Yes, your shed does need a base. This is to give it a solid, level foundation. Open soil will not help with the longevity of the shed itself or the contents within. The best materials to use to make your shed base are concrete, natural stone or wood.
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How much do Carpenter services cost?
Do you have a need for a carpenter in or around your house? If yes, then one of the first things you’d probably want to know is the exact amount it would cost to get the project over the line. Now, carpenters are skilled craftsmen that are able to make things with wood and fabricate all sorts of wood constructions. The price charged by carpenters are determined by a wide range of factors which makes it nearly impossible to provide a short and accurate estimate without having a look at your unique requirements. In this post, we’re going to give you an in-depth insight into general carpentry charges while also considering some of the influencing factors. Let’s take a look!
Some of the most common factors that determines the price charged by a carpenter includes the project type, the size as well as scope of the project, the location of project, ease of access, experience and qualification of the carpenter and lots more. For instance, if the job is a minor one such as building a shed, it’ll cost a lot less than something more complex which requires a bit more experience like constructing a staircase. In general, building a shed will have a labour cost within the range of £150 to about £250, while a staircase construction will require a labour cost in between £1,000 to £1,500. For general carpentry, you can expect to pay within the range of £20 to £30 hourly rate depending on a number of factors which are stated above. It’s also important to state that while some carpenters charge per hour, others by the day and several of their projects will be charged at fixed prices.
The table reveals the kinds of work that Carpenters normally do and also the regular cost range of these jobs. Some tasks take longer to finish than others so costs do differ by task.
View our Carpenter cost guide View our Carpenter adviceThe average price
of a Carpenter is:
£1,408
Carpenter job | Carpenter cost in 2024 |
---|---|
Kitchen Fitting | £940-£3,750 |
Carpenters and joiners | £365-£3,216 |
Plasterboard dry lining | £315-£863 |
Wood flooring | £750-£1,150 |
Wooden decking | £765-£4,718 |
Garden shed | £497-£1,632 |
Wooden window repair | £190-£577 |
Carpenter service qualifications and accreditations
Carpenters qualifications and also certification's: Having the appropriate training and learning exactly how to do your profession is essential for any trade including Carpenters. View the profile of each Carpenter you are looking at to see what accreditation they hold and also what trade associations they belong to. Some trade associations that Carpenters might possibly be a member of include: HomePro, Federation of Master Builders, Guild of Master Craftsmen. Equally Carpenters might also have the following accreditations: BM TRADA, Chartered Institute of Building, City and Guilds.
Unlike electrical or gas work, carpentry is a different profession where no particular certification is legally required for a carpenter to possess. Generally speaking, the only thing you’ll need so as to practice the trade as well as carry out on site work is to demonstrate your competence as a carpenter. To do this, there’s a number of ways you can consider but one which clearly stands out is to complete a portfolio of work and also earn the NVQ Level 2 Carpentry qualification.
In order to obtain your NVQ Level 2 certification, there’s a need for you to actually learn the trade. You can do this through apprenticeship, working alongside an established carpenter and gradually learning the trade from them. However, it should be noted that it’ll take a couple of years to climb up the ladder from an apprentice to a fully-fledged carpenter. Therefore, if you want to start your new carpentry career sooner rather than later, you might want to consider enrolling on an accredited carpentry training course.
Insurance for Carpenters: Any individual who works in your house, including Carpenters, really should have valid public liability insurance, which safeguards you the house owner and also the Carpenter should unfortunately anything go wrong while they are doing the work. Planning permission for Carpenters Most of the tasks that a Carpenter will do for you will not require planning permission unless its a listed property. Definitely discuss with the Carpenter if planning permission would be needed for the job you are doing, they can suggest the steps that require to be taken.
Services offered by Carpenter
Generally, carpenters are skilled craftsmen who are trained to work in construction as well as cabinet making industry. When it comes to making things with wood, they’re able to fabricate all sorts of wood constructions; from minor projects like custom kitchens or ornate details on wood trim to major ones like carrying out the entire framework of buildings. With that in mind, let’s take a more in depth look at what carpenters does.
In general, carpenters carry out a wide array of unique job duties which depends on whether they work in rough carpentry or finished carpentry. What’s more? There are a number of areas in which carpenters can specialize in special types of wood products or engage in specialized carpentry processes.
For rough carpentry, this typically involves carpenters who work on large scale construction projects where they make use of blueprints to determine the amount as well as type of material required for a job. When they work, they may need to build sleds to haul timber via wooded areas and rough terrain where motorized vehicles cannot access. Finished carpentry, on the other hand, involves carpenters who are skilled in making cabinetry, furniture, models as well as instruments. They’re also able to make ornate, detailed as well as fine wood products for a number of different uses. They must be able to work efficiently on a small scale while also being detailed oriented.
There are a variety of tasks you can employ a Carpenter for, as well as some of one of the most typical jobs that Carpenter are asked to do consist of:
Carpenter FAQs
How Much Plasterboard Do I Need?
Although many people especially contractors have a tough time estimating the number of drywall or plasterboard needed to complete a project, it’s a rather simple task if all factors are taken into consideration. If you’re able to follow the same procedures taken by professionals to count dry wall sheets, you’ll be in the right direction. Let’s have a look at the procedures to follow!
lTake Square Footage Measurement
• Measure the square footage of the area where the plasterboard will be fitted.
• Multiply the height by the width of each wall or ceiling area.
• Add all quantities to obtain a total square-foot amount.
lCalculate Drywall Sheets
• To calculate the number of drywall or plasterboard sheet is very simple once you’ve gotten the total square footage.
• To get started, simply divide the total square footage of area by 32 (that’s if you are using a 4 by 8 sheets) or you can also make use of 48 to make the division (only if you’re making use of the 4 by 12 sheets).
• The answer you get after the division will give you the full number of plasterboard sheets that’s required to complete the project.
We’d recommend you include an extra 10 to 15 percent of whatever you calculate to take care of the possible odd cuts and wastages. This implies that if your total area is 1600 square feet while incorporating 4 by 8 sheets, simply divide 1600 by 32 which equals 50 sheets, now take 10% of 50 which equals 5, then add back the 5 extra to the 50 sheets earlier calculated to get 55 sheets. If you wish to estimate the cost, simply multiply the number of sheets gotten by the price per sheet. Do not forget to include delivery charges and local taxes.
Do you have existing floorboards and wish to fit new solid wood floor over it? If you’re planning to go for a DIY effort, there are a number of things you should put into consideration before you even get started. Firstly, you should have it in mind that existing softwood floorboards are usually not flat, implying that the surface of the existing might not be ideal to serve as the foundation on which to put your new solid wood flooring. Secondly, if you’re going to lay the new solid floor on the existing floorboards, it would be wise to select wood that is a minimum of 18mm thick to make your new solid wood flooring a lot more stable.
If you discover that your old floor is not too even, there are two option you can consider to protect your investment. You can lay the new floor at a 90 degree angle over the existing one. In other words, you should lay the new floor lengthways if the old one is laid widthways. Using this technique alongside a method of fitting referred to as secret nailing will go a long way to make sure your installation efforts is a successful one.
The second option you can put into consideration when laying solid wood flooring over old ones is to lay chipboard or plywood over the existing floor prior to the installation of the new floor. Here, there will be an increase in the cost of your installation, however it will be more reliable and durable as it assists in ensuring the stability of your new flooring. Some benefits that comes with this option includes the freedom to lay the new solid wood flooring in any direction you want as well as the freedom to use any fitting method you deem fit. Click here to learn more about wood flooring.
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.
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.
Properly installed wooden decking will not need a lot of maintenance. Most manufacturers recommend regularly brushing leaves and dirt off the deck, and a yearly cleaning and staining procedure. This will keep the wood in the best condition. Fluids and treatments are readily available from all DIY shops and stores.
Installing wooden flooring is a quite simple process, however to get it right the first time, there are very essential preparations that must be made. These includes determining the site is in the best condition before installation, removal of all floor coverings and underlay for a more stable and durable installation and incorporation of the right expansion gap of about 10mm to 12mm which would be maintained around the floor’s perimeter.
Wooden floor fitting can be done on two types of sub-floor - Concrete and Plywood. To install onto concrete, you can follow the guide below:
• Incorporate flexible wood on concrete adhesives.
• With the help of a 3mm toothed trowel, spread above 2 board widths of adhesive along the starting wall sub-floor, beginning at a corner of your room.
• Position the first row of flooring into the area that is glued using the tongue facing opposite the wall.
• Put 10mm spacers against the wall to see to the consistency in expansion gaps.
• Make sure the joints are at a minimum of 150mm apart from the first row when fitting the second row.
• Utilize pre-cut smaller boards if you’re to start a new row with staggered joints.
• Continue with this nailing method and make sure the 10mm expansion gaps are consistent around the floor’s perimeter.
To install onto plywood, you can follow this guide:
• Make use of a porta-nailer.
• Position 10mm spacers against the wall - parallel with the installation direction.
• Fit the first row using the tongue facing opposite the wall and with the help of the porta-nailer or flooring nailer.
• Lay the second row and make sure the short end joints are at a minimum of 150mm apart from that of the first row.
• Utilize pre-cut smaller boards if you’re to start a new row with staggered joints.
• Continue with this nailing method and make sure the 10mm expansion gaps are consistent around the floor’s perimeter.
Click here to learn more about wood flooring.
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