| |
Posts Tagged ‘secure<’
There’s nothing quite as irritating as water hammering in pipes, especially when you’re trying to sleep and someone gets up to use the loo. Unfortunately water is one of those things that has its own mind. There are however ways that you can control it,  and you may not even need to Find a Plumber if you read further.
When you turn off a water tap that’s under pressure (usually the cold one), the water suddenly stops flowing as it comes up against the valve. It pushes back against the water that’s still on its way. The result’s a slight collision between opposing forces.
The energy that’s released transmits to the pipes themselves, which respond by reverberating. Normally, you don’t hear the slight sound that results. However, when the pipes are hanging loose they bang about, and that’s the noise we call a water hammer. There are two ways to sort the problem out. Fix it completely, or manage it.
- Solve the problem at its source – Obtain a Plumbing Quote on Mr-Skill to install a water
 hammer arrestor. This is in effect a shock-absorber that absorbs the impact and eliminates the root cause. The picture above is of arrestors attached to dish-washer inlet pipes. London Plumbers often install these in older homes, where loose pipes are bricked up behind rendering.
- Eliminate the consequences – Take a look at the picture opposite. It’s typical of what you might find when you look. Can you see how many pipes are hanging loose? What an opportunity for a water hammer. Your most likely culprit though is an unsupported run of pipe across the ceiling. Find it, secure it, solve the problem.
These water hammer solutions come to you with the compliments of Mr-Skill, the website where you find the perfect solution to every home repair. Don’t take a chance and hire an unknown trades person off the street. We personally investigate the ones we recommend.
Tags: arrestor, bang, control, find, find a plumber, fix, hammer, knock, london plumbers, loose, pipe, plumbing quote, pressure, reverberate, secure, solve, transmit, water, water hammer
Posted in Plumbing, Heating & Gas | Comments Off
Wouldn’t it be nice to have the dining room opening directly into the garden on a balmy summer’s day? What a good idea except you only have a window, and climbing in and out through it is hardly everybody’s idea of fun. Well then, why not convert the window to a set of french doors instead? After all, Door Fitters in London do this sort of thing every day.
o Call in a supplier to measure up, quote and make up a new set of doors for you, and do nothing else yourself, until these arrive and have been checked for size. They should be exactly the same width as the existing window, unless that  is you are looking for a whole lot more work to do.
o Empty the room completely. Remove one opening window pane so you can climb in and out through the opening. Secure the inter-leading door and mask around it. Also mask around the doors of any cupboards and protect anything else appropriate from dust.
o Remove the window and its frame completely, being extra careful not to disturb any plaster. If you notice any cracks in the wall above the opening immediately prop it, and seek expert advice. Changing windows into doors is a job only for the brave. That’s why so many British homeowners get Door Fitting Quotes on Mr-Skill instead.
o Mark perpendicular lines from the left and right bottom sides of the existing opening down to floor level, on both sides of the wall. Check and double-check these carefully. Cut through these lines with an angle grinder, working alternatively from the inside and the outside, until you can see light shine right through. Do your best to cut square with the wall, because this will make the rest of your task far easier.
o Break out the wall using a large hammer. The masonry will be resting on the damp course and may even come out in a single piece, so take care it does not fall on precious children, tools and dogs.  Remove the rubble. Tidy up the opening. Clean up the room. The dirty work is done.
o Remove the french doors from the window frame (if pre-fitted) and offer the frame up to the opening. It should be a close fit, but not a tight one. Wedge it in position and check that it is vertical, plumb, level and square. Use more wedges to adjust it until everything is perfect. Get this wrong, and the doors won’t close properly.
o Attach the frame permanently to the wall with plugs and screws. Remember to drive them in the last few turns by hand, in case they need to come out later to make a change. Then hang your doors, making tiny adjustments as you go along until everything is perfect. Install the locks and handles. Your home is secure again, and you didn’t need to Find a Door Fitter either (although you could have on Mr-Skill). You can even open up the inter-leading door again to receive a well-deserved cup of tea.
All that’s left to do is to tidy up the inside rendering, touch up with paint and seal around the frame outside with silicone. It’s nice when a job like this comes together relatively easily. Won’t the neighbours be surprised…
Tags: angle grinder, attach, brick, check, child, clean, crack, cupboard, cut, dirty, dog, door fitters in london, door fitting quote, dust, empty, exact, find a door fitter, frame, french door, Garden, hammer, handle, hang, horizontal, idea, level, line, lock, mask, masonry, measure, open, paint, pane, perpendicular, plaster, prop, quote, remove, render, room, rubble, screw, secure, side, silicone, size, square, summer, supplier, tool, true, vertical, window
Posted in Window & Door Fitting | Comments Off
From time to time there are improvements to the design of windows that both improve their thermal qualities, and make bold aesthetic statements too. If you are living in an older home and are facing high heating bills, then it could be time to consider an upgrade. Of course it’s possible to do  the job yourself if you live downstairs, and have all the time in the world too. If not, here’s a brief description of the process that professional London Window Fitting Services like to follow.
o Measure for the replacement window carefully. Get this wrong and you could end up with an expensive contribution to the Council scrapheap.
o Make sure that the window you order is glazed from the inside for added security and ease of fitment, particularly if you will be working upstairs.
o When the new window arrives and the weather is appropriate, remove the old one carefully, taking care not to damage the surrounds in any way.
o Bed in the outer window cill, making sure that it is level, well sealed against rain and drafts, and firmly fixed.
o Secure the frame on all four sides, again making sure that everything is absolutely square, level and plumb. Fit wedges as necessary and screw firmly into place.
o  Glaze the window, and test that everything works correctly. If you get Window Fitting Quotes on Mr-Skill instead then this should hardly an issue, but insist on testing everything anyway. If you encounter a problem, loosen off the securing screws around the frame and adjust until the out-of-square problem disappears. Re-tighten everything.
o Complete the job by weatherproofing with silicone all round the frame outside.
If the thought of sealing off an upstairs window while standing on a long ladder puts you off, then why not Find a Window Fitter on our website instead. We monitor our tradespeople carefully for quality, and the competitive environment within which they work could also get you up to 30% off the going rate. How’s that for a good idea?
Tags: adjust, aesthetic, appearance, bed, careful, cill, damage, downstairs, find a window fitter, fitment, fix, frame, glaze, heating, inside, ladder, level, level.seal, london window fitting services, loose, measure, outside, plumb, process, proof, replace, screw, seal, secure, security, silicone, sill, square, surround, thermal, tight, upgrade, upstairs, weathermremove, wedge, window, window fitting quote(s)
Posted in Window & Door Fitting | Comments Off
Posted in Kitchen Fitting on Jan 28
 Installing kitchen worktops and sinks should be well within the capabilities of a skilled home craftsman with a straight and level eye and the right tools too. Bearing in mind the high costs of the cabinetry involved and the virtual impossibility of reversing an over-cut, you could also be wise to find a Kitchen Fitter with experience to do the job for you instead.
o When fitting a pair of kitchen counter tops the first thing to consider is the overall effect. It is better to fit the top across the far wall first (when viewed from the kitchen entrance), because that way the joint will be less obvious to the eye.
o After cutting and loose-fitting this top, measure for the other one, carefully allowing for the fact that wall corners are seldom square. When you are absolutely sure, mark up the top and cut it carefully to avoid chipping the laminate. Loose fit the complete set, and adjust where necessary. Remove and seal all raw edges (except the one that will be exposed) with a polyvinyl acrylic product.
 o Run a bead of silicone along the top of the cabinetry where the first counter top will be fitted, press it down firmly and immediately secure it with screws from the underside. Apply the joining strips with silicone on both sides, run silicone along the top of the remaining cabinetry, push the second counter top firmly into place and secure it with screws as well. Remove all excess silicone immediately.
o Place the kitchen sink upside down in position and mark the outline with a carpenter’s pencil or indelible fell-tipped pen. Double check with the manufacturer’s template and adjust your line as required. Mark out a second outline a centimetre inside the original one and cut this out carefully using an electric jigsaw. Remember to support the surplus piece before you start. When done, seal the cut edge with the same polyvinyl acrylic product.
 o After checking the sink fit and making any adjustments, install the taps and drains including traps. Fit the sealing ring around the edge of the sink-top. Run a bead of silicone along the top of the cut-out in the kitchen top and lower the sink carefully into position. Secure with the clips supplied. Finally, fit matching laminate to the exposed edges. Kitchen Fitters London and surrounding areas sometimes prefer to finish the job off with strips of wood instead.
As I mentioned, not an easy job especially accounting for the cost of kitchen counter tops. Do not attempt to do this job unaided unless you are confident of success. Rather play safe and get Kitchen Fitting Quotes courtesy of Mr-Skill for installing worktops and sinks instead. If not an expert, you could just be glad you took my advice.
Tags: adjust, adjustment, clips, cost, cut, drains, edge, exposed, find a kitchen fitter, jigsaw, join, joint, kitchen, kitchen fitter london, kitchen fitter quote, kitchen fitting london, kitchen fitting quotes, kitchen sink, laminate, level, loose fit, outline, polyvinyl acrylic, raw, screws, secure, securing clips, silicone, sink, straight eye, strip, taps, template, traps, wood, work top, worktop
Posted in Kitchen Fitting | Comments Off
New Year is the right time to implement plans to make your home safer for the whole family, and that includes making sure  that you can all sleep peacefully at night too. This includes checking that the windows and doors all lock tightly, and that any alarm systems are working as they should. You also need to make sure you have spare keys inside the house in case somebody is trapped and needs to escape, and a spare back and front door key kept with a friendly neighbour, just in case too.
In case you were wondering how to do all this it’s really easy. Simply find a locksmith recommended by Mr-Skill to do it for you at a low, low rate. Before you start though, take a sober look at what is really necessary.
o Do all the locks turn easily? If not, try oiling them with a spray can and see if they improve. An old trick I learned when dealing with sticky Yale-type locks from a pal who once worked for Locksmiths London, is to oil the key and slide it in and out a few times to see if this may help. Remember to dry the key afterwards and to tell your partner what you did too – it not you may get dry-cleaning bills for dirty skirts and pockets.
 o How secure really is each lock? If you could kick in a locked outside door it is time to get quotes for an upgrade. Don’t wait for trouble to happen before you take action here.
o How strong are the doors and windows themselves? There is no point in locking them if the hinges are weak or the panels and panes are paper-thin. Remember, security is a holistic subject and the weakest link commands the entire chain.
o Is it time to install a security alarm or upgrade an existing one? The secret to being secure is to be a tougher target than your neighbours – find out what they are doing and keep a jump ahead of them.
Now that you have thought about what you really need to do to make your Home your Castle, you could go ahead and get locksmith quotes from Mr-Skill. Does that sound like a good idea?
Tags: alarm, back, castle, door, family, find a locksmith, front, hinge, home, key, lock, locksmith quotes, locksmiths london, neighbour, oil, safe, secure, sleep, spare, stick, turn, window
Posted in Locksmith, Project Advice | Comments Off
|
Subscribe to our RSS Feed