A couple of jobs - advice needed.

[TEO]

To echo everyone else, well done for taking this on.

Standard linings are easy to come by, Howdens etc. are cheap and perfectly serviceable and they come with the door stop. All you need to know is whether it's to fit in a 4 or 5 inch wall. Get the new lining in plumb and square and fitting the doors should be straightforward.
For the shims/wedges, screwfix do bags of 100 or 200, expensive for bits of plastic but worth their weight in gold when packing things out. As you said, screw through the shims, and then if there are big gaps between wall and lining I often squirt in a bit of expanding foam to firm it all up and stop it wobbling. No need for fancy drill bits or fixings, a normal masonry drill will go through wood without any trouble and then hammer through a rawl plug on the end of a decent screw, I normally go for something like 5 x 75. If you're forced to resize the lining then that too is straightforward.
Personally I wouldn't go the route of assembling everything on the floor or out of the opening. If the door has already been cut for the hinges then offer up the door to the newly fixed lining and mark off the hinge placements to the lining. A hinge jig is a massive time saver if you've got loads to do. If the hinge placements on the doors are poorly done best fill them with a two part filler (car body filler works well if it's going to be painted) and then re cut the hinges.

For the window board, if you're going to the trouble of removing the old one, you may as well just put a new one in it's place and save yourself the time for one of the other jobs.

Excuse the essay, especially if it's all stuff you're familiar with.

HTH,
T

 

[jlawrence]

from how you've described he left everything, there's no guarantee that the window board is cut correctly. it could hace been xross cut off a bigger board so the grain goes the wrong way - hence it could expand - if that makes sense. For the amount of hassle I would take it out and fit a new one.
I'll post a pic of on of the door frames in our house - it's amazing how out of true people can put some things in.

 

[OPJ]

Why not do it! It's always worth a try.

Bryn would still end up doing more work than Nick Knowles, though!!

 

[jlawrence]

The right hand side really is at least an inch lower than the left. Initially I was worried that the whole wall had dropped but that's not the case. Someone had more than one liquid lunch when putting this frame in.

 

[Benchwayze]

I thought Nick Knowles was a UKW member!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

John

 

[pren]

Thanks for all that!

As I've not fitted new door linings before, I've been trawling through google for tips. TEO's 'essay' ( :lol: ) pretty much confirms what I'd just picked up. Good to know I'm on the right track, so thanks, TEO!

I've seen on Holmes on Homes (Canadian DIY SOS type prog) the carpenter bloke using long (12") folding wedges, about 4" wide, to shim the door linings. When the doors are set plumb he just snaps/chops off the excess flush with the lining. Think I might make up a bunch of those. Is there a specific angle they should be made to? I suppose I can make up different sizes.

I think the window board is going to be replaced entirely now. I think the lady in question wants to remove every trace of 'him'. :lol:

Thanks again for the help. The work should hopefully start around mid Jan. I've got a weeks holiday owing before I get made redundant, so I'll spend a few days there in a row.

If I hit on any problems, I'll start a new thread specific to the task to avoid a confusing thread.

 

[Digit]

As TEO says, hing setting jigs make that job much simpler, if you haven't got any, and ever get down this way I'll lend you mine.

Roy.

 

[BradNaylor]

I do expect to be dining out on the brownie points for the rest of my days. :lol:

Don't count on it, mate.

You're going to be spending so much time round there that your missus is going to get it into her head that you're giving her one!

:lol:

Brad

 

[pren]

You're going to be spending so much time round there that your missus is going to get it into her head that you're giving her one!

:lol:

Brad

Oddly enough, she rekons that the youngest lad is trying to set me up with his mum! "He's a really nice man, isn't he mummy? Much nicer than dad. I'd like him to spend more time here, wouldn't you mummy?"

:shock: :lol:

 

[BradNaylor]

Oh,Oh!

I smell trouble!

:shock:

 

[plymouth pirate]

I'm amazed the post got this far without any suggestions of the baser nature of life entering into it.

 

[big soft moose]

I'm sure bryn is too much of a gentelman to take advantage of the situation, but it is a good point none the less not to spend too much time on this job to the point that you neglect jobs at home

swimbo jealousy is not a thing you want to behold and telling her that it was her idea to help out will cut no ice whatsoever

 

[pren]

I can see it now.

"But darling! You were the one who suggested I give her plumbing an overhaul!"

(All other double entendres greatfully recieved)

:lol:

My lady said she'll tag along when I visit to have a yack with the woman of the house (her friend).

Nothing to do with her keeping an eye on me.


No.


Hmm ..... :?


:lol: :lol:

 

[Dibs-h]

I've seen on Holmes on Homes (Canadian DIY SOS type prog) the carpenter bloke using long (12") folding wedges, about 4" wide, to shim the door linings. When the doors are set plumb he just snaps/chops off the excess flush with the lining. Think I might make up a bunch of those. Is there a specific angle they should be made to? I suppose I can make up different sizes.

About the only TV I watch - the PVR must have 40hrs recorded on it!

As for the wedges I would assume they would be cut from something like 1-1.5" thick timber and about 10"-12" long. The more you push it in the greater the gap you can shim. Sorry if that's like teaching you to suck eggs like.

Defintely take the Mrs along for every visit - even one that's for 5 mins. You really don't need any headache. Also every time you visit, the lady's children will be seeing your Mrs and should stop thinking of you as Daddy material.

Last time my Mrs got me to to a job for her mate - I was p!ssed that her mate hadn't paid for the £40 or so for materials and being a bleedin GP and all..... Mentioned it to SWIMBO some months later and she mater of factly mentioned "Oh, she paid me about a week later" When asked whether cash or cheque - Wifey replied cash. Never done jobs for her relatives\friends ever since.!

Seriously - it's commendable what you are doing. I've wondered sometimes that there are seriously deserving folk out there to whom it would make a world of difference if a handful of blokes like us turned up and spent a day or so, sorting out the issues.

 

[FatFreddysCat]

As for the wedges I would assume they would be cut from something like 1-1.5" thick timber and about 10"-12" long. The more you push it in the greater the gap you can shim.

In my experience they're generally what you can cut on a chop saw with a bit of extra work with the hand saw, so more like 3 to 5in long. The problem with using wedges is that you need to ensure they don't twist the legs of the casing. Try using one form each side and the problem is one of ensuring they don't fall out as you adjust the next pair. If the walls are half decent then parallel packers (i.e offcuts of thin plywood, hardboard, MDF, laminate, etc) are probably a better bet. The "horseshoe" shaped plastic ones from trade places are excellent as they can be hung over the screws (which prevents them from dropping to the floor when making adjustments).

In extreme cases on old properties I have resorted to foaming a casing in with builders expanding PU foam then screwing/plugging when the whole lot has set. This obviously this needs two or three accurately cut spreaders to keep the opening width whilst the foam goes off, though. BTW, doesn't work in very cold weather as the foam needs to be at least 4 degrees C. Shades of cowboy builder? Only if you don't fix or add the spreaders :roll:

Another technique I've seen is to fix the hinge side plumb, then level the head and loosely fix the other side. The door is then hung and the latch side is trued up to the door. A bit arris first, but can be useful with odd shaped openings (or old doors).

 

[big soft moose]

Seriously - it's commendable what you are doing. I've wondered sometimes that there are seriously deserving folk out there to whom it would make a world of difference if a handful of blokes like us turned up and spent a day or so, sorting out the issues.

perhaps bryn should host a ukw bash and go round team handed :lol:

 

[Dibs-h]

In extreme cases on old properties I have resorted to foaming a casing in with builders expanding PU foam then screwing/plugging when the whole lot has set. This obviously this needs two or three accurately cut spreaders to keep the opening width whilst the foam goes off, though. BTW, doesn't work in very cold weather as the foam needs to be at least 4 degrees C. Shades of cowboy builder? Only if you don't fix or add the spreaders :roll.

I don't think it's a sign of a cowboy builder - there is stuff specifically made to do it now by Fischer.

 

[FatFreddysCat]

Mayeb so, but it's always best to cover one's arris! :lol:

 

[pren]

Hi.

Started work on the bathroom yesterday. The one good thing about things being bodged before you is that the seem to be pretty easy to rip out. Managed to get most of the tilling done, bath secured and the new toilet fitted. Should hopefully have the rest of the tilling done tomorrow as well as refit the sink so it's held up by more than just the plumbing! :roll:

It's amazing the effect a new bog and some tiles has on an already emotional woman. She came in, saw the new bits and started crying! She came home today to tell me that she'd been talking about my work with some of her female colleagues. So far, I've been invited to quote on a fitted bathroom suite (toilet, sink and small storage are all part of one 'unit'), a fitted wardrobe and a refurb of 4 bathrooms in a B&B!!

Talk about karma! :lol:

Apparently one of the main considerations when taking on a tradesman is trust. I think the idea of leaving your house in the hands of a strange man whilst your out at work is obviously pretty worrying. I know this lady works with my wife so I'm not a total unknown but I think it says something, either about me or her, that she's so happy to put her trust in me.

And no. My wife never left me alone in the house with the owner! :lol:

 

[TEO]

Nice one Pren,
Looks like you've tapped into a ready market. As you say, trust is key and should it ever get to 5 on a Friday and you're still not finished, don't forget that it only takes one unhappy client with a mouth to destroy years of hard work building a reputation.
Sounds like you're going to have your hands full,
Good luck,
T