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Posts Tagged ‘protection<’
Posted in Handyman Services on Aug 23
New tools are always a bit of a distraction for the home handyman. You know the feeling, you are just browsing through one of your favourite hardware stores and suddenly, you are attracted to an absolute bargain that is only good for as “long as stocks last”. You simply have to buy it, even though you really don’t have a need! 
Mr-Skill calls it compulsive buying, and the retail stores are fully aware of the power of this emotion – and they know how to cash in on the situation too. If you are like one of our regular London handymen, you’ll be constantly on the lookout for bargains, especially when it comes to new-fangled gadgets and tools, but just exercise a bit of discipline before splurging!
Electric Screwdrivers
These have been on the market for a long time and they are very useful indeed. Offering the option of different screw thread attachments and even screw sizes, these tools can save a lot of time and sweat when you are pushing the clock. The rechargeable batteries have improved since the early days, but if there is one criticism, it is that battery life is still very limited and you cannot replace them cheaply when they fail. If you are not the DIY type you could find a handyman right here now.
Cordless Drills
These are getting better and better as technology improves. The great thing about this tool is that you don’t have to worry about dangling power leads waiting to trip you up. Running time is improving, although a lot depends on what you pay upfront for this beauty. You can even get them with hammer functions too.
Electric Table Saws
This is every woodworker’s dream come true. They are safe – as long as you use them properly – and they cut beautifully. As with all power tools, Mr-Skill always promotes safety first, so remember the eye protection and the gloves, and always make sure you have decent industrial footwear too. A facemask can also prove useful with all that sawdust, and a decent set of earphones will dampen the sound if you are trimming a lot of wood. If woodworking is not your scene, get a handyman quote right here on Mr-Skill.
Jig Saws 
Although we don’t use them all that often, you are sure to miss this useful tool when it comes to intricate cuts in limited space. Always begin sawing from a pre-drilled hole in a straight line towards the opposite hole.
Here at Mr-Skill, we do realise that there are many other fantastic power tools for just about every imaginable application. Those discussed above are the bare minimum and oft-used ally of the enthusiastic home fixer!
Tags: bargains, batteries, cordless screwdriver, DIY, drill holes, find a handyman, hammer, handyman services quote, hardware, jig saw, london handyman, power lead, power tools, protection, recharge, safety, safety gear, sawdust, table saw, tools, trim
Posted in Handyman Services | Comments Off
We had a call from a customer the other day, who was confused as to why a cleaner wouldn’t take some old acid containers away – especially after they loaded all the cardboard boxes they cleared from his garage. We thought it would be a good idea to explain the difference, and to generally set the record right.
- Generally speaking, cleaners tidy sweep and clean a home or office, pretty much the same way we might do ourselves, if we
 only had the time. In the course of this, they bag the contents of waste-paper baskets and rubbish bins, so you can leave these out on the next council collection day.
- If you want the service people to take the bags down to the council depot as well, then you need to ensure they include this as an option on their cleaning quote. That’s because this job will involve extra time and petrol, and they’re entitled to their compensation.
- Certain types of materials and chemicals are classified as toxic, as they could harm an operator at a landfill site who comes in contact with them. The government has established rules for their safe disposal. Councils have procedures in place to make this possible.
 Our client who called us actually needed to find a waste disposal expert to remove the acid containers, not a cleaner. They would be equipped with specialist protection to avoid contamination themselves. It’s vitally important to understand the distinction, and not to pressurise a regular cleaner to take risks.
Mr-Skill has both kinds of service people on their books. Our customers have rated almost all of them down the years too.
Should you require the services of a top-rate London cleaner, or assistance with cleaning or waste disposal almost anywhere else in Britain, why not log onto our website and log your request right now? Our operators are on standby, and waiting for your call.
Tags: acid, bag, chemical, clean, cleaning quote, container, contaminate, contamination, council, depot, disposal, empty, find a waste disposal expert, garage, garbage, harm, hurt, landfill, london cleaner, material, protection, rubbish, specialist, sweep, tidy, toxic, waste
Posted in Cleaning Services, Disposals & Waste Removal | Comments Off
Posted in Electrical Work on Jul 11
 One of the most important things to understand about electricity is that it always follows the shortest route. If you are standing in bare feet on an un-insulated surface and touch a live wire, then the electricity in that wire will try to complete its cycle through your body, and could kill you.
Fortunately this happens less and less these days, thanks to the mandatory installation of earth leakage protection systems. These detect a sudden flow of electricity and trip a special breaker to stop this continuing. They are necessary in addition to dedicated circuit breakers, because these may be insufficient in themselves when the soil conditions are dry.
Electricity kills people every year in Britain, often because they were not covered by earth leakage protection. Here are several reasons that could cause this:
o Earth leakage protection not installed. This condition is not legal, and you must Find an Electrician if any doubt at all.
o  Earth leakage protection faulty. All devices get old and eventually fail. Make a habit of pressing the test switch on your distribution board at least once a month to make sure it trips the power instantly. If it does not, then you must consult an Electrician in London or wherever else you live urgently.
o Perhaps the greatest danger of all is where somebody has bypassed the earth leakage system on one or other circuit in the past because a piece of equipped kept tripping. This represents a potentially lethal threat. Again, if in any doubt at all you must get Electrical Quotes for a full inspection.
As we wrote this blog we realised just how easily neglect can creep up on all of us, and that this includes neglecting to arrange regular electrical safety inspections too. We have contractors serving just about every major postal code in the United Kingdom. We urge you to have your property electrically inspected regularly, so that you can enjoy the safer life at home that you deserve.
Tags: body, breaker, bypass, circuit, earth, electrician london, electrician quote, electricity, fail, fault, find an electrician, inspect, insulate, isolate, kill, leakage, lethal, live, neglect, old, protect, protection, regular, safe, short, test, trip, wire
Posted in Electrical Work | Comments Off
I am often asked this tricky question, which is about as easy to answer as is deciding whether a beggar is genuine. The  correct answer is that you get dishonest as well as honest people in every walk of life, which is why it is safer, easier (and often cheaper) to Find a Handyman on Mr-Skill. That’s way you get an individual who has been assessed, and rated by other customers before.
Given that a tradesman seldom has an independent rating about you as a prospective customer, it is not unreasonable to expect that they will ask for some form of guarantee from you before blocking out their time and buying in materials. Many of them live from hand to mouth, and not trusting customers without reason is part of their culture too.
One way around the problem is to get a Handyman Quote for labour only and buy the materials for the job yourself. This is not the way the trades prefer to operate – they would rather hunt these down  themselves at lower prices than they estimated, and increase their profits in that way. They will in any case require a deposit before starting work, in case at the end of the first week a customer suddenly runs out of money just before the first progress payment falls due.
Try to see it from the handyman’s point of view. Just as you are trying to protect yourself from a dishonest deal, so are they. If they do the job and you refuse to pay them, then there is not an awful amount that they can do, given the cost of lawyers – and you get to keep their work.
In a perfect world, customer and handyman would trust each other perfectly. Mr-Skill is a bridge along that road because they act as independent brokers who introduce parties to each other. By using  them, the transaction is out in the open, and a handyman is unlikely to risk their reputation with Mr-Skill for a few extra pounds.
Handyman London and Surrounds have perfected their approach towards finance. When they quote, they include the deposit they require and their proposal for progress payments too. That way, there is an opportunity for open honest negotiation before appointing them.
In the end though, the trades all work in a similar way when it comes to money, and the real question is not should one pay a deposit to a handyman, but do you have a feel-good factor about the person, and why? By choosing Mr-Skill you have already made the first step in the right direction, the deal is out in the open and there is an excellent chance that everything will go well. Don’t you think that that’s a good idea?
Tags: buy, customer, deposit, dishonest, find a handyman, handyman london, handyman quote, handyperson, honest, material, materials, payment, progress, protect, protection, question, rate, time, trade, trust, why
Posted in Handyman Services, Project Advice | Comments Off
Posted in Locksmith on Aug 20
 If you are a regular air traveller, one of the issues that often causes problems at the airport is the security of your luggage. Whereas a selection of suitable, secure luggage locks is available from your local locksmiths in London, due to increased anti-terrorist precautions at airports, baggage screeners have the permission to open your suitcase if they wish to inspect your luggage. This sometimes requires that locks are cut from your luggage, effectively leaving your possessions unsecure for the rest of your journey.
 As this has become a very big problem in the States – due to the high volume of air travellers – the Transportation Security Administration (TSA – part of the Department of Homeland Security) has allowed the introduction of dual-lock security systems on passengers´ luggage which can be accessed by baggage screeners and then re-locked for the safety of passengers´ belongings. These locks carry the TSA symbol – reminiscent of an Olympic torch – and are recognised by baggage screeners who can open the lock with a special security key, inspect and re-lock the luggage. Thus your locked bag and belongings arrive safe and secure.
The TSA-approved locks come in a variety of shapes and designs, from left to right below-
Traditional padlock style
TSA-approved baggage strap
Union Jack combination lock
Combination lock with cable fixing
All of these items and over 100 other designs are available from your local locksmith in London. If you would like to find a locksmith in London stocking TSA-approved locks, quickly put a request in the “Post-a-Job” section above and one of local locksmiths in London will get back in touch.
Tags: combination lock, keys, locks, locksmith, Locksmith & Security Systems, luggage, padlock, protection, secuity, Transportation Security Administration, TSA-approved locks
Posted in Locksmith | Comments Off
Posted in Locksmith on Aug 05
 Although mortice locks are designed to be long lasting, there are instances where you may wish to replace an existing lock with a new one. Usually when you move into a new home it is a good idea to replace old locks with new, and certainly when you have lost your keys! You may also wish to change your locks to compliment a new style you have created in a room – mortice locks are not all that expensive – or you may wish to raise the security level of an existing lock.
It is not advised to attempt to install a mortice lock from scratch. For maximum efficiency and protection, a mortice lock has to match up perfectly with the strike plate inserted into the doorframe pocket – a job which requires skill and accuracy. If you are considering the installation of a new mortice lock, please consult the locksmith services in London section of our Tradesmen´s Directory.
Stage One: Unlock the door, open it and place a piece of wood between the door and door frame, so that it does not accidently shut. Working from the inside of the door, unscrew the screws on the door handle. You only need to do this once unless you are changing the door handles for something more aesthetically pleasing.
Stage Two: Remove the handle from the door, and also the metal bar (spindle) which fits through the lock and both handles.
Stage Three: Unscrew and remove the lock from the door. You may have to manoeuvre a tight fitting lock with the aid of a screwdriver via the spindle hole.
Stage Four: Insert the new lock, ensuring that the latch is pointing in the right direction, and replace the screws securing the lock into the door.
Stage Five: Push the spindle back through the door and into the handle on the other side. Refit the handle and check that the lock functions properly and engages correctly with the strike plate on the doorframe.
If you experience any difficulty in replacing your mortice lock, or would like a local locksmith to perform the job for you, please use the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page to alert local locksmiths to your requirements, and one of them will be in touch with you very soon.
Tags: British Standard, Dead Lock, doorframes, doors, five lever lock, insurance, keys, mortice lock, protection, secure your property, security, spindle, Strike Plate, three lever lock, windows
Posted in Locksmith | Comments Off
Posted in Building A-Z on Aug 05
 Mortice locks are one of the best ways of securing your property from unauthorised entry. Installed within the framework of doors and windows, their use is recommended by the police and security firms and often insisted upon by insurance companies. Local tradesmen are also keen to promote security within their districts, and will only supply mortice locks which comply with the British Standard 3621 (2004) or better.
The lock is so effective because it fits snugly into a pocket within the door frame and is guarded on either side by “strike plates”, which prevent the potential of the lock being drilled out. The lock can normally be opened from either side of the door (via an element known as the “Deadlock”)and contains standard size parts in the event that the lock becomes damaged or you wish to replace the lock after a move to a new home or in the event that you have mislaid your keys.
Mortice Locks can have between 2 to 7 internal levers – the more there are, the harder they are to pick – and it is recommended that external doors have locks with at least 5 levers, whilst 3 levers is the accepted number for internal doors. However, if you are a tenant, student or somebody living in a communal dwelling, it is also suggested that you have a minimum 5 lever mortice lock at the entrance to your rooms(s) even when there is one on the main entrance.
The correct fitting of a mortice lock requires skill and accuracy to ensure maximum security, as the lock has to perfectly match up with a strike plate inserted into the doorframe pocket. Although replacing an existing mortice lock may be a job that an experience DIY-er can perform, it is recommended that you employ the services of one of the highly rated tradesmen featured in our Tradesmen’s Directory for new installations.
uPVC doors, leading into your garden or on an external conservatory, can suffer damage if you attempt to fit a mortice lock after the doors have been supplied. Sometimes, this added security measure may in fact invalidate the guarantee from the supplier. If you feel that you need the additional protection of a mortice lock on an existing uPVC door, please use the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page to alert a local tradesman to your problem and they will get back in touch.
Tags: British Standard, Dead Lock, doorframes, doors, five lever lock, insurance, keys, mortice lock, protection, secure your property, security, spindle, Strike Plate, three lever lock, windows
Posted in Building A-Z | Comments Off
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