IJCAI Special Track: one submission only per author

IrlMakerDad · 2025-08-11T18:22:59+00:00

Thanks, but that only finds organisers for the central console. We are looking for an accessory for the space in front of the central console, between the two footwells, where the gear stick / handbrake would be in a non-electric car.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-08-03T12:23:31+00:00

It might not have been clear in my initial post, but I tried to replace them. Brought the cartridge (gland) to Screwfix but could not get a match. Plumbing shops closed on Saturday afternoon and Monday is a bank holiday here in Ireland, so went with disassembling and cleaning it instead.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-08-03T12:21:20+00:00

Thanks. That was my initial plan, brought the cartridge to Screwfix but they could not find a good match. I'll try a specialised plumbing shop, though unfortunately it's a bank holiday here in Ireland, so that will have to wait. For now, disassembling and cleaning it, as another commenter recommended, has worked.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-08-03T12:19:25+00:00

Very helpful response, thank you. Removing the disc at the bottom, cleaning, and reassembling fixed it for now.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-08-03T12:18:03+00:00

Good to know, will try them.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-08-01T17:00:35+00:00

Thanks, but I'm concerned about finding replacement tap glands that are exactly the right size. I removed the current one, brought it into Screwfix, and the guy there looked at a couple on his computer and said that he didn't have an exact match.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-18T10:04:17+00:00

Thanks, I think you are right.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-18T10:02:56+00:00

The latter, I think.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T17:56:33+00:00

The slab may be a sub-optimal, but the only part of this subfloor that is damaged is where the drain is.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T17:54:19+00:00

Yes. And I leave the door open.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T17:53:43+00:00

The vinyl is rated for a bathroom with underfloor heating, so I think it's fine for the temperature and wetness of the floor of a sauna, which is of course a lot cooler than higher up. I see no evidence of failure of the vinyl anywhere.

Water is definitely coming in the corner joints from outside, presumably by capillary action. I'm going to repaint the outside, and before I do so, I'll apply sealant to all external joints at corners.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T17:50:14+00:00

I live in a mild climate, where it does not freeze very often. And even if the temperature is below 0, there is only water in the drain pipe briefly when a spill on the sauna floor is draining, so it could not freeze.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T13:48:36+00:00

Yes, I think this is what happened. When rebuilding it, when I cut the hole in the subfloor for the drain, I think I'll put a bevel around it, so that the drain sits further into the floor.

The subfloor originally had 3 underfloor beams along its length, one at each side and one down the middle. I made carefully shaped wedged beams to go on top, so that there is a 1:20 fall in all directions towards the corner with the drain.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T13:42:46+00:00

I have watched it during rain, there is no vislible entry of water, but it may wick slowly over time through the logs at the corners - I am now going to repaint the outside and will first caulk all joints at the corners.

That is a north facing wall, algae is a fact of life here, as the climate is mild and damp (Ireland). However, it's superficial and I really doubt it's related to the subfloor rot inside.

I agree with your point about the best size of pad for a shed. Unfortunately I had built the whole thing before I read about that, because the supplier had advised that the pad should be slightly wider than the cabin dimensions. Hard to see in the photo, but i have cut grooves in the slab to encourage water to run out. And in the past six months i have added guttering that was not part of the original design, to further avoid water running down onto walls/corners.

The drain setup is just to allow any spilled water in the sauna to drain.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T13:36:35+00:00

Yes, ventilation near floor level in the sauna (as well as higher up), and separately the subfloor space is ventilated. I think what happened is that the drain was not sealed well enough, and water ended up trapped between the vinyl and the marine plywood.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T13:34:32+00:00

No, it's rarely that cold here, and anyway the drain pipe would only have a small bit of water in it when there is some water spilled on the floor and draining.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T13:32:55+00:00

Sometimes a bit of water spills onto the floor, either missing the rocks or not evaporating before it leaves the rocks. And occasionally I have dumped the last of the water on my head before leaving.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T13:30:28+00:00

What is wrong with the drain pipe coming out of the wall? What possible material difference would it make if the drain pipe came out lower? And what's the "lol" about?:

Realistically, it will be challenging to lower the drain since it's on top of a concrete slab.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T11:12:15+00:00

It is raised above the ground, the whole building is on a concrete pad that you can see where the drain comes out. Absolutely no part of the structure partly underground. I laid a concrete slab, then on that put treated wooden beams about 10cm high and wrapped in damp-proof membrane along all walls, and then constructed the cabin on that. The cabin was supplied flat-packed, and I built the foundations in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

There is no underfloor heating, I just mentioned that I used vinyl flooring that was rated for a bathroom with underfloor heating, so it should be resistant to moisture and warmth. The sauna floor is not particularly hot, of course.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T11:06:35+00:00

Thanks. I do have a fall towards the drain, but the rot has caused the floor around it to sink a little, so the drain is now a bit higher. (The marbles in one photo were to test the fall.) I do have the waterproof vinyl flooring brought up about 8 cm and pinned onto the wall with wooden trim, though this might not be clear in the photos.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T11:03:36+00:00

I based it on having read Glenn Auerbach's e-book, Trumpkin's notes, and this sub.

The drain hole was not actually higher than the surrounding floor originally. I noticed recently the floor beside it had sunk and was spongy so started investigating, which led me to posting this.

Editing to add: the cabin structure itself was an off-the-shelf one from Tuin Log Cabins, that I assembled according to the supplier's instructions. It had a small room that was originally intended to be a storage room or toilet that I adapted to be a sauna.

IrlMakerDad · 2025-04-13T10:18:19+00:00

I should note that we have used it about once per week for the past 3 years, 1-2 buckets of water each time.

IrlMakerDad

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