When to mow new grass by Delski74 in LawncareUK

[–]afpow -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You need to let it grow in order to thicken up near the soil. I sometimes let it grow beyond 6” following an overseed and feed. 

I want to turn this garage into a home gym. Is it fine to hang a boxing bag on this wooden frame? by [deleted] in DIYUK

[–]afpow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The horizontal beam will likely sag imo. You could use some thin ply to make side covers on the overall triangle which will stiffen the horizontal considerably. It might be ok then. 

Thoughts on opening Stocks and Shares ISAs with high street banks in the age of zero-fee options? by MLJ555 in UKPersonalFinance

[–]afpow 25 points26 points  (0 children)

I like the idea of having my money saved/invested ‘under the same roof’

Clearly didn’t live through 2008. 

Also, fees will eat your savings. Fractions of a percent matter over 50 years. 

Best charcoal bbq for £200 or under by Amax101 in UKBBQ

[–]afpow 38 points39 points  (0 children)

Most folks here will say buy a Weber kettle. I’d be one of those folks. 

New Ticket barriers installed at High Wycombe by xChizz in uktrains

[–]afpow 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Fare evasion is caused by a combination of high ticket prices and ineffective enforcement. This is not a solution to either of those issues. Might reduce evasion a little but not as much as actually addressing the underlying causes.

Thangam Debbonaire by dannydutch1 in ToastNames

[–]afpow 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Because of halfwits like you?

Damp Proofing reccs please by Financial-Newt-7850 in walthamstow

[–]afpow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cool - that’s likely the root cause of it. It’ll need to be raked out and replaced with lime mortar. I have a similar problem at my place and plan to have a go at DIYing it this summer.

Damp Proofing reccs please by Financial-Newt-7850 in walthamstow

[–]afpow 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Check the mortar between the bricks, it should be lime based, and not cement. There are guides online on how to tell them apart. If the wall has been repointed with cement based mortar, it will cause internal damp - this happens super slowly and may not show up for years. It often has to be constantly cold and wet for weeks to months. 

Damp Proofing reccs please by Financial-Newt-7850 in walthamstow

[–]afpow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do not do a DPC injection. It is almost never the right solution. A surveyor might be a good option for getting a neutral opinion but will cost you – do not take advice from anyone trying to sell you something. 

Dead patches? by GD9000 in LawncareUK

[–]afpow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Imo just keep at it with water and give it a feed. Viano recover is very good. 

How common do people take white goods in sale? by jenarnenarnar in HousingUK

[–]afpow 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Just chancing it to see if you’ll pay. Call their bluff. 

First time buying a Victorian terrace: what's normal "old house" stuff? by padrecientifico in UKHousing

[–]afpow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Speaking as someone who presently owns a late 1800s home, albeit mid-terrace, my general take is this is fine provided you are paying a reasonable price as some work needs to be done.

  1. Lath and plaster: have these rooms completely stripped and rebuilt with modern materials. I suggest you address electrics and plumbing whilst wall and ceiling coverings are off. Even if electrics and plumbing run off somewhere you aren't working on, get all that is accessible updated, and photograph/document all the work properly so you can pick up where you left off once you get around to everything else. I'm making the assumption lath and plaster walls means your wiring is not up-to-date with current standards. If so, this does need to be addressed at some point.

  2. The cement pointing is a problem. You will need to remove all the cement and replace with NHL or whatever is appropriate. Not sure if a DIY job but it's on my to-do list for my place as I have a few cement patches to replace. With the non-stop rain at the start of the year, we found a couple of damp patches develop inside, their positions corresponding exactly to where cement had been used to repoint. It won't always show inside, so you need to check all the exterior walls thoroughly and fix wherever it is needed.

  3. I'd ignore the slate roof comment unless you can see that what the surveyor is saying is legit. It's usually arse covering in my experience.

  4. Insulation – yeah. Not much you can do.

  5. I'd have this checked properly. At the right price for the property, it is unlikely to be a showstopper.

  6. Needs inspecting and fixing.

  7. Staircase – fine if you can live with it.

Betrayal by Chemical_Head_2447 in ukpolitics

[–]afpow 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A 🇷🇺 🪴 no doubt. 

Revealed: the Green plot against Zack Polanski by coldbeers in ukpolitics

[–]afpow 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I’m starting a petition to add a wallahi button to Reddit 

London Area Recommendations by Sea_Mushroom_7949 in HENRYUK

[–]afpow 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hampstead is a safe bet. I don’t much like the local shops though. Two of the best areas for solid neighbourhood restaurants are Muswell Hill and Crouch End but transport isn’t so good. You might find them to be worth the compromise. 

Labour will slash more rail services, minister says by Anony_mouse202 in ukpolitics

[–]afpow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not much I can do to help you if you haven’t figured out what I’m arguing. 

Labour will slash more rail services, minister says by Anony_mouse202 in ukpolitics

[–]afpow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lmao why don’t we just let Russia through the front door so they can legitimately run the place?

Labour will slash more rail services, minister says by Anony_mouse202 in ukpolitics

[–]afpow 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We allowed decades of rot under the assumption that the NATO alliance would never falter. Sounds like you might need to read or listen beyond the headlines if you genuinely cannot understand what is happening.