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Rendering a house comes with a plethora of benefits. Not only is it able to brighten up houses that looks tired especially those with damaged brickwork or having discoloured render, but its also the final step of external wall insulation.

If you own a 3 bed house, you’ll probably want to know just how much it’ll cost to have it rendered. If yes, then you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we aim to look at the cost of rendering a house using the standard 3 bed house as an example. Firstly, it should be stated that there are numerous factors that affects the price of a rendering a house which includes the rendering type, the size of the house, the ease of access, the prep work required, whether or not scaffolding will be needed as well as your location and the quality of the contractor your hire. Out of all these factors, the most significant variables are probably the type of rendering you go for and the size of the house.

There are three types of render and the one you opt for will play a key role in the price of your 3 bed house. In this article, we’re basing our cost estimate for a 3 bed house (3 bed detached) on the size ranging from 110 per square metre to 160 per square metre. Now let’s look at the cost per square metre of each rendering type.

✓ The silicone or acrylic thin coat render is usually the most expensive option of the lot due to the fact that they’re the newest and also the best type of render. This rendering type usually costs within the range of £45 to about £75 per square metre.

✓ The monocouche modern through coloured rendering type are able to offer a decorative and waterproof finish for walls. They usually costs within the range of £35 to about £70 per square metre.

✓ Sand and cement render type is the traditional type which has been applied for several years. This rendering type usually costs within the range of £20 to about £45 per square metre.

In recent times, more and more home and property owners are starting to come to terms with the large returns and little investment in cavity wall insulation provides. For a relatively little amount you can achieve a lot, from an increase in your home’s energy efficiency and reduction in heating bills to a huge boost in your property’s resale value and lots more. This makes you wonder how an ordinary insulation can help you achieve so much, right? Well, you’re definitely not alone! Several other potential investors are also eager to know exactly how the cavity wall insulation works to deliver all these juicy benefits. In this post, we’re going to go provide you with a detailed insight on how cavity wall insulation works. Let’s take a look!

Typically, cavity wall insulation works as acting as a shield which prevents the escape of heat from your home. It features a reflective surface which serves as a barrier to reflect heat from one side of the panel, effectively minimizing the amount of heat conduction that escapes through. This protection of your home from heat penetration comes with a couple of benefits with the obvious one being an incredible thermal efficiency. An insulated home or property is able to maintain a much more balanced temperature throughout the year – staying a lot cooler during the summer months and retain the heat generated during the winter months. However, a less talked about benefit is the fact that when an insulation is done during the construction of a house, the whole development phase can be completed a lot quicker. This is mainly because insulation offers total protection against weather conditions which enables internal trades to continue without the need to wait for brickwork or cladding to be completed.

How To Repair A Pothole In Gravel Driveways

When the integrity of your gravel driveway is impaired not only does it have a negative impact on the curb appeal of your property, but also makes your driveway a danger zone. If your driveway needs to be repaired, you’d simply have to grab the bull by the horn and get it done - the sooner, the better to avoid the problem getting worse and to have your beautiful gravel driveway back as soon as possible.

The major cause of potholes in driveways is usually water, when it gets trapped beneath the surface of the driveway. Therefore, you may also want to enhance the drainage in the area as part of your repair. The repair process is quite simple for confident do-it-yourselfers, but if otherwise, then calling in a reliable professional will save you some time and extra money that can result from possible errors. So how do you repair gravel driveway potholes?

✓ Prepare the area. This involves removing all forms of debris from the pothole. To achieve this, you can rake, shovel or brush the loose stones, soil and other debris from the pothole.

✓ Fill the pot hole. Make use of a coarse gravel to fill up the pothole to a depth of about 3 inches beneath the driveway’s level. Upon the filling, simply tamp down the coarse gravel using a commercial tamper or any available homemade option. Once done, the final 3 inches to the surface of the gravel driveway should then be filled up with gravel which perfectly matches the colour and texture of the remaining driveway.

✓ Compact the patch. To achieve this in an easy and fast way, simply run your car’s wheel up and down over the repaired spot gently a couple of times. This will be enough to compact the patch and seal the pothole.

Do you want to beautify and increase the value of your home? If yes, a refurb and house extension is definitely a great option to consider. Depending on your home extension project, the value that’ll be added to your home’s resale value varies. However, the cost of completing a house extension project can be huge, so you just might want to consider your financing options. Fortunately, there are various options through which your house extension project can be funded with each having its own pros and cons. Your specific circumstances will determine the one that’s going to work best for you, so let’s take a look at some of the best options to help you fund your project.

• Home Remortgaging

The process whereby a mortgage is transferred from one provider to the other is known as remortgaging. This is usually done to generate funds for a project by entering a more lengthy repayment term commitment when switching. If you want to raise your funds in a quick manner, this process works best.

• Savings

This is a good reason to cultivate a good saving habits. If you’ve been able to save up some mega bucks then you’d probably won’t have to borrow money to finance your house extension.

• Unsecured Loans

If you do not buy into the idea of borrowing more against your property, you may just be able to apply for an unsecured loan especially if you have a good credit record. A secured loan makes use of collaterals like a car or house to serve as a cover for the lender, meanwhile an unsecured loan is based mainly on the credit managing history of the borrower.

• Credit Card

There are some great benefits that comes with financing your small or medium scale extension project with your credit card. Not only does it offer some real lifeline if problems arise during the project, but you can also avoid paying excessive interest on the investment by ensuring your deal has a 0% introductory rate.

How To Dot And Dab A Plasterboard

If you want a fast and simple way to achieve a smooth and sturdy wall which is decoration-ready, then dot and dab plasterboard is the way to go! It’s a relative simple process but can also be a bit challenging. Therefore, if you lack the necessary training or experience, hiring a professional would be a great step to protect your investment and guarantee the best results. Here, we’ll provide you with a deep insight into the plasterboard’s dot and dab procedures. Let’s have a look!

• At the thickness of the board with the adhesive, mark the ceiling and floor as well as the wall to indicate the centre of each board.

• Ensure the wall’s height is 15mm more than the plasterboard

• Make a mixture of the adhesive and achieve a thick consistency. Apply a consistent layer of the mixture around the wall’s perimeter, edge of the ceiling and any other openings with the use of a trowel.

• Select dabs that are about 250mm long and 50mm to 75mm wide and apply the adhesive in them. Make use of 3 vertical rows for individual boards. Also ensure to apply, at skirting level, a band of adhesive.

• Position the board’s reverse side against the dabs, and laying against the packers. Then make the board align with the ceiling and floor marks with the help of a straight edge.

• Raise the board till its tight against the ceiling with a board lifter. Once done, use the plasterboard to wedge the board into place before you remove the board lifter.

• Repeat the same process for the remaining parts of the room. Once completed, make sure the adhesive is set before you remove the boards.

Are you thinking about converting your garage into a new space? Be it a new bedroom, gym, library or playroom, one thing you’ll have to consider before getting started is whether or not you’re going to require a planning permission. Unlike extensions that needs additional space, garage conversion is all about changing the existing structure of a space that’s already available to you - your garage. As a result, these projects are mostly covered by a planning policy that’s a bit different.

For a garage conversion, it’s very unlikely that you’ll need a planning permission. As a matter of fact, only 10 percent of garage conversions has been estimated to need a full planning permission, with the others coming under the permitted development rights. The permitted development rights, however, only provides coverage for home improvements that’s internal which implies that so far you’re not trying to enlarge your garage, you’ll not require a planning permission. But if otherwise, you’ll have to submit an application before commencing your project.

If you’re looking to comply with the permitted development rights, then your project must comply with some specific guidelines. These rules include the following:

• The work should be internal. No plans to enlarge or extend the existing garage.

• You should make sure that the materials used in carrying out the garage conversion is the same with the materials used in building the existing house.

• The building should not be extended.

You may, however, require a planning permission if you’re going to change a detached garage into a living space which could be a bedroom, small annexe or a living room.

Some houses excluded from the permitted development rights include flats, listed buildings, some new developments and most homes in a conservation area.

If you’re having issues with the amount of space in your home and need an extra space without affecting your garden, loft conversion comes to mind. Not only is it a great solution to creating more living space within a home, but it’s also one of the most budget-friendly solutions you can count on to expand your space by thinking upwards rather than sideways. So if you’re thinking about converting your loft, one thing that almost immediately comes to mind is whether or not your house is suitable for loft conversion.

To answer the question of whether every house can have a loft conversion is a very simple one. Generally, not every house is suitable for loft conversion. This is due to the fact that each and every loft space - from the stairways below and floors to the rafters and the roof up above, is unique. Therefore, the best way to really figure out whether or not a house’s loft offers the potential for conversion is to get in touch with a loft specialist.

So what can make a house not suitable for a loft conversion? Let’s take a closer look!

✓ A house will not be suitable for a loft conversion if the height of the ceiling happens to be too low and it’ll not be possible to have it raised.

✓ If you do not own own the freehold to the loft space, you won’t be able to convert the loft. Surprisingly, this happens to be a common issue in London.

✓ You will not be able to convert your loft if you reside in a conservation area or in a listed building. But you can identify a design solution that’ll still comply with the conservation rules and keep planners happy.

Cavity wall insulation is basically the process of installing an insulating material between the two layers of brick making up a cavity wall, either as a retrofit measure or at the time of building. Obviously this is not a choice if you have solid wall, but for those who do possess a cavity wall, it represents an opportunity you may not want to let slide as it is a worthwhile and affordable wall insulation option. Clearly, cavity wall insulation will make your home or property feel warmer, but it also does come with a range of other benefits which is why we’d recommend installing it. In this post, we’re going to look at a number of reasons why having a cavity wall insulation done is a good idea.

• It’s one of the cheapest energy saving measures that’s available. Not only is cavity wall insulation really effective, but it can also deliver great saving. In other words, it possesses a bigger payback compared to other options. When compared to other types of insulation, you can’t install cavity walls insulation by yourself, however it’s not so expensive to have it installed. The cost of the insulation will be determined by a number of factors such as your location, the company hired and more.
• It reduces your energy bills. Cavity wall insulation can save you about £100 to £200 on a yearly basis on heating bills. In other words, this is usually able to pay for itself in as little as two years.
• It reduces your carbon carbon footprint. If your home is heated with gas or electricity like several other homes, producing that energy involves burning fossil fuels which is known to be hazardous for the environment. If the heat generated is now allowed to escape through the walls, that means you’d have to use more to keep up your required temperature. Installation of cavity wall insulation in homes will enable a more efficient usage of the energy which will ultimately cut UK’s carbon usage.