| |
Posts Tagged ‘job<’
Mr-Skill loves animals, and is particularly fond of cats. These independent animals are prone to coming and going as they please, so installing a cat flap is the least you can do to make your pussy happy – besides, it saves you having to get up and do the honours for Kitty in the middle of the night! Talk about leading a charmed life! One of our London window and door fitters says that cat doors are so popular in the big city environment that he does plenty of installations in both wooden and glass doors. 
Job Difficulty
Assuming you are a practical and handy-type of person, then this project should not prove too difficult. However if you are not so useful with your hands, rather get a window and door fitting quote here on Mr-Skill.
How it Works
Most of our interior doors are the hollow core type these days, and comprise of two wood veneers held in place by the actual door framework. This creates a hollow centre effectively, and this is where you should position the cat flap.
What You’ll Need
- A pussy cat (to supervise)
- A cat door (one your cat will fit through)
- Drill and bits
- Jig saw
- Inch-thick board for the surround
- Table saw
- Wood screws and a driver
Installation
Mark the new opening using the template supplied with the cat door, and cut the correct opening size on one side of your hollow core door. Do this by drilling a hole on each corner to accommodate the jig saw blade. Now drill the corresponding holes on the thin veneer of the other side of your door – again cut a straight line between the drill holes.
Finishing Off
Check the gap between the two-cut out faces of your hollow core door. Using your table saw, cut strips of wood to fit this gap exactly (in other words, along the length). Now cut the surround board into two equal pieces to fit the cat flap width, and the other two to fit the flap height – as in top and bottom, left and right.
You should now be ready to place the cut boards into the door framework, to bridge the gaps in the hollow core door – it should mirror the cat flap exactly. Next, secure the surround trim using half-inch screws, running two screws from each side of the hollow core door.
Good Going
If you have made it this far without any hassles, Mr-Skill would like to invite you on board so that others can find their window and door fitters to install their cat flaps! Now pop the kettle on and make yourself a nice brew! Don’t forget a sprig of catnip for pussy!
Tags: bit, board, difficulty, drill, find a window and door fitter, hollow core door, installation, installing, jig saw, job, london window and door fitter, project, screw driver, screws, surround, table saw, template, veneer, window and door fitting quote, wood screws
Posted in Window & Door Fitting | Comments Off
Posted in General Building on Jul 30
Here at Mr-Skill, we really take the subject of safety very seriously. Our message goes out to all employers and workers and of course the home handyman, DIY-type too. We firmly believe that by observing some basic down-to-earth safety rules, you can tackle any job without the risk and threat of personal harm. Any injury is one too many, and don’t forget that you can find a general builder right now on Mr-Skill’s website. 
Illustrating the Point
One of our London General Builders found the following interesting report back on the HSE website. HSE stands for the Health and Safety Executive, and is the independent national watchdog for work-related health, safety and illness. They are an independent regulator, and act in the public interest to reduce work-related death and serious injury across Great Britain’s workplaces.
“A Birmingham metal recycling company has been prosecuted after a worker trapped and broke his arm in an unguarded conveyor belt.”
“Two firms have been prosecuted after a worker suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a pipe and fell from a stepladder.”
“A Nottinghamshire die-casting firm has been fined after an employee suffered severe burns when he fell into a furnace.”
“A tour operator and a ship management firm have been fined after workers were exposed to asbestos fibres during refurbishment work on board a cruise ship.”
“A Derbyshire recycling firm has been fined after an employee was crushed in a machine at their depot at Griffon Road, Ilkeston.”
“Two workers were fortunate to escape with only minor injuries when they fell from a school roof in Didsbury, a court has heard.”
“A Bolton fabric manufacturer has been sentenced after one of its employees lost a finger when his hand became trapped by a rotating cog.”
Mr-Skill acknowledges with thanks, the above contribution from the HSE.
A Clear Message
We again remind all readers that before undertaking any job around your home or business, you should always think about safety issues first. If you intend appointing a contractor to do the work for you, make absolutely certain that they are safety conscious and fully compliant with Health and Safety issues at all times.
Mr-Skill has many members ready to provide a general building quote right now. If you are doing the work yourself, don’t cut corners and take chances. Accidents are all too common-place, and can be avoided simply by observing basic safety rules at all times.
Tags: accident, burns, care, compliant, contractor, DIY, find a general builder, general building quote quote, harm, health, Health & Safety Executive, illness, injury, job, London general builder, safety, safety conscious, safety rules, work, workplace deaths
Posted in General Building | Comments Off
Posted in Handyman Services on Jan 12
I’ve noticed a tendency these days for estate agents to describe run-down properties as handyman delights. Perhaps the implication is that there are a few fun-things to attend to over several leisurely weekends? Some properties I’ve viewed recently reveal that they require considerably more attention than just that.
If you’re in the same position then you’re certainly not alone. The following are jobs currently posted on Mr-Skill and  awaiting Handyman Quotes:
- Fixing Garden Panels Securely. The fences we put up around our yards are often cheap and nasty, and the poles are seldom properly concreted in. This one’s perfect for a handyman – you don’t need more advanced skills here.
- Letter Box Replacement. This one’s straightforward too and I’m sure that Mr-Skill will Find a Handyman to do it pretty soon. It seems the front flap’s snapped off. Pretty urgent I would have thought. After all we’re in the middle of winter in case you hadn’t noticed.
- Attach Bathroom Fittings. I find it remarkable that developers no longer supply even a basic toilet roll-holder and simple soap dish. How mean is that?
 They make a fortune, and the comment “we thought we’d let you choose” cuts no ice with me at all. Their show houses certainly have bathroom fittings in abundance.
- Sand Down a Wooden Floor. This is a fairly easy task when you have the right tools. In fact I know a London Handyman who makes his living that way in older houses. I wouldn’t bother with a carpenter here – an experienced handyman is quite capable of the job.
- Remove a Fallen Tree. This one seems displaced to me, and perhaps belongs better under gardening and landscaping? I doubt the average handyman has the required power saws, or a trailer to remove the cuttings for that matter either.
When you think about it, there are an amazing number of jobs a Handyman could do around the house. The problem is that some so-called handymen are downright awful. That’s where the Website Mr-Skill makes such a difference. Our handymen are rated by their customers, so you can see what you are getting before you buy.
Tags: bathroom, cheap, concrete, cutting, fence, find a handyman, fitting, flap, floor, Garden, handyman, handyman quotes, holder, job, letter box, london handyman, replace, run down, sand, saw, soap, toilet roll, trailer, wood
Posted in Handyman Services | Comments Off
Posted in Bricklaying on Jan 09
Sometimes we come across customers trying to crack walnuts with large sledgehammers. By this, we mean people trying to turn a rowing boat into an ocean liner. Take simple brick paving jobs, for example. If it’s not a heavy traffic area you could even do the job yourself, thereby avoiding the  need for a London Bricklayer or other specialist.
- Obtain a supply of decent quality bricks. By this we mean a product that’s well baked through, reasonably rectangular, and of a pleasing appearance too. Don’t be put off if the colour varies though. In fact, variety can be a large part of the charm.
- Mark out the path or patio and excavate to twice the thickness of the bricks laid flat. Remove any roots you find. Lay a plastic sheet in the hole to discourage weeds. Mix dry cement powder with two-thirds of the soil dug out, in proportions of four parts earth to one part cement. DO NOT MOISTEN this mixture. Mother Nature will do it for you.
- Compact this mixture back into the hole until it is level, and one brick’s height below the ground. Sprinkle fine dry sand evenly over it to about half an inch thick. Lay the bricks in whatever pattern
 you prefer, tapping these down firmly with a rubber mallet, and adding / removing sand as necessary to create a level effect.
- Fill any gaps with brick pieces. Use a hammer and chisel NOT AN ANGLE GRINDER to cut these down to size, and remember to wear thick gloves. Finally, excavate a frame all around the paved area the width of a single brick. Mix all the remaining earth with dry cement powder – in a ratio of three parts to one this time – and tamp it back in. The mixture will harden naturally over time. Cut away any surplus plastic sheet.
How that for service from Mr-Skill? There’s no need to ask us for Bricklaying Quotes if you’d like to do a job like this yourself. Should you decide that you’ve got better things to do though, we can help you Find a Bricklayer working in your area, and We Won’t Charge you a Penny for this service either.
Tags: brick, bricklaying quotes, cement, chisel, colour, compact, depth, earth, find a bricklayer, ground, hammer, harden, height, job, london bricklayer, mallett, naturally, path, patio, paving, piece, plastic, proportion, root, sand, sheet, soil, tamp, thick, traffic, weed
Posted in Bricklaying | Comments Off
Posted in Handyman Services on Dec 22
Mr-Skill exists to help its UK customers find skilled and competent craftspeople working in just about every postcode. These skilled artisans pay us a modest fee for listing on our website, and to get access to enquiries. Our customers pay us nothing for the service.  And that’s the way it ought to be. That’s because customers are the people that keep the wheels of business moving.
When a customer posts an enquiry for work that’s needing doing, every related tradesperson on our lists gets to hear about it from us. When they quote directly back to customers, they know that theirs is not the only quote. What better incentive could there be to keep rates down? Moreover, we act as intermediaries in the unlikely event of a dispute arising.
Out of interest, the following jobs are currently out there waiting for Handyman Quotes:
- Clearing gutters and hanging up Christmas lights outside. Happy Noel!
- Attaching a television wall-mount and putting up a kitchen cupboard
 Drilling a hole in a concrete ceiling. This customer needs to Find a Handyman to put up a hammock.
- Putting up a roller blind and curtain rail. No further information given.
- Installing a washing machine. The customer needs hot and cold water and is on a tight budget.
- Assembling a plastic shed. That’s an unusual one we’ve not seen before!
We have all kinds of Handypeople available to do jobs like these. They range from London Handymen who sometimes have a trade but prefer variety, right through to traditional country lads who turn up on bicycles. Why not give our free service a try right now?
Tags: artisan, ceiling, christmas light, concrete, craft, curtain rail, customer, dispute, drill, find a handyman, gutter, hammock, handyman quotes, hole, job, kitchen cupboard, lad, light, london handymen, quote, rate, roller blind, shed, skill, television, trade, wall mount, washing machine, work
Posted in Handyman Services | Comments Off
Posted in Handyman Services on Nov 16
I wish that I could to Find a Handyman on Mr-Skill for every weekend of the year. There are so many jobs waiting for me around the house, but the wife thinks that being busy keeps me fit and healthy. The more I say “we have the money” the more I’m told to get on with the work myself. So all that I can do is dream of what might otherwise have been.
First Weekend
 The first job every month would be to deal with water run-offs. I’d have the gutters and downpipes cleared out and wiped down nicely. Then we’d rod out the storm-water drains and get rid of all weeds together. What a pleasure. Come on rain.
The Second Weekend
No doubt the weather would hold off now that the drains were cleared, so the next job would be to sort out the garage. Not even a pair of London Handymen would know exactly where to put things, so I guess my participation would be unavoidable
Weekend Number Three
There’s never been three rain-free weekends in the UK since time began or so I’m told. This time I think the handyman could wipe all the interior woodwork down, and get rid of all that mould. I’d get on with  something else nearby, just to keep an eye on things, if you know what I mean?
The Fourth Weekend
By then, of course we’d be quite a team. I’d know the other person’s skills and start getting extra mileage from their Handyman Quote. There’s nothing quite like having an extra pair of hands around the house, especially when it comes to carrying things.
In practice this would never happen, and if it did the wife would say “now what’s the point of Getting in a Handyman on Mr-Skill when you do half the work yourself’? Sometimes it seems that only another man would understand. Or did I perhaps overlook something in my haste?
Tags: busy, carry, downpipe, drain, find a handyman, garage, gutter, hand, handyman quote, house, job, london handymen, month, mould, rain, skill, team, water, weather, weed, weekend, wipe, wood, work
Posted in Handyman Services | Comments Off
Posted in Handyman Services on Oct 23
I was looking around my yard the other day and just couldn’t believe the number of odd-jobs waiting to be done. It’s not the lack of wanting that’s holding me back, it’s the lack of time. I think I’m going to take my own advice and get a London Handyman estimate. And then I think I’ll accept it and then get on with things.
•  Clear out the gutters on the house. They’re full of leaves again! I’m fortunate to have a bungalow but just don’t feel like climbing up a ladder. Besides, how much can this cost?
• Clean the outside window frames. These looked so crisp when I had them put in a few years ago. They’re UPVC. They’ll just need a good wash with detergent.
• Tidy up the back porch. Five years of muddy boots have taken their toll and the spiders have done the rest. That’s one Handyman Quote I’m definitely going to accept!
• Tidy up the path around the back and sides. Paths under the eaves provide a valuable service by handling rainwater run-off. My house is hardly new, and I think it’s time to sort out the cracks before the weeds take hold. Don’t you too?
•  Sort out the garage. While I’m at it, I think I’m going to Find a Handyman to give the garage roof and door a make-over. I’m planning a new car next year, and I’m sure it will appreciate a near-new place to sleep at night.
That’s enough for now. I’m really looking forward to getting in a Rated Handyman from Mr-Skill to catch up on my backlog. The twin advantages are that I’ll be getting a better price, and will be able to review feedback from other previous customers too.
Come on all you Handymen. I can’t wait to see my garage door looking half as smart as this again!
Tags: backlog, block, car, clean, detergent, door, estimate, find a handyman, frame, garage, gutter, handyman quote, handyperson, house, job, ladder, leaves, london handyman estimate, mud, odd job, oddjob, path, porch, price, quote, review, roof, spider, tidy, time, want, wash, water, window, yard
Posted in Handyman Services | Comments Off
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
Posted in Roofing, Gutters & Drainage | Comments Off
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Aug 09
After you remove outdated paneling from a room you may be horrified with what you find. This is especially likely to be the case if it was fitted over raw brickwork to save time and money. In this case you probably have  no choice but to Find a Plasterer at Mr-Skill. Here’s short description in layperson’s terms of what you are entitled to expect.
o Plaster has a way of getting into everything and is designed to stick to most things too. So do yourself a huge favour first. Present the plasterer with a few rolls of blue painter’s tape and a pair of sharp scissors you won’t mind spoiling. Then ask them to mask their work area off thoroughly before they start. Make sure their drop sheets are firmly taped into position too.
o Expect them to start plastering at the top of the wall and to work down. There are several reasons for this, including not messing on the work they have just done.  The first layer will have a rough finish to it but don’t worry – it’s just the base coat.
o An experienced London Drywall Builder may be able to apply the second plaster layer later the same day, while others may prefer to return the following morning. The job of this coat is to fill in all the hollows in the base coat. This may be sufficient, or a third final skim coat may be necessary.
After the plaster has dried out thoroughly you could finish off any imperfections with a light sanding. After that, it’s time to seal, undercoat and paint. It’s not as easy a job as it sounds though. May we recommend a few competitive Plastering Quotes on Mr-Skill instead? You may find that the extra cost was well worth your while, as you visualise what you had there before. Now how’s that for a fairly radical improvement.
Tags: base, brickwork, coat, drop sheet, dry, find a plasterer, finish, imperfection, job, layer, london drywall builder, mask, mess, money, paint, panel, plaster, plastering quote, raw, rough, sand, scissors, seal, skim, start, stick, tape, time, top, undercoat, work
Posted in Plastering & Drywall | Comments Off
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 | Comments Off
|
Subscribe to our RSS Feed