DIY Supermarket

Flex, or flexible cord, is an important and indeed vital link between the mains power supply and various types of electrical equipment such as pendant lights and portable appliances.  It is flexible because the current is carried along conductors that are constructed from a bundle of extremely fine wires.  Cable, by way of contrast, normally consists of a single thick wire for each of the conductors; thus, it is much stiffer and less flexible.

There are usually three cores in the flex used for general-purpose wiring, and each of them is insulated by a jacket of coloured polyvinyl chloride (PVC).  Brown is for live, blue is for neutral and the core for earth has green and yellow stripes.  The cores are all encased in a protective sheath of rubber or PVC.  The sheath is itself often covered by an additional layer of fabric braid.

Two-core flex has no earth core and is used mainly for double-insulated appliances and other equipment such as non-metallic lighting.

When stripping flex use a sharp knife to slit the sheath and separate the cores when, for example, you are changing a plug.

Real wooden blinds add a touch of natural beauty and stylishness to your home. They can be made to measure, resulting in an excellent fit in your home. They are Venetian in style, and operated by using a pull string to raise and lower them, or to slant them to the desired angle. They are easy to use, and they look good in any room, from bathroom, to bedroom to office.

Real wooden blinds are made from wooden slats, which are usually available in either 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, or 68mm. Additionally, they are available in a number of different wood colours including Artic White, Dark Cedar, Birch, White, Light Oak, Golden Oak, Cinnamon, Pecan, Hickory, Walnut, Mahogany and Sugar Maple. This means that they can be colour coordinated effectively with the furniture and décor already in your home.

It is important, however, to note that the blinds are usually made from basswood and then stained to look like other types of wood. It is therefore important that samples are ordered to ensure a good match with other wooden items, e.g. a floor in your home.

Converting the loft

Increasing the living area in your home by exploiting the space in the roof is one of the top ways to improve the value of your dwelling. Many roof spaces have sufficient space for a bedroom with en suite bathroom, study or playroom. Extending into the loft requires professional advice, but people who are competent at DIY can complete a lot of the work themselves.

Adding a bedroom

The number of bedrooms a house boasts is the first detail prospective buyers check. Increase the value of your home by rethinking the configuration of the rooms. Are there areas of redundant space that could be used more efficiently?

Sort out the heating

A house without central heating will, quite literally, leave prospective buyers cold. This is a good investment and a simple way of making your house more desirable.

Add parking

These days, everyone wants a parking space. If you can create space at the front or side of your house to park a car, this should add value to your home.

Spruce up the garden

A neat and tidy garden is far more inviting than an overgrown mess. Make your home more marketable by clearing vegetation so that the garden is visible and place flowers in ornamental pots to increase ‘kerb appeal.’

Renew kitchen and bathroom

Nobody likes to cook a meal or take a bath in a tired and dated kitchen or bathroom. Estate agents repeat again and again that newly-fitted kitchens and bathrooms are real dealmakers…or breakers.

Although it may cost a little more, there are advantages to hanging both blinds and curtains at your windows. The versatility is increased, and the visual effect is much more impressive than just having either blinds or curtains.

For example, if you just hang roller blinds, slatted blinds or roman blinds at your windows, the effect is simple, plain and often stark. This suits a minimalist style of décor, but in most homes a little more detail looks better. Swathes of fabric in glorious patterns, textures and colours make a stunning contrast to the flat surface of the blind. Beautiful curtains hanging from a dramatic curtain pole can transform the ambience of the room, and if there are blinds too, the curtains can be a purely decorative feature.

Combining curtains and blinds allows greater versatility too. Depending on the amount of light and the mood of the moment, you can block out varying degrees of light for a subtle effect. Translucent fabric blinds or slatted blinds radiate soft lighting from behind the bulk of the curtains. Many people find that this is an ideal way to keep a room cool on hot, sunny days, and warm and cosy in the winter.

Another point to bear in mind is the view from your windows. For example, if people can see into your house from the street, or from a neighbouring property, privacy is likely to be an important factor for you. This is why many people hang net curtains from their windows, inside the outer curtains. But if you don’t like net curtains, a good alternative is to install translucent blinds behind the curtains. This gives you the best of both worlds – a beautiful pair of curtains which you can draw at night, and blinds which let in light but keep out prying eyes during the day.

Decking has become an increasingly popular addition to our gardens.  It creates a much warmer feel and can be modified and stained in a range of colours to suit tastes and styles.  It can often provide a much quicker and easier solution to create a patio area in the garden in which to sit or dine.  Wooden decking will never last as long as the concrete paving options, but with the right materials that are well treated and maintained, it should last a good many years.

Decking has to withstand the elements and can constantly be subjected to rain and getting wet one minute, then sunshine and drying out the next.  It is worth investing in good quality deck boards and joists to ensure it is there to enjoy for many years.  The cost of buying better wood may outweigh the cost of completely replacing the decking sooner than you thought.
 
Look for pressure treated timber, as this type will outlast the rest due to a preservative ingrained at factory level.  A more inexpensive alternative is to coat a cheaper timber with a couple of coats of preservative first, although the decking will not last as long as pressure treated timber.
 
Hardwood decking boards and joists will be the most durable but also the most expensive, so it really depends on budget.  A hardwood option such as teak will roughly cost double what you could expect to pay for softwood such as pine.
 
Before starting a decking project, mark out the area first, making sure it is clear from all obstructions and planting.  Check the area level is correct, using two house bricks supporting a joist and a spirit level.  Remember to lay a membrane under the decking area to stop weeds, and hold in place in between joists with bricks.

One of the main benefits of installing window blinds is increased window insulation.  Not only do blinds help in retention of heat during the cold season, but they are also very effective in keeping rooms cool during the summer.  With lighter colours, sunlight bounces back and little heat is trapped in the room, thus making it cooler and more airy.  The best way to take advantage of blinds as insulators of heat is to switch between dark and light coloured blinds.

Keeping the blinds closed during the warm months will help keep the heat out.  This is especially true for any window that is south-ward facing.  Rooms with windows to the east will be warm in the morning, whereas those with windows to the west will get some evening warmth.  By keeping your blinds closed during the summer, you’ll luck out, since the blinds will prevent sunrays from entering.

Another way to cool your room is to installing solar blinds.  These are designed to repel UV rays, which not only helps keep the temperatures lower but also protects furniture from becoming discoloured by the rays of the sun.

Drilling holes into internal walls is one of the most useful DIY skills, allowing you to hang pictures, put up shelves and even carry out basic construction projects. However, thanks to worries about drilling through the wall and straight into a water pipe or the house wiring, many beginners are reluctant to give this simple task a try. If you do your preparation work effectively, there is no need to be worried about causing any damage.

Preparation

Once you have decided where you want your picture hung or your shelf fitted, the first step is to work out how deep your hole will need to be and attach a piece of masking tape to the drill bit at this distance. If you are fitting a store-bought shelf this information should be in the instructions, otherwise it will depend on the size of the picture hook or shelf bracket. Once you have measured carefully where you want to drill your holes, you need to check that there are no nasty surprises lurking behind the walls. There are devices that can be bought to check for electric wires and water pipes, leaving you free to drill in confidence.

Using the Drill

After rechecking your measurements you can start to drill. This is where the piece of masking tape comes in useful; once you have reached this point on the drill bit, you know it is time to stop. Make sure you protect your mouth, nose and eyes from dust by wearing goggles and a mask, and you can always use your hand drill’s hammer action if the wall proves to be tougher than you anticipated.

Noise disturbance in your home can affect your life negatively. Sound from above, below or next-door can become a real nuisance. Fortunately, you can take steps to reduce noise disturbance within the four walls of your home.

Building regulations affecting soundproofing were passed in 2003; these cover new-build homes and renovation projects. If you fall within this category, check the regulations beforehand to make sure you know the measures you need to take to comply.

If the source of the noise disturbance is from upstairs, bear in mind it is easier to soundproof a floor compared to a ceiling. If you want to soundproof a room, there are soundproofing products available that will fix on to floors, ceilings and walls. Depending on the thickness of the sound insulation you use, remember it will reduce the interior dimensions of the room once in place.

Noise reduction is best achieved by soundproofing a floor. A competent carpenter can fabricate a ‘floating’ floor, effectively reducing airborne noise levels and deadening impact noise.

Carpets offer effective soundproofing and there are extra insulating products that can be fixed beneath the carpet, offering additional protection from noise. A capable carpet fitter will be able to advise on such products and be able to fit them.

Soundproofing a ceiling is difficult but not impossible. The best results are achieved by removing the ceiling and placing insulating material between the joists. Fix retaining bars across the joists then attach the plasterboard ceiling back in place.

Fitting a roller blind into a window in your home is a great idea. They are stylish, easy to use and come in a range of fabrics. However, in order to buy the right sized roller blind or have the right size roller blind made, you will need to measure the window in which the blind is to be hung. 

When measuring for your roller blind, you will need to make a decision as to whether you want the blind fitted on the outside or inside of the window recess. Outside the recess enables you to be less exact with the measurements, and it does not matter if the blind is a little oversized. Additionally, hanging the blind outside the recess blocks out more light.

Measuring for Outside the Recess

When measuring for a blind it is recommended that you use a metal tape measure rather than a fabric one. This is because fabric ones tend to stretch and will therefore be less accurate.

First, decide on the amount of overlap you wish to have around the window recess. The usual amount for this is 2 inches along each side. Measure the width across the window including the overlap. Do the same for the height of the window. Try and be as accurate as possible to the nearest millimetre.

When buying your roller blinds, remember that the fabric is actually around 3.5cm less than the blind measurement. You should consider this when making your purchase.

There are many ways in which you can make your home more secure from burglars and it does not have to be expensive, especially if you do it yourself. Many believe that burglaries happen at night, but in actual fact, the majority happen in the light of day. By adding a few basic deterrents and securing the access points, you could severely reduce the risk of becoming a victim.

Alarm Systems

Fitting an alarm system can act as a huge deterrent, as burglars do not want to create a disturbance.  Even the security box on the outside of your home may act as warning enough for them to avoid your home.

CCTV

CCTV also acts as a great preventative for anyone who is looking for a property to target. If you are unable to afford a fully operational system, installing high quality dummy cameras can do just as good a job. They should be placed up high and face right across the wall it is mounted on. For best effect you will need a camera covering any wall that has a ground level window or door on it.

Securing Doors

Your external doors may not be as safe as you imagine. Cat flaps and even letter boxes can sometimes be used to gain entry, as tools can be fed through these openings to unlock some types of locks. Having a mortice lock on all external doors is advised, as they are the most secure option.

Securing Windows

Double glazed windows are much tougher than single glazing and are generally difficult to enter through without creating a disturbance. Ensure that no small windows are left open; for example, downstairs bathroom windows. You can fit locks to windows in order to prevent burglars breaking the glass and opening them.

Security Lights

Fitting motion sensor activated lights onto all walls that have windows and doors on them is another deterrent that can be relatively cheap to install.