North Leeds Plumbing & Heating – Home Improvement and DIY Advice

Sofa beds used to be very impractical affairs, it was difficult to get the frame opened up to form the bed and equally difficult to fold back to restore the sofa. In addition, the things were often grossly uncomfortable in both their roles, although they were useful for students to crash out in, but then so was the bath.

Nowadays, however, the technology has finally caught up with popular demand and there are a wide variety of sofa beds on the market. They all look great as sofas, with sumptuous padding and cushions and often you’d never have imagined that they could be rolled easily out to form an equally comfortable bed. They are ideal for anyone with limited space and especially in guest rooms.

Corner sofa beds are also ideal for saving space and they often come in easy self-design units made from a variety of fabrics. They are very useful when unexpected guests suddenly turn up and the other rooms are already taken.

Bunk beds are also worth considering. Kids especially adore these, though you may have to rotate who gets the top bunk. You can double the space available in a kids’ room by getting rid of the two singles and moving a bunk bed in.

Futon beds are another option. These can be simply rolled up and stored against the side of a room or in a cupboard when not in use. They are versatile, economic and easy to use, as well as comfortable and stylish.

“It’s the details that make the difference” is as true in home decorating as it is anywhere else. In rooms as small as a typical bathroom, accessorising takes on even more significance. The correct accessories can make your bathroom appear larger, more comfortable and more organised. Remember, the wrong accessories make it look cluttered and busy.

Bathroom accessories don’t have to be expensive; sleek modern ones can be extremely affordable. The simple addition of a matching set, soap dispenser or dish, towel holder, toothbrush holder and wastebasket, will add character and style to your bathroom. Accessories can include much more than just the vanity-top items, though. Curved shower curtain rods, the shower curtains themselves, accent tables, rugs and even plants and plant stands will all change the look and feel of your bathroom.

Rugs, in particular, are necessary if you have a hard floor surface, like tile or slate. These materials are also cold to the touch, so a colourful rug not only protects your feet, but also adds some life to a small room. Framed art or a framed mirror are not only accents, but can draw the eye away from other areas of the room. Mirrors make any space look larger and are essential for your morning toilette.

Lamps and lighting are essential accessories that are often overlooked when people want to update the look of their bathroom. A simple change of light shades will let more light spread through the room and update the feel of the bathroom. 

If time and money are considerations in your decorating scheme, consider bathroom accessories as one way to give yourself a fresh, new look, without a huge investment of either your funds or your spare-time.

Being active and creative around the house can be a source of great pleasure, knowing that you are saving money and transforming your home into a pleasant place to live, by DIY.

Painting the walls is the most obvious place to start, and it is best to do this before you start on floorboards, carpets or rugs. Even with the non-drip paints available nowadays there is bound to be some spillage, especially when you get to the ceiling. If you wear glasses, use an old pair for the painting, or you will spend hours cleaning them afterwards. Cover all the furniture with dust cloths. Leaf through a few glossy magazines before you decide on a colour scheme.

Use wood paint for wooden window frames. Take up the carpets and polish the floorboards for that trendy, rustic look. Hire heavy-duty sanders from the local DIY supplier to make the boards smooth before varnishing them, and afterwards lay down a few colourful rugs. Remember to put something under the rugs to stop them slipping and becoming potential death traps.

Hang up some different pictures, change the light shades, buy a few tea-lights, or just experiment with different arrangements of the furniture. It is so easy to leave things as they are, and even if you do not notice it yourself, your senses will become slightly deadened, and your quality of life affected. Fairly regular decorating to freshen-up a home is as important as regular dusting and vacuuming.

Have some fun with DIY and change your house, without moving house.

Many people are now choosing to install underfloor heating as an alternative to bathroom radiators. Underfloor heating comes in two variations – electrical and water. Water underfloor heating can be incorporated with your existing heating system; therefore there are no major renovations required.

The system is actually installed via a series of pipes which are located underneath your choice of flooring, be it tile, laminate or wood. The pipes then fill with hot water which creates heat which rises and circulates around the bathroom creating a warm and cosy ambience. Underfloor heating has long been popular in Europe and is now becoming a much more popular choice than traditional bathroom radiators in the UK as people opt for a sleeker, design-led aesthetic within their bathroom. No longer do you need to incorporate a radiator within the design of your bathroom. Often these radiators do not fit with the style of the room but they have, in the past, been deemed necessary due to the requirement for warmth. However, with underfloor heating the only wall space required will be for the thermostat.

You will also find that the heat provided by the underfloor heating is different to the heat commonly provided by radiators. The heat actually stays in the room for longer as the room is heated from the floor up. It is also a more environmentally friendly heating option since your energy consumption is lower. This should also result in reduction in your fuel costs.

If you’re in the market for a new bed or mattress, it can be difficult to know where to begin.  With so many manufacturers, products, and promises for the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had, where’s a conscientious consumer to begin?

If you’ve had your current mattress for ten years or more, it’s time for a replacement.  The average mattress begins to deteriorate considerably after ten years, so it’s wise to replace an older bed as soon as possible.

Apart from age, other indicators that you could be ready for a new bed include waking up with pain in your neck or back, fitful or inconsistent sleep, waking up tired, or rolling toward the middle of the mattress unintentionally.

Any obvious damage to your mattress—such as tears in the cover, springs poking through the surface, feeling springs when you lie down, or creaks or pops when you move on the mattress—are all signs that your bed has reached its limit.

Think about what you like and what you hate about your current bed.  Do you wish it was softer?  Would you prefer a firmer bed?  Is it too large or too small?  Is the headboard outdated?  Make a list of your likes and dislikes; this will make it easier to compare new beds.

Generally speaking, the more expensive a mattress is the better its quality.  High end mattresses have more filling, better padding, more support, superior construction, and significantly more durability.  Spend as much as you can afford and consider financing options from a trusted retailer.

Not all showers are created as equals. In fact some of them are far superior to others and the best are walk-in shower cubicles. If you have never seen one of these shower cubicles before, prepare to be impressed when you first get a look at one. The tray forms a rough P shape, with one end giving access to the shower, leaving the rest of the cubicle free to shower in.

Some of these shower cubicles are more ornate than others and they often have a sweeping design to the entrance, which makes the whole thing look like a teardrop.

One thing you need to think about with these shower cubicles is whether you want a left or a right handed one. Decide which would fit in better given the space you have in your bathroom? Think about where the cubicle will be and then consider which end the door should be to give you the best and the easiest access. Be sure you measure up properly before you commit to buying anything, as you don’t want to find that the unit will not fit in the space available.

Normally, when you buy a shower cubicle, you will be supplied with a complete package, which will include your choice of tray as well as the shower itself. This simplifies the entire process, as you don’t have to remember to add any optional extras.

Where furniture in any room of the house is concerned, nothing tops the natural beauty of wood and/or complementary wooden décor.  Wooden beds are no exception to this rule and they are still the industry leader and the popular favourite in the furniture industry today.  Where durability and quality are concerned, other materials pale in comparison to what wooden beds can offer.  Wooden beds are functional and practical as well as being warm and inviting.

Wooden beds constructed from either oak or pine is the current favourite, but there are some spectacular bed frames available in other woods.  So you might want to consider other options with the type of wood used in the construction.  It is definitely a matter of personal preference but you need to take certain things into consideration when you are looking at wooden beds.  The architectural style of the bedroom and its theme are key factors to think about when choosing the wood that the bed is made from.

One of the more popular styles of wooden beds in the shops today is the rustic look, but metal and wood combinations are also gaining in popularity.  You will have to decide what is going to work best in your bedroom, or a guest bedroom, if that is where the bed is going to be placed.  Putting aesthetics to one side, you need to consider functionality, practicality, and of course your budget when you are trying to arrive at a decision.

Plastering is a type of work that can be difficult to master. Nevertheless, DIY plastering can be learned relatively quickly, meaning you do not have to pay a professional. Before starting a new plastering job, it is highly recommended to consider what the finished product should look and feel like. A common pitfall is to start regardless and end up with having to remove all the work due to its low quality.

Applying plaster smoothly, evenly and expertly comes with practice. The finished effect depends on the quality and outline of the underlying area, as much as to the subtly changing condition of the plaster as it is applied. Stand back regularly from the area to look objectively at your progress, and smooth out any areas before the plaster sets. At the same time, do not wait too long before continuing, as working from fully set plaster can lead to inconsistencies.

There are different types of plaster, so ensure you have chosen the right one for the job at hand. This can be checked with a professional, or in most DIY outlets.

Typical equipment required to cut plasterboard includes a sharp set of knives, a metal straightedge, a water spirit level and a sharp saw.

Damaged plasterboard can be often replaced without resorting to a full-scale re-plastering. Ensure you have enough plaster to cover over the whole area to be repaired and include the outside edges of the damaged area.

You need home insurance to protect your house and its contents. Having buildings insurance in place is a condition of taking out a mortgage, but house contents insurance is up to you. However, you should remember that it is always best to pre-empt unpleasant eventualities by having both in place.

House contents insurance will protect you from the financial consequences of a burglary, but also against accidental damage to your possessions, such as a power cut destroying your freezer contents. Bear in mind that if you’re away from the property for a lengthy period of time the policy may be invalidated and that some costly items may need their own separate insurance. This may apply to valuable antiques or paintings.

New-for-old house contents insurance replaces any lost or damaged items with their brand new equivalents, but you can choose the cheaper indemnity insurance if you wish. This will replace possessions with those of the same age rather than new ones. Most people tend to opt for a new-for-old type policy.

Travel insurance is usually needed to cover possessions you take on holiday with you, although items you regularly take out of the house, such as bags and cameras, are usually covered by the home contents insurance.

Buildings insurance protects the bricks and mortar of your property against such disastrous eventualities as fire and subsidence and is compulsory when you take out a mortgage. Buildings insurance is linked to the cost of rebuilding your house should it be severely damaged or completely destroyed.

Compare home insurance quotes to see what is on offer and find the policy that is suitable for your individual needs.

Underfloor heating is a popular way to update your home, as well as ridding yourself of those inefficient and nasty old radiators that distribute dust as they distribute warmth. Some of the most popular places people use electric underfloor heating include kitchens, bathrooms, and conservatories. Here is some advice on how to prime your kitchen floor for installation; heating suppliers such as Floor Heating Online can also adive you if you get stuck.

Measuring

When planning to install an electric underfloor heating system in a kitchen, it is important to measure the room correctly and avoid any permanent features like your kitchen units. Measure the area you want heated and then deduct ten percent to allow for the perimeter.

Preparing the floors

Before laying your electric underfloor heating mat or cables, your floors will need to be prepared. For concrete sub-floors, if the sub-floor is new, it needs to be allowed to cure naturally. This means allowing approximately one week per 25 mm, depending upon the weather. To level it, apply a thin layer of levelling compound.

If the sub-floor is made from timber, make sure it is both clean and level before installing your system. In addition, suitable plywood over-boarding should be installed where necessary. This is especially the case if you will be laying tiles on top of your system.

Whether your sub-floor is concrete or timber, it is highly advisable to use a suitable primer or sealer before beginning your electric underfloor heating system installation. This ensures the porous floors are properly sealed before application of adhesives or levelling compounds.