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Posts Tagged ‘tools<’
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
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Posted in Tiling & Flooring on Jun 01
Tiling over an existing cement floor for the first time needs careful preparation, if you want the finished job to appear perfectly smooth. You will have to ensure that the sub-floor is level, while filling all holes and imperfections too. This is because untreated holes have a habit of expanding, and you don’t want this happening under your newly tiled floor!
What You’ll Need for this Moderately Difficult Job
In this article, we are assuming that you know your way around tiling, having tiled before. If this is not the case, rather find a tiling and flooring specialist here on Mr-Skill. As with all DIY work, always think safety first: 
- Goggles, cold chisel, hammer, vacuum cleaner, paintbrush, bonding liquid, tile cement, trowel and plaster float.
- A good pair of plastic gloves to protect your hands.
If you have any doubt about your ability to do the work, this would be a good time to get a tiling and flooring quote right here.
The Preparation Process
Level the cement floor using the hammer and chisel, making sure to clean out any holes and other imperfections. Don’t forget the goggles to avoid flying cement chips. Remember, your tile cement won’t adhere to feathered and uneven surfaces.
Be sure to rim out holes to get a good bonding surface, and then vacuum the entire floor to remove all dust and debris. Wipe the surface with a clean damp cloth to ensure that it is dirt-free.
Apply the bonding liquid to the clean cement floor, making sure it penetrates the holes too. Now, mix the required amount of cement according to the maker’s instructions, and apply it in the holes and hollows. 
Be sure to spread the cement over all patching areas – as well as into corners and ridges – as you apply it across the floor working from the furthest corner. The end result should be a perfectly flat tiling area with no holes or other imperfections.
As you go along, use the trowel and float to smooth and evenly spread the wet cement, not forgetting corners and ridges.
Finally, a tip from one of our London tilers and floorers – he says that you must wait a decent period for the surface to dry and bond properly before laying tiles. Depending on the weather conditions, allow at least four days.
Tags: bonding liquid, cement, corners, drying time, find a tiling-and-flooring specialist, holes, london-tiler-and-floorer, preparing, protective gear, ridges, screed, screeding, smooth, smoothing, sub floor, tiling, tiling experience, tiling-and-flooring quote, tools, wet
Posted in Tiling & Flooring | Comments Off
Posted in Carpentry & Joinery on Apr 10
A decent space to complete your carpentry projects is a bonus, that’s for sure. We are of course assuming that you are handy, interested and have sufficient spare room in your garage. Converting that space into a carpentry workshop will quickly pay for itself too.
Apart from all those jobs that you can turn out for your own household, imagine the potential work from your neighbourhood. Talk about a paying hobby – plus, you’ll be the envy of all your friends, who will wish “they could be that good with their hands too”. In next to no time, you could be registering on Mr-Skill yourself, so that others can get a carpenter quote from you.
Things You Should Do First 
We are of course assuming that you already have the range of tools and equipment that you will need. An empty garage would be an added bonus. Next, check with your local authority in case their zoning rules are problematic. Find an electrician to safely wire up your new workspace – you can choose one from Mr-Skill.
Before diving in, check with other people who have already done what you plan to do. There are plenty of online forums, and most people will be happy to advise you, so all you have to do is find a carpenter chat room.
Planning 
- Once you have decided to get going, begin by arranging the available space to accommodate all your tools. Remember to allow for bigger static items such as a table saw or bench press. Everything must be set out for ease of use, and it goes without saying that your carpentry shop should be neat and tidy at the end of each work session. Be prepared as the Boy Scouts always say!
- Position a sturdy work-table in the centre of the space. Build upper storage cupboards for holding tools, and put up lots of shelving for oils, solvents and glues.
- Once you have set up your workshop, get quotes from licensed electricians. You may need to convert your power feed to a three-phase supply to cater for all the machines.
You are just about ready to open shop now. One last word from one of our regular London carpenters on Mr-Skill. He advises that you to check rules and regulations thoroughly with your local authority, before you spend a penny!
Tags: carpenter quote, carpenters, cupboards, electrician, electricity, find a carpenter, forums, garage, glues, heavy duty, local authority, london carpenters, paint, power, shelves, shop, tools, workshop
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Posted in General Building on Mar 26
Apart from looking very nice, a new bathroom can play a significant role when it comes to selling your home and achieving a good price. Bathrooms are not that difficult to spruce up either, so long as you plan carefully, and have all your ducks in a row.
First, decide if you need to find a general builder to do the job for you. Then, you should set a budget by listing everything that you have to buy. This should include all the sanitary ware such as new toilet and cistern, hand basin and cabinet, bath and shower cubicle, tiles, and a wall cabinet with mirror. Don’t forget tap fittings, extractor fans and a new combination light and ceiling heater. Towel rails, as well as other finishing touches can come later once everything else is finished.
Planning
- Draw up a copy of your new bathroom layout, and work out a budget too.
- Choose your new bathroom fittings from your preferred dealer. Remember to agree a delivery date before paying.
- Decide when you are going to start the job and warn the general household.
- Unless you have two bathrooms, allow for the time your bathroom will be out of commission.
Project Advice
- Make sure you have everything you need, including tools and safety gear.
- Isolate the water supply to the bathroom under renovation.
- Remove old bathroom tiles and fittings.
- Make good with any repairs needed to the subfloor and walls – fill plaster cracks for example and attend to any damp. If you discover things you did not expect, consider getting a general building quote instead.
- Prepare and repaint any wall area that you are not planning to tile, making sure the paint is suitable for bathroom use.
- You’re now ready to install your new tiles and fittings – imagine your new bathroom looking like this!
Oswald is a wild old sage – he’s one of our favourite London general builders. He has been refitting bathrooms for longer than most of us would guess, and he says that provided you are reasonably handy, renovating your bathroom yourself is possible. One word of caution though…once you have started it’s all about commitment. So plan the event carefully before starting!
Tags: add value, bath, bathroom refit, bathrrom renovation, cabinet, ceiling heater, ceiling light, damp, equipment, extractor fan, find a general builder, fittings, floor, general building quote, handbasin, London general builder, new bathroom, Plumbing, renovate bathroom, sanitary ware, shower, subfloor, tiles, toilet, tools
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Our London Carpenter and Joinery expert tells us that he is amazed at how popular laminate floors have become in the world of renovation. He goes on to say that “Laminate flooring makes use of a tried and trusted tongue-in-groove system that allows one floor panel to lock tightly to the next.” Fitting a laminate floor is quite a simple job – provided, that is you have the right tools, material and skills.
A well-fitted laminate floor provides a high quality finish that is both pleasant to look at, and great to walk on too. Getting the flooring to meet under a doorway and flowing nicely into another room is not too difficult either, as long as you plan and work carefully. Before reading on, you may prefer to get a Carpenter Quote from one of the many professional flooring providers on Mr-Skill.
 Tools you Need
Tape measure and scissors or stanley knife
Crow bar, wooden tapping block and handsaw
Circular saw – not too coarse but certainly sharp
Jig saw and rubber mallet
Sharp, medium bladed wood chisel
Laminate flooring and appropriate underlay barrier
Method to Follow
Measure the floor area to be covered, and purchase the floor laminate of your choice – don’t forget the underlay. Remove any old floor covering such as carpets or tiles or plastic floor covering.
 Unpack the floor laminate, and lay it down to check fit and to allow it to acclimatise for several days, according to the maker’s instructions.
Lever away the existing skirting boards gently with the crow bar. Be sure to mark where each section belongs to make for easy refitting later.
Ensure that the floor surface is clean, dry and woodworm-free. Secure old wooden floorboards before fitting your new flooring. Uneven concrete floors should be levelled correctly.
You are now ready to start laying your new laminate floor. If on the other hand you decide that this sounds all too difficult, you could find carpenter and joinery specialists on Mr-Skill instead.
See Next Article ….
Tags: barrier, carpenter quote, chisel, crow bar, doorway adjustment, find a carpenter or joiner, floor, flooring, laminate, london carpenter & Joiner, material, quality finish, Renovation, rubber mallet, saw, tools, underlay, wooden block
Posted in Carpentry & Joinery, Project Advice | Comments Off
This article follows on from the previous one covering the preparation of laminate flooring. Be sure to read that part first. Don’t forget that Mr-Skill has a number of specialists on board, should you decide that you would prefer to find a carpenter or joiner. Click on Mr-Skill and get your carpentry quote right away.
 Steps for Laying Laminate Flooring
Lay out the plastic underlay on the floor. Then staple or pin it down on all the edges to prevent it “walking”.
Place plastic spacers every two feet against the longest wall, to allow for expansion. Begin by laying the first row of laminate boards from either corner, with the groove facing the wall.
Lay the boards in the same direction as you continue. Start the next row using the piece cut off from the end of the first run so you stagger joints. Tap the ends of the boards together using a rubber mallet and wooden block.
When you reach the door, you may need to trim the bottom of it to allow for the laminate thickness.  Drill a neat series of holes in the laminate to accommodate gas or plumbing pipes. If you calculate this accurately, you can use the small off-cuts to plug the gap around the back of the pipe.
You may need to trim the last row of laminate boards in the length to fit the remaining space. Don’t forget to allow for the expansion gap! The last word on the subject is never to neglect your safety. You are now ready to reinstate the skirting boards.
This job should take no more than a weekend, depending on the total area to be covered. Laminate flooring is ideal for any flat or home. If that all sounds too hard for you to do, then why not contact one of our London Carpenters or Joinery Experts to do the job for you instead.
Tags: barrier, boards, carpenter quote, doors, find a carpenter or joiner, fitting, fixtures, gas, groove, laminate, london carpenter, pipe, plumbing.joints, spacers, staggered, tongue, tools, underlay, wooden block
Posted in Carpentry & Joinery, Project Advice | Comments Off
Posted in Kitchen Fitting on Jul 25
Despite what the world’s philosophers say, the future is often the same as the past, and that’s because humankind simply can’t think laterally. We keep on polluting the air, fighting pointless wars and eating unhealthily too.  The same failing applies to many remodelled kitchens that I have seen as well.
I wish I could have a free pint down at the local pub (naturally taken over a responsible period of time) for every brand new kitchen that I’ve seen festooned with double adaptors and ugly cables, when just a little planning could have avoided all of that. Most London Kitchen Fitters that I’ve dealt with over many years have a simple take on this. If there’s a work surface, they say, that’s not too close to water, then fit an electric outlet socket in the wall right next to it.
After you have sorted all these and similar things out in your mind, decided on the layout for your kitchen and got your Kitchen Fitter Quotes from Mr-Skill, the next thing to do is to appoint a kitchen fitting firm, and to iron all the nitty-gritty out with them before they start.
 And here I’d like to make a special plea on behalf of all the world’s tradespeople. You can Find a Kitchen Fitter who looks perfect, but, if you don’t allow the poor fellow the space he needs to do the job and put up with a modicum of mess, then your chances are reasonably good that you could end up with an unenthusiastic job.
So please let them park their van outside the front door and wander in and out with dusty feet. Give them space to leave their tools overnight somewhere safe and dry, and don’t forget that friendly cup of tea every time they take their breaks. That way, chances are that you could get a happy kitchen, and that, I think, is where all happy families belong.
Good luck with your new kitchen project from Mr-Skill.
Tags: adaptor, appoint, cable, detail, dirt, dry, dust, electric, enthusiastic, find a kitchen fitter, firm, fit, front door, future, happy, kitchen, kitchen fitter quotes, layout, london kitchen fitter, mess, outlet, park, past, plan, remodel, repeat, safe, socket, store, tools, van, water
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Posted in Handyman Services on Feb 09
A home handyman’s life is never easy what with the skills they patch up as they go along and you-know-who in the  background complaining about the slightest bit of dust. Before you tear your hair out in frustration here are a Ten Top Tips to make your life a little easier. Still sorry you took on that difficult job? No worries – just ask Mr-Skill for a handyman quote.
1. Never build on a weak foundation. That includes not covering a loose floor, or tiling directly onto vinyl. If your surface preparation is dodgy, so will be the finished job.
2. Look after your notes. Don’t scrunch them up in your pocket of trample them on the floor. Write your measurements neatly on a piece of paper and pin them up where you will be working with prestik or something similar.
3. An old man I know who has retired from being a Handyman in London still always carries a magnet in his pocket. I do so too these days, ever since I dropped a tiny nut and bolt into a shaggy carpet.
 4. To drive a tiny screw into a hard-to-reach hole attach it to a screwdriver with prestik or masking tape. Tapping in a pilot hole with a hammer and a nail can turn a nightmare into a dream job.
5. If you come across a screw that is locked in tight try heating the screw head with a soldering iron – sometimes this works and the screw comes out a whole lot easier.
6. A badly rusted nut and bolt will separate easily after you soak what you can see with (can you believe it) coca-cola. Give this time to soak in for a few days before applying spanner pressure.
7. Extension leads are the bane of my life as I am always tripping over them. Before you break a leg and need to Find a Handyman put a few temporary hooks in the wall and drape the extension cord between them.
 8. When mixing plaster add the plaster to the water and not the other way around to avoid creating lumps. It will spread a great deal smoother too.
9. Keep a box with you for storing the tools you are using regularly on a job and stop spending your time looking for the hammer or the screwdriver. A smaller box inside it for tiny things is a great time-saver too.
10. When measuring make sure the tape is between the two closest points. This means keeping it level and between two points the same distance from the corner of the room.
These are just a few more good ideas from Mr-Skill, the homeowner’s friend. Aren’t you pleased you found our website?
Tags: bolt, box, coca-cola, dust, extension lead, find a handyman, foundation, frustration, good ideas, handyman, handyman london, handyman quote, locked, loose, magnet, masking tape, measure, measurements, nail, notes, nut, plaster, prestik, punch, screw, skill, soldering iron, spanner, surface preparation, tape, tight, tip, tools, vinyl, water
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Posted in Carpentry & Joinery on Dec 13
There are always small woodworking jobs to do around the home, and the advent of power tools has made this easier. Unfortunately, power tools when used unwisely can also harm– when you take the following advice, and wear the correct  safety gear too, you should improve your chances of avoiding injury. Of course, you should be able to avoid harm completely when you find a carpenter on Mr-Skill
o Before you start, inspect for electrical safety. Are all connections tight, and are all cables in perfect condition? If yes and the premises are protected by earth leakage too, it should be safe to start.
o Use sharp tools only. That way you reduce the risk of a cutting edge grabbing and catching you by surprise. Other advantages of using tools in good condition are that the job goes quicker and the finished job looks more professional too.
o You should think about your hands continuously, and what could happen to them if a tool slips unexpectedly. Could your hand collide with a hard object, or worse still, be lacerated by a cutting tool? Although in theory, this is impossible when you use a power tool correctly with the right safety guards in place, the important thing is never to become casual, and watch your spare hand too
o Carpenters in London who I know insist that their apprentices stand in a position where that they cannot injure their faces in the same way either. A good rule of thumb here is, if it could happen, stop the job and think again.
o Before engaging any power tool, check that you are standing safely. This means a firm footing and leaning comfortably in the direction of your work. If your back starts playing up or you start getting cramps, switch off and find a better way to work.
Finally, never attempt a job that is to big for you, and for which you do not have the rights tools and safety gear. Think safe. Think Mr-Skill. Get carpenter quotes free there.
Tags: body, cables, carpenter quotes, carpenters london, connections, cramp, earth leakage, electric tool, electrical safety, face, find a carpenter, find a joiner, hand, joiner quotes, joiners london, power tool, safe, safety, safety gear, safety guard, sharp, tools, working position.
Posted in Carpentry & Joinery | Comments Off
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