Should you be the proud parent of young children or have elderly and infirm relatives living in your home, corner guards are a great way to protect them against injury in a fall and save your property from being damaged at the same time. Corner guards have been present in hospitals and schools for some time, but are now being designed for the home market and can be used in many different applications.Once upon a time, corner guards would have been purely practical items which you would have acquired from a handyman in London, but now they can be integrated into your interior design and available from Londondecorators, and even tilers working on flooring jobs in London will recommended corner guards in certain circumstances.
Corner Guards on Walls
If you have ever had small children ride tricycles in your home, you will appreciate the value of corner guards. Corner guards can be installed on the sides of door openings or end partitions of walls to protect them from damage should your children not yet have mastered the art of steering. They are available in a number of materials (the corner guards, not the children) including clear plastic, moulded plastic, rubber, padded aluminium and stainless steel, and can be selected to compliment or contrast with your existing decor.
Corner guards can usually be purchased “off-the-shelf” from a hardware store in 90 degree or 135 degree angles, with a choice of lengths available to suit your personal circumstances. Similar materials are used in safety stair nosing, which can also be integrated with a grip on the horizontal plane to prevent slipping on carpeted or polished wooden stairs.
Corner Guards on Furniture
Any sharp angle on furniture presents potential hazard to people tripping or falling, and corner guards can be used to prevent cuts or worse when kids bang their heads on tables or the corners of shelving units. They are also quite handy features to prevent adults getting a nasty bruise on the leg when walking into a corner, as sometimes happens. Fire surrounds are another area of the home which can be protected by corner guards, and although you cannot cushion your entire living environment, you can make your home as safe a place to live in as possible by making use of corner guards at each opportunity.
Corner guards, stair nosing and table or fireplace protectors are not expensive to buy and reasonably simple to install. However, if you are in any doubt that you are able to fix them correctly, it is better to use to services of a tradesman in London to have these safety features secured firmly to ensure they perform as they were intended. A selection of local handymen in London is available through Mr Skill’s Tradesmen’s Directory, or you can alert local tradesmen in your area to your requirements by using the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page.
With more than 300 exhibitors, The National Home Improvement Show is the UK’s largest event for tradesmen in London and people looking to add space and value to their home. It offers the best in home improvement, design and space-saving advice from Real Homes experts, including TV personalities Julia Kendell (presenter of DIY SOS on BBC1 and 60-Minute Makeover), Matt James (Channel Four’s The City Gardener) and Michael Holmes (Editor-in-Chief of Real Homes magazine and presenter of Five’s “I Own Britain’s Best Home”).
The exhibition starts this Friday (1st October) and runs until Sunday. Tickets are £8.00 in advance or £12.00 on the door and further details about the event can be found on www.improveyourhomeshow.co.uk
People have been decorating their walls with paper for millennia. The ancient Egyptians and Chinese were the first to hang paper on their walls two thousand years ago, King Louis XI of France (1423-1483) commissioned Jean Bourdichon to paint 50 rolls of paper with images of angels because he found it necessary to move frequently from castle to castle and wanted to take the “wallpaper” with him, and the UK`s love of flock wall coverings developed after Henry VIII´s excommunication from the Catholic Church in Rome and the English gentry could no longer get tapestries imported from Europe.
These days, it seems that there is practically nothing you cannot do with wallpaper. They can be manufactured from many different materials – textile wallpapers include silks, linens, grass cloths, strings, rattan, and actual impressed leaves -, can be printed with life-size images or photographs and you can submit your own design if there is nothing suitable to choose from in the shop or online! Wallpaper can be printed in the style of a mosaic (see below) or as if the wall was bare brick and there was no wallpaper at all. There is even a charity in the UK promoting “wallpaper awareness” with examples of wallpaper designs over the last six centuries (for more information visit – Wallpaper History Society).
This really is wallpaper printed in the form of a mosiac
Whether you are looking for wallpaper that is modern or retro, Arabesque or Anglo-Japanese, geometric or neo-classical, the video below may offer some inspiration to you. Created with the assistance of the Cooper-Hewett National Design Museum in New York, it goes through three hundred years of wallpaper designs in a little over three minutes. Once you have chosen your particular favourite, you might then wish to use the services of a local handyman in London to help you hang it. In which case you will find our Tradesmen´s Directory an invaluable resource to help attract competitive quotes from handymen in London.
Who decreed that radiators should be placed horizontally and hidden behind the sofa? Your local plumber in London? Certainly not! In fact, he would advise that you introduce a little art into your central heating. These stunning radiator designs by Italian radiator manufacturer Caleido are too good to be hidden away, and deserve pride of place in your home. Whatever style of lounge, bathroom or bedroom you have, there should be a design that is ideal for you.
For more of these incredible designs, please scroll down
The basic white steel radiators come with a choice of methacrylate designs – Flora, Scuba, Wall, Rain (pictured right), and Digital (also pictured – below). Other options for upright heat warmers include radiators for the bathroom with a convenient slot for towel warming, radiators with a silver or gold mirrored finish to reflect light and an electric option for clients that do not yet have a central heating system installed.
Although a little more expensive than a traditional radiator – basic electric models start at £350.00 per radiator – these exquisite and unique additions to your home can be installed with minimum disruption to your existing central heating system. A local plumber in London would take great pleasure in providing a plumbers quote for supplying and installing these contemporary and stylish radiators, and if you would like to find out more about how Caleido radiators can help transform an existing room in your home, please contact a plumber or heating engineer in London through the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page.
From left to right - "Honey", "Cut", "Stone", "Sea", "Skin" and "River" - more below ...
for more details of the Caleido Range of Radiators consult a London plumber in our Tradesmen's Directory
Installing recessed lighting is a fairly advanced project. It may be of value to you to consult with a London electrician featured in our Tradesmen´s Directory before starting a job of this nature and, if installing recessed lighting in either the kitchen, bathroom or garden you will need permission from your local Building Control before you start and a London electrician to check your work is compliant with Part P of the Building Regulations when the job is complete. Any new circuits you introduce to your property may also need to be passed, so please account for the cost of this procedure when costing your job and request some electrician quotes by using the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page.
Before installing recessed lighting, you should consider the final effect that you wish to achieve. There are a number of different recessed lighting designs you can use to maximise light and space or to highlight specific objects in your home.
The most common type of recessed light is the downlight. Normally these will illuminate an area equal to the height of the light. Therefore, if your ceiling is 8 feet high, the light will shine directly down and cover a circular area with an 8 foot diameter. If you are considering using downlights over a wide area, you will need to overlap the area lit by each light and it is recommended that you install your downlights at a distance of approximately 6 feet apart.
Eyeball lights are particularly good if you have a sloped ceiling or wish to highlight a particular decorative element of your home. When illuminating areas like fireplace mantelpieces, the distance from the light to the wall should be 60% (multiply by .6) of the distance from the ceiling to the object – For example, if your mantelpiece is 5 feet from the ceiling, the distance from the wall to where the light is installed is (5 feet x 60%) 3 feet.
The first light should be planned to be about 3 feet away from the wall. Placing the light closer to the wall will create more reflection into the room and make the space feel brighter. Placing the lights further away will make the corners seem dark, create a more ambient impression and give the effect of lowering the ceiling.
Lighting in kitchens needs to be a little brighter. If installing your recessed lights into existing cabinets, they need to be spaced every 3 to 4 feet to illuminate the counter top. In general, for a kitchen, you should allow 3 watts of incandescent light per square foot. To calculate how much light you need, calculate the total square area of the kitchen and divide by three. If using CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs) refer to the manufacturer´s equivalent measurement.
You can safely have as many lights in your new recessed installation as were in your existing fitting. If you are considering exceeding the existing wattage, consult a London electrician before proceeding.
Getting Started
Turn off the power – not just the lighting circuit, but the whole house if possible. This is case you accidently drill through a power cable in a wall or ceiling joist.
If your existing circuit supports the extra load you are installing, there is no need to remove the existing fitting. However, if you choose to do so it is easiest to plan your lighting set-up so that one of the lights you are installing makes use of the hole that will be left by the existing fittings´ removal. Alternatively you could install a ceiling fan or a decorative cover plate that would disguise where the old fitting came from and prevent the need to redecorate the whole ceiling or wall.
Making the Holes
Once you have measured the location for each light, use the manufacturer´s template that comes with the light units to mark the ceiling for each hole you are going to make. Drill a ¼ inch hole in the ceiling at the centre of the proposed opening and then use a jigsaw to make the openings for each of the light mountings (“cans”).
Run a cable from the power source (this could be the light switch or an existing junction box) to the location of the first recessed light. Leave an additional 18 inches of wire hanging from the opening to enable easy wiring of the cans. Continue to feed cable through to each of the openings, drilling carefully through ceiling joists if necessary and feeding the cable through.
Wiring
Wire the first can to the cable leading from the power source and the cable leading to the next opening and continue connecting the fixtures until you reach the last one. Mount the cans into the openings in the ceiling and add the trim pieces according to the manufacturer´s instructions.
You are now ready to screw in the light bulbs, reconnect the power and view your new recessed lighting effect.
There are several images of how your finished project may look in our “Inspirations” feature and also in our blog – “Improve the Value and Appeal of Your Home”. We strongly recommend that you obtain advice and quotes from electricians in London in respect of Part P Approval and also for any assistance you need with the job itself. London handymen, kitchen fitters, decorators and general builders can also be contacted through our Tradesmen´s Directory, so if you feel that there may be elements of this project which may stretch your abilities, please do not hesitate to use this valuable resource.
Local interior designers in London will tell you that nothing creates more of an impression inside and outside your home than recessed lighting. No matter in which room – or rooms – the lighting effects are implemented, directional spotlights highlighting key areas of your living environment and providing additional light for working areas in the kitchen or in a study will improve the value and appeal of your home. Replacing existing lighting appliances with recessed lighting units can accentuate decorative elements of your home as well as removing cumbersome wall and ceiling fittings, creating the appearance of more space in your property.
However,installing recessed lighting yourself is not a job to be undertaken lightly. Most recessed lighting units come with instructions as to their safe installation, however consideration has to be given both to building regulations Part P (relating to electrical installations) and Part B (relating to fire hazard) especially when installing recessed lighting in the bathroom, kitchen or any ceiling or wall that prevents the rapid spread of fire.
Therefore it is a job which you should seek professional guidance. As you will see from the images both on this page and our “Inspirations” feature, there are many uses that can be found for recessed lighting and, when the lights are fitted and working perfectly, the final effect is amazing. However, using the skills of a local electrician in London – particularly when getting your installation passed Building Control – will ensure that your lights are flush, safe and approved.
Money saving CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs) can also be used in recessed lighting, although unsuitable to be put into sealed recessed fittings. It is advisable to check that the unit into which you are putting your CFL has sufficient ventilation or an open face to limit the build up of heat and extend the life of the lamp. CFLs should not be put into any light fittings that are going to be frequently switched on and then off in a short space of time.
Larger installations, such as suspended ceilings, can be done with the help of a London builder featured in our Tradesmen´s Directory and recessed uplighting in your garden will provide additional security for your home*, and illuminate your path safely up the driveway, whilst being a talking point for all your guests as they arrive. (* Please note: Recessed lighting units should not be integrated with a security motion sensor unless specifically approved by the light manufacturer – also sealed units are recommended for external use to prevent the function of the lamp being affected by moisture).
If you can see the benefit in using recessed lighting to improve the value and appearance of your home, why not “Post-a-Job” on our web site. It is quick and easy and will encourage competitive quotes from tradespeople in London direct into your email inbox.
Coving and cornices are simple ways to finish off the look of a room and do not require any special skills to erect -just care and attention. Their use is especially useful when a new stud wall has been erected or a ceiling has been replaced, and fitting a cornice will remove the need to undertake detailed finishing of the corner where the wall and ceiling meet. Although this job can be done by yourself, if you have particularly high ceilings, or are attempting this job on the exterior of a property, it is advisable to use the services of a builder in London who will provide scaffolding and ensure the job is done safely.
Before You Start
Measure the length of each wall in the room to be covered and work out how many lengths of coving you will need. You should allow an extra 150mm at each corner of the room for joint cutting, and work out where you can save materials by using off-cuts around chimney breasts and bay windows. It is best to clear the room of furniture or move it all into the centre and cover any floor surfaces you will be working above.
Prepare the surfaces you will be covering with coving. Scrape off any loose paint and scour gloss-painted areas with sandpaper. If the walls or ceiling are papered, use a sharp knife to cut through the paper 1.5mm inside where the coving is going to go, and remove strips of paper inside your cut and any old wallpaper paste. Using a tungsten carbide tipped ceramic tile scriber or very sharp knife, score the wall and ceiling between the edges of where the coving is going to be placed to enable the adhesive you are going to use bind to the surfaces.
Starting Off
Start working on your longest walls first as this will enable you to use cut-offs on shorter walls. Where more than one length of coving is required, work from each end of the wall towards the middle, and it helps when working out what goes where later, to write a “W” on the side of the coving which is going to be fixed to the wall. This also helps when cutting mitres using a mitre box as the “W” side should be the one on the far side of the mitre box.
Cutting Mitres
Cutting mitres accurately is the key to getting a professional finish to your coving. London builders will use a specialised mitre saw, but you could use a regular hacksaw and saw along a pencil line if you take sufficient care. For polystyrene coving a fine-toothed bread knife will do the trick.
Measure and cut square all the lengths of coving you will need – adding 30mm for waste – this ensures a cleaner cut on the sharp corner when you mitre. As you cut each piece, number it and write the corresponding number on the wall where it will eventually go.
Take the first piece of coving and cut the appropriate mitre. Mitres can be internal or external depending on the area of wall you are coving – for example a corner of a room requires an internal mitre cut and the outside corners of a chimney breast would require an external cut. In a perfect world, each of these angles would be 45 degrees, but in older houses and around bay windows, you will have to make allowances for aging and bowing. Take the next piece and mitre the end. You should put the two pieces in position to make sure they meet and mark the wall. Carry on around the wall until all the pieces are cut and annotated.
Fixing the Coving
Most brands of coving come with the manufacturer´s recommendations for which type of adhesive to use. If in any doubt, speak with a London builder who will be able to help you. It is recommended by London builders that you tap masonry pins into the plaster along the walls which you have just marked and then, using a wide filling knife, apply the adhesive to the back edges of the coving – applying it only to the surfaces which will touch the wall and ceiling. NOTE – if the adhesive comes in a tube with a frame gun, use this instead.
Offer up the first piece of coving, resting it on the masonry pins. Ease the mitre into the corner and firmly but gently push the coving inwards and upwards. Remove any excess adhesive from the coving and the edge of the mitre – you do not want too much adhesive on the mitre at this stage as it will stop a good joint being made with the next piece of coving. Continue with the next section of coving – now filling any gap in the joint with adhesive. Carry on around the room, remembering to remove any traces of adhesive with a wet sponge or cloth as you go.
Alternative Corner Solutions
As a room with a lot of corners may take up too much of your time cutting exact angles, you may want to consider using separate pre-formed decorative corner pieces (cornices). These can be purchased from a DIY store or your local builders in Londonwill be able to get them for you. If you fix these in place first and then measure and cut square ended lengths of coving to fit between them, this could save you a lot of effort. You can also use stick-on cornices – in which case you would put your coving up first and fix them over the square ends using adhesive.
Painting and Decorating
Once your coving is in place and the adhesive has been given the chance to dry, you may wish to consider how you are going to decorate your coving. Polystyrene coving can only be painted with water based paint – such as an emulsion – as spirit and oil based paints can seep into the coving, damage it and also present a fire risk. All other types of coving can be painted in any household paint, but where you have put up timber coving, you may prefer to varnish it depending on the rest of the decor in your room.
You may wish to integrate your coving with matching skirting, dado rails or architraves. Your local builder in London will help you acquire the materials you need and, as mentioned before, should be used to help put up covings in rooms with exceptionally high ceilings or when you are attempting this job on the exterior of your property.
To help you find a builder in London, please use our Tradesmen´s Directory. You can also use the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page to alert local builders in London of your requirements.
Covings and Cornices are witnessing a renaissance in modern homes, and whereas once they were simply a practical item to disguise the joins where ceiling met wall, London builders are often receiving requests for something a little more unique. Both internally and externally, adding decorative coving to your property can improve the appeal and value of your home and maximise its “kerb appeal”.
Coving is not in itself a difficult addition to make to a room, but when you are considering integrating coving, architraves, skirting and maybe even a dado or picture rail to create an impressive effect, you may want to use the skills of a builder in London to assist you with the design and installation. Particularly with high ceilings or exterior applications, it is far safer to use the services of a London builder with a scaffold, rather than try to carry a piece of coving up a ladder!
The uses for coving may not only be limited to the horizontal and vertical joins of a room or brickwork. Ceiling coving is also becoming popular, with designs available to compliment an existing ceiling rose, create the impression of a beamed ceiling or highlight another feature of your ceiling. Indeed, wall and ceiling coving is now being introduced to incorporate concealed lighting units and add a very special touch to your home at little expense.
We have published a few ideas about what can be achieved in a room with coving and cornices. We hope that these inspire you to think of how the addition of coving could make a change to the rooms in your home – and don’t stop there! The integration of coving and cornices with architraves, skirting and picture rails can turn an ordinary room into something superb.
Pre-packed coving and cornices come in range of materials, each providing a different influence on your room, and it is a good idea to discuss your ideas with a London builder to determine the best materials to use and that your plans are practical.
A good selection of London builders are accessible through our Tradesmen´s Directory or if you would like to use the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page, builders in London will be able to email you with London builders quotes for helping you give your rooms the “Cor! Nice!” effect.
As with any DIY job, correct preparation is the key to getting a project done efficiently with the final effect exactly how you planned it. With painting or staining a floor, correct preparation is even more important, as floors have a lot more use made of them than walls or ceilings and getting a sound, solid finish the first time will save on re-touching in the future.
If you have any creaking or squeaking floorboards in the room you are going to decorate, now might be the time to fix them. If you require any assistance from a local carpenter in London, you can “Post-a-Job” and ask for a free carpenters quote or follow our “Project Advice” on how to repair creaking and squeaking floorboards.
If you are painting or staining a floor which has existing paint or varnish on it, you are going to have to sand it right back to the bare boards. This is best done with an electric sander, but make sure that you are wearing goggles and a dust mask before you start, and that the room is well ventilated. Corners and areas near skirting boards can be done with a mini-sanding attachment on a power drill or by hand with sandpaper – although using the latter method can be backbreaking!
Once you have sanded the floor, Hoover the room thoroughly and use white spirit to wipe clean the floorboards. If you are looking to enhance the grain features in the wood, gently stroke each board with a wire brush following the direction of the grain. Then, depending on your preferred finish, start painting or staining from the furthest corner of the room from the door
Wood Stain
Wood stain is available as water-based or solvent-based product in a wide range of colours. It provides a lighter finish than varnish and the solvent-based wood stain also has strong protective qualities. To apply wood stain, seal your freshly stripped (or newly laid) floorboards with a clear Polyurethane varnish and allow to dry. Then apply up to three coats of wood stain depending on the depth of colour and level of protection that you want. Tip: Water-based wood stain, although not offering as much protection as the solvent-based equivalent, dries much faster.
Paint
If you are painting your floor, you may not need to go through the procedure of sanding it down beforehand depending on the colour you are painting over. Making sure that it is free from dust however is important if you want to obtain a perfect finish. Painting bare floorboards with a satinwood paint can leave a really nice finish or standard emulsion will suffice in all but the heaviest areas of foot traffic. Whichever finish you choose, once the paint is dry protect it with a coat or two of clear varnish.
Varnish
Like wood stain, varnish is also available in either water-based or solvent-based formulas. Solvent-based offers the best results in many cases but can be unpleasant to apply due to the strong smell. Although varnishing your floorboards will produce a stunning finish, you need to consider than after a few years of wear and tear varnish inevitably begins to crack or shrink, and this may mean performing the whole task once again!
If there are any areas of this specific project which you are unsure about, or you like the idea of having a freshly painted or stained wooden floor but are not confident of doing the job yourself, you can contact a selection of local decorators in London by using the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of this page.
Mr Skill is a well established web portal with a directory of skilled and highly rated tradesmen in London. These local tradesmen are experienced in most aspects of building, electrical, gas and decorating work and when you are looking to get a specific job done, the best way to get the right tradesman at the right price is to use the “Post-a-Job” facility available at the top of each page.
In order to use it to its best advantage, we have compiled a number of tips so that your specific job is seen by the right people.
Registration. There is no need to register before you “Post-a-Job” as the registration is integrated with the job posting and you will receive an e-mail with your log-in details for future reference. This is useful for the next time that you “Post-a-Job” on Mr Skill because it means that you will not have to enter your personal details again.
Job Title. Please be clear about the job you what doing. For example, the job description “Swimming Pool” does not distinguish between building a swimming pool, providing the plumbing and drainage for it, tiling the walls or just cleaning it. Although you have the opportunity to elaborate more about the job in the next section, a very well qualified and economic local tradesman might overlook your job posting because of its initial description. Please note this field requires a minimum of three words
Describe the Work that needs Doing. This section actually has the capacity for a small novel. The more you explain about the job you would like to be quoted for, the quicker a local tradesman capable of doing the job will get back to you and the more accurate their quote will be. For example, if your pool “needs cleaning”, does it just need the leaves skimming of the top with a pool net? Is the water looking murky, and you need a chemical specialist to visit and adjust the level of the Ph in the water? Are the filters completely jammed and consequently green mould is developing on the walls of your pool?
Other considerations in your job post should be the dimensions of the pool, if it is only accessible at certain times of the day (Ph treatment for example works better when the sun is not shining on the pool!) and if there are any other considerations that you feel our rated tradesmen should know about. You have the option of attaching up to four images to your job posting, so please use this opportunity to take photographs of your pool to assist our local tradesmen in giving you an accurate quote.
You may also want to use this section to include further details that cannot be included elsewhere. For example, if you are having a swimming pool built from scratch, you will need a project manager, builder, tiler, plumber, electrician (for the pumps and lights), possibly a garden landscaper and cleaner. The “Job Type” section does not allow you to choose multiple professions, so please account for that when describing the work that needs doing (and enter the “job type” as “General Builder”).
Please note this field requires a minimum of ten words.
Job Type. We have tried to make this as simple as possible and defined the categories as clearly as we can. We appreciate that there are many different fields in each trade, so if you cannot find one which exactly matches your job requirements, please select the closest and use the description field (above) to give more details.
Post Code. Please insert the post code of where you want the job done if different from your home address. For example, if you live in Barnet, but the job posting relates to a job you want performed in Harrow, it would be advantageous to insert the Harrow postcode to attract tradesmen local to that area.
Your Name. You need not insert your full name if you are unhappy to do so. We are all pretty friendly at Mr Skill, so just your first name will suffice.
Your E-Mail: It is important that you complete your e-mail address accurately as this is where your future log-in details are sent and how we will be in contact to inform you of any tradesmen´s quotes which are received.
Your Contact No. It is not important to enter a contact number at this stage because it will not be displayed on your job posting – initially all contact is done by email. However, it may speed things up when you have made contact with a local tradesman is he has access to a number straight away. If there are certain times at which it is inconvenient to talk, please note this in the job description section.
How do you know about Mr Skill? Please complete this part as it helps us with our marketing and enables us to attract the better rated tradesmen to our site as well. If none of the categories are suitable, please click “Other” and at least we know you enquiry was not generated from any of the other sources.
Before submitting your job, please review our “Member Agreement” (particularly section 7 regarding posting a job on Mr Skill) and our “Privacy Policy”. If you have any questions about either of these sections, please use our “Contact Us” link at the top of the page before clicking “Post Job Now”.
When the new page opens, you will see your job posted and a default period of 20 days available for local tradesmen to post their quote, which is then automatically emailed to you. If you want to extend the period beyond 20 days for receiving quotes, you can do so via your control panel (details of how to access this will be included in your welcome e-mail), and if you would prefer a shorter period, please mention this in the job description.
You will also see your name showing as “new-user XXXX”. You can change this to your name or other pseudonym through the user control panel. This window also displays any questions that have been asked by local tradesmen and any quotes that they have submitted.
Do not get anxious if you have not heard from a local tradesman within a day or two. Mr Skill features the highest rated tradesmen in London and their work diaries are often full. Thankfully, they are sufficiently responsible not to promise to do a job they know they cannot fit into their schedule. However, by following the above tips and posting your job carefully, you can be sure you will be receiving the fullest attention of the highest qualified tradesmen just as soon as they are available – and would you want your job attended to by somebody rated less than the best?
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Should you be the proud parent of young children or have elderly and infirm relatives living in your home, corner guards are a great way to protect them against injury in a fall and save your property from being damaged at the same time. Corner guards have been present in hospitals and schools for some time, but are now being designed for the home market and can be used in many different applications.Once upon a time, corner guards would have been purely practical items which you would have acquired from a handyman in London, but now they can be integrated into your interior design and available from London decorators, and even tilers working on flooring jobs in London will recommended corner guards in certain circumstances.
If you have ever had small children ride tricycles in your home, you will appreciate the value of corner guards. Corner guards can be installed on the sides of door openings or end partitions of walls to protect them from damage should your children not yet have mastered the art of steering. They are available in a number of materials (the corner guards, not the children) including clear plastic, moulded plastic, rubber, padded aluminium and stainless steel, and can be selected to compliment or contrast with your existing decor.
Any sharp angle on furniture presents potential hazard to people tripping or falling, and corner guards can be used to prevent cuts or worse when kids bang their heads on tables or the corners of shelving units. They are also quite handy features to prevent adults getting a nasty bruise on the leg when walking into a corner, as sometimes happens. Fire surrounds are another area of the home which can be protected by corner guards, and although you cannot cushion your entire living environment, you can make your home as safe a place to live in as possible 
by making use of corner guards at each opportunity.
