Find a Carpenter you can trust in Aberdovey.

Being the primary material used in wooden flooring installation, the floorboards are the main supply costs. With that in mind, you should also know that there are a large variety of wooden flooring types to select from, each with their unique pros and cons which should all be considered before making a purchase decision. If you’re looking to get the supply cost of wooden flooring in the UK, then you’ve come to the right place! Here is a basic price guide of various and some of the most popular types of floorboards.

If you wish to go for an engineered wood flooring, this looks better when compared to laminate and is more affordable than solid wood. You can expect to pay within the range of £20 to about £100 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

Laminate flooring, on the other hand, is also quite cheap, easy to install and quite hardwearing, however it tends to warp over time as a result of exposure to moisture and it also happens to be the least attractive of all the other flooring types. You can expect to pay within the range of £10 to about £50 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

Solid wood flooring is a great option with a better look and feel to it. However, it also tends to warp over time and more difficult to install as against laminate. You can expect to pay within the range of £20 to about £100 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

Parquet flooring is long lasting and very attractive, but quite expensive to have fitted.  You can expect to pay within the range of £25 to about £200 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

Most of the people out there do not know the difference between a carpenter and a joiner. This is a very common question that is asked by many as to whether there is an actual difference between the two.

Both joiners and carpenters have many shared traits. The definition seems to change throughout the UK. The southern parts use the term carpenter whereas the north seems to prefer the term joiner. Both of these trades involve working with wood mainly in the construction industry. Both of them are, however, are two very unique and separate trades. Both of them come under the broad term of ‘carpentry’ however their skills and specialisms differ.

A joiner is defined as a trained craftsman who is responsible for making or joining wood in a workshop. On the other hand, a carpenter is a professional that works on site with the timber. In summary, a joined creates the wood back at the workshop while the carpenter fixes them on site. A joiner, therefore, works on things that are done in a workshop using machinery while a carpenter is responsible for its assembly on site.

As both joiners and carpenters had learnt the basics of both trade while they were practising as an apprentice, several similar overlaps are bound to occur.

It is good practice to ask the company or the individual what trade they specialise in. As an example, a joiner may be able to make a particular item whereas a carpenter may be better doing the actual fitting.

It is evident from the above sections that carpentry and joinery are completely different and therefore, should be categorised under two different trades, however, there is indeed a lot in common in their extremely high skilled work.

When you’re building or redesigning your kitchen, one of the most important decisions you’d have to make is your kitchen cabinets. They are basically where you’ll keep everything you use to cook and as such, take up a lot of space in the kitchen. Therefore, if the aesthetic of your kitchen is a priority, then you’d probably want to get the best quality and good looking cabinet you possibly can. If you’re in the market for new kitchen cabinets, you can put these sources of cabinets into consideration. Let’s take a look!

• IKEA. One of the best place to buy affordable home goods is also a great place to check if you want to buy your kitchen cabinets. According to a research carried out by J.D Power which surveyed over 1500 customers within the past one year, IKEA’s cabinet system ( Sektion) ranked the highest in terms of the overall satisfaction.
• KraftMaid. Another winner of the survey conducted by J.D Power as it took the second position when it comes to the overall satisfaction. Therefore, this store happens to be a good option based on the reviews. This store provides you with a wide variety of colour options to select from, so regardless of what your personal preference is, you’re guaranteed to find something worthwhile to install in your kitchen.
• Stoffer Home. When you buy your kitchen cabinet from an interior designer, there’s a better chance for suitability. Stoffer home offers top quality cabinets which can be manufactured in four various wood finishes and twelve varying paint colours which are all carefully curated.

Cutting a plasterboard is a relatively simple process requiring only some basic tools. Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge serves as big deterrent for many people who wishes to put it to good use. Plasterboard can actually be sawn using an ordinary timber saw that’s fine-toothed to get a cleaner edge. However, the basic tools you may also need includes a sharp knife (Stanley Knife), pencil, a fine sandpaper, a straight edge and measurement tape as well as a wall board saw. Let’s have a look at the cutting process!

• Firstly, you need to put the plasterboard sheet flat on a firm surface.

• Use the tape measurement to measure the cut you wish to make.

• With the help of a pencil, simply mark out the part you wish to cut on the plasterboard’s front side.

• Once marked, place a spirited level over the marked spot on the plasterboard sheet you want to cut.

• Cut a shallow mark into the plasterboard sheet using the Stanley Knife to cut along the edge.

• The cut should be slow and gradual to ensure you do not wander off the edge of the marked area.

• Once the shallow cut has been made, turn the plasterboard sheet on its edge and deliver a quick and sharp push towards the plasterboard’s back and on one side of the cut.

• Place the plasterboard sheet backing against a flat surface ensuring the line of the cut is over an edge. Once done, give a quick and sharp push towards the back of the plasterboard sheet and on the part of the board is reaches beyond the edge.

• Using a fine sandpaper, remove all forms of paper burrs.

The process of cutting plasterboard requires a lot of practice. If you lack the training and experience, the cutting process is best left to a proficient professional who can guarantee the best results the first time and save you some additional costs due to potential damages.

Two of the commonly used terms in the UK and Irish construction industry is “First Fix and “Second Fix First fix encompasses all the work required to take a building from foundation to stroking plaster on the interior walls. This comprises of building walls, floors and ceilings, and implanting cables for electrical supply and pipes for water supply.

Some claim that First Fix starts after the shell of the building is complete, and ends when the walls are plastered. Some of the elements in the first fix are as follows.

• Drain runs: must be downhill and straight

• Spare conduits: drawstrings

• Soil pipes

• Copper pipes

• Normal pipes

• Doorbell

• Door frames

• Pocket doorframes

• Stairwell

• MVHR (mechanical heat recovery ventilation runs)

• Push-fit or other plastic piping

• Electrical back boxes

• Electricity cable runs

• Telephone, data and audio-visual cables

• Socket location

• Security

• Fire alarm

• Sound insulation

• Plasterboarding

It is to be kept in mind that the list goes on as there are several things that you can do when you are building a house from scratch and it is impossible to cover each and every aspect in detail.

The second fix includes all the work after the plastering of a complete house. These include linking cables to the electrical fittings, coupling pipes to the baths and sinks and fitting doors into doorframes. Second fix work requires a tidier finish than the first fix.

Carpenters, electricians and plumbers get a proper idea on the division of work. They will also be able to visit the construction site at different times.

Project managers can simply report it as the "first fix complete" or "the second fix 50% done" and others would very easily understand.

Regardless of the fact that a construction company might specialise in a certain form of fix, be it the first or the second, they are obligated to have a rudimentary understanding of both and are required to perform them from time to time.

1. Place a post in the corner of the frame you created with the pegs and string. Measure and mark out 100mm from each side.
2. Dig out this soil to a depth of 700mm (watch out for cables or pipes). You should have a 300 x 300mm hole. Repeat for the other 3 corners.
3. Using a brick bolster, split a concrete block in two. Put a section of the block in each hole.
4. Get a length of post longer than you need and place one in each hole. You can cut it down later.
5. Create props on each post to hold them in place until you’re ready to add a cement mix. Check that they’re level. When you’re happy that they are, secure them in place with a concrete mix, making sure you create a slope in the concrete so that rainwater runs away from each post. When the concrete is set, remove the props.
6. Create a string line around each corner post and find the centre point between each. Place a timber batten at each point, ensuring that they’re not spaced any more than 1500mm apart.

1. Working from the corner where the deck will be at its highest above ground level, measure and mark on the post where the highest part of the frame will be.
2. Measure from the far side of one post to the opposite and cut sections of joist to size. Line up a piece of joist with the mark you made and temporarily secure it. Factor in a 2mm fall for every metre of decking so rainwater can run off.
3. Secure the frame to the other corner post, ensuring it’s at the right level. Do this for every side of the outer frame.
4. Using 100mm coach screws with washers hanging on the end, secure each end of the four sections of frame.
5. Mark out where the centre of the support posts will be and secure all of these posts to the frame, except the centre post.
6. Add your central support joists. These should run in the same direction as the deck boards will run. You’ll need to measure from the inside of the frame on one side to the inside of the frame on the opposite side. Attach the joist in the same way as you did for the other posts. Repeat so the centre post is in between two sections of frame and secure the posts with concrete.
7. Trim down all the posts to the correct height using a saw.
8. Add your weed-control fabric and weigh down with gravel across the entire area.

1. Measure 400mm from the centre of the outer frame and mark a line. This will be where the first joist is positioned. Repeat at 400mm intervals down the length of the frame – if the last one will be more than 400mm, add another joist to create enough support.
2. Attach a joist hanger to each end of the joist.
3. Place the joist in position so the centre lines up with the 400mm spacer mark.
4. Secure using external grade screws once you’re happy that the joist is flush with the frame.

The cost of wood flooring varies by the type of wood and by the finish required. As a guide though oak solid wood flooring cost about £35 - £45 per m2. The average wooden cost by material are approximately £40 per m2 for pine, £45 per m2 for cherry, £60 per m2 for maple and £75 per m2 for walnut. This price does exclude the laying of the flooring and the underlay required.