Find a Carpenter you can trust in Bridgend.

The cost of just the engineered wood flooringis from £18 to £73 per m2.

• Decking joists
• Coach screws
• Coach bolts
• Combi drill
• Socket set
• A saw suitable for your project and the thickness of the timber
• Pencil
• Decking preservative
• Sandpaper or sander

1. Measure your deck frame and cut to size if necessary.
2. Make 2 pencil marks on each end of the frame’s 2 outer joists to mark where the coach screws will go. They need to align with the centre of the adjoining outer joist. Then, use a flat wood drill bit to drill recesses into each mark. Make them the same depth of the screws that your using’s head and wide enough for a ratchet or socket to tighten them.
3. Using a thinner drill bit, line up the outer joists and drill a pilot hole through the middle of the recess. These pilot holes act as a guide for the screws and stops them from splitting the wood.
4. Fit the coach screws with either a drill driver or socket and ratchet.
5. Repeat the process for the inner joists once you’ve assembled the outer frame.

After making the decision to install a new wooden flooring in your home, the next obvious step is finding the right installer to get the job done. When a wooden floor is fitted and properly maintained by the right professional, it will not only outlive the owner but also survive several generations. As a result, finding the perfect installer for your task should be a top priority to get the best return on investment. Here are a few sources that will put you in the right direction to finding a reliable wood flooring installation company.

• Friends, Relatives & Neighbours

If you have a friend, relative or neighbour that has a wooden floor installed in their homes, you can go for a visit to check out the work done. If you’re pleased with the work done, you can proceed to ask about the work ethics of the installer and get the contact if satisfied.

• Store Contact Lists

You’ll discover a long list of wooden flooring contractors on many stores trading flooring materials. These installers may not be affiliated with the store owners, but many stores see it as their responsibility to point you in the right direction so that the flooring material acquired from them can be put to good use.

• Internet

With the rapid rise of online technology, there’s hardly a service you can’t find on the internet. Websites like HomeAdvisor have been helping people find their desired service providers with relative ease for so long. To get the right installer online, it’s advisable to check reviews as well as testimonials before moving forward. Nowadays, you’re most likely going to find so many positive online reviews as some businesses now go to the extent of dubiously writing good reviews for their companies. As a result, it’s recommended to pay closer attention to the negative reviews and check if it’s something you can cope with before hiring an installer for your wooden flooring.

Click here to learn more about wood flooring.

How To Plasterboard A Brick Wall

Do you want to cover your brick wall with plasterboard? The key to success here is the preparation. You must ensure that brick wall is prepared well enough to receive the plasterboard. To get started, there’s the need to attach wood furring strips to the wall which serves as studs in a wood frame structure. This way, the plasterboard will be prevented from getting in touch with the brick. You can always hang pictures or any other forms of decoration in between the gap between the walls. Let’s have a look!

lAttach Furring Strips

• Get a 2 inch by 4 inch wood stud and apply a bead of construction adhesive.

• Using a masonry bit, drill a pilot hole through the wood stud’s base as well as the brick wall.

• Hit a 3 inch fluted nail through the hole using a sledgehammer

• Using a construction adhesive, bind a horizontal 2 inch by 3 inch stud to the upper edge of the wall.

• Using an adhesive, bind the length of a 2 inch by 3 inch stud on its wide side.

• Use a masonry drill to drill a hole on the wood stud and 1 1/2 inches into the brick wall.

• Hit a 3 inch fluted nail through the pilot hole.

lApply Plasterboard

• Hold a plasterboard sheet against the furring strips.

• Use plasterboard screw to hold the drywall sheets in place.

• Use fibreglass to cover the joints where the two plasterboard sheets meet.

• Use a thin layer of the joint compound on the tape. Once done, screw it using a 6 inch taping knife, then allow to dry overnight.

• Use a sandpaper to smooth the joint compound.

• Use a fresh coat of the joint compound to block the holes and joints. Once done, allow the compound to dry.

• Use a light sandpaper to smooth the final coat.

Plasterboarding a brick wall is a simple task but the preparation part must be done right to protect your investment. Therefore, we’d recommend you hire the services of a skilful professional, who can guarantee the best results especially if you lack enough training and experience to carry out a DIY project.

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.

The flight of steps in your multi-storey household doesn’t have to be purely efficient. With just a little thought given to banister design, the boring flight of stairs can turn into something you would like to show to people and be proud of. Replacement of your banister can even enhance the worth of your property, giving the entry an outstanding presence. But how much will new banisters and spindles cost you?

If you are considering starting with this project, having a help from a professional is always advised.

New banister cost

Banisters are also known as handrails. They are reinforced by balustrades or spindles – a row of pillars that improve the security of the stairway and donate in the direction of the overall look and feel. Banisters and spindles may appear dull due to use over time. A fresh coat of polish might help your staircase get a new facelift.

The cost of new banisters and spindles will fluctuate solely reliant on the material. The price for a new banister starts around £40 for softwood and can reach £120 for a metal one.

Spindle prices are also a contributing factor in determining the cost with prices in the range of £30 to £150 per meter based on the materials used.

How much does a new staircase banister cost?

Hiring a professional is very important when trying to properly install a new banister since they are familiar with the process and work as per safety compliance. Fitting your new banister can be easily taken care by a general builder as well as a carpenter.

Below is a table depicting the average costs of different types of bannisters and spindles:

White oak bannister is around £105 and spindles are around £13.50.

Pine bannister is around £35 and spindles are around £7.

Primed wood bannister costs around £31 and spindles costing around £18.

Metal bannister is around £110 with the spindles being around £6.

Though both solid wood and engineered wood can be installed on a concrete sub-floor, the processes are quite different from each other. Solid wood is produced from a single plank of wood which can be reactive to both temperature and humidity changes which is capable of making the wood expand or contract. Hence, the different approach to solid wood and engineered wood flooring installation on concrete. Here, we’ll discuss how you can lay solid wood on your concrete.

First and foremost, you’d have to determine the method you’ll use to attach the planks to the floor. Is it floating whereby you only have to lay the wood flooring on the concrete after fitting the right underlay? You can also go for the most popular installation method which is gluing your floor with a flexible wood adhesive (to be applied to both the boards and the sub-floor). Or perhaps you’d prefer to use the traditional method of nailing the boards to the concrete (the nails will be covered as you lay the subsequent planks and the groove locks with the tongue).

After making this decision, you’d have to ensure that the sub-floor is well prepared for the installation. This implies checking the wood’s moisture content (mustn’t exceed 7 to 8 percent). Also inspect the floor to ensure its neat, if not, clear out the dirt or debris and make sure the surface is flat to avoid post-installation problems.

In the event whereby you discover a high moisture content, you’d want to acquire a damp proof membrane. This will not only enhance the floor’s stability, but also prevent shrinking or warping of the wood due to changes in humidity or temperature.

It is crucial to note that the preparation of the sub-floor is equally as important as the laying of the planks as this can go a long way to improve the durability and strength of your floor. Click here to learn more about wood flooring.

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.