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January 16, 2009
October 10, 2008
DIY Projects – Grouting Tiles
What is Grouting?
Grout is a paste like material that is used to fill in the gaps between tiles once they have been affixed to the wall or floor. You can get grout ready mixed if you prefer or you can buy it in powdered form. The powder is the cheaper option but the ready mix is the easiest as no preparation is necessary. You will mostly find that grout is white but it is available in a variety of different colours if you require it.
A couple of basic things you need to remember before choosing your grout are where it will be and when the tiles were placed. If your grouting will be used in areas where they are likely to be exposed to water you should ensure you purchase a waterproof grout. Secondly, you need to ensure the tiles have had proper time to set before you begin grouting. When all tiles have been laid, wait at least 24 hours before you begin grouting. Check the instructions of your adhesive product for a more specific waiting time.
Wall and Floor Tiles
Use a Grout Spreader to apply the mixture. Drag the grout loaded spreader across the tiles and ensure that all gaps are completely filled. Do not worry about the thin layer of grout that will cover the face of your tiles.
Allow the grout to dry for approximately 15 minutes and then clean off the excess using a damp sponge. Wipe carefully and diagonally to the grout lines to avoid cleaning out the grout in the grooves between the tiles. Remember to rinse the sponge frequently with clean water.
After approximately two hours the grout will have begun to properly harden. Use a grout stick to smooth out the joints and provide the ultimate professional finish.
Once the grout has fully hardened polish the tiles with a dry cloth for a neat and clean finish.
Quarry Tiles
Grouting quarry tiles requires mortar instead of grout in most cases. This is a mixture of one part cement and three parts sand. Mix thoroughly and add a little water until the mixture is smooth.
Quarry tiles are also prone to staining because they are unglazed so it is a good idea to protect the tiles before you begin grouting. Use a tile sealer or grout release to stop the grout damaging the quarry tiles and permanently staining them.
DIY Projects – Tying to Brickwork
If you are attempting to add an extension to your home or building, you may have already realised that tying to existing brickwork can be a daunting and difficult task for the first timer. Since not many of us have more than one extension added to our homes as these are the most expensive home improvement projects we can endeavour to take on, it is likely you haven’t done this before.
Traditionally the problem was solved by “toothing out” the brickwork. This meant knocking out bricks to leave a tooth like shape into which a new extension could be built to keep the integrity and strength of the existing wall.
Another method of tying to pre-existing brickwork is known as Block Bonding. It is also possible to use a wall tie pack thanks to modern technology you and now bolt on the wall tie pack to the existing wall and wall ties are slotted into the rack when tying a new wall. The bond for this method remains as strong as the original wall bonding from the “toothing out” method and yet requires less time and effort to complete.
Before you complete any building alterations you should check with your building inspector to see if damp proofing is required between the walls or if an existing cavity need sot be included within your new walls. Make sure you check the building regulations and legal restraints before starting a project like this as well as ensuring you successfully apply for planning permission beforehand. This is a very important safety aspect of the project and is not just a legal requirement.
When tying new walls to an existing building such as when you are building an extension to your home, it is important to maintain the cavity. This involves cutting into your existing walls to continue the cavity around the entire building as a whole. This allows for insulation to continue without breaks and avoid cold spots in your walls. You need to be able to maintain a free flow of air within the walls.
If you are unsure about any aspect of this project and your building requirements then talk to your building inspector and your local council for further advice and information on safety concerns. Especially if you are in a densely residential area or landscape orientated area you may need special permissions and requirements set by your local council to protect surrounding residents and scenery.
DIY Projects – Plasterboard
Cutting and fixing plasterboard is a very common DIY home improvement project that can be very useful when separating rooms for example. Plasterboard is a fantastic versatile material that is very easy to use once you know how. The problem is that most people are frightened of what can seem like a large job so they tend to avoid it without looking into it further. Fixing and cutting plasterboard is easier than you may think and you can create your very own plasterboard project armed with these handy tips.
Cutting Plasterboard
Just use a simple timber saw for cutting up your plasterboard. Try to use a saw with fine teeth as this will produce a cleaner edge on your plasterboard. If you have a large project on the go you should be aware that plasterboard can easily blunt a wood saw so get yourself a saw specifically designed for plaster board use in this case if you can.
Measure the opening in the plasterboard you wish to make carefully and as accurately as possible. You can use an ordinary pencil to mark your measurements on the board. Take the axe end of a hammer and hammer inside your measurements to make a small hole. Use this to insert your saw to cut out the rest of the hole.
To produce a straight line, while cutting plasterboard, first mark out the path of the line in pencil. Then you can lay a spirit level on the line to check you have accurately drawn the line. Score down this line firmly with a sharp hobby or craft knife. Do not try to cut all the way through the plasterboard; just enough to cut through the paper. Once you have scored all the way down the line, place the board against a wall and bend the board away from the scoring you made. The board will split neatly along the line and you should see a crease develop along the “complete” side of the board. Now run your blade along this crease to finish off the cut and tidy up the edge with a rasp.
Fixing Plasterboard
You can screw, nail or stick plasterboard to a surface depending on your preferred method. Nailing plaster boards it the most popular choice and is relatively easy to accomplish. Use plasterboard nails which are galvanised to protect against rust which occurs from having wet plaster layers.
DIY Projects – Graffiti removal
If you are inundated with graffiti nightmares on your garage, walls or even in your home if you have a naughty little monster armed with crayons and felt tips it can be nightmare to get rid of and a chore to keep on top of. There are various ways you can rid yourself of graffiti so don’t despair just yet.
Sugar Soap
Sugar soap is a time long solution to unwanted marks on your walls, however, it is also a very abrasive liquid so don’t use it on delicate paint jobs. Sugar soap is ideal for external walls and garage doors to help you get rid of those tough paint marks.
Bleach (and bleach based products)
Bleach is another household favourite for white walls but like sugar soap it can damage your walls and eat away to the plaster beneath them. Your white walls may end up pink instead!
There are a large variety of cleaning products out there for you to try out, just make sure you have a look at the label beforehand, especially if you wish to use it on a painted surface. Some chemicals are not suitable for paintwork and may remove the paint as well as the graffiti. Other products are more suitable towards a certain product such as felt tips or wax crayons. Make sure you check the label to find out what the chemical is suitable for use on and any safety precautions you may need to take. Some products contain very harmful chemicals that require you to avoid skin contact and wear rubber gloves when applying. Others may also need you to wear a mask and use it in a well ventilated area so make sure you open up all the windows while you use them on internal surfaces. As with all chemicals, follow the guidelines accurately and store them in a safe area away from children and pets.
September 23, 2008
Fitting Wall Lights Pt. 02: Connecting the Power
In this, part 2 of our article on fitting wall lights, you will learn how to connect your new lights up to the power and finish off your installation.
Switching
Assuming you would like to use your existing switch to operate your new lights, you will need to run more wires from the switch to the ceiling in the same way described above. You may need to knock out an extra plate on the back of the switch housing to feed your new wiring through. The wiring in the switch is very straight forward and you should be able to simply mirror the existing wiring. Just remember you must mark the neutral wire with red tape as this is now a switched live wire.
The process is still the same if you wish to add a new switch especially for your wall lights. Simply find a location for it, chisel out the path for the wiring, attach the switch and feed the wiring into the ceiling, then plaster back over the wires.
Preparing the Feed
In order to power your new lights, you will need to add to the existing lighting circuit. To do this, simply find a live wire above the ceiling (the wires that join junction boxes together), cut the wire and insert a new junction box and wire feed. This is a simple operation as there are only 3 of each live, neutral and earth (including your new set) to connect. You now have a new feed from the supply for your new lights.
Finishing Off
All that is left now is to connect the wiring above the ceiling. Simply run your new feed into a new 4-way junction box and connect your switch and two wall lights to it. All 4 earth wires go to the same terminal, the 3 neutral wires from the feed and two lights go to the same terminal, the 2 live wires from the feed and the switch go to the same terminal, the wire returning from the switch will need to be marked as a live wire by placing red insulation tape over it as this is now the switched live and this wire should be connected to the same terminal as the two live wires from the lights. The installation of your new wall lights is now complete, so you can turn the power back on and test them out!
Fitting Wall Lights Pt. 01: Installing the Lights
Still not common by any standards, wall lights can add a real touch of class to a room, especially when combined with a dimmer switch. You may think that you have to hire a professional electrician for a job like this but it is something that can be done DIY with the right tools and some effort. In this 2-part article we will talk about how to fit wall lights, beginning in this part with fitting the lights and continuing in the next talking about switches and powering your lights. Before you begin any electrical work in your home make sure you fully understand the rules and regulations set in place by the ODPM. You should check the New Rules for Electrical Safety in the Home, and Approved Document P – Electrical Safety.
Safety First
Before you even think about touching those wires, shut off the power. Although this may seem pretty obvious, a lot of people still fail to remember this essential (and potentially life-saving) step. Turn your electricity off at the mains, and to be extra safe, take out the fuse for the circuit you will be working on as this will prevent any accidents.
Fitting the Lights
The most common place for wall lights is on either side of a chimney breast or in some sort of alcove in the room. When choosing where to put your wall lights, you will also need to consider where you will run the wires from. Usually the wires will be run from the ceiling circuit, but in some cases where there happens to be a decorative feature in place at the top of your chosen wall, you may find it easier to run wiring from the floor instead.
Once you have chosen the spot for your lights, you will need to fix them to the wall and run wires through the ceiling. To do this, chisel out a path from the plaster on the wall (being careful to avoid damaging any wires you may find) and carefully drill a 10mm hole in the ceiling. If taking the wiring from the floor, you may have to lift a floorboard or two to access the wiring, but the process is essentially still the same.
Once you have fitted the wall lights and wiring, simply plaster back over the groove for a nice smooth finish with no visible wiring.
Continue to the next part to connect your new lights to the power…
September 18, 2008
General home DIY tips
For all the little things that can go wrong around the home you may want to try some simple DIY repair work before panicking. Our home won’t last forever in peak condition and every now and then we will need to tweak something to get it working again. There are some things that are fairly common occurrences for the average household so here is some quick DIY advice on these common household worries that you are likely to come across:
The toilet stops flushing
If your toilet is working fine and then suddenly will not flush regardless of how many times you pull the handle (or press the button) this can only be caused by two possible things. Either your handle is no longer connected to the flushing mechanism in the cistern or the flush diaphragm is split. Both of these problems can be easily solved in a matter of minutes. Take our DIY advice and have a quick look in the cistern to check which problem it is before hand as it will be easily spotted.
Which wire is which?
The UK wiring system has changed a bit over the years and the colouring you are familiar with may not be the colouring you see when you open up the plug or cable. To put your mind at ease here are the following wire colours:
The LIVE wire is either red or brown.
The NEUTRAL wire is either black or blue.
The EARTH wire can be green, yellow or green with yellow stripes.
White marks on brickwork.
If you notice white marks on your brickwork you may be concerned. If it is a new building you are more likely to come across white powder on the brickwork. This is a result of water escaping as the brick will not have been protected during construction. You can easily and safely remove this just by brushing it off and it should not return. If once you have removed the white powder, it returns in the same place it is more serious. This means water is leaking into the brickwork and the cause should be identified quickly. Some experienced DIY advice; do not use liquids to remove the white powder. This will only dissolve it and transfer it back into the bricks. Use a thick bristled brush at first and then a soft brush to get all the crystals out of the bricks.