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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There are many different ways to attach a shelf to a drywall you will need to pick which method is appropriate for the weight of the shelf and what is going to be stored on it. If the shelf that you are going to hang it going to be light then plastic anchors will be fine, the plastic auger is like a screw and will attach into a pre- drilled hole and sit flush with the wall acting as an anchor.
You will need to make sure that the holes you drill are level. It is advisable to drill a pilot hole so that the drywall isn’t damaged when you screw the auger in place. Once you have done this for all the holes, line up the mounting bracket and attach a screw through each of the holes into the plastic anchors then simply tighten the screws and put the shelf onto the bracket.
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The UK’s largest builders merchants, Travis Perkins, have announced that they have seen a change in customer trends which indicate that property developing and self building are becoming more popular again in the weeks since Christmas, whereas DIY seems to be taking more of a back seat.
The news comes as the demand for DIY equipment such as screwdrivers and paint brushes is decreasing; they are being purchased less frequently in DIY stores such as Wickes which is owned by Travis Perkins, compared both to the weeks and months before Christmas and the trends the building firm saw this time last year.
Last year, there was an overall decline of 3% in the number of retail purchases for DIY home improvement equipment, but this was lower than the sector expected considering the country was in the grip of a recession. People had still preferred the DIY option, choosing to improve their homes rather than move house, mainly due to the lack of public confidence in the housing market.
As the UK has finally moved out of recession and the housing market it beginning to turn, confidence in property prices and investing in bricks and mortar is beginning to be a more attractive prospect. This seems to be what is happening as Travis Perkins are seeing more sales to tradespeople coming out of the woodwork, who make up 70% of their customers, purchasing building materials such as bricks and timber to renovate properties for resale or as rental properties.
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Despite reductions in the cost of wholesale gas an electricity, customers are still seeing price increases when their gas and electricity bills land on the doormat. In addition to this, energy companies have announced increased profits, which energy watchdog Consumer Focus has slammed, saying that energy prices should be cut in order to pass on the reduction in the price of wholesale electricity and gas to their customers.
Energy companies have, it has been unveiled in an Ofgem quarterly report, made profits of £105 for each dual-fuel customer in February 2010 compared to £75 for each customer in November 2009. In addition, with British Gas having announced profits for 2009 of £595 million, a £291 million increase from 2008 profits; and Scottish Power having confirmed pre-tax profits lying at £1,293 million, it is understandable that consumers who are struggling to pay their energy bills will be less than pleased with this news.
Consumer Focus is therefore calling on energy companies to be fair to their customers and pass on the benefits of reduced energy costs to reduce their energy bills. British Gas have advised however that if they were to cut their energy bills by 5% they would not be making any profit. Their managing director, Phil Bentley, commented that if this was the case, British Gas would not be able to offer services such as installation smart meters, assisting with insulating people’s homes and creating more jobs.
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If you decide to tidy up the garden and have a large amount of garden waste and rubbish that has been hanging round waiting for this very opportunity to throw it away, hiring a skip may well be the most practical option, rather than piling dirty bags overflowing with garden waste and soil covered bricks, rubble and concrete slabs in the back of the car for multiple trips to the local tip.
Similarly if you’re clearing out the garage, attic, kids bedrooms or maybe moving house and have come across all sorts of broken items, outdated and beyond repair pieces of furniture or things set aside to ‘do something with’ one day, you may decide to call on your local reliable skip hire company to come to the rescue and deliver a skip to take away your unwanted junk. Or you may be having building work done, fitting a new kitchen or bathroom or replacing fencing or paving in your garden and need the old items out of the way to make room for the new. Whatever you need to hire a skip for, there are a number of items you may not realise cannot be dumped in a skip along with normal domestic household waste.
The following items cannot be thrown away in a skip and have to be disposed of following the proper environmental agency guidelines:
- asbestos
- WEEE – waste electrical and electronic equipment
- paint
- florescent lamps and light bulbs
- plasterboard
- tyres
- solvents and liquids including waste oil and fuel
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.
Taking place from 2nd-4th March 2010, the Ecobuild exhibition in Earls Court, London, will provide the biggest event for green building, sustainable housing design and construction and should appeal to both tradespeople and companies looking to upskill in microgeneration installation and renewable energy technology. The exhibition should also appeal to home owners wanting to integrate green technologies or products into their home or those looking to self build and create a sustainable low carbon home.
The exhibition first launched in 2005 and has seen visitor numbers double each year, and with the increased popularity of green building and eco retrofitting, the attractiveness of this event could be even greater this year.
Across the three day event, there will be a range of activities for visitors to engage with, including conferences covering topics such as:
- zero carbon buildings
- can the building sector go green
- sustainable construction
- green renovation
- renewable energy generation
- the effect of Copenhagen on development in the UK
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If your home is getting cramped and you could do with an extra bedroom or a home office then having a loft conversion is a great option. Loft conversions are generally cheaper and less hassle than an extension as you already have the fabric of the house there and there is often no building work involved.
The space in an attic or loft is roughly 30% of the total floor area of your home and most of the time all that is up there is a water tank or cylinder and some pipes that can be easily moved if necessary. Also in most cases there is no planning permission required, although it is always better to check with your local council. Read more…
When laying a lawn you need make sure you pick not only the best method to suit your needs, either laying rolls of turf or sowing grass seed, but also the best weather to lay it in, which usually is autumn as it is easier for the grass to root. The ground is often softer as the strong summer sun and lack of rain that dries and hardens the soil making it hard for plants roots to break through has usually subsided but the soil is still warm.
Also very important for the upkeep of your grass is fully preparing the ground before laying the rolls of turf, so it is advisable that you order the turf after the ground has been prepared. The reason being is that it will take a few weeks to prepare the ground adequately so you don’t want to have your new lawn lying around without proper care for long periods of time or it won’t look its best when laid.
The first step to preparing the ground for your new lawn is to use a garden fork to break up the soil after you have removed any old turf and cleared any weeds. If your garden has a lot of weeds then the best thing to do is add weed killer and leave a week or two. If you prefer organic gardening, the good old fashioned method of digging down to the roots will be your best option for ensuring a weed free lawn once your turf rolls root to make your new lawn.
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Hanging baskets can be an attractive addition to the front of your house around a doorway or windows, can be hung from garden buildings, sheds or pergolas to add colour or you can purchase specific hanging basket holders that can become a centre piece for your new garden design. Planting hanging baskets is a simple job that can give colour through the seasons with just a few easy steps and minimal maintenance after they’re complete.
Step 1: What plants to choose
When choosing plants for a hanging basket for your garden, it is important to make sure they are all healthy specimens. If buying plants from a garden centre, choose plants with strong stems and healthy green leaves. If the leaves are starting to brown or have spots or discolouration, it’s best to keep looking. Also choose plants with several stems as this will mean your plants will continue to grow lasting longer into the season, and look for plenty of buds on your plants. Although it can be tempting to choose plants that look nice when you’re buying them, if all the flowers are out, you’re not getting your money’s worth so look for lots of buds rather than the plant currently having lots of flowers.
There is a wide range of plants available to you for planting in your hanging basket – you don’t just have to stick to what the neighbours have. You could use trailing plants, feature plants such as miniature conifers, or even some fruit or vegetables such as tumbling tomatoes or strawberries. Read more…
