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Posts Tagged ‘renovate<’
A Conservatory is an essential part of any house in England. This is because it helps the family absorb some natural light on the coldest, wettest weekend, and creates an extra room too. Unfortunately, not  everybody has the same tastes, and some extensions are downright ugly. Before you are tempted to break yours down and start again, or call in landscaper quotes, here are a few ideas that may form a simpler solution:
That Outside View
An ugly first impression can be a deal-breaker on the sale of any house. This is because most buyers stretch themselves to the limit and have no extra cash to fix things up. Consider the picture on the right – to my mind this looks like a standard model just brought in and put down, and without any attempt at landscaping either.
I would do two things immediately. Get rid of that awful pink in the roof, and soften the edges with some  plants. In the second picture, notice how a modern conservatory blends with a traditional home through clever use of greenery.
Interior Impressions
A perfect conservatory should look like an English Country Garden brought inside the house. It is also the perfect place to grow flowering tropical plants. Put these two ideas together and you have the perfect way to disguise an imperfectly built interior (and improve the view from the outside too). Landscapers London bound recommend doing this is terms of a master plan so things work out perfectly.
When you use these tips creatively, you may be able to extend the life of your ugly extension without using an expensive architect, and may even learn to love it. If you need assistance with ideas for plants, you can find a landscaper on Mr-Skill.
Tags: conservatory, decorate, extension, find a gardener, find a landscaper, gardener quotes, gardeners london, greenery, improve, landscaper quotes, landscapers london, landscaping, plant, planting, renovate, standard model, ugly
Posted in Gardening & Landscaping | Comments Off
Posted in Building A-Z on Jul 27
 Crack Stitching is a technique used by local builders to repair walls and prevent further damage when a property has suffered from subsidence. Even though the cause of the problem may have been removed, the effect the subsidence will have had on the property is normally unsightly, with vertical cracks showing in exterior masonry. In cases where the damage is slight, a good builder may recommend plastering over the damage, but for a permanent and effective repair, crack stitching can be the most cost effective.
A good builder will initially calculate areas of the affected wall on which “bed plates” can be introduced. These will be stronger points of the building which will be able to cope with the redistribution of structural stress. Your local builder will then grout reinforced rods into areas of the wall which are still sound, and connect them using chemical bonding materials. This operation redistributes the tensile areas of the structure and promotes future stability, whilst allowing for sufficient flexibility to account for natural building movement in the future.
Once the rods are in place and allowed to set, a good builder would then put you in touch with a recommended tradesman in order to plaster over the affected area, providing a little more stability to the structure, and delivering a nicer finish.
If you witness cracks forming in the exterior walls of your property – particularly in corners and the surrounds of bay windows – now might be the time to find a builder in our tradesmen´s directory. Our recommended tradesmen are happy to offer no-obligation builders quotes, and with the facility within the directory to search by postcode, you could have your local builder assessing any potential damage within just a few hours.
Tags: brickwork, builder, Construction, crack stitching, Home Improvements, Home Maintenance, Kerb Appeal, mortar, Painting, renovate, replastering, repointing, subsidence, tradesman, Tradesmen´s Directory
Posted in Building A-Z | Comments Off
Posted in Building A-Z on Jul 27
 Blocked drains in many instances are the domain of the plumber, and our tradesmen´s directory contains a list of recommended local tradesmen who would be able to reply quickly and economically to your call to unblock a kitchen or bathroom waste pipe. However, for more severe problems, you may require the services of a local builder when the drainage system from your home is damaged or cracked.
Local builders provide a number of drainage services that cover all drainage problems:-
- High Pressure Jetting – This service would be required if you have a serious blockage in a waste pipe that cannot be released by conventional plumbers methods. Your local builder would use high pressure jets to cut through sludge, debris and vegetation roots. This may be of particular value to commercial premises such as restaurants, where grease deposits may hinder the outflow of sewerage.
- Root Cutting – Roots from certain trees and shrubs are a major cause of leaks, cracks and pipe misalignment. Using a rotary chain system, your local builder will cut through roots that high pressure jetting cannot clear – a process that also descales the pipes – and follow this up with a CCTV inspection to assess the extent of the damage.
- Relining – When the CCTV inspection shows serious damage to the drainage system, the most convenient and inexpensive of facilitating a repair is by relining the pipes. Your recommended builder would insert a special chemical and temperature resistant lining into the drainage system and inflate it using high pressure air or water jets. The lining moulds to the walls of the existing pipe, and provides a water-tight drainage system – possible more effective than before.
- Excavation & New Installations – When a drainage system is broken beyond repair, your local builder will excavate the existing, damaged drainage system and replace with new (this is normally covered by your household insurance). For new installations – such as the construction of an extension or new build – our recommended tradesmen will use moling techniques wherever possible to lay new drainage systems – thus creating the minimum of disturbance and intrusion.
An excellent selection of experienced and recommended builders can be found in our tradesmen´s directory, and if you would like a visit from your local builder to assess and potential damage and get no-obligation quote, please complete the “Post-a-Job” section on our web site.
Tags: builder, CCTV Inspection, Construction, Drain Relining, drainage system, drains, environment, Excavation, high pressure jetting, Home Maintenance, Moling, renovate, root cutting, rotary chain, subsidence, waste pipes
Posted in Building A-Z | Comments Off
 Although bricks are built to last, sometimes, due to the freeze-thaw process or other damage to masonry, cracks will appear or bricks begin to crumble and it is time to replace old bricks with new. When the task involves just one or two bricks it is a job that a skilled handyman can do themselves, however if there are a whole series of bricks to be replaced, it is better to use the services of one of the recommended builders listed in our tradesmen´s directory, in case the problem affecting the bricks is more severe that simply aging.
In order to do this job yourself, you will need a masonry drill, club hammer and chisel, and some sand, cement and hydrated lime to replace the mortar you will be removing. For health and safety purposes you should wear goggles and gloves whilst doing this job, and place a dust sheet below the area in which you will be working. If you are considering replacing bricks above shoulder height, it is advisable that you hire some scaffolding rather than attempt to use a masonry drill up a ladder. Most of these items can be acquired from a local DIY centre but, if in doubt, it is always better to ask a local builder for assistance.
The first step is to remove the damaged brick, and the simplest means of doing this is to drill several holes of around 100mm into the brick and the mortar surrounding it. Then, using a club hammer and sharp chisel, chop out the brick. Care should be taken in corners and around adjoining bricks to ensure that a clean hole is created and no damage occurs to neighbouring bricks. You should dust out any loose mortar or brick dust and then hose to wet the area where the new brick is going to be inserted.
To mix your mortar, you need 3 parts building (sharp) sand to 1 part cement and, in order to make the mortar less likely to crack, ¼ part hydrated lime. Mix with a little water until you have a firm paste (similar to marzipan) and spread a smooth layer of mortar along the bottom and sides of the hole you have just made. Before inserting the brick, soak it in a bucket of water. This will prevent the brick drawing moisture from the mortar which could result in it cracking once set. Place a layer of mortar on the top and sides of the brick and manoeuvre it into place.
As you place the brick into the hole, excess mortar should protrude from the joints around the brick. If it does not, not enough mortar has been used and you need to remove the brick and apply extra mortar. Once the brick is in place and level, scrape away any excess mortar with a trowel and use it to fill any voids in the joints. Once the mortar is tightly packed in, let it rest for 15 minutes and then use the trowel to point the mortar and leave a nice finish.
Tags: brickwork, builder, Construction, freeze-thaw, Home Maintenance, masonry, mortar, renovate, repointing, Tradesmen´s Directory
Posted in Bricklaying, General Building | Comments Off
 Repointing brickwork is a major task, and not one to take on yourself lightly. To be effective in both totally repairing the cracks in the mortar and improving the look of your property, the whole side of a house needs to be done at one time. Inasmuch as this is not a specialised job, the work involved and the tools required mean that it is usually far better to have a team of recommended builders working with you to provide the help you may need to get the job done quickly, and supply a professional finish.
This is not a job that can be done up a ladder. To be able to use tools such as an angle grinder in safety, you need the support of scaffolding. Furthermore, you will need a fair amount of water and mortar, and carrying those items frequently up and down a ladder is exhausting and may lead to accidents. Even if you attempt this project alone, you should speak with a local builder about hiring some scaffolding and any specific tools you do not already own.
When starting a repointing project, a good builder would start at the top of the building and work along a selected number of brick courses. Once the top few rows are completed, then move down to the next rows of brick. By doing the job in this order, you prevent dust falling down onto wet mortar when grinding away at old cement. In order to remove existing mortar, you should use a small angle grinder with a mortar raking blade attachment rather than a hammer a chisel. Not only is the power tool quicker and more effective, using a hammer and chisel causes vibration and may start to loosen the bricks.
Our recommended builders suggest that you use the angle grinder to remove mortar from the horizontal joints first – followed by the vertical joints. Each groove should be 10-20mm in depth, and you should take care not to score any of the adjacent bricks. You may feel more comfortable using a brick jointer to remove the final pieces of mortar. Once the grooves are cut, remove all the dust between the joints with a soft brush and then wet the inside of the joints with a water sprayer.
You should make sufficient mortar to last for the number of brick courses you are repointing. To mix your mortar, you need 3 parts building (sharp) sand to 1 part cement and, in order to make the mortar less likely to crack, ¼ part hydrated lime. Mix with a little water until you have a firm paste with a similar consistency to Marzipan. Carefully repoint the horizontal joints and then the vertical joints, taking care not to put mortar on the bricks themselves. Once you have completed the process along the first rows of brick course, move down and repeat grinding and pointing until the wall is completely finished.
There are a number of finishes you can give to your brickwork (illustrated above). Remember to keep the same style consistent through repointing and the effort will be worthwhile, with a draught-free and secure wall that not only looks good, but improves the “kerb appeal” of your house and adds value to your property.
Tags: add value to your property, brickwork, builder, Construction, damp proofing, Home Maintenance, Kerb Appeal, mortar, renovate, replastering, repointing
Posted in Bricklaying, General Building | Comments Off
 External appearances influence potential buyers : Image courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives A report released last week on propertytalklive.co.uk, shows that there are now 43% more properties on the market in the UK than there were at the beginning of the year. Despite this growth of property stock, the latest quarterly release from Nationwide Building Society show property prices continuing to inch up month on month. However, for Londoners, the picture for people trying to sell their property is bleak. According to Liam Bailey, head of residential research at international realtors Knight Frank, 68% of property bought in the capital throughout 2009 was purchased by overseas residents. This makes it incredibly difficult for vendors in London to sell their homes locally, and trying to remain price competitive within the London postcode region is often not enough.
Adding Value with Home Improvements
Adding value to your property by making home improvements can lead to obtaining both that quick sale and a higher level of profit. London based journalist, Lucy Denyer, recently wrote in the Sunday Times regarding the vendor of a flat in Highbury Park, North London, which had been on the market for many months without attracting much interest. The vendor decided to employ the services of some recommended tradesmen to reduce the size of the bathroom and create a feature dressing room for one of the bedrooms. The property was sold the day it went back on the market for £360.000, having originally been valued at £290.000.
Kerb Appeal
Not everybody will have to take such drastic steps to improve the saleability of their property. Paul Gosling, writing for the Independent on Sunday, notes that many people ignore the front of their property, yet this is the area of the house that potential purchasers see first. “Kerb Appeal” is one of the most overlooked areas of selling a house, and vendors are recommended by John Woodward – property services manager for Woolwich Property Services – “… to cross the road, look at the front of their house, and think about what would put them off”.
Repairing broken masonry, installing new guttering and replacing flaked, dowdy paintwork with a fresh coat of bright gloss can make all the difference to how a potential purchaser views your property. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and there are many local tradesmen throughout London now using their skills to help people sell their homes than ever before. Good builders these days need to have comprehensive skill sets themselves to remain competitive, and vendors should get a series of builder´s quotes before proceeding with any exterior facelift to their property.
Finding the Right Tradesman for the Job
To find trades people for the jobs that you may find too difficult to do yourself, Mr-Skill.co.uk has an extensive directory of highly rated builders throughout London that will offer their quotes for free. Please review our section “Hiring Advice” section, which demonstrates some good and bad examples of how to post your job in order to get the best tradesman – at the best price – to do your job.
Tags: brickwork, Construction, crack stitching, damp proofing, doors and windows, driveway, Gardening, Guttering, Home Improvements, Home Maintenance, Kerb Appeal, masonry, Painting, refurbish, renovate, replastering, repointing, roof, Windows and Doors
Posted in Improving the appeal and value of your home | Comments Off
From zero carbon to wind turbines, there are tons of eco features that can be added to your home. With Home Reports having been made statutory, it is more important than ever to be seen to be green. It is easier than ever to add a few eco features to your existing home – thus salving your conscience and saving you a few pounds on your energy bill.
 Green Eco Home Even if you just want to re-decorate, it’s possible to do this in an eco way. Many paints used in home decorating contain harmful chemicals, however natural paints are more popular than ever, and you can even choose from a gorgeous range of shade. Wallpaper also comes in environmentally-friendly options, using paper from sustainable, renewable forests, and even using water-based inks that don’t contain toxic chemicals or solvents. Eco design warrior Oliver Heath has a great range of environmentally sound wallpapers on his website www.ecocentric.co.uk
Ensuring that your home is well-insulated not only reduces the amount of energy you consume, but also cuts your heating bills. All types of insulation benefit the environment, but there are various natural options available, from recycled materials to sheep’s wool. Your builder will be able to advise on and source these products easily. Cellulose fibre is the newest insulation material to become popular. It’s made from recycled, fireproofed newsprint making it extremely safe to use as well as massively friendly to the environment. Other insulation types can be made from old denim jeans, hemp, cotton clothes or even recycled plastic bottles. The traditional eco choice, sheep’s wool insulation is highly efficient and very environmentally friendly. Once again, various grants may be available, depending on your circumstances. See www.government-grants.co.uk for full details of government grants.
Moving inside the home, another option is to install a wood burning stove, which is much more efficient than an open fire. Whether you want to just heat your lounge or the water for your whole house, wood burning stoves and boilers are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to oil and gas. And wood is a carbon neutral resource – well-managed woodlands also have benefits for wildlife and conservation, making your eco choice all the more effective. Stovax are one of the best manufacturers of stylish wood-burning stoves – see www.stovax.com for their modern and traditional models.
While it’s great to ensure you’re maximising the heat in your home, it’s even better to ensure that heat is generated in an ecological way. One of the most efficient ways of saving money in the long term is to maximise the free heating from the sun: harness solar energy. By absorbing as much natural sunlight and heat as possible, an eco home reduces the need for supplementary heating, a technique known as passive solar gain.
If you have a house or are on the top floor of a maisonette or flat, the roof pitch of your home could allow for solar panels. Water heated by the sun can cover around 65% of a family’s annual hot water needs, in the summer this can rise to 90%. A builder will be able to give you an idea of how effective this will be in your particular area.
Wind turbines are growing in popularity and are a great way to provide clean, renewable energy. They convert the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy. The cost of implementing this method really depends on how much energy you wish to generate. A low efficiency wind turbine can be picked up for as little as £200 and can be fitted relatively easily – although it’s always best to call the professionals! Planning permission is needed for the installation of a wind turbine, so make sure to check the legalities, although your builder or supplier should be able to advise. Also, if you should wish to sell your turbine at any time, there is a market for second-hand models. See www.provenenergy.co.uk for information on buying and selling wind turbines.
Geothermal heat harnesses energy from the earth by circulating water through plastic pipes buried in the ground. Because they can be fitted to the outside of any building (subject to the relevant planning permissions) they are perfect for retro-fitting. Grants can be available to add to the inherent financial incentives of incorporating these green technologies in your eco home. Further information can be found at www.energygrants.co.uk.
Saving water is an important consideration when trying to make your home more eco-friendly. A grey-water system stores water you have already used in a large tank underground. The water comes from the dishwasher, washing machine, bath and sinks, and is then re-used for flushing your toilet or watering the garden. Rainwater harvesting systems follow the same principle, collecting water that falls on the roof, discarding leaves and other debris, before storing the water for re-use. It is estimated that more than 50% of mains water can be substituted by rainwater – a very important saving when you think how much water we all use in an average day. A plumber will be able to maximise the effect of this sort of work. Dual flush systems on bathroom cisterns also minimise water wastage – something that can easily be installed as part of a bathroom renovation.
By using local builders, you also put money into the local economy. Thinking global and acting local is an important part of saving the planet. Compile a list of the eco jobs you need doing – whether it’s upping your insulation or installing solar panels – and let our local tradesmen quote for them. Being green is as easy as that!
Tags: boiler, cellulose fibre, dual flush cistern, eco, eco features, eco paints, green, green issues, grey water system, home insulation, home report, Home Reports, Insulation, lower heating bills, natural paints, passive solar gain, rainwater harvesting, re-using grey water, refurbish, renewable energy, renovate, roof, save money, saving water, sheep’s wool insulation, solar energy, solar heating, solar panel, solar power, wind energy, wind turbine, wind turbines, wood-burning boiler, wood-burning stove, zero carbon
Posted in Save Money through Home Improvement | Comments Off
Whether you are thinking of moving or just improving, at this time of year our thoughts inevitably turn to sprucing up the outside of our house. First impressions definitely count and, whether it’s friends and family or potential buyers, visitors to your home will judge the outside before they even step foot in your house. If you are planning on putting your house on the market it’s worth remembering that viewers are buying into a lifestyle – you want to ensure that lifestyle looks as attractive as possible.
 Example of kerb appeal For instant kerb appeal, think about fitting a new front door. Whether wooden, PVC or glass, a new front door makes the world of difference to how the front of your house looks. If you have an existing wooden door, it may be possible just to paint your front door – an inexpensive way to make a big impact. However, unless you’re an aspiring artist it might be best to bring in a professional painter and decorator – drips of gloss or untidy edges can spoil the whole look in an instant.
Take this one step further and refurbish or paint your windows, fence and gates. The uniform look that this will achieve will far outweigh the extra financial outlay. Choosing the right colour is important – if you want to stand out from the crowd why not pick a bright colour that complements your neighbours’? This way you set your house apart but maximise on the collective look of the neighbourhood.
Pointing and tidying up your brickwork can transform the way your house looks. A good London builder will be able to do this quickly and easily. Our eyes enjoy symmetry and perfect brickwork looks a lot better than shabby, crumbling bricks and mortar. Especially if you are thinking of selling your home. You never get a second chance to make a first impression and, when you consider that it can take buyers as little as eight seconds to decide whether they want to buy a house, your property needs to look as good as possible at first glance.
If you are lucky enough to have a garden, make sure it looks as tidy as possible. A landscape gardener will be able to transform your garden into an oasis of calm and luxury, but you don’t have to blow your budget. If you can’t stretch to landscape gardening, simply planting a few flowers, re-turfing the lawn or even just giving it a trim and tidying the hedges can make a huge difference at a low cost. Our eyes are automatically drawn to the edges of a lawn so, if you don’t have the correct tools, get a gardener in to use a round edged lawn cutter to get a crisp, even finish. Planting a few bulbs and tidying borders also enhance the appearance of your garden easily, as does adding window boxes and hanging baskets. Gardeners are relatively inexpensive and you might find that it makes sense to get someone in to maintain your garden once you’ve got it looking spick and span – after all, you want to have time to enjoy it!
Hone your exterior style by tidying up paths and driveways using monoblock or, less expensively, woodchip, gravel or crazy paving. The former will give a gorgeously uniform look to the front of your house but, if price is a factor, woodchip, pebbles, gravel or crazy paving will achieve the look on a budget. Building a new wall to surround your entrance will finish off the look perfectly.
If you want to be a little more extravagant, why not consider creating a garden pond or water feature? The sound of running water is perfect for disguising traffic noise and giving your garden a tranquil feel. While this is a bigger job than simply tidying up the garden, the effect will definitely be worth it and will transform your outdoor space.
So, next time you get home after a long day at work, have a look at the front of your home and see what it says about you. After all, it’s the only bit of your home that 99% of people ever get to see. If you don’t feel it shows you in the best light, why not put together a ‘to-do’ list and get quotes from our tradesmen today?
Tags: bricks, brickwork, builder, building a pond, building a water feature, building garden wall, bushes, crazy paving, doing up house, drive, driveway, fence, front door, Garden, garden fence, garden wall, gardener, Gardening, gardens, gate, glass, gravel, hanging basket, Home Improvements, house, improve, landscape, landscape gardener, lawn, lay, London, monoblock, mortar, move, moving, mow, mowing the lawn, new, new front door, new windows, paint, painting fence, painting front door, painting windows, path, pebbles, plant, planting, planting bulbs, plants, pointing, prune, pruning, PVC, re-turf, re-turfing, re-turfing lawn, reconditioning windows, refurbish, refurbishing windows, renovate, shed, tidy, tidying, trim, turf, turfing, wall, window, window bo, windows, woodchip, wooden
Posted in Improving the appeal and value of your home | Comments Off
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