Home Improvement Blog

Archive for May, 2010

In most cases a fence will mark an internal or external boundary of some kind; it may act merely as marker or be used for total or partial privacy. There are several consideration to take into account before you choose a fence for your home.

An important factor could be security: is the fence to keep out intruders or keep children and animails in or out? If your house is on an exposed site, you will have to consider wind resistance; choose a fence with medium or low wind resistance since a solied barrier could create sufficient turbulance to damage plants or be completely blown over. Consider the aspect of light transmission, a fence may cast shadows on your plants, especially if it is built on the south side of a small garden, even a low fence can cast considerable shadow, especially in winter. You must consider the appearance of the fence, especially in suburban areas. The fence may only need to be temporary until a hedge has grown or you could use a wire fence and let the hedge grow over it, or the sole purpose of fence may be to support climbing plants. The most important factor in your decision is to ensure the fence blends in with the overall garden design and with the building it adjoins.

Timber, the traditional fencing material, is often chosen for its mellow, rustic appearance. Other materials, including metal, concrete, and plastic, can be used for fences. Posts are subject to continuous damp conditions below and above ground. It is very important to choose a timber which is resistant to decay, and the ideal timber in this respect is oak. Rails and boards can be made from softwood as long as you treat them correctly with preservative. Most softwood are less likely to crack or twist than hardwoods used above the ground for this purpose; Douglas fir, spruce, pine and hemlock are suitable softwoods.

Types of fencing
These is a variety of fencing available for different purposes and situations. You can either build the fence on site from timber ordered from your local timber yard or buy a fencing kit for most types of timber fences. Read the rest of this entry »

For most people condensation conjures up pictures of bathroom walls running with moisture, windows steamed up and water on the window sills. These more easily recognizable forms of condensation can be temporarily cleared up with a little time and effort devoted to moping up. But there are ways of helping to prevent condensation forming in the first place.

Condensation is caused when moisture in warm air comes into contact with a cold surface and turns to water. Kitchens and bathrooms are the obvious place to suffer, but condesation will often occur in patches on walls or ceilings in living areas too.

Windows
Single glass windows are undoubtedly one of the worst offenders in causing condensation. In damp winter conditions few homes escape the problem – and bedrooms in particular suffer from its effect. This is the result of lower night temperatures reacting with the warm air we breathe out or warm air
circulated by heating equipment.

The problem is made by worse by the introduction of new moist air into a room by cooking, using hand basins or running baths. Probably the worst effect of condensation is the damage it can do in a short time to window frames and paintwork. Even when frames are correctly painted 3mm in on the glass pane, the lower beading quickly breaks down and allows moisture to attack the timber or metal beneath.

One remedy is the installation of good quality double-glazing. Although condensation may not be completely eliminated, the build-up is reduced sufficiently to prevent moisture being a problem. Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to choosing wallpaper, go for better quality, medium or heavyweight papers rather than thin, cheap ones which tear and stretch easily when pasted and need very careful handling. Cheaper wallpapers have the design printed directly onto the paper; better qaulity papers are usually given a protective coating before the pattern is printed. Top quality ones also have a clear coating over the pattern to protect the surface.

Basic types
The following run-down on the various types available will help you to select the right wallpaper for specific areas.
Washable The paper is covered with a clear water resistant coating of matt or gloss PVA (polyvinyl acetate) making it deal for use in the kitchen or bathroom.
Vinyl A layer of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is fused onto a  paper backing to produce a really tough vinyl-faced covering that is steam and water resistant and can even be scrubbed clean.
Ready-pasted Dried fungicidial adhesive on the back does away with the traditional pasting operation. To active the paste you draw each length of paper through a water-filled trough (usually supplied with the paper)
immediately before hanging.
Polyethylene This type is lighter than ordinary wallpaper and warm to the touch. It is easier and quicker to hang than other wall coverings because you paste the wall rather then the paper and you do not have to cut the paper into lengths, but use it straight from the roll. Work with the special adhesive recommended for this type of wall covering.
Dry-strip Washable and ready-pasted papers already described are not easily removed using the conventional soak-and-strip method since the water cannot penetrate the water-resistant coating to act on the adhesive. But dry-strip papers and vinyls are available; you peel away the decorative face to leave a paper backing on the wall. If this backing is firmly fixed, use it as a base for repapering or strip it offin the usual way.
Lining paper Thin paper used under the decorative wall covering to give a high quality finish. It is available in several weights: use light papers on smooth wall surface and heavier papers to help conceal uneven surfaces. Hang lining paper horizontally on the walls so the joins between lenghts will not coincide with the vertical joins of the decorative wall covering. Read the rest of this entry »