Only 5 days left till Christimas, Clean chimney and service heating

There is only 5 days left till Christimas, make sure to have your chimney cleaned not only so that santa can come down but also because you may be more likely to have solid fuel fires burning over the Christmas. It is important to have your chimney cleaned regularly to prevent the soot which deposits on the inside of the chimney from catching fire. If you are looking for a chimney sweep on Tradesmen.ie all you have to do is fill in your contact information on the ‘Get Quotes’ page and select ‘cleaning service’ beside ‘Tradesman Required’ drop down box.

Also, be sure your heating system is serviced and doesn’t break down during the Christmas holidays. To get your heating system serviced all you have to do is fill in your contact information on the ‘Get Quotes’ page. If your heating system is ‘gas’ you need to select ‘gas fitter’ beside ‘Tradesman Required’ drop down box and if your heating system is oil, solid fuel or geothermal you can select ‘heating contractor’. There is also an option available for ‘solar panels’ which will covers service or installation of solar heating systems.

Here’s hoping that you have a warm and happy Christmas:-)

All the Best,

Regards,

Oliver Dempsey

Posted in news | 1 Comment

Funny Salsa Clip – Oliviero teaches Tanja La Alemana

Hi Folks,

Check out our latest video below. Oliver Dempsey of Tradesmen.ie got together with World famous salsa dancers Jorge Ataca and Tanja La Alemana for a salsa lesson. Feel free share the video if you like it. Special Thanks To: Jorge Ataca, Tanja La Alemana, Sergei Eisenstein, Bill Tyson, Timesnap Ltd, The National Dance Academy, Alex and The Cuban Salsa Ireland Team and Afrimania.

All the Best,

The Tradesmen.ie Team

Posted in news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Snow Bound in the BIG Freeze

Hi Folks,

Met Éireann is warning all that the feezing weather is to continue for another number of days as freezing temperatures are expected to remain over Ireland. Some believe that between 5cm and 10cm of snow will drop on a lot of the country very soon.

Many public transport services are still running, but delays and cancellations are expected. The weather is limiting the Luas sarvice in Dublin and delays are expected at Heuston station in Dublin. Tavelling is not advised and you should stay indoors if possible. Very bad road conditions have been reported in Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Louth, Meath, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow. Snow has refrozen in a lot of areas and those travelling are advised to drive with extreme care. Wrap up warm as the weather is showing no signs of improving.

Many jobs that are being posted on Tradesmen.ie are due to these harsh weather conditions. Many customers are reporting about frozen pipes, require bolier services, attic and external wall insulation, fix windows and doors as draughts are coming through and to flush and fix radiators. Some customers mentioned that some of their radiators are fully working but many are luke warm and some are even stone cold!

Insulation Contractors could advise customers to improve their insulation. One of the best ways to save energy and money in the home is to have a good insulation system. Houses with good insulation trap heat and cut down associated with heating. Many houses release a lot of their heat through both the roof and walls, so good insulation is needed especially in these freezing temperatures. As these weather conditions are reaching very low, the insulation could be carried out sooner rather than later to avoid travelling in dangerous road conditions. Customers may be attracted to the idea of insulation to avoid feeling the worst of this Artic weather if the worst is still yet to come.

There are also some practical things that customers can do to keep their house warm like keeping doors and windows closed, using heavier curtains on windows and/or keeping curtains closed and blocking up unused fireplaces to prevent warm air from escaping up the chimney.

All the Best,

Regards,

Daniel Beere

Posted in diy, news | 1 Comment

Over 24,000 Jobs Posted on Tradesmen.ie

Hi Folks,

I am delighted to announce that over 24,000 jobs have been posted on Tradesmen.ie by people in Ireland.

Before, we posted that over 20,000 jobs have been posted on Tradesmen.ie and since then we posted (approximately a month ago) that over 23,000 jobs have been posted on Tradesmen.ie and since then the numbers have yet again increased.

We are very happy that people have confidence in our website and our service and we look forward to increasing the numbers of jobs posted on Tradesmen.ie and that our service will continue to improve in the future. Thank you for support.

Coming soon we will have a new video for Tradesmen.ie, but while it is being edited, below is our video with Daisy the Cow which has over 12,000 views on YouTube.

All the Best,

Regards,

The Tradesmen.ie Team

Posted in news | 1 Comment

DIY Safety Measure Do’s

Your house can be a very unsafe place so all DIY folk should take several safety measures when carrying out a job. Here are some fundamental Do’s that every DIY person can use.

  • Ensure to at all times place safely in your mind before begin to perform any DIY task. Be cautious, alert and make good decisions.
  • Make sure that read carefully the labels on containers that contain paints, solvents and other substances as well as follow all directions of use and any other words of warning.
  • When using tools particularly power tools, always take notice of the guidelines and instructions of use provided by the manufacturer. If you are familiar with the tools action then there is less probability to cause damage.
  • Use the suitable tool for each duty. Avoid utilizing a tool for something that it is not intended for.
  • Make sure that you wear the proper protection for the task at hand such as gloves, facemasks and eye protection.
  • At all times shield your body away from the action end of a power tools that use the likes of blades, cutters and bits.
  • Always make certain that whichever tool you are using that the tool adjustment is secured prior to you begin using it.
  • Be sure that any electrical supply is protected and safe before you use it. Do not overload any circuit. Ensure all power tools, extension cables and electrical outlets are unharmed and undamaged. Never use power tools in wet conditions.
  • Check for potential cables/pipe-work prior to drilling or cutting into a wall or surface. Be cautious whenever you are unable to view the other side of what you are drilling or cutting.
  • Be careful if using a saw bench as many older benches do not include some of the newest safety features. Stay away from sawing short pieces if possible as some of these can often be difficult to grasp.
  • Keep in mind that a lot of mistakes can occur very fast which the body cannot always react to fast enough.
  • At all times use both of your hands when using a tool is intended to be used with both hands.
  • Make sure that your working area is sufficiently lit and bright enough for you.
  • Ensure that you examine the safety ladders and steps prior to using them and that the steps and sides are undamaged.

Feel free to log on to Tradesmen.ie to get a number of quotes for your job.

All the Best,

Regards,

Daniel Beere

Posted in diy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How to Remove Wallpaper and Decorate your Home

Spending a small amount of both time and money painting and decorating your house can be incredibly valuable. Even though painting and decorating may not add a large amount of worth to your home it should definitely benefit by making it far more sale-able.

As there is various DIY renovation shows on Television many individuals have shun away from wallpapering, this is could be due to the reality that some of these shows have limited time to complete the job at hand. So painting is often favoured over wallpapering as it is a lot faster and easier to carry out.

If you do plan to decorate your home and some of your walls are covered with wallpaper then you should be careful when taking away wallpaper seeing that if you grasp the scraper at the wrong angle you might harm the plaster at the back, creating additional effort for you. Regularly pieces of the plaster is separated from the wall with the wallpaper but if the harm is not too much you can easily patch mend the wall instead of carrying out an entire re-skim!

A process of taking away wallpaper that is often used is to compose a combination of warm water, some washing up liquid and something to thicken the combination (wall paper adhesive is could be best)

Combine the warm water, washing up liquid and your substance of choice to thicken, try to avoid mixing a lot of wallpaper paste as the liquid can often become too thick and it might not soak in as well as it should. Prior to commencing it is an excellent thought to protect the carpet and/or floor totally with something waterproof or if not a couple of sheets could be used.

Using waterproof gloves place the combination on the wallpaper beginning at the peak of the wall and allow it to flow down. Carry this out on all walls that are covered with wallpaper that you wish to get rid of and let it soak in for as a minimum 20 minutes. Attempt to remove some of the wallpaper with a scraper but if it does not scrape off straightforwardly then you can do again the soaking procedure pending the wallpaper can be separated with no trouble.

If still have trouble with this you could search for a Tradesman. Go to Tradesmen.ie and get a number of free quotes for your job.

All the Best,

Regards,

Daniel Beere

Posted in diy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Interview with Door Repair and Window Installer in Dublin

Hi Folks,

Recently we caught up with Pat McManamon, one of our Top Rated Tradesmen on Tradesmen.ie, to ask him a few questions.

What are the most common jobs you are doing lately? “The most jobs I am doing now are windows and doors.”

Do you think you get more work for new built houses or houses already built? “It’s mostly houses that are already built that need replacement windows.”

What the process that is involved with this? “I would go and contact the customer, give them a price, and then when it comes to installing the window I would have prior arrangements made to deliver the windows and then install them.”

What type of suppliers would you use? “I only use a good quality window, the window that I use is weather-glaze, which is an A-rated, very high quality window.”

And would that be the best one out there? “That is the best one that is out there, it is possible to go higher tech but it is not very practical as it would cost an awful lot more but A-Rated is as high as you would want”

This interview was recorded and can be heard here.

Thanks a million to Pat McManamon, one of our Top Rated Tradesmen on Tradesmen.ie, for his time and a great interview. If you have job in mind, feel free to check out www.Tradesmen.ie for a number of quotes.

All the Best,

Regards,

Daniel Beere

Posted in news, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How YouTube was used to beat the competition and net €50,000 in prizes

Irish company and recent winner of the O2 Ideas Room Sales Pitch competition, Tradesmen.ie, used Youtube to help them win €50,000 worth in prizes. The O2 Idea’s Room ran a competition where they asked Irish companies to pitch their business idea in 140 characters or less via Twitter, SMS or on the O2 Idea’s Room Blog. Six finalists were chosen and people could then vote for their favorite business to win the grand prize of €50,000 worth of business support.

Oliver Dempsey, founder of Tradesmen.ie, entered the pitch “Want to save time and money on tradesmen and trade professional services? Get up to 4 quotes and compare prices on www.Tradesmen.ie”.

During the campaign, Tradesmen.ie used both Facebook and Youtube to help gain votes for the competition. With daily updates on their Facebook profile, the company was becoming more active online than it previously had been. As video accounts for a large proportion of Internet usage these days, Tradesmen.ie began to produce a number of videos to reach out to people with the hope that they will spread online and thus help their chances of winning more votes and winning the competition. Oliver Dempsey (founder of Tradesmen.ie) featured in the videos but what was unique about these was that they were made in an upbeat and humorous manner as each video had a similar script but was set in a complete different setting. Actually, what helped to make some of these videos so popular were the Bloopers that they contained, as scenes of mishaps were included. The company felt it was best to enjoy the moment and have fun instead of getting too caught up with the competition. The videos contained american football players, a brass band, salsa dancers, cows, members of the public, a baby and the infamous Daveward.

The idea behind each video was to try and make something that people would like and they then could pass it on to people they know and hopefully get the ball rolling. Surprisingly, it seemed to work as not only were Tradesmen.ie announced as winners of the competition with the most votes but also one of their videos with ‘Daisy’ the cow has over 4,100 views to this day. With Youtube, videos can be uploaded within a matter of minutes and by adding annotations to each video, Tradesmen.ie could get their message out to the public quite swiftly. Many of these videos are still circulating the internet as they continue to help promote the company even after their recent success of winning the O2 Ideas Room competition. You can see all of Tradesmen.ie’s videos on their YouTube channel, ‘Tradesmen1‘ or visit their website at www.tradesmen.ie.

Posted in news, Uncategorized, Youtube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DIY in the Summer. . . Rain or Shine

DIY jobs for the SummerA lot of people during the summer months want to be outside for as long as possible. Whether it’s relaxing in the Sun, chilling by the pool or sleeping in the hammock, the summer and being outside really do go hand in hand . . . well weather permitting anyway. Some DIY projects may feel like a dead end chore but some are also good ways of staying on top of things.

As we live in Ireland, not every day is a sunny day. It’s odd how some days we find ourselves using an umbrella to shade away from the sun and other times we are using it to shelter from the rain. I guess that’s the Irish weather for you. However, we could use this as a way to organize our DIY projects. Maybe make a list of things you want to get done outside while the weather is good, and for when you’re stuck in doors, that’s when you can tackle those inside jobs. It’s good to remember though, that your list shouldn’t have to consist of boring tasks, try doing things that are enjoyable and fun as well.

Sunny Day Projects:

Get outside and work on your Garden! Everybody enjoys a nice cut lawn and the smell of freshly cut grass on a summer’s day. If your lawn is slightly bare, how about planting some extra grass seeds? Then you can move on to getting rid of some of those over grown shrubs and planting some fresh garden flowers to add some colour to the area. This can be great exercise for you also!

Try touching up anything that needs it, such as painting, varnishing, or mending. It’s vital that you constantly repair and maintain your property in case things get on top of you and it spirals out of control. Being outside is also a great way of getting a healthy looking tan while also getting those jobs out of the way, not to mention the Vitamin D which the body can manufacture from the help of the sun.

How about building an outdoor shed or that decking that has always been on your mind? If your useful at that kind of stuff, there are plenty of resources online to give you a hand such as Google and YouTube or I’m sure wherever you purchase your materials, the people there could help you out. If not, check out Tradesmen.ie and I’m sure you’ll be able to find someone helpful.

Rainy Day Projects:

Okay, this is the ‘tough, takes hours to do but must be done’ job. Basically, clean out all that stuff that you never use anymore. Whether its old clothes, ornaments, furniture, whatever, but if you don’t use them then what’s the point of having all that clutter around?  We all work better in a clutter free environment. Try clearing out one room a day, and then when you’re in the swing of things take on the almighty garage and attic. Throw out any damaged goods and maybe donate other things to those that may benefit from them.

Get on top of those small jobs in around the house. Perhaps the living room needs a fresh coat of paint or maybe you could change the colour altogether or even apply wallpaper instead. A new picture on the wall, maybe new carpet or curtains or even try rearranging the furniture to try change the place up. It’s always interesting to try something new.

Finally, it’s always important to be organized. Spend an afternoon or two sorting out all that paperwork. Maybe there are still some bills hanging around that still need to be taken care of under all that clutter. Try tidy up the documents on your computer and get rid of those unwanted emails. All of this will benefit in the future and help you while working in a cleaner area.

Once you have all or most of you DIY projects completed, go for that holiday away for a few days or that snooze on you hammock outside. Hope this blog was useful to you all. If you have any comments, feel free to share them. Have a safe and Enjoyable Summer. Regards, Tradesmen.ie.

Please feel free to share or comment on our blog if you liked it or if you want to put a link to it on your own website or blog just copy and paste the following html code:-
<a href=”http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2010/11/diy-in-the-summer-rain-or-shine/”>http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2010/11/diy-in-the-summer-rain-or-shine/</a>

Posted in diy, news, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Home painting tips or do you need a Painter?

It’s easy to admit that a room certainly looks well when it is newly painted, but is it worth the hassle when trying to do it yourself? Some feel that the painting is not the hard part but everything that comes with it like organising, cleaning, etc, and others feel the opposite.

Start by sorting out everything at the beginning. Set up an area for all the devices you’re going to need such as brushes, rollers, towels, cloths, paint, etc. Ideally, place this as close as possible to where you will be working to avoid you travelling so much around the room.

Try to plan ahead. If you are not a qualified painter, don’t expect to get it all done in a day. Plan what needs to be done and work down the list. If you need to rearrange furniture, remove pictures off the wall, repair cracks or cover any windows or lights, be sure to that first before you begin the painting process.

Now it’s time for you to get ready. Even if you try to be as careful as you can, it’s almost a certainty that some paint will get on you and your cloths. Wear some old cloths that you don’t mind getting paint on, remove any jewellery, and easy to take-off shoes are always a good idea as if you need to leave the room, you can easily take them off and avoid dragging paint along the floor.

You should seek the help of an expert when choosing which brush to use. When purchasing your paint, feel free to ask someone around for advice on what brush would be the best for your task. Rollers are also very handy. They are quite simple to use and can produce an excellent smooth finish on the wall.

Also, have many rags at the ready. No doubt you will need some sort of material for when you are painting. Whether you need them for your hands, the walls or the floor, one thing is for sure, you will need some.

And now you should be all set to start painting. Have you any other tips for people who are thinking to paint themselves? Feel free to comment and let us know.

If you do have a painting job but need someone to do it, visit www.tradesmen.ie where you can get a number of quotes for your job.

All the Best,

Regards,

Daniel Beere

Posted in diy, news, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment