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It really is quite astonishing to discover what can enter our drains, and cause a blockage. Often, the problem is not visible as with tree and shrub roots finding ways into drain pipes, and creating havoc. Sometimes, we only become aware of a problem when we see an accumulation of water and other debris near drain covers. Some jobs are going to require you to find a plumber, because of the specialist nature of the work. Here are some preventative measures you can take to avoid unnecessary callouts.
What You’ll Need
- A tool to remove the drain cover, such as a crowbar
- A hose connected to the hot water supply
- A plunger that covers the drain diameter
- A drain rod, if you have one
- Gloves to protect your hands
Before you start, why not get a plumber quote to solve the problem? Remember that Mr-Skill’s plumbers are required to guarantee their work, so you can use them in confidence.
Steps
- Remove the cover of the obstructed drain. Drain covers can prove difficult to budge if they have not been lifted for a while so you may need a crowbar
- Turn the hot tap on fully and push the hose as far down the drain as you can. The higher the pressure and the hotter the water, the more effective the solution
- If the water in the drain starts welling back up, place the plunger over the drain and plunge it back and forth. This creates a suction or vacuum effect and helps dislodge the debris
- Tip a large pot of boiling water down the drain – this will neutralize any grease or oil that may have entered.
- If you are confident that your drain is independent of the sewer system, pour a commercial drain cleaner down and wait for the chemical action to complete. Flush after 15 minutes with hot water
- If the waste water is not running freely after all the above attempts and you own a rodding set, you could try clearing the drain with a back and forth motion,
One of our London plumbers advises, “Blocked drains outside our properties are not always easy to clear and may not be our responsibility. Sometimes roots completely clog up a drain. They can even cause fractures, particularly in older clay pipes.”
Tags: blockage, blocked drains, boiling water, clay piping, crowbar, debris, drain cleaner, drain cover, drainage, drains, find a plumber, hose, hot water, hugh pressure, london plumber, plumber quote, plumbers, rods, roots
Posted in Plumbing, Heating & Gas, Project Advice, Roofing, Gutters & Drainage | No Comments »
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 »
Gutters are important. They keep the rainwater away from windows and foundations, and generally protect our homes. A well-laid line of guttering makes a design statement too. All the more reason to follow these simple steps, and keep our gutters in good shape:
 Keep Them Clean. Remove accumulated leaves from your gutters at the beginning of every rainy season to prevent moss developing that leads to stoppages. While you’re up there, give them a wipe-down too. If you don’t have a ladder long enough, you can Find a Roofer right here.
- Check the Downpipes. An overflowing gutter is the sign of a blocked downpipe. Sometimes you can clear it by pushing down a garden hose turned on full blast. If not, you will need a length of stout wire to work around the bend.
- Straighten Sagging Gutters. Gutters are supported by a line of brackets that are set to the correct slope. When a gutter sags, it may either need clipping back into the bracket, or the bracket may need to be re-attached.
 Waterproof Leaking Joints. If a gutter joint starts leaking it’s often simpler to re-seal the joint, than to take the whole run down. Clean the affected area scrupulously, before attaching a piece of membrane with a water-proofing medium across the joint.
Is this the first time that you visited Mr-Skill? If so then welcome to our website! Our service extends to introducing tradespeople of all kinds to customers, from London Roofers to Carpenters in Scotland. Oh, and by the way it’s absolutely free to all our customers too. How’s that for a brilliant idea.
Tags: attach, bend, bracket, care, clean, clip, dizzy, downpipe, find a roofer, foundation, gutter, Guttering, height, hose, infirm, joint, ladder, leak, leaves, london roofers, maintain, membrane, moss, overflow, rainwater, remove, roofing quote, safe, safety, sag, seal, slope, stoppage, straight, waterproof, wipe, wire
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Before you get a roofer in to repair your leaking gutters, it’s wise to know something on the subject. This will put you in a position to better understand the Gutter Quotes you get. That’s because gutters can be quite a complex subject every homeowner should understand.
 Gutter Types
- Traditional half-round gutters are common in UK homes and smaller commercial buildings, and make a classic under-statement.
- Square gutters provide a similar purpose and some regard them as more attractive. They have a slightly larger capacity and have become popular on conservatories for unrelated reasons.
- More ornate ogee gutters have an ornate look about them than make them perfect for older buildings. Their greater capacity makes them well-matched for old-fashioned higher roofs – this makes them popular with London Roofing Firms.
- Deep-flow gutters are similar in design to half-found ones, but with deeper profiles. They look best on larger building where they do not spoil appearances.
 Keeping Gutters Clear
No gutter works well when full of leaves, and clearing ones on upper stories can be downright dangerous. That’s why gutter covers are so popular these days when labour has become so expensive.
These handy devices clip on top of existing gutters where they allow the water to flow freely while keeping leaves at bay. When you fit yours you’ll wonder why you never installed one before, because they really are such a simple solution to blocked gutters.
Finding a decent Roofer these days is difficult, and it’s well-nigh impossible to climb onto a roof to make sure the work’s done properly. Mr-Skill offers a free service to homeowners in the UK to help them Find the Roofer that they really can rely on. Why not contact us today, and get your gutters sorted finally?
Tags: block, capacity, clip, cover, deep-flow, find a roofer, flow, free, gutter, gutter quotes, half-round, large, leaves, london roofing firms, ogee, profile, repair, roofer, solution, square, traditional, water
Posted in Roofing, Gutters & Drainage | No Comments »
Roofers lay tiles loosely over each other in an overlapping pattern, and hold them in place with edging fascias, and special tiles cemented in place along the ridges. If these ridges fail, then there is a possibility of a strong wind lifting sheets of roof tiles with disastrous results. This fairly common problem usually begins as roofs settle after the first few years, and  the rendering beneath the ridges separates.
This is not a job for an amateur with a bad head for heights. In fact, we strongly recommend that you Find a Roofer to do the following work for you instead.
• Identify which ridge tiles have worked loose. This could be just one, a few, or the entire ridge, and the solution varies accordingly. If you can remove the loose tiles without disturbing the adjacent ones then this could save you time and money, although it is unwise to take chances and end up with a patch job.
• Obtain a supply of replacement ridge tiles. Remove offending ridges, set them aside and carefully chisel the loose rendering off the roof tiles beneath. You can leave a small residue of old rendering behind, provided that this is firmly attached.
• Soak the replacement ridge tiles and the supporting roof tiles with clean water until they have taken up a slightly darker hue. This ensures that they do not suck the moisture out of the new rendering, and weaken it.
•  Loose fit a new ridge tile, make a chalk mark on either side of it, and set it aside again. Lay two generous lines of suitable tinted rendering within the chalk lines. Press the ridge tile gently into place and remove any surplus rendering with trowel and damp cloth. Repeat the process as necessary along the entire ridge, remembering to close in the ends of the last ridge tiles if you replaced these too.
• A competent London Roofer will always check carefully that there are no cracks or holes showing anywhere on the ridge. This is because a strong gust of wind can blow rainwater through a tiny hole into the roof space below with surprising force, and form damaging pools on ceilings.
Should you decide to get a Roofing Quote on Mr-Skill, then we would be delighted to put you in touch with several rated tradesmen working in your area. We know you will be satisfied with the price and quality of the bids that you receive, and we wish you well with your roofing project too.
Tags: chalk, check, chisel, competent, crack, disturb, fascia, find a roofer, gust, hole, lift, london roofer, loose, loose fit, mark, moisture, overlap, press, rain, remove, rendering, repeat, replacement, roof, roofing quote, separate, settle, soak, tile, water, wind
Posted in Roofing, Gutters & Drainage | No Comments »
Before the first winter rains arrive, it’s time to catch up on the outstanding jobs. Do you have a broken or a missing downpipe on your house? If so, you can Find a Roofer on Mr-Skill to fix it up for you. Did you know that we review all our tradespeople personally, and  that they could come in up to 30% cheaper than prevailing rates?
If you had the time and energy, you could also do the job yourself. Here’s what you would have to do:
o First identify the guttering system on your house, and pop down to the hardware store to buy the bits you need (a digi-pic could prove handy here).
o Make sure that your ladder is in first rate condition, and that you have a mate available to hold it steady for you. If not, rather avoid injury and get some Roofer Quotes instead.
o Remove the old downpipe and set it aside to take to a recycling depot later. Clean the interface point on the gutter thoroughly, and double-check for any other damage while you do.
o Assuming the old downpipe brackets are still in place and reusable, offer up the elbow-piece into the gutter and  tighten the bracket around it. Makes sure it fits well, because believe me, this is where a leak is most likely to occur.
o Assemble the other sections of the pipe, working from the top downwards and attaching the brackets as you go. An old pal of mine named Ray, who works for a Roofing Firm in London, believes in dropping down a tennis ball as he goes along, just to make double-sure there are no stoppages.
o Finally, attach the bottom elbow to the pipe to drain the water away from the house, and hey presto, the job is done!
That could take the better part of a Saturday afternoon and you might have other plans in mind? No worries, simply Click on Mr-Skill, and we’ll sort everything out for you instead.
Tags: assemple, bottom, bracket, broken, buy, cheap, clean, downpipe, drain, elbow, find a roofer, fit, gutter, injury, job, ladder, leak, leaking, missing, photograph, rain, roofer quote, roofing firm in london, rusted, safe, safety, spares, steady, system, tennis ball, tight, tool, water, winter
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There’s nothing quite as irritating as a leaking gutter, is there? It’s not just the dripping sound at night that keeps you sleeping light. It’s also the fact that gutters are generally so inaccessible too. The answer, of course, is to make sure the  roofer gets the job right in the first place.
Every London Roofer knows that the trick is to get the gutter sloping correctly when installing it. There are various rules of thumb here, but my favourite test is to see whether a dry tennis ball will roll slowly down from the topmost point until it pops out where the downpipe is normally attached.
The next most common fault is downsizing of components. This can result in too much water pouring down into a single gutter, or an insufficiency of downpipes. Unfortunately there is no tap to turn off in the sky, and so the only solution is a modification, or at worse a complete redesign.
 Damaged components can also cause a gutter to begin to leak. The main cause of this is someone using them as steadying points for a ladder, although I have also seen a few gutters smashed by exceptional hail in my time. When this happens, you had better hope spares are still available – if not, then you may need to get Roofer Quotes to replace the entire installation, or put up with a mismatched appearance.
The most common problem though is gutters and downpipes stopped up with leaves. This is an irritating problem at the best of times, and can be costly to resolve, especially where the building is double- or even multi-storey. The solution is to get rid of all overhanging trees. I doubt though that you could get Find a Roofer to do this even on Mr-Skill, although I’m sure you could Find a Gardener here to sort things out for you.
Tags: ball, block, component, damage, downpipe, downsize, drip, find a roofer, gutter, hail, instal, insufficiency, job, lack, ladder, leak, leaves, london roofer, modification, redesign, replace, roofer, roofing quote, rule, sleep, slope, smash, spare, stop, test, tree, water
Posted in Roofing, Gutters & Drainage, Uncategorized | No Comments »
In the good-old, bad-old days, as the older generation of London Roofers still likes to say, roofs were simple, easy going things with single pitches and only chimneys to seal around.  These days things are noticeably different – every hip, and every pitch and every valley represents a challenge for heavy rain, not to mention the mini-bali inset gables that are all the rage at present.
Waterproofing is intended to create a barrier to prevent rainwater from entering a roof and damaging the ceilings and furniture beneath. When it falls directly from above, the design of tiles and cappings is often sufficient to make sure it runs away. Problems arise though when the a gale is driving the water into every crevice, and this can get a lot worse after a cowboy roofer stomps all over your roof while cracking tiles.
It is a wise idea to Find a Roofer on Mr-Skill from time to time, and to ask them to check that everything is still in place, and that nothing needs repairing. This is especially valid in the case of tiled roofs, because tiles are heavy, timbers do settle, and cement under ridges does crack loose over time.
 If you are buying a house, and the one that you are considering has a flat roof, then my advice is to avoid regular Roofing Quotes and to buy something else with a simple pitched roof instead. This is because water inevitably collects on flat surfaces in pools, and will eventually find a way through. The only technique I know of avoiding this is to re-seal a flat roof long before the covering starts to deteriorate. In the greater order of things, flat roofs are cheaper to build, but cost more to maintain. Beware the buyer.
The most important thing of all is to be careful about who you allow to go up on your roof. Urban legend is full of stories of unscrupulous roofers who create work for themselves up where a homeowner never goes. This is where Mr-Skill comes in. Our reputation depends on the honesty and integrity of our roofers, and we intend to keep our good name intact by screening them carefully.
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Posted in Roofing, Gutters & Drainage | No Comments »
Take Care of Your Roof
A roof is almost like a second skin. It protects us from the rain, the heat, the snow and sleet. When it fails though, we have just our own skin left, and that can be a miserable business on a cold, wet rainy night. The moral of my story is that you need to look after your roof.  The easiest way is to get a few Roofers Quotes from a convenient place like Mr-Skill and choose the roof specialists that appeal to you. When they arrive, remember to discuss the following ponts in detail.
o Is the roof covering intact and well attached? Tiles, sheets, thatch and all other roofing materials need firm fixing. If not, you will have leaks, and worse still a gust of wind might even carry a section of roof away.
o Are the ridges still in good condition? Roofs settle over time and ridges sag. They are not just decorative either – lose a ridge and your roof opens up to the sky.
o What about the fascias at gable ends? These are not simply decorative. They also protect the timbers at the roof ends from wind and rain.
o  My old friend who still does the occasional Roofing Job in London reckons that hips and valleys are the areas to watch out for most. Hips are secondary ridges. Valleys carry double water and need thorough flashing too.
o Points where chimneys and vent pipes penetrate a roof can be problematic as well, especially on the upper side if flashing fails. Remember, water going through a roof is moistening timbers and will eventually pass through your ceiling down into your home.
Do not wait until your roof starts leaking unexpectedly on a cold, wet winter’s night. Get Roofing Quotes from Mr-Skill. Get peace of mind too. Sleep well at night. A well-built roof is like a faithful spouse or partner. Look after both, as well as you possibly can.
Tags: attach, chimney, covering, fascia, find a roofer, flashing, gable, heat, hop, intact, leak, loose, ridge, roof, roofer(s) quote(s), roofers London, roofing job london, roofing quote(s), sag, sheet, skin.rain, sky, sleet, snow, speciaslist, thatch, tile, timber, valley, vent, wind
Posted in Roofing, Gutters & Drainage | No Comments »
Posted in Bricklaying, Carpentry & Joinery, Cleaning Services, Disposals & Waste Removal, Electrical Work, Gardening & Landscaping, General Building, Handyman Services, Kitchen Fitting, Locksmith, Moving Homes & Hauliers, Other Craftsman Services, Painting & Decorating, Planning & Consulting, Plastering & Drywall, Plumbing, Heating & Gas, Roofing, Gutters & Drainage, Tiling & Flooring, Window & Door Fitting on Dec 31
Mr-Skill, the amazing place to find rated tradespeople of all kinds across the face of England wishes all their loyal  customers and partners the very best for the New Year 2011. During 2010 and the preceding years we have built a rare relationship that has gone from strength to strength – for our part, our New Year’s Resolution is to promise you even more exceptional service in the years that follow.
Did you know the full range of services that we connect to in every County of England? We have tradespeople of every kind to assist you all the way from Land’s End to John o’Groats. Just in case you forgot the full range of services available on Mr-Skill, here is a complete list for you to bookmark in case you need it.
o Kitchen Installations
o Electrical Work
o Carpentry and Joinery
o Window Fitting
o Plastering and Dry Walling
o General Handymen
o Moving Specialists
o Gardeners and Landscapers
o General Builders
o Bricklayers
o Roofing and Guttering Experts
o Painters and Decorators
o Locksmiths
o Cleaners and Housekeepers
How is that for a comprehensive range of all the services available from Mr-Skill? Have a great New Year from all of us, and see you in a successful 2011. Thanks very much for all your continuing loyal support, and rest assured, Mr-Skill will be here whenever you are in need what we offer.
Tags: Baths and Heating, Bricklayers, Carpentry and Joinery, Cleaners and Housekeepers, Electrical Work, Gardeners and Landscapers, General Builders, General Handymen, Kitchen Installations, Locksmiths, Moving Specialists, Painters and Decorators, Plastering and Dry Walling, Plumbing, Roofing and Guttering Experts, Tiling and Flooring, Window Fitting
Posted in Bricklaying, Carpentry & Joinery, Cleaning Services, Disposals & Waste Removal, Electrical Work, Gardening & Landscaping, General Building, Handyman Services, Kitchen Fitting, Locksmith, Moving Homes & Hauliers, Other Craftsman Services, Painting & Decorating, Planning & Consulting, Plastering & Drywall, Plumbing, Heating & Gas, Roofing, Gutters & Drainage, Tiling & Flooring, Window & Door Fitting | No Comments »
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