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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.

The best type of insulation for your property will depend on the type of walls and any insulation that’s already present. It’s usually a good idea to have some form of wall insulation as well as loft insulation, as this helps to prevent heat loss in both areas.

External Wall Insulation (EWI) is the act of insulating a home by fitting insulation to the exterior parts of the building which in turn improves thermal performance, cuts energy consumption ( savings on energy bill) and also adds to the home’s visual appeal. The systems are built in multiple layers, with the insulation board offering a plethora of options with each being suitable to varying projects and their needs. Installing an external wall insulation comes with a variety of benefits, let’s have a look!

• Thermal Performance Improvement

With EWI, the thermal inertia of the walls are greatly enhanced while also restricting the loss of heat. Ultimately, this lowers heating costs, enhances the comfort of indoor thermal and also reduces CO2 pollution.

• Eliminates Noise Pollution

When the noise levels are high, it can have a bad impact on our overall well being. A great way to reduce the disturbances from the outside like traffic noise is by fitting an External Wall Installation system.

• More Comfortable Living Space

Do you know the damp in homes can contribute to respiratory problems? A properly insulated home will greatly limit the impact of condensation by combating the damp issues. As a result, you can always expect your house to be cosy and comfy irrespective of the season. A cooler summer and warmer spring is guaranteed with EWI.

• Enhances The Property’s Visual Appeal

Looking for an excuse to rejuvenate your home’s aesthetic appeal? Well, you can as well try out adding an EWI system. There are a plethora of unique colours and styles you can pick from to beautify your home effortlessly.

• Adds Value To Property

An insulated home will generally cost more than an uninsulated one at the time of resale. Potential home buyers are more interested in the acquisition of a home with an EWI system due to its various benefits - and a higher demand can only imply a higher price!

Wall rendering is basically a process which involves the application of sand, cement or polymer covering to a home’s exterior in such a way that enhances its look while also offering an improved stability. The process is a perfect solution for several exterior concerns mainly due to the support its able to provide. It’s highly beneficial for older homes whose walls may suffer from poor quality because of wear over time, while it’s also greatly advantageous for newer homes as it increases their stability while also enhancing their visual appeal.

Knowing how to apply render is a great skill to have with your home’s upkeep in mind. The project can be done quite easily by any competent and confident DIYer. However if you lack any of those attributes, then we’d recommend you get in touch with a reliable professional for help. In this article, we’ll take you through the wall rendering process.

✓ Prepare the walls. This involves examining the wall, repairing any structural defects as well as stabilizing any movements to prevent the render finish from failing.

✓ External details. This includes the removal of bargeboards, rainwater, soil pipes, alarm boxes and all other external details.

✓ Insulation. In the event whereby external wall insulation is to be fitted, this is the stage to do so.

✓ Developing a foundation for the render to fix to. Apply a render mesh over the insulation, bedded into the first base coat layer of render.

✓ Building up the render.

✓ Render finishes. There are a wide range of colour options as well as various finishes available from very smooth to textured. However, you should note that thin coat render systems are usually designed to be self coloured.

✓ Final finishes. This involves the re-application of the external rainwater, soil pipes and the other external details.

As with every home development project, a home makeover comes with heaps of preparation and, hard work, but it is a remarkable way to breathe new life into an old home.

RESEARCH PERIOD FEATURES AND SAFEGUARD THEM

Get to know your household better, the time it was constructed in, and the kind of individuals who would have lived there. The greatest tactic is to repair current structures, make the house dry and safe.

CHECK FOR RENOVATION RESTRICTIONS BEFORE YOU START

There are certain restrictions that don’t allow you to remodel your house after a certain extent, it should be made clear to you when you purchase the property but if you are unsure about the regulations you should check them up, as it is a criminal offence to carry out unauthorised work to a listed home. Restrictions in Conservation Areas generally affect only the exterior of the property as the intention is to ‘preserve or enhance the character or appearance’ of an area, but the right to develop your house will be affected. This means the kind of work that you could have easily completed in a different location may need certain planning and even permissions to complete in your area.

CREATE A DESIGN FOR YOUR HOUSE RENOVATION

It is very important that you take your time to perfect the design. This will help to ensure that the finished work is in tune with your needs. You will also need to figure it out how the changes might play with the original building.

FIND THE BEST CONTRACTORS FOR YOUR RENOVATION

If you are planning on managing the renovation project yourself, it is advisable to ask from friends or family who have renovated their house before and have undergone a similar experience. They can help you find the right architect and builder. Or else, you can always opt for a project manager.

How To Fit Plasterboard

If you’re planning to renovate your house, then here is a must-read guide! Fitting of plasterboard is a crucial step when it comes to renovation. If you’re bringing down an existing lath and plaster for an upgraded surface or adding a new wall, a plasterboard is required for your project to be a true success. If you’re a novice with no prior practice or experience, you can protect your investment by hiring the services of a professional plasterer to guarantee the best results, the first time. However, we’ve put together this guide to give you an insight on how the plasterboard fitting process is done.

To get started, you’ll need a power drill, hammer, plasterboard nails or screws, broad knife, utility knife, measurement tape, pencil, ladder as well as a joint tape.

Before proceeding, you need to identify the number of plasterboard sheets needed to commence the project by measuring the height and width of the wall as well as calculating the square footage. If you possess a stud timber wall, the steps below will get you the best results.

• Measure the walls and mark the plasterboard where you’ll make the cuts. Start with a full sheet and cut pieces down in such a way that would fit

• Score the front paper of the plasterboard with utility knife. Fold the sheet to get a clean cut through the board and make use of the knife to the remaining paper.

• Place the first sheet against the wall and use an offcut to prevent the plasterboard from touch the floor.

• Make the plasterboard rest snugly against the wall in position and screw it firmly on each stud. Once done, fasten it at all the sheets’ edges and in a line down the stud to make for a firm connection. Follow the same process for the remaining plasterboard sheet till the wall is fully covered.

If you’re about to start your house extension project and wondering how long it’ll take to complete, you’re not alone! This is one of the most common questions that’s asked by homeowners in the UK and across the globe. However, there’s no single precise answer for this as there are multiple factors that’ll affect the length of time it’ll take to complete your home extension. These factors include the size of the construction work as well as whether you’re planning to live in the house after completion or otherwise.

For a single extension, the length of time it’ll take to complete the home extension is normally up to 3 months. So let’s break this down:

As you would have expected, the first step to be taken is the preparation of the site. You start by digging out the footing and preparing the foundation which should take about 2 weeks. This is then followed by the damp course installation as well as the fitting of any drains needed around the extension which will also take a further 2 weeks.

The 5th week will be for the construction of the external walls as well as putting the blockwork in place for the provision of the cavity wall insulation. A further 2 weeks after this, will be dedicated to the installation of the roof structure and the internal walls.

It’s at this junction that you’ll call on your weather proof installer to fit in your uPVC windows and doors. Once done, the gas fitters and electricians will have to be on site to connect power to your new extension building. Subsequently, this will be followed by internal wall plastering as well as breaking through your main house. Once the plaster is dried, decorations completed and all the required furniture and units installed, the extension is ready for use.

With the prices of buying a house skyrocketing, many of us are tempted to building our own house. This is sometimes an excellent choice, but you will first need to understand the costs of building a house from scratch. As per a general estimate, the cost of self-build ranges between £300 per m2 to £3,000 per m2.

As you can see, this is quite a variation in price from lowest to highest. Location is a prime factor in determining the costs. Building a house in London and the South is more expensive compared to other regions. Aside from location, several other factors make up the price.

Self-manage with subcontractors

You hire professionals directly like builders and carpenters. You also buy all the materials yourself allowing you to get the best prices.

Hiring a main contractor with other subcontractors

You will first need a main contractor who will help to create the watertight structure for your house. For the rest of the work, try hiring out subcontractors. Make sure that you buy all the materials yourself to get the best price.

External cladding materials

If you are looking to install other external material other than brick, you will also need to factor in the cost for the same.

Here are some example prices:

• Render on blockwork costs around £25 per m²

• Timber cladding is around £25 per m²

• Hand¬made all-weather tiling costs around £54 per m²

• Rubble walling or flint is around £90 per m²

• Reconstituted stone costs about £48 per m²

• Natural stone is about £75 per m²

Make sure to include these costs when coming up with the estimate.

Roofing materials

Non-standard roofing materials tend to add more to the cost and therefore you will also need to account in for this factor.

Here are some examples:

Welsh slate – £60 per m²

Second-hand slates – £35 per m²

Handmade clay tiles – £65 per m²

Reed thatch – £80/m²

If you choose to add any unique material to your roofing, be sure that you remember to factor in its cost.