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  • Home Improvements/ DIY Advice/Gardening Tips/ Cleaning/Cooking Tips

    This Thread has been set up to offer advice and to let people know what to look out for if they are planning on making improvements to their homes.

    For example, if you're planning to have an extension built...your driveway cobblelocked...a new kitchen/bathroom fitted....or planning to tackle a DIY job, or need advice on gardening or cleaning etc, you can check in and ask questions.

    If you see a question and you can't help with an answer, maybe you know someone who could help and then point the poster in the right direction.

    Try to keep on topic. I know all Threads go wandering, but if anyone notices this happening, ask the posters to delete the irrevelant posts. This will keep the Thread more concise, and save people from wading through the 'useless' posts.

    Let's give it a go.
    Gatsby

    Caesar et erat forti, Brutus et sum iam, Caesar sic in omnibus, Brutus sic intram.

  • #2
    i'll start off with a question....we have a 12 foot by 12 foot cement pad in our back garden..it was originally the base for a garage thats now gone..but the pad is cracked, a tree root is growing up under it..and presently i have a shed on it...but need some ideas about what to do permanently for it....its going to be very expensive to remove????

    Comment


    • #3
      excellent idea and thread

      my tip for the moment
      I start collecting my toilet roll inside cardboard now for planting sunflower seeds and corn on the cob seeds, and sometimes tomatoe plants
      you can fit a lot of them into an empty ice cream or fruit container standing upwards, and put them straight into the ground when ready to plant out, thus not disturbing the roots and the cardboard rots into the ground

      Comment


      • #4
        Cut a 2ltr plastic bottle as near to the neck as possiible (just where the bottle starts to straighten).

        Place the 'new' open end over plants as a mini cloche.
        Gatsby

        Caesar et erat forti, Brutus et sum iam, Caesar sic in omnibus, Brutus sic intram.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Mykidsmom View Post
          i'll start off with a question....we have a 12 foot by 12 foot cement pad in our back garden..it was originally the base for a garage thats now gone..but the pad is cracked, a tree root is growing up under it..and presently i have a shed on it...but need some ideas about what to do permanently for it....its going to be very expensive to remove????
          I'm not sure, but we'll find out. What I'd say, which is I suppose obvious, is that you'll have to locate the root from the outside perimeter of the pad. Otherwise it will continue it's damage if you replace the pad.

          The floor area of the pad shouldn't be too thick (6"?). If it was originally intended for a garage and wasn't built as part of the house, the chances are that there is no insulation under the concrete. However, I'd be surprised if there wasn't a layer of 'Visquene' underneath the concrete.

          That's a thick polythene type membrane which stops damp coming up through the floor. I'd imagine the root would have punctured this.

          If its a wooden shed which you intend to put on the pad, you could place it on blocks to keep it up from the pad. But you'd still need to address the source of the root, otherwise it would eventually start coming up through the floor of the shed.

          Hope that sounds clear. If not, come back.
          Gatsby

          Caesar et erat forti, Brutus et sum iam, Caesar sic in omnibus, Brutus sic intram.

          Comment


          • #6
            The 'pad' word is knocking me off. Do you mean a concrete slab? If so borrow or rent a hydraulic drill or a Kango hammer and smash it up. As for the tree root.. presuming there's no tree attached you can buy stuff in gardening shops that you paint or spray onto the roots to cause them to rot.
            'Never look down on a person unless you're helping them up'.
            .

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Rashers View Post
              The 'pad' word is knocking me off. Do you mean a concrete slab? If so borrow or rent a hydraulic drill or a Kango hammer and smash it up. As for the tree root.. presuming there's no tree attached you can buy stuff in gardening shops that you paint or spray onto the roots to cause them to rot.
              Yes Rashers, the Pad is what we know as the concrete slab.
              Gatsby

              Caesar et erat forti, Brutus et sum iam, Caesar sic in omnibus, Brutus sic intram.

              Comment


              • #8
                How To Wash A Laminate Floor

                Gatsby

                Caesar et erat forti, Brutus et sum iam, Caesar sic in omnibus, Brutus sic intram.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Gatsby View Post
                  Yes Rashers, the Pad is what we know as the concrete slab.
                  A Kango hammer should make short work of it so.
                  'Never look down on a person unless you're helping them up'.
                  .

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    yes....but then its disposal of the cement is an issue....i guess we could move it and use it by the house for regrading on the soil??? soon as the snow disappears i'll take some photos of the area the gardens a mess...hoping to get the back door installed soon....

                    your right rashers...pad = slab hehe

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Mykidsmom View Post
                      yes....but then its disposal of the cement is an issue....i guess we could move it and use it by the house for regrading on the soil??? soon as the snow disappears i'll take some photos of the area the gardens a mess...hoping to get the back door installed soon....

                      your right rashers...pad = slab hehe
                      The rubble should be easy to get rid of as dry filling.

                      You might even be able to use it yourself as foundation filling if you were going to do any building -- a wall or whatever. Some neighbours might even want some for the same reason.
                      'Never look down on a person unless you're helping them up'.
                      .

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Gatsby View Post
                        Great idea & thread Gats - loved that video, must try this on my wooden floors someday.
                        UP THE DUBS!!!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Not really a tip but it may be but a few weeks ago I was tidying up a little corner by the side of the house. It's were the gas heater and a couple of other utilities. Anyway nobody ever goes round there and it looked like shite so I decided to tidy it up and put some paving slabs and fill around the slabs with stone chippings.

                          I went to the local hardware and got the slabs and I found some 20Kg bags of granite chippings for $20 per bag. One of the blokes in the yard was passing and he asked what I was after and he told me use blue metal it's the same thing. He brought me to the trade area of the yard and there was exactly the same thing in 20Kg bags for $4 per bag!

                          He told me that the same thing happens with 20Kg bags of 'play sand' for kids sand pits. He said 'mate they're thieving bastards, it's just washed sand and we have tons of it in the trade area and it costs bugger all!'. So the tip is go and talk to the lads in the trade area of the big hardware places, they'll put you right.
                          Such is life - Ned Kelly

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Gatsby View Post
                            have you tried that gats and does it work, also does the house stink of vinegar lol

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by boxman View Post
                              Not really a tip but it may be but a few weeks ago I was tidying up a little corner by the side of the house. It's were the gas heater and a couple of other utilities. Anyway nobody ever goes round there and it looked like shite so I decided to tidy it up and put some paving slabs and fill around the slabs with stone chippings.

                              I went to the local hardware and got the slabs and I found some 20Kg bags of granite chippings for $20 per bag. One of the blokes in the yard was passing and he asked what I was after and he told me use blue metal it's the same thing. He brought me to the trade area of the yard and there was exactly the same thing in 20Kg bags for $4 per bag!

                              He told me that the same thing happens with 20Kg bags of 'play sand' for kids sand pits. He said 'mate they're thieving bastards, it's just washed sand and we have tons of it in the trade area and it costs bugger all!'. So the tip is go and talk to the lads in the trade area of the big hardware places, they'll put you right.
                              actually you made a good point there Dave , I would advise anyone buying any building materials to go straight to the trade suppliers rather than the likes of B and Q or Woodies etc , they all have a cash counter and everything is usually cheaper , Look up say plumbing supplies , electrical timber etc in the phone book ,

                              Comment

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