North Leeds Plumbing & Heating – Home Improvement and DIY Advice

It can be confusing choosing the right shower enclosure for your bathroom as there are so many choices available, and so many things to consider. 

If you have a small bathroom, the amount of space available will obviously be one of the deciding factors when it comes to what type of shower enclosure you choose.  Corner shower enclosures are perfect for smaller bathrooms as they maximise the use of space.  Quadrant enclosures also work well in smaller bathrooms; they feature curved screens which trim off the corner normally filled by a square shower cabin, freeing up valuable floor space which can be used for bathroom furniture.

If space is not an issue, walk-in shower enclosures are popular, and will add a touch of contemporary elegance to any bathroom.  This more spacious and luxurious option allows room for a separate drying area which can be decked or tiled accordingly to create a contrast.  By fitting curved or angled screens, the spray from the showerhead is efficiently contained.

If the bathroom is your sanctuary and you want a luxury spa experience, a steam cabin may be the answer.  Steam cabins have been gaining in popularity in recent years as they come down in price, and smaller sizes are now available which don’t require a huge amount of space in the bathroom.  Steam offers many benefits to our wellbeing such as boosting metabolism, improving circulation, and providing relief to those suffering from allergies and asthma.  The inhalation of steam opens up the airways and reduces congestion and inflammation.  Alternatively, you could just use the steam cabin at the end of a long day as a way to relax.

It is essential to fit a radiator into place before running the pipework in as the pipework can be adjusted with ease later on. The radiator should be placed about 25 millimetres above the skirting board and there should be a clearance of 100 millimetres between the top of the radiator and any sill.

Galvanised screws should be driven into wall plugs to fix the brackets onto solid walls. On stud partition walls you may have to use a bit of plywood to provide anchorage in the event that the bracket positions do not coincide with the studs. The plywood can simply be screwed to the studs and the radiator brackets screwed onto the plywood mount. This mess will be hidden following the hanging of the radiator. Any insulating foil will be fitted after the brackets have been positioned.

The position of the middle of each hanger is first marked out on the top edge of the radiator with a pencil or felt pen and the radiator then held against the wall so that the marks can be transferred to the wall’s surface. These marks are then extended downwards using a spirit level.

The brackets are then hooked onto the hangers and the distance between the top of a bracket and the lower edge of the radiator measured, with 25 millimetres added for clearance. Mark the top of the bracket’s position on the wall and trace around its baseplate. Finally, drill the brackets onto the wall and hook the radiator onto them.

A stop valve should be fitted into the rising main in all plumbing systems. The purpose of this is to enable water to be quickly cut off in the case of an emergency, such as a burst pipe. If there is no stop valve in the property itself then the water supply will be controlled by an underground valve outdoors, owned by the local authority. If this is the case, you will need a special key to open and close it, so it’s usually better to fit a stop and gate valve to the main.

A rubber washer in the stop valve cuts off flow and in a gate valve the same effect is achieved by a sliding metal plate. Stop valves are fitted to pipes under mains pressure and gate valves to those with a gravity flow. Stop valves stop water flow in only one direction, indicated by an arrow on the body, whereas a gate valve stops flow in both directions.

A draincock should be fitted just above a stop valve. Mark the points on the pipe where the stop valve and draincock are to be fitted before closing off the water authority’s outdoor stop valve and cutting into the pipe with a fine-bladed hacksaw. Have a bucket handy to catch and spillage.

Take the stop valve and draincock and simply spring the whole thing into place between the pipe ends and slip on the cap nuts before tightening them up securely. Make sure that the pipe ends were prepared beforehand.

Gate valves, with their distinctive wheel handles, fit into low-pressure gravity fed circuits and are installed in the same way as typical compression fittings. You will need to have a couple of wrenches handy for tightening up the cap nuts.

The quickest and most effective method of insulating cavity walls in existing houses is to drill holes into the outer leaf and inject insulation through them into the cavity. The usual insulation material is urea-formaldehyde foam which is pumped into the cavity under pressure.

There are a few alternatives to the foam, including specially-coated insulating pellets and mineral fibres. Both are blown into large holes in the outer leaf and left to settle in the cavity.

All three cavity wall insulation methods must be carried out by trained professionals. The approval of the local council needs to be sought, as this is structural change to the property and has to conform to building regulations. Councils often stress that only certain types of materials and methods are used.

With new buildings, the issue of cavity wall insulation is avoided as the cavity walls are filled in as the walls are being constructed. The insulation of new builds is performed with the aid of insulating batts and is the most efficient method of cavity wall insulation.

Chesterfield club chairs are fabulous accent chairs for your room. Commonly referred to as nice leather chairs, they usually come with matching ottomans. You can place these club chairs in your bedroom, living room or any other room. They are suitable for indoor as well as outdoor use. Made from high quality materials, these chairs come with seat cushions. 

Chesterfield chairs come in a variety of styles, and you will definitely get one within your budget. Your satisfaction is guaranteed when you buy a Chesterfield club chair, as they are worth every penny you spend on them. Chesterfield chairs are built on a solid frame and upholstered with leather. Cushioned seats provide extra comfort.

Transform your room into an elegant setting with these chairs. Every club chair is crafted for durability so that it can withstand everyday use. The right Chesterfield club chair is sure to enhance the ambience of your home. You can even match a club chair to coordinate your existing living room furniture. Therefore, if you are on the lookout for a comfortable and luxurious club chair, then you must buy a club chair manufactured by Chesterfield and relax in comfort.

Some of the qualities of the chesterfield club chairs include:

    Comfort
    Durability
    Flexible usage – they even act as  perfect living room furniture
 
Match a console and a club chair to create home theatre seating. High quality Chesterfield club chairs provide comfort and style at a reasonable price, and they can easily fit into any home decor.

Custom blinds can be purchased cheaply from a range of DIY stores and designer curtains stockists and you can fit them easily yourself. This article offers information and advice regarding how to install your new custom blinds. 

First, lay out the blinds, along with the tools you will need to complete the task, screwdriver, electric drill and spirit level. Take a pencil and mark on the wall, just below the headrail on your blinds; these marks will be needed when positioning the left and right brackets. Take the mounting brackets and position them in line with the pencil marks you made, below the header. Mark the location of the screw holes, before removing the brackets, drilling the holes and screwing them into place. A great trick is to rub soap around the screw thread, as this will make it easier to screw. 

You can now hang the side mounting brackets onto the wall, using a spirit level to check that they are horizontal. Following this, locate the front lip of the headrail and snap the valance clips in. Place the headrail into the side mounting brackets, closing the swivel brackets to keep the blinds in place. 

Finally, snap the lower and upper edge of the valance into the bracket at the bottom of the blind. All that remains is for you to check that the blind opens and closes correctly, make any minor adjustments that may be necessary and the job is finished.

The style and colour of a bathroom depends on personal taste, but it is generally a good idea to steer clear of exotic colours or exaggerated shapes which could fall out of fashion in a short time, making replacement fittings difficult to find. A standard white suite will be far easier to get replacements for. It is not necessary to choose all the items from one manufacturer; complete suites are often promoted, but items can be bought separately.

Use a colour wheel to decide on the colours for the walls and floors. A white suite can make a bathroom feel cold or clinical, but introducing bold colours with paint, tiles, fabric or wallpaper can create a distinctive bathroom. It is also easier to change these than a bathroom suite. Whether paint or wallpaper is chosen it should be designed to cope with condensation and be easy to wipe clean.

Mirrors or mirror tiles can make a bathroom appear larger, but any mirror should be specially created for bathrooms as it must be able to cope with condensation.

If there is space consider adding an interesting piece of bathroom furniture such as a small upholstered chair. Pictures and indoor plants on shelves can also add an interesting feature and a number of plants thrive in steamy atmospheres.

Before purchasing a suite it is important to check that the units will not only fit into the bathroom, but also that they can be manoeuvred through the home as items may have to be moved around corners on the stairs or through awkward doors.

Tiles have a hard-wearing, tough surface. However, sometimes a hard knock can damage a tile.  Replacing a cracked or chipped tile is an easy enough task – made easier if when originally tiling the area you put aside a couple of spare tiles for just such an eventuality. If not, take the old tile with you to a tile supply outlet and try to buy a matching replacement.

Removal of the Old Tile

Scrape out the grout from around the tile(s) you want to remove. Then, to prevent the drill from slipping, stick some tape on the middle of the broken tile and drill three or four small holes into it. This should help prevent damage to the surrounding tiles.

With a small chisel, chip the broken tile away – beginning from the holes in the centre. Be careful when nearing the edges, to avoid damaging the tiles surrounding the damaged one.

Remove the underlying tile adhesive from the wall using a chisel, doing so carefully to prevent damage of the wall below. Brush or vacuum away any remaining dust or dirt from the wall.

Putting up wallpaper is not the easiest of DIY tasks, but it is possible for almost anyone to do it and have the finished job look great.  The main things that are required for a professional and tidy look are that the paper is cut neatly, and hung without any creases or air bubbles.

To start with, you should measure the wall from the ceiling to the top of the skirting board, and add between four and six inches so that you can trim the paper for a snug fit.  The extra length will also make it easier to match the pattern precisely as you work your way around the room.  To help you get a straight edge, you can fold the paper and cut along the crease with a knife.  It should be noted that you can cut more than one piece of wallpaper before you start to hang it, and this is often a good idea.

To hang the wallpaper, start by attaching it to the wall at the top and work your way down, smoothing it as you go, ensuring that there are no creases or air bubbles.  It is best to take your time when doing this, and it is particularly important to ensure that you use the proper amount of wallpaper paste according to the instructions that are provided with the product.

Allow the wallpaper paste to soak into the wallpaper before hanging it on the wall, according to the product instructions.

When you would like to purchase a designer dining table you will need to know how large it should be according to the number of people you will seat and the size of the room it will be placed in.  Both of these factors will determine the size limits for the table that you will want to purchase.

If the perfect table for your new decor is too large or small for the room size, you may be disappointed in the way it looks once you have it placed in your home.  Take a few moments to determine what work best as far as dimensions before you will even begin to search for the perfect table.
 
The rule of thumb is to allow a minimum of 32 inches behind each person that will be seated at the table.  A better measure might be as much as 40 inches to allow guests to push their chairs back from the table more easily. Wheelchairs add another challenge as they will require 54 inches of space to get comfortably in and out from under the designer dining table.

Now think of how many people you would like to be able to seat at your new table.  A rectangle table should give you 23 to 30 inches per setting along the sides.  The plate and table settings will require about one foot of space.  Consider your desire to have a table runner and flower arrangements or centrepieces in the middle.  When you have added up all of those dimensions, you will have the table size you can live with.