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Posts Tagged ‘wall<’
Mr-Skill loves recycling because it avoids over-filling our tips, and it saves on the pocket too, when there is no need to buy new bricks. Assuming your bricks are re-usable after demolishing your old wall, he also suggests that they will make for a rustic and creative effect as you build a new wall. 
All it needs is an investment of time and the application of a little elbow-grease – imagine the feeling of accomplishment when it all comes together. If you don’t have the skills to lay bricks, you can still make a positive contribution by preparing the old bricks for re-use, while you find a bricklayer here on Mr-Skill.
Old for New
Set up a production line in a quiet spot in your yard. Then, examine each broken brick piece and decide which ones to keep, and those destined for the rubble pile. For those that are re-usable, it is a case of tidying up the broken face so that all sides are reasonably flat for the re-building job.
Using a pencil, mark up where you plan to cut out the damaged part of the old brick. Carry your marked line around all four faces to facilitate a flat face for the section you are about to level. Now you can go to work with your chisel, working methodically and safely – don’t forget the goggles and gloves!
Laying out the New Course
If you have decided this bit is not for you, you will have to get a bricklaying quote – remember to ask for some discount because of all the preparation work you have already done. If you are going ahead yourself:
- Spread out the prepared mortar evenly along the foundations of the new wall using a trowel.
- Spread a decent layer of mortar on either side of the brick before laying it on the foundation – you could do this in your hand or once the brick’s laid in position, making sure to anchor the bricks firmly in the mortar.
- Continue along the new brick course until you have completed a row, and so on. One of our London bricklayer chuckles that the beauty of using old bricks is that you can trim them to all sorts of shapes and sizes to fit all the nooks and crannies.
Mr-Skill adds that if you have reached this far without fuss, then you are a natural bricklayer, and you should look to joining up as a member!
Tags: anchor, brick, bricklaying quote, broken, chisel, demolishing, discount, find a bricklayer, foundation, gloves, goggles, investment, london bricklaying, mortar, recycling, rubble, safety, trowel, wall, work
Posted in Bricklaying, Project Advice | Comments Off
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Jul 25
Once you have installed two drywalls meeting at right angles to each other, you are going to need to finish the join where they meet at the ceiling, using flexible correctly mitred cornice lengths. Cornice (or coving) of course comes in many shapes and sizes and is even available in easy-to-use light-weight polystyrene these days. This attention to detail will not only finish off the job nicely, it covers up ugly gaps and imperfections too. 
What You’ll Need
- Sandpaper
- Jointing compound to bond the cornice
- Putty knife
- Cleaning cloth
- Suitable lengths of cornice with correct mitre angle
Although not a difficult job, we are of course assuming that your drywalls are in place and that it’s just a matter of adding the ceiling trim to hide the gaps and join-lines.
Been There, Done That!
Fred is one of our long-standing London plasterers, and he always cringes when he receives an enquiry to quote on a plastering job that’s a botch up. While Fred appreciates that there are a number of very able-bodied DIY-types around, he also knows that finishing the gaps where wall meets ceiling is a skill that takes time to master.
Finishing First
You’ll need to smooth any rough edges on the drywall sheets by sanding them finely. Then, wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove the dust and dirt. Allow the surfaces to dry thoroughly.
Time to Glue 
Read the instructions on the bonding agent carefully and then apply as required to the inward-face of the cornice. Remember to run the glue right across the corner – that’s where the two cornice lengths will interlock neatly.
Mounting the Cornice
After observing any recommended waiting time for the bonding agent to dry, mount the cornice in position and press down gently across the full length. Wipe off any surplus glue. Once the glue has dried, you can fine-sand the surface prior to painting.
Call in the Experts
Here at Mr-Skill we fully understand that not everybody is DIY-minded, and may very well need professional help with such jobs. No problem at all, because that is the name of our game. So, rather find a plasterer with minimum fuss, and the good news is that we have some eye-catching specials running right at this moment too. You could even get as much as 30% off, but hurry!
Tags: bonding compound, ceiling, clean, cornice, dirt, drywalls, dust, find a plasterer, gaps, glue, london plasterer, mitre, paint, plaster, plastering quote, rough edges, smooth, specials, wall
Posted in Plastering & Drywall | Comments Off
Posted in Tiling & Flooring on Jul 19
It’s quite amazing how even knowing about a cracked tile in the home can have us wondering just what to do about it. One of our London tilers summed it up quite nicely when he mentioned how his colleagues seldom thought to offer the homeowner a couple of extra tiles to hold as spares for future breakages. Easy for him, we hear you say, but how difficult is repairing a tile in any case? The answer – quite simple, if you observe the following advice offered by Mr-Skill: 
Taking Stock
Throwing your arms up in frustration is not going to solve the problem, but following these simple steps is likely to have you smiling. Even so, some people are simply not motivated to make repairs like this themselves. If this describes you, rather find a tiler to do the job for you. Mr-Skill has a number of experts lined up. They have all been pre-screened, and the good news is that there are some great discounts on normal prices but you ought to move fast!
What You’ll Need
A special epoxy glue and catalyst set – buy this at any hardware store, but make sure you choose one suitable for ceramic tiles. Also have a putty knife or paint scraper available to mix and apply the resin.
Buy a small sample tin or bottle of oil-based paint to match as closely as possible the tile colour. Oh, and get yourself a small tin of clear polyurethane lacquer too, not forgetting a fine-artist’s brush. If this all sounds complicated, you could also get a tiling repair quote on Mr-Skill.
Step 1
Clean the tile and surrounding area thoroughly, and make sure the wall or floor surface is dry before you start the repair.
Step 2
Mix sufficient epoxy glue and resin together, observing the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Now fill the crack with the mix, using the paint scraper or putty knife.
Step 3
Wipe off any surplus above the crack line and leave the repair to dry completely.
Step 4
Now you can carefully paint over the repair and leave this to dry as well. 
Finally, it is advisable to apply a coat of polyurethane lacquer over the painted area and leave it to dry. Job completed, and it’s time to pop the kettle on and make a nice cuppa to enjoy while you admire your handiwork. Don’t forget to thank Mr-Skill for this wonderful free advice.
Tags: brush, catalyst, clean, cracked tile, epoxy, find a tiling expert, fixing, floor, glue, homeowner, lacquer, london tiler, paint, paint scraper, polyurethane, putty knife, resin, tile, tiling quote, wall
Posted in Tiling & Flooring | Comments Off
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Jun 11
When it comes to rendering finishes, there are a number to choose from and you need to decide which is the most suitable for your purposes. Starting at the top, ceiling plaster and skimming is probably the most difficult finish to perfect, and that’s simply down to gravity and the fact that a fibrous ceiling plasterer works upside down.
The good news is that Mr-Skill has many plasterers on board as members, and we carefully screen them before we let them join up. So you need look no further – find a plastering-and-drywall specialist right here on this website.
Artex Ceiling Plaster
Have you ever wondered how the expert ceiling plasterer manages to achieve that stippled effect on your ceilings? In truth, the textured finish that we call the artex-look arrived on the scene simply because it required little skill to apply. It was hugely popular in the 1970’s and 1980’s. One drawback with the artex finish is that repairs and seam-matching are virtually impossible.
Plain Plastered Ceilings
Just about anyone can plaster a ceiling – that is after a good deal of practice and establishing a rhythm! Basically it’s much the same as wall plastering, except you are working upside down too. Success lies in the plaster mix and then the correct application. Run your float across the ceiling board in smooth, even strokes, and don’t apply it too thick, because there is a good chance the plaster will crack as it dries. If that all sounds complicated, rather get a plastering-and-drywall quote right here on Mr-Skill.
Drywall Plaster
Not as easy as it looks on that video! Again, it takes practice and there’s a definite technique involved too. If at first you don’t succeed…well, if you manage to botch up you can remove it all, and start all over again.
It’s In the Finish
One of Mr-Skill’s regular London plasterers tells us a little about the various plaster options: 
Browning Plaster – So called because of its colour, this is the initial plaster coat applied directly over an underlying structure of brick or masonry, and is quite thick as a coating.
Bonding Plaster – As the name suggests, this is an adhesive coat applied to the underlying structure in preparation for the final finishing plaster coat.
Finishing Plaster – This is the top plaster coat that produces that silky smooth finish. Typically, it is thin in application, to enable final skimming for that million-pound look!
With all these choices and different skills, isn’t it nice to know that you could save up to 25% on regular plastering rates with Mr-Skill, and not have to spend a penny to benefit?
Tags: application, artex ceiling, bonding plaster, brrowning plaster, ceiling, coat, find plastering-and-drywall specialists, finishing plaster, float, londonplasterer-and-drywall expert, plaster mix, plastering-and-drywall quote, renderers, rendering, rythm, silky finish, smooth finish, wall
Posted in Plastering & Drywall | Comments Off
Posted in Handyman Services on Feb 20
It’s surprising how many enquiries we receive about attaching things to walls. While this is the perfect job for a Handyman, it’s quite simple to do yourself. That’s provided you have the right equipment and safety gear. Should you decide to have a go, then these are the seven main things to watch out for.
Safety Tip
 A London Handyman will always have a strong ladder, an assistant and a modern electric drill to help him do his work. If you don’t have the same, please don’t even try to do the job.
- Always use a sharp masonry drill bit that’s slightly undersized for the wall plug you’re installing. You can always make it larger afterwards, but you cannot make it smaller.
- Before you drill, consider what might lurk inside the wall. Never drill directly opposite an electric box, or in line with a water pipe. Remember to check outside the house too.
- Re-check your measurements carefully before you drill. If the item you are fitting has more than one attaching point, fit a single one initially. Then you can level it and mark the other points.
- Make sure the drill is at right angles to the wall before you press the switch. Are you wearing safety goggles? Drill bits occasionally do snap.
 Have a friend hold a vacuum cleaner extension pipe in position to suck the dust up before it covers everything.
- Drill through the plaster on the standard setting before you switch to impact. Never force an electric tool. Use it in ten second bursts and do not let it overheat.
- When you are finished, lay the drill down somewhere safe, and unplug it from the wall.
Do you think that you could do the job yourself and avoid the cost of Handyman Quotes? Many people do.
Many others prefer to Find a Handyman on Mr-Skill instead, and get on with other more important things in their lives.
Tags: accessory, assistant, attach, bit, brick, careful, check, drill, dust, electric, equipment, find a handyman, glasses, goggle, handyman quotes, impact, ladder, level, london handyman, masonry, pipe, plaster, plug, right angle, safety, shelf, switch, television, vacuum, wall
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Posted in General Building on Feb 20
Before you even think about removing an interior brick wall, you first need to determine whether or not it’s load bearing. This is especially important when working with an older building. Sometimes homes were extended in the past, in a way that outside walls ended up inside houses.
 The only way to determine this is to get up in the ceiling and determine what is resting on the wall. Sometimes you’ll find rafters pressing down, and at other times planks supporting boilers. If you can’t run your finger all the way along the wall you must arrange a survey before proceeding.
While you’re up there, check for water pipes and electricity cables entering the wall through the ceiling, as these may travel a distance to reach their destination. Have an electrician isolate and terminate these (and any others that may reach a wall-switch from the floor below. You may legally disconnect a water supply pipe yourself.
Perhaps at this stage you have already decided that you need to Find a London Building Firm instead? No worries, simply click on this link to receive a Builder’s Quote. Here’s what you still need to do, to prepare in advance for the day the builder arrives.
 Remove everything from the surplus wall that you might conceivably use again
- Barricade off the immediate area with sheets of plastic
- Clear everything from inside the space, including semi-fixtures like draperies and light fittings.
- Invest in a heavy-duty drop-sheet to protect the floor.
- Resolve to be reasonable about the dust and dirt about to disturb you.
While any London Building Firm on Mr-Skill will do their best to contain the mess, the bottom line is that demolition is a dirty business. Ask yourself a simple question before you let the builders in – “Is this really necessary in the first place?” On the other hand, the results may be well worthwhile.
Tags: barricade, boiler, brick, builder’s quote, ceiling, demolish, dirt, disconnect, dropsheet, dust, electrician, electricity, find a builder, inside, interior, internal, isolate, load, load bearing, london building, masonry, mess, pipe, plank, plastic, rafter, remove, rest, sheet, solid, Survey, switch, truss, wall, water, waterpipe
Posted in General Building | Comments Off
Did you know that the roots of trees can sometimes spread to 2½ times a tree’s height, and that the moisture they draw out from clayey soil can cause the earth to heave? Miss the point of this and plant a tree close by your house, and you’re inviting cracking and subsidence. Rather Find a Landscaper on Mr-Skill who knows what they are talking about.
 If you have heaving clay, and like to garden around your your house then the following may prove useful:
- Avoid the problem in the first place by NOT planting strongly-growing trees like poplars, oaks and willows near to buildings. Plant shy-growing flowering shrubs instead. These may not get tall enough to foul your gutters either.
- If you inherit a tree that’s not grown too big already, then you could try what some London Gardeners still call pollarding. This involves pruning it back annually to keep it smaller. Remember, there’s a ratio between tree height and the spread of roots.
- Don’t leap out of the starting blocks and get a Gardener Quote to chop a tree down the moment you spot subsidence.
 Trees take a long time to grow, and the problem could be the clay itself. An alternative could be to cut the roots back, and see whether this helps first.
- If all else fails and you are forced to cut down a tree, then seek advice from your local council first, because it might be listed and require permission to remove. Chop down deciduous trees in wintertime when the sap is low. You’ll find the job far easier when there are no leaves.
Chopping down a tree sometimes seems like an attack on nature, and the birds that nest there. Don’t try to do the job yourself because tree-felling is definitely dangerous. Use a Gardener on Mr-Skill instead. And finally, please do plant a suitable replacement tree further down the garden.
Tags: Building, chop, chop down, clay, crack, dangerous, earth, fell, find a landscaper, flower, Garden, gardener quote, ground, grow, gutter, heave, height, house, london gardeners, oak, plant, pollard, poplar, prune, ratio, root, shrub, shy, small, soil, spread, subsidence, tall, tree, vigorous, wall, willow, winter
Posted in Gardening & Landscaping | Comments Off
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Feb 01
Damp is an on-going problem in many homes in Britain, and that’s not just in the older ones either. Water, especially when forced by wind can find its way inside an outside wall through the tiniest of cracks. After the leak is fixed, it’s time to Find a Plasterer to fix the evidence that alerted us to the damp in the first place.
The Problem
The water has leached the cement away leaving weakened plaster that will eventually come off. The only solution is to hack it out and replace it. You have a choice, though. You could Ask Mr-Skill to Arrange a Plaster Quote, or you could have a go at it yourself.
 Repair Stage One
You have to get rid of the damaged plaster at least a foot above any visible damage or residual salts. If the damp was low down, then you must in any case remove the plaster to three feet above floor level. Brush away every grain of loose material. Complete the job with a vacuum cleaner – you may wish to do this when the wife is out shopping.
Repair Stage Two
This is a tip a London Plasterer taught me years ago. Put on a pair of disposable latex gloves. Make a slurry of cement powder and water with a cup of bonding liquid added – the final consistency should be like runny porridge. Brush this firmly over the space where the old plaster came out. This will allow the new plaster to adhere properly. Wash your hands and tools immediately. Allow the slurry to dry for a day.
Repair Stage Three
Make up a stiff plaster mix of 3-Parts sand to 1-Part cement. Apply this with a wide paint scraper or steel float across the entire surface roughly, and leave it alone for two hours to set. Apply a fresh mix of plaster that stands just proud of the surface. Work this off with a straight edge later the same day.  Leave the job to cure for a week.
Repair Stage Four
Apply a moist mix of Polyfilla over the entire surface. When it’s totally dry and the surface has gone a little powdery, finish the job off with an a sanding block or orbital sander, using medium-grit paper. After that, you are ready to decorate!
That’s all very well in theory, but do you really have the time to spend on this? If not, that’s where Mr-Skill comes in. We provide a matching service between customers and tradespeople. Unlike some others, we don’t add a penny to the cost of jobs.
Tags: adhere, bond, brush, cement, clean, consistency, crack, cure, damage, damp, dry, dust, exterior, find a plasterer, float, get rid of, glove, grit, hack, london plasterer, mix, orbital, outside, paint scraper, plaster, plaster quote, polyfilla, powder, remove, replace, salt, sand, scraper, set, slurry, stick, straight edge, tip, wall, water
Posted in Plastering & Drywall | Comments Off
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Jan 26
From time to time we find jobs posted in the wrong category on Mr-Skill. When this happens, we duplicate the listings in more appropriate categories. Plasterers are a case in point because decorators  attend to damaged plasterwork. We decided to clear up the confusion, and make it simpler to Find a Plasterer here.
The main job of plasterers is to mix, and then apply various types of plaster on internal walls and ceilings. From time to time they also coat outside walls with sand / cement render, pebble-dash, and stone-effects. Notice that plasterers do their work in bulk, and that there’s little point in asking for a Plastering Quote where it’s just a small repair.
Within these broad brush strokes, plasterers generally work in one of the following three sub-disciplines:
- Solid Plastering – Applying wet finishes to interior walls and ceilings, and sometimes pebble-dashed effects on outside walls
 Fibrous Plastering – Creating ornamental cornices and ceiling roses using special plaster reinforced with fibre
- Dry Lining – Installing interior drywalls on frames, for others to decorate later.
Larger firms, especially Plasterers in London may take on all three kinds of work.
Plasterers earn their wings in two different ways. Some learn by watching others and develop skills suited for straightforward jobs. The better ones hold qualifications like the City & Guilds (6217) Certificate in Basic Construction Skills (Plastering). It’s important to understand the difference in qualifications when assessing the quality of Plastering Quotes. This information is provided by Mr-Skill.
Tags: apply, ceiling, City and Guilds, cornice, damage, decorator, dry, dry lining, dry wall, drywall, exterior, fibrous, find a plasterer, interior, internal, mix, outside, painter, pebble dash, plaster, plasterer, plasterers in london, plastering quote, plasterwork, rose, solid, wall, wet
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Preparing the exterior walls of a house or bungalow for painting is an onerous task that few private homeowners attempt. Does that sound too much for you too? No worries. We can help you Find a Painter who’s been rated by other customers already.
When he or she arrives they complete the preparation of the outside as summarised below. That’s assuming they don’t find anything exceptional, that they did not anticipate when preparing their Detailed Painting Quote. If they do, they’ll negotiate in good faith.
 Cast an eye over the structure to make sure there are no cracks that might admit water and cause damp. They’re likely to report any structural concerns they may detect too, although that’s not the job you’re paying them for.
Clear out and close-up any gaps with rendering. They’ll work elsewhere on the building for the next few days while the fresh plaster dries.
Remove all flaking or damaged paint using a combination of hand-scrapers, sanders, power washing and chemicals. Attend to any mould or fungus.
Discuss the best paints to use and the colours that you like and are practical too. When that’s done they can begin apply the paint.
I was chatting to my old friend a retired London Decorator who has a thought on anything and everything. I just can’t understand, he said, why so many folk try to paint outside in winter, when it makes so much more sense to do the inside then.
Mr-Skill provides a FREE service to UK customers requiring the services of a Painter / Decorator, or for that matter any other Skilled Person. They pay to list with us after we have checked them out. That’s the only money that ever changes hands as far as we are concerned. We make not a penny more from it, no kidding, so all this is FREE to you with our compliments. Isn’t it nice to know that you can still get good service like this today?
Tags: bungalow, chemical, clear, close, colour, cracks, damaged, damp, decorate, decorator, exterior, find a painter, flaking, fungus, house, london decorator, mould, paint, painter, painting quote, plaster, prepare, redecorate, remove, render, sander, seal, structure, wall, wash, water
Posted in Painting & Decorating | Comments Off
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