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Posts Tagged ‘acrylic<’
Posted in Cleaning Services on Oct 12
Outdoor garden furniture bears the brunt of weather when left outdoors throughout the year, and if neglected soon loses its showroom gloss. This is especially true in larger cities where airborne pollution can be quite severe. In fact I know of several London Cleaning Services who make a living out of dealing with the consequences.
 It is not always necessary to request a Cleaner Quote on Mr-Skill though. Regular attention along the lines below can help avoid unnecessary expense, assuming you have the time available and the will to do it.
• Wash wooden furniture that has been coated with exterior grade varnish with soapy water and then rinse it clean. If possible store it in a dry place for winter or at least wipe away accumulations of rainwater regularly. Once a year apply a proprietary cleaner followed by a protective coat.
• Machine-wash fabrics from cloth chairs and hammocks using a gentle wash cycle. Stretch the cloth back into position before completely dry, to avoid it shrinking.
• Clean aluminium, wrought iron and mild steel frames with soap and rinse. Coat metal furniture with a protective coating, or else it will definitely rust.
•  Umbrella covers need machine washing and the frame joints need lightly oiling too. As with chair seats, refit the covers before completely dry.
• Remove acrylic seat-covers and wipe them clean, using a bleach solution to remove any mildew. Let the mixture stand for 30 minutes before wiping clean again.
• Clean wicker furniture using water under pressure from a hose or pump, using soap if necessary. When dry, the application of a paste wax will restore the shine.
A lot of work perhaps for something we may not use every day, and that stands idle in the winter. Why not get a Cleaner Quote from Mr-Skill instead? Then you can put your clean outdoor furniture away for winter, and have it ready to use again in the spring. Now that makes sense.
Tags: acrylic, aluminium, attention, chair, clean, cleaner quote, cloth, coat, dry, expense, find a cleaner, frame, furniture, Garden, hammock, london cleaning service, mould, oil, outdoor, pollution, protect, regular, rinse, shrink, soap, stain, store, stretch, summer, time, umbrella, varnish, wash, water, winter, wood
Posted in Cleaning Services | Comments Off
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Apr 05
Plain ceilings are very boring these days. Developers Find  Plasterers to pep-up their shrinking houses with decorative cornices and roundels to conceal their small size. As a result, these have become fashionable and many people with older houses would like to follow suit. You can even apply one to an artex ceiling if you are skilful. The especially nice thing about a job like this is that modern ceiling roundels are so relatively cheap.
o The trick to attaching a ceiling rose (as roundels are sometimes called) is to affix them to a smooth surface. Hence, if you have an artex ceiling you will need to first level up with fibrous plaster where the roundel is going to go. This does not have to cover the entire area – an even 80% spread is sufficient. This job is not easy though, and you may like to Find a Plasterer on Mr-Skill to do it for you.
o Remove any existing light fitting and insulate the wires carefully. If you are in any doubt, Mr-Skill can recommend an Electrician to do this safely for you.
o  Apply a generous supply of no-more-nails or similar on the reverse of the roundel, slip it over the electric wires, and press it to the ceiling with a twisting motion. It should adhere nicely, in which case leave it alone for 24-hours. If not, hold it in place with masking tape twisted around the electric wires, and taped to the ceiling too.
o The next day seal around the roundel with a flexible white acrylic filler. If applicable, reinstall the light fitting after first turning off the mains.
I have seen the most wonderful finishing touches applied to roses by Plasterers in London. There are literally no ceilings to the possibilities, especially when matched to an appropriate light fitting. Just imagine how an neat idea like this could enhance your lifestyle, and add value to your house.
Tags: acrylic, artex, ceiling, cornice, electric fitting, fibrous plaster, fill, filler, find a plasterer, finish, glue, insulate, masking tape, plasterer london, plasterer quote, plastering job London, plastering quote, remove, rose, roundel, seal, skim, smooth, touch
Posted in Plastering & Drywall | Comments Off
I don’t think we paint our ceilings nearly frequently enough. That’s because they are some distance from us and we hate cricking our necks to check them out. As a result they end up yellowing and can no longer do their job of making a room  look so much bigger, brighter and airier than when they were once so pristine white. If you agree with me, then maybe this is a good time of the year to Find a Decorator.
A ceiling that is lighter than the walls makes it seem higher and the room correspondingly larger too. Personally I don’t like home ceilings painted in colours although I do grant that there are exceptions too. Here’s how to go about the job
o Painters London Wide refuse to do a ceiling job without proper scaffolding, and for your back’s sake I recommend you hire some instead of falling off the ladder while applying sealer and masking tape. Another useful tip is to put down drop-sheets and mask off the walls and skirting boards – an hour spent this way will save hours later scraping and cleaning off when all you really want is your room back.
o Seal all the gaps between the cornice and the ceiling with white acrylic filler and your finger before you start. Remember to smooth off the job with a damp cloth as you go along.
o Cut-in the edges with a one inch pointing brush making sure that the cornice-to-wall joints are tidy when viewed from the floor. My take on this is not to paint the bottom return on the coving so as not to disturb the existing line.
 o When done you can start to roll the ceiling, working in small sections back and forth to achieve effective coverage. If you do not do this properly your patchy ceiling will need a second coat – avoid this by doing the ceiling painting job right first time.
o Do not be in a hurry to remove the masking tape – in fact it is better to do this the following day. This is because you want the skin of paint to dry first, and avoid wet paint on the masking tape messing up your walls as well.
Do not be fooled into thinking that this is an easy job although it is within the scope of the reasonably fit. Mr-Skill could be an easier way to get your ceilings painted and they could help you Get Decorator Quotes too. One final hint – If you do the job yourself, remember to wear old clothes that cover your entire body, gloves, a hat and a face mask.
Tags: acrylic, airier, bigger, brighter, ceiling, clean, cloth, clothes, cornice, cover, coving, damp, decorating job london, decorating quote, decorator london, decorator quote, drop sheet, filler, find a decorator, find a painter, hat, job, ladder, mask, mess, paint, painter london, painter quote, painting job london, painting quote, point, roll, room, scaffold, smooth, tape, white, wipe
Posted in Painting & Decorating | Comments Off
A Water Feature adds beauty to any home, and to any office too. A leak can be troublesome especially if the pond is indoors, and requires repair soon. Slight cracks are often within the skills of an amateur repair person – more serious ones  indicate a need to find a handyman to sort them out, because leaks get worse, not better. Before you start any repairs, allow the water level to drop gradually, but not enough to risk your precious fish and plants. When it stops, you have found at least one site of your leak.
Important Hint Be careful of using toxic materials that may harm fish and plants. If in any doubt, contact the manufacturer for advice.
Remove all plants and fish, and store these in buckets of water taken from the pond. Keep these in a cool place, and remember to keep feeding your friends. If they have to remain like that for several days, aerate the water by gently pouring it between buckets.
Locate the source of the leak and chisel out any loose pieces, widening it if necessary to provide room for a good key. Remove all dust, and paint the opened crack with several layers of bonding liquid.
Make up a rich mix of concrete or cement, moistened with the same bonding liquid instead of water. Work this carefully into the crack, using an old flat screwdriver to eliminate air pockets. Smooth off the surface of the fill and blend it into the surrounding area. Wait patiently until the following day.
 Depending on the circumstances, re-seal the entire water feature with one of the following products according to the manufacturer’s instructions:
o Acrylic waterproofing compounds come in different colours, are flexible and can bridge hairline cracks.
o Latex waterproofing compounds dry quickly. However, curing times must be respected before reintroducing water, plants and fish.
o Rubberised bituminous products are more effective on larger ponds. Curing times can be extensive making them less desirable for repairs.
o Flexible polyurethane sealants applied with a caulking gun are perfect for sealing around pipes and filling small cracks. Beware though, many of these can harm plants and especially fish.
Wash out your water feature when the sealing compound is dry and properly cured. Handymen London based believe that this is the perfect time to paint a pond inside as well. When ready you can return the water you removed, and re-house your plants and fish according to good practices that are beyond the scope of this advice.
Did you find this information sufficiently comprehensive? If not, perhaps it would be wiser to get handyman quotes on Mr-Skill.
Tags: acrylic, bitumen, bituminious, bonding liquid, cement, chisel, concrete, crack, find a handyman, fish, fix, handyman quotes, handymen london, latex, leak, open, paint, plants, poison, polyurethane, pond, pool, repair, rubberised, seal, toxic, wash, water, water feature, water proofing, waterproofing
Posted in Gardening & Landscaping, Handyman Services | 2 Comments »
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