Out with the old

To remove the old door, first put some wedges underneath for support. Remove the screws from the top hinge (you may need to be firm with some screws or scrape off excess paint covering screws before they can be taken out). Next remove the screws from the bottom hinge and gently ease the door away from the frame.

In with the new

Place the new door into the frame to check the fit. Generally you should expect a gap of 2mm all the way around the door and a gap of between 5-10mm at the bottom of the door depending on your flooring. If you have a thick carpet you will need a bigger gap!

To remove more than 6mm off the door it is worth using a saw and sanding the rough edges away afterwards. Any less than 6mm and you should be able to use a hand plane to remove the excess, again, you may need to sand away any rough edges afterwards.

Check and re-check that the door is the correct size, adjusting further with a hand plane and sandpaper as necessary.

Fitting Door Hinges

Fit the new hinges to the door frame. You may be lucky and find that the new hinges are the same size as the old hinges so the recesses do not need adjusting. If this isn’t the case place the new hinges over the existing recesses and draw around them in pencil. Use a chisel and mallet to remove the excess wood from the frame. Check the size of the recess and continue to adjust the size as necessary.

Line up the hinge so the pivots protrude slightly from the edge of the door frame. Open up the hinge and attach to the frame with a single screw. Using wedges for support, prop the new door in the door frame (make sure you have the correct gap all around the door, especially the bottom). Using a pencil or chalk mark the top and the bottom of each hinge on the door.

Preparing the door for hanging

Unscrew the hinges from the door frame and place them on the edge of the door in line with the pencil marks you have just created, mark around the hinge on the edge of the door.

Take a chisel and tap around the outline of the hinges. Make a series of cuts to the wood inside the outline at 4-5 mm intervals, trying to keep the cuts about the same depth. Using your chisel remove the wood chips to reveal a recess in the door for the hinge. Once you are happy the hinges will fit flush with the door, secure the hinge to the door using one screw only, (using one screw will allow you to make adjustments to the door more easily).

Prop the door up on wedges at right angles to the frame, attach the hinges to the door frame using one screw per hinge. When you are satisfied that the door will open and close smoothly you can fix the door securely using the remaining screws.

Now all that’s left to do is shut the door on the outside world and enjoy your new room!

It’s all in the planning.

Good planning at the early stages of laying a laminate floor can save you a lot of time and hassle in the long run. Early decisions about what type of laminate and underlay you want, the direction you want the laminate to lay and whether you will need new skirting boards will keep the process stress free.

Preparing your floor

Before laying the laminate make sure you clean the floor and check the floor is level. It is also a good idea to leave the laminate laid out horizontally in the room you will be installing it for a couple of days to acclimatize the wood.

Laminate Flooring Underlay

Providing your floor is relatively even, most laminates can cope. If your floor is very uneven you will probably need to level your floor. If you are laying laminate over a level wooden floor and you are not concerned about sound or water insulation then foam underlay is suitable. If the floor is uneven or concrete then choose a thicker fibre underlay and if you are concerned about moisture choose underlay with a moisture barrier. Finally if you are concerned about noise then an acoustic underlay is most appropriate.

Installing your laminate  floor

Once your planning and preparation are complete the laying of your laminate should be fairly simple.

Most manufactures recommend leaving an expansion gap around the edge of the room, this allows the laminate to expand in the heat and prevents the floor from lifting. To get your expansion gap just right make sure you measure and re-measure. It might be an idea to buy some off the shelf spacers designed specifically for this job. Place these at 60cm intervals along the walls.

Choose your starting point, usually near the door and opposite the window. Install laminate floor with the long joints facing the main window. This makes joints harder to see and the room appear larger.
Laminates use tongue and groove joints, some laminates will require glue, others, simply click into place. You will lay the first few boards fairly easily, using a fitting to tool to help you push the boards together as you work. You will probably need to cut some of the boards to size using a circular or jigsaw, (making sure you take into account the 8mm or 10mm extension gap). Use the remainder of the cut board to start the next row, this will cut down on waste and make sure your laminate is staggered. Try to stagger end joints by at least 30cm for a professional looking finish.

Tidying up the edges

To cover the edges of your laminate floor and extension gap, you have two options, either, hide the edges with new skirting boards or you can install some beading if you do not wish to replace your existing skirting boards.

Protecting your laminate floor

To keep your floor in tip top condition; install knock glides to the bottom of your furniture, they will stop your furniture from scratching the laminate. They cost pence and are available from most large DIY superstores.

Grout is bought either as a ready-mix solution or as a powder, it doesn’t matter in which form you buy your grout but make sure you buy a waterproof one. After all tiles are usually found in the wettest rooms in the house so any extra waterproofing can only be a bonus.

Getting ready to grout.

Grouting usually takes place only once all the new tiles have been set in place. But before you begin make sure the tiles are completely set. When you are satisfied this is the case you can begin to remove all the plastic spacers from in between the new tiles. You can carefully prise the spacers out using a pair of pliers. You may also need a scraper, this will remove any tile adhesive that has set in unwanted areas.

Get grouting.

Take your grout spreader and a golf ball size amount of grout. Spread the grout over the tiles. You must make sure you force the grout into the gaps. Do this by working in a diagonal fashion and holding the grout spreader at a 45 degree angle. Work the grout into all the gaps covering around a square metre at a time. Check the drying times on the package of grout you are using.

Wipe up.

Take a bucket of warm water and a sponge, wipe the excess grout off the tiles taking care to pull the sponge gently across each join at a right angle.

Grout and wipe, grout and wipe.

Continue to spread the grout across all of the tiled area then wipe up the excess with a damp sponge. When you have covered the whole tiled surface and it is dry you can polish the tiles using a dry cloth.

The professional finish.

To get a really sleek and watertight finish, use a sealant to join the tiles and the worktop, bath or sink. Take a tube of sealant in a mastic gun and bead the sealant along the gaps or bottom of the tiles.

Smooth out the sealant using your finger covered in a little washing up liquid to prevent the sealant from sticking to your finger (use a rubber glove to protect your hands if you prefer). Leave the grout and the sealant to dry overnight.

All it takes is a few pounds, a few hours and a few simple instructions. You too, could be admiring the fresh, new look of your tiling!

Follow these quick and easy steps to squeak free flooring.

You will need: talcum powder or chalk, a damp cloth, drill, screwdriver and 50mm or 60mm screws.

You may need: 25×50mm batten, wide-bladed cold chisel and a club hammer

Identify the problem area.

Squeaky floorboards are cause by friction, the friction of floorboards rubbing against each other, a joist or against a nail. Stop the friction, stop the squeak.

First of all you need to identify which of the floorboards are squeaky. Remove all of your floor coverings and walk slowly over your floorboards one at a time. This should pinpoint the problem areas. If there are a few problem floorboards it might be worth marking the boards with chalk to identify them later.

Apply some powder.

Once you have identified a squeaky board, liberally sprinkle talcum powder or chalk dust all the way around the edge of the board and brush in between the cracks, put a little extra powder over nails. The idea is that the powder will reduce the friction and stop the squeak. Remove any excess powder using a damp cloth, don’t vacuum the area as this could remove most of the newly applied powder and the squeak might return!

Screw it down.

If the problem continues it is time to screw the end of the board to the joist to reduce the movement and reduce the friction. Take a 50mm or a 60mm screw and drill pilot holes into the wood at the end of the boards (screwing pilot holes should prevent the wood from splitting). Try to screw as near to the existing nails as possible. Screwing next to the existing nails should guarantee that you screw into a joist and avoid pipes and electrics that might run under the floorboards. Screwing the board down should stop the board from rubbing against the joist or other boards, stopping the friction and the squeak.

No joist supporting the floorboard?

If the board end isn’t supported by a joist, don’t worry. Start by taking the board up, very carefully, by prising it up with a cold chisel and a club hammer. Attach a piece of batten 25×50mm to the joist, by screwing it in place. This batten will act in place of the joist and support the floor board. Finally lay the board back on top of the batten and fix it with 50mm or 60mm screws. This should limit the movement of the board and stop the squeak.

This is a DIY job that anyone can do. All you need is a radiator key, (which can be bought very cheaply from any DIY store), a bucket and a cloth.

It is worth noting that radiators shouldn’t need bleeding that often, if you have a radiator that needs bleeding frequently it is worth calling in a professional to have a closer look at the system!

Getting the process started.

First of all fully open any thermostatic valves (usually located at the bottom of the radiator) on all radiators and towel rails and run the central heating for at least 10 minutes. Next turn off the whole system at the boiler, this means there should be no chance of getting splashed and prevents even more air being introduced into the system.

Bleed valve and bleed keys.

Every radiator should have a bleed valve, usually they are located at one of the top corners of the radiator. You can identify the bleed valve by the square bit in the middle of the round valve. Theses valves are turned by a specific type of key called a bleed key which are readily available and shouldn’t cost more than about £2.

Bleeding the radiator.

Once you have turned off the heating system, located the bleed valve and have your bleed key in your hand; you are ready to begin bleeding the radiator. Ensure that the valves at the bottom of the radiator are both open. Insert the bleed key into the bleed valve (remember this is usually at the top of the radiator).

Turn the bleed key a quarter turn anti-clockwise, you shouldn’t need to turn the key more than this. You might want to have a bucket and a cloth nearby to catch any drips. If air is trapped in the radiator you will hear a hissing sound, this is the air coming out of the radiator. As soon as any water starts to come out of the valve close it tightly (by turning the key clockwise). Mop up any drips and spills with a cloth and make sure the radiator isn’t leaking.

You may need to work your way around the whole system bleeding each radiator in turn. Try not to open the valves more than necessary. Once you have repeated the process with all the radiators turn on the central heating and run for a few minutes. At this point it is worth checking that none of the radiators are leaking, if they are leaking a little they probably need tightening with the bleed key.
Now sit back and relax as your house gets all warm and cosy, all thanks to your handy work!

Now, with these simple to follow instructions, and a spare twenty minutes your home can be blemish free.

What tools you’ll need for fixing plaster damage

This list of what you’ll need couldn’t be simpler, just grab: a plastering trowel, a paint brush, some fine sandpaper, a screwdriver or hammer and chisel and some plaster filler (this can either be bought ready made or in a raw form which will need mixing as per manufacturers’ instructions).

Preparing the wall

The key to this job, as with many DIY tasks, is in the preparation. Using the hammer and chisel or screwdriver break off any loose plaster and removing all debris and dust away. Use the paintbrush to lightly dampen the hole and the surrounding area – this will provide a gripping surface – vital for the filler to set properly. Do not to skip this small job as older plaster will be bone dry, simply sucking any moisture from the filler meaning it does not set and grip the wall properly

Get filling

It’s time to get filling. If you’ve bought filler in a raw form it will need to be prepared as per manufacturers’ instructions. Otherwise, it’s a lot easier to be buy ready made. Simply fill the hole and the smooth over using the plastering trowel. If you’re a filling a deeper hole (say greater than 1cm) it is advised not to fill to the wall. Instead leave a small indentation and scratch the surface with your trowel – this will provide a griping surface. Then add a final coat an hour or two later.

Give a neat finish

The job isn’t worth doing unless you finish it properly. Use the trowel to make sure the filler lies as flush to the wall as possible. Don’t worry if there is a slight overlap. Once you are satisfied that it is completely dry use some fine sandpaper to sand over the filler ensuring a smooth finish and a clean join between filler and wall. A bit of touch up paint can now be used at the stage if you’re filler is a different colour to the wall. Diluting the paint with a small amount of water or using a damp sponge to apply will ensure that it blends in as naturally as possible.

And there you go, too easy – fault free walls in no time!