North Leeds Plumbing & Heating – Home Improvement and DIY Advice

A slightly different project that will appeal to the creative do-it-yourself enthusiast is making homemade candles.

You will need:
Wax (paraffin)
Wicks
Scented oil or dye
Candle moulds
Double boiler
Sugar thermometer

Begin by collecting together your materials.  The amount of wax and number of wicks will depend on the quantity and size of candles you intend to make.  Moulds can be anything that will hold the wax while it cools.

Cut the wax into chunks and place in a small pot or tin.  Place this pot into a larger one full of boiling water.  Prepare your moulds while the wax is melting by coating the inside with oil and trimming the wicks.  Remember to make the wicks two to three inches longer than your mould.

Check the wax often and when it reaches a temperature between 300ºF and 390ºF add your dye or scented oil, mix well and pour the wax into the mould.  Insert the wick immediately and try to keep it as straight as possible while the candle cools.

Candles can take three to eight hours to harden depending on size.  You can remove your candles from the moulds once they have hardened.

There was a time when any reasonably sized garden would have a shed. Usually a flimsy constructed plywood structure, it would provide gardeners with a little base of operations. “Pottering about in the shed” came to be synonymous with doing nothing much of any consequence, just enjoying your own private space in the world. Gradually, garden sheds faded out of fashion, the stuff of spoof ads in Viz comics and sitcoms about men growing old disgracefully (think of Victor Meldrew’s luckless encounter with a swarm of bees).

In the 21st century, however, the garden shed is making an upmarket comeback in the form of the garden room. No more rickety plywood or plasterboard here, today’s garden room is made of top quality timber, double glazed and heated, offering a viable alternative to a home extension or conservatory.

Types of Garden Room
The phrase “garden room” is usually used by manufacturers to refer to the most basic variety of room, designed as a living space detached from your main home. Depending on the manufacturer, you may also be offered the option of a “garden office”, with more electrical wiring so that you can plug in equipment for your home office, such as a computer or printer; or a garden studio soundproofed for musicians or customised to provide artists with their own studio space.

These rooms will usually not need planning permission, and offer a perfect solution for people who wish to work from home, but may not have the space in their main residence. Some larger garden offices and studios even come with their own bathroom and shower installed, for those who want a true home (a few feet) away from home in their own back yard.

There are a few tips that you should be aware of before you start any new DIY project. From the novice to the professional there are certain aspects of DIY that you need to be aware of from the start.

Know What You Are Capable of Before You Begin

Even experts have their weaknesses. If you are unable to tackle a job it is best to not only know this before you start, but also to employ someone who is capable before disaster strikes. Hiring someone to do it right the first time is always less expensive than hiring someone to fix your mistake and then do it correctly.

Always Follow Basic Safety Rules

When working with tools always observe the rules cited on the tools themselves and be certain to wear the appropriate safety gear.

Allow Enough Time to Complete the Project

To be on the safe side, as far as time is concerned, double the length of time that you think it will take to complete the job. Never try and rush the job, because this will not only increase the risk of mistakes, it will also increase the risk of someone getting hurt.

Double Check that the Work Has Been Completed Properly

In the case of items such as smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, double check that they are working correctly. You do not want to discover that they are not working properly when an emergency situation arises. 

Do Not Buy More Tools Than You Need

This is a mistake that is common to many people when they start their first DIY project. Of course you need the proper tools, but you do not need a box full of professional tools to change a tap washer. Buy good quality, but only buy what you need.

This is a fun and inexpensive idea for a colourful, home decoration project that can be completed in just a few hours.

Dull, boring-looking floors can be quickly brightened up by using some inexpensive cotton throw rugs or discarded carpet samples that can be artfully pieced together in a pleasing pattern.

For this project you need the following;
Several inexpensive cotton rag rugs or carpet samples/swatches
Colourful yarn thread
Large needle
Scissors
Cutter knife
Paper
Pencil
Marking pen

This idea could not be simpler.  Start by sketching out an idea for the pattern you would like to make.  Trace the pattern onto the back of each rug or piece of carpeting and using the scissors and cutter knife cut the rugs into the shapes that correspond with your design.   Lay the shapes out on the floor according to your design.  Be sure to butt the edges of each piece together and, using a whip stitch, sew them securely with some colourful thread.

Whatever the style of a room, the type of curtains or blinds that you hang can make an enormous impact. Natural light is an important consideration when you are decorating a room – is it light and airy, or warm and cosy? Are the windows large or small? And do you want to draw attention to them or away from them? These things will influence whether you choose layers of sheer, floaty fabrics, plain tab top curtains on a simple pole, or brightly coloured curtains hanging in dramatic, tasselled swags and drapes.

A plain and simple style in neutral colours will blend into the décor and not compete with a beautiful mullioned window or a stunning view. Warm colours and rich textures such as wool, velvet and damask creates a cosy softness, and sheer fabric creates a romantic soft lighting effect and help disguise ugly views or provide privacy.

When you are choosing curtains for a room there is a lot more to consider than the type and colour of the fabric. You need to think about the length and fullness of the curtains – floor skimming drapes add drama – and the style of pole or tracking they will run on. By choosing different styles you can create anything from minimalist chic to fun and feminine, to overblown Rococo. You can mix and match curtains with blinds to create several layers of window dressing for added impact.

Choosing new curtains is an opportunity to give character and style to a room, or create a focal point, not just a finishing touch.

The sight of a beautiful lush garden is enough to make any green-fingered horticulturalist    happy, and being able to achieve this without harming the environment will offer a great deal more satisfaction.  

Water

A green garden needs lots of water, which does not have to come from already dwindling sources.  Set up a water butt in an external location where it can collect rain water and, if possible, place it beneath a drain spout where water run-off flows.  Fill a watering can from this source to water plants rather than using a hose to limit wastage.      

Pests

While birds and squirrels may be a welcome sight, some insects and rodents are distinctly less desirable and are seen as pests especially when they feast on planted vegetation.  A natural remedy to repel cats from the garden is to placing citrus peels amongst the plants or a cayenne pepper solution as both are non-toxic to plants and animals, but cats do not like the smell.  The pepper can also be used to prevent ants from taking up residence.  Slugs and snails can be disposed of by burying a container into the soil so that the rim is level with the surface.  These creatures love beer and will happy get drunk on it before falling in.  Mice and rats do not like the strong scent of mint so planting springs where the garden meets the property border can help prevent rodents making their way inside. 

Feed the Soil

In order to ensure a plentiful and good quality yield of any fruits, vegetables, flowers and plants, it is essential that the soil is full of nutrients.  Recycling kitchen scraps can be used for this purpose, which can reduce the waste that goes to landfill.  Compost fruit and vegetable peel in a covered container and use this in the garden.

For all-over body hygiene quickly executed, a shower unit is an invaluable addition to your bathroom furniture.  From transparent shower enclosures in any choice of size and custom built to fit your bathroom, to shower fittings incorporated over your bath, for those without the space for a separate shower, Aqualisa shower units come in many styles and sizes.

A simple box-like structure with a shower tray can fit into all but the smallest bathroom area, but those with bathrooms that are more specious may choose to have larger walk-in shower units, or even to install a wet room.  With the choice of jet-sprays, an outsize showerhead and the addition of durable wet walls, perhaps made from a marble finish, wet rooms fitted with wet room glass panels are the height of showering luxury.

Some people choose not to have a shower in their bathroom, even if it is neatly fitted above the bath.  Complete with a bath panel or shower curtains, a shower can be a very useful addition to your daily hygiene.  Relaxing in a long bath can be an opportunity to pamper you, and to soak in the lovely smells of essential oils, bath bombs or bubble bath to wash away the aches, pains and cares of the day.  However, when you are in a rush, and especially when you want to wake up from a night’s rest ready to meet the rigours of your working day, you cannot beat a session in a thorough, exhilarating shower.

Copper piping is still the preferred option in domestic plumbing systems, despite the fact that there have been many recent advances in plastic plumbing pipe development, with new materials and techniques coming along all the time.

The outside diameters of copper pipes are standardised to make it easier to work with them, and these are 15, 22 and 28 mm.  Imperial measurements are more likely in the case of pipes installed before 1970, although such pipes are no longer manufactured, and special fittings need to be used when connecting new pipes with these older ones.

When you need to cut through a copper pipe for whatever reason, such as to remove a radiator from the system or to extend or truncate an existing pipe, accurate marking is the key to success.  When making watertight joints, you must make sure that the ends are cut absolutely square.  You can use a hacksaw to do the cutting, but it is better to use a proper pipe cutter if you think there is going to be a lot of this type of work going on.

Make allowance for the length of pipe that will fit inside the join when marking it out.  A guide for the saw blade can be created well enough by wrapping stiff paper around the pipe so that its edges align.

Remember to remove all of the burr from the end of the cut pipe, inside and outside, using a half-round file.  A pipe cutter only produces burr on the inside of the pipe.

In order to qualify for a mortgage in the United Kingdom, the person or persons receiving the loan have to take out a buildings insurance policy for the property they are purchasing.  The main reason this comes as a prerequisite of taking out a mortgage is because it ensures the money that is loaned is as secure as it could be with regards to damage to the property.  Without such a safety net, if the property were to be destroyed in the event of a fire, for example and the mortgage holder could not afford to pay back the loan, the lender would have no means of recovering their investment.

For many homeowners living in the United Kingdom today, cutting down their outgoings is particularly important.  A huge number of people are taking a critical look at their outgoings in order to try and save money wherever possible.  Utility bills are high on the list, as are insurance policies.  For example, research carried out by an accountancy firm found that, in 2009, some 34% of UK policyholders switched their provider in order to secure a better deal.  The survey also found that policyholders had no loyalty to their existing insurer and that the price of the policy was the biggest factor to be considered.

In addition, the survey found that more and more people are looking to buildings insurance comparison sites when renewing or taking out a policy.  The number one reason for this is to save money, but it is also because, for the many Britons that lead busy lives, it saves a great deal of time.  As the number of home insurance policies available has increased, so has the number of providers customers feel they need to compare prices with.  However, the cheapest policy may not always cater for all the homeowners needs.

A natural wood floor is a great feature in any house and if you are lucky enough to have floorboards lurking under the carpet, why not uncover them and let their beauty shine. Sanding them down will get rid of old stains and marks, ready for a protective coat of varnish. There are plenty of people who can sand your old wooden floorboards for you but doing it yourself saves money and can look just as good as a professional job.

First, check for any loose, missing, damaged or rotten floorboards. You may need to replace some boards and nail down any loose ones. Also check for signs of woodworm, as this can be easily treated. Finally, hammer in any nails that sit proud of the surface, so they are at least 3mm below, and remove any old carpet staples. All these things can damage your sanding equipment.

Having prepared the floor, you are now ready to start sanding. Remember that this is a very dusty and noisy job, so wear a dust mask and consider the neighbours. Hire an industrial drum sander and a hand held rotary sander for the edges and corners. However, if you are only sanding a small area, less than 3m square, you will only need a hand held sander. Make sure you follow all the safety instructions, particularly when fitting the sandpaper. Start with coarse grade sandpaper to get the boards level, then use the medium, and finish off with the fine.