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1. Mark out the area and dig the top layer of soil, trying to get the ground as flat as possible.
2. Build a timber frame to size.
3. Measure out 4 rows of 3 blocks to create good weight distribution and lay in place.
4. Underneath each block, dig around 50mm wider than the blocks and about 150mm deep. Fill the hole with pea gravel until it’s flat.
5. Place timber planks along the rows of blocks and see how level it is. Add or remove blocks where necessary. If it’s only a small difference, use shingle underneath the timber until it’s level.
6. Nail your timber shed base to the timber planks to create a sturdy base for your shed.

Properly installed wooden decking will not need a lot of maintenance. Most manufacturers recommend regularly brushing leaves and dirt off the deck, and a yearly cleaning and staining procedure. This will keep the wood in the best condition. Fluids and treatments are readily available from all DIY shops and stores.

If your deck isn’t going to be flat to the ground, it’s a good idea to have some kind of balustrade to avoid any tripping. If the gap between the deck and the ground is less than 600mm, use a 900mm balustrade. If it’s higher than 600mm, the balustrade should be 1100mm tall.

Do you have existing floorboards and wish to fit new solid wood floor over it? If you’re planning to go for a DIY effort, there are a number of things you should put into consideration before you even get started. Firstly, you should have it in mind that existing softwood floorboards are usually not flat, implying that the surface of the existing might not be ideal to serve as the foundation on which to put your new solid wood flooring. Secondly, if you’re going to lay the new solid floor on the existing floorboards, it would be wise to select wood that is a minimum of 18mm thick to make your new solid wood flooring a lot more stable.

If you discover that your old floor is not too even, there are two option you can consider to protect your investment. You can lay the new floor at a 90 degree angle over the existing one. In other words, you should lay the new floor lengthways if the old one is laid widthways. Using this technique alongside a method of fitting referred to as secret nailing will go a long way to make sure your installation efforts is a successful one.

The second option you can put into consideration when laying solid wood flooring over old ones is to lay chipboard or plywood over the existing floor prior to the installation of the new floor. Here, there will be an increase in the cost of your installation, however it will be more reliable and durable as it assists in ensuring the stability of your new flooring. Some benefits that comes with this option includes the freedom to lay the new solid wood flooring in any direction you want as well as the freedom to use any fitting method you deem fit. Click here to learn more about wood flooring.

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.

If you’re thinking about making improvements to your home, it’s only reasonable to become familiar with the ins and outs of the requirements to make the project a success. Not just the cost involved to complete the project, but also the duration it’ll take to complete the job and lots more. When it comes to the installation of wooden flooring, there’s a need to find out whether or not an underlay is required for the task. In this article, we’re going to consider this in order to ensure that you’re on the right track. Let’s take a look!

First and foremost, underlays are common with carpets as they allow for an even surface with no lumps and bumps. It also provides a deeper barrier between the carpet and the floor as carpets, themselves, aren’t particularly thick enough to provide adequate comfort when walking on them. Underlay also helps improve insulation which in turn, helps cut down your energy bill. So, are underlays also needed with wooden flooring?

In general, wooden flooring does not really need an underlay. This is due to the fact that they’re perfectly comfortable to walk on without the need to add an extra padding underneath. However, the subfloor will have to be made prior to the installation, as a result, an underlay is needed at all there. With that in mind, it’s highly recommended to make use of an underlay when installing a boarded floor to a wooden subfloor mainly due to the fact that it’s able to provide a much-improved insulation. When it comes to wooden flooring, it’s always best to go for quality rather than looking for ways to cut corners. If you’re able to go for the best project with professional installation and little extras like undelay, you’d notice and enjoy the long lasting nature of your wooden flooring immediately after installation.

How Much Plasterboard Do I Need?

Although many people especially contractors have a tough time estimating the number of drywall or plasterboard needed to complete a project, it’s a rather simple task if all factors are taken into consideration. If you’re able to follow the same procedures taken by professionals to count dry wall sheets, you’ll be in the right direction. Let’s have a look at the procedures to follow!

lTake Square Footage Measurement

• Measure the square footage of the area where the plasterboard will be fitted.

• Multiply the height by the width of each wall or ceiling area.

• Add all quantities to obtain a total square-foot amount.

lCalculate Drywall Sheets

• To calculate the number of drywall or plasterboard sheet is very simple once you’ve gotten the total square footage.

• To get started, simply divide the total square footage of area by 32 (that’s if you are using a 4 by 8 sheets) or you can also make use of 48 to make the division (only if you’re making use of the 4 by 12 sheets).

• The answer you get after the division will give you the full number of plasterboard sheets that’s required to complete the project.

We’d recommend you include an extra 10 to 15 percent of whatever you calculate to take care of the possible odd cuts and wastages. This implies that if your total area is 1600 square feet while incorporating 4 by 8 sheets, simply divide 1600 by 32 which equals 50 sheets, now take 10% of 50 which equals 5, then add back the 5 extra to the 50 sheets earlier calculated to get 55 sheets. If you wish to estimate the cost, simply multiply the number of sheets gotten by the price per sheet. Do not forget to include delivery charges and local taxes.

1. Start in one corner of the sub-frame and position the first board across the inner joists. You want the deck board in the opposite direction to the inner joists, ensuring that it’s flush with the frame. Position any end-to-end joins between the deck boards halfway across an inner joist so you can screw both boards into the joist for stability. Make sure you keep a gap of between 5-8mm to allow for expansion of the wood.
2. Begin to screw your deck boards to the joists. You’ll need to secure the deck board to every joist is covers along your deck frame. Use two screws for every joist. Mark where you’re going to add your screws, ensuring that they are at least 15mm from the end of the board and 20mm from the outside edges. Drill pilot holes for the screws, being careful to only drill through the deck board and not the joist. Then screw the decking screws into the holes.
3. Continue to screw in the deck boards, ensuring you leave the correct expansion gap. You can stagger the deck board joins across the deck for more strength.
4. Sand down any cut ends if you need to before applying decking preserver to protect the timber from rotting.