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Posts Tagged ‘chip<’
Posted in Tiling & Flooring on Feb 27
First you notice that the grout between the tiles has begun to crack. You wonder whether it’s time to Find a Tiler. After that, the grout starts going darker in one spot. Finally, when you tread on a tile, it rocks slightly as the moisture squishes out.
 Fortunately, this is not the end of the world! The good news is that the tile is loose and will be easy to remove. After that, you can have a Plumber in to fix the leak, and perhaps even replace the tile afterwards yourself.
- Avoid your first reaction to lever out the tile. Chances are that you will chip it, and where on earth will you find a replacement one? One London Tiler I know wets the loose tile generously, and then uses a toilet plunger to create a vacuum and gently ease it out. Try it. You could just be pleasantly surprised!
- Depending on how bad the leak is, you may need to turn the water off. If the water is not bubbling out from where you removed the first tile, you may need to chase the leak by removing several more. This is easy when you gently tap a paint scraper
 underneath the middle of the tile, because the mortar will be water-logged.
- Find a Plumber on Mr-Skill to repair the leak. Then wait patiently until the hole the plumber left behind has dried out completely. After that, back-fill it with a strong mix of mortar, and get a Tiling Quote to put the tiles back and re-grout. If you do the job yourself, use an epoxy as there will be insufficient space for tile cement except where the plumber made the hole.
This information comes to you with best wishes of Mr-Skill, that friendly website where you can find every service that you need. These services include electricians, builders, plasterers, carpenters, gardeners and a whole host more besides. The service costs you nothing, and they are all rated too.
Tags: back fill, chip, crack, dark, dry, epoxy, find a plumber, find a tiler, grout, lever, london tiler, loose, moisture, mortar, paint scraper, plumber, plunger, rated, remove, replace, rock, scraper, service, tap, tile, tiling quote, vacuum, water
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Posted in Tiling & Flooring on Nov 17
If you’ve got tiled floors, tiled splash backs and tiled walls in your home (and we all have these in abundance these days) then the chances are that the grout is looking grotty, unless, that is, you’ve kept your hand to it. Why is this? It’s simple really. As every London Tiler knows, grout is a cement product and cement absorbs grease and grime.
In the bathroom, the dirt is usually mould from steam, soap accumulation and what’s best described as body residues.  Wipe wet walls and glass doors regularly and things will stay under control. Ignore this advice, and in a month or two your bathroom will start looking yucky, and it’s time for elbow grease and chemicals.
You’ll find mildew in the kitchen too, and food spills trafficked by feet across the floor. Some ingredients such as saffron and tomato sauce have amazing staining properties as well as legendary tastes, and you should wipe them right away. If you don’t, suddenly you’ll notice that cute has left your kitchen, and that it’s time to start cleaning up again.
• If things are not all that bad yet, you can try cleaning off the grout with either vinegar, baking soda or sugar soap. A steam cleaner can also help blast the dirt away but watch out for the mess. Never use ammonia-based cleaners on white grout, because they turn it yellow over time.
•  Didn’t work? Then try commercial cleaners like Mr Clean or Lysol, making sure you wash them away completely. Be careful of using corrosive products that can make your hands tingle – especially if your waste water ends up in a soak away.
• Still got problems? Then I’m afraid you need to Find a Tiler to rake out the offending grout and replace it with a matching one. Be careful of trying this yourself though – it’s not difficult to chip an exposed tile edge and you may not have a spare.
We have a comprehensive database of Tilers on Mr-Skill serving every UK postcode, and we can arrange several Tilers’ Quotes for you in just a few hours. Their rates will be better than competitive, and we don’t charge customers for our service. Moreover, our other customers have already rated them for quality.
Tags: absorb, baking soda, body, cement, chemicals, chip, clean, corrosive, find a tiler, floor, food, grout, london tiling company, match, mildew, rake, replace, residue, soak, soap, spill, splash, steam, sugar soap, tile, tilers quotes, track, vinegar, wall, wipe
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I never cease to be amazed at the variety of bathroom accessories available at hardware stores across the UK these days. Every one of these has at least one fixing hole – if I got that contract I doubt I’d ever look back. Many folk are nervous about drilling through ceramic tiles though, because the consequences of cracking one can be quite expensive.
And so they try alternatives like two-sided tape and contact glue. Unfortunately these never work properly because ceramic tiles are highly glazed. Worse still, the accessories come loose, and chip even more expensive fittings when they come crashing down. If you are handy you don’t need to Find a Bathroom Fitter – you just need the right tools and your brain switched on.
• When working above a drainage point like a washbasin or a toilet, insert the plug or lower the seat. Lay down a dust-sheet to make cleaning up afterwards easier too.
HINT – Ceramic tile and masonry dust can permanently stain moist grout, so make sure your work area is dry.
• Gently tap the tile where you intend to drill the hole with something metallic that’s also light. If you hear a hollow sound there’s airspace between the glue. London Bathroom  Fitting Firms train their staff to look for another fixing point when they find this, because tiles break easily over hollows.
• Make a clear mark on the tile where the hole must go with a laundry marker. Make a cross over it with transparent tape that does not have a shiny finish. Tap the tape gently and repeatedly with a new centre punch, until you have scored the ceramic finish beneath it.
• Drill through the hole using a specialist drill bit and an electric drill set off-hammer. Once you are through the glaze you can drill into the tile and wall more quickly. Tidy up the mess, wipe things clean, and you’re good to go!
Mr-Skill is a virtual market place where customers and skilled tradespeople meet. It’s free to the general public, and bids can be up to 30% below general market rates. Click on this link – get Cheap Bathroom Fitting Quotes for your postcode right now!
Tags: accesory, accessories, bathroom, bathroom fitting quotes, bit, break, ceramic, chip, clean, crack, drain, drill, dry, dust, find a bathroom fitter, fix, gently, glaze, glue, harware, hole, london bathroom fitting, mark, masonry, punch, sheet, tap, tape, tile, tool, wall, wipe
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Posted in Kitchen Fitting on Nov 02
There’s nothing quite as sad as a worktop with a corner broken off, or burned by a hot saucepan or an electric iron. Fear not. A replacement is not as expensive as you think, even when done by a London Kitchen Fitting Firm.
•  Obtain a replacement piece that’s cut to size, and edged-off at any exposed end / ends. In that case, remember to allow an overhang that matches the other worktops as closely as possible.
• Clear the old worktop of everything. Remove the cabinet doors and clear the units completely. Carefully inspect for stains or water damage, because this is the best chance you’ll have to do repairs for some time.
• Remove the seal between the worktop and the tiles, and rout out any grout taking care not to chip or crack the tiles. Take your time – this is where you make a professional difference. If the gap is tight, you might need to Find a Kitchen Fitter to assist.
• Remove the screws that attach the worktop to the cabinetry from underneath, making sure you find them all. Double-check that the top is clear of all the tiles, and then gently work it loose. You must work evenly and gently to avoid any contact with the tile edges.
•  When completely free, remove the old worktop from the kitchen. Vacuum up all the dust. Wipe the surfaces clean and have a cup of tea. You’re past the halfway point!
• Lay the new top roughly in position, and gently move it into the space between the cabinetry and tiles. Attach it to the cabinetry from underneath, using the old holes and similar screws. Grout in the gap, and when this is dry add a bead of silicone. Now you can re-fit the doors and get on with your life. What a pleasure – damage controlled.
This information is provided with the compliments of Mr-Skill, although we recommend that only experienced people attempt this project. Should you decide to obtain Kitchen Fitter Quotes instead, we assure you of our best service, and top value in the industry too!
Tags: broken, burn, cabinet, chip, clean, counter, crack, cut, damage, door, dust, edge, end, expose, find a kitchen fitter, grout, inspect, kitchen, kitchen fitter quote, london kitchen fitting, loose, overhang, remove, repair, replacement, screw, seal, silicone, stain, tile, top, unit, vacuum, water, wipe, work, worktop
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Posted in Tiling & Flooring on Sep 21
Wood-Effect laminate flooring has become popular in recent years, as folk discover how quickly they can change a room around, and how easy these floors are to keep clean too. But everything has its downsides and laminate flooring certainly is no exception. The only way to protect yourself from  problems is to Find a Floorer who does the job correctly in the first place.
• Peaking occurs when boards are too tight up against each other and the centres begin to bulge. This is almost invariably causde by a lack of free expansion space around the perimeter of the room, and can be corrected.
• Buckling and Warping are the result of water damage or moisture that could come from underground or might even be in the air. For this reason I have yet to meet a Flooring Firm in London who would consider laying laminate flooring in a bathroom, especially near a shower. Another possible cause of buckling and warping is the absence of an effective balancing substrate.
• Gapping between boards should not occur at all providing they are allowed to acclimatize before being laid. If they do open slightly under very cold conditions, the chances are that gaps will close as the room warms up again.
•  Mould and Mildew are warning signs of high humidity that ought to be carefully controlled, not simply cleaned away. The solution is to root cause the underlying problem and address it.
• Chipping on corners is a sign of abuse during installation. Make sure your Flooring Quote describes the manner in which the work will be done. If it mentions the use of a mallet and tapping block (which are unnecessary in the first place) move away and look again. If the damage happens subsequently, then I’m afraid you bought a poor quality floor.
Another way to avoid these hassles is to Find a Reputable Flooring Firm on Mr-Skill. That’s because we reference-check our tradespeople to make sure their lower prices do not come with loss of quality. How’s that for winning both ways.
Tags: avoid, board, buckle, bulge, cheap, chip, clean, cold, control, damp, expansion, find a flooring firm, floor, flooring firm in london, flooring quote, gap, humidity, laminate, mallet, mildew, moisture, mould, peaking, poor, price, problem, protect, quality, strip, substrate, tap, tight, warp, wood, wood effect
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Posted in Kitchen Fitting on Jun 01
The smooth glass-tops fitted to cookers these days are made from a resilient, relatively shock-proof ceramic / glass composite called Ceran. They are becoming increasingly popular due to their efficient heat-transferring properties, ease of  cleaning and smooth chic good looks, and this is why Kitchen Fitter Quotes always include them as an alternative to consider.
Here’s how to go about keeping them looking good and in tip-top operating shape.
o After cooking, and while it is still warm, scrape the cooking surface clean using the razor-blade scraper supplied by the manufacturer, or a suitable alternative. Make sure to keep this in full contact at all times, and avoid nicking the surface with a corner of the blade. Remove the loosened dirt and allow the top to cool completely.
o  Apply a tablespoon-sized bead of proprietary cleaner to the centre of the worktop and spread it all over with the rough side of a plastic or nylon washing-up sponge. Work this across the entire surface until you no longer feel any resistance caused by dirt.
o Remove all paste and residual debris with a damp kitchen towel. Rinse, wring out and repeat until the worktop is spotlessly clean. Then buff up with a clean dry kitchen towel.
As you go along do remember to inspect the Ceran cooking top for any cracks or deep chips. If you notice any then you should Find a Kitchen Fitter to advise you before you use your cooking top again, because it might be dangerous. By the way my brother who is a Kitchen Fitter in London tells me than any cream cleaner is equally as good, and is a whole lot cheaper too.
Tags: blade, buff, ceramic, ceran, check, chic, chip, clean, cleaner, contact, cook, cool, crack, damp, debris, dirt, even, find a kitchen fitter, glass, glass top, heat, inspect, kitchen fitter london, kitchen fitter quote, kitchen fitting london, kitchen fitting quotes, paste, remove, scrape, shock, smooth, sponge, spread, top, towel, transfer, warm, wipe, worktop
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on May 17
When people built new homes in days gone past, especially right after the Second World War ended they seldom realised how long their work would last. Walls were not quite as damp-proof  as they are today, and plaster mixes were not quite as adhesive either. The result is often mouldy cracking rendering falling off in places. Where this is bad, the whole lot must come off so that you can Find a Plasterer to start all over again.
o Proper preparation is half the battle won when it comes to applying rendering, and this is why some tradespersons will not even quote for Plastering Jobs in London until the old covering is chipped away. They know of many possible sins beneath the surface that may even double the time a plastering job can take.
o First cover the floor from edge to edge with a tarpaulin or thick plastic sheet, and tape this thoroughly in position. Large pieces of rendering may come down in single pieces, and you need to protect the floor. Moreover the last thing you need to hear is the sound of something scrunching beneath the sheet directly on a polished surface.
o  Take safety precautions before you start. Wear eye and face protection to avoid harmful chips and dust. Wear heavy duty gloves and boots and make sure that your tools are in good order too.
o Start at the top of a wall and have a plan of what to do if a large section or rendering comes loose. Work slowly and carefully making sure that you remove all remnants as you go along. If you do not, then you will have the worst bit left over just as you thought that you had finished.
After the last piece of plaster is removed you can tidy up and get Plastering Quotes from Mr-Skill, secure in the knowledge that your preparation is good, and that you have saved yourself a tidy sum of money, hopefully had some fun and learned a few new useful tricks and skills along the way.
Tags: adhesive, boot, build, built, careful, chip, cover, crack, damp, dust, eye, face, find, find a plasterer, flake, floor, glove, hide, job, plan, plaster, plasterer london, plasterer quote, plastering job London, plastering quote, plastic, preparation, prepare, protect, quote, render, sheet, slow, surface, tarpaulin, time
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Posted in Kitchen Fitting on May 09
In our busy sometimes hectic life we get used to things too easily. Like the petrol gauge dropping lower and the cookie jar  getting empty. Too soon we find that the lawn has become unkempt, and that the windows need cleaning too.
Pretty much the same applies to plumbing fittings in the bathroom (and in the kitchen too). Scale, which is a limestone deposit in the water builds up over time and can conceivably end up blocking pipers. It also builds up in our kettles and could cause a boiler element to overheat.
But that is not all. As scale builds up it covers the body residues we leave behind in baths and showers, and could cause a lung infection when it chips away and we inhale the myobacterium avium dust it hides. Do not panic, and do not use antibacterial sprays that kill the good bacteria that are our friends. Solve the problem in a natural way instead – that way you are unlikely to need Bathroom Fitter Quotes either.
o  Remove the tap heads and shower rose
o Fill an old pan with water and half a cup of vinegar and bring it to the boil. Do not inhale the fumes.
o Soak the shower rose and tap heads in the liquid for twenty minutes
o Rinse the fittings under cold running water and replace them. Repeat the process if the scale is deep, and diarise to do the job every three months.
Unless your hands are stiff and sore you should be able to do this job yourself. If not, then Mr-Skill would be delighted to Find a Bath Fitter to help do this for you. Then you could enjoy your shower in perfect safety.
Tags: bath, bath fitter london, bath fitter quote, bath fitting london, bath fitting quote, bathroom fitter london, bathroom fitter quote, bathroom fitting london, bathroom fitting quote, bathroon, boil, build, build-up, chest, chip, disease, dust, find a bath fitter, find a bathroom fitter, fitting, head, inhale, kitchen, limestone, myobacterium avium, natural way, remove, replace, resudue, rinse, rose, scale, shower, soak, tap, vinegar, water
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Posted in Handyman Services on Apr 26
Bathroom accessories are sometimes rip-offs where cowboy tile shops make up their profits. The ones illustrated here are not like that at all. In fact, they are the kind you should  consider specifying when getting a Bath Fitting Quote. Here are some tips to avoid being caught by cheap swindles unlike these.
o Never buy bath fittings in a box that a shop assistant refuses to open, on the basis that nobody else would be prepared to buy them afterwards. Reputable suppliers provide consignment samples so customers can inspect them properly.
o In fact, never buy boxed sets at all, especially those on special offer. While they may display attractively, in reality they are likely to be tawdry and will include a few pieces you may never need.
o Find out what the underlying material consists of. Brass and copper are unnecessarily expensive, while alloy castings break easily. The ones made of artificial mouldings are far more practical.
o Particularly if you live near the coast, ask about the surface coating too. Look for a 3-year guarantee against flaking, chipping and rusting – if this is not provided, expect to replace your bathroom fittings after two years or more.
o A Bath Fitter London with experience may insist in being part of your final decision. While most of us are mesmerised by style, professionals also think about methods of attachment, and how well these work in practice.
Now that you know the background to bathroom accessories the next step is to buy and fit them. Are you afraid of cracking a precious wall tile? Speak to Mr-Skill and let them help you Find a Bathroom Fitter to make your life a little easier instead.
Tags: accessory, attach, bath, bath fitter london, bath fitter quote, bath fitting london, bath fitting quote, bathroom, bathroom fitter london, bathroom fitter quote, bathroom fitting london, bathroom fitting quote, box, brass, chip, coast, coating, copper, corrode, find a bath fitter, find a bathroom fitter, fit, fitting, flake, material, method, mould, rust, sample, surface, tile
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Posted in Tiling & Flooring on Feb 17
 Bathroom grout was originally introduced to close the gaps between ill-fitting tiles and prevent the water weakening the cement behind by causing continuous damp. These days it has a decorative function too, although it can also get pretty grotty over time. If the mould-spores have set in there’s little point in keeping on scrubbing. In fact it could just be time to call in a Bathroom Fitter London Residents recommend and put in a whole new bathroom.
Before you go to this extreme and get a Bath Fitter Quote it might just be possible to re-grout the tiles. Here’s how to go about doing what is admittedly a tedious job. You will need the following tools:
1. Grout Saw (hired from your local hardware store)
 2. Vacuum Cleaner (ask the boss first)
3. Small Wire Brush, Grout Spreader
4. Grout, Water & Sponge
Remove the Grout – Cut through the grout as close as possible to one side of a tile line using the grout saw and being careful to avoid chipping. As you repeat the process on the other side the tool will oscillate the grout loose and you can pick it up with the vacuum cleaner.
Tidy Up – Insert the wire brush into the space between the tiles and remove any grout left behind. Vacuum thoroughly and wash down carefully. Grout does not stick to dust so make sure you get this right.
Apply the Grout – Do this the following day to make sure that  things are completely dry. Apply the mixed grout with the grout spreader leaving as little material behind and smoothing the grout between the tiles with a suitably profiled piece of plastic. After the grout on the tiles has dried to a haze remove it with a dry sponge or cloth tidying up any untidy edges of grout with a moist finger (do not overwork your skin!). The next day polish up the tiles and apply a grout sealer if desired.
If you do all this carefully and with sufficient attention to detail you may be able to extend the life of your bathroom for another year. If the boss is unhappy with the result then I’m afraid you’ll have to Find a Bathroom Fitter. But at least you tried your best to save some money for a while.
Tags: bath fitter london, bath fitter quote, bath fitting london, bath fitting quote, bathroom, bathroom fitter london, bathroom fitter quote, bathroom fitting london, bathroom fitting quote, buff, chip, clean, damp, dust, find a bath fitter, find a bathroom fitter, gaps, grout, grout saw, haze, mold, mould, re-grout, regrout, remove, sponge, spreader, tidy, tile, tiles, vacuum, wire brush
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