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Shedding Light on Window Fitting

January 29, 2012 By

Not only do windows bring light and air into your home, and keep out the cold and noise of the streets outside, they also make a big difference to the character of your house. A change of windows makes a property better heat-insulated (saving on energy bills) and sound-proofed, and can update it in an instant. Nothing says unkempt like dingy windows with rotting sills.

If your windows are reflecting badly on your house, then it’s time to make a change. But buying and installing windows – particularly double-glazing – has always been seen as an expensive job which must be left to the professionals. Maybe, like many home-owners, you’re saving up to replace the guest beds in the spare room, the units in the kitchen or the shower in the en-suite. New windows, however, are not necessarily out of budget, if you do the job yourself.

Before you start altering any windows, ensure the new ones will comply with any regulations regarding fire escapes and safety issues. In addition to this, the success or failure of your installation will depend on your measurements. Measuring from the outside, find the narrowest point and then deduct 5mm from the width and height. Make sure you include the sill thickness (normally 30mm), and include details about this when you order the windows. Choose your supplier carefully. Just as if you were buying a new king size bed, you’d go to a reputable firm like Bensons For Beds, make sure you go to a supplier whose products are guaranteed and have reasonable delivery charges.

Fit the frame from the outside. Handling the frame should not be too difficult as most frames when not glazed, are fairly light. However, it is always helpful to have another pair of hands, particularly if the window-frame is large. Screw the frame into the brick or block-work, using 6” frame-fixers. Next, fit the glass into the frame. Packers are used to lift the glass so water can freely drain out of the frame. A common cause of unit failure is water freezing around the bottom seal. Fill any large gaps between the frame and the wall with expandable foam. Don’t do the gap-filling before fitting the glass, as it can distort the frame and then the glass would not fit. Then, using a quality silicon and plenty of kitchen towel to clean up as you go along, finish the edges around the window frame, and you’re done.

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DIY fit your own sink

November 30, 2011 By

If you have an elderly relative who is less steady on their feet than they once were then it’s only natural to feel concerned about their safety, especially when they are on their own at home. It’s quite common for an elderly relative to want to maintain their independence and stay in familiar surroundings for as long as possible, rather than moving into a retirement home for example. This is totally understandable but can cause worry for relatives and loved ones, especially if they are living alone.

 

One of the biggest concerns tends to be that your relative could have a slip or fall while on their own. But there are things you can do to make their home safer for them; putting your mind at rest and helping them to maintain their independence and dignity.

 

The bathroom can be of considerable concern to relatives of elderly people – the hazards involved in a room with an often wet floor are obvious. One of the first things you can do to help is alter the height and size of the sink. You can get this done professionally or you can consider DIY sink fitting, both of which will allow you to ensure your sink is at a convenient access height and as safe as possible for your relative.

 

If you choose to DIY fit the sink, there are two main designs to choose from: inset and lay-on. Lay-on sinks sit on a base unit the same size as the sink rim, but more often nowadays you will see inset sinks, which sit in a cut-out space on the worktop. There are a range of sizes available so you can choose the ideal sink for your relative.

 

On top of this, you could ask your relative to consider mobility baths. Baths like these are available in a whole range of sizes, shapes, prices and designs from http://www.mobility-plus.co.uk, and they allow the bather to step in and out of the bath with ease.

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Spruce up your home

November 10, 2011 By

Sprucing up your home with a few new pieces of furniture can give your house a fresh new look, without costing the earth.
If you’re looking to give your home a bit of a makeover, but don’t have much time or money, or simply don’t know where to start, investing in a few key pieces of furniture for each room can often prove the simplest way to  give your home a fresh new feel.
Of course, if there are obvious jobs that need doing such as sorting out chipped paint or fixing peeling wallpaper, then get these problems tackled first. Once you have addressed any pushing interior décor issues, you can consider your furnishings.
There is no point in your living room having beautiful wallpaper but a shabby old couch, or a prefect paint job just for the battered old coffee table to ruin the whole look.
The great news is that investing in new items of furniture really needn’t break the bank. These days, you can find fabulous pieces of furniture for extremely reasonable prices. You just have to know where to look.
Recently, I picked up some fantastic bargains at a sofa bed sale, and was able to give my poor, neglected guest room a real boost with a beautiful new sofa bed that hadn’t cost an arm and a leg!
You can create the same effect in any room in your house with a well-chosen item of furniture. Would your bedroom benefit from a new dressing table? Perhaps a new set of dining furniture could be just what you kitchen needs? Or maybe a modern coffee table is just the thing to bring your living room to life.
From sofas and chairs, to modern coffee tables and dining furniture, these days you can find reasonably priced furniture in such a range of colours, materials, shapes and sizes, that you’re spoiled for choice!
Spruce up your home
Sprucing up your home with a few new pieces of furniture can give your house a fresh new look, without costing the earth.
If you’re looking to give your home a bit of a makeover, but don’t have much time or money, or simply don’t know where to start, investing in a few key pieces of furniture for each room can often prove the simplest way to  give your home a fresh new feel.
Of course, if there are obvious jobs that need doing such as sorting out chipped paint or fixing peeling wallpaper, then get these problems tackled first. Once you have addressed any pushing interior décor issues, you can consider your furnishings.
There is no point in your living room having beautiful wallpaper but a shabby old couch, or a prefect paint job just for the battered old coffee table to ruin the whole look.
The great news is that investing in new items of furniture really needn’t break the bank. These days, you can find fabulous pieces of furniture for extremely reasonable prices. You just have to know where to look.
Recently, I picked up some fantastic bargains at a sofa bed sale, and was able to give my poor, neglected guest room a real boost with a beautiful new sofa bed that hadn’t cost an arm and a leg!
You can create the same effect in any room in your house with a well-chosen item of furniture. Would your bedroom benefit from a new dressing table? Perhaps a new set of dining furniture could be just what you kitchen needs? Or maybe a modern coffee table is just the thing to bring your living room to life.
From sofas and chairs, to modern coffee tables and dining furniture, these days you can find reasonably priced furniture in such a range of colours, materials, shapes and sizes, that you’re spoiled for choice!

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Top tips to give your room a makeover on a budget

November 9, 2011 By

So you’ve little or no money spare but your living room is so depressing and needs a major upgrade. Spend a little time working out what it is you need to change most and then work out a to-do list.

Here are some tried and tested ideas to give a room an uplift on a budget.

1. Declutter the room first. Throw away junk or take it to the charity shops. Tidy it into the loft if you can’t bear to part with it right away, but CLEAR THE ROOM OF CLUTTER.

2.  Re-decorate the room: Paintwork. If your door is damaged or ill-fitting or just decrepit it will be worth investing in a new one. Prepare the doors and door surround for painting carefully. A good finish looks classy. A lumpy finish leads to on going reminders of failure. [Read more...]

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The joys or other of DIY

October 19, 2011 By

More and more people are putting their hands into (and getting them stuck) DIY. For some DIY in their home is a hobby, a pleasure, and part of their lifestyle. For others, it isn’t. Why do it then? Well there are three obvious reasons: firstly, the  price of getting a tradesman to do a job and actually turn up, secondly, some jobs are so little that no-one would bother and thirdly and to me the most important, the warm feeling of achievement you get when a job is completed and works.  Over the years we have had several lessons to learn about DIY. I offer the fruits of my experience here. [Read more...]

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