Underpinning Walls in Old Houses

Now if you’re reading this because you have a settlement problem then stop, take a deep breath and try to relax. I know cracks, settlement and underpinning walls can induce bowel clenching fear into the strongest heart. But fear not; it’s often quite a simple repair. Note, I said simple, not easy! It is almost certainly going to be hard work and it’s fiddly to do in confined spaces. But it is doable if you have the time and a little patience. It’s not even terribly expensive material wise, concrete …

Removing a Lath and Plaster Ceiling without Removing the Cornice or Coving

The following is a modified excerpt from the FAQ section at the end of my little book about working with lath and plaster ceilings….. (search for  lath and plaster on amazon or click on the image of the book… ) A question I’ve been asked a lot is……. Can I remove the ceiling but leave the cornice in place? And the answer is: yes, you can remove the ceiling and leave the cornice or coving in place with a little bit of skill and a good dollop of luck. You’ll just need to …

How to get a good earth or ground when welding…

Especially if you’re using a budget welder. If you’re struggling with your welding, the first thing you should check is the quality of your connection to earth or ground; because you’ll never get a good weld going with a weak connection. It’s a fact that cheaper welders often come equipped with a small and weak earth clamp which makes getting a strong bare metal to bare metal ground or earth connection next to impossible. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution and it doesn’t even cost you a penny! This simple solution is …

Installing the new TT22S from TermaTech

We finally decided the old open fireplace had to go this winter as burning a whole stack of firewood over 4 or 5 hours would only lift the room temperature by a measly one degree. Mostly because it had to heat over half a ton of bricks and concrete first! As much as we loved to look at the open fire, we really needed an enclosed wood stove which burns much less wood and provides much, much more heat. Prices ranged from a few hundred pounds up to a few …

How to make a box last forever with duct tape

I bought a little gadget this week that arrived in a little cardboard box. Hmm, that’s not going to last very long I thought. Enter a roll of the ever useful duct tape! I figured the box could be reinforced by simply wrapping the outside with tough duct tape in a minute or two. I didn’t try to make it pretty, I just wanted it to be strong enough to protect the little plastic tool inside, since it might end up rattling around in my glove box in the car. …