
Without seeing it makes it difficult to answer, but yes I would choc the cabinets up, but remember to tape up cabinets because it's going to be dusty and then try and pull up the tiles, not all the tile under the cabinet needs to be taken up, just enough so the floor can be sanded.

The cement sheet may break up or it could be hit with a sharp chisel to begin the break and then pulled up, all the nails will need to be removed otherwise the sandpaper will get holes in it and then break up.

As I say it's hard for me to comment as I haven't seen it, but takes me back to my old days which I loved doing, now I'm too old, nut please keep me informed. Geoff.