Category: property maintenance blog

With the current situation, people are finding themselves at home a lot more and looking at jobs to do.

A great way to freshen up your room or property is to give it a coat of paint. So below are some tips to decorating..

1) Firstly I have a good friend who is a decorator so for him straight of the bat lets say my first tip is to employ a professional to do the awkward bits. Now if your like me I can roller the walls all day long and it look ok but my cutting in is not all that. You could ask the painter to do all the cutting in for you then you do the rolling yourself!

2) If you decide to do it all. preparation is key. My wife gets sick of waiting for me to do things around the house, we have had many an argument when she decides to take the ball by the horns and just slap some paint on the walls. This then ends up on the carpet, the windows (everywhere). So get everything covered up. I end up with more on me and the dust sheets then on the wall so this has saved me a few times. I like to use masking tape to stick down by the skirting boards. Also there is great products out there at the minute where its a plastic that sticks to the carpet or laminate, Really easy to use and can then be peeled up and thrown away when finished with not so much as a spec left behind. I find with the old hessian type sheets they can often let the paint weep through.

3) Carrying on with preparation in mind, the walls will need preparing first, So by this I mean fill holes, stain block any strange stains that have appeared. Then sand down any filling also sand down the woodwork. The wood work needs a rub over with sand paper to give a key to the new paint.

4) Once you have done this give the area a clean up get up all the dust you have just made from sanding down everything. This prevents the dirt getting on the walls when painting.

5) Give the ceiling a paint. Get the ceiling complete first before you move on. Rolling will spray fine specks of paint so by doing the ceiling first eliminates the chance of if flicking over the walls.

6) Cut in all the edges so where ever it abuts a wall, ceiling or skirting board. use any size brush that you rare comfortable with a 2″ is good for the finer work a 4″ is good for the wall abutments.

7) At this stage use a decorators caulk and caulk in all the edges. this gives the edges a nice uniform finish and gives your something to cut into for your final coat. Also use some light sandpaper and give the walls a really light rub. this just take of any drips or bits of dirt from the first coat.

8) What I would do next if give the wood work a once over either with the undercoat or if you are using satin then the first coat of this.

9) Usually walls and ceilings take 2 coats to get it looking good. But this will change if you have a very dark colour. Do a cut in then a roller. Give it time to dry (Touch test) then cut in and roller again. Leave it to dry then see what it looks like if it looks solid then all good. Otherwise repeat.

10) Once the walls are looking good do the final gloss or satin wood on the wood work. Gloss is harder wearing but requires more work. For a quick freshen up most people use a satin wood. Its not as hard wearing as gloss but the upside is you can go over it with less prep work so can keep it looking fresh.

11) If you take anything from this take this tip away get a decent roller/sleeve. A 12″ long pile is best. They usually cost around £10 and are worth it. With this you will need a roller frame and a scuttle. But these beat the pants of the DIY ones where you use the throw away tray. Once they have the paint deep in them you will minimise the amount you get paint and it spreads the paint better on the walls.

12) When rolling be sure not to leave the roller marks try and leave it looking even with not scars. This also applies to the brush if you leave brush marks they always stand out try and leave it with minimal marks.

13) There are loads of makes of paint now all I would say is maybe think about where the trades go and take pointers from them. Trade paint is usually the better stuff and nowadays any colour can be mixed.

Hope this helps you and if there is anything else you would like tips on leave comments in the boxes below.

Happy painting..

Toby

Who’s at fault? 

A situation came to light recently that I thought I would share, so others can learn from. I received a phone call from a chap that I know and he was explaining his reason to withhold funds for work he had completed by a person whom we both knew and where friends with. The chap was keen to let me know his side of the storey.

The chap had a leak in his shower and wanted it remedied whilst he was away on holiday. This was agreed with said builder. During completion of the work the builder found that the job to be more than replacing parts and that a full redo of the shower enclosure was required. The builder took his initiative and continued and completed works being friends with the customer he thought this would be no problem…..

 This sounds all well and good and using your initiative is usually seen as a good thing. But first mistake made, the builder must confirm with the customer that they are happy to continue if works are different to what they expect. Not to mention the additional costs that they may have not factored in. An extra tip here, get it in writing. Most people on holiday look at their emails just to confirm what was said. Make sure a new price for works is confirmed.

The customer supplied the materials to save money. Unfortunately this can mean that the materials purchased are not suitable. In this situation this was the case. The builder took his own initiative again and replaced for appropriate parts, thus more costs. Second mistake- I understand the customer wanting to save money but sometimes it really is best to let the professional use the materials they are used to and can guarantee. The amount of times I have had to use some ex-showroom, it ends up being a complete waste of time and the finish is never great. What also should of happened here is that the builder should have spoken to the customer first to recommend the types of materials required for the particular job, obviously the customer still has the option to go out and source/ purchase the materials still, but at least then everyone is happy. Also the builder should have confirmed what he was replacing the materials with and if the customer was happy for him to proceed.

The builder then finished the work give or take a few bits while the chap was still on holiday so he sent him an invoice and updated him that all works were complete.

The customer returned from holiday expecting to be finished and the bits the builder hadn’t quite finished yet where noticed straight away which made the customer unhappy with the finish.  So here the customer has the invoice in hand, a lot more then he thought and there is a big snagging list.

From the builders point of view it was a couple small things to finish but I think the issue was made bigger because the builder promised to have it all finished by said date.

The builder had arranged a revisit to go through the snagging but unfortunately cancelled the morning of, this really got the customers back up. It spiralled quickly after this and ended in the customer saying he would not be paying for the additional works and the builder saying he would take him to court..

So letting it all settle in I asked the chap a question.

Obviously my first question was “what was the original quote” customers reply “I didn’t ask for one”

Long pause……….. That was a massive mistake I replied. The customer had one idea of what things might cost and the builder has a completely different idea. The builder then completed the job ready for when the customer returned home or so he had thought.

He  went on to tell me what he had not completed, how the work appeared unfinished and on a whole not to a very good standard.

I did say I was very surprised as I know the builder well and there are many things I would say about him but usually his standard was very good.

He said he asked the builder to return to rectify the faults and finish what he said he would, the builder booked into return however the morning off text to say he couldn’t make it.

I can see both points of view here ‘in the builders eyes’ he had done a cracking job, he had completely sorted the ongoing problem the rotten boards were gone, new tile boards up, the best materials used that money can buy, all done before the customer got home couple small jobs to finish (cracking!). What the customer saw was quite different. A surprisingly large invoice for the works and a list of jobs still to be finished.

Who is really at fault here?

The answer is they both are to a degree. The builder should of kept the customer updated throughout and regardless that they were on holiday I would be sending pictures of updates as the job progressed with an updated price for the additional works, If they said they were not happy I would of held off doing the job until they were back to discuss face to face. I also would not of sent an invoice in until all works were complete and the customer was happy.

The customer should have asked for a quote first and not assumed a figure that they had dreamt up. Also although it makes sense to have works like this done while you are away on holiday and the dream is that you come back it’s all shiny and brand new, I can tell you this is not always the case. Problems always crop up and really the customer needs to be there in my opinion to discuss the job with throughout.

In the end I believe the customer did pay but only an amount that he had in mind for the project, which meant the builder did lose out. I do feel for both parties but I do think this could all of easily been avoided altogether.

So hopefully what you get from this article is

-Even with people you know don’t assume.

-Always have things written down and agreed.

-If you are away asked for updates & Photos (WhatsApp) is free and you can send a ton of pictures.

-GET A QUOTE (refer to my getting quotes article)

Hope you have enjoyed the article.

Don’t forget to go over my other articles; there are gems of free advice throughout…

Toby

Insulating a roof

I seem to have gone through a pattern of insulating roof space’s the last couple months, not something I’m keen on doing but it was for some of my regulars.

So I thought I would write a little article about insulation especially for a loft/attic space to help you out.

The guidelines haven’t changed much the last few years but a good amount of insulation to have is 270mm thick and this is what the EPC assessors will be looking for if you’re trying to get your rating up to let a property.

“Remember from April 2018 the EPC rating has to be Grade E or higher for any new tenancy agreements.”

But to be honest they do everything in increments of 100mm thick now so you will probably end up with 300mm anyway.

There is no real easy way of doing this job, its horrible stuff to work with. I find doing it in the winter months is best as its cooler in the attic, obviously not a good idea to work in an attic in the summer time as its way to hot especially if you are wearing all the PPE. As  minimum with this stuff I wear full overalls, mask, hat and gloves, also a head torch for the dark corners.

Loft insulation is relatively easy stuff to work with a good Sharpe Stanley knife is more than capable enough to cut it. Oddly enough the 200mm thick insulation is easier to cut then the 100mm, I find I always end up tearing the 100mm to get it to separate.`

I have done a lot of shitty old jobs over the years, so I seem to be able to switch off from feeling really uncomfortable and just crack on till the job is done. However for newbies just getting into this world of prolonged hard jobs, I have a few tips.

1. Break the job up into small tasks, so get a certain area covered, then have a breath of fresh air, then start again.
2. Have targets “I want to get that area and that area done by break time”
3. Don’t waste a trip, so if you need to go down and get something like a saw, bring something else that you may need later up with you on your return.
4. If you’re on your own I have mentioned this before in my “tips for beginners in construction” post, but I have an audio playing from my phone through the headphones. I love personal development audios and business development so when doing these long hard tasks to help you switch of have a listen to one of these and you will be surprised how much more you can do. The worst thing is to start thinking about how tired you are or how hot it is, the trick is to deter your mind onto other things, the reason I also love the audios is because I feel like I’m learning while earning which is great..

When doing a loft the things you will find hard is the uncomfortable working conditions as I said if your sensible you will have all the overalls and PPE on which in a small roof space is horrible and when you start moving and cutting the insulation you start to get itchy face and arms and that is horrible you will also get really hot just because of the nature of the work and environment, with this type of task I don’t mess around I go up and do the job until its done only stopping for fluids when required I can’t stand taking the mask and hat of every time and having to face putting back on the insulation covered overalls. I also get more covered with the insulation when I’m taking the overalls off so I keep this to a minimum.

I also find having knee pads on invaluable, roof spaces are usually low so you spend a hell of a lot of time either bent double or on your knees so knee pads are a must and it means you can feel stable while working on the task at hand and not thinking about the pain in your legs. Also an old bricklaying tutor of mine would really get mad with us if he ever saw us working on are knees he would always say if you wanted to last in the job don’t work of your knees and my yoga teacher always says nurse your knees. So basically “look after them”.

There are loads of different types of insulation to work with, the standard fibreglass which we all know well. PIR board which you would probably know as celotex but that’s just the make there are loads like it now. There is also now a space quilt so it has a silver finish that is being used a lot in roof spaces on the rafters. Polystyrene like the stuff they use for packaging and the list goes on some more environmentally friendly versions are sheep’s wool and hemp insulation which are good alternatives, they are more expensive but are sustainable.

The PIR board is the most used in general building duties nowadays due to the easy handling plus the great thermal ratings its achieves at the relatively small thicknesses. However I have heard on a couple of training sessions I have been on recently that when its used retrospectively, so on older properties in floor or between rafters that they are very inefficient due to the twist and turns of the older timber, so actually it might not be filling in between the wood work as much as we would of liked. I think on newer work it’s a good product but alternatives should be looked at on the older properties.

The Rockwool slab as mentioned on my products page is a good alternative it has a good thermal and acoustic rating and it’s easier to fill the spaces between the woodwork as it can be pushed in places more freely.

I have used both now a lot and to be honest I seem to react badly to the PIR board even wearing all the PPE the fibres just really don’t agree with me and I feel shitty after using the stuff. Whereas the Rockwool type insulation although an irritant on the skin doesn’t make me feel as sniffly as the PIR.

The other product I have heard a lot about recently is one called Hybris. A quote from the spec  is as follows:

 “It’s a reflective insulation product for timber frame or masonry walls, pitched roofs or ceiling applications. Based on a honeycomb structure made of shaped polyethylene foams glued to aluminium coated polyethylene foils. High thermal performance is provided by a special structure composed of a large number of low emissivity cavities, protected from dust and excessive air movement. Moreover, the low emissivity external films provide additional thermal resistance, when associated with air cavities.”

I know a lot of trades that deal with insulation recommend this product, due to the fact there is no dust particles created when cutting the stuff and it is easy install, also its cut slightly larger than required, which will fill in the gaps on twisted timbers, so this is a product to look out for and one that I will try and install on my next project.

Hopefully I have motivated you to get your loft space up to spec and bring your carbon footprint down and also a bit more knowledge on different types of insulation.

Thanks for reading.

Toby.

Construction work is hard.

No easier way to say it. Its long hours (you seem to do more hours than most), you are out in all weathers, you are physically and mentally tired at the end of each day and you will find yourself saying “what the hell am I doing this for”. It gets even worst if you run a company.

However every builder/construction worker you speak to will say the same things as above but they are still in the job I would bet. OK some may feel they have to but a lot will choose to.

Its enjoyable work, there’s always good people to work alongside and nothing can beat the satisfaction you have when  a job is completed especially if that job was  particularly challenging. You get to test yourself physically and mentally on a daily basis so if you are a fitness nut this is the industry for you.

It will take time to get use to this type of work but you will soon get into it once you have a bit of conditioning. I still now enjoy the really physical jobs. I feel like I deserve that extra pudding in the evening or beer out in the garden and I still feel like I have achieved more doing a really hard day on site then I do if I have a long hard day in the office.

The money is really good in construction now for all the trades, plumbers and electricians use to be on a lot higher rates but I have found now that bricklayers, plasterers, dry liners and roofers are on equally good money and in some cases even more.

In fact the other day I had an email from a recruitment agency updating me with the trades they have available for that week and on the list of rates, bricklayers were at the top above plumbers and electricians.

Also there are so many opportunities in the construction industry now, with so many roles it is unlimited to where you can go. From labourers/trades on site to project management, finance, sales, surveying, design and so on.

I would always recommend getting on a site for some work experience to get a feel for it, start labouring and by doing this role you will get to see what the trades get up to and see if it’s something you can get on with all the while earning some money doing it.

All in all it’s an amazing industry to be in and it’s not like the old days where once you had done your trade that was it for you, now the possibilities are endless.

Good luck and believe me you won’t regret choosing construction as your career.