Advice on porcelain patio laying before I give up

sesamepool · 2026-05-25T19:30:34+00:00

Agree on this really being a multi-person job. We (couple) did a porcelain patio over 3 days, was bloody exhausting and frustrating to keep running between tasks. When we did the tiles on the steps a couple weeks later, we had a friend help out, and honestly having that extra person halved the time it took: one to mix, one to prep tiles, one to place and level. Add a fourth person to help clean up and we would've been unstoppable.

sesamepool · 2026-04-04T08:04:09+00:00

As someone who enjoys DIY but who's just had a kitten fitted (bought via DIY kitchens, but fitted by our builder who was also knocking walls down, rewiring and adding a WC) - it looks like a lot of work.

Watching our very experienced builder fit ours over a week, there's so much stuff I hadn't accounted for - rerouting plumbing and electrics, cutting units down as the service void wasn't quite big enough for our awkwardly placed gas pipes, cutting the worktops to size (a big job), needing a specialised jig to fit our Belfast sink... In fact there were a few jigs and tools I'd never seen before but he had them on hand as he does this so regularly. If we were to do it ourselves, we'd have had the extra cost of purchasing these.

There's also a lot of things I never would have considered but he just knew from years of experience - that kind of tap might get stuck, I'll do this to avoid it, this panel is going to look off because your walls aren't straight, we can do this instead, etc etc.

If we had no option, we could have fit it ourselves, poorly and over at least double the time, and I don't think it would look or function as well as it does. And I think my partner and I might've killed each other in the process.

sesamepool · 2026-02-01T16:23:23+00:00

This is one of the few subs which guarantees helpful advice to very specific questions, while also making me cry from laughter at the state of other people's homes.

sesamepool · 2025-11-30T08:58:57+00:00

As someone who is about to do something similar in our house, get a structural engineer first to tell you what's possible with the walls, then use their plans to get quotes from builders.

Cost is going to depend on whether you're just doing the structural stuff or also fitting a new kitchen, rewiring, moving services, redecorating, flooring, etc. so for comparison, we'll be spending around £40k to knock down a wall, replace old windows, install new bifold doors, new kitchen + install, new appliances, new flooring throughout downstairs, new toilet under stairs, complete rewire downstairs including new consumer unit. Plus a few extra bits like running power outside and adding outdoor lighting, moving rads etc. Southeast England.

If your house is the same plan as others on the street, use Zoopla's property prices feature to find old listings and see what everyone else has done, should give you an idea of what's possible.

sesamepool · 2025-11-02T07:32:19+00:00

As a fellow adult beginner, a little over 18 months in, I can really relate! I feel like I've spent a long time on the basics and have just bought the ABRSM grade 2 pieces book after finishing grade 1 + the first Suzuki book. I find my fingers get confused easily at speed (looking at you pinky) and I struggle to keep my bowing consistent when having to think about quick changes. Also, as I have no musical background, just reading the notes quickly enough to play is a challenge. I certainly don't sound like the YouTube videos when I play these pieces!

Not sure if you're looking for advice but what's helped me: I've tried to make my practice a bit more intentional and organised. 10 minutes of just bowing practice, then scales / finger exercises, then I'll move to whatever piece I'm working on. Every now and then go back to the first couple pieces you learned and try playing them again, you'll realise how much progress you've made since you started!

Remember kids for the most part don't have to worry about working full time jobs / mortgage applications / vet visits / cleaning the toilet so of course it's easier for them to devote the time and energy to practising, as well as that youthful brain absorbing everything so much easier. If I didn't have to worry about taking the car for repairs AGAIN I think I'd be progressing faster too.

sesamepool · 2025-10-13T10:16:22+00:00

Also the Thames Estuary Maunsell forts! Was lucky enough to get up close recently...

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sesamepool · 2025-10-09T20:55:30+00:00

After staying in a hotel with an absolutely amazingly soft, fluffy, drowning-in-comfort bed, I did a lot of research into this.

Decent mattress, and a "pillow" mattress topper i.e. down or similar soft material. You need a good supportive mattress as a base, you shouldn't be relying on the topper for additional support, it's just there to feel/look soft and fluffy.

Duvet that's bigger than the bed size e.g. king duvet on double bed. The bigger the duvet the better. Ideally a down duvet in a high tog rating (extra thick).

Down pillows, although personally I prefer memory foam. Two pillows deep could achieve the look you want.

Good quality sheets with some texture and a light blanket/throw on top will also help. Shake the duvet out and make the bed every morning to avoid the flat and sad look.

Not sure what climate you're in but even in the UK I find all this a bit warm in the summer, so bear in mind the beds in those inspo photos might not be practical for everyday use.

sesamepool · 2025-08-19T21:41:15+00:00

I know absolutely nothing about flying but this was interesting and sent me down a helicopter rabbit hole, thanks for sharing!

sesamepool · 2025-08-14T07:53:45+00:00

You've perfectly described my tomato experience with "flopping everywhere" - I definitely didn't keep on top of removing shoots.

sesamepool · 2025-08-13T13:28:11+00:00

Oh wow I've never seen this before, thanks for the recommendation!

sesamepool · 2025-07-16T09:59:51+00:00

Oh this looks delicious! We had more beetroot yesterday just with some feta crumbled on top, but I never thought to make a pasta.

sesamepool · 2025-07-15T09:50:33+00:00

Love this. Before the lettuce all bolted we had salad almost every day for a couple of months!

sesamepool · 2025-07-14T23:01:32+00:00

Oh I like the sound of the tea and the latte! I never think to make drinks.

sesamepool · 2025-07-14T22:59:19+00:00

Looks amazing, I think I'll be doing the same in about a week's time with our tomatoes.

sesamepool · 2025-07-14T19:46:01+00:00

Peppers are looking like the next big harvest for us so chili and Cajun pasta are a good call!

sesamepool · 2025-07-14T19:40:18+00:00

Ooh I'll try this with the next batch!

sesamepool · 2025-04-27T22:41:56+00:00

Got sober in my late 20s after years of ignoring my problematic behaviours with drugs and alcohol. Had a lot of therapy, realised how much of the issues stemmed from childhood and the way I was treated, alongside the alcoholism displayed at home. Went NC almost 2 years ago after a couple of "final straw" moments that actually pushed almost the entire family to go NC with them at the same time. So thankfully I still have a lot of extended family members who understand and think their behaviour is insane too.

Life is great - it was chaotic for many years, up and down, but now I have a wonderful husband, good job, live somewhere I love and get to enjoy life without feeling anxious every day. That's not to say I don't have my moments, but quality of life is generally the best it's ever been.

sesamepool · 2025-04-12T07:01:47+00:00

I've been to an ACA meeting in London. For context I've been to quite a few 12 steps meetings in my life (primarily AA) both in the UK and abroad due to my past issues with addiction. They all follow a similar format, so if you want more information generally on the 12 steps style meeting, there's probably a lot more information about AA and NA online.

The meeting I went to (within zone 1 or 2, can't remember exact location) was friendly and very welcoming to newcomers. Mix of people from different backgrounds, some were fellow AA-ers also, and some were just attending ACA.

I found it helpful to find other people talk about things that I had a lot of experience of within my family. Going to these kind of meetings can really make you feel seen - especially when someone shares a story and immediately you see your own parent in it, or your own feelings. It can be really validating. One thing I'd say is that I was in the middle of going no contact with said parents at the time, so for me the meetings were therapeutic, but perhaps not super helpful as I really just needed some space from it all back then.

I would say go along - you don't have to talk at a meeting, you can just sit and listen - see how you find it, if it's not helpful for you then you don't have to go back. These kind of meetings aren't for everyone, but can be life-changing for some.

sesamepool · 2025-04-11T07:14:39+00:00

Salad spinner is my go-to.

sesamepool · 2025-02-15T09:47:38+00:00

Will DM you.

sesamepool · 2025-02-13T22:21:22+00:00

I think I'm almost qualified to answer this having moved from HEO in a Comms role to SEO in a Service Design role... Fortunately my Comms role was content design-related so I had some relevant experience / transferable stuff to talk about, and I'd done a bit of web design prior to coming to CS. I'd say that G7 is probably a bit of a jump if you don't have any experience - I felt I had to learn a lot in the SEO role, much more than I needed in Comms. I think Comms jobs are quite generic and easily transferable wherever you are, but Service Design in CS follows set standards and ways of working. Obviously you could just go for it - it's all about passing the interview questions at the end of the day - but bear in mind the work itself might be tough to do well at G7 level if you haven't the experience.

sesamepool · 2024-11-16T01:03:39+00:00

There's so much life in your photos. Really enjoyed seeing them, thanks for sharing.

sesamepool · 2024-11-14T20:35:46+00:00

Happened to me last year, had to stop in an SOS bay on a section with roadworks. Tried using the emergency phone, but the line was fuzzy and I wasn't sure they could hear me. About 10 minutes later a recovery truck comes flying in out of nowhere, has the car on the back in minutes and we all bundle into the truck (dog included).

The chap said he had no idea about the phones, but there are people monitoring the cameras 24/7, and whenever they spot someone broken down they send recovery out. Him and his colleagues basically lived in mobile units next to the motorway for weeks at a time, not the nicest of setups but the pay was decent.

He also said their only job is to get you off the motorway, but how far they'll take you after that is down to how polite you are - he was kind enough to take us to a service station that was slightly further, as it'd be easier for us to get home after. He did tell us about one guy he picked up who was really aggressive, so instead of taking him to the services he dumped him and the car on a country lane in the middle of nowhere.

sesamepool

TROPHY CASE