| |
With winter upon us – and a freezing one at that – many people across the United Kingdom are experiencing problems with their guttering. These can include gutters filled with ice collapsing, and nowhere for water to go when the thaw comes. Is it possible to prevent this? Well, we can’t prevent a blizzard, but we can Find a Roofer to take preventative action for us.
 These are some of the things worth considering when you are busy getting Roofing Quotes.
• When snow gathers on a roof it should thaw gradually without causing problems. But, if you have heat build-up above your ceiling then it might melt all at once, blocking gutters that then freeze up. Two things to do. Check your ceiling insulation, and make there’s provision for any heat to escape.
• Ensure the water entering your gutters can flow smoothly through the down-pipes. This means cleaning them thoroughly twice a year (before and after winter) and testing them from time to time.
• Matt, my London Roofing friend swears by heat tape you can stick along the gutter. Personally, I don’t feel that this is necessary provided you keep them clear.
 • Snow guards can provide an extra line of defence, especially if you live up in the north, and they can help keep the gutters clear in summertime too. In fact, I strongly recommend them.
Hopefully you did this already and your gutters won’t come crashing down from the weight of ice this winter. Please do be careful about venturing on the roof yourself to clear excessive snow. It’s just not worth taking risks.
And that’s where Mr-Skill comes in. Did you know that you can Find a Gutter Man right here who’ll clear your blocked gutters promptly, as long as it’s not actually snowing? All our trades come highly recommended too, and rated by our customers. What’s more, you pay nothing for our services.
Tags: blizzard, ceiling, clean, clear, collapsing, down pipe, find a roofer, freeze, freezing, gutter, gutterman, heat, heat tape, ice, insulate, london roofing, melt, roofer, roofing quote, snow guard, test, thaw, ventilate, water, winter
Posted in Roofing, Gutters & Drainage | No Comments »
I find it surprising how so many people put so little thought into the subject of their taps, when they do a bathroom upgrade. After all, these are essential user-interface points, and they must feel right. I’ve heard that some London Bathroom Fitting Firms insist their clients choose their taps themselves, and then design the rest around them.
While this does sound a bit bizarre, it also makes a lot of sense. Many bathroom fitters don’t specify the  taps included in their Bath Fitting Quotes, and could be tempted to dumb designs down if they run over budget. The first thing is to check your relative water pressure – any plumber could do this for you – after which you’re ready to go out shopping.
- Old-fashioned Pillar Taps add a retro feel, and are perfect for twiddling in the bath with toes.
- Mixer Taps are simpler because there is a single outlet and you can feel whether the temperature adjustment is right
- If your cold and hot water pressure is unbalanced go for Dual Flow Mixer Taps instead.
- Monoblocks take things a stage further because now you only have a single leaver you can pre-set.
- If you have an in-bath shower, buy a Shower Mixer that allows you to divert the water up or down.
 The next step is to choose the design itself, which is largely a matter of personal taste. Brass-effect taps provide an invitingly warm effect reminiscent of graceful days. Shiny Chrome is hard to keep looking clean. Matt or satin finishes are all in vogue, and appear likely to remain that way.
Once you’ve made your decision – but don’t buy just yet, you never know – you can Find a Bathroom Fitter on Mr-Skill you can engage in comfort. Don’t take a chance by hiring a possible cowboy off the street. Shop with confidence on Our Website.
Tags: bath fitting quote, bathroom, brass, budget, choose, chrome, design, dual flow, feel, find a bathroom fitter, finish, london bathroom fitting firm, matt, mixer, monobloc, monoblock, pillar, pressure, satin, shower, specify, tap, water
Posted in Other Craftsman Services | No Comments »
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Feb 01
Damp is an on-going problem in many homes in Britain, and that’s not just in the older ones either. Water, especially when forced by wind can find its way inside an outside wall through the tiniest of cracks. After the leak is fixed, it’s time to Find a Plasterer to fix the evidence that alerted us to the damp in the first place.
The Problem
The water has leached the cement away leaving weakened plaster that will eventually come off. The only solution is to hack it out and replace it. You have a choice, though. You could Ask Mr-Skill to Arrange a Plaster Quote, or you could have a go at it yourself.
 Repair Stage One
You have to get rid of the damaged plaster at least a foot above any visible damage or residual salts. If the damp was low down, then you must in any case remove the plaster to three feet above floor level. Brush away every grain of loose material. Complete the job with a vacuum cleaner – you may wish to do this when the wife is out shopping.
Repair Stage Two
This is a tip a London Plasterer taught me years ago. Put on a pair of disposable latex gloves. Make a slurry of cement powder and water with a cup of bonding liquid added – the final consistency should be like runny porridge. Brush this firmly over the space where the old plaster came out. This will allow the new plaster to adhere properly. Wash your hands and tools immediately. Allow the slurry to dry for a day.
Repair Stage Three
Make up a stiff plaster mix of 3-Parts sand to 1-Part cement. Apply this with a wide paint scraper or steel float across the entire surface roughly, and leave it alone for two hours to set. Apply a fresh mix of plaster that stands just proud of the surface. Work this off with a straight edge later the same day.  Leave the job to cure for a week.
Repair Stage Four
Apply a moist mix of Polyfilla over the entire surface. When it’s totally dry and the surface has gone a little powdery, finish the job off with an a sanding block or orbital sander, using medium-grit paper. After that, you are ready to decorate!
That’s all very well in theory, but do you really have the time to spend on this? If not, that’s where Mr-Skill comes in. We provide a matching service between customers and tradespeople. Unlike some others, we don’t add a penny to the cost of jobs.
Tags: adhere, bond, brush, cement, clean, consistency, crack, cure, damage, damp, dry, dust, exterior, find a plasterer, float, get rid of, glove, grit, hack, london plasterer, mix, orbital, outside, paint scraper, plaster, plaster quote, polyfilla, powder, remove, replace, salt, sand, scraper, set, slurry, stick, straight edge, tip, wall, water
Posted in Plastering & Drywall | No Comments »
The Royal Horticultural Society seems endlessly full of good ideas to make Britain even lovelier. This year, it’s inviting the nation’s schoolchildren to commit to sowing wildflowers as their contribution to the Golden Jubilee. Right now they’re inviting applications  from kids for free packs of seeds. This is what to do with them, after they arrive.
- Find a site where you’d love to see summer come alive, with a riot of poppies, marigolds, chamomile, cockles and cornflowers. The best place to sow them would be moist, wind-free, and benefiting from four hours of sunshine a day.
- If the area you choose is full of weeds and stones, you may wish to Find a Gardener here to prepare the soil for you this mid-March. If the quality of the earth is poor, ask them to dig in some well-composted material or a balanced fertiliser while they’re at it.
 Dispose of any weeds that appear in the weeks that follow. The ideal sowing period is mid-April. Sow later than that, and the young plants may shrivel in the heat of summer. The society’s seed packs are good for 10m2. Stick to that – enjoy this great show of colour.
London Gardeners recommend placing a scarecrow in the middle of your field to keep scavenging birds away from seeds.
Now that would make an interesting weekend project, would it not?
Tags: april, chamomile, children, cockle, colour, compost, cornflower, fertiliser, find a gardener, flower, gardening quotes, kids, london gardeners, march, marigold, moist, poppies, prepare, project, R.H.S., RHS, royal horticultural society, scare crow, scarecrow, seed, site, sowing, stone, sun, weed, weekend, wide free, wild, wildflower, wind
Posted in Gardening & Landscaping | No Comments »
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Jan 26
From time to time we find jobs posted in the wrong category on Mr-Skill. When this happens, we duplicate the listings in more appropriate categories. Plasterers are a case in point because decorators  attend to damaged plasterwork. We decided to clear up the confusion, and make it simpler to Find a Plasterer here.
The main job of plasterers is to mix, and then apply various types of plaster on internal walls and ceilings. From time to time they also coat outside walls with sand / cement render, pebble-dash, and stone-effects. Notice that plasterers do their work in bulk, and that there’s little point in asking for a Plastering Quote where it’s just a small repair.
Within these broad brush strokes, plasterers generally work in one of the following three sub-disciplines:
- Solid Plastering – Applying wet finishes to interior walls and ceilings, and sometimes pebble-dashed effects on outside walls
 Fibrous Plastering – Creating ornamental cornices and ceiling roses using special plaster reinforced with fibre
- Dry Lining – Installing interior drywalls on frames, for others to decorate later.
Larger firms, especially Plasterers in London may take on all three kinds of work.
Plasterers earn their wings in two different ways. Some learn by watching others and develop skills suited for straightforward jobs. The better ones hold qualifications like the City & Guilds (6217) Certificate in Basic Construction Skills (Plastering). It’s important to understand the difference in qualifications when assessing the quality of Plastering Quotes. This information is provided by Mr-Skill.
Tags: apply, ceiling, City and Guilds, cornice, damage, decorator, dry, dry lining, dry wall, drywall, exterior, fibrous, find a plasterer, interior, internal, mix, outside, painter, pebble dash, plaster, plasterer, plasterers in london, plastering quote, plasterwork, rose, solid, wall, wet
Posted in Plastering & Drywall | No Comments »
Posted in Carpentry & Joinery on Jan 25
I was in an antique shop in London the other day, admiring some really lovely pieces of old furniture and wondering how they got their finishes so smooth. Later in the day I met up with an old London Carpenter friend of mine in a listed City pub. As he ran his hand over the gleaming wooden counter, he let a few trade-secrets slip.
• Wait for a windless day while you prepare a suitable work-place out of the sun
• Assuming you’ve prepared everything properly and that your work-piece is completely dry, give the varnish a proper stir for at least five minutes if not longer.
• Strain the varnish through a silk stocking to get rid of any remaining lumps.
• If you feel a call of nature coming on take that break now, as you are going to work through to completion.
• Moisten the best quality brush you can lay your hands on in the cleaning solvent the varnish manufacturer recommends (this prevents the brush from clogging up).
•  Apply the varnish evenly with a series of long firm overlapping strokes. Do not return to touch-up. Never scrape the brush across the container – it is this action that creates the bubbles.
• Don’t fiddle with your work afterwards and mess it up. Allow it to dry naturally for twenty-four hours before checking in an inconspicuous place.
That sounds like good enough advice for me and I might no longer need to Find a Carpenter for those smaller jobs. However if I decide to re-varnish the wooden staircase in my home the wife is always nagging me about, I think I’ll rather go for Carpentry Quotes on Mr-Skill instead. It’s just so much easier, and inexpensive allowing for the savings on my own time.
Tags: antique, apply, brush, bubble, carpenter, carpentry quotes, clog, container, dry, fiddle, find a carpenter, finish, furniture, london carpenter, lump, moisten, naturally, overlap, prepare, scrape, secret, smooth, solvent, stir, stocking, strain, stroke, sun, tip, touch up, varnish, wind, wood
Posted in Carpentry & Joinery | No Comments »
Posted in Cleaning Services on Jan 25
It’s annoying, isn’t it, how you find stains on the lounge carpet the day after you have good friends around for a party. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and get on with sorting out the mess. If they’re  badly soiled, you’d best Get a Cleaning Quote on Mr-Skill. If not, the following hints should prove helpful.
- Chewing Gum Freeze the gum with a few blocks of ice in a plastic bag. After it’s gone hard, pick it off with a knife.
- All Stains (Step 1) Get rid of the source of the problem by mopping up any remaining liquid. DO NOT WORSEN THINGS BY RUBBING.
- Grass / Cool Drink Stains Dab the area with a cloth moistened with diluted detergent.
- Oil and Grease Stains Dab with a cloth soaked in a non-flammable dry cleaning agent. TEST AN
 INCONSPICUOUS AREA FIRST.
- Coffee Stains Sponge with a solution of borax. Some London Cleaners believe that more resistant stains may respond to beaten egg-yolk.
- Lipstick Stains Treat with methylated spirits or salad oil. Afterwards, soak the stain in lemon juice, which must be diluted 50:50 with water unless the carpet is pure white.
We provide this information in good faith as it was passed on to us.
If in any doubt, we’d far prefer you to Find a Cleaner on our Website instead, because we are unable to guarantee it. Either way, it’ll be nice to have the lounge carpet back in good condition again thanks to Mr-Skill.
Tags: borax, carpet, chewing gum, cleaning quote, coffee, cool drink, detergent, dry cleaning, egg yolk, find a cleaner, freeze, grass, grease, gum, ice, lemon juice, lipstick, liquid, london cleaner, methylated spirits, mop, oil, rub, salad oil, stain, test
Posted in Cleaning Services | No Comments »
Posted in Kitchen Fitting on Jan 23
Granite has become popular in kitchens for a variety of reasons. These include heat resistance, easy cleaning and the stunning look that granite adds. If you need to drill a hole, have the right tools and know what you are doing,  you might not need to find a kitchen fitter to do this for you. If the answer’s NO to any of these questions though, you’d be wise to seek professional assistance here.
• Think about things carefully for a while because you can’t un-drill a hole. Visualise using it afterwards, by way of a dry run.
• After measuring and re-measuring several times put a cross of heavy-duty paper masking tape where the hole must go. Measure once more, and mark the tape with a clear black dot.
• Place a BRAND NEW masonry bit in your electric drill and tighten it. If you think this is a false economy compare the cost with buying a new work top.
• Put on your SAFETY GLASSES. Position the drill bit on the black dot and begin drilling slowly  off-impact. Make sure you drill perpendicularly, and don’t over-work the power tool. Many london kitchen fitters release the bit from time-to-time to avoid dust build-up.
• NEVER FORCE a power tool. Let it do the work. And whatever else you do, take your time and keep your mind on what you’re doing. If you need a bigger hole you can use a cookie cutter bit.
If you don’t have the time for things like this or are otherwise unsure, why not get kitchen fitting quotes on Mr-Skill instead? As customer you pay NOT A PENNY for this service. Moreover, you could also find out what other people think about a particular kitchen fitter you could be interested in. We have many customers who agree this is a great idea!
Tags: bit, disinfect, drill, eye protection, find a kitchen fitter, granite, heat, hole, impact, kitchen, kitchen fitting quotes, london kitchen fitter, mark, masonry, measure, perpendicular, safety, safety glasses, tape, think, tighten
Posted in Kitchen Fitting | No Comments »
Posted in Electrical Work on Jan 23
The last thing you need in any circuit is a dry joint, by which I mean two wires twisted round each other or even worse. In a home, this can cause the power to keep on tripping, while in the low voltage world the result is a random electronic fault.
 From time-to-time it’s necessary to get a soldering-iron out. Before you rush around looking for an Electrician Quote it might just be possible to do the job yourself.
• Preparation Clean both parts that you are planning to solder into a joint. Hardened, damaged wire is a recipe for disaster so make sure everything is shiny new by stripping off a fresh end. While at it, remove any vestiges of solder if you’re repairing an existing joint. That’s because solder does not stick to itself at all well when not fresh.
• Tinning Heat each surface in turn until it just melts a bead of solder. Work this back and forth until you see a little amber liquid appear. That’s the tinning that’s the meat in a good joint. It will be HOT. Allow the material  to cool down naturally before you touch it with your hands.
• Soldering Mount the larger of the pieces to be joined securely in a vice. Heat up its surface until solder melts instantly on it. Place the other tinned piece in the pool of solder, remove the soldering iron, and wait until the surface of the melted solder goes slightly dull. Allow the joint, which will be HOT to cool naturally.
If you have a soldering iron that’s in good order and you have the time, you don’t really need to Find an Electrician, do you? But beware one thing, and that’s a bad joint. A London Electrician I know tests his apprentices’ work by seeing whether he can pull it apart.
Tags: bead, circuit, clean, cool, dry, electric, electrician quote, electronic, find an electrician, flux, fresh, heat, hot, joint, london electrician, melt, preparation, remove, solder, solder iron, strip, tin, tinned, vice, wire
Posted in Electrical Work | No Comments »
|
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
