Cross Team Properties

The most personal room in the house is undoubtedly the bathroom and as daunting as it may seem, with pipes running in grids within the walls, a DIY project need not be too challenging if you plan ahead.

Planning is a vital part of any home improvement scheme, especially if you are taking the project on yourself. It is never more important to plan properly then when you are refurbishing your bathroom, because it reflects your personal style. Do not feel that you have to get by without professional input, so be prepared to ask questions.

Accurate measuring is vital, so always double check. Take into account the position of windows and doors and whether they are to be moved. It is not always possible to foresee what is going to happen in the future, but always try to make provision for possible plumbing modifications.

Having completed the planning you can start looking for fittings. If you do this online first, you will soon get an idea of what is available. For example, the range of taps available is stunning; there are lever taps, waterfall taps, exotic cascade taps and more traditional taps.

A strong favourite in the bathroom is a relaxing shower. Water efficient and hygienic, a shower has become a must have for every modern bathroom. There are traditional mixer showers to update the existing showerhead or you could go all out and buy a thermostatic shower. The one you choose is dependent on your taste, budget and space. You should not miss taking a look at the body jet systems though, even if only to plan a future project.

As with most jobs, it is worth putting in a little extra time and effort on preparation before you start to fit your new blinds to your windows. Measuring up the window correctly before buying window blinds is essential.

When you start putting up your brand new blinds you will quickly realise whether your measurements are accurate. When fitting roller blinds, venetian blinds or wooden blinds to the interior of the windows, every millimetre counts. When they are hanging across the outside of the window openings there is usually room for a little give and take.

Another tip is to take a close look at the area around the top of the windows where the new blinds will be fixed and try to work out where the fittings will go. Wood and masonry are good surfaces, whilst PVC is not. Beware that the plaster around the edges often covers metal plates that you will not be able to drill through.

Lastly, make sure that you have all the right equipment to hand, and if your drill is battery powered, make sure it is fully charged-up.

When caulk or sealant is old, it will become discoloured and can begin to pull away from surfaces, causing leaks that could damage floors and bathroom furniture and cabinets. Replacing the old caulk is simple and should be done regularly to maintain a watertight seal. If homeowners notice any splits or tears in caulking around sinks and baths, the old caulk should be removed with a putty knife. After this is done, dry the surface and wash with bleach to eliminate the possibility of mould growing. Make sure the entire surface is dry before applying new caulk.

When the surface is dry, use masking tape on the bath walls or countertop. Allow a 5mm gap between the base of the sink or bath and the wall. Using a silicone sealant, begin to apply the new caulk in smooth motions. Try not to let it bead too much. Use a wet finger to smooth the beads. Allow the caulk to dry for the recommended amount of time and then remove the tape. The bath or sink will now be resealed, preventing leaks and providing clean finished look.

Although curtains are often a more obvious and traditional choice when it comes to dressing living room windows, blinds can also be very effective. As blinds are now available in such a wide range of fabrics, styles and colours, they can suit the interior design of almost any living room. Blinds can also have a number of advantages over curtains.

In small rooms, blinds save space and give the room a feeling of being larger. Rooms that receive a limited amount of natural sunlight can also benefit from blinds rather than curtains. Roller blinds are particularly effective in dark rooms as they can be rolled away almost completely, allowing light to fill the whole window space. Many styles, particularly Roman blinds, can give a rich, luxurious feel to a room as they feature swathes of fabric and are available in a range of textures.

Vertical blinds are a popular choice in living rooms as they offer a number of practical benefits and are available in neutral shades that can also be combined with more striking curtains. Vertical blinds are highly adjustable with the simple pull of a cord, altering the level of light that comes in through the living room window. Altering the light levels can help to prevent the sun from dazzling at certain times of the day and can ensure privacy without completely blocking out all natural light. As blinds are adjustable, economical and stylish, they can often be a wise choice for living room windows.

Dripping taps are not only annoying but they are also wasteful and can result in unsightly discolouration on your expensive new bathroom suite. Fixing a dripping tap is a simple DIY job that can be done in a few minutes with only a few basic tools. If a tap is dripping, it is often a problem with the washer, a rubber valve that regulates the flow of water from the pipes to the tap unit itself. The washer may have become loose or cracked and will often need replacing; luckily they can be bought cheaply from good DIY stores.

Required Tools

In order to fix a dripping tap you will need to make sure you have a few essential tools to hand before you start. First and foremost you will need the replacement washer or washers, along with plenty of old cloths in case of any major leaks or spillages. A couple of pipe wrenches and a standard slot-head screwdriver will be needed to remove the old washer and to fit the new one.

Getting Started

Before doing anything, turn off the water at the mains, drain the tap then put the plug in the sink or bath with the dripping tap. There are small parts contained within taps and washers and you do not want to lose any pieces down the plughole. Unscrew the top of the tap, using one of the wrenches if required. The washer should be visible at this point, though in some tap designs it is secured in place with a single screw. Once you have completely removed the old washer and affixed the new one in its place, screw the top of the tap into position and check the water supply. In most cases this will fix the dripping tap problem, though if it continues you may have a more serious problem that requires the attention of a professional.

People considering having a garden office building installed may worry about security. After all, garages and garden sheds are notorious targets for thieves, so wouldn’t a garden office be the same? To allay these fears, manufacturers of garden buildings work closely with the insurance companies to make sure that the locks on their doors and windows meet the same specifications that they would expect for a secure home.

Data Security

Data security can also be an issue for those working from home. Can a home network be as secure as one provided by the office? This is normally an issue for your employer’s IT department to handle. If you are self-employed, then ensuring security in a garden office is no different than if you were working in your main home. Ensure that your anti-virus software is up to date, avoid “free scans” and the like, and make sure that you have a strong password and change it regularly. The actual data connectivity in a garden room is the same as in any other home office.

Superficial cracks in walls can be unsightly and more serious gaps can be the cause of draughts, and might allow entry to pests, which makes swift repair of any gaps essential.

Internal Walls

Superficial gaps in internal walls are easy to fill with fillers available from DIY stores and this process must be undertaken before any painting is started.  Fill the gap using a pallet knife before scraping away the excess with a scraper and finally, gently wipe the surface with a water-dampened sponge.  Allow the filler to dry completely before proceeding.     

External Walls

Cracks and gaps to external walls must be examined thoroughly before action is taken to rectify them as they may be a sign of serious issues, such as subsidence.  If necessary, instruct a buildings surveyor to inspect the property and to advise on the proper action to take.  Press wire wool into gaps, such as those that surround pipes, before filling it with mortar or silicone filler to prevent rodents from chewing their way through.     

Wooden Floors

While original wood floors can be made a feature of a room, they can also suffer from gaps between them that create draughts.  Wood filler can be purchased from hardware stores or it can be made by mixing sawdust with glue to ensure a correct colour match.  During application, keep a damp cloth to hand to wipe away any excess.    

Necessary Gaps

Air bricks and vents can be covered with mesh to prevent insects and rodents gaining entry to the property. 

There are many different types of Ideal Standard bathroom furniture and other accessories that make a bathroom feel more luxurious.

One popular piece of furniture for luxury bathrooms is the freestanding bath.  This is a way of setting a bathroom apart as the look of this bath is quite distinctive.  There is also something quite regal about bathing in a freestanding bath.  However, this type of bath is also strategic as it opens up space in other areas of the bathroom, creating the same effect as an island counter does in a kitchen.  This type of bath is an alternative to the hot tub or Jacuzzi, which have long been regarded as fixtures of the luxury bathroom. 

You do not always have to go all out in terms of budget for a bathroom to become a luxury one.  Well-placed textiles can do the job just fine, and promote a luxurious feel.  This is especially true of curtains or blinds that are simply coloured in black or white.  This accessory in itself can bring a romantic atmosphere to a bathroom.

The same thing can be said about the proper lighting system.  Common luxury choices for lighting are the chandelier and the crystal configuration.  These both serve to make a room more romantic, and are therefore suitable choices when this is the goal of a luxury bathroom motif.  In bathrooms that have copious amounts of natural light coming in through windows, the effect of dim lighting can be quite stunning.  This lighting technique helps to make the bathroom environment ore relaxing.

It can seem as if the choices are overwhelming when deciding on which type of blind to buy.  Hopefully this guide will help.

Roller blinds are the type of blind that are made from fabric and have been specially stiffened or treated.  These blinds are operated by a spring mechanism and/or beaded side controls.

Blackout roller blinds are manufactured using a more densely woven fabric which is effective in minimising the amount of light that enters a room.  They are especially popular with people who work shifts and have to sleep during the day, for light sleepers or for those with south-facing bedrooms.  Venetian blinds are the more old traditional type of blind that are made of horizontal slats which allow users to tilt, raise or lower them to adjust the amount of light that is allowed into the room.

Roman blinds will form soft pleats when they are raised and will hang flat when they have been lowered.  Slats or dowel rods will keep the pleats in place and are sewn into the casings of the lining of the blinds.  The blinds are lowered or raised by a cording mechanism which is attached to the slats or dowel rods.  Vertical blinds are unique in that they must be custom-made to ensure that they fit your window.  This type of blind consists of vanes or vertical strips which can be drawn, opened or tilted to control the amount of light allowed into the room by using a simple chain control unit.  Vertical blinds can be made using a wide variety of fabrics.

Choosing the right type of blind to suit your requirements is a very personal thing and the differing types of blinds come with a wide variety of prices.  Shop around to ensure the best deal.

One thing that might concern people considering whether to have a garden room installed in a country like Britain is whether such a structure would be able to cope with the British climate. However, you can relax. For manufacturers of garden offices, UK climactic conditions are near the top of their list of priorities, and they take great pains to ensure that their buildings are suitable for all weather conditions.

Insulation
Garden offices are built to the latest building regulations, which specify that they have to be as energy efficient as a new house or flat. This means that they are insulated to a vey high standard, in order to retain heat and keep out the cold.

Heating
Halogen heaters are common in garden offices. These generate a lot of heat despite their small size, making them ideal for a small structure like a garden room.

Windows
Windows are normally double, or sometimes triple glazed. In addition, they typically provide warm bars around the window edges, for an added layer of draught exclusion.