There are various things to consider in choosing an internal or external wooden door. Here are our five ‘Fs’ for picking the right type of wooden door. Form (design) Firstly think about the design of door that you want – consider the age of your property and what do
In choosing a carpenter, most people consider ‘will this person do a good job’, but not ‘will this carpenter be fuelling the illegal trade in timber’. The United Nations declared 2011 to be the ‘International Year of Forests’ and presented some eye-
The days of planning your dream house on the back of a serviette are gone – or at least there are lots of software tools that can help you and your carpenter plan a building project. Here’s a selection of our favourite free online DIY Internet tools. Measurement converter
Most of us don’t know a dovetail joint from a bird mouth cut, so working with a carpenter or joiner can sometimes feel like a foreign exchange trip. With that in mind, here are 10 tips from Oliver Gibbs on how to work well with your carpenter. 1. Know what you want Tell your ca
What’s the difference between a carpenter and joiner? You need something constructed from wood and you want the right person for the job. But do you search for ‘carpenters’ or ‘joiners’? Is there any difference between a carpenter and joiner or are they d
If you are are looking for a new kitchen at a fraction of the cost, it is worth considering a kitchen face lift. Take our client’s kitchen pictured below. The work surface is rather dated, the tiles are damaged, and the units have been incorrectly fitted; but otherwise the unit
Straw may sound like an unlikely building material but it is increasingly being used in the construction industry. It is growing in popularity because straw is an excellent insulator that is ecological friendly and cheap. Working with straw Using straw in building requires some specia
DIY can be costly, not least when it goes wrong. A survey by Santander in 2010 found that 14% of people had DIY mishaps costing them £344 each on average to repair. Bad do-it-yourself work can invalidate your home insurance and even cut your house price by 5%, according to Which. At O
As much as we Brits love IKEA, sometimes it won’t do. Take IKEA shelves for example. You may want a unique shelving piece, not a mass produced unit; you might like real oak shelves, not laminate or pine; your shelves may need to fit an irregular space, not a flat wall; your sty
We’re members of the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Trade Register. Consumers often find it difficult to find trustworthy traders. People worry that they may get ripped off by a rogue contractor. That is where the Trade Register can help. Register’s aim The Home Improveme
