In spring and autumn, homeowners should run through a quick checklist of property inspections to prevent household disasters from occurring.
Homeowners should start at the perimeter of the house, at the front. They should check their gates for sticking and squealing and should clear, rub down and lightly oil the gate in the event that they fail to find it functioning as it should. They should look out for damaged fence panels, loose posts and other fittings. If the job is quick, a hammer and nails will solve the problem with ease. Homeowners should make a note of any external paint or preservative jobs to be performed. Weeds and moss on pathways and concrete should be cleared with the use of a water jet.
Airbricks should be cleared of leaves and other debris and so should any heaps that bridge the damp-proof course. Any dripping taps outside and in need fresh washers or other attention should be seen to in order to prevent limescale build-up and excessive water bills. Leaking or damaged downpipes will need attention as that water can damage the building fabric in the long term or even undermine the building’s integrity. Soakaways should also be checked to ensure that water is being carried away efficiently.
Finally, TV aerials, satellite dishes, their associated cables, and telephone lines ought to be firmly fixed and neatly secured. The wiring can become worn and exposed over time and the fittings can break free if left loose.
Beyond the half-year checklist, homeowners should take a methodical look around the building to look out for any signs of growing problems. Keeping a close eye on a property and getting ahead of any problems can save homeowners unnecessary expense.
Jan 12
19
Horizontal cable runs are generally laid in the space underneath suspended wooden floors to keep them out of sight and harm’s way. When a cable is run parallel with floor joists, it needs to be clipped to the sides of the joists or just left alone to lie on the surface of the ceiling below, in cases where access to the joists is impossible.
Where cable is to be run at right angles to the line of the joists, the method is to lift up one board and then to drill holes through the joists, allowing the cable to be easily threaded through them. This is better than cutting notches into the joists, because in addition to weakening them the cable would lie too close to the surface and might get punctured by a floorboard nail.
The board lying immediately above the cable run should be labelled in some way so that any future accidents can be avoided. This will also be helpful when the cable run needs to be accessed at a later date.
Jan 12
16
Even with regular care and cleaning, there will be times when the grout between tiles will need to be removed or repaired. This is because grout is a porous substance that absorbs dirt over a period of time and, as tile and grout are usually used in areas that get damp and dirty such as kitchens and bathrooms, over time the grout will start to discolour and look grubby. Re-grouting the top layer or completely replacing the old grout will instantly make any tiled area look cleaner, newer and more appealing.
Your first step is to use masking tape to cover the surrounding tiles for protection, after which you can either re-grout or completely remove and replace the grout.
If you re-grout, you will only need to remove the top three mm of grout around the tiles using an inexpensive tool called a grout rake. Simply pull the rake’s toothed blade along the existing grout to take off three mm. You can then cover the remaining grout with new grout.
In most cases, to get rid of all the existing grout you will still use the grout rake. However, if the rake cannot get rid of all the grout, you will also need to use a grout saw. Firmly pull the rake or saw over the lines of grout. Do this a few times until the grout breaks away from the tiles; brush the old grout from the joint until it is completely clear, and then apply the new grout.
Ridding floor tiles of grout will usually require a grout rake and a chisel. Floor tile grout is stronger than what is used on walls because it is often mixed with sand.
Home insurance is a form of personal cover that is agreed when a homeowner signs and pays for a policy that protects them against a number of potential financial losses in the home. These can include damage to items within the home or the total loss of items, as well as damage to the home itself, resulting from a number of varying events.
In order to gain a mortgage within the United Kingdom, the homeowner has to ensure they have buildings insurance on the property they are buying. The reason this is required is because it ensures that the investment the loan company is making is as secure as it can be and that they will not lose their money in the event of something disastrous happening to the property.
Buildings home insurance covers the actual building, the structure. Most buildings insurance policies cover damage caused by fire, flooding, subsidence or vandalism.
Recent research found that around 80% of the population of the UK was willing to look online in order to compare cheap buildings insurance quotes. This does not come as a surprise, especially given the tough financial state the world is in; however, it is not only because customers want to save money that they are venturing onto such sites for quotes.
The research also found that for the many Britons that lead busy lives, the increasing number of insurance policies on the market would result in too much time being spent shopping around. By using a price comparison site, consumers can be sure the price they are paying is competitive, without having to spend a lengthy amount of time giving the same information to a number of different companies.
As the bathroom is one of the most visited rooms in the home, there are steps that you will need to take to ensure that it is kept at its best. Certain areas of your bathroom will often be exposed to water and will need treatment to prevent them from rotting or becoming mouldy. A regular cleanout of your bathroom will help you to keep it looking at its best.
Steam from regular baths or Bristan showers can cause mould if your bathroom is not well ventilated. There are a wide variety of extractor fans available that will help to remove any condensation. Extractor fans are easy to install and are now available in a wide variety of styles, so you can easily find something that will suit and fit your bathroom perfectly.
If you have carpets or curtains installed, then there is a higher risk of them becoming damaged if they are regularly exposed to water. Carpets easily absorb water, which will lead to them becoming mouldy. If you can afford to, consider opting for a different type of floor such as tiles or linoleum flooring, as these will be easier to keep free of damp and mould. You may also wish to consider replacing your curtains with blinds, as these are more suitable for bathrooms and will be easier to keep clean.
A regular cleanout of your bathroom accessories and products will also help to keep your bathroom at its best. Any old soap, make-up, shavers or medicines should be removed as this will not only help to keep your bathroom tidy but will also create a healthier environment. If you require extra space for your products, consider installing a small bathroom cabinet or vanity unit. There are many designs available that will offer plenty of storage space as well as style to your bathroom.
Jan 12
5
Understanding cost-effectiveness is an important consideration when thinking about insulation. Although insulation costs money to install, it can provide two important benefits.
Heating bills can be reduced as there will be less heat wasted from inside the house, and less fuel will have to be used to maintain internal temperatures. The annual saving on heating bills will effectively pay back the cost of having insulation installed. Also, having better insulation means that you can have a less powerful and therefore less expensive boiler when you come to replace your heating system, which will be an indirect saving.
Decent insulation does not necessarily involve huge expense. The most effective elements of good insulation are fairly cheap, and save money over the longer term. You should insulate any water storage tanks in the roof space to protect them from freezing, and padded jackets are available in most DIY stores for this. Exposed pipe work in the roof space should also be insulated, usually by fitting them with ready-made sleeves which come in various standard diameters.
Loose-fill insulation is sold in bags and you simply pour it between the joists and then level it off with their top surfaces. Be warned that dusty types like vermiculite can be messy to work with.
Blanket insulation consists of standard width rolls of rock, mineral or glass fibre and is unrolled between the joists. A typical roll is between 6 and 8 metres in length, but you can also get short lengths called batts. A face mask, protective clothing and gloves need to be worn when laying this insulation.
Slab insulation consists of light and easy to handle slabs, but can cause skin irritation in some cases, as can their blanket equivalents. The width of the slabs matches the usual joist spacings.
Dec 11
28
Contents insurance is one of the most important investments that a homeowner can make. Unlike car and house insurance, contents insurance is generally purchased entirely at the discretion of the individual; some do not take out any form of contents insurance at all. However, this is taking a major risk. Contents insurance helps provide financial aid when unplanned disasters, such as flooding, theft or other accidents occur. In such situations the owner of the property involved often find themselves unable to replace their lost or damaged items. For long-term security it is advisable to at least do some research into the contents insurance deals that are available. The best way to do this is to look around for cheap contents insurance quotes.
Cheap contents insurance quotes can be found in a number of places. Thanks to the spread of online awareness, many people now take advantage of the new breed of comparison websites. They offer a unique service that was previously hard to come by without the aid of expensive consultation services and they can be used for free. This makes them an ideal way of finding cheap contents insurance quotes, as the potential buyer can see almost all the deals that are available without it costing anything. Some insurance companies tend to avoid usnig such sites and rely instead on their strong brand reputation. Be sure to look into these companies also.
Dec 11
24
Going green in the bathroom is a relatively easy thing to do, and doesn’t necessarily need to cost a great deal of money. As a matter of fact, some things you can do to help the environment will actually save you money.
It may sound obvious, but one of the easiest ways to go green in bathrooms is by using recycled paper products. Gone are the days when recycled toilet paper was as rough as sandpaper; today, most brands of recycled toilet paper are soft, and very high quality.
One way that you can help the planet by saving water is by fitting a dual flush toilet. This type of toilet uses different volumes of water for flushing liquid and solid waste, as you don’t need to flush liquid away with the same amount of water needed to get rid of solid waste.
Another way to go green is by investing in organic bathroom linens. Organic linens such as cotton, hemp, or bamboo towels are produced without fertilisers or pesticides. Hemp and bamboo towels are particularly well suited for use in the bathroom as they are naturally resistant to mildew.
You can do a great deal for the planet and your wallet by fixing that annoying dripping tap; even a small, constant drip can waste hundreds of litres of clean water per year, and if you are on a meter you will save on your water bill. Also, never leave the tap running whilst cleaning your teeth.
You should also consider installing a reduced flow showerhead or an air-shower; these can help reduce water usage by an average of 30% simply by increasing the air to water ratio.
Finally, commit to using environmentally friendly soaps, toiletries, and bathroom cleaning products and ensure that they come in recyclable packaging.
Dec 11
22
There are usually quite a few different system controls fitted to the typical modern central heating system. The purpose of these is to allow the system to run efficiently on automatic.
A programmer of some sort is at the heart of any such system. This will ensure that the system comes on and off at various pre-set times. It will also allow the system to provide hot water and heating, or hot water only, as required by the householder. The more efficient and sophisticated types can provide differing programmes for each day of the week, and will be linked to several other flow and temperature controls.
Thermostats are commonly used to respond in various ways to changing temperatures, and in a boiler it is the thermostat that stops the water that leaves it from rising above a pre-set temperature. A room thermostat is used to switch the boiler and pump on when the temperature in the room drops below a pre-set level, and to go off again when the correct temperature has been reached. It may also be responsible for diverting water to the heating system rather than to the hot cylinder.
A cylinder thermostat does the same sort of job for the hot water cylinder, calling for more heat when the temperature of the stored water falls below a certain level.
A frost thermostat is occasionally fitted to the outer wall of a house to turn the heating on if the outside temperature falls below freezing. These types of thermostats are useful in the case of houses being left unoccupied for long periods of time.
Thermostatic radiator valves are fitted to the individual radiators in a heating system. They prevent water from flowing into the radiator when the room temperature has reached a certain level.
Dec 11
17
Preparing to Lay a Carpet
The first thing to do is ensure the floor area is clean, dry and relatively even. Assuming you have already disposed of the original carpet, remove any remaining tacks or carpet nails; if they are too firmly attached to pull out, use a hammer to flatten them flush with the floor. If your carpet is rubber-backed, you will need to secure it with a 50 mm wide double-sided tale around the room’s edge. Woven carpets require gripper strips, which are fixed 6mm from the walls or skirting boards, teeth angled towards the wall.
Carpet Underlay
Rubber-backed carpets do not require underlay. Otherwise lay the underlay so that there is a slight gap, about 50mm, around the perimeter.
Laying the Carpet
You should now roll the new carpet the length of the room. Try to start in the corner of two plain walls, lining up the machine-cut edge with one wall before fixing it using either tape or grippers. The edge can be tucked beneath the skirting board with a bolster. The carpet must then be stretched across the area until it is taut. A knee kicker is required for this, which can be hired or bought.
Ensure that the carpet is as flat as possible by working at the opposite wall, using the kicker to stretch it onto the gripper. Trim the edge to fit, leaving about 5mm to poke under the skirting board. Next go across the room the other way, using the knee kicker to stretch the carpet onto the gripper strips. When there are alcoves or radiator pipes, carefully cut the carpet to shape.