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Being the primary material used in wooden flooring installation, the floorboards are the main supply costs. With that in mind, you should also know that there are a large variety of wooden flooring types to select from, each with their unique pros and cons which should all be considered before making a purchase decision. If you’re looking to get the supply cost of wooden flooring in the UK, then you’ve come to the right place! Here is a basic price guide of various and some of the most popular types of floorboards.

If you wish to go for an engineered wood flooring, this looks better when compared to laminate and is more affordable than solid wood. You can expect to pay within the range of £20 to about £100 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

Laminate flooring, on the other hand, is also quite cheap, easy to install and quite hardwearing, however it tends to warp over time as a result of exposure to moisture and it also happens to be the least attractive of all the other flooring types. You can expect to pay within the range of £10 to about £50 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

Solid wood flooring is a great option with a better look and feel to it. However, it also tends to warp over time and more difficult to install as against laminate. You can expect to pay within the range of £20 to about £100 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

Parquet flooring is long lasting and very attractive, but quite expensive to have fitted.  You can expect to pay within the range of £25 to about £200 per square metre for this wood flooring type.

1. Start in one corner of the sub-frame and position the first board across the inner joists. You want the deck board in the opposite direction to the inner joists, ensuring that it’s flush with the frame. Position any end-to-end joins between the deck boards halfway across an inner joist so you can screw both boards into the joist for stability. Make sure you keep a gap of between 5-8mm to allow for expansion of the wood.
2. Begin to screw your deck boards to the joists. You’ll need to secure the deck board to every joist is covers along your deck frame. Use two screws for every joist. Mark where you’re going to add your screws, ensuring that they are at least 15mm from the end of the board and 20mm from the outside edges. Drill pilot holes for the screws, being careful to only drill through the deck board and not the joist. Then screw the decking screws into the holes.
3. Continue to screw in the deck boards, ensuring you leave the correct expansion gap. You can stagger the deck board joins across the deck for more strength.
4. Sand down any cut ends if you need to before applying decking preserver to protect the timber from rotting.

How To Plasterboard A Wall

If you’re looking to plasterboard your wall, one of the essential things to have in mind is that the plasterboard must be hung horizontally and not vertically. Due to the way they’re manufactured, plasterboard sheets normally possess a “grain along the length. This implies that, it’s only when they’re firmly placed perpendicular against the wall that they’re able to achieve their maximum strength. Materials you’ll need to complete this task includes: Tape measure, stanley knife, pencil, spirit level, drill driver or screw gun, surform, drywall screws and handsaw. Now let’s have a look at the wall plasterboarding steps!

• To plasterboard a wall the first step to take is to place each board in such a way to make the edges the centre of the noggins and upright. Also, the the adjoining walls and door openings should fit closely to the edges.

• Work from the door opening to the ending wall. From the the stud’s edge to the noggin’s centre, use your tape measure to measure a cut board and as a rule to mark up.

• Place your spirit level on the marks and use the Stanley knife to run a line along the intended cut. Once done, turn the board on its edge and give a sharp push on the back to split.

• Cut the paper left with the knife after folding the split edge back on itself. This way, you should get a nice and clean edge.

• In its right position, place the board up against the studwork. Install the screws on the board’s edges where a noggin or upright can be seen.

• Mark lines down across the board at the stud’s centre.

• Cut the end boards to length.

• Install the remaining boards as mentioned above. While doing this, make sure the factory edges are together.

• Cut any board extending into an opening and finish the edges using a surform.

We’d recommend you hire the professional services of a plasterer for the best results especially if you lack the necessary training or experience. Plasterboarding a wall can be a tricky challenge and you’d save yourself some time, money and effort by getting it right on the first trial.

Considerations

If you're thinking about making changes around your household that include working with wood, you ought to hire a local carpenter. Looking to fix a loose piece? Or looking for some drastic improvements? A carpentry expert might be the top choice.

General carpenters are expert woodsmen and know a variety of areas from grounds to gear. Maximum carpentry depends on a rudimentary set of skills which your worker may choose to build upon by specialising. For example, few carpenters have a talent for wood repair, building original constructions or manufacturing furniture.

Time

The extent of time it takes to complete a certain project is another consideration to be kept in mind. This is particularly essential if you are on a constricted timeline or dealing with time limitations. Most carpentry projects take about 13 hours to finish. Although, this is purely dependent on the intricacy of the project and the pre-arranged timeline you and your carpenter agree to.

The cost to hire a general carpenter in the UK amounts to £20 to £25 per hour on an average. Though, it is always imperative to speak with a professional in carpentry services about this.

General Carpentry Costs in the UK:

• National Minimum Cost is £20

• National Maximum Cost is £25

• The national average is around £22

Cost Comparison of Popular Carpentry Services in the UK (Average Hourly Rate):

• Furniture Refinishing is around £17

• A Cabinet Repair is around £23

• Finish Carpentry will set you back a minimum of £30

• General Carpentry is around £20

• Fine Woodworking is about £20

Carpentry is a brilliant method to improve your household and to help maintain its visual pleasantness. Finding a decent carpenter at the correct value is a vital area that needs undivided attention in terms of your project. Whether you're reinforcing your staircase or looking for a total renovation of the house that would change its look, a general carpenter will complete your project to the highest standards.

• Paving slabs – old or cheap ones are fine
• Timber for the frame and legs
• Type 1 MOT hardcore

1. Mark out the area as we explain in ‘How to lay decking’. Then, dig to 200mm below where you want to surface of the decking to be.
2. Add a 50mm layer of hardcore and make sure it’s compact.
3. Build the decking sub-frame as we describe in ‘How to build a deck frame’.
4. Lay out paving slabs along the edges and in the centre of the area. This will help to spread the weight of the decking.
5. Set the decking frame on the slabs, checking for high or low points and adding off-cuts of timber where needed. Don’t forget to sand and seal these off-cuts with decking preservative.
6. Add your joists and then the deck boards, leaving the recommended gaps of expansion of between 5-8mm.

Two of the commonly used terms in the UK and Irish construction industry is “First Fix and “Second Fix First fix encompasses all the work required to take a building from foundation to stroking plaster on the interior walls. This comprises of building walls, floors and ceilings, and implanting cables for electrical supply and pipes for water supply.

Some claim that First Fix starts after the shell of the building is complete, and ends when the walls are plastered. Some of the elements in the first fix are as follows.

• Drain runs: must be downhill and straight

• Spare conduits: drawstrings

• Soil pipes

• Copper pipes

• Normal pipes

• Doorbell

• Door frames

• Pocket doorframes

• Stairwell

• MVHR (mechanical heat recovery ventilation runs)

• Push-fit or other plastic piping

• Electrical back boxes

• Electricity cable runs

• Telephone, data and audio-visual cables

• Socket location

• Security

• Fire alarm

• Sound insulation

• Plasterboarding

It is to be kept in mind that the list goes on as there are several things that you can do when you are building a house from scratch and it is impossible to cover each and every aspect in detail.

The second fix includes all the work after the plastering of a complete house. These include linking cables to the electrical fittings, coupling pipes to the baths and sinks and fitting doors into doorframes. Second fix work requires a tidier finish than the first fix.

Carpenters, electricians and plumbers get a proper idea on the division of work. They will also be able to visit the construction site at different times.

Project managers can simply report it as the "first fix complete" or "the second fix 50% done" and others would very easily understand.

Regardless of the fact that a construction company might specialise in a certain form of fix, be it the first or the second, they are obligated to have a rudimentary understanding of both and are required to perform them from time to time.