Painting is a simple job these days, and wonderful exercise too. The only difficult part is in choosing the right colour combinations before you start. With all the rollers, brushes and non-drip paints on the market now, you can paint a room in no time at all.

Some of the more tricky DIY jobs may require the services of experts, at a price of course. If you are feeling ready for a challenge, try fitting a bathroom or fitting a kitchen yourself. There is help all over the place – in books, magazines and of course online. Do your research properly, take your time, and, above all, have patience. These jobs, if you tackle them yourself, could take several months, but the savings of course can be enormous.

Plastering is another area you may have trouble with, and it can be very messy. Give it a try if you are feeling up to it. Making changes to the electrical system is another matter, and can be hazardous, so do not tamper with this part of the house unless you know exactly what you are doing. Saving money is one thing, but not at the cost of your life. Talking of hazards, be careful with ladders, heavy weights and sharp blades in any form of DIY.

Isolate the power supply to the socket, remove the face plate and unscrew the wires from the terminals. Remove the back-box from the wall.

Using a spirit level for accuracy, place the new, larger back-box over the hole and draw the outline on the wall. Use a hammer drill and masonry bit to bore a series of holes to the depth of the back box inside the outline, knocking the masonry out with a cold chisel until the aperture is wide enough to accommodate the new fitting.

If the back-box is plastic, tap out the wire inlet holes and feed the wires through them (metal back-boxes require rubber grommets around the wire inlets to protect the electrical insulation). Sink a couple of plugs into the brickwork and screw the back-box into place.

Push the wires into the right terminals at the back of the face plate. Make sure just enough bare wire is exposed to make contact with the terminals, and screw tightly into place. Place the face-plate onto the back-box and screw into place, ensuring no wires get caught between face- and back-plates. Turn the power back on and add the extra lamp, TV set or DVD player!

Although this is a great DIY underfloor heating project for the avid Do-It-Yourself’er, you should still employ the services of a certified electrician in order to connect this system to the home’s electrical source.  Here are some preparatory steps to take prior to contacting the electrician for the final hook-up procedure:

Step #1 – Make sure the floor is clean and then lay out the mat making sure that it fits the space it is intended for.

Step #2 – Check the manufacturer’s specifications for preparing the “thinset” (adhesive mortar) and then spread it over the area using a trowel.

Step #3 – Spread the mat out over the thinset, pressing it down using a grout float (usually made from rubber).  Make sure that the heating mat is placed into the thinset.

Step #4 – Install the flooring you have chosen.  Remember that if you are using stone or tile to insert the floor sensors about 12 inches in from the edges prior to laying down the thinset and continuing.

Step #5 – Contact a certified electrical contractor in order to connect the heating mat to the underfloor heating thermostat , which they will then wire into your circuit breaker.

In the UK, DIY underfloor heating projects have become quite popular for a number of reasons.  However, the primary reason is because it is more cost-effective to do it yourself – and that means a lot today considering how unstable the economy has become in the past couple of years.  Just be aware that some underfloor heating kits are easier to install than others, so do your homework and research this before you jump into the project.  Remember that failing to plan could mean that you are planning to fail.

Search the internet to find the highest quality and type of underfloor heating systems at the best values and compare several underfloor heating kits.  One of the key benefits of using the internet while searching for the right system is that it enables you to compare the advantages and disadvantages of each type of underfloor heating system as well as comparing the costs.  This will help you decide on the type of system (electric, film heating, hot water, or mat) that you want to install.

If the artex in your home or building proves asbestos-free, then removing it won’t be difficult. However, it is a good idea to remember that often artex was used to cover an already-damaged ceiling, so be prepared for what you find – there may be re-plastering involved or, worse-case scenario, the need to replace the whole ceiling.

Before you set about removing the artex, make sure you’ve set up the right working conditions. It’s important that you don’t find yourself straining to reach where you’re working, so be sure to have a step ladders that is of sufficient height or create a work platform from which to work.

There are two basic methods for removing artex: with a purpose-made textured coating remover or with steam via a wallpaper steamer. (Please note: steaming works on unpainted artex only.) Using the purpose-made solution is by far the easiest, but if you choose steam removal, be sure to take care not to damage your ceiling.

If removal isn’t possible or you prefer not to remove it, artex can also be plastered over.

Underfloor heating is a noiseless and efficient way of heating your house.  Because you can’t see the system at all – no radiators, no vents – it also is a chic and stylish way to heat your home.  Though underfloor heating has been used since the Roman Empire, advances in technology have made it an affordable option for everyone, not just the elite.

Electric underfloor heating systems have grown in popularity over the last couple of years primarily because everyone is concerned about rising heating costs and energy efficiency.  Unlike radiators, underfloor heating systems will warm an entire room evenly rather than just a single corner.  This will reduce damage to furniture, paint, and wallpaper throughout your home as well.

Additionally, because there is no bulky radiator to deal with, you can arrange your furniture any way you like.  With warm floors, the possibilities are seemingly endless when it comes to home design. You can use anything you want – cement, natural stone, marble, tile, and just about any other floor covering.

When electric underfloor heating systems are installed properly, they require very little maintenance.  They rarely break down and are most conducive to households with members that have allergies, breathing issues, and other sensitivities.

Bearing this in mind, you have to decide on the largest tray the room can practically accommodate. A basic square shower tray is the simplest you can buy, so you need to think about where in the bathroom you want the shower to be. Mark out the size of the shower tray using lengths of tape or string so that you have a good idea of how the unit would actually fit into the room. If you think you can fit a bigger shower tray into your bathroom, repeat the exercise until you find the ideal fit. Be sure to lay out the exact dimensions, but don’t forget that you must take account the other items that will be in the room, such as sink, bath and toilet. Make sure you have sufficient space for all of them without the room being overcrowded.

It might appear that you can accommodate a large shower tray, but it may not always work in practice. If you would still like a bigger unit, remember that some shower trays have a corner that is cut off and this can make quite a difference. Consider all the options before choosing the right shower tray for your needs.

You can have the installation done professionally or you can take this on as a DIY underfloor heating project as there are numerous underfloor heating kits currently available on the market.  If your DIY savvy is not that sharp, you should consult with a professional contractor that is experienced in hot water underfloor heating installation.  In the UK and other European countries, water pipes that are 15 or 16 mm in diameter are normally used although some companies will use anywhere from 10 mm to 18 mm.

Despite the fact that wet underfloor heating systems may be a bit more costly to install than other systems, they can increase your home’s energy efficiency by as much as 10% to 40%.  In any event, you will see a noticeable reduction in your monthly utility bills because it takes less generated heat to operate these types of systems.  As with other types of underfloor heating systems, you can install an underfloor heating thermostat in any room so that you can heat a specific room only when others are not in use.

Bathroom furniture should be functional, of course, but today’s designs are also sleek and beautiful. Your space will undergo an instant transformation with the addition of a new bathroom cabinet or even several bathroom cabinets. Mirrored cabinets reflect light and many of the newest models have pull-out shelving, allowing you to easily reach items at the back, rather than groping for what you hope is the spare tube of toothpaste.

Bathroom mirrors can also function as furniture. They open or slide to one side to reveal shelving and can even have lights around the edge to help you see. With bathroom space typically limited, every item needs to have purpose, so look for furniture that can do double duty.

Storage units are available that can hold items such as towels, medicines and cleaning supplies at the ready, yet out of sight. Add a stylish piece of hardware for an additional design element or paint the storage unit a contrasting or complementary colour to your bath. 

Take a look at the space you have and you are likely to see that a new or replacement piece of bathroom furniture will make the room a much more functional and enjoyable place to be.

Different types of under tile heating systems

There are a few different types of under tile heating kits available. The right one to choose is based upon a few different factors, including the size of your space, the amount of heat you want the system to provide, and whether you are installing the under tile heating system in an internal or external room.

The first type is a loose wire or cable kit, which comes as a roll of cable on a drum. You mark out your floor, and space the cable according to however you see fit. The second type is the cable mat system, which works exactly as the loose wire kit, except that the cables have been embedded into matting and spaced for you. Cable mats come in different watts per metres squared. For instance, 150 watts per m2 is a good choice for an internal room, while 200 watts per m2 is better for something like a conservatory.

The use of underfloor heating insulation

When installing an under tile heating system, it also is a good idea to use underfloor heating insulation in the form of tile backer insulation boards, which block the heat from penetrating into the wooden or concrete sub-floor.