Friday 20 February 2009

Dismembering Jellyfish

Yesterday I was happily creating the boxing for the pipes in the cloakroom. Rather more complex then usual I've been thinking about exactly how to do it for days, so much so it was making my head hurt :-) So it was good to actually start the job. How come when you actually *do* something rather then think about it, it's way easier then you thought?

Later about to have a shower I slipped half into the shower, kicked the panel below it and hey presto I could finally see what was under the shower tray.

A complete lack of jewels and gold coins, it was mostly concrete blocks.. and damp. I had suspected, now I knew and I had to do something about it. I have no idea why it is, but every time you buy a house the sealant around the bath or shower has failed and usually (like here) all they have done is stick new sealant over the old mouldy stuff.

Leading to my favorite job. If there is any other way of removing the stuff other then a chisel/Stanley knife and a bare Stanley blade (shredding your fingers into the bargain) I have never found it.

Several years ago nirvana had been found, sealant 'eater'. you spread it on the offending stuff, left it an hour and it all just peeled off. It cost a fortune. It didn't work. So back to Mr Stanley and his ubiquitous knives.

Nasty, smelly (all that hidden mould) and disturbingly like dismembering jellyfish (but less fun) Was on my knees for hours, and actually ended up dismantling virtually the entire enclosure (and horrified to find it is held together with nothing *but* sealant).

Today is the day of nothing but errands, so I shall let the whole lot dry out, tomorrow I shall put it all back together (always with the sinking feeling that one day it'll all have to be done again)

There should be a point to this story. There isn't :-)

6 comments:

  1. have you tried a Dremal tool? I love mine and quite often will use it in place of a knife.

    http://www.dremeleurope.com/dremelocs-uk/Category.jsp?ccat_id=469

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  2. I'm really enjoying your blog, Graham. I have an old house that needs a lot of work but I have no know-how. From you I'm learning quite a bit about where to look for trouble and what might need to be done.

    I have to know though, have you dismembered a jellyfish? If so I would like to read about that experience!

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  3. Why is it that repairs of one thing in an old house always disclose two more that need repair? If you ever find a good way to remob\ve sealant you will get rich.

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  4. How stupid of me, just realised you click on the bit that says number of comments, so well done! I really like it and might get inspired to do likewise when I find out how to get going.Margaret

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  5. Man alive! How I do dislike mould! When it creeps in, usually during summer monsoon season, I go on the warpath, armed with rubber gloves, a pail of bleach-water, and my trusty sponge/scrubber. Glad to hear you are bearding the beast in its den. More power to ya!

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  6. We have a window that needs attending to - just a tad of mold in one spot when we took off the casing to install a new one. That one small bit (even though I've bleached it) smells godawful.

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