Puffer

What about heels, and footwear styles generally? (I was briefly in Sydney and Brisbane in January 2000 and recall that stiletto sandals and slingback courts were everyday 'business' wear, with much more casual footwear such as flip-flops the norm for leisure activities.)

This may be the veggie eatery: http://www.foodforfriends.com/ I've not eaten there but have a feeling it may have moved premises in recent times, which could explain your inability to find it. There are other veggie establishments in the North Laine area (e.g. in North Road). Yes, Soho can be entertaining, but the dirt, the sleaze and the rip-offs are off-putting. (Alas, also true of most of the West End and many other areas of London.) I don't dislike Islington - it has character and variety with (still) something of a 'village' atmosphere - but I would not feel at home there, given the attitude/activities of many of the residents or the council. Cover Girl was originally midway in Upper Street and finally off it in Cross Street. My mum-in-law is becoming more and more immobile and somewhat forgetful. She lives alone (widowed in 2013) and relies on my wife and others to do shopping etc; we live 35 miles away. We're currently exploring possibility of selling her house so she can move into flat bought in 'assisted housing' near us. This is what she favours but I would not be unhappy with her living in our basement (which would need very little work to make it a self-contained granny flat) but she would lack the degree of attention and company she needs. Such an arrangement is not uncommon of course and I can also quite see a reversion to the 'traditional' arrangement of a young couple lodging with parents until they could get/afford a foot on the housing ladder, given the growing shortage of affordable housing and the effort needed to raise even a deposit. And (I read today) some Welsh councils are charging double council tax on 'second homes' as an attempt to release them for family occupancy - a very unfair ploy which I hope will not escalate.

1. Judge Rinder is an alternative; I think he has considered at least two such cases! 2. I find that restriction both unusual and of concern. I also have my doubts that it would be both reasonable (in law) and enforceable, although possibly a very tight contract for services could attempt to make it so. I can understand one pro requiring exclusive rights vis-à-vis another (to prevent competing commercial use) but surely not in the context of a wedding when guests would wish to take their own personal mementos? Or was the ploy to require anyone wanting a memento to buy a photo from him alone? Is this normal/common in your experience?

It was mine, for 27 happy years until 2000, but I now dislike going there unless to see my sons. Apart from the huge increase in property prices (a two-edged sword)*, traffic management has become draconian, parking is difficult and exorbitant and the whole area (including the more genteel parts of Hove since the anschluss) seems to be taking on a more soviet atmosphere under a rapacious pseudo-Green dictatorship. Yes, it has its good points but I no longer feel so comfortable there, any more than I would be in (say) Soho or Islington. * I don't have precise inflation figures to hand, but the substantial four-bedroomed Victorian terraced house I bought in 1978 for £21,000 was sold in 2006 for almost £500,000 and would now be worth around £750,000+ - a compounded rate of 12% pa in the first period and 10% pa overall.

Yes, before they end up in the Small Claims Court! Like most people, I have a few photos of family members to prove the point both ways over the years. At both of my weddings, I was fortunate enough to have the services of a talented amateur family-friend; good results - and in lieu of a wedding present so no charge. I am no photographer - too many other fish to fry and I couldn't face carting all those glass plates around either.

True in principle - but pick your time and place with some discretion; there are always some who see anyone 'different' as fair game. (But I will tell my two Brighton-based sons, both well over six feet (without heels), to try a little more tolerance! )

Just realised my silly mistake above - and I hasten to rectify it.

Fill your boots, eh? (I can assure you that N and S are the genuine originals. I had the doubtful pleasure of working in Newhaven many moons ago; that bloody swing bridge was a real time-waster.)

The boots look good, but I hope you didn't get caught short during your long walk - as you know, it's 'Newhaven for the continent, Seaford for the incontinent'.

I do like sandals but, sorry, I don't find that style attractive. In particular, the heavy platform upsets the whole balance of something that should be lighter and certainly not clumpy. Less is more with sandals!

Agreed; thank you; and I'm sorry if you have felt that anything here was destructive when that is alien to both of us. I do look forward to sharing more DIY-related issues with you, however; I think we both have skills and experiences that are worth sharing - and politely debating where necessary. And I'm glad neither of us is working on the Sistine Chapel, whether on original or repair work.

With respect, if you look at the entirety of the paragraph in which your 'nice to have' comment appeared, it addressed normal jointing of plasterboards, without saying anything about damaged/exposed areas. It was only because of your apparent recognition there that 'virgin' joints (i.e. from undamaged tapered edges) could perhaps be primed that I felt obliged to comment further, especially when you later seemed to deny that possibility (although I totally accept that you did not intend to give that impression). You and I both know (and agree) that neither normal jointing nor PB surfaces generally require any priming before filling or skimming - but the casual reader would probably have been confused by the apparent contradictions in our respective texts. That is why I wanted to clarify matters - blame a lifetime of seeking precision in technical writing. And I think you will agree that both of those concepts are desirable. A closing thought: When Michelangelo decorated the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, do you think he first applied a coat of 'Latin Primer'? (As a matter of interest, he apparently transferred his designs from pre-prepared cartoons to the plaster surface by pricking the outline with a stiletto. I hope he didn't ruin his best shoes. )

???

I don't pretend to have tried, or succeeded with, every technique under the sun, but I do know what has worked for me (or not). Having installed, filled, skimmed (in some cases) and decorated almost 100 PBs on one project alone, I can speak with some experience. And I certainly appreciate that a lot of what is posted on forums is (if one discounts the purely abusive or insulting) of debatable value - but there are many postings based on tried-and-tested experience too, albeit not necessarily giving the only or best solution. But technology moves on, as you indicate with (some) paint - Barry Bucknell would be a fish out of water in many modern DIY settings! I shall try SBR on walls next time a relevant job comes up. As to priming plasterboard (before joint filling), you said above: 'My conclusion then, is that any prior preparation to [plasterboard] is a 'nice to have' rather than 'need to have'. Allowing for the missing word, was this not at least a recognition that PB could usefully be primed? But we can both agree that it need not be and really should not be, except (in my view) to harden/reinforce broken/abraded areas. I'll rest my case there.

No, Marcel - I'm an Englishman! But I have happy memories of trips to the Netherlands - and my favourite cheese is Edam.

The use if a wall primer essentially depends on two things: (i) the suction/permeability of the wall surface; (ii) the type of adhesive or plaster being applied. The manufacturers of the plaster or adhesive have views on this (i.e. whether to prime, and if so, with what - unsurprisingly, their own expensive product rather than PVA in many cases) and these views are not always shared by professionals (see Screwfix Forum, for example). On a dense and fairly impermeable surface, PVA primer will tend to form a skin and can prevent subsequent adhesion (despite any 'livening' that you mention), with the plaster/tiles coming away with the PVA attached to that. Better that the adhesive/plaster penetrates and grips, as intended, without primer. Plasterboard needs no primer, at least for recommended plaster coating such as Multi or Board Finish, but PVA priming may assist before painting, although thinned emulsion is better and proprietary primers (e.g. Wickes Ready Mixed Plasterboard Sealer) are even better, although rather expensive. On the other hand, where the surface is porous or friable, priming is usually necessary to bind/strengthen the substrate as well as limited suction, as you note. This is often true of old plaster or masonry and some render. Equally, an inhospitable (usually smooth) surface such as glazed tiles, wood, metal, painted plaster will not readily accept and retain plaster or adhesive without some priming (PVA or SBR) and/or roughening; as you suggest, the 'livening' provides an element of helpful stickiness. These two 'priming' situations are almost at opposite ends of the spectrum; the more common middle ground rarely needs priming (despite one's natural view that it ought to help) - but often a little experimentation is needed, as my own experience bears out. I love PVA and use it extensively, especially for priming on old masonry before plastering or cement rendering, and often as part of a cement mortar admixture. But it is not the answer to every maiden's prayer.

Interesting, Freddy; it is good to compare techniques. I will just respond on essentials: 1. I have only used SBR for priming plywood floors before tiling. I haven't yet needed to use it on cement rendering (its usual purpose) and hadn't considered it for plastering, if only because PVA works for me on those odd occasions it is needed, e.g. on a 'sucking' wall or painted surface, as you mention. 2. Plasterboard should not need any priming before joint filling (except, preferably, where the paper surface is exposed/damaged as in my usage mentioned previously). Indeed, I believe that any priming will reduce the desirable penetration/adhesion of normal plaster. (For similar reasons, most surfaces should not be primed before plastering - or tiling - unless they are very absorbent or, like wood, can flex or be fairly impermeable.) 3. I suggest that the dripping wet bathroom needs better ventilation! Was there any mould growth? - commonly found where unthinking tenants dry clothes indoors without opening a window etc. 4. As said earlier, I haven't yet tried Easi-Fill (assumed until recently to be a character from EastEnders ) as the more traditional joint filler (also used as a general filler) and joint cement work for me. And Artex is a good initial joint filler too; it keeps quite well and I can put the remains of a bag to good use. 5. I claim no expertise with plastering, but can cope with most jobs (apart from large areas of ceiling - too tiring). I find an large old (distemper) brush, a spray bottle and a sponge invaluable for finishing, used with a nicely worn-in finishing trowel (ideally stainless), some patience, elbow grease and whatever bad language I can still command after, say, paperhanging.

It will be active if you contribute yourself, mijnheer! Welcome anyway, Marcel.

No, we do not need to agree on techniques, nor assume that our respective action is 'the one true path'. But here I think you miss my point: I was advocating PVA as a sealer/binder on my semi-fractured and exposed gypsum PB infill (following my abrading to create a 'taper' - or indeed whenever PB gets damaged or cut badly) - exactly the type of situation that you recognise as calling for PVA. After so priming, the gypsum is not only hardened but better able to receive filler (Joint filler or even Artex in my case) and tape, followed by joint cement. (I don't use Easi-Fill, but no doubt that is a good alternative.) As for the susceptibility of bog-standard PVA* to react to moisture, this is of no consequence when effectively buried under fiiller/plaster - but, even if it is not, 'Exterior PVA' (D4, as used for woodwork) is a waterproof (not just water-resistant) product and can be used economically in such situations. I see no real objection to the alternative of using thinned acrylic primer (a product I use extensively for wood priming) but do doubt that it gives the same degree of adhesion to filler etc as would any PVA primer. *Having written those words, I expect you now to suggest that 'bog standard' aptly describes the destiny of PVA + moisture!

Thanks, Freddy; all noted. The ambiguity that has led to misunderstanding is your several references to 'screwing down', which to me firmly suggested the insertion/tightening of screws in a downward direction in situ (i.e. from the loft), which clearly was not the case. Yes, the fastening of two items together with screws can be properly described as 'screwing down' (as in 'screwing down a box lid') but would be better described as 'screwed together' or just 'screwed' (as in 'screwed and glued'). The suggestion of direction that 'down' imparts can be misleading, as in this instance, and really adds nothing to the narrative. But my apologies for persisting when perhaps I should have twigged things earlier - my original comment ('Arguably, screwed UP from the bathroom.') was really tongue-in-cheek because I could see the unintended impossibility of what you had said before and assumed merely a typo. Let's leave it there; we are both right! Are you not insulating the loft, e.g. with glassfibre or rockwool - with cables etc laid on top of that (or 'above' it if you prefer! )? If so, the protrusion of screws etc would not matter anyway. And that reminds me: as a cheap, virtually inert 'bulk' material, such insulation is very handy for other jobs, such as packing out pieces of plasterboard when patching in, part-filling deep joints before applying plaster etc or (mixed with filler) first-filling awkward crevices. And the fibres can add strength, much akin to horsehair-and-plaster. It is also obviously suitable for wrapping round pipes etc that might rub in a notch or masonry hole. I agree that MDF, in your location, might not be ideal. I don't however accept that using PVA as I envisaged is hazardous; it is an accepted primer (or admixer) for plastering/filling and, when thus incorporated or overcoated, ought not to react to moisture in the air any more than anything else you have used/installed. I wasn't saying that anything other than the exposed plaster infill should be so primed - but even if one did prime a board surface, it is little different to using an emulsion paint, which is similarly formulated. (I prefer to use a silk emulsion - or acrylic- paint on kitchen/bathroom ceilings to give a little more resistance to steam than a matt emulsion would.) And I do realise that your boards were not tapered and had been skimmed; my general suggestion for joining non-tapered boards is clearly not readily applicable in such a case (if skim etc can be cut back) but is very suitable in new work - I estimate I created about 80' of such 'substitute tapers' (i.e. 40' of butt joints) in my flat rebuild and was pleased with the result. As to the glazing panel, you now know what protection you missed. But good luck with the claim anyway.

It would be interesting to identify the boots in question (eBay link?) - after auction finishes if you are wary of competing bids (albeit not from me with my big feet).

We are in danger of falling out over semantics; I doubt you want that any more than I do. But, for the record, look in the middle of your penultimate post (why are there no post numbers?) and you stated: 'So ..... Screwed down from the bathroom then .... '. As to the latter part of my comment, I can see that it might be puzzling in view of the overall misunderstanding but I was simply indicating that the only screws you inserted and drove home from within the bathroom were those going up into the new ply patch - as your latest comments appear to confirm. As to your detailed procedure (thanks for that), I would only comment that your reference to 3mm x 20mm csk screws indicates that they are not PB screws. I assume you did not use 25mm PB screws (the shortest normally available) because you did not want to pierce through the ply. But would it matter if you did (unless the cat pricks its paws walking uninvited in the loft - which ought to be insulated anyway)? And using PB screws obviates the need for drilling and countersinking; as you know, the point and bugle head on a PB screw do this for you very well - but preferably with screws driven carefully by hand to get them just below the PB surface. A small further thought - MDF (ideally 12mm) is quite good for backing patches etc in this situation; easier to work with and unlikely to be bowed - and I usually have plenty of offcuts. One technique I have used successfully when either patching or butt-joining boards without two mating tapered edges is to plane, rout or scrape and sand away the surface of the board(s) to create the equivalent of a tapered edge (say 2-3mm deep and around 30mm wide). It is best if the board joint will be supported by a joist or noggin and abrading can be done before or after fixing (but, if the latter, any screws may need temporary removal to avoid fouling the cutting tool) and obviously needs care to avoid breaking up the board, although some irregularity or gapping is permissible. I then seal/bind the abraded surface with diluted PVA, allow this to dry and apply tape (preferably mesh, although paper can be used) and joint filler etc in the usual way. This avoids the need for the inevitable over-filling and feathering that a flush butt joint requires and can give a near-invisible finish (which I find is rarely achieved with feathering). My only choice (short of overall skimming) when boarding a ceiling that has its length and width both greater than that of a single board length. (Yes, I know that boards longer than 2.4m are made but not easily or conveniently obtained.) As to paying cash for personal shop purchases, you surprise me. A matter of choice, of course, but often hardly convenient and denying you the potential protection of section 75, Consumer Credit Act 1974. My guess is that you like to be anonymous when shopping in persona (wearing heels or not).

I think that you have 'nailed' it. In the ceiling repair, the ply was on top of the plasterboard and they were fastened together by screws inserted through the PB into the ply (and using some glue). I accept that, in the normal course of things, one would fabricate such an item 'on the bench' upside down, thus screwing downwards into the ply - but you suggested that you made the patch in situ, so must have inserted the screws from below the ceiling and screwed them upwards. It is the suggestion that you 'screwed down from the bathroom' that doesn't match your procedure, hence my original challenge - you couldn't have screwed anything 'from' (i.e. from within) the bathroom - or (except for a prefabricated patch) even just 'within' the bathroom, whether up or down. B&Q should not have refused to deal with your defective product if you could produce a reasonable alternative proof of purchase, e.g. credit card slip/statement or bank statement. I think I have a Mac (MacAllister) mitre saw (230V) - bought slightly used at a boot sale and which works very well; a friend has bought/used a number of tools of this brand and considers them very good for the price paid. (Despite the name, I'm sure they are from China and therefore not likely to be quite in the DeWalt league - but certainly not at DW prices either.)

I must be missing something, Freddy (maybe I have a screw loose?). You said: (a) ' My repair regime has 9mm ply glued to the loft side of the plasterboard, and screwed down from the bathroom.' and (b) 'If read 'as written', the subject was the ply, which I assure you was screwed down to the plasterboard.' If you are truly saying that you screwed through the ply into the plasterboard (really - and got a decent fixing?), then I accept your screws were and remain pointing downwards. But, if the loft was above the bathroom (as in most houses!*), how were you screwing 'down from the bathroom' rather than 'down from the loft'? I think we should be told. * Except presumably that built for the kinky architect who had his house made [ or was it 'housemaid'?] upside-down. In suggesting that your repairs might outlive you, I intended no compliment - just likely fact! I sympathise about you tool-related technophobia, having had treatment for this myself (no ointment involved). Until about five years ago, when the mammoth flat rebuild started, I owned no cordless tools (bar a pathetic cheapo screwdriver) and could see little merit in them. But, having used a friend's cordless drill on a project we were sharing, I realised its convenience, at least. Now, two cordless drills later (one being used almost entirely for screwdriving), I admit their merits in awkward places - but prefer mains power when practicable and have no intentions to expand the portfolio with jigsaws, circular saws, routers, planes etc. (My words may yet come back to haunt me.) And the auto-feed screwdriver isn't cordless either, although it would have been quite handy if it was. It cost me about £22 on eBay and earned its keep very rapidly with close to 5,000 screws to insert - although a fair number needed that final twist with a manual driver when the studs (e.g. oak) were hard.

Arguably, screwed UP from the bathroom. But then again, nothing you do is intentionally 'screwed up' - and I likewise! Your ceiling repairs are likely to outlive you. And I am strongly suspecting that you normally attire yourself not only in leggings under trousers but with the latter held up by a belt, braces, string and a bungee cord, just in case! 99p for 200 screws? Cheaper by the 1000 if you know where to go. (Incidentally, I found a cheapo auto-feed screwdriver very useful when 'rebuilding' my seaside flat - some 97 plasterboards in all. I have (had) a source of cheap collated PB screws too, which was most helpful.)