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How long it takes to install insulation will depend on the size of your property. In general, loft and cavity wall insulation can be installed in a day or two. External wall insulation will usually take longer to install. The rep or installer will be able to advise you when quoting for the job how long this will be.

When your driveway is suffering from depression, it becomes unsafe for driving (a danger zone) and ugly - no homeowner wants that! Unfortunately, most driveways won’t hold flat for long as they tend to develop cracks and potholes pretty quickly. Here, we are going to take you through how to fill asphalt driveways’ depression so as to ensure the sinkholes in your driveway poses no threat to you or your loved ones, while also beautifying your property. The approach to be used depends on the intensity of the depression. If its only a few cracks and holes, this can easily be repaired with some equipment. But if otherwise is the case, then calling a reliable professional will be your best bet. In this article, we’ll show you how to repair dips in your asphalt driveway relatively quickly.

✓ Pick a date with warm and sunny weather. This is because if you work in a cold weather, chances are the materials will freeze and hence, unusable. So find a day when the temperature will over 50 degrees Fahrenheit and below 80 degrees Celsius and when there would be no rain. We’ll advise a day between May to October.

✓ Prepare the area. Remove all loose stones, soil, dirt as well as vegetation from the holes. Once done, you can then proceed to washing the area with a pressure washer or sweep with a broom.

✓ Apply a thin mixture of asphalt to the area. Use a flat stirring stick to coat the low driveway area with a thin mixture of asphalt.

✓ Tamp the asphalt repair mix. Purchase the right kind of asphalt to repair the driveway. Fine aggregate asphalt mixture is more suited to filling small holes, whereas the coarse aggregate is more suited to filling larger holes. Apply layers ( about 2 inches each time) of the asphalt repair mix to the sunken area and use a shovel to give it a smooth finish. Once done, simply make the area smooth and protect it with a piece of plywood. Do not walk or drive on the area for a couple of days.

How To Lay Loft Boards

Do you need more storage space in your home or property? If you live in a tiny space especially where extensions can’t be made sideways, why not look to the topmost area of your home and consider boarding out your loft to make it usable?

Boarding your loft can make for a fairly easy DIY project but like every other home improvement tasks, it requires some specific skill sets as well as knowledge for a successful construction. Therefore, we’d recommend you hire the services of a reliable professional in order to guarantee the best possible outcome, especially if you lack proper training or experience that’ll help you avoid some costly mistakes. Here, we’ll give you a good insight into the loft board laying procedures.

• Get The Right Tools & Equipment

The materials and supplies you’ll need to lay loft boards include loft boards, screws, tape measure and pencil, drill, hammer, saw, protective gear such as gloves and dust mask.

• Work Out The Area

Measure up the area you need the boards to cover. The standard loft features two different sizes (both are 18mm thick) which include 2400mm x 600mm and 1220mm x 320mm. You should ensure that the board you opt for fits through the loft hatch perfectly.

• Start Laying

Once you’re done working out the area, the next step is to put on your protective gear and start putting the boards in place. You should lay the boards in a staggered pattern so as to give a better strength. While doing this, watch out for any wire running through your loft so they don’t get trapped, you should also cut the boards for easy access to the light fittings’ top.

• Make It Permanent

Upon the successful placement of the boards in a way that offer a safe area to store things and stand on, you’ll have to screw them in place. Start by drilling 2 or 5 holes along the edge of individual boards in such a way that lines up with the centre of the joist below. Once done, then you can fix them in place with screws.

If you want to install an external wall, it is only wise to consider whether or not a planning permission is required in order to avoid a hefty fine. In a great kudos to the government and a welcome relief to home and property owners, the installation of external wall insulation is seen as an “improvement to the house and not an “extension or an “enlargement. Ultimately, this implies that external wall insulation fitting is to be done under permitted development and a planning application may not be required. However, like many other regulations, there are also exceptions to this rule and the main one is if the activity changes the appearance of your property. Properties such as a listed building having tighter regulations may pose some issues. As a result, we’d advise you to consult your local authority to ensure that there’s no fast rule to this topic before commencement of the external wall insulation project.

At the moment, according to the Government Building Regulations, the surface of the entire wall is to be improved to existing standards if the area to be insulated exceeds 25 percent of the wall. In normal situations this is usually the typical case, however to prevent avoidable fines and other possible punishments, it is always best to reach to your local authority and check out the rules guiding external wall insulation in your constituency. Furthermore, since external wall insulation is not a task that’s recommended to be done by yourself, you can also ask the professional external wall insulation fitting company for the applying rules before proceeding. As a good professional, the company should have a better knowledge of the rules and regulation guiding its activities.

This depends on the amount of insulation already present in your property. However, adding insulation has been proven to improve the energy efficiency of your home and decrease your heating bills, this is more obvious in older properties or where single glazing is still in situ.

How Much To Board A Loft?

If you stay in a building where the space meant for storing stuffs is not sufficient, boarding your loft may be just the perfect solution for you. In several homes, the space is already present, and all you have to do is to make it more usable by boarding it out. This is unarguably one of the easiest and quickest ways to create storage space in your home.

Boarding a loft comes with a number of special benefits which includes:

• Assisting to declutter our living spaces and makes for a more spacious home.

• Creating a usable space whereby all seasonal items can be stored.

• Assisting to reduce heating bills as it prevents the loss of heat. When your loft is well boarded and insulated, it’ll help trap heat and prevent it from escaping via the roof.

• Adding to your home’s value by making your attic a very useful space for storing items.

• Helping to create a quiet space which can used for relaxation or getaway purposes and of course, this will require a bit more structural work.

So now that you’ve learnt a few of the benefits associated with boarding a loft, how much will it cost to have one made? This depends on an array of factors which includes the size of the space needed, the type of materials and labour cost.

Overall, a standard semi detached building will feature a lot of space of about 40 sqm to 50 sqm in size. There’ll be a need to add to the height of the floor joists before installing the chipboard decking boards. This job size should cost within the range of £1,000 to £1,500. It’ll require just a two-person team that are fully equipped and well versed about the processes.

There’s a huge range of different types of loft conversions. The most common are dormer and skylight or Velux conversions. There are also hip to gable and mansard conversions. The type of loft conversion that’s most suitable for your property will depend on the style of roof and the size of your loft.

Most companies will make the building control application on your behalf and ensure that all the work is completed to the right standards. When a building inspector has inspected it, you’ll get a certificate. It usually takes around 6-8 weeks after completion to come.