Grump of the day

[Feltwell]

I hate fixing into internal walls.

Why? Well, with plastered brick walls you've no idea if you're going to drill at a particular spot into brick or just soft lime mortar. So you spend ages marking the wall up for where radiator brackets need to go, you have to get a decent fixing as the radiator is very heavy, and of course the last bracket to be fixed has to be the one where both holes go straight into mortar. :evil: So you need to redo the lot. Luckily there's no pipework yet so moving the radiator slightly is OK.

If anyone's got a magical way of seeing through the plaster so you know where the bricks are please feel free to share it!

First world problems eh? :roll: :lol:

 

[Keithj]

I'm a cheapskate. I use those long expanding fittings that will open out and grip even in lime mortar.

The alternative trick that I was taught by a wily old Welshman was to bang in a wooden wedge as far as it will go, trim it off flush with the wall, and screw to that. It held up some seriously heavy kitchen cupboards in our Welsh hideaway...

 

[Zebra]

Keith, you're not getting into the spirit of this thread with your helpful advice. This is for grumps and grumbles.
Here's one. I've got to go on a work "Christmas do" tomorrow. It's basically an all-day, start-at-lunchtime, piss-up. I don't want to go. I don't want to spend all day getting drunk, especially with my colleagues. But it's a bit late to drop out now, and I fear it would look like a snub, and cause more problems long term.
If anybody has any fast-acting 24-hour bug or virus, please would they email it over?

 

[LadyArowana]

Grumpy, oh yes, definitely today. Before I went away for a 2 week holiday in Europe I left 2 pieces of my artwork to be framed in London. I had already just about moved heaven and earth to get these things 1) scanned and 2) printed, it involved bringing a large plan tube containing the original collages all the way from Singapore, etc etc. The framing was very carefully specified by the gallery to the framers so these 2 would match something else. Today, as we are arriving outside our hotel in Berlin, in the pouring rain, with loads of luggage I get a call...... the pictures have arrived back at the gallery and they have basically completely ignored the specs. I will only be in London for a few days and there is no time for them to be re-done. I won't be charged, but I don't want free stuff I want correct stuff.

 

[LadyArowana]

Keith, you're not getting into the spirit of this thread with your helpful advice. This is for grumps and grumbles.
Here's one. I've got to go on a work "Christmas do" tomorrow. It's basically an all-day, start-at-lunchtime, piss-up. I don't want to go. I don't want to spend all day getting drunk, especially with my colleagues. But it's a bit late to drop out now, and I fear it would look like a snub, and cause more problems long term.
If anybody has any fast-acting 24-hour bug or virus, please would they email it over?

Isn't there someone who could give you a call about 2 hours into the extravaganza so you can do the "Oh No, that's awful, are you OK, what can I do to help" reply, and make a graceful exit?

 

[skier-hughes]

I've got several viruses locked up in my vault, would you like one from a Nigerian millionaire, a US chap who's found millions of dollars while he's away in Africa, a tasty looking blonde bird or a plain old ordinary blue pill one?

 

[Zebra]

No helpful suggestions, LadyA, not here - only grumps!
Anyway, I am useless at lying, unfortunately.
Thank you skier, but I don't think those are the right type of thing....

 

[skier-hughes]

Why, Why, WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY

 

[Feltwell]

Delilah?

 

[kreyszig]

Also not getting into the spirit, but one of these might help -they can see studs through plasterboard, if there is enough of a temperature difference between the mortar and stone you may well be able to distinguish the mortar lines.

 

[kreyszig]

Keith, you're not getting into the spirit of this thread with your helpful advice. This is for grumps and grumbles.
Here's one. I've got to go on a work "Christmas do" tomorrow. It's basically an all-day, start-at-lunchtime, piss-up. I don't want to go. I don't want to spend all day getting drunk, especially with my colleagues. But it's a bit late to drop out now, and I fear it would look like a snub, and cause more problems long term.
If anybody has any fast-acting 24-hour bug or virus, please would they email it over?

I am going on one of those in 10 minutes. I will have your share of festive booze for you - does that help?

 

[Keithj]

Sorry - was out singing carols to the Rotary Club, and didn't see this till too late. I'm sure we could have found some urgent need.

I enjoyed office boozeups - I don't get invited any more, unless it's to sing with the choir after they've had their coffee.

 

[Feltwell]

Today's Grump - brand new "cast iron style" radiators (yes, I'd love the real thing, but they are just too expensive to justify - even these aren't cheap. Look better than modern panel rads though), from a reputable manufacturer, to be fitted into Feltwell Towers.

The amount of metallic cr@p inside them is horrendous - tip them up and you get a fine metallic grit coming out of them. Nothing in the instructions about flushing them before fitting, but I did anyway, as I can't believe that grit would do your heating system much good, especially the pump. It shouldn't really be necessary to have to flush brand new, expensive radiators out with a hosepipe in your garden prior to fitting them.

I had the same thing a few years ago in a previous house - a new towel radiator, when I flushed it out it was full of metal swarf from the manufacturing process.

 

[Keithj]

You'd think they'd want that metal, given the price these days!

 

[worms]

My grump today... Why do you sometimes get a day when the fire won't light? I'm normally a one-match sort of guy but just occasionally, like tonight, even the newspaper wouldn't burn. Matches were going out as soon as I put them in through the wood burner door. Resorted to using a candle but even had difficulty keeping it lit!

I know environmental CO2 levels are rising, but I seem to be living in a fire extinguisher!

 

[plasticpigeon]

My grump is that i had to go to work today, and probably will for another 25 - 30 years.

 

[88v8]

My grump today... Why do you sometimes get a day when the fire won't light? I'm normally a one-match sort of guy but just occasionally, like tonight, even the newspaper wouldn't burn. Matches were going out as soon as I put them in through the wood burner door. Resorted to using a candle but even had difficulty keeping it lit!
I know environmental CO2 levels are rising, but I seem to be living in a fire extinguisher!

This is part of what David Cameron apparently calls 'the green crap', in this case recycled paper and the amount of non-flam chemicals it contains.
There was correspondence in The Times a few months ago, readers complaining that it wouldn't burn.

I now use a small blowlamp to light the paper. Not exactly this, but similar
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-BUTANE-MINI-TORCH-BLOW-LAMP-COOKS-CHEFS-REFILLABLE-/310450847134?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item48484ffd9e

Works well.

Ivor

 

[worms]

My grump today... Why do you sometimes get a day when the fire won't light? I'm normally a one-match sort of guy but just occasionally, like tonight, even the newspaper wouldn't burn. Matches were going out as soon as I put them in through the wood burner door. Resorted to using a candle but even had difficulty keeping it lit!
I know environmental CO2 levels are rising, but I seem to be living in a fire extinguisher!

This is part of what Davuid Cameron apparently calls 'the green crap', in this case recycled paper and the amount of non-flam chemicals it contains.
There was correspondence in The Times a few months ago, readers complaining that it wouldn't burn.

I now use a small blowlamp to light the paper. Not exactly this, but similar
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-BUTANE-MINI-TORCH-BLOW-LAMP-COOKS-CHEFS-REFILLABLE-/310450847134?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item48484ffd9e

Works well.

Ivor

Interesting that about the paper, I was using a pull-out section from a Saturday Times and it was an odd sort of consistency. It burned Ok earlier in the week, but that was when the gale over the chimney was causing a huge updraft through the fire.

I used to use one of these butane blow torches to light the fire but haven't needed it in years, so had forgotten all about it. I must look it out...or buy a better paper!

 

[Feltwell]

I'm told, but haven't tried one, that gas pokers are an effective and lazy way of getting a fire going.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gas-Poker...FireplacesMantelpieces_RL&hash=item43d2c4f8fd

When I finally get around to sorting my dining room fireplace so it's operational again, I've got the connection for an old gas fire still there, so I'll be able to plug a gas poker into mains gas which will be handy.

Sorry, this isn't nearly grumpy enough is it? The day is young, plenty of time yet :wink:

 

[Feltwell]

Also not getting into the spirit, but one of these might help -they can see studs through plasterboard, if there is enough of a temperature difference between the mortar and stone you may well be able to distinguish the mortar lines.

Blimey - very posh! Alas I haven't got an iPhone 5, or an iPhone of any sort, or even a smartphone, and that camera is a bit pricey. Not sure it would work, especially on internal walls. Studs behind plasterboard or lath & plaster (No "e" this time Penners, I'm awake! :wink: ) I can understand a bit more, such a variance in density, although I've always been able to find them with a cheap stud detector or a strong magnet.

I would like to be able to look at this place with a thermal camera though - it must help highlight where all the draughts are, it would be great to find out where the worst heat loss points are so I could try to tackle some of them.

Sorry, this also isn't very grumpy is it? Drifting my own thread, not good. Normal grumpy service will be resumed later I'm sure.