North Leeds Plumbing & Heating – Home Improvement and DIY Advice

Archive for the ‘DIY Tips’ Category

Mixing up to 2m³ of concrete is not difficult if a concrete mixer has been hired. In addition to the mixer, the DIY practitioner will need handy sources of water and electricity, a shovel, wheelbarrow, sufficient sand and aggregate and, kept somewhere dry but close, the cement.

Start the mixer and tilt the drum to about 45% above horizontal before putting anything in. As a rule, the mixer should always be empty when switched off or it may prove impossible to start and clean.

Begin putting the appropriate amount and proportions of sand and aggregate into the drum. Neither overload the drum nor under fill it so that maximum efficiency is achieved. The proportions of sand and cement vary according to purpose. A general-purpose mix is 1:2:3 cement: sand: aggregate (1:4 if using combined aggregate). Foundation concrete, however, needs 1:2½:3½, while a paving mix will be 1:1½:2½. Building professionals often use a shovel load as a measure.

When about half the ballast ingredients have been mixed, add some water and mix for a couple of minutes. Now add all the cement. The wet mix will reduce the amount of cement dust expelled from the mixer. Add the remaining sand and stone and, very slowly, water, seeking a point where the mix falls away from the barrel about ¾ of the way up the barrel. The mixture is too dry if it goes over the top and too wet if it fails to rise up the side.

Run the mixer a little longer to confirm the mix then tip the barrel as it runs to pour the contents into a barrow waiting below.

The mixer, barrow, and other tools used with the concrete must be cleaned down if they are going to be left for an hour or overnight. Failure to do so thoroughly will ruin all the kit; loose lime will eat metal and the concrete will need chipping off.

Putting up shelves is one of the first DIY jobs that many beginners will tackle, and it is a good choice as the processes involved are straightforward, as long as the preparation and measurement is done correctly.
The first step is to decide how long you want the shelf to be and cut the wood accordingly.  If the shelf is just going onto an empty wall then measuring accurately is not too important, but it is best to get into the habit of double-checking measurements in case one day you need to put up a shelf in a tight space.

Wall brackets to support shelves come in many designs and styles, but the most important piece of DIY information is to know how much weight the brackets can support, especially if the shelf is going to be used for something heavy.  Follow the instructions that come with the brackets when it comes to how deep and wide the holes you drill into the wall need to be, as this will ensure they are securely attached to the wall, providing a solid and long-lasting base for your shelves.

It can be handy to have another pair of hands when putting up shelves, especially when it comes to making sure they are straight.  The holes for the brackets should only be drilled when you are sure that they are in exactly the right position and supporting the shelf in such a way that it lines up with the ceiling.  Get your assistant to check the shelf is level while you mark on the wall in pencil where the holes need to go.

Most people will be unaware that the type of hammer they probably have in their home is called a claw hammer. This is just one type of hammer that is popular for simple jobs, such as knocking in and pulling out nails. There are numerous other sorts of hammer and this article is going to look at some of the most popular types.

Sledgehammer

The sledgehammer is the biggest type of hammer, and the vast majority of its use is for destruction rather than construction. This hammer is perfect for breaking up even the toughest materials, but it can also be used for knocking in things such as fence posts.

Pin hammer

This is right at the other end of the spectrum from the sledgehammer. It is a small and lightweight hammer, used for knocking in very small pins and tacks. It is mostly used in the construction of small cabinets, or in joinery.

Power hammer

If you are going about a serious DIY project that involves a great many nails, then buying a power hammer can be a great solution. For those laying out decking or installing floorboards, this hammer makes the entire process much faster. They are expensive, however, so consider renting one if it is going to be a one-off job.

Club hammer

The club hammer is a lightweight version of the sledgehammer. It is also good for demolition but can also be used for more intricate construction tasks, such as driving a chisel. This hammer will typically be about five times lighter than a sledgehammer.

The cleaning technique will vary depending on the type of venetian blinds you have.  In general, these blinds are easy to clean and should be done once a week to once every two weeks, as they do tend to collect unwanted dust.

When cleaning these blinds, you will want a microfiber cloth or other type of cloth that doesn’t leave lint behind; there is nothing more frustrating than cleaning something and then trying to remove the little pieces of lint.

Before cleaning, always check the blinds for damage.  You can do this by closing the venetian blinds one way and wiping them with a dry cloth, study them thoroughly and then open and close them in the opposite direction, checking them again with a wipe of a dry cloth.

Wipe away unwanted dust

For regular cleaning, it is easy to just use a damp cloth to wipe away unwanted dust, which is easier and quicker than using polish.  You can always finish them off with polish if you have wooden venetian blinds, but a damp cloth will definitely do the trick.

Wipe along the closed slats, removing the dust.  Then open and close them the opposite way doing the same thing.  Once they are dust free, open up the blinds and allow to dry.

You may find marks or stubborn dirt.  A little bit of vinegar in the water works wonders and will have your venetian blinds clean without too much effort.

When it comes to wooden venetian blinds, it is always a good idea to use some polish on them after wiping and the blinds have dried, this just keeps them looking new and fresh.

With aluminium of plastic blinds, just use the vinegar in water to ensure all unwanted marks are removed, keeping them looking as new.

A bidet is a handy piece of bathroom furniture if you have the space for it, and it is a lot easier to fit than the bath, WC or shower unit because it is usually lightweight and you can do the job on your own with a few simple tools.

A full set of instructions will come with any new unit you buy for a bathroom, and these should be read carefully before starting on any installation work. It is particularly important to get connections right in the bathroom because of possible health hygiene issues.

The first step in fitting a bidet is to assemble the tap and waste controls that come with it and lock them into place with back nuts. Then add the waste outlet and the spray rose and bed them firmly into place using plumber’s putty, scraping away any excess before continuing.

The flexible spray pipe is then connected between the control on the mixer unit and the rose that sits in the base of the bidet. Once that is done, assemble the pop-up waste control rods. Attach one of them to the mixer control and the other to the waste outlet.

A P-trap is next connected to the waste outlet on the bidet unit. This should be turned at a slight angle, so that it effectively clears the pop-up waste control rods.

As a last step, flexible copper pipes are fitted to the tap tails. This is to simplify the connections to the supply pipes when the bidet is placed in its final position.

As with many things in the decorating world, there is an important difference between the type of plaster that a professional would use and the type you might use yourself. Professional plaster can be challenging to use; it is complicated to mix, requires several coats, and needs a lot of skill to get just right. Fortunately, there are types of plaster that have been specially formulated for the amateur builder.

The two types of DIY plaster

Repair plaster is the first type and, unlike professional plaster, it only requires one coat. It is very easy to apply and can be used to cover areas of a wall that have become damaged. The plaster can be applied in quite a thick layer, up to five centimetres, so you can even cover areas that have been significantly damaged.

The second type of DIY plaster is finish plaster. As the name suggests this is used to create a smooth finish once you have done some work with the repair plaster. It provides a smoother surface for applying wallpaper to or just painting. You can also apply finish plaster directly to other surfaces in order to smooth them out.

The plastering toolkit

There is a specific type of trowel used for plastering, and in addition to this you will require a straight edge as well as something called a hawk. A hawk is the flat board that the plaster sits on, and you often see builders using these.

Applying the plaster

Put some plaster on the hawk and take some onto your trowel. Proceed to spread this onto the wall in a wide sweeping motion. You can use the straight edge to neaten things up. It does take a bit of getting used to, even with DIY plaster, but with a little practice it becomes an easy process.

Outdoor lights can provide security as well as make the garden a more pleasant place to sit in during long summer evenings. It is quite easy to fit these and you just have to take a few extra precautions, as always when dealing with electrical matters.

Make sure that you get a light fitting that is suitable for use outdoors, because obviously not all of them are. This applies even if the light will be mounted in what you consider a sheltered spot.

When you have picked the spot for the light, drill through the wall using a heavy-duty drill fitted with a masonry bit. Drill this hole from the exterior of the wall and angle it slightly upwards so that water cannot enter your house when it rains.

From the inside, feed the flex through the wall to the exterior, and then connect the light to the junction box using rubber-sheathed 1 sq mm flexible cable.

Back on the inside of the house, take the cable to the connection point of your choice. At this point, you have to double check that the circuit you are going to connect it to is isolated. Once you have verified that, connect the light up either via an indoor lighting circuit or a fused spur leading off the ring main.

If connecting to an indoor lighting circuit, run new twin and earth cabling between the new switch position and the junction box. Connecting to a ring main spur is a more complicated process and you may prefer to call in a professional electrician to do it for you.

Many DIY beginners struggle to get used to the different types of screws and screwdrivers; so many of them look the same, and yet only one type of screwdriver will work effectively to remove screws properly or insert them securely.

The easiest screws to recognise are those with a sunken head, often with a distinctive and recognisable pattern that can only be used with a very specific Allen or Torx screwdriver.  Even amateurs can identify these quite easily, even if they do not have the right screwdriver in the house.  Slotted heads can also be very easy to deal with, as long as you match the width of the slot on the screw head with the width of the blade on the screwdriver.  Screws with a slotted head are most commonly used in carpentry and furniture-making, although modern flat-packs tend to prefer crosshead screws.

Crosshead screws are the most difficult to identify and can lead to a lot of frustration, particularly when the screwdriver seems to match but keeps slipping out of place.  Phillips are the most common type of crosshead screw, but there are also Posidriv screws, which can look very similar to the untrained eye.

The easiest way to tell the difference is to look for a second smaller cross within the larger, making it look as though there are eight points rather than four; this is a Posidriv screw and will require a specialist screwdriver. Never be tempted to try and force a Posidriv screw out or in with a Phillips screwdriver as you could end up damaging the head of the screw, rendering it useless.  To make it more complicated, there are different sizes of each of these screws types.  There are, however, screwdriver kits which come with a variety of attachments to suit different types of screw and different sizes.

Most central heating systems rely on a constant flow of water around the house, from radiator to radiator. This usually works very well but sometimes one or two radiators remain cold, or only heat up on the bottom half, while the rest of the house is nice and warm.

The reason for this is usually a pocket of air that has got trapped in the radiator, and that can easily be released by using a special key to ‘bleed’ the air out. Air usually gets into the central heating system naturally, through the action of the boiler pump.

Never bleed radiators when the heating is on, as you may end up with more air being pumped into the system. Once it is switched off, take the radiator key, a dry cloth and an empty bowl to deal with any drips. Open the valve at the top of the radiator and let the air out before tightening it up again. It is best to check the boiler’s water pressure indicator afterwards, as the pressure may have dropped and need topping up.

It is not uncommon for bathroom taps to need replacing after years of use. Whether the tap is leaking or the homeowners simply want a new and polished look, this do it yourself project is pretty easy and affordable. The first thing to do when replacing the tap is to turn off the water beneath the sink. There should be water valves under the sink, but if not, turn off the main water supply.

Next, remove the handles of the existing tap. This is done by removing the cover at the top of the handle and removing the screws located in the handles. There should be a nut at the base of the tap stem, holding the entire unit in place. This will also need to be removed. Now, the entire tap can be removed.

Clean the surface before installing the new tap. The new unit should have springs included. Install the spring with the smaller side facing up and push the new unit on top of the spring. This may take a few tries to get it lined up evenly. Once it is in place, replace the stem and the bonnet nut and tighten. The original handles can be used again, or new ones installed for a completely different look. Updating the handles alone will provide for a nice and clean look.

Once the new springs are installed, the tap should not leak and the handles should work appropriately. When the repair is finished, turn the water supply back on and test for any leaks. If there are leaks around the handles, the spring may not have been positioned correctly and this will require removing the hardware and installing again. For leak prevention, use plumber’s tape around the threads of all nuts and bolts in the fixtures.