Dave here, I’m going to do a wide range of jobs and write a basic guide of the best and easiest way to do it, kind of a Learn To or how to kind.
If you have any request then please get in contact and I’ll try and help you.
To keep your grass looking its best during the summer months you need to make sure its watered enough, like any plant your grass can become stress and wither when it gets hot if it’s not watered enough and you will start to get brown dry patches. As long as you have been looking after your grass during the early parts of the year with feeding, regular cutting and aeration you grass should be fine once the weather heats up.
When it does get very hot you will find that it won’t need to be cut as often because growth slows, over cutting during the hot summer months can cause damage and balding so don’t cut it too short. You will also need to keep on top of the weeds as well as these can shoot up during the summer, using a selective herbicide or digging them out of the root should effectively eliminate them, leaving your grass ready for the whole family to enjoy.
There are some home improvements that are easy to undertake yourself and then there are some that you just can’t undertake yourself, however one of the most popular home improvements of recent time is DIY underfloor heating. Now water underfloor heating requires an extensive amount of work and is generally done in new builds or complete refurbishments, however installing electric underfloor heating does not require as much disruption and can be done by a DIY novice.
Electric underfloor heating can be laid under any floor like laminated flooring, tiled flooring, carpet flooring, screened flooring, bathroom flooring and conservatory flooring. It comes in either cable kits or mat kits which can be made to measure for your rooms and these kits com specially designed for the types of flooring you have to make the most out of your heating. The kits are easy to lay and come connected for your room dimensions so all you have to do is connect the remaining two wires into your power supply.
So installing electric underfloor heating could not be simpler, especially if you choose to install it when you are replacing your current flooring, that way it can be laid before your new floors are laid.
For those who do not have much or any experience with DIY, putting up shelves is a good place to start because you don’t need any special skills and you don’t need lots of tools.
Once you have decided where your shelves are going to go you need to make sure there are no electrical cables or pipes in the plaster work, you can use a pipe and cable detector to do this. Now you need a couple of cavity wall plugs, these depend on what weight the shelves are and what weight they will be holding. For shelves that are light and only will hold light objects you need to use a screw and toggle fixing this draws the metal toggle against the inside of the cavity. For shelves that are medium to heavy you will have to have them supported with brackets that are fixed directly to the wooden studwork behind the plasterboard. To find the wooden studs behind plasterboard you can use a stud detector or if you don’t have one of those you can alternatively tap the wall with your knuckles nd listen for a duller sound this indicates the position of the studs.
Once you have your screws and plugs or brackets sorted out you can mark the positions of your shelves, to do this mark the heights of where the shelves are to be held, then hold a spirit level at each spot to mark the positions of the fixing brackets. Tip: To stop shelves from sagging, make sure the brackets are no more than 600mm apart. Once your holes are marked and level, you then need to use a masonry drill bit which needs to match the wall plug fixing size and drill into the wall, to the depth of the wall plug. Use a screwdriver to fix the brackets to the wall and make sure the screws firmly fit. If your shelves do not clip into the fixing brackets you will need to attach them with screws or panel pins so that the loaded shelves cannot tip forward in use.
Once the shelves are secured to the wall you are ready to start using them.
There are many different shower heads available that fit individual needs, you can adjust your shower heads setting from fast spray to a more softer spray, some luxury shower heads feel like your standing under a waterfall or in heavy rain, some also have the option of massage setting which can help sooth your aches and pains. Many modern shower heads now also help to reduce water consumption by using less water but still giving a good quality shower.
You can choose from fixed overhead shower heads which can be fixed to the wall or ceiling, or you can have a showerhead that is attached to a riser rail, which has the option of adjustable height. You can also choose from a wide range of shower heads to atach to your shower pump for your bathroom suite which range from classic styles to contemporary which can look like works of art.
For many people the spare bedroom is stuffed full of clutter and old junk that you haven’t got around to throwing out, but how nice would it be to clear the clutter and make your spare room into a guest bedroom for family and friends to stay in for a visit. There are a few space saving options for your guest to sleep on you could go for a sofa bed or a small guest bed both of which don’t take up a lot of room, sofa beds are also good because they can be used as a sofa and as a bed.
Depending on how much space you have you can opt for a guest bed you have a choice of many different sizes and style to fit any size room, from 2ft single beds to 4ft 6in double beds. You can choose from a folding frame bed with mattress or a stopover bed which has a roll out or pull out bed underneath if more than one person is staying. You can get some guest beds with various frames like wood or metal in a range of colours, depending on your colour scheme and furniture style.
If your making your spare bedroom into a guest bedroom its worth looking at storage solutions as well, so any extra things you have can be easily be put away out of view from your guests, it will also help to keep your home clutter free. Extra wardrobes, bedside cabinets, ottomans and shelving can finish off a room but also make great storage solutions.
We have looked at some DIY or home improvement that can be done over the summer, one of which was your home heating system, if you have had a new energy efficient boiler fitted and are also looking at energy efficient heating methods you need to make sure that any underfloor heating is insulated. Underfloor heating insulation is important because you don’t want to lose and waste your heat, heat is always attracted towards the cold so if you haven’t insulated your sub-floor your heat will be lost there and not used to effectively het your home.
Basically underfloor heating insulation is a board or primer which is placed under your heating tiles or mats, even in areas of the room where you have not placed any heating tile or mats as it will help overall insulation of your home. For many looking to install underfloor heating you may think putting down insulation as an added extra that you can do without, however you will be reducing the cost effectiveness of underfloor heating if you have no insulation because you will be losing some heat.
Many people enjoy the convenience and ease offered from an electric shower, one of the UK’s leading shower brands is Mira showers who offer not only a wide range of electrical power showers but also mixer showers.
The Mira power showers offer exceptional water force, generated by their power booster pump, there are 3 different options available, two of which are thermostatic. These power showers are able to generate more force than simple electric showers or mixer showers which are gravity fed which means they have more power scope as well as adjustable spray patterns for your needs.
Mira’s range of showers means they have something for everyone no matter what your shower system is, they are at the forefront of shower technology constantly developing new shower options, which are easy and simple to install, whether you are replacing your old shower, shower enclosure or whole bathroom suite.
During the winter months you are more likely to think about the effectiveness of your current heating system because you are using it, but as soon as the warmer months approach it normally move to the back of your mind. However it’s better to look at changing your heating system if it needs it during the summer months when it least causes disruption, especially if you are wishing to install under floor heating, or installing a new boiler, or both!
If you are installing a new boiler you will need a professional who is Corgi registered as this is a job that you can’t undertake yourself, normally fitting a new boiler is a quick although expensive process and for ease of having hot water will not take too long. If you are looking to fit underfloor heating this may take up a bit more of your time depending on what option you choose. Water underfloor heating is a longer process as you require pipes to be fitted under your floor which will cause quite a bit of disruption, if you want something easier and quicker to install with less disruption then electric underfloor heating mats are you best bet, simple and easy to install.
Whatever improvements you need to make to improve your home heating system the summer months are the best time to make the changes, after all you won’t need your heating on, well hopefully not!
For those lucky enough to have decent, good sized gardens, growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs is a great way to help towards feeding yourself and your family. There is so much you can get from your garden with care and attention and your own food is a great reward, as well as being a good investment. Some knowledge is key however many hits and tips can be picked up from books, magazines and the internet giving even the most novice gardener green fingers.
With the recent economic problems growing fruit and veg is becoming more and more popular with people and doesn’t seem to be just a ‘fad’. You should not be put off at first if some of your crops fail, time and perseverance is need, sometimes it takes time to get fruit trees and other things established, if you new to growing your own its best to start off small as with most things take baby steps you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew, as everything you grow will need care and attention.
For those who do not have large gardens or any at all fear not there are still something’s you can grow, crops can be grown in the smallest of areas such as patio pots, baskets, window boxes and windowsill’s.
Quality, design and cost are the most important aspects when looking for a new bathroom suite, there is one company that has over 260 years experience in design and has a huge range of products that can help you with your bathroom renovations – Villeroy & Boch. Their inventiveness and foresight have made them leading competitors bathroom divisions and they have developed an enviable range of high quality ceramic product and technical innovations that have revolutionised the bathroom.
Some of their developed products include:
“PurAir” WC, which is the first toilet to have an integrated system for actively eliminating odours.
“Magic Basin”, is a wash basin that has requires no taps or fittings and instead uses a sensor system instead.
“AquaReduct”, is a water-saving module for WC flushing, the concealed overflow which eliminates the need for unsightly overflow holes.
When you are looking to update your bathroom suite remember function and form are important aspects to remember, Villeroy & Boch bathroom designs take this into account with many of their products, from wash basins, toilets, shower trays and cabinets.
