Latest Designer Bathroom Ideas and How To Guides for your Home

The Royal Horticultural Society estimates that there are over 600 acres of prime vegetable-growing land sitting unused outside the nation’s windows.  That is a lot of vegetables and should spur you into turning that patch of unused ground or bit of balcony outside your flat into a compact garden.

The most effective, easily built and maintained small garden is a raised bed garden.  A raised bed has several advantages that make it ideal for use in a small space such as an allotment or balcony.

To build your raised bed you will need:
Tape measure
Garden spade
Screwdriver
Mallet or hammer
Nails
Screws
Four 1in x 12in cedar boards
Four 2in x 2in cedar posts
Plastic sheet (necessary only if building on a balcony or patio)
Soil
Compost
Fertilizer

Choose your site and then measure and mark out the location of the raised bed.  Prepare the location by clearing out any debris, sticks and stones, and if you are building on an allotment dig down one to two inches, loosen and level the soil.  Omit this step when building on a balcony or patio; instead lay out the plastic sheet.

Cut the cedar boards to the correct size and screw them to the cedar posts to form a box shape.  On a balcony or patio ensure the posts are even with the bottom of the frame, or let the posts extend sufficiently to help anchor the frame.

Position the frame.  Use the hammer or mallet to pound the posts into the ground if over soil, or nail the plastic sheet to the lower edge of the boards if on a balcony.

Add the garden soil and compost; mix well and level from the centre to the edges.  Spread the fertilizer evenly, work it in, and then level the soil and water thoroughly.

Through the normal use of energy in the home, it is common for significant amounts of it to be wasted.  By implementing a few home improvement processes, it is possible to ensure that the energy is used for its intended purpose and that the consequent bills are reduced to represent only what is consume.

Draught Proofing

Heat can escape through a range of gaps and crevices and even through solid surfaces that appear sufficient to retain heat.  Draught excluders for windows and doors can be purchased for easy do it yourself installation, which will often require nothing more than a screwdriver and power drill.  These help to prevent the escape of heat as well as preventing draughts from getting in.   

Insulation

Cavity wall and loft insulation helps to limit the amount of heat that escapes through the walls and the roof, which enables the home to be heated more efficiently by retaining warmth and reducing the time the heating system needs to be on for the effects to be felt.  Insulation also makes the process of heating the home more efficient as it becomes easier for the premises to stay warm for a longer period.   

Water Use

There are several components on the market that can be installed in a toilet cistern to reduce the amount of water used for every flush, but placing a brick in it will do the same job.  Similarly, a device can be purchased from plumber’s merchants and hardware stores that can be fitted into the shower head to reduce the flow of water. 

Use the Controls

The controls by which energy supplies can be adjusted are there for a purpose so use them when necessary.  Turn off the heating, lights and electrical appliances in rooms that are not in use.  Lowering the thermostat can also reduce the energy required.

Flex, like many other things, can become frayed and worn with continual use.  Accidental damage can also occur to the sheath, which may dangerously expose the live cores.  If this happens, a temporary repair can be easily made by wrapping a length of insulating tape around the flex, although new flex will need to be fitted as soon as possible.

Firstly, the correct type of flex for the job will have to be selected.  In the case of a standard or table lamp, the commonest type in use is round PVC-sheathed flex, which has three cores where the lamp has metal parts or two cores if it is entirely made of plastic.  Except in the case of unusually powerful fittings, 0.5 mm square size is adequate, and 0.7 mm should be used for lamps containing high-wattage bulbs.  Enough flex should be bought to allow the nearest wall socket to be easily reached without causing any danger.

The first step in fitting new flex is to unplug the fitting or appliance, and the cover should always be screwed firmly back in place when the work has been completed and before plugging back in the fitting or appliance.

If you are having difficulty opening and closing your kitchen cabinet drawers, the first thing you will want to do is inspect the runners.  In a large number of cases, you will need look no further to find the problem.

Runners are designed to make drawers open and close smoothly, and in most cases will do so unless they are in poor condition.  For example, even a little rust or a slight dent could cause a drawer not to operate properly.  If the runners are very old and sticking then it may be time to replace them.

The most common drawer system has a drawer with two metal sides that fit into two runners which are located on the inside walls of the cabinet.  The back and base is chipboard and the drawer has an eighty percent extension when pulled out.

Most hardware shops and DIY centres carry runner kits with self-closing devices that are suitable for use on this type of drawer system.  These kits are available in different colours to blend in with your kitchen cabinet’s colour.

Removing an old or damaged runner is easily done by simply unscrewing it.  A new runner is just as easily installed by screwing it in.  Even if only one runner appears to be damaged, it is recommended that both runners be changed at the same time.  

When deciding on a window covering there are various options. Whether to opt for curtains or blinds is a matter of personal choice and will depend on the style of the room and the practical requirements of the window covering. Expense is a major factor, and ease of installation is important too. In many cases it is easier and cheaper to install blinds oneself, rather than curtains.

Making wooden slatted blinds from scratch is complicated, but they can be bought ready-made to fit a standard size window and there are blind makers that will fabricate made-to-measure venetian blinds. The advantage of buying venetian blinds ready-made is that even if the window is not a standard size, the blinds can very easily be cut to size during installation.

Once the window has been measured and appropriate width blinds purchased, the brackets that will hold the blind have to be attached above the window. They can be either screwed into the wooden window frame or into the stonework. The blind is then slipped into the bracket and measured for size. The appropriate width can be lightly marked with a pencil, and then the excess sawed with a hacksaw.

When the blind is the correct width it can be fitted back into the brackets, and sometimes a third bracket is put up at this point to support the blind from sagging in the middle. Then the brackets are closed, taped over with Velcro to which a trim is stuck, purely for cosmetic purposes to hide the bracket and the workings of the blind. Next the string is adjusted and a slipknot tied to bring the blind up to the appropriate length, or ‘drop’.

If the blind is too long the slats will gather in a bunch at the bottom of it. If this happens, the bottom slats need to be removed until there is no bunching of slats when the blind is fully down.

Introducing Dimmer Switches

The ability to gradually increase or reduce the amount of light in a room can often be useful, rather than simply switching the lighting on or off. The good news is that dimmer switches are available at most DIY outlets.

Switch Installation

Once you have purchased the device and are ready to install, follow the cardinal rule when maintaining or upgrading electrical appliances. Switch off your electricity supply at the mains, removing the fuse for the particular circuit in question.

Undo the screws on the existing switch. Pull it away from the mounting box and behind you will see two terminals. Unscrew them and remove the conductors from the switch. Ease them into the dimmer switch, then screw the terminals tight, checking to see if there is an earth. The switch may have to be attached to the earth on the mounting box with a short length of wire; this is often the case with chrome or brass dimmer switches.   

After checking your connections are secure, replace the switch over the mounting box, tightening the two screws. Restore the power supply and test.

In the event that an electrical socket is broken or becomes damaged in some way, it will be necessary for you to replace the socket. In all matters electrical, if you are unsure about what you are doing, always call in a professional electrician: a mistake can prove fatal!

To replace a socket, first isolate the circuit by turning off the mains switch at the consumer unit. Once you have done this, use a socket tester to check that the circuit is definitely dead – better to be safe than sorry!

Unscrew the socket’s faceplate and pull the faceplate towards you, away from the wall. Ensure that you retain the screws in case the new screws with the replacement socket fail to fit correctly.

Loosen the screws of the terminals and free the cable cores. In the event that you find the insulation to be heat damaged, cut the cores back and begin to strip the ends. If you discover the earth core to be bare, sleeve it with green/yellow sleeving.

Locate the live terminal (L) on the faceplate and connect the live, red (old) or brown (new) core to it. Locate the neutral terminal (N) on the faceplate and connect the neutral, black (old) or blue (new) core to it. Locate the earth terminal (E) and connect the earth core to it.

Tighten the terminal screws and install the new faceplate. When the power is returned to the new circuit, check the wiring with a socket tester or simply plug in a lamp to ensure that you have fitted your socket correctly.  If you have made an error the circuit breaker at the consumer unit will trip out and turn off the power.

Lots of different types of wood in a property will need to be filled. This might involve simply rubbing in grain filler, which will give a less absorbent and more even surface. It could also involve the use of wood filler, designed to match exactly the colour of the wood being used; to fill knot holes, blemishes and cracks. Tiny cracks can be dealt with using soft interior stopping, and larger holes can be repaired with a two part, exterior grade wood filler.

There are not many tools required for finishing; a lot of this sort of work can be carried out entirely by hand. The basic requirements are simply wire (steel) wool, a cork sanding block, abrasive paper in various grades from smooth to coarse, a few scrapers and some filler or stopping.

Any filler that is needed should be applied to blemishes and knot holes in the wood and allowed to dry before removing the excess gently with a chisel. After this has been done, rub the wood down with some abrasive paper wrapped around the block of cork, always working in the direction of the grain.

Use a clean, damp rag to wipe over the surface. This will have the effect of raising the grain very slightly, and after it has been left to dry cut it back lightly using 400-grit abrasive paper, again working with the grain.

Quite often it is not indicated that whatever type of treatment is being applied, the wood has to be thoroughly dry. Also, when you need to make several applications of a finish, these must all be rubbed down or ‘flattened’ between the successive coats.

If you want to go on to staining the finished wood, test the stain beforehand on a spare piece of that same type of wood to check the depth and final colour.

The fastest and easiest way to install wiring accessories such as socket outlets and switches is to surface-mount them. A mounting box is first fitted to the wall to hide the electrical connections and then a faceplate is fitted over the box once the connections have been made. You can also surface-mount the circuit cables or hide them inside the wall cavity, depending on your tastes and circumstances.

Speed is the main advantage of any surface-mounting method and the main disadvantage is that the mountings are clearly visible to the eye, although the effect can be minimised in various ways. Light switches project about 25 millimetres however, cooker controls can stick out a whopping 70 millimetres and can be prone to knocks.

Firstly, run the cable to the fixing position you have chosen and hold the box level before marking the screwing positions. The circuit cable may be fed through surface mountings or hidden in the wall cavity. Next, drill holes into the wall for the positions, insert wall-plugs or cavity plugs depending on the type of wall and feed the cable through one of the plastic knockouts before screwing the box into place on the wall, making sure that it is level. If you are converting a single to a double socket you should mount the new box over the old one flush with its surface and use the old faceplate screws to fix it into place.

When working with stud partition wall, you should use woodscrews to affix the mounting box to the studs as this will prove much more secure than just using ordinary cavity fixings. When the box has been fixed securely into place, the cable ends can be prepared by stripping away their plastic sheaths and connecting the exposed wires to the appropriate terminals in the box. Finally, the faceplate is attached and screwed firmly into place.    

Small ceiling and wall cracks generally cause little trouble and are mostly due to small and natural structural movements that cannot be avoided. However, cracks should be filled in before redecorating and this is of particular importance if you are intending to paint over the bare plaster.

To fill in small cracks, use proprietary filler in either a ready-mixed interior or exterior grade or in its powder form. Some cracks will probably need special filler, such as the cracks between woodwork and masonry. This is typical of cracks around door frames, for example, where caulking or flexible mastic needs to be used because the cracks will open and close in such areas where expansion and contraction occur.

You should rake out any debris from a crack before attempting to fill it, undercutting the adjoining plaster and then dampening the area with a plant spray to prevent the filler from drying too quickly. Press the filler right into the crack, smoothing it down just short of the wall’s surface and then allow it to dry before rubbing it down with glass paper.