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Posts Tagged ‘light<’
As we head into the warmer months, there’s no better way to beautify your garden than by adding a splash of floral colour. Flowering plants can be grown in almost any light conditions, but some species definitely prefer the sun while others are more shade-loving.
There are of course many choices for these two opposite corners of your garden. One of our regular London landscaping experts has drawn up a list of ten each – sun and shade – for your maximum enjoyment.
Ten for the Hotspots
- Let’s start with the not-so-lonely-Petunia. Correctly clustered, these beauties can provide a riot of colours.
- Passion flowers too are said to give of their best when the sun beams down on them.
- Tagetes, or African Marigolds and their French cousin seem to reflect the sun itself as they bask in its glory.
- Lavender is a true sun-worshipper, and offers a rewarding scent too.
- The Sunflower simply has to be included along with its radiant “smile”.
- Violas almost seem to dance in the breeze when the sun shines down on them.
- Carnations – no garden should be without this stunner.
- Phlox, you can mix these up with the carnations for a splendid show.
- Though the list could go on, let’s end with the drooping Fuchsias family – the pink and purple show will really brighten up the surrounding area.
Before we move on to the shade, a wander around your nearest garden centre will always provide you with lots of inspiring ideas. You may even decide to get a gardening quote from Mr-Skill when you get home.
Ten for the Shade
- Shade plants will of course be more subtle when it comes to colour, but Foxgloves certainly provide a splash.
- For deep-shaded areas try colonies of Ferns for their cooling green effect.
- They may have smaller flowers, but Dogwoods can be very rewarding too.
- The Green Globe Hebe plant provides a calming green backdrop.
- “Bleeding Hearts” can be stunning, especially when mixed with Lilly of the Valley.
- Camellias and Asters are for border-line partial-to-full shade areas.
- Sweet Williams and Sweet Peas will adorn just about any corner you decide to use.
If this all sounds too energetic, you could find a landscaper right here on Mr-Skill, and then just sit back and wait for the riot of colour to begin. Don’t forget to have the garden chairs and table set out to enjoy the show!
Tags: colour, corner, find a gardening-and-landscaping specialist, flowers, Garden, gardening-and-landscaping quote, light, london gardening-and-landscaping expert, shade, shade-loving, splash, summer, sun, sun-loving, warmer weather
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With the right planning and preparation, interior decorating can be great fun, and will certainly add to the value of your home too. Don’t make the mistake of under-estimating the task though – you could end up having to find a decorator, just make sure they are one of Mr-Skill’s if you do!
Light and Bright versus Dark and Heavy
A general rule with interior decorating is that strong and bright colours reflect energy. Conversely, darker richer colour choices may come across as somewhat drab and austere – although there are of course exceptions. If in doubt, rather go for an off-white, cream or beige. These form the neutral range, and help to tie together virtually any other colours present in your furniture, fittings and wall hangings.
Neutral choices have the added advantage of staying popular for much longer, as they remain the number-one choice for many people. Keep in mind that light and neutral colours create the impression of more space in your rooms, whereas a darker paint choice usually has the opposite effect.
Before You Start
You should decide on your colour schemes, in order to buy the right paint first time. As with all DIY projects, shop around, but don’t compromise too much on the quality of the paint you choose. While out shopping, remember to  stock up on brushes, rollers, trays, spackling and sandpaper too. Make sure that you have everything you need before you start the job. In fact, why not look to Mr-Skill for some decorating quotes – you may be pleasantly surprised, then you can sit back and enjoy the benefits!
Cover the floors with drop sheets, making sure that you shield skirting boards too. Drape the sheets over furniture if you cannot move and store these items elsewhere. Now, you can start preparing the wall surfaces to be painted, filling cracks and holes as you go.
Smooth off any patches when they are dry, and vacuum up any dust. That completes the prepration phase.
Ready, Steady, Go!
You should now be ready to start painting. One of our regular London Decorators advises that once you are ready to roll, try to block out all distractions. They are bound to prove irritating, and all your good planning will be for nought!
Tags: advice, brushes, chart, colours, cover, dark, decorating, decorating quotes, DIY, drop sheet, find a decorator, floor, larger, light, london decorator, paint, rollers, sandpaper, smaller, spackling
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Posted in Electrical Work on Mar 06
Thankfully as winter starts to move on, now is a good time to check that your outside lights are in good working order. Some of the work is easy and safe enough to do yourself. Changing a bulb is a good example, as is cleaning the glass in the light fitting. If the light is not working though, you would be better off using a qualified electrician to solve the problem. Wiring and switching is too dangerous for an unqualified person to work on. Rather check with Mr Skill, find a qualified electrician, and ask them for an electrical quote.
- Make sure that the light switch is in the “off” position. Better still; isolate the light circuit on your electrical board.
- Have a stepladder handy should you need to reach up to the light fitting.
- You may have to remove a piece of glass to access the bulb.
- Wipe the interior of the light fitting with a clean rag.
- Now, remove the old bulb. Be careful, it might be hot.
- Replace the bulb with a correctly-rated new one.
- London electricians always recommend using energy-efficient bulbs. They may cost more, but they will last much longer and therefore require less maintenance.
- Refit the glass panel, having cleaned the surface first.
- Test the new bulb once you have installed it, by flicking the light switch to “on” after you re-set the distribution board.
- Never replace a bulb with a wattage-rating higher than the fitting manufacturers recommended maximum.
If, after having been through the above steps the bulb still does not light up when you switch it on, find an electrician by clicking on Mr Skill.
It’s all about horses for courses and being smart. You wouldn’t consider using a plumber to fix your own car, so be wary of trying to fix your own electrical problems!
Tags: bulb, check, circuit, cloth, cost, efficient, electrical board, electrical quote, energy, find an electrician, fitting, glass, ladder, light, london electricians, maintenance, off, on, rag, rate, screw, switch, test, wipe, wiring
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It may not feel quite like it yet, but with the Winter Solstice passed on December 21st, the days are getting longer and Nature has already begun to react. Plants have increased their growth in accordance with the available ambient light, and already bulbs are  gently stirring beneath the snow.
Some, come on Gardeners, it’s time to brave the chilly UK weather and start helping Nature to get going once again. Alternatively, you’re due to get those Gardening Quotes in time again!
- The Vegetable Garden. Order seed potatoes and plant out garlic cloves in pots. Dig the earth over for asparagus plantings. Mmmm – that sounds really good!
- How about an Orchard? The right time for planting trees is when the sap is down. If in the City, find a London Gardener while their rates are reasonable still.
- The Flower Garden. Remove fallen leaves. Cut down and compost annuals. There’s just so much to do, including taking hardwood cuttings of your favourite plants.
 How about a Few More Roses? Dig deeply to prevent root stock from shooting, and then plant in rich organic matter. Remember to support with stakes in case the high winds come.
- And Finally the Greenhouse. If the weather’s inclement you may like to Find a Gardener to clean inside and outside, and check the insulation. After that, you just need to do weekly visits and tidy up.
Don’t be surprised if the neighbours gawk at you out in your garden in your winter woollies. They’ll be jealous in the Spring though! There’s no need to tell them either about the wonderful Gardeners on Mr-Skill. For now at least, it’s a secret between you and me! And it’s all free too … when it comes to finding the perfect tradesperson of your dreams.
Tags: annual, asparagus, bulb, chill, compost, cut, cutting, deep, dig, find a gardener, flower, Garden, gardener, gardening quotes, garlic, green house, greenhouse, growth, inside, Insulation, leaves, light, london gardener, nature, orchard, organic, outside, plant, potato, potatoes, react, root, rootstock, rose, snow, spring, sprout, stake, support, tidy, tree, vegetable, weather, week, wind, winter
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Posted in Tiling & Flooring on Dec 26
Floor tiles are often set for life, if for no reason other than that taking them up again is such a noisy, dusty business. Here are some things you need to consider carefully before you Find a Tiler on Mr-Skill. We call them rules because they can dictate how you feel about the finished job.
 Rule No.1 Colour
A lighter-coloured floor tile makes a room look spacious while it also shows the dirt and dust. Darker colours add warmth, and hide the dirt. Go for neutral colours to show accessories off best.
Rule No.2 Texture
Wet tiles are slippery and that’s almost a rule in itself. There’s only one way to make a tile suitable for outside use in wet conditions, and that’s to add a gritty finish to the surface. Best to buy yours already done, because the paint-on solutions wear away.
Rule No.3 Size and Shape
A London Tiler worth his money will always determine your overall goals before recommending tiles. Large ones create a sense of spaciousness, while smaller ones may look busy over larger areas.  Rectangular tiles make a room seem wider when laid across the width. Lay them in the length though, and you’ll get the opposite effect
Rule No. 4 Thickness
When you obtain a Floor Tiling Quote it’s a good idea to specify the thickness of the tile. This is because this makes them heavier and more difficult to cut. As a general rule, a medium thickness floor tile is adequate for domestic use, unless you are planning something different.
The 5th Rule is perhaps the most important principle of all, and that’s Choosing the Right Tiler. And that’s where Mr-Skill comes in. We’ve searched high and low for the finest tradesmen across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, and we’ll not charge a single penny to introduce you to them.
Tags: accessory, choose, cut, dark, deep, dirt, domestic, dust, find a tiler, finish, floor, grit, heavier, length, light, london tiler, medium, neutral, quote, rectangular, rule, select, shape, size, slip, slippery, spacious, texture, thick, tile, tiling quote, warm, wet, wide, width
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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
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Posted in Bricklaying on Dec 20
Brick steps are lovely to behold, but they do tend to get a little grimy over time, as dirt collects and moss develops. I popped over to the local brickfield the other day, and picked up some tips I’ll gladly share with you here.  This is definitely not a job to take lightly though. In fact I’m inclined to suggest you Find a Bricklayer to do the job for you instead
- Remove any obvious blobs of cement or anything else using a metal or hard-wood scraper. The same goes for any paint runs too.
- Obtain a supply of hydrochloric acid from a hardware store. Dilute 1-part of acid to 20-parts of water for light-coloured bricks, and twice the strength for darker ones. Do not make the mixture any stronger, or you could harm your health!
- Protect yourself and the adjacent areas from splashing, and saturate the area where you will be working with clean water. Minimum safety requirements are rubber gloves and safety glasses.
 Apply the hydrochloric acid dilution to a small area highest up the wall. Wait for between 3 and 6 minutes, and then scrub it down thoroughly. Work in small batches of no more than one square meter at a time, and rinse thoroughly as you go along.
- HINT For best results, London Bricklayers recommend rinsing light-coloured bricks with a bicarbonate or washing soda solution instead.
A messy job indeed, and one I’m not sure I’d care to tackle myself. In fact I can think of a dozen things I’d prefer to do. I reckon that’s where Mr-Skill comes in. You can get a Bricklayer Quote to do the job for you, just by clicking on the link. And there’s no charge at all for this superb quoting service either!
Tags: apply, bicarbonate, brick, bricklayer quote, cement, colour, dark, dilute, dirt, find a bricklayer, glasses, glove, goggles, grimy, hint, hydrochloric acid, light, london bricklayers, moss, paint, part, remove, rinse, safety, saturate, scrape, scrub, splash, step, tip, washing soda, water
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I’ve recently sanded down an old wooden table I’m rather fond of and finished it off with a high lustre polyurethane seal. I wish I could claim all the credit for the final effect – just don’t tell anybody I used ideas I gleaned from a retired London Painter living in the village not far from me.
• Work in the best light – That does not mean under blazing overhead light that shines back in your eyes.  What is does mean is natural illumination streaming softly through doors and windows at a low angle. This emphasises the grain that you must accommodate, and turns imperfections into shadows that you can easily see. If you don’t have natural light available, set a desk lamp at one end of the bench.
• Choose the right sandpaper – Sandpaper comes in different colours, although there are no industry rules. Some suppliers use colour to highlight different grit size. Others use it to indicate different types. Choose three strengths of paper designed for the job in hand, so you can work progressively from coarse to fine.
• Use sanding tools – The chances of achieving a level finish using bare hands are low, because fingers are creative things, not mechanised machines. Use a sanding block for a smaller piece of work,  and a power sander for a larger job. Bear in mind that power tools are more productive. Use finer grit paper to counteract the effect.
• Use a jig – Wrap sandpaper around a reverse shape to sand right into a tricky corner, and move your work gently up and down against it. Work carefully – the results can be quite dramatic.
• Check progress as you go along – Put a used nylon stocking over your hand and run it gently across the surface of your work to find rough spots. If you’re a guy though, perhaps you shouldn’t admit to wearing pantyhose in the workshop?
You won’t need to Find a Painter to do a hobbyist job like this. But you will need to get Painting Quotes on Mr-Skill for wooden doors and window frames. Trust me. I tried that. You don’t want to go down that road alone.
Tags: angle, bench, block, check, choose, coarse, colour, door, find a painter, fine, finish, grade, grain, grit, jig, lamp, level, light, london painter, natural, nylon, painting quote, paper, power, progress, reverse, rough, sand, sandpaper, seal, shadow, shine, size, smooth, soft, stocking, strength, table, tool, window, wood, work
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Posted in Tiling & Flooring on Oct 21
Funny, isn’t it, how fashions keep on going round and round. All that’s as true of building materials as it is of clothes. The difference is that your home is going to have to wear its finishes for far longer than you are going to hang on to your hat. For this reason it’s best to know what you are looking for before you get your Tiling Quotes.
 Did I mention that I went to school with a London Tiler? Well he wasn’t a tiler then, but he did become one good enough to successfully start his own flooring firm. This was the advice he gave when asked:
• Stick to natural materials wherever possible. This is because they are timeless and you can always find an acceptable replacement, even if a tile breaks after fifty years.
• Travertine is often beautifully marked and coloured having been paid down by rivers over centuries, and is soft and easy to work with. In the fancy shops it is also called onyx and alabaster.
• Limestone is another sedimentary rock primarily white or light coloured, but also tinted by small impurities. It is often used in commercial developments where the varying thicknesses are an architectural asset.
• Slate is traditionally used for flooring, although new techniques have seen it applied to walls too. It is extremely durable making it ideal for outside use. However quality is unpredictably varied.
•  Marble is valued for its mirror finish after polishing, and has been used for cladding buildings for thousands of years. It is probably the most expensive of all the options, and the most copied by ceramic tile manufacturers.
• Sandstone provides an attractive varied finish on feature walls, although good effect is often only achieved by hand-sorting tiles. It is brittle and unsuitable for floors.
Now that you have made a choice why not Find a Tiler on Mr-Skill right away? You will have range of choices when you shop through us. You may even expect savings of up to 30% on labour against normal rates thanks to our buying power.
Tags: brittle, Building, colour, durable, easy, effect, expensive, fashion, find a floor contractor, floor, light, limestone, london tiler, marble, mark, natural, outside, polish, replace, sandstone, sedement, slate, soft, thick, tile, tiling quotes, travertine, vary, wall, white, work
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