So here we are as good as half way through the year and the nights will soon be drawing in and it’ll be time to change the clocks again and gaze again at the supermarket Christmas displays.
More importantly{?} another year older and I had a brief gaze into that the other day.
My little nest of vipers was using the steam iron – remember to throw it away – when, not for the fifth time, it tripped the lekky. Simple task, unplug it and reset the mains switch.
This time? Tried four times, didn’t work. Checked fuses, all okay. Reach for phone to get an amp tramp when the door bell rang. Answered and received the proffered parcel, closed the door, reached for the phone and thought, wait a mains dead minute, the door bell binger is in a mains socket. Let’s try a light. Yup, all okay.
My old head had taken switch in on position as being off. Oh boy, how sad, never mind.
Later, on the way out, stopped to talk with a near neighbour who was walking his dog. Recounted my switch story and he, a year older that I, told me that a phew days ago, he drove to visit one of his daughters and on the drive home completely forgot the way home and was driving about for an hour before he spotted something that clicked in his head. This really hit home with him and he’s decided to become a bus chap now.
So much exciting fun yet to come just round the corner, eh?
Damn! Wot was it have I to remember to throw away?
Quote; Erica Bauermeister
“I've been wondering," Isabelle commented reflectively over dessert, "if it is foolish to make new memories when you know you are going to lose them.”
8 comments:
Mac,
If its the MCB/RCD switch in your consumer unit you're talking about, its easily done because those switches are the opposite way around to the ones in the wall sockets. I've made the same error myself when my mind has been solving problems elsewhere.
Please don't remind me of nights drawing in, I'm nowhere near ready for the onset of winter. A lot of work to get through outside so need dry, long days. I'm painting at the moment, a job which I despise with a passion, especially on new plaster. Its soaking up paint like a sponge, despite having a good mist coat to start it off. So boring, its like watching paint... oh wait..
Any normal person would paint the room after the sparky's first fix but before the kitchen got fitted, but you can't have everything I suppose.
Ripper,
Yes, upside down. Sad thing is I was aware of this right up to this time.
Outside work? You'll be done before winter dark I'm sure.
Yes, I'm no great fan of painting and all that faffing about with masking tape.
The worst decorating task I ever did? Way back in the dark past, I used to paper - believe it or not - ceilings. Don't ask...
Mac,
Oh my! I don't think I've ever seen a papered ceiling, not that I'd recall anyway. Your comment has bought back ugly memories from the 60/70s - do you remember those styrofoam ceiling tiles? Supposed to be 'thermal'. They were thermal alright, people were sticking them up and gloss painting them. Of course this made for a great little tinderbox.
At least I've become a paint expert. On the upstairs the plasterer did such a bad job that I was filling and sanding for quite a few months before I could think about painting. To keep it cheap I'm daubing on the cheapest crap I can get my hands on, thinning it for a mist coat and to whiten, then the good stuff (Dulux) for a final coat. This being on all new plaster.
This means I've bought all brands, and I notice a clear winner. I was originally using Leyland for the cheap stuff, £16 for a 10ltr tub. It was a bit 'meh' but did the job in 3 coats and covered fairly well. This time I went to B&Q and the Leyland paint was now £21 a tub, but there was some other stuff on offer, called Express Coat by Valspar, £25 for 2 tubs or £17 each. I kid you not, this stuff trashes Dulux - it covers better and unlike the Dulux is not like painting tar. Its ideal for new plaster and goes straight on without thinning for the mist coat. It whitened up ready for the finish coat in just the first coat. So I complain but have actually saved a load of time by only needing 2 coats and not having to thin the first coat.
So that's a tip for you if you need to do any painting. Another one is, on the final coat, watch out for dark patches. I've painted an area of one wall about a dozen times and couldn't get rid of the dark patch. I even left it to dry overnight but no, it was still there. Then I realised it was a shadow from the glazing bar of the window... Doh! Reminds me of the joke about the Irish fellow, who replaced 200 panes of glass in his greenhouse, before discovering a crack in his spectacles..
Ripper,
Polystyrene tiles you say? When just a decorating child, and to my shame, I tiled a bedroom ceiling. And not those Fiddly one foot square ones, these were two foot square. No matter how much adhesive was used, one or two would float back to earth any time, night or day.
You can of course still get it although it now comes in rolls and is marketed as insulation to paste up and then wallpaper over. I’m guessing the fire rating has changed - no idea.
Your emulsion advice duly noted should I need.
One secret{?} regards any painting I’m full sure you’re aware of is top quality brushes and rollers. Cheap brush kits are very tempting but usually a waste of money.
As you also say, preparation, although boring, is always the key to a good finished job.
Crack on buddy.
You can still get the polystyrene tiles on fleabay. It burns pretty fiercely but you should see it go when covered in oil based gloss paint. There was a trend with doing that in the early 70s as I remember. Years ago I did use polystyrene coving at the other house. Its still there. Its great stuff to repair, when the radiator pipes were moved I used polyfilla and my car body skills. That, and a plaster ceiling rose were stuck on with Geocel Quickgrip adhesive sealant. The same stuff is now holding all the new skirting and architrave. Not a single nail or screw. Forget the No More Nails rubbish, Quickgrip will not let go for anyone once the surfaces are bought together and its only £3 a tube.
If you ever have any plaster filling to do, I've quit using polyfilla. Dropped on a lightweight filler from Everbuild, its called One Strike and it looks like whipped cream. Unlike polyfilla, it doesn't have to be layered and is ready to sand/paint in 30 mins. Half the price of polyfilla as well. I don't use a scraper either, I have a set of continental filling knives - these are just a stainless flexible blade with a plastic strip to hold them. One of the best tools I ever bought - £2.50 for a set of 4 from B&M. Ask any car body man what's the best tool for filling and he will tell you a credit card. Continental filling knives are the same.
Paint brushes - I use a roller wherever possible, but all my decorating gear is Harris. Can't be beaten. When selecting brushes, go for the ones with a white tip. This is synthetic bristle and is very soft and flexible. And if using water based paint (I do because it doesn't go yellow), dip the brush in water and shake it out before you start. This prevents the paint from drying up at the top of the bristles. Wrap the brush in a sandwich bag if you take a break. I've left my paint sodden brushes in bags for over a week without any ill effects.
Ripper,
Damn!! Have you been roaming round my tool shed??
Polystyrene coving? Forgot about that, yup I’ve used it in the past. Also, if wallpaper to ceiling isn’t a perfect finish and you don’t want coving, wood or plastic beading like scotia trim stuck up with - see below - makes for a neat, unobtrusive minimalistic coving type finish.
Only thing there I’ve never used is the adhesive. I found Gorilla glue a while ago and that stuff seems to do a very good job. So far... and I always, when starting a job, have a tube of No Nonsense Mortar to hand; just in case...
Paint brushes? I’m sure you do but I’m betting many don’t, what ever quality you get, give ‘em a good wash and soak before first use. Harris? Still the best.
Mac, I don't bother with toolsheds. When I moved in here there was no access to the back, and the bike was in storage at my son in law's Ducati dealership. Within a few days of moving in, the outside toilet was demolished and a new back gate made, which widened the entryway and got rid of the sharp 90 degree turn at the bottom of the entry. Suddenly I was able to get the window cleaner in. I started with a few lengths of CLS, a few sheets of concrete shuttering ply (100% waterproof) and a 4 inch thick concrete base, to produce this 16 x 12 monstrosity. The basic frame..
http://www.creations.parga.com/workshop-frame.jpg
Skinned the next day and 4 foot wide door made..
http://www.creations.parga.com/skinned.jpg
Next came the work benches and electrics. All I had for lights were 20 10watt LED security lights, but they did the job until I could get LED strips. The lighting is on a dual circuit to save power - although it was only 180 watts in total, it adds up when they are lit all day and into the evening.
http://www.creations.parga.com/mission-complete.jpg
It seems I was just in time, the prodigal bike returned as soon as the place was watertight.
http://www.creations.parga.com/bike-came-home.jpg
Since then there have been numerous improvements - wall sockets with USB, 12 volt power supply, crossflow ventilation, guttering into an eco drain, landline extension and of course, every workshop needs a radio. Special attention was paid to the roof, it is felted but covered with builder's visqueen to stop the birds from pecking holes. The guy next door has some fish in a pond at the bottom of his garden, and almost every day you can find a heron sitting on my workshop roof, just staring down at the pond.
Ripper,
Nice job my friend and a nice bike - no electric scooter?
Now just needs a nice embossed wallpaper...
Post a Comment