DIY Supermarket

If you are looking for garden offices in the UK, OECO is the company to go. It has been manufacturing and installing quality garden offices, garden rooms and studios for satisfied customers for some years now.

Garden offices have become a phenomenon in recent times. The more people choose to work from home, the greater their need for suitable home office space. Most people who work from home, if asked to choose, would opt for their own private space away from the house.

OECO provides stylish and eco-friendly garden offices fitted to a high standard. Full electrics, digital telecoms and data ports, heating and super-insulation can feature in all buildings. It is essential a garden office can be used 100 per cent of the time, and OECO achieves this by ensuring the highest specification insulation.

Garden offices by OECO are cool in the summer and warm in the winter, just as they should be. Efficient insulation is achieved by obtaining the lowest U-values possible. U-values are measures of thermal efficiency, and OECO is expert at achieving the optimum U-values to create a comfortable working environment in all weathers, sun or snow.

It wasn’t long ago that all newly-fitted bathrooms were a celebration of neo-Victoriana. Cast-iron claw-footed baths adorned with brass taps sat alongside toilet suites and sinks in traditional styles with plenty of detailing. When it came to performing our ablutions, UK bathrooms were quite literally in another age.

Of course, Victorian-style bathrooms still have a place in homes with older architectural styles, but in recent years there has been a shift towards simpler, more contemporary styles in many modern homes.

So, if we took a snapshot of how bathrooms are being remodelled today in Britain, what would we learn?

It seems that after a brief dalliance with extreme minimalism in the bathroom, things have settled down a little. Bathroom interiors are now occupied by suites that are predominantly white in colour, lines are simple and clean with increasingly curved, softer profiles. The days of stark hard edges and cubist bathroom suites have been replaced with styles celebrating a more comfortable and indulgent approach.

Many homeowners seek to replicate the luxury appeal of the bathrooms they enjoy on their spa-hotel holidays. Wet rooms, double sinks, separate bath and shower cubicles, designer lighting and underfloor heating are all regular features of new bathrooms. Smart bathroom accessories such as heated towel rails, fancy taps and shower heads are becoming the norm. State-of-the-art jacuzzi baths with massage jets and showers with multi-use heads enable you to bathe in far more luxury than ever before.

Bespoke fitted bathroom storage has also gained in popularity, with cabinets and furniture that are specifically designed for use in humid environments offering efficient storage solutions. The modern bathroom is an uncluttered, well-organised sanctuary devoted to relaxation, calm and comfort, with a healthy splash of indulgence added for good measure.

If you have draughts coming into your home through either external or internal doors, there are some simple steps you can take to stop them.  External doors are often the worst culprits, as they allow cold air to enter the house, but draughts under and round internal doors can be very annoying too.

Firstly, figure out exactly where the draught is coming from.  Look closely at the door.  Is it obviously not fitting well at any point?  If there are large gaps, it may be worth trying to rehang the door before trying to fix the draughts.

The simplest solution to drafts through narrow gaps is by applying a thin strip of sticky-backed foam along the gaps to plug them.  These strips will squash down over time, but do result in a quick fix.  Nailing draught excluder strips to the door itself is a more effective long term solution, though do be careful not to seal doors completely; air does need to be able to move around the home.

If there is a draught at the bottom of a door, the traditional solution of a long stuffed cushion can rarely be bettered.

Practical, durable and attractive, roller blinds are a good choice for any room in your home.  Unlike the dull window coverings of the past, today’s roller blinds are made to last, and come in many fabrics, colours and styles.  For homeowners looking for an affordable, stylish solution to their window-treatment needs, roller blinds are a practical, smart option.

Colour is just one thing to consider.  Patterns, styles and features like scallops, café rods and linings are available with many roller blinds.  Many manufacturers now offer child-safe blinds as well, with retractable cords to ensure kids can’t get entangled or injure themselves.  Adding liners to your roller blinds can make them blackout blinds, perfect for keeping rooms like nurseries and media rooms free of light and glare.  The thicker material works well to control temperature, keeping your rooms cooler in summer and warmer in winter.  Blackout roller blinds also insulate your windows, helping to control the temperature in the room.

Roller blinds are a practical, affordable solution for children’s rooms.  They come in a wide variety of colours to appeal to children, and are affordable enough to change as the children grow.
 
Moisture-resistant materials make roller blinds perfect for use in humid environments like the kitchen and bathroom.  Roller blinds are low-maintenance, versatile and practical, making them a great choice for every room.  UK customers have a wide variety of options for fabrics, colours and styles.  There’s a set of roller blinds perfect for any room in your home.

The bathroom is one of the most important and often used rooms in any house, and renovating an existing bathroom can be a very satisfying DIY project.  Whether you are planning on simply upgrading the fixtures, or you intend to completely redesign the bathroom, here are a few tips that may come in handy as you are updating this very important space.

•    Sketch your design on a piece of graph paper and think about where you want all the fittings to go.  Keep a scrapbook of images you have seen in magazines or online for inspiration and ideas.

•    Always consult a professional if you will need help with wiring and plumbing.  The bathroom can be a hazardous area to work in since you may be in contact with both water and electricity, so take care.

•    Wear safety equipment when examining or replacing existing fittings, and do not rush; take your time and ensure everything is done correctly.

•    Think about who will be using the bathroom and if they have any special requirements.  If you live with elderly relatives, for instance, will they need a bath that is easy to get in and out of?  Also ensure that the needs of any smaller children who will be using the bathroom are taken into consideration.

•    Make certain that your new bathroom will fit in with the existing design of the rest of your house.  If you intend on moving in the near future, you might want to consider a conservatively decorated bathroom.

•    Check to make sure there is adequate space available for your intended furniture and fittings, and make certain the electrical/plumbing connections for any new equipment is properly installed.

•    Make sure there is adequate heating and ventilation.  Add a heater if necessary and vents if they are not already in the bathroom.

•    Think about how easy it is to access the plumbing in the bathroom.  If it is hard at the moment, consider adding access panels near the bath or shower.

Every conservatory is unique, and therefore the blinds you buy for your conservatory need to be well suited to it.  There are a number of different types to choose from, which vary in style, budget and suitability for different shapes of conservatory.  The types include:

Pleated blinds

Pleated blinds are tidy and simple yet also extremely attractive.  It is possible to buy pleated blinds to fit any conservatory, and they can be fitted to the windows or the roof of your conservatory.  They are one of the most popular types of conservatory blinds, and there are many reasons for this.  They are easily washable, easy to remove and refit, and they can be purchased in a range of different fabrics and colours.

Pinoleum blinds

Pinoleum blinds are made from wood and acrylic, to create a hard wearing wood effect blind.  There is plenty of choice, as you can choose different woods, edge braiding, weaves and textures.  They are especially popular for  timber conservatories, as they match well and look as though they are part of the conservatory.

Roman blinds

Roman Blinds give a contemporary finish to conservatories.  As with other types of blinds, there is plenty of choice of colours and fabrics.  However they are only really suited to rectangular roofs and windows, and conservatories with simple shapes.  Additionally, they are not the best choice for homes with children.

Roller blinds

Roller blinds also give a contemporary, bohemian look to conservatories.  They are most suitable for large timber conservatories, and can be roof or window mounted.  Roller blinds come in a variety of different colours and textiles, and can usually be cut to shape.  However, they are not suitable for UPVC conservatories or complex shaped conservatories, and there is usually a gap between the blind and the window.

Sliding doors are becoming more and more popular as people try to make as much use of the space they have as possible. However, as they have moving parts they do require more maintenance and care than regular doors. Even the smallest bits of paper or rubbish stuck in the track can cause your sliding doors to get completely stuck or just become difficult to open and close. Regular dusting and vacuuming in the area around the bottom and top of the unit can help prevent this.

Removing Sliding Doors

If the door has become completely stuck, then you may need to remove it from the track in order to see what is causing the obstruction. Sliding doors can be easily removed from their runner by sliding it a short way open and then tilting it forward, though this is probably a two-person job. The track can then be checked for obstructions or damage. Once the problem has been fixed, the door can be slotted back into position by reversing the process used to get it out of the frame.

Dripping taps are not only an annoyance but they waste water and can end up staining your bathroom suite or kitchen sink.  Many people just ignore the problem, yet most causes of a dripping tap can be fixed in just a few minutes.

The first step is also the most important; turning off the water supply.  After that you can safely remove the external part of the tap, having put the plug in just in case any small parts fall into the sink and down the drain.

Most of the time, a dripping tap is caused by damaged washers inside the tap.  These are small discs which control the water flow and can let a small amount through when they become worn, causing the annoying drip.  Washers are available from all DIY stores, and most British sink taps use half-inch washers, while bath taps tend to use the quarter-inch type.  You can always remove the tap cover before you go shopping to make sure.  If this does not stop the dripping, you might need to replace the whole tap, which is a more complicated procedure.

You may be surprised when you first start looking for blinds for your home, that you are offered a huge choice of designs, styles and colours.  So why are roller blinds so popular and the ideal choice for any home?

Roller blinds are easy to install and maintain, they can be cut to fit the size of the window easily and with a little DIY knowledge, you can have them up and in place within minutes.  The great thing about roller blinds is that they will compliment any room, whether it is a bedroom, kitchen or living room, roller blinds will add colour and style.

Carefully choosing the colour of your blinds to compliment your furnishings and room is important, a completely white room will look fantastic with a red, blue or green blind to add that colour splash it so desperately needs.  In the living room with dark brown furniture, choosing a lighter coloured roller blind can make all the difference.

Blackout blinds

The biggest advantage of roller blinds is that you can buy them as blackout blinds.  This means even the lightest colour choices will completely block out any light from outside when they are closed.  They work amazingly well and are perfect for bedrooms and living rooms, where you may have a street light outside your window that keeps you from seeing the television or sleeping at night.

The other advantage of choosing roller blinds as your window covering is that during the day, you pull a cord, they roll up to any height you want, allowing the natural light to flow through the room easily.

If you think about it, when you went to view your home, the first thing that caught your eye was how light and bright it was, roller blinds let you keep this lightness when you want it and remove it when you don’t.

The answer to this question depends on what exactly you will be using your home office for. If you require the basic furnishings of an office, such as desk, office chairs, some filing and storage cabinets, then you can get away with smaller dimensions. If you intend to hold business meetings in your office and welcome clients there, consider the practicalities of this in a small space.

Will you be working from home using the garden home office as a treatment room? If clients need space to relax in comfort, say for aromatherapy treatment for example, this needs factoring into your space requirements.

Do you need toilet facilities? Will you want to be offering refreshments to visitors to your office? If business presentations are going to take place in your garden home office, will there be enough space for the equipment required?

Think carefully about the furnishings inside your garden office. The less clutter, the more spacious it will feel. Choose small-scale furniture and incorporate as many windows as you can.

Underfloor heating is a good space-saving option and, importantly, means your garden office is usable all year round. Choose practical and easy-clean flooring, so if dirt from the garden is brought into the office space it is easily dealt with.

Choose a garden office that fits well in the existing environment. A structure that is too large may dominate a small garden space and throw things off balance. Think about how the new garden office will look from the house – will you be happy with the view?