Fitting a kitchen worktop is fairly straight forward if you are experienced at DIY. You would need to set aside around four hours to complete the job of fitting new kitchen work surfaces, but because worktops can be quite heavy depending on the material they’re made from, it might be a good idea to have an extra pair of hands available.
The most important thing is to make sure that you take accurate measurements before you start to cut the wood as mistakes can be expensive and waste time. The hardest part is how to measure up to be able to cut edges, especially when the wall might not be at a right angle or if there are pipes to cut around.
If you already have a worktop that you are replacing then you can just draw around that, which will probably be the easiest thing to do, or you could simply take the measurements from the old worktop.
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A report launched today by Experian for the ‘Cut the VAT’ coalition, an alliance of 21 organisations including the Federation of Master Builders, the Modern Masonry Alliance, the Clay Roof Tile Council and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, has unveiled that as many as 55,000 new jobs in the building sector and construction industry could be created if VAT on labour for building work and home improvements was cut to 5%.
Creating Building Jobs
The Cut the VAT coalition believes that by cutting the percentage of VAT paid on labour for renovation and property maintenance work from the current 12.5% to 5% would help the current economic situation of high numbers of unemployed people, and would also have a number of social and economic benefits for the UK as a whole, including helping the Government reach its carbon emission reduction targets.
The report anticipates an additional 24,000 construction jobs could be created in 2010 alone, with this rising to nearly 35,000 building sector jobs by 2019. In addition, the report explains that the additional demand for tradespeople to carry out work in domestic properties will have a knock on effect for companies who supply materials to the trades as people decide to upgrade central heating systems, repair roofs, build extensions and rewire homes. As a result of making building work and renovation of properties more affordable for homeowners, this will in turn help people make their homes more energy efficient, reducing energy consumption and saving them money.
When you are looking to fit a new shower into your bathroom there are now more options on the market than you may be aware of. When either redecorating or refurbishing your bathroom most people are used to seeing the standard power shower in the tub or shower head attachment on the bath taps that can be mounted on the wall, but now there are different showers and shower enclosure styles which can provide different effects for your new bathroom design so I am going to be telling you of just a few which could be suited for yourself.
Walk in showers
If you’re considering installing a walk in shower, there are some great positives, one being that it is the complete opposite of an enclosed shower cubicle. Without any sliding doors, a walk in shower can made to any design you like and in all shapes and sizes so can easily fit into any bathroom design.
When deciding the size of your shower, make sure you know where your toilet, sink, bath if you wish to install one and any bathroom furniture of fixtures such as radiators and heated towel rails will be situated and this should then give you a good idea of the space available for your shower.
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Exposed pipework trailing across your bathroom wall, whether it’s waste pipes or water pipes, is not an attractive sight to behold, especially if you’re planning a new bathroom and want a new bathroom suite, tiles and flooring. The last thing you want is a blot on the bathroom design, and that’s exactly what exposed copper piping could look like.
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The first step before removing your old bath and basin would be to turn off your hot and cold water mains and drain the system, making sure that any remaining water is drained out of the water pipes by turning on the bath and sink taps. Once the water has been drained from the system, you can then continue by removing the bath panels and anything else that is holding your old bath in place.
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Installing a new bathroom in your home is one of the easiest ways to increase the value of your home. The first thing that you should do when you looking to put an extra bathroom in your house is create a space for it, making sure you there is enough room for a toilet, basin, bath tub and shower. When trying to find the space most people use an attic, basement or have an extension built. You do not need to find a great deal of room so unless you are looking to add further rooms such as extra downstairs living space or additional bedrooms, most people don’t choose to have an extension built just for the sake of an extra bathroom.
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There are many different bathroom suite styles to choose from, whether you’re looking for contemporary elegance and a minimalist style or a traditional bathroom suite in a Victorian or Edwardian style. Traditional suites are becoming a popular option, from baths to toilets, basins to radiators.
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Kitchen planning can be a long and difficult task with so many different options to consider, from task lighting to types of kitchen work surfaces; flooring to cupboard casings and doors. Finding the right type of worktop to suit the rest of your kitchen design and meet the requirements of your kitchen use is important and granite work surfaces can often provide a practical and stylish solution for most homes.
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Whether you’re having a new tiled floor in your kitchen or tiling your bathroom there will always be a common dilemma; whether to remove the old tiles and start afresh or just tile over them. Either option can be fine, and both are an accepted way of dealing with the problem, but both methods of tiling your wall or floor have their pros and cons.
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Renting out a property can be a great investment and source of income but there are a number of property maintenance jobs and decorating projects you are likely to have to deal with more regularly. Local tradespeople can be an attractive proposition, especially if you have multiple properties and your own home will also need work doing over the course of the year.
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