Find a Shop Fitter you can trust in Shefford.

Do you have a large tree on your property and wondering how much it would cost to have it totally removed? If yes, then you’ve come to the right place. Generally, the average cost of a tree removal can widely range due to a number of reasons which includes the size, heigh, diameter, location in the garden as well as the type of the tree. And as you would have expected, the larger your tree is the more you’re definitely going to pay to have it completely removed. While being large, another important factor that influences the price is the ease of access. This means that the more difficult it is to get to the tree the more strenuous and longer it’ll take to be felled, hence the more the price that’s likely to be charged when compared to a similar-sized tree which is more accessible.

Generally for a day’s work, a tree surgeon will charge within the range of £150 to £200, and will usually work with one or two general labourer. As a result, you can expect to pay about £300 to £500 in a day as cost of labour if there happens to be up to three labourers.

In short, to cut down a large tree of about 50 feet to 75 feet, this will usually take about one to two days and cost within the range of £650 to £1,200. Meanwhile an extra large tree which is beyond 75 feet will take about 2 to 5 days to cut down and cost within the range of £1,000 to £2,500. However, you should have it in mind that the price that will be charged will be based on a number of factors like the overhang, tree type, access, disposal, closeness to public footpath or road and more.

What Is A Gas Safety Certificate?

Do you wish to know what a Gas Safety Certificate is and if you need to get one?

If you’re in the UK and you own a rental property, you have a statutory obligation to obtain a Gas Safety Certificate. The law ( Gas Safety - Installation and Use, Regulations 1998) stipulates that landlords as a matter of necessity should have all their gas appliances, fittings,and property flues subjected to yearly checks in order to ensure that they’re are totally safe.

The Gas Safety Certificate can be referred to in a number of ways which includes Landlord Gas Safety Record ( LGSR) or CORGI PROFORMA 12 (CP12). The later dating back to when the official body for gas safety in the UK was CORGI. However, the official body is now known as Gas Safe, hence it’s now usually called a Gas Safety Certificate or something along that line. But regardless of whatever you choose to call it, as long as you reside in the UK, it’s crucial to know that if you need one as soon as possible. So how do know if you need a Gas Safety Certificate?

If you’re a homeowner with a property that you live in, you’re not required by the law to obtain a Gas Safety Certificate. There’s nothing like a homeowner’s gas safety certificate, however we’d recommend you subject all you gas appliances and pipework to yearly examinations to ensure they’re functioning properly and safely.

If you’re a landlord in the UK, you’re required by the law to get a Gas Safety Certificate to ensure your property is safe for your tenants. You must reach out to an approved Gas Safe engineer who’ll carry out annual checks on your appliances to ensure that they’re totally safe.

Traditional heating system that features a solid fuel boiler makes use of wood or coal stoves. However, in modern times, biomass boilers have rapidly grown to become the popular solid fuel option. Not only are they very effective and efficient just like the other heating systems, but they’re also renewable due to the fact that they’re able totally carbon neutral as they burn plant based organisms as a great alternative to oil, gas and electricity. As a result, they’re a perfect choice of heating system for off-gird homes or properties.

We have two main types of solid fuel boiler, these includes the following:

✓ Solid fuel stoves. This is also referred to as wood burners. Although coal burners are also available in the market, but we’d only recommend using wood burners as coal can be highly polluting and also set to be banned as a domestic fuel by the government. The most popular options of wood burning is wood log but it can also be operated using wood chips or wood pellets. Due to the fact that they’re stand alone heaters, they can only warm up the room in which they’re fitted.

✓ Biomass boilers. The type of solid fuel heating system makes use of natural material to warm up a space. These natural materials may be wood chips, wood pellets, wood logs and even plant based organisms. How they operate is very similar to that of the traditional boilers. They’re able to provide both hot water and hating by burning fuel, however, the only carbon released into the air was previously absorbed by the wood fuel. As a result, they’re a carbon neutral renewable heating system. But in contrary to solid fuel stoves, they’re fed automatically via a hopper but there are also manually fed biomass boiler.

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.

1. If you’ve not got an overhang or it’s a fixed deck, fit starter clips along the outside edge of the frame and secure with screws provided with the composite decking. If you are working with an overhang, put the first board into position not exceeding 25mm. If you’re adding a fascia, put an off-cut of board under the overhang so you know it’ll be flush with the fascia.
2. Pre-drill all fixing points, measuring in 30mm from the edge of the board. Secure the board to the joist below with composite decking screws.
3. Slide a hidden fastener clip in so it sits within the groove of the deck board. It needs to be in the centre of the joist to keep the boards secure and ensure an expansion gap of 6mm. Tighten the clips until just tight, and repeat so there’s a clip at every joist.
4. Add the next board, ensuring that the fastener clips sit within the groove – make sure you don’t force it. Repeat step 3.
5. Continue steps 3 and 4 until you’re at the final board, which you should secure in the same way as you did the first.

Windows or lightwells can be a great way to introduce natural light into your basement, making it a more valuable, enjoyable space. However, they’re not always an essential requirement.

It’s important for your basement conversion to meet ventilation and fire safety building regulations. Windows can be a good way to do this, but they’re not the only option. Stack or mechanical ventilation, or ensuring that stairs up from your basement connect to an exit can be a good alternative.

So, while windows can be a great asset to your basement conversion, if you can’t afford them or they’re not structurally feasible, you can still create a basement conversion without them.

It’s vital to purchase a solar panel system that suits your property. If you’re investing in a solar panel system, it makes the most financial sense to get the biggest one possible. However, whether you can do this or not depends on budget and space.

Here’s an idea of how much roof or ground space you’ll need to install a few different sizes of commercial solar panel system.

Solar panel system size, No. of solar panels, Approximate area required

11kW, 44, 64m²

20kW, 80, 116m²

30kW, 120, 173m²

40kW, 160, 231m²

50kW, 200, 288m²

Adding a garden room to your property is a great way of creating an additional space within your home without having to invest heavily in large house extension projects. And not only does it expand your living space, but it’s also a way to add good value to your home or property. With the various benefits offered by a garden room, most individuals are usually surprised with just how affordable the living space can be. However, just like any other home improvement, the price of a garden room is influenced by a wide range of factors. These factors include the design you opt for whether standard or customized, the size of the garden room, the materials used, the number of fixtures and fittings you want as well as any other special design feature you require.

Asides from the money needed to put up the structure, there are also some common extra cost that’ll also be expended for both the interior and exterior of the living space. For instance, there are some furnitures and fittings that you’d like to put in your garden room and these will also form part of the overall cost. There’s also the electrical connections cost and this will vary depending on the distance of your room, the cables to be used as well as your electrician. For this part, you can expect to spend anything within the range of £850 to £1200 and since it’ll be used all year long, it’ll also require appliances for heating, insulation, electricity and ventilation.

Generally, the overall cost you should be expecting to pay for a modular build garden room will range between £10,000 to £40,000.