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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.

Pitting, also referred to as spalling is the event whereby “pits” or small holes start showing on the surface of your concrete driveway which makes it appear both worn and uneven. Concrete driveway pitting is a common but highly frustrating problem for most homeowners. You’ll see some concrete driveways that’ll only start to pit after a couple of years, but this is not true for all concrete driveways as others will start to show signs only after a couple of months. So how do you tackle this issue? Well, it’s relatively simple to tackle, however if you’re not confident or lack the necessary skills, we’d recommend you get in touch with a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this guide, we’ll take you through the concrete driveway pitting repair process.

✓ Prepare the pits by cleaning the area, clearing out all debris and more. The small pits can be cleaned with a stiff brush while a sturdy broom will do a good job for larger pits.

✓ Make use of a hose to spray the concrete pits and flush out all remaining bits of waste.

✓ If you’re tackling series of small pits, simply use a caulking gun filled with pre-mixed epoxy and specially formulated for concrete to fill the pits. Clear off the excess eproxy ensuring that its level with the concrete surface. Once done, simply leave for at least 24 hours before the application of a concrete sealant to prevent the wear and tear of the new concrete.

✓ Chisel out a little concrete and clean with a pressure washer. Once done, apply a concrete resurfacing compound mixture into the holes and use a trowel to level off.

✓ Ensure that the repaired concrete driveway is protected from rain and foot traffic for at least 6 hours (or 24 hours for vehicles).

With cavity walls being very similar to other type of brick works, it can be quite confusing to figure out the type of wall your property possesses. If your house was constructed after the 1920s, then its highly likely the you have cavity walls, while older houses (houses before the 1920s) are likely to have solid walls. What’s more? If you happen to own a home that was built in the last decade, then it’s very possible that it was built with insulation installed during construction.

An effective way to determine whether or not your property is built with cavity wall is to examine the brickwork on your home’s exterior. The bricks will typically possess a regular pattern if it features cavity walls. In the event whereby the brick work is covered by render, you can also figure it out by taking a measurement of the wall’s width. If the brick wall is beyond 3000mm in thickness ( from the exterior wall to the interior wall), then it probably features a cavity. Meanwhile, a wall that’s narrower is very likely to be solid. Stone walls, on the other hand, may actually be thicker but are most times solid.

In a situation whereby your house is built using steel frame or timber frame, or made using pre-fabricated concrete, there are varying rules that applies when it comes to insulation and should be examined by an expert before any insulation is installed. More often than not, most contractors will have installed special air vents, which can also be a good indicator that a cavity wall insulation has been done.

A porch is a small and low structure (with a roof) located at the main entrance of a building or house. It’s typically without a window (although newer variations may come with one) and can either be screened-in or enclosed to prevent unwanted access from insects and extremes in weather. In addition, some homes may have a three-season porch or sun porch. This may be situated by the side of the house and covered by the roof overhang - they’re usually screened in to offer good access all year round.

Generally, porches serve a wide range of purposes. They include:

• Provision of an outdoor living space to relax during the summer months

• It’s an informal extension of the the living room.

• It serves as a great place for social gatherings especially in small towns.

• You can take off your dirty shoes and dry a dripping wet dog before entering into your living room.

• It can be incorporated for relaxation purposes and watching street activities.

• It can serve as a reception area for guests.

• It can also be used for outdoor storage.

Pros & Cons Of A Porch

Pros

• Due to the fact that they’re covered, porches may require little maintenance practices.

• It can go a long way to improves the curb appeal of your property.

• It protects against the extremes of the weather.

• It can be constructed using a wide range of materials.

Cons

• It does not improve the use of the property

• It can be quite expensive to install depending of the material required as well as size of the porch.

• It does not add to the value of the home unlike several other home improvement projects

• It may not be safe to be used by a child or pet.

Any residential building work requires a general builder. The term Residential building work means any work which is involved in building a house or changing or adding to a home. It also comprises of mending, refurbishing, ornamenting or applying shielding treatment to home. A dwelling is defined as a building or a part where people live. This might include an apartment, house or a townhouse.

Here is a list of some of the works that require a building licence:

• construction of a garage, carport or a shed

• renovation for bathroom, kitchen or laundry

• structural landscaping and building swimming pools

• construction of conservatories and atriums

• house lifting for example, raising the height of an existing structure permanently

• removing and resitting dwellings

• steam rooms and saunas.

General building contracts might also involve work that needs a specialist. These works can be appropriately subcontracted. However, this work must be carried out by the container of a permitted contractor licence or competent administrator certificate in that specialist category.

There are a number of different categories of licences that are available depending on whether you want to oversee the work or have an agreement with another party. When you have a contractor licence, you will have the option of submitting a contact to bid on the work. You can only do the categories of work designated on your licence card. Contractor licences can be allotted to people and businesses and partnerships.

With a certificate of a qualified supervisor, you will be able to supervise the type of work specified in the certificate. Such certificates are only issued to individuals and do not allow you to contract for work.

The licence of an endorsed contractor is issued to those individuals who have applied for a contractor licence but also possess the necessary qualifications and experience to become a qualified supervisor.

How To Plasterboard A Wall

If you’re looking to plasterboard your wall, one of the essential things to have in mind is that the plasterboard must be hung horizontally and not vertically. Due to the way they’re manufactured, plasterboard sheets normally possess a “grain along the length. This implies that, it’s only when they’re firmly placed perpendicular against the wall that they’re able to achieve their maximum strength. Materials you’ll need to complete this task includes: Tape measure, stanley knife, pencil, spirit level, drill driver or screw gun, surform, drywall screws and handsaw. Now let’s have a look at the wall plasterboarding steps!

• To plasterboard a wall the first step to take is to place each board in such a way to make the edges the centre of the noggins and upright. Also, the the adjoining walls and door openings should fit closely to the edges.

• Work from the door opening to the ending wall. From the the stud’s edge to the noggin’s centre, use your tape measure to measure a cut board and as a rule to mark up.

• Place your spirit level on the marks and use the Stanley knife to run a line along the intended cut. Once done, turn the board on its edge and give a sharp push on the back to split.

• Cut the paper left with the knife after folding the split edge back on itself. This way, you should get a nice and clean edge.

• In its right position, place the board up against the studwork. Install the screws on the board’s edges where a noggin or upright can be seen.

• Mark lines down across the board at the stud’s centre.

• Cut the end boards to length.

• Install the remaining boards as mentioned above. While doing this, make sure the factory edges are together.

• Cut any board extending into an opening and finish the edges using a surform.

We’d recommend you hire the professional services of a plasterer for the best results especially if you lack the necessary training or experience. Plasterboarding a wall can be a tricky challenge and you’d save yourself some time, money and effort by getting it right on the first trial.

Are you interested in constructing a porch to your property? Estimating the cost of the project before proceeding will solve a lot of possible headaches in the future.

A porch is great place where you can keep your shoes, jackets, dog leads as well as other items to create free space within the property. Apart from this, a porch also serves numerous other purposes to make it a very good structure to have on your property. Not only is it a good means to put a roof over your head when it’s pouring with rain, but also a highly economical way to add floor space to your home. The question, however, how much would it cost to build a porch?

The price of building a porch is based on a wide variety of factors such as the type of materials required, the size of the porch, location of the structure and lots more. As a result, you should note that this guide provide figures that are only a rough guide that’ll put you on the right direction to make informed decisions.

Depending on the type of porch you choose to build, the average cost range from £1,900 to £2,100 for a uPVC porch and up to £10,000 for a lean to porch. There are other types of porch including the traditional porches ( Edwardian and Victorian porches) costing within a range of £2,500 to £8,400.

The materials required also has a great influence in determining the price of a porch. An aluminium porch will cost between £7,5000 to £8,200, while a brick porch will cost slightly less between the range of £2,000 to £8,000. They can both be constructed either as a front porch or as a rear porch, but due to fewer restrictions on aluminium porch, it can be made a lot larger.

Fitted wardrobes are the best choice of wardrobe for most households and they’re a popular option for several homeowners for a good reason. Not only are they able to efficiently maximize your space and fit into any space no matter how awkward, but they can also be customized to fit your personal needs to feature custom lighting and many more. So if you’re planning to have one fitted but on a tight budget, you’d probably be wondering how you can install a fitted wardrobe in an alcove by yourself. This is a relatively easy task if you’re attentive to the details, however, if you’re not confident enough to pull this off, we’d advise that you get in touch with a professional who can guarantee the best results for help.

To construct a fitted wardrobe in an alcove, simply follow these steps:

✓ Take a measurement of the available space including the length, breadth and width.

✓ Sketch out what you want the wardrobe to look like while also staying within the measurements. Here, you’ll have to be particular about everything like the drawers, shelves etc.

✓ Build the frames upon which every other construction would be made.

✓ Attach the frames to the wall and floor. Make use of a hammer drill with a masonry bit to drill the holes if its a concrete floor.

✓ At this stage, you’ll have to start building your shelves in accordance to the number you’ll need.

✓ Based on the design in step 2 above, you’ll have to add the door at this stage. This is however optional as some homeowners prefer door-less wardrobes.

✓ The final step is to paint the the finished wardrobe to your taste with your choice of colour.