Tiling Tips!

laying tilesHello everyone and welcome to our new series of DIY tips

This week we will be looking at tiling. Floor and wall tiles are very popular and come in a range of sizes, shapes and colours for you to mix and match with. They are ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, porches, conservatories and halls they are easy to clean and are water and heat resistant.

First you should measure the floor or wall area allowing for some extra tiles for breakages and any repairs in the future. You should make sure that the area is clean, flat and dry before starting.

You will need the tiles, tile spacers, a notched trowel for laying adhesive to create ridges lines that are a good sticking surface for the tiles, a tile cutters, adhesive and grout. To begin its is a good idea to lay out the tiles on the floor and then cut each tile before mixing the adhesive as it goes off very quickly and is only workable for approx 30 minutes.

When you have cut all of your tiles to the correct shapes you can stack them making sure you keep them in the correct order. You can now mix the adhesive. You must leave a 6mm Gap around the perimeter to accommodate the tiles movement Spread only enough adhesive to cover an area of about one square, press ceramic tiles firmly into position then twist slightly to bed them in. Place the next tile alongside using a plastic tile spacer to obtain evenly spaced gaps. Continue until you have run out of adhesive then apply more adhesive and start.

When the tiles have been in place long enough to dry you need to fill grout into the joints. The grout should be a complimentary color to the tiles. You should use a sponge or to force the grout into all the gaps, wiping off the excess with a sponge as you work. Allow to dry then polish with a dry, clean cloth. Remember not to walk on the edges or corners of the tiles until the tiles have been grouted and the grout is then dry.

For advice or to install any of these recommendations please log onto www.tradesmen.ie and we can source the right tradesman for you.

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Painting Tips!

painting tipsHello everyone and welcome to our new series of DIY tips

This week we will be looking at painting tips and giving your home a fresh clean look for spring! Painting a room is a cheap and easy way to liven up a dull dark room and give a home a fresh clean feeling.

This week we will be giving some tips for the novice painter and maybe some helpful advice for the more experienced.

Firstly we will look at paint selection. Paints come in a variety of types and brands. To select the type you must consider the room to be painted, for example some paints are designed for kitchens and bathroom specifically for their wash ability and may work well in a child’s bedroom such as semi-gloss and satin finish paints. Brands are completely up to your personal taste and practice will help you with this.

The equipment you will need for the average home project is rollers, trays, brushes and accessories. Rollers are ideal for applying paint to large smooth surfaces and come in different sizes. Paint trays match the roller sizes and come in plastic and metal. Brushes are available in different sizes and suit different needs so you should make sure that the brush is appropriate to the paint you have selected. You should always ask for advice in your DIY store if you are unsure. Accessories can include extension poles for your roller, small rollers for smaller and awkward spaces such as behind radiators, alcoves and doors as well as sheets and clothes for protecting furniture and flooring from drips.

To prepare the room for painting cover the floor and furniture to prevent getting paint on them. Tape up windows frames, door frames and skirting boards to prevent paint been applied to them. Remove or loosen light switches and sockets to make it easier to paint around and avoid splashing paint on them. You should also fill any holes or crevices in the wall with filler leaving enough time for it to dry and be sanded before applying any paint. You should also brush the walls down with a dusting brush or cloth to remove any debris, loose dirt or cobwebs so the walls are clean and ready to be painted.

For advice or to install any of these recommendations please log onto www.tradesmen.ie and we can source the right tradesman for you.

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Spring cleaning your garden!

clearing leavesHello everyone and welcome to our new series of DIY tips

This week we will be looking at spring cleaning your garden!

With the good weather of spring finally here its time to get out into your garden and tackle the mess from winter! It’s a great time to get your garden cleared and tidy and ready for planting for a gorgeous outdoor space in the summer months that you and your family can enjoy.

First task is clearing away the dead plants from winter and getting that lawn mowed. Next is cutting back any plants that retain their leaves in winter such as evergreen or semi evergreen plants so cutting them back in the spring will encourage new growth.

Spring is the best time to tackle any weeds as the soil is still damp and the roots are easier to pull from the ground and all the dead plants, weeds and grass can be put into your compost containers.

For most plants spring is their initial growth spurt so add some compost to encourage the plants and now is the best time for dividing or transplanting as once the weather turns mild they will be quick to grow with the fine weather, nice rich soil topped up with some new compost.

For a clean finish you should edge the flower beds from the lawn, not only does it make the garden look clean and tidy but also prevents the lawn growing into your flower beds.

For advice or to install any of these recommendations please log onto www.tradesmen.ie and we can source the right tradesman for you.

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DIY Tips – Laying a Decking

Laying deckingHello everyone and welcome to our new series of DIY tips

This week we will be looking at how to lay garden decking

Its that time of year again and with the dry weather it may be time to spruce up the garden and what better way than to create a decking area in your garden for all those summer days chilling out with friends and family

Creating a decking is easier than you think and with lots of help on the internet you can have your decking in no time. We have provided some help to get you started!

To create a decking the first thing is to clear the site for the decking and mark its position. Then you should level the site area and compact the surface. You can use concrete pads or paving slabs to support the deck. With your supports in place lay the joists on top of them making sure they are level, then lay your decking boards at right angles to the joists and secure the boards to the joists

Leave similar gaps between your boards and stagger the joints so there is no continuous break across the deck which would create a weakened space across the decking.

You should treat your decking with preservatives particularly those cut edges so they will be treated from weather exposure. You can also pre-drill holes in the boards for the screws to prevent the boards splitting. You can also add steps and spindles to add something extra to your decking!

For advice or to install any of these recommendations please log onto www.tradesmen.ie and we can source the right tradesman for you.

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Solar Energy

solar panelsHello everyone and welcome to the fifth article in our series of home energy savings tips! This week we will be looking at solar energy:

The suns energy can be harnessed to provide a free source of heat in any house. Materials such as glass, tubing and solar panels capture the suns energy and can be used to supplement a homes heating.

Solar panels are fixed on a house’s roof to capture the suns energy and will even work on overcast days. The panels on the roof capture the suns energy and the tubing within the panels contains a liquid which the sun heats, this liquid transfers the heat to water held in the house’s tank.

A home will need a backup heat source along with solar energy to produce hot water so that if the solar panels don’t produce sufficient heat, the other heat source will be available to account for the shortfall. Using solar energy for home heating can reduce a homes heating requirement by up to 80%. They have an approximate lifespan of 30 years.

For advice or to install any of these recommendations please log onto www.tradesmen.ie and we can source the right tradesman for you.

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Building jobs in Dublin

Builders jobs dublinHi Guys.  If you are looking for work or know someone who is looking for work in the building trade then check out these recent jobs posted with us at Tradesmen.ie 🙂

build a stud partition wall
insertion of window and 2 vents
remove/plaster pebbledash
Attic conversion
Build front porch
Build extension on 2 semi-d houses
build extension

To view more jobs visit http://www.tradesmen.ie/browse-jobs.html

Regards

The Tradesmen.ie Team

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Plumbing Jobs Dublin and Wicklow

plumbing jobsWe have a lot of plumbing jobs posted on Tradesmen.ie each week so if you know anyone who is a self employed plumber and is looking for extra work ask them to check us out.

Here is a very small selection of the jobs for plumbers that came in yesterday:-

Plumber wanted for bathroom refit North County Dublin

Plumber Needed – Water Not Coming Into Cistern Wicklow

Plumbing work in en-suite/bathroom Blancharstown Dublin 15

Bathroom Fitting Glasnevin Dublin 11

Bathroom change Dublin 8

New Monsoon pump needed 15 alderwood Dublin 15
Plumbing (boiler & general work) Donnycarney Dublin 5

To see these and more jobs please visit http://www.tradesmen.ie/browse-jobs.html

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Upholstery Jobs Kildare, Meath and Dublin, Ireland

upholstery jobsWhile there is a recession in Ireland there are still lots of jobs that need to be done for the maintenance of our homes and one of these jobs is upholstery.  There are many upholstery jobs posted on our website each week especially in Dublin, Meath and Kildare so if you know any upholsterers out there please let them know that these jobs are available.  A couple of examples of recent jobs are shown below:-

http://www.tradesmen.ie/jobs/upholstery-6-dining-room-chairs.html

http://www.tradesmen.ie/jobs/re-upholster-chair-navan-Meath.html

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Wood Pellet Stoves and Boilers

wood pelletsHello everyone and welcome to the fourth article in our series of home energy savings tips! This week we will be looking at the wood pellet stoves and boilers:

Wood pellet stoves and boilers are devices that burn wood pellets to produce heat in the home. They are an advancement to open fires and stoves. They can be free standing or placed into an existing chimney insert. Wood pellets are a clean and dry fuel made from a mixture of sawdust and wood shavings. Unlike other fuels pellets are a high energy smoke free fuel that creates little amounts of ash.

Amazingly there are even fully automated pellet boilers with thermostats that read the room temperature and feed in the wood pellets when necessary and then cut off the feed when it’s not needed so the person only has to refill the wood pellet chamber when it runs out! Now there is even an attachment that can be added where a person can regulate the heat in their wood pellet boiler by their mobile phone!

Wood pellet stoves and boilers are also clean for the environment; other fuels such as gas and oil produce heavy amounts of carbon emissions which is responsible for climate change. Wood pellets are a renewable source of energy and are cleaner as they are a form of carbon neutral fuel. In Ireland grants are available for wood pellet stoves and boiler retrofits from the Sustainable Authority of Ireland.

For advice or to install any of these recommendations please log onto www.tradesmen.ie and we can source the right tradesman for you,

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Insulation in the home

installing insulationHello everyone and welcome to the third article in our series of home energy savings tips! This week we will be looking at the various types of insulation for the home:

Many homes in Ireland are very wasteful of energy. Energy saving measures can make a house retain its heat better and eliminate draughts and waste.By conserving energy we can save money by lowering our heating costs and help the environment by reducing wasted energy and conserving fuel. Heat can be lost in the home through the roof and attic, the interior and exterior walls and windows. Sufficient and appropriate insulation all over your house will help reduce waste and fuel costs.

One of the easiest ways of reducing energy loss immediately is to insulate your hot water cylinder with a lagging jacket or if you are installing a new cylinder opt for a pre formed foam insulation jacket for better insulation. According to SEI Ireland “30% of your heat can escape through the roof and the fuel savings of installing insulation is approx €130 per year”

There are various types of insulation on the market for all types of roof sizes and shapes and a professional’s advice should be sought for what will best suit your roof type.

In a house half of the heat lost in through the walls and by insulating them two-thirds of this heat loss can be reduced. Insulation may be installed on the outside of the walls, in the cavity of the walls or on the inside of the walls. You should consult a professional to determine the most appropriate for you and your home. Fuel savings on cavity wall insulation is approximately €100-€150 annually, for internal wall insulation its approx €70 to €150 annually and for external insulation the savings are approximately €100 to €150 annually.

Another major source of heat loss in the home is through windows. The most recommended type of windows to reduce heat loss is double glazing but even more advances glazing systems are becoming available according to SEI Ireland “They include gas-filled double glazing and low emissivity glazing” There are some of the main insulation types that are available on the market to help reduce heat loss in the home and also help reduce your fuel expenses while been kinder to the environment.

For advice or to install any of these recommendations please log onto www.tradesmen.ie and we can source the right tradesman for you.

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