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How To Build A Conservatory

Conservatories are a perfect means of creating an extra living space within your home. They can serve various purposes which includes serving as an avenue to entertain guests, a playroom for the kids and can even be used as a home office, they’re able to open up your property without having to break the bank for the highly expensive renovations. So if you wish have a conservatory constructed in your home, it’s either you do it yourself or hire a professional. Doing it yourself will help you save some money but can also end up disastrous. So if you lack the confidence to undertake this project by yourself, then it’s strongly recommended that you hire a professional who can guarantee the best results. In this guide, you’ll discover all steps required to build your own conservatory.

✓ The Base. Due to its durability and cost, concrete happens to be the most used material for conservatory’s base. Firstly, measure the enough area to accommodate the conservatory. Dig at least 1 metre deep and ensure it’s level. Fill with damp membrane and pour your concrete mixture in evenly till it reaches level ground. Once done, make sure that the base is totally dry before erecting the conservatory

✓ Building. Basically you can start by constructing the walls and ensure that they’re sturdy and secure, putting into consideration their measurement.

✓ Roofing. Good news here is, DIY conservatories will already come with the roofing in place, so you won’t have to bother about this stage when building. They usually come with an acrylic roof which is easy to install and maintain.

✓ Flooring & Finishings. Starting from the roof, ensure that there’s sealant on all areas where air can pass through. For the flooring, you’ll have to choose your patio slabs or tiles to go outside of the structure. You can apply these with a thin layer of concrete or onto screed flooring.

What Is The Smallest Opening For Bifold Doors?

Generally, bifold doors comes in a wide range of sizes and configurations. So if you’re looking to install them in your home, the opening size required will depend on multiple influencing factors. However, the question we’re going to look at here is the smallest opening for bifold doors.

First and foremost, let’s consider the size of bifold doors as learning about how big or small bifold doors can play a key role in helping you determine the size of bifold door you’ll need. Generally, the size of bifold doors will vary largely depending on the manufacturer, but they are usually within the range of 6.8 feet and 7 feet in height. The width, however, will be determined by the number of door panels you’d like to use but several configurations are designed in such a way that they can be installed in openings of about 1.8m and above. For each door panel, the size are usually between 500 and 1000mm in width. As a result, if you decide to opt for door panels with a width of 700mm, you’ll need to get about 3 of the door panels in order to install in an aperture that’s wider than 1.8m. What’s more? Door panels can also be custom made especially if the size you need isn’t available.

So with that in mind, what’s the smallest opening for bifold doors? The bifold door’s minimum width is 1400mm. And in order to install a bifold door to fill this size, you’ll require two individual door panels that’s 700mm in width. Building them any smaller than the minimum width will be unwise as this will make them bind when closing.

You want your home spotlessly clean and sparkling at all time. Well, so does several other home owners. However, before you achieve that aim, there are a multitude of decisions you’d have to make. And these decision will most often start from how to find and choose the best domestic cleaners available.

One of the several different choices you’ll face, however is whether to supply the products to yourself or if it’s the duty of the domestic cleaners to bring their own supplies which they would use to clean up your house. If they’re to bring their own products and end bringing ones you don’t like or insist on using the products that it’s likely that you’re allergic to. Fortunately, you don’t have a thing to worry about when it comes to this as the best domestic cleaners will all agree that the most appropriate products are the ones you already use at home.

Generally, it’s usually best that you provide both the cleaning products as well as equipment that the house cleaners will use for a number of reasons. Firstly, looking at the from the hygienic point of view, you definitely do not want equipment being used on another property brought to yours and you also get to use the cleaning products you’re comfortable with.

Most professional domestic cleaners will show up at your home to do a bit of walk through the home, know where your product and equipment is kept, how your vacuum cleaner works and lots more, before the come for the actual cleaning. Therefore, if you already have your preferred products and equipment, they’ll have a look and provide you with expert advice on the ideal cleaning products, if that’ll help too.

What is the essence of calling a place “home”, if it doesn’t guarantee your comfort? A home should serve as a getaway from the chaos outside world, where you can relax and spend great time with your family. However, what makes house really a home goes way beyond simply having a place to live and sleep. It’s a fact that we all love comfort and where else should one be able to get that if not inside one’s home? And that’s exactly where an air conditioning system comes in! However, having a heating and cooling system installed at home provides you with more benefits than just comfort. They also go a long way to ensure provide us with safety as well as a better quality of life within the four walls of our home. In this post, we’re going to look at some of the top reasons why you should get an air conditioning system installed at home.

• A more secure home. More often than not, when our personal space is air conditioned we keep the doors and windows closed which makes it a lot difficult for an intruder to break into the home.
• Reduced possibility of asthma attacks. Since an AC system is able to minimize your home’s humidity and reduce the amount of mold, mildew, pollen and other air borne outdoor allergens, the risk of suffering an asthma attack is greatly reduced.
• Reduced number of pests and parasites. It’s a fact that you can help even your dog fight off fleas with an AC system. Air conditioning filters are a lot more effective in preventing bugs entry into a hme than an open window.

Laying of floor tiles may seem seem to be a very tricky task that’s beyond the abilities of some homeowners, but in reality, it’s a task that most DIYers can handle - as long you don’t rush the process. With a little patience here and there, you’ll be amazed with how far you can go. The materials are quite easy to work with and tools, only requiring a little practice to master. However, if you don’t have the necessary confidence to pull this off, we’d strongly recommend that you call in a professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of laying floor tiles.

• Floor Preparation

✓ The first step is to prepare the floor by moving all objects like mortar, adhesives and more.

✓ Use concrete patching compound to fill ill low spots and cracks, until the floor is levelled.

✓ Ensure the floor is dry and clean.

• Pattern Layout

✓ Take the measurement of each wall’s length while also taking into account the room’s diagonals.

✓ To help place the tiles in an orderly manner, make use of a chalk to mark down lines on the levelled surface in question and ensure it’s parallel to the walls.

• Adhesive Preparation

✓ Mix the appropriate amount of water with the adhesive (bonding agent).

✓ The mixture should be toothpaste-like thick to ensure the durability of the tiles.

• Tiles Placement

✓ Depending on the tile’s size, evenly spread the mortar on the floor using a notched trowel.

✓ Lay the first tile on the bonding agent (adhesive or mortar) and apply a gentle and little pressure on the tile.

✓ Repeat the technique for other tiles using plastic spacers to ensure the edges and corners are properly aligned.

• Tiles Cutting

✓ Cut the tiles (if necessary) with the help of a wet saw or scoring cutter featuring a diamond-tripped blade.

• Grout Application

✓ Filling of the tiles’ gap is done using the grout. It can be applied to the joints with a rubber float.

✓ After application, allow the grout to set up for some minutes.

✓ Use sponge and a bucket of water to clear out any adhesive leftover.

• Grout Sealing

✓ Use a foam brush or applicator bottle for the sealants’ application.

✓ Clean out excess sealer within 10 minutes.

1. How to build a shed base out of paving slabs
   • Mix sand and cement together to make mortar or use a pre-mixed one
   • Use a trowel to lay mortar for 1 slab at a time on the sub-base and lift a damp-sided slab onto the mortar, using a piece of timber and club hammer to tap the slab into position carefully. Continue to lay the first row of slabs
   • Make equally-sized spacers in all the joints in the slabs to ensure they’re the same size, checking it’s level as you go along
   • Next lay slabs along the two adjacent outer edges, filling in the central area row by row
   • Leave the mortar to set according to the instructions or for at least 48 hours before filling in the joints with mortar or paving grout
2. Building a shed base from concrete
   • Create a wooden frame around your shed base area (also called formwork) to stop the concrete from spreading
   • Mix pre-mixed concrete with water or use 1 part cement to 5 parts ballast
   • Wet the sub-base using a watering can with a rose on the end
   • Pour the concrete onto the framed base starting in one corner
   • Push the blade of a shovel up and down in the edges of the concrete to get rid of air bubbles
   • Use a rake to spread the concrete, leaving it around 18mm higher than the top of the frame. Work in sections of around 1-1.m²
   • Compact the concrete using a straight piece of timber that’s longer than the width of the base. Move the timber along the site, hitting it along at about half of its thickness at a time until the surface is evenly ridged
   • Remove excess concrete and level the surface by sliding the timber back and forwards from the edge that you started. Fill in any depressions and repeat until even
   • Run an edging trowel along the frame to round off exposed edges of the concrete and prevent chipping
   • Cover the concrete with a plastic sheet raised on wooden supports to allow slow drying. Weigh it down with bricks
   • Once the concrete is set, you can install your shed and remove the wooden frame with a crowbar

Fitting a shower tray may seem look like a daunting task and well, to some extent, you’re perfectly right if you feel so. This is why shower tray installation is best left to a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results the first time especially if you lack the confidence required to pull off the task. If you wish to make this project a DIY task, then you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’re going to take you through the adjustable shower tray fitting process to ensure you get it right the first time. Let’s take a look!

1. Position the shower tray at the spot where you intend to have it fitting and outline the tray with the help of a pencil. Install the adjustable riser legs, then proceed to adjust them to an even height. Make use of a spirit level to make sure the tray is flat and level, then connect the tray’s waste outlet.
2. Make sure that the riser legs are properly adjusted as this will make for a smooth fall to pass out the waste. Usually, 50mm fall per metre of pipework will be a good guide. Once done, ensure to fit the centre leg.
3. Determine the appropriate route to the waste pipe from the waste trap inside the tray.
4. Put the tray. Make use of a spirit level to ensure the tray is level to eliminate drainage issues and avoid overflow.
5. Examine the riser legs to see that they’re engaged with tightened up lock nuts.
6. Cover the gaps around the shower tray’s surroundings using the side panel.
7. Use a sealant to secure the shower tray between the wall and the tray.
8. Fix the side panels to the shower tray to conceal the pipework from view.

In general uPVC is used for soffits and fascias as it is very strong and durable. It also requires very little maintenance. However, wood can be used and is still popular on listed properties as it retains the original material. Older and listed buildings may require more traditional materials to be used.