Find a Builder you can trust in Taunton.

Whether a basement is worth converting depends on your location and how much work it requires.

A basement conversion can be a great way to add space to your home, and can raise your property value. However, it can also be one of the most expensive ways to do this, so if there’s a possibility to extend your property, or convert a loft or garage, it’s worth considering this first.

You should also compare how much your basement conversion will cost with the amount it could raise your property value by. In some areas, a quality basement conversion could earn you money in the long run, but in others it’ll only cost you. If you’re planning on staying in your property for a long time this might not matter to you, but if it’s not your forever home then it’s an important thing to think about.

Converting your garage into a habitable room can be an option that’s too good to pass up especially when you’re in dire need of more living space in your home. If you’re in a similar situation and considering the cost of a single garage conversion in your home, then you’ve come to the right place! The fact is, the cost of a single garage conversion is dependent on a number of influencing factors which includes your specific plans as well as your location. Generally, the price of garage remodel is expected to cost about half of what you’ll incur when building a home extension or addition from scratch. However, before commencing a project of this magnitude you should put into consideration some things.

A single garage conversion is a huge job which typically involves wall insulation, floor raising, heating addition, cool and ventilation as well as updating doors and windows. Before you get started you should consider if converting your single garage into a room is a good option, whether a permit is required to convert a garage, the type of room a garage can become, does it add value to your home and how much its going to cost.

Just like any other home improvement project, garage conversion cost varies depending on several factors like your garage space specifications. Other factors include the general condition of your garage - the condition of your foundation, walls, floors or roofs, the ceiling and more, planning applications, your location, the services of a structural engineer, internal or external garages etc. According to Santander, the average cost of converting a single garage costs approximately £6,300. However, considering the aforementioned influencing factors we’d expect the cost of a single garage conversion to cost within the range of £5,500 to £10,500.

If you’re having issues with the amount of space in your home and need an extra space without affecting your garden, loft conversion comes to mind. Not only is it a great solution to creating more living space within a home, but it’s also one of the most budget-friendly solutions you can count on to expand your space by thinking upwards rather than sideways. So if you’re thinking about converting your loft, one thing that almost immediately comes to mind is whether or not your house is suitable for loft conversion.

To answer the question of whether every house can have a loft conversion is a very simple one. Generally, not every house is suitable for loft conversion. This is due to the fact that each and every loft space - from the stairways below and floors to the rafters and the roof up above, is unique. Therefore, the best way to really figure out whether or not a house’s loft offers the potential for conversion is to get in touch with a loft specialist.

So what can make a house not suitable for a loft conversion? Let’s take a closer look!

✓ A house will not be suitable for a loft conversion if the height of the ceiling happens to be too low and it’ll not be possible to have it raised.

✓ If you do not own own the freehold to the loft space, you won’t be able to convert the loft. Surprisingly, this happens to be a common issue in London.

✓ You will not be able to convert your loft if you reside in a conservation area or in a listed building. But you can identify a design solution that’ll still comply with the conservation rules and keep planners happy.

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.

In the event whereby you’ve got big refurbishment ideas for your house but a small budget, then you know it’s time to be a bit more creative and apply some cheap and simple tricks. The best possible way to go about this is to invest time in acquiring new skills rather than trying to save up more money to pay a pro to deliver the results you want. After all, the most significant cost when it comes to house refurbishments is usually the labour cost.

The key to making cheap tricks a lot effective in the refurbishment process is by undertaking small tasks that’ll make a huge impact. A great way to start would be by taking it one task at a time rather than rushing to complete all at once. This way, you’ll have enough time to perfect your skills before moving on to the next.

✓ Paint the interior walls. Although this is a simple task but it’ll save you a lot of money if done as a DIY project. To get started, you’d have to text colour options by painting samplex on the wall first. Once done, you can go for the one that adds warmth, dynamism as well as energy to the room.

✓ Fix up your furniture. This involves re-upholstering and refinishing any piece of furniture that appears tired or overly worn (you can leave out the ones that you do not really like or unnecessary items).

✓ Spruce up small but important items used on a daily basis. This includes spray-painting inexpensive picture frames, recovering lampshades with a vibrant paper or patterned fabric, adding throw pillows to armchairs and couches and the likes.

✓ Fix all small things that are broken. This includes activities like patching the nail holes in the wall, repairing the latch on the kitchen cabinet, fixing the gutter, putting a new handle on the door and lots more.

With the title of this blog, do not be deceived into thinking the purpose is to encourage you to install an external insulation by yourself. Even as a competent DIYer, it’s not advisable to buy a couple of materials and start slapping it into the wall hoping for the best outcome. External insulation is by no means a DIY job and without the proper training and experience, it can easily turn out disastrous resulting in loss of time, effort and money in such a valuable project. This blog, however, will give you a great insight on how the installation process works and help maximize knowledge ensuring you do not spend more than necessary.

External Insulation Installation

lRender Test

• This is done to ensure the existing render is good enough for insulation support.

• If positive, the insulation can be applied directly onto it.

• If negative, ensure removal of the old render before fitting the insulation.

lPipework Adjustment & Removal

• Remove all pipework prior to insulation fitting

• Install temporary downpipes to ensure water is not wasted and everything continue to function normally during the insulation fitting process.

lWindow Protection

• Protect the window with a protective layer or film.

lStarter Track Fitting

• Determine level you want the insulation to start (height).

• Fit the aluminium start track or carrier tray at the identified level.

lInsulation Boards Fitting

• Apply a layer of adhesive to the board and glue them to the wall in a staggered pattern.

• Cut to fit round all obstructions and windows.

• File off the edge of the board where necessary using a rasp upon successful fitting of the boards

lMechanical Fixing Inclusion

• Hammer around 10 fixings per square metre into the board.

• This is to secure the insulation boards.

lBeading Fitting

• Add corner beads and stop beads to ensure the insulation is secure and to prevent it from making contact with other materials.

lReinforcing Mesh & Render Addition

• Apply two layers of strengthening properties and between the two layers of render, include a fibre glass mesh.

lPrimer Application

• Paint on the primer

lFinal Render Application

• Choose your most preferred texture and colour as this will be the last coating of the installation process.

lPipework Re-installation

• Re-install all detached pipework at the start of the installation process.

Cement is a crucial element in bricklaying that’s widely used in both construction as well as finishing works. Generally, they’re used to aerate concrete blocks, connect bricks, prepare plaster, floor levelling as well as the making of precast products. The major reason cement is one of the most common construction materials as its incredible ability to hold structure together. To get a cement plaster, you’d simply have to mix cement with both water and sand. However, when you mix cement with lime, sand and water, you’ll get a mortar.

For cements mortars to be used inside joints, you’ll have to include 1 part cement at the minimum to not more than 2 parts sand by weight which should be dry mixed and moistened with enough water to allow for troweling and packing without falling apart. Generally, the cement sand ratio in a mortar is in between 1:2 to 1:6. The cement and sand mix ratio is largely based on the importance of the project.

Cement provides a plethora of uses in bricklaying and these includes:

• Preparation of cement concrete

• Preparation of cement mortar

• Building fireproof and thermal proof structures

• Building chemical proof structures

• Serving as a grout material

• Building hydrographic and frost resistant structures

• Manufacturing precast members

• Constructing aesthetic concrete

• Constructing cement concrete roads

There are several types of cements with each having its specific purpose. For instance, the type of cement more suited to building a fire proof structure is a high alumnia cement and to build a hydrographic structure, cements like expanding cement, hydrophobic cement, pozzolana cement and quick setting cement are the best bet. Acid resistant cements are more useful in building chemical proof structures, portland cements are best suited to making grout materials, while coloured cements are preferable to building aesthetic structures.

One of the main reasons why fitted wardrobes are a popular choice amongst homeowners is due to the fact that they’re able to help maximise storage space and since they’re usually customized for the particular room, they’re always good looking. However, just like any other home item, over time your installed wardrobe may start to look a bit dated and old fashioned. In these type of events and in order to save money, several homeowners would prefer to update its look to a more modern one without having to completely replace the fitted wardrobe with a new one. In this guide, we’ll give some great tips on how to update your old fitted wardrobe. Let’s take a look!

✓ Add mirrors to the wardrobe doors. Your old fitted wardrobe may be made of old fashioned laminate or chipboard which happens to draw scratches and dents here and there. If this is the case, you can simply add mirrors to help conceal the damage or unsightly marks.

✓ Include decorative trimming or panelling. You can choose from the various styles of trimmings you’ll find at hardware stores. By adding some strips of moulding, the whole look of your fitted wardrobe can change significantly.

✓ Painting. If the surface of the wardrobe permits, painting can go a long way to alter the look of the wardrobe.

✓ Change the handles. Handles may seem as a little item that doesn’t add to the aesthetics of the wardrobe. However, in reality, change your old handle with a more modern and fashionable one can make a great difference to the wardrobe’s overall appearance.

✓ Upgrade the interior. You can upgrade the interior of your wardrobe to give you more options and a better appearance. For instance, you may wish to have part of the wardrobe to offer integrated shelving or perhaps pull out drawers rather than having all the interior space for hanging clothes and garments.