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Am I alone in not enjoying DIY very much?
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Mentalguy2k8
May 23, 2013, 6:43:36 AM5/23/13
to
Decided to powerwash Mum's garden (the structural bits) after strimming it,
hedgecutting etc. She's already got a hosepipe & all the fittings. Went to
sweep cuttings off path & driveway, broom handle snaps on 2nd stroke. Did
the whole lot on hands & knees holding the bristly bit. Finished, went for a
fag and a cuppa, came back and Mum has raked all of the grass cuttings along
the whole length of the path. She has dementia so I made allowances & didn't
hit her very hard. She's also lost the secateurs I bought her approximately
3 hours ago, I'll check in the fridge later.
OK, off to B&Q to buy a new broom and a powerwasher (which I needed anyway).
Excellent. Nope, the tap adapter she assured me she had stored safely,
wasn't there. No probs, buy a new one at B&Q. No, the "multi-fits-all" tap
adaptor I bought doesn't fit the kitchen tap. OK, B&Q is still open, shoot
down there & buy a new tap adapter. Great! Connect it to hose and tap, and
her hosepipe has more leaks than a Tory cabinet. Sigh, OK back to B&Q and
buy new hosepipe and reel. Excellent! Nope, powerwasher has bits missing
from the box. Hello B&Q, can you replace this please before you close?
Thanks *ever* so much and yes I'm back again ha ha ha ha, yes I *should*
move in shouldn't I?. Up half the night putting everything together,
testing, all OK.. whoopee! 150 quid later and we're ready to go. Sorry
mother for waking you, yes I'm sure you thought someone had broken in
through the cat flap and was power washing your furniture for you, I'll be
back in the morning.
Get the hose in place this morning, the pressure washer ready, extension
cable all OK, no leaks, let's go! It's pissing down.
hedgecutting etc. She's already got a hosepipe & all the fittings. Went to
sweep cuttings off path & driveway, broom handle snaps on 2nd stroke. Did
the whole lot on hands & knees holding the bristly bit. Finished, went for a
fag and a cuppa, came back and Mum has raked all of the grass cuttings along
the whole length of the path. She has dementia so I made allowances & didn't
hit her very hard. She's also lost the secateurs I bought her approximately
3 hours ago, I'll check in the fridge later.
OK, off to B&Q to buy a new broom and a powerwasher (which I needed anyway).
Excellent. Nope, the tap adapter she assured me she had stored safely,
wasn't there. No probs, buy a new one at B&Q. No, the "multi-fits-all" tap
adaptor I bought doesn't fit the kitchen tap. OK, B&Q is still open, shoot
down there & buy a new tap adapter. Great! Connect it to hose and tap, and
her hosepipe has more leaks than a Tory cabinet. Sigh, OK back to B&Q and
buy new hosepipe and reel. Excellent! Nope, powerwasher has bits missing
from the box. Hello B&Q, can you replace this please before you close?
Thanks *ever* so much and yes I'm back again ha ha ha ha, yes I *should*
move in shouldn't I?. Up half the night putting everything together,
testing, all OK.. whoopee! 150 quid later and we're ready to go. Sorry
mother for waking you, yes I'm sure you thought someone had broken in
through the cat flap and was power washing your furniture for you, I'll be
back in the morning.
Get the hose in place this morning, the pressure washer ready, extension
cable all OK, no leaks, let's go! It's pissing down.
Rod Speed
May 23, 2013, 7:06:51 AM5/23/13
to
"Mentalguy2k8" <Mental...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:knkrl5$8hr$1...@dont-email.me...
Brian Gaff
May 23, 2013, 7:10:16 AM5/23/13
to
Well, what you need is to only diy your own property and not other peoples.
Even without dimensia things go walkabout.
Brian
--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
Even without dimensia things go walkabout.
Brian
--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
Reentrant
May 23, 2013, 11:54:30 AM5/23/13
to
On 23/05/2013 11:43, Mentalguy2k8 wrote:
> ... Get the hose in place this morning, the pressure washer ready, extension
mine today (mid Hampshire, late May and it feels close to freezing outside)
--
Reentrant
> ... Get the hose in place this morning, the pressure washer ready, extension
> cable all OK, no leaks, let's go! It's pissing down.
My pressure washer says "protect from frost" so I wouldn't risk using
mine today (mid Hampshire, late May and it feels close to freezing outside)
--
Reentrant
sm_jamieson
May 23, 2013, 12:07:01 PM5/23/13
to
To answer the question in the subject directly, I must admit it's a bit of a love / hate relationship sometimes. Many jobs I'm doing I have not done before and I can "feel" my lack of experience ! Best way to get round that is practice on some scrap first, if that is possible.
The most frustrating thing I ever tried was plastering (skimming). It was obvious I was not likely to gain the knack in any sensible time frame. Rather annoying as buying the skill in is quite expensive.
Simon.
harry
May 23, 2013, 2:14:24 PM5/23/13
to
Use the spatula found in some polyfilla tubs.
Much easier to use than a float even on "proper" plaster.
Or, made by Stanley.
They sell purpose made ones in B&Q. Stiffish piece of plastic board
on a wooden strip.
PeterC
May 23, 2013, 3:29:56 PM5/23/13
to
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway
WeeBob
May 23, 2013, 3:52:02 PM5/23/13
to
On 23/05/2013 11:43, Mentalguy2k8 wrote:
That's why
We D-I-Y.
Andrew Gabriel
May 24, 2013, 6:41:14 PM5/24/13
to
In article <f9d61222-a294-45f4...@googlegroups.com>,
I also did a bricklaying course. Both great fun, and very useful.
(A week after doing the bricklaying course, someone crashed into my
garden wall and gatepost, and somehow managed to drive off afterwards,
so I was bricklaying almost immediately.)
There isn't much I won't tackle now, although I haven't done anything
seriously structural yet.
--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]
sm_jamieson <sm_ja...@hotmail.com> writes:
> The most frustrating thing I ever tried was plastering (skimming). It was obvious I was not likely to gain the knack in any sensible time frame. Rather annoying as buying the skill in is quite expensive.
Look for a course nearby. That's what I did 10 years ago.
> The most frustrating thing I ever tried was plastering (skimming). It was obvious I was not likely to gain the knack in any sensible time frame. Rather annoying as buying the skill in is quite expensive.
I also did a bricklaying course. Both great fun, and very useful.
(A week after doing the bricklaying course, someone crashed into my
garden wall and gatepost, and somehow managed to drive off afterwards,
so I was bricklaying almost immediately.)
There isn't much I won't tackle now, although I haven't done anything
seriously structural yet.
--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]
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