Find a Handyman you can trust in St Ives.

There are a bunch of things a handyman can do around the house, so if you’re looking for a reason to hire one, you’d definitely find plenty. First and foremost, a handyman is basically a well versed, skilled and experienced professional who possesses the ability to carry out a plethora of tasks as well as repairs. While not all local authorities require handymen to have a license or carry an insurance policy, some handymen do have insurance. Generally, their rates vary based on their experience as well as specialities.

Handymen are able to handle a multitude of potential jobs in and around the house. These ranges from small tasks, installations, assembly, indoor or outdoor building or repair jobs. They are available to help out with a wide array of odd jobs around the home at a very reasonable price. So, what are some of the jobs a handyman can do in a home? Let’s take a look!

• Odd jobs. This encapsulates any small job you’d want done around the house. It could be a repair, installation or maintenance task.
• Gutter cleaning and repair. The idea of cleaning a gutter may seem hassle free, but there can be a couple of difficulties which includes the use of ladders and the risk of falling. When you hire a handyman to do this task, he does not only clean but also check for any damage or repair needs and much more.
• Painting. If you’re not able to handle some of your painting projects or perhaps you’re just not confident of how its going to turn out, it may be in your best interest to reach out to a skilled handyman.
• General carpentry and home repairs, these includes shelving, cabinets, bookcases, baseboards, framing, doors, countertops, moulding and more.

Keeping water away from your house is of great importance and hence, the installation of a roof guttering system to serve this purpose. However, in order to perform this task effectively and seamlessly, there’s a need to clear out the clogging dirt and debris from the gutter and ensure it’s free from water-blocking obstacles at all times. Although there are a number of ways to achieve this, but the major cause of concern for several home and property owners is having to work at heights or on top of a ladder to get the job done. This is a very dangerous endeavour especially if you do not have the confidence required to pull it off. As a result, we’d strongly recommend you hire the services of a reliable professional who possess the skills when it comes to working at heights and delivering a highly effective clean. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways you can get to clean your gutters without having to climb any ladders. Let’s take a look!

• Clean the gutter with a leaf blower. Several leaf blowers feature a nozzle attachment which is made to release a narrow stream of air which is suitable for cleaning of gutters. You don’t need a ladder to do the clean as a specialized attachment is available in order to increase the blower’s reach to your roof effortlessly. The final step would be to remove any lingering leaves or twigs using a hose.
• Clean the gutter with a wet or dry vacuum. For heavier debris, you can try out a wet or dry vacuum. To reach the obstructed gutters while standing on the ground, simply get curved attachments and hoses at a local home improvement store. You may, however, need to moisten some stubborn dirt before it can be properly vacuumed or removed.after completing the vacuuming process, simply flush the gutters with garden hose waters.

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.

1. Plan your shed base You must have a sturdy base for your shed, otherwise the frame won’t stand properly and could stop the door from opening. Decide whether you’re going to have:
   • A concrete base laid on hardcore
   • Concrete slabs on sharp sand
   • Treated wood beams on hardcore or shingle
   • An interlocking plastic system
   All bases should be laid on firm, level ground as far as possible.
2. Treat wood with preservative To help your shed last as long as possible, you should coat all the wooden parts with timber preservative before you put it together.
3. Put the shed floor together Some will need more assembly than others, but you need to make sure that the floor panel is attached to the joists; follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the correct spacing.
4. Put up the shed walls
   • Mark the centre point of each wall on its bottom edge, then do the same for the shed floor so you can line them up together.
   • Stand the gable end on the base and line it up. Check that it’s vertical with a spirit level – you might need someone to support the panel while you do this. Use a temporary holding batten to keep it in place.
   • Fix a side panel to the gable end panel with countersunk screws, then add the second side panel in the same way.
   Don’t attach the panels to the floor until you’ve fitted your shed roof.
5. Fit the roof
   • If the shed comes with a support bar, put this in position before you put the roof panels in.
   • Nail the roof panels in place, ensuring there’s a parallel and equal overlap at each end.
   • Roll out some roofing felt from front to back, leaving a 50mm overlap at each side. Secure it with clout-headed felt tacks at 100mm intervals.
   • Apply mastic sealant to the outside corners, then fix each corner trim with 30mm nails.
   • Add the fascias and finials, predrilling 2mm holes to avoid splitting the wood. Nail them through the felt into the shed using 40mm nails.
6. Add the shed windows
   • Slide each windowsill into the tongue and groove cut out, then put the window cover strip in position, fixing it to the vertical framing.
   • From inside the shed, put the glazing sheets into the window rebates, making sure the bottom edge of the glazing sheets sit on the outside of the sill.
   • Fix the window beading on the top and sides with 25mm nails.
7. Fix the walls to the floor Before you do anything, make sure you check that the centre marks on the walls line up with the marks on the shed floor. Then fix the wall panels to the floor with 50mm screws, aligning them with the joists.
And that’s it! But if you’re not confident in building a shed yourself, there are plenty of professionals available who will be happy to help.

How To Paint Skirting Boards

In the exact same way a room isn’t complete unless it has all the right finishing touches here and there, your skirting boards also just wouldn’t be right leaving it without a paint. As you can imagine, skirting board can quickly gather dust, dirt and scuffed over time can affect the appearance of the entire room. But you don’t have to wait for this to happen before painting your skirting boards. Good news is, painting of skirting boards is relatively easy and straightforward especially when you follow the guide given in this article. It should, however, be said that if you’re not so confident about holding a brush and doing the task yourself, then getting a professional painter to complete the project will be a great option to achieve the best result while you can focus on other important things.

Painting your skirting board will help provide your room with the much needed perfect frame. Now let’s take a closer look!

✓ Prepare your skirting boards. Treat your wood skirting board with a knotting solution and wood primer. But if they’re already painted or varnished, simply wipe clean use a wet and dry paper with a mild detergent to abrade the surface. Once done, you can then run a strip of masking tape along the floor.

✓ Start Painting. For the decorative coat, you can use any paint designed for wood and metal like satin, gloss etc. Once selected, you can then start to paint across the top with the help of a 2 inch brush. Then move to the flat side. Work in easy to manage sections and when starting the next section, start at the far side and brush into the section you’ve just painted so as to make for an even finish. Finally, remove the masking tape used before the paint dries off.

Driveways usually sink because they haven’t been laid properly. They may not have been dug deep enough, or the installer might not have used the right materials. This will need to be corrected at the earliest opportunity, although in extreme cases, the driveway may need to be completly be relaid.

Accidents happen, and sometimes windows get broken. And that will lead to you wanting to replace just the glass in your window, rather than the whole frame. Also, as windows get older they can mist up on the inside, which means that the unit has ‘blown’ - so you’ll also need to replace the glass. But how much is it to replace the glass in a window? Luckily, if the frame of your window is in good condition, there’s no need to replace it, and this will reduce the cost. For an installer to fit a new pane of glass in a single glazed window, the average cost is £100, while a replacement double glazed sealed unit will cost an average of £110. Of course, as this is an average, if your window is very large you may spend more, and if your window is very small the price may be less. That's why it’s important to get a range of quotes so you can compare costs and get the best price. If you’re good at DIY, you may feel confident enough to have a go at replacing the glass in your window yourself. In that case, the cost of sealed unit and any other materials you need will cost an average of £57. It’s a significant saving, and if you think you can do it, then give it a try. However, if you’re in any way unsure, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. A window installer will be able to replace the glass in your window in less than an hour. Even though it costs more for a professional to do it, if you get it wrong and have to start over it will cost you more in the long run.

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.