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Posts Tagged ‘kitchen appliances<’
Posted in Kitchen Fitting on Jul 23
Decorating your kitchen will set the general tone for this important room, so it’s best to consider your options thoughtfully. One of our regular London kitchen fitters advises you not to rush it, and even offers some pointers to assist you in your decision making.
Weigh up Everything
Pick up a whole range of colour cards from your local paint shop and put them on every wall and corner in your kitchen. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes looking at these colour samples in shady or well-lit areas. Of course, you could also get some good ideas from Mr-Skill, where you can find many kitchen-fitting experts for your upgrade.
Your Kitchen’s “Personality”
Visualise the kind of experience you want from your kitchen. This involves taking a long look at the layout, the units and all appliances. Do you have a kitchen that is modern and utilitarian? Or is it relaxed, and sociable? Now you should have some broad idea of the mood you are creating and the colour that best reflects this. Think warm and cool – earthy colours like reds and greens are warmer, whereas blues and greys can create that modern, sleeker look.
Good Lighting
If you’re planning other renovation work around the house at the same time, think about what else you’re changing and how it’s going to affect your kitchen paint colour. Lighting can be a classic pitfall. For example fluorescent lights influence paint coatings very differently to natural light. Get your kitchen fitting quote right here on Mr-Skill.
Paint Your Cabinets
It’s not just about painting the walls and ceiling – your wooden cabinets might present the opportunity of a complete makeover with a new coat of paint. This can make everything look brand new again.
Accessories
Adding some ornaments, chair covers, light shades and curtains can add a dramatic splash of contrast to your main paint job. It’s like the cherry on the cake effect!
Use Quality Paint
This may sound obvious, but you don’t want to spend all that time, energy and money on a paint job that won’t last. Kitchens are intense environments in terms of moisture and heat, so be sure to buy paint that is made especially for the purpose.
Time to Get Going
Paint colours can deceive, particularly once the newly applied coat is dry. Rather paint an area behind a cupboard as a test. Mr-Skill thinks that the canary-yellow kitchen you chose could end up giving you a very real headache, and you may not want to venture into your kitchen again anytime soon. Just kidding!
Tags: accessories, colours, cool, creating, decorating, earthy, find a kitchen fitting expert, kitchen, kitchen appliances, kitchen cupboards, kitchen fitting quote, kitchen lights, kitchen makeover, kitchen units, kitchen upgrade, lighting, london kitchen fitter, modern, tone, warm
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Posted in Kitchen Fitting on Oct 12
 Ask any cook what improvement could be made to their kitchen, and the most frequent answer you will hear is more storage space. Kitchen fitters in London have for years been presented with the same problems when asked by home-owners how they can best utilise the space available, and now are becoming more innovative in the creation of kitchen units to cater for this necessity. We review just a few of the improvements that you can make to your kitchen to increase its storage capacity, and many more ideas are available from the kitchen fitters in London featured in our Tradesmen´s Directory.
 One of the first alterations now suggested by kitchen fitters in London is that you change the use of shelves in base cabinets to pull out drawers. Not only is bending over to get things out of cupboards at floor level bad ergonomics, you frequently have to move all the things aside at the front of the shelf to get things situated at the back. Using drawers and pull-outs allows you to pack more in, find everything you need at a glance and notice when something needs replacing!
 The use of fully extendable corner units has also become popular. Whereas the deep recesses of the corner cupboard were once under utilised and rarely visited, now kitchen fitters in London have access to advance kitchen design technologies, enabling them to plan and display to home owners the benefits of fully extendable drawers with higher backs and solid side walls. This use of an extendable corner unit can gain up to 55% more storage space than the traditional or turnstile cupboards.
 Specially modeled extendable units can also be created to fit beneath kitchen sinks and cooker hobs, but maybe one of the more revolutionary designs concerns the storage of food and the ways in which larder spaces are now being manipulated. Frequently in the past, kitchen fitters in London may have overlooked the potential of integrating fully extending drawers into areas where dry provisions and non-chilled foodstuffs are stored, but now have identified this area as one of the most useful for making more space in other kitchen zones.
 If you would like to find out more about how you can take advantage of some of the super storage solutions now available through the highly rated London kitchen fitters featured in our Tradesmen´s Directory, please use the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page to alert kitchen fitters in London to your requirements and have kitchen fitter quotes delivered straight to your email inbox. Find out more in our “Hiring Advice” section.
Tags: corner units, cupboards, drawers, ergonomics, Hiring Advice, kitchen appliances, kitchen fitter quotes, kitchen fitters london, Kitchen Fitting, kitchen zones, plan a new kitchen, storage space
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Posted in Kitchen Fitting on Oct 12
 Earlier this year, we highlighted the importance when planning a new kitchen of having separate zones for the cook and the family. It is possible to break these zones down into even more detail, and develop a plan for a kitchen fitter in London based around the zones which you need access to most frequently whilst still allowing sufficient room for food preparation, cooking and storage. In fact, the “cooks zone” mentioned in our previous article can be divided into five independent sub-zones, depending on the space within your kitchen.
Consumables
The consumables zone contains typical consumer goods such as canned goods, rice and pasta as well as refrigerated and frozen foodstuffs. In simple terms most grocery shopping is stored in this zone.
Non-Consumables
This kitchen zone is used to store items such as dishes, glasses and cutlery. It is also an ideal location for the storage of “odds and ends“(i.e. stationary, pens, household paperwork, etc)
Cleaning
The cleaning zone contains space for rubbish collection and storage as well as household cleaning equipment and cleaning utensils. It is also the location of the sink and where you would have a dishwasher and waste disposal unit.
Preparation
The preparation zone is the main work area in the kitchen. Items such as kitchen utensils, knives, small electrical appliances, chopping boards, spices and mixing bowls are all located in this zone, together with any items that you use in food preparation that you would want to get your hands on quickly.
Cooking
The cooking zone is self-explanatory. The hob, oven, microwave and extractor hood are all contained in this area together with storage spaces for pots, pans, larger cooking utensils and baking trays.
 The images above and below indicate some of the ways you could plan your kitchen, keeping in mind the different zones and how they are used. You might want to give some consideration to storage solutions, and remember to advise your London kitchen fitter if you are left-handed! It is also recommended to read our article on kitchen ergonomics. Many people think about eye-level grills and the location of the microwave, without thinking about bending down or stretching up to get items out of cupboards, and the amount of energy you can save by storing the most used utensils within easy reach.
Tags: cleaning, cooker, dishwasher, ergonomics, find a kitchen fitter, food, food preparation, Home Improvements, kitchen appliances, Kitchen Fitting, kitchen zones, microwave, oven, plan a new kitchen, sink, storage space, washing machine
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Posted in Kitchen Fitting on Oct 12
 Ergonomics is one of the modern office “buzz” words and concerns ensuring that the work environment is a safe place in which to perform repetitive actions such as data entry, without the risk of computer operators developing repetitive strain injuries, bad backs and sight disorders. In the kitchen, little thought had been given to ergonomics, but kitchen fitters in London are now suggesting that this should be one of your primary considerations when planning a new kitchen.
It is estimated that most people keep the same kitchen for about twenty years and studies have shown that, on a daily basis, 360 different operations, workflows and journeys are made in the kitchen area – that is over 2.6 million in the lifetime of a kitchen. Imagine how much time, travel and energy would be saved if your kitchen was designed in such a way that you did not have to do so much bending, stretching and wandering around trying to remember where you left the kitchen knife!
It has taken a long time for ergonomics to be integrated into the kitchen, but there have been studies since the 19th Century (no doubt conducted by men!) into making a kitchen a safer and more efficient place in which to work. In 1926, the “Frankfurt Kitchen” design concept was introduced to take into account work journeys and movements of the kitchen movements, and by the 1950s this has developed into the “Kitchen Triangle” which created a logical relationship between the main work areas.
According to kitchen fitters in London, one of the main areas in which people can benefit from kitchen ergonomics is planning their kitchen into zones and then within those zones keeping the least frequently used kitchen utensils at higher and lower levels, with the most often items at a more natural level (see image). This simple principal saves a lot of time during daily kitchen work and reduces the amount of stretching and bending one has to do.
Further recommendations include planning your kitchen “in reverse” – not by making cooking ranges and major kitchen appliances your first thought, but rather your last. Instead, start with what storage space you are going to need in your kitchen and work around the size you will be able to allocate to each zone in order to have an ergonomic kitchen. One other important point is that zones should be planned clockwise for right-handed people and anti-clockwise for left-handed kitchen users.
For more helpful suggestions from kitchen fitters in London, find your local kitchen fitter in London through our Tradesmen´s Directory, or get kitchen fitting quotes sent directly to your email inbox by using the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page. If you experience any difficulty with finding a suitable London kitchen fitter, please review our “Hiring Advice” guidelines on how to get the best from Mr Skill.
Tags: cooker range, ergonomics, find a kitchen fitter, kitchen appliances, kitchen fitter quotes, kitchen fitters london, Kitchen Fitting, kitchen zones, plan a new kitchen, Tradesmen´s Directory
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 Possibly you have read our “Out on the Range” article or have found your inspiration elsewhere, but none-the-less have recently purchased a range cooker to add appeal and value to your home and now need it installed. With gas fitters and electricians charging by the hour for this type of installation, you may be tempted to install the range cooker yourself and, provided you get your work checked by a GasSafe or Part P Approved tradesman in London, this should not be too difficult when replacing an existing cooker. For new installations, it is recommended that you use the “Post-a-Job” facility to get a selection of quotes from kitchen fitters in London, rather than tackle this project by yourself.
Electric Range Cookers
 Electric cookers of any description should not simply be plugged into the mains via a three pin plug. The cooker should be on its own circuit with a double-pole isolating switch in an accessible position, feeding a connecting box behind the cooker. The cooker should be connected via an appropriately sized cable directly related to the power of the cooker to a cooker control unit, ideally with an on/off switch and neon indicator to show when the cooker is switched on.
Switch off the power to your cooker circuit before removing your old appliance and strip and prepare the ends of the cables from your new electric range cooker to connect to the cooker control unit. The terminal outlet box in the cooker control unit is usually easily accessible and you should simply be able to replace the wires from your existing cooker with the wires for your new range cooker. If you are replacing like-for-like in respect of electric output, there is no need to notify Building Control or have your new installation approved, however if there is an extra load on the radial circuit it is in your best interests to consult with a local electrician in London.
Gas Range Cookers
 When installing a gas range cooker, it is best to start off by finding out where the mounting brackets are. They may or may not correspond with the existing brackets (depending on whether you are upgrading your cooker to a much broader range cooker), but it is important that the oven is fixed securely to prevent it from tipping over. You also have to ensure, even if you have a floor standing installation, that the oven is level both from side to side as well as from front to rear.
First, turn off the gas supply and examine the back of the oven to locate the gas inlet. Make sure that the size matches the existing gas supply line and rub pipe sealant on both ends of the fitting before screwing the rigid end of the gas supply pipe into the gas inlet on your new gas range cooker. Tighten the connection with an adjustable wrench to make sure it is secure. Turn on the gas tap and check the fitting for leaks, making any adjustments to the connection as necessary. Then light the pilot to ensure that your installation has been successful. If you have any doubts about whether your gas range cooker installation has been successful, please consult with a gas fitter in London to ensure your safety when using your new gas range cooker.
Dual Fuel Range Cookers
With dual fuel range cookers, you simply follow both sets of instructions above. If you are using alternative types of fuel (ie LPG) check with the manufacturer´s instructions to ensure that your new range cooker is compatible with this type of fuel and how it should be installed. Again, if you have any questions regarding the installation of a new range cooker in your kitchen, please consult with one of the recommended tradesmen featured in our Tradesmen´s Directory or use the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page to alert tradesmen in London to your problem.
Tags: cooker range, find a kitchen fitter, Find an Electrician in London, home inspirations, kitchen, kitchen appliances, kitchen fitter quotes, kitchen fitters london, Kitchen Fitting, ovens, plan a new kitchen, project advice, tradesmen london
Posted in Electrical Work, General Building, Handyman Services, Plumbing, Heating & Gas | Comments Off
 Quality range cookers blend perfectly with just about any style of kitchen. Either free-standing or built-in, there is a wide range (pun!) of both contemporary and classic styles to suit any home. Range cookers are manufactured to run from electric, gas or “dual fuel” and a kitchen fitter in London will be able to both recommend a suitable range cooker to match the decor of your kitchen and install it both quickly and economically.
 Ranging in size from 60cm to a 150cm width, domestic range cookers offer the convenience of twin ovens (fan or conventional), built-in grills and up to eight rings plus a griddle – wonderful if you are catering for a party or have a large family, and they just look so good in your kitchen. The additional storage space offered by a range cooker is also useful for storing pots and pans and cooking implements that you rarely use or using as a warming area.
 If you are contemplating replacing your existing cooker, and have the space to include a range cooker in your kitchen, you will find that they cost little more than a standard cooker yet add appeal and value to your home. As mentioned above, you can ask a kitchen fitter in London for their input, or chose and install a range cooker yourself. Provided your work is checked by a certified gas fitter or electrician to conform to the appropriate regulations, the installation is fairly straightforward.
 Range cookers are enjoying a renaissance at present, and with so many options available to homeowners, you can easily integrate them into a kitchen layout when planning a new kitchen or simply making a few changes to an existing one. Whatever your circumstances, be sure to use a local tradesman in London recommended in Mr Skill´s Tradesmen´s Directory for you peace of mind and for the benefit of your wallet!
Tags: cooker range, electric, find a kitchen fitter, gas, grills, Handyman Services, hobs, Home Maintenance, kitchen appliances, Kitchen Fitting, ovens, plan a new kitchen, storage space
Posted in Electrical Work, Handyman Services, Kitchen Fitting | Comments Off
 It may well be curtains for single door fridges as a growing trend is developing for energy efficient two and four door fridges which mean that you only have to open access one drawer or compartment at a time to store or remove your food and drinks – thus maintaining the cool temperature in the rest of the fridge and saving on energy bills.
Available in a range of colours, with a choice of top or bottom freezers, digital door controls, ice-makers and additional drawers (and looking very stylish in your kitchen), the better French door fridges will set you back around £1.500.
Of course, you will have to tell the rest of the family where you have put the milk!
Tags: energy efficiency, energy saving, fridge-freezers, interior decoration, kitchen appliances, refrigeration, refrigerator, save money
Posted in Other Craftsman Services, Painting & Decorating | Comments Off
 The power rating of air-conditioning equipment in the UK is based on the units´ capacity for cooling a volume of a given size. This power rating is represented in the form of British Thermal Units (BTUs), and an accurate calculation is required to ensure that you purchase the right air-conditioning system to efficiently cool your home. Get the calculation wrong, and you will either have an air-conditioning system that fails to cope with the demands of a hot sunny day, or you will have spent money unnecessarily on a system which leaves the air feeling clammy due to high relative humidity. If you have a mental block with mathematics or cannot get accurate measurements for any reason, contact one of the local tradesmen in our Tradesmen´s Directory, who will be happy to come round and do the calculations with you.
To calculate the number of BTUs your air-conditioning units needs to have, you need to work out the heat load that your air-conditioning has to cool. Make each of the following calculations individually and then combine them to get a sub-total.
Room Volume – Measure the length, width and height (in feet) of each room to be air-conditioned and multiply them together – eg. 13´3” x 10`6” x 9´0” (13.25 x 10.5x 9) – and then multiply the answer by 6.
Occupants – We give off heat too. So, for everybody who regularly uses the room, add 400.
You should end up with a sub-total from those two calculations of between 4000 (for small rooms) and 12000 (for large lounge/diners). Thereafter add 15% if the room is a South-facing living room, deduct 10% if you have cavity wall insulation and double glazing, and add a further 20% if the living room has patio doors or French windows which are not double glazed.
Other factors you may have to consider include if you room has a considerable amount of high voltage lighting (although it would be recommended to switch to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs) or electrical equipment. If you are considering installing an air-conditioning unit in a kitchen, you should seek professional advice from one of our highly rated tradesmen, as a large number of variable factors will have to be included depending on the number of kitchen appliances and their respective energy efficiency.
Once you know which air-conditioning system to go out and buy, use the “Post-a-Job” facility to find a local tradesman who will install it for you at the best possible price.
Tags: air conditioning, British Thermal Units, compact fluorescent light bulb, doors and window, double glazing, installation, kitchen appliances, measurements, patio doors, wall insulation
Posted in General Building, Handyman Services, Other Craftsman Services | Comments Off
 Maybe a little ambitious for the artistic amateur! Image courtesy of Electrolux "War on White" There are a number of circumstances when you may want to paint your fridge. Possibly you have just decorated your kitchen and there is no budget left for buying matching appliances. Maybe you fancy a change of style (see our “Inspirations” feature for what can be done to a fridge to brighten it up) or you just want to cover up a few scratches or bumps which are giving away your refrigerators´ age. Irrespective of your motive, preparation for the job is the same and you need to be sure that you are using the correct type of paint – preferably an oil based enamel paint –and it might be advisable to seek the advice of a London interior designer or a local decorator in London in our Tradesmen´s Directory before you commence.
Although this job is better done outside, it may be impractical to carry a fully-laden fridge into the garden, so make sure that the area that you are working in is well ventilated (especially if using spray paint) and place covers down on the floor in case of any spillages. It is also an idea to wear a sleeveless top or T-shirt to prevent loose clothing brushing against wet paintwork.
The first step is to clean the outside of the refrigerator with a strong household cleaner, rinse and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. Then, using very fine sandpaper, you need to sand the exterior surface of the refrigerator which is going to be painted. Continue sanding until the shine from the original surface is gone as this will give the new paint a better surface to stick to. Using masking tape, cover door handles, hinges, the manufacturer’s logo and any other areas you do not wish painted. Areas that are too intricate to mask can be covered with Vaseline which is easy to rub off when you have finished.
You can either use a spray paint gun or roller to apply the paint on your refrigerator. A roller is more practical if you are doing this job inside, but be careful of leaving paint bubbles on the surface of the door. For small chips and blemishes, you may just want to use a paintbrush, and people painting designs on their fridge doors often find that a pre-cut stencil makes the work easier than doing it freehand. If you are going for the all-over designer fridge look, paint the background colour first, allow to dry and then apply the foreground design. Tip: It is better to work from the middle out when applying a foreground design, as the centre will normally be the focus and if you muck it up, you can go back and start again.
Once you have finished and allowed the paint to dry, carefully remove the masking tape and, hey presto, you effectively have a new fridge!
Although most kitchen appliances can painted this way, those which provide intense heat are not considered safe to paint with regular enamel paint. These require a specialist heat-resistant paint, and if you have any questions about this, or would like further advice about unique and stylish decoration of your kitchen, please use the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page to have specialist local designer contact you and offer advice.
Tags: enamel paint, Home Improvements, interior decoration, kitchen appliances, masking, paint roller, Painting, refrigeration, refrigerator, sanding, spray paint
Posted in Other Craftsman Services, Painting & Decorating | 1 Comment »
 In a survey conducted by a dedicated member of the Mr Skill team (and you can check this out on the Tesco web site too), 83.94% of the fridges available on the market are white. The same white as the white washing machine, the white tumble dryer and white oven – they possibly even form part of a white fridge/freezer combo. Whereas as much of this whiteness is frequently obscured by post-it notes and fridge magnets, there are other alternatives to white fridges other than the black, silver and glass-fronted fridges that comprised the remaining 16.06% of our survey.
 Kitchen appliances manufacturers such as Bosch, Smeg and ARDO have been testing public opinion on the look of refrigerator doors for some time. Aware that the fridge is one of the focal points of the kitchen, they have produced some excellent designer fridges at little more cost than a new one. There are also a few very innovative fridge manufacturers who have created colour-schemed and compartmentalised fridges to separate food belonging to different members of a household. This is a particularly good idea when living in shared accommodation, or if one member of a family is on a specialised diet which requires them to keep their food separate or immediately accessible. A range of some of the great designs that have ben created for fridge doors are shown below.
 Replacing your existing fridge purely for the sake of the decor may be a little excessive, and stick-on vinyl fridge murals are now becoming available as well as food-themed stickers. However, for the ultimate in fridge door decor (and something completely unique to your home), you can create your own design and have it hand painted by a local tradesman. If you feel confident to attempt this job yourself, check out our “Project Advice” feature, but be warned, artistic decoration of your kitchen can be addictive and you never know where this might lead to!
There are many artistic decorators in our Tradesmen´s Directory, or you may wish to get an idea of the cost first by using the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page to alert local decorators in London to the job you have in mind and get a series of decorator quotes sent to you by email. You will definitely arouse a lot of interest with your enquiry, because “Who wants a white fridge in their kitchen?”
Tags: fridge murals, fridge-freezers, Home Improvements, Home Maintenance, interior decoration, kitchen appliances, Painting, project advice, refrigeration, refrigerator, tradesman
Posted in Painting & Decorating | Comments Off
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