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Posts Tagged ‘natural<’
Posted in Bricklaying on Nov 25
We get queries from time to time from homeowners concerned about the efflorescence on their walls. Sometimes these walls have been rendered, while at other times they are raw masonry. In all cases the powder is caused by leeching salts contained in the raw materials. So there’s little point in trying to Find the Builder who built the wall –  although you could help avoid the problem by employing a professional bricklayer, such as those whose services we advertise here.
The ground salts are contained in natural products like sand, clay and stone. When water penetrates the material it carries the salts out to the surface. There the water evaporates leaving the characteristic white deposit behind. This can largely be avoided by preventing water intrusion and applying a surface sealer. When you get Bricklaying Quotes from Mr-Skill, you should discuss such matters and agree solutions.
• Brushing the efflorescence away is only a temporary solution, although theoretically all the ground salt will leech out in time.
• The permanent solution lies in preventing water from entering the material in the first place. If it is  intruding from the outside, then this is relatively easily cured. If the wall is a retaining one though then a big job lies ahead as every London Builder knows. That’s because a leak is only stopped at its source, and that’s behind the wall!
• If you are lucky, then the problem is the result of a permeable surface on the weather side. The solution in this case is to allow the wall to dry out, thoroughly brush the surface clean, and then apply a proprietary clear sealer.
The Bricklayers advertising on Mr-Skill are properly trained and know how to mitigate against irritating efflorescence. Their rates are generally lower too, because they compete among themselves for work. There is no charge for requesting quotes from us and no obligation to accept them either. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect consumer-driven solution you’ve been looking for?
Tags: bricklaying quotes, brush, clay, clean, deposit, dry, efflorescence, enter, evaporate, find a bricklayer, ground, intrusion, leech, london bricklayer, masonry, natural, outside, penetrate, permeable, powder, prevent, render, retain, salt, sand, seal, stone, wall, water, white
Posted in Bricklaying | Comments Off
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
Posted in Painting & Decorating | Comments Off
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
Posted in Tiling & Flooring | Comments Off
Posted in Bricklaying on Sep 07
Sometimes finishing off the joints between bricks can seem like a never-ending chore, unless you have years of experience as some Bricklayers in London may. This is because bricks are naturally made products, and have all sorts of holes and cracks where plaster may collect. If you are contemplating a DIY job such as building a smaller set of steps, then you can try to bridge your experience gap with tips like these.
•  Buy a decent set of tools. I cannot over-emphasise the difference that a shiny new float or builder’s trowel can make, and these are inexpensive too. So throw away your rusty set and make a fresh start on your next job.
• Decide on the type of joint you want. There are a variety of different strokes for different folks, and the right solution is usually the one that you prefer the most. Some people like full grouted joints requiring fewer tools, while others want recessed, hand-tooled ones that take a little extra time. Remember to specify what joints you may require when calling for Bricklaying Quotes on Mr-Skill, as this may affect the price.
• Don’t be shy with masking tape. This may be frowned on by professionals, but can be a dab trick for weekend builders such as you and me. Time and effort spent improving techniques this way, can produce really professional looking jobs that you can be proud of too.
•  Use a grout bag or grout gun. Believe me; these make the difference between pain and pleasure. This is because they are not only quick to use, but they also make a whole lot less mess. And yes, you could even save a little plaster, although this is often more in the salesperson’s mind.
• Use a jointer’s tool to create recessed grout lines. This is essential equipment for scooping out surplus grout material, and I doubt you will Find a Bricklayer anywhere who does not have at least one in their kit. The trick is to add a little more material when required, as opposed to applying too much in the first place.
Not an awfully difficult job to do, although grouting bricks can be fiddly and frustrating. Attempt the job yourself by all means if you have lots of patience and spare time. Otherwise, why not Find a Skilled and Rated Tradesman on Mr-Skill instead, to take the hassles (and the cement) off your busy hands.
Tags: add, brick, bricklayers in london, bricklaying quotes, cement, clean, crack, DIY, experience, find a bricklayer, finish, float, flush, full, grout, hint, hole, joint, line, mask, masking tape, mess, natural, new, plaster, professional, recess, render, rust, save, scoop, shiny, skill, specify, step, technique, tip, tool, trowel
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Posted in Tiling & Flooring on Aug 16
There’s nothing quite like the beauty of a wooden floor in good condition, especially one that’s been treated to bring out the natural colour. Moreover wooden floors are far easier to keep clean too, so no wonder they have been popular for so long. Is your wooden floor looking a bit tatty?  Perhaps you just moved into a neglected, older home? No worries. The situation is quite easily recovered, provided that the underlying state of the floor is good. Either Find a Floor Sander Here, or tackle the job yourself as follows:
o First, lay your hands on a good quality rented floor sander which should not cost more than £60 a week at most. While you’re at it, rent a floor edging sander too. You will also need a varnish applicator, a mop and bucket, a hammer, a floor pad, and, of course the varnish.
o Stay out of trouble and close the door into the rest of the house, or mask the opening off. Inspect the floor carefully for anything that could rip the paper in the sander. Patch any larger gaps with strips of wood hammered tightly in, and fill the smaller ones with papier mache tinted with water-based wood dye.
o  Sand the floor as instructed by the hire-shop clerk. There are too many different sanders to describe the process here. After you have worked through the process from coarse paper though to fine, vacuum thoroughly and wipe down with white spirit to remove every scrap of dust.
o Apply a coat of varnish, and let it dry completely. Lightly sand by hand to key the surface, wipe it down with thinners and apply a second coat. The more times you repeat the process, the more beautiful the gloss and the more durable the finish will be – which is why London Flooring Services always achieve such high quality results.
If you feel a little intimidated at the thought of sanding floors, when why not consider getting Floor Sanding Quotes from Mr-Skill instead? All our tradespeople come with personal recommendations, and you can see what other customers think about them right here too. How’s that for another good idea to make life easier?
Tags: apply, beauty, bucket, clean, coarse, coat, colour, door, dry, durable, dust, edger, find a floor sander, fine, floor, floor sanding quotes, gloss, hammer, hire, london flooring service, mask, mop, natural, neglected, pad, papier mache, patch, popular, rent, repeat, sand, sander, seal, strip, tatty, treat, vacuum, varnish, white spirit, wipe, wood
Posted in Tiling & Flooring | Comments Off
A recent survey revealed that almost every Gardener in London these days has several orchids growing in the house, and I suppose that this would be true of gardeners elsewhere in the country too. Of all of these, the Moth Orchid that the boffins call Phalaenopsis is  reputedly the most popular, and I for one am not surprised that this is so. Did you know that millions of these beautiful while or pink flowers are grown and sold in Britain every year?
The average citizen does not have the same green fingers though. Every year hundreds of thousands of Orchids in Britain fizzle out, and not because Gardener Quotes for small jobs are impossible to obtain either. It’s just because we do not understand that all they need is a draught-free room, some sunlight, a little food and drink occasionally, and a friendly nod in their direction from time to time.
In their natural environment, Orchids grow in forks of trees or in stony crevices. This means that they do not like to grow in earth, but are happy nestling among bark and moss and other natural debris around their roots. Their natural environments also ensure that rainwater drains away rapidly too – forget this principle and they could drown or rot away.
If after several years your Orchid seems as it it’s trying to climb out of its container, then it is time to learn  how to re-pot it. All you need is some Orchid compost (or an imaginative stroll through the local wood) and you are ready to begin this simple process.
Remove the Orchid from the old container, and shake its roots clear before removing any shrivelled ones. Cut the healthy ones back to about four inches long with a pair of sharp secateurs. Wrap the roots gently into their fresh growing medium, press them into their new pot, moisten the compost daily with an atomiser, and your job is done.
You don’t need to Find a Gardener for a simple job like this, and I doubt one would be particularly interested either. If you have a bigger gardening job though why not speak to Mr-Skill. They have all the good gardening professionals on their books.
Tags: atomise, bark, breeze, compost, container, crack, crevice, cut, cutter, dead, debris, drain, draught, drink, flower, food, fork, Garden, green, medium, moisten, moss, natural, orchid, pink, pot, rain, rock, secateur, short, spray, stone, sun, Survey, tree, trim, water, white
Posted in Gardening & Landscaping | Comments Off
Posted in Kitchen Fitting on Apr 21
A Kitchen is the Heart of every Home and it deserves special treatment too. Gone forever are the days of square white tiles and shiny linoleum floors. In fact, when you start  getting Kitchen Fitting Quotes these days, you could be forgiven for thinking you were dealing with Shop Fitters, such is the range of Kitchen Finishes available these days.
The current trend is towards more natural materials. Touches of wood or stone and organic floors are not only ergonomically refreshing. They also have more gentle carbon footprints, and that is so very important these days.
Naturally simple designs have the added advantage of making rooms appear bigger too. This can be a bonus if you come to sell your home. Your Kitchen will seem grander and may even add up to a better price. In fact, these days most Kitchen Fitters in London insist on it.
Naturally, every Cook and every Kitchen deserve a touch if  uniqueness within these themes. Current decorating flavours include bright accent colours here and there, but without creating clutter by overdoing things. A pot of red geraniums, some onions hanging in a bag, a bowl of flowers – anything that is colourfully natural completes the picture.
For the sake of Cook’s feet, the natural look in Flooring is Cork this year. Cork is not just a Kitchen Fashion Statement either. It is soft underfoot and yet hardwearing, and it is organically perfect too. Could there be anything else to think about, after you Find a Kitchen Fitter on Mr-Skill and they arrive to discuss the details? What wonderful opportunities there are these days.
Tags: bigger, bonus, carbon footprint, colour, cook, cork, ergonomic, find a kitchen fitter, finishes, flavour, floor, grand, home extension, kitchen, kitchen fitter london, kitchen fitter quote, kitchen fitting london, kitchen fitting quotes, materials, natural, neutral, organic, simple, soft underfoot, stone, tiles, trend, wood
Posted in Kitchen Fitting | Comments Off
 Among the most compelling features of the British countryside are the natural stone walls that surround many of the older, listed houses. These homes are often beyond the reach of most of as, and in any case we need to live closer to where we work so we do not spend hours traveling. Nonetheless there is often room in almost any garden for a bit of hand-packed stone wall, and you’ll be amazed at the classy look this adds.
There are also two uses to which you could put your wall. One is as a border against which your summer annuals could display. The second is as a retainer for adding fertile soil and a sense of depth behind. If the job is extensive you may be wise to Find a Builder to do the job for you as stones are heavy. If not, you may like to tackle it yourself.
o Decide where you want your wall to be. This sounds obvious; however in my career as a Builder  London homeowners have often asked me if I could move a badly positioned wall for them. Mark the wall out with stakes, and leave things alone for a few days while you finally make up your mind what you really want.
o Order in a load of suitable stones and have them packed for you in piles of small, medium and large at a convenient place near to where you will be working. Be prepared to pay extra for the sorting which will save you hours later.
o Clear the ground where the wall will go, and level it nicely with a few steps up or down if the ground slopes. Then compact the earth using a little water several times until it is really firm. This must be done properly, or else your wall could collapse after the first heavy rain.
o Set out the bottom layer of stones using the broadest flattest ones and fitting these together snugly (this may  require experimentation). Bed them nicely into the ground below and add a little earth beneath them, if this is necessary. If you want to cheat you could even bed the bottom stones into a little concrete provided this will not be visible when you are done, as you are aiming for a natural effect.
o Add successive layers of stones packed together as tightly as you can get, using smaller ones to set them firmly. Do not go higher than you think is safe, and do not hesitate to rebuild a section of wall if things go wrong.
Like I said earlier you should not really need Builder Quotes for a small piece of wall. Anything more than that you might like to take a look at what Mr-Skill has to offer in the way of Well-Priced Help.
Tags: builder london, builder quote, building job london, building quotes, find a builder, find a tradesman, natural, pack, stone, tradesman london, tradesman quote, wall
Posted in Gardening & Landscaping | Comments Off
Posted in Cleaning Services on Mar 09
Wood is a beautifully natural medium that can last forever if correctly cared for. Because it is natural though, it starts to decay as soon as a tree is cut down, which means it must be looked after all its life. If you have especially valuable  antique wooden furniture you should consider getting Housekeeper Quotes from those specialised in the field.
The first step to caring for wood it is to determine which finish was applied to it
Expert Tip: Test in a less obvious place first.
Step 1: Rub a few drops of boiled linseed oil into the wood. Is the oil absorbed? Is yes, the wood either has an oiled finish, or it is natural wood – if neither, read on.
Step 2: Rub a little acetone over a spot in a gently circular motion. Is the acetone repelled? Then the finish is polyurethane. Is the acetone dissolved? Then the wood is lacquered – if neither, read on.
Step 3: Try a few drops of denatured alcohol. If the finish dissolves quickly it is shellac. Does it react slowly instead? Then the wood has been varnished.
 Generally speaking, wood that has been oiled will benefit from a monthly application of a little good furniture oil to prevent it from drying out or cracking. Check to make sure that the oil will not make the wood go darker first. With this exception, you can keep all your furniture in tip-top condition with a general-purpose surface cleaner once a month, and a dusting once a week between.
Never expose wooden furniture to harsh chemicals or bright sunlight. Do not allow moisture to lie on any piece of wood for long, or else it may stain it permanently. This includes plastic or rubber objects that can generate their own humidity because they do not breathe.
If your wood furniture becomes water stained, a rated Cleaner in London may be able to provide some expert advice. Our advice is not to take chances with things you do not understand – rather Find a Housekeeper on Mr-Skill.
Tags: acetone, alcohol, antique, care, chemical, clean, cleaner london, cleaner quote, dust, find a cleaner, find a housekeeper, furniture, housekeeper london, housekeeping quotes, lacquer, linseed, natural, oil, polyurethane, rub, shellac, stain, sun, sunlight, surface clean, test, tree, varnish, water, wood
Posted in Cleaning Services | Comments Off
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