CrossTeam Properties Offers Advice on Home and Garden Improvements

The first thing you need when building your own cupboards is to choose the type of hinge that suites your purpose.

Butt hinges are the most common of all hinges and will be found throughout the house. They need to have a shallow recess cut into the door surface for the hinge to bed in when closed. To cut the recess, follow the edge of the hinge with the chisel and then gouge out the core as deep as the hinge. Screw the hinges in place and mark their position on the frame, again gouging out the recess. Attach the screws and check the door opens and closes properly.
 
Flush hinges have a cut section meaning the hinges fit together in a single width and can be fixed to the door and cupboard directly, without the need for any chiselling.
 
Piano hinges are long steel or copper hinge strips cut to the appropriate length. These are delicate hinges normally used on lighter doors such as boxes and cabinets.

Cranked hinges are specialist hinges that can be opened fully to 180º folding completely back on themselves.

Hidden hinges are normally used in flat pack units and have a screw for altering the vertical and horizontal levels of the hinge.

Once the door is hung you will need to attach the catch or bolt and the door handle. Catches can be either magnetic, which are good for light cupboard doors, or ball catches that have a little more grip to hold the door closed.

The position for the handles should be marked and drilled and are normally screwed in from behind.

We all know that the bedroom is one of the most important rooms in the house. It not only provides us with a place to sleep, but also gives us a room to relax and unwind in. Updating the look of your bedroom needn’t be expensive, as the saying goes ‘a little creativity goes a long way’.

Probably the easiest and cheapest way to update and rejuvenate the look of a bedroom is to give it a fresh coat of paint. This will not only have a big impact on the look of the bedroom, it can also provide a focal point that draws your eyes when you walk in the room. Again creativity is the key to decorating a bedroom, you don’t have to paint the whole room, maybe paint one wall in a vibrate colour to provide a focal point, whilst keeping the others neutral.

Adding new furniture to a bedroom will add to the bedrooms new look, but this is often expensive. Why not try renovating existing furniture by painting or varnishing it; there are many products available for this including sponge painting and fake wood effect tools. You could even add fabric to the insert of a wardrobe door to make it look like a panel.

Often adding a few new furnishings such as different coloured cushions or a new set of curtains or blinds is enough to update the look and style of a bedroom. Hopefully this article has given you some inspiration on how to update your bedroom, without it being expensive.

When designing or updating a bedroom in your home, you may be thinking about fitting built-in wardrobes. Built-in wardrobes can provide much needed space in a bedroom and are especially useful for odd shaped rooms and alcoves. There are three different types of built-in wardrobes, which are full carcase, timber framed and sliding door wardrobes.

The full carcase wardrobe is similar to a standard wardrobe in that it has a top, bottom, two sides and a back panel. There is normally a small gap between the top and bottom of wardrobe and the room; this is boxed in with panels to give it the built-in appearance. The full carcase wardrobe usually features levelling feet on the bottom as floors are often unlevel, and the doors hang from the side panels.

Timber framed wardrobes have a base, but no sides or back panel and are constructed on site from bottom to top. The downside of having timber framed wardrobes is that when you open the door you see the room’s walls, but these can be lined before work is started. The door can be hinged to the side or the front of the frame.

The sliding door wardrobe normally has doors that span from the floor to the ceiling, which are on runners so they can slide easily from side to side. This type of wardrobe is very versatile and can be set out to the specific needs of the user. The interior of the wardrobe can be either timber framed or boxed in and drawers can be fitted; this does not change the look of the front as the doors slide on separate runners.