[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by vinvin

Would like to hear feedback/advice in terms of things to keep in mind, if I were to proceed ahead in engaging them.

Thanks.

For a job of something like building an entire home, I would rather go with a known person or someone who has been refered by any of the friends/relatives and endorsed by them and also after inspecting their work. Like, to have a mutual connection with them instead of a total stranger.

[kushagra452]

Dear BHPians

Kindly suggest a good budget friendly 4G sim based CCTV camera for monitoring the construction of a house. This camera will be installed in the Delhi NCR region.

Thank you.

[JithinR]

This is a strange one (kind of dumb too) but I am hoping someone else has faced this before and solved it.

The kitchen faucet in my rented apartment in Bengaluru (attached pic) has been leaking for the past few days. Now, at my parents place I would simply remove the spindle (cartridge) and pop in a new one.

But this model kind of has a weird setup (though it's ubiquitous in India as far as I can see) and I am not sure how to get the spindle off it. Checked for it on YouTube but couldn't find any similar faucet over there either.

I have been able to remove the cap on the handle and the screw inside it but got stuck at that point. Any insights appreciated.

Note: Not really looking forward to calling a plumber because he has already scammed me before and didn't show any shame when I called him out for it. Besides, this is something I regularly do at my parents place.

[sagarpadaki]

Please share a photo of how it looks on the inside once you remove the chrome cap on the turning Knob.

[null]

Originally Posted by JithinR

This is a strange one (kind of dumb too) but I am hoping someone else has faced this before and solved it...

Hope this helps -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2b5sx0uf0A

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by null

Hope this helps

Except don't use wrenches or other steel objects to hit or apply force to the tap cover or any chromium-plated or polished surface! Use a piece of wood. Or use the wood to transmit the force from a heavier object.

Back in the day, taps had washers that were easy to replace (as long as one could turn off the water supply!) and leaks like the one shown were fixed by tightening the packing piece, or adding a bit of string underneath it and re-tightening.

[Capri89]

Originally Posted by null

Hope this helps

Good. But he is wasting so much water. Better to keep an empty vessel or bucket while testing for leaks post or during repairs.

[Aroy]

Steps
. Pry the cap off
. Unscrew the bolt
. Using a soft hammer or wooden batten hit the bottom of the knob, rotating around it.
. Once the knob is taken out use a wrench to open up the "face", that is the part holding the washer.
. Change the washer and reassemble the tap.

NOTE if there is a play/backslash in the tap, then change the "face". It should not cost more than 100 at local plumbing store. Other wise

https://www.flipkart.com/jkc-jaguar-...mb43be047d6a18

https://www.amazon.in/Senkiddpro-Car.../dp/B0CBMDVDMM

[cryptarchy]

Any recommendations for interior designers / contractors in Delhi?

[cryptarchy]

Originally Posted by kushagra452

Dear BHPians

Kindly suggest a good budget friendly 4G sim based CCTV camera for monitoring the construction of a house. This camera will be installed in the Delhi NCR region.

Thank you.

There are cloud storage based cameras from Philips and TP link. You can pair it with a Wi-Fi dongle.

[Thad E Ginathom]

My wife is complaining about the heat. I have to listen, as it is affecting her health. Whether this is psychology or not I do not know: we have plenty of AC.

We have a small, mostly-single-floor house, with a studio flat on the terrace, about 1/3rd of the area. So that much is protected from direct-sun heating. The terrace surface itself it painted with heat-reflective paint. One can tell that it does do something, as I can quite easily walk or stand on it when I can't do the same on our plain-cement drive.

Whilst she would like to cover the terrace With a simple roof of some kind (maybe even thatch) or even solar electricity panels, we do not have the money for it. (I'd love to have solar electric: another year, maybe!)

So she is turning her attention to the inside. The ceiling surface. Line/cover it with something.

One room, our second bedroom and her "den" area, is all, so it would be small job. I'd like it to be DIY even.

All my life, I've been seeing expanded polystyrene (thermacol) stuck on ceilings. Easy and cheap, but not great in appearance, and looks old fairly quickly. I read about something harder called PUF. Don't really know what it is, is it the stuff they insulate fridges with? All I can find from google for PUF is external roofing components.

Any ideas? And where (Chennai) to buy?

[null]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Any ideas?

One easy solution to reduce sun light hitting your roof is to use those green shade nets (the ones used in garden nurseries to control sunlight on saplings). You get them at different %age of light blocking. You can get them stitched to your required dimensions to cover the 2/3rds roof area and get it hung at 8-10 ft height (over the open roof area). This should help keep your rooms below cool.

Edit: it's better to extend it to cover the side walls (prevent direct sun light falling on the side walls - your south facing walls?) as well since they too heat up during the day and make the room feel hot.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Any ideas? And where (Chennai) to buy?

I searched in Indiamart for PUF insulation panels for False ceiling:
1. https://www.omkarpufinsulation.com/puf-slabs.html
2.https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail...109390888.html

It seems a bit expensive in the second link: Rs.310/- per sqft
We did POP fc more than a dozen years ago and it cost us less than a Rs.100/- per sq ft with installation. It was before the days of GST and many things attracted 5 % VAT.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by null

One easy solution to reduce sun light hitting your roof is to use those green shade nets

Thanks for that idea. There is also traditional thatch, or the metal sheeting used as sun shades (etc, including our car port).

I'm worried that it will blow away in the first substantial wind. I'm worried that, the more secure it is, the more of the house it might destroy when it blows away. I'm thinking cyclone stuff: it happens!

Originally Posted by Prowler

I searched in Indiamart for PUF insulation panels for False ceiling:

Yes, I've looked for similar stuff. I think we have to start asking around the tiles/building shops to see if they have any domestic equivalent.

[whitewing]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

...
I'm worried that it will blow away in the first substantial wind. I'm worried that, the more secure it is, the more of the house it might destroy when it blows away. I'm thinking cyclone stuff: it happens!


Yes, I've looked for similar stuff. I think we have to start asking around the tiles/building shops to see if they have any domestic equivalent.

Shade nets seem to be the best quick fix for your use case, a bunch of 10*10 nets anchored to sandbags on the terrace should do the trick and not pose a danger in high wind situations.

Alternately, if the terrace space area is not actively used, just laying a bunch of mangalore tiles (with ridges) may do the trick.

Adding insulation in the "inside" may not be such a good idea, since eventually the heat will get in and due to the added insulation,stay in longer.