Find a Handyman you can trust in Burgess Hill.

There are a bunch of things a handyman can do around the house, so if you’re looking for a reason to hire one, you’d definitely find plenty. First and foremost, a handyman is basically a well versed, skilled and experienced professional who possesses the ability to carry out a plethora of tasks as well as repairs. While not all local authorities require handymen to have a license or carry an insurance policy, some handymen do have insurance. Generally, their rates vary based on their experience as well as specialities.

Handymen are able to handle a multitude of potential jobs in and around the house. These ranges from small tasks, installations, assembly, indoor or outdoor building or repair jobs. They are available to help out with a wide array of odd jobs around the home at a very reasonable price. So, what are some of the jobs a handyman can do in a home? Let’s take a look!

• Odd jobs. This encapsulates any small job you’d want done around the house. It could be a repair, installation or maintenance task.
• Gutter cleaning and repair. The idea of cleaning a gutter may seem hassle free, but there can be a couple of difficulties which includes the use of ladders and the risk of falling. When you hire a handyman to do this task, he does not only clean but also check for any damage or repair needs and much more.
• Painting. If you’re not able to handle some of your painting projects or perhaps you’re just not confident of how its going to turn out, it may be in your best interest to reach out to a skilled handyman.
• General carpentry and home repairs, these includes shelving, cabinets, bookcases, baseboards, framing, doors, countertops, moulding and more.

1. How to build a shed base out of paving slabs
   • Mix sand and cement together to make mortar or use a pre-mixed one
   • Use a trowel to lay mortar for 1 slab at a time on the sub-base and lift a damp-sided slab onto the mortar, using a piece of timber and club hammer to tap the slab into position carefully. Continue to lay the first row of slabs
   • Make equally-sized spacers in all the joints in the slabs to ensure they’re the same size, checking it’s level as you go along
   • Next lay slabs along the two adjacent outer edges, filling in the central area row by row
   • Leave the mortar to set according to the instructions or for at least 48 hours before filling in the joints with mortar or paving grout
2. Building a shed base from concrete
   • Create a wooden frame around your shed base area (also called formwork) to stop the concrete from spreading
   • Mix pre-mixed concrete with water or use 1 part cement to 5 parts ballast
   • Wet the sub-base using a watering can with a rose on the end
   • Pour the concrete onto the framed base starting in one corner
   • Push the blade of a shovel up and down in the edges of the concrete to get rid of air bubbles
   • Use a rake to spread the concrete, leaving it around 18mm higher than the top of the frame. Work in sections of around 1-1.m²
   • Compact the concrete using a straight piece of timber that’s longer than the width of the base. Move the timber along the site, hitting it along at about half of its thickness at a time until the surface is evenly ridged
   • Remove excess concrete and level the surface by sliding the timber back and forwards from the edge that you started. Fill in any depressions and repeat until even
   • Run an edging trowel along the frame to round off exposed edges of the concrete and prevent chipping
   • Cover the concrete with a plastic sheet raised on wooden supports to allow slow drying. Weigh it down with bricks
   • Once the concrete is set, you can install your shed and remove the wooden frame with a crowbar

Pitting, also referred to as spalling is the event whereby “pits” or small holes start showing on the surface of your concrete driveway which makes it appear both worn and uneven. Concrete driveway pitting is a common but highly frustrating problem for most homeowners. You’ll see some concrete driveways that’ll only start to pit after a couple of years, but this is not true for all concrete driveways as others will start to show signs only after a couple of months. So how do you tackle this issue? Well, it’s relatively simple to tackle, however if you’re not confident or lack the necessary skills, we’d recommend you get in touch with a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this guide, we’ll take you through the concrete driveway pitting repair process.

✓ Prepare the pits by cleaning the area, clearing out all debris and more. The small pits can be cleaned with a stiff brush while a sturdy broom will do a good job for larger pits.

✓ Make use of a hose to spray the concrete pits and flush out all remaining bits of waste.

✓ If you’re tackling series of small pits, simply use a caulking gun filled with pre-mixed epoxy and specially formulated for concrete to fill the pits. Clear off the excess eproxy ensuring that its level with the concrete surface. Once done, simply leave for at least 24 hours before the application of a concrete sealant to prevent the wear and tear of the new concrete.

✓ Chisel out a little concrete and clean with a pressure washer. Once done, apply a concrete resurfacing compound mixture into the holes and use a trowel to level off.

✓ Ensure that the repaired concrete driveway is protected from rain and foot traffic for at least 6 hours (or 24 hours for vehicles).

1. Remove fascias and trims Unscrew or prise off the screws and nails fixing the trims and fascias to your shed.
2. Take off doors and remove windows Unscrew hinges from doors and take them off. Remove all metalwork once the door is off. If you’ve got frames on your windows, unscrew these, and remove the panes. Be extra careful if your windows are made of glass.
3. Take off the roof Prise off the tacks from the roofing felt and take the felt off – you can’t reuse it, so you’ll need to throw it away. Unscrew the screws on the roof boards and slide them off the shed’s frame – you might need a friend to help you do this.
4. Take out the roof brace (optional) If your roof has a brace, unscrew the brackets that hold it to the side of the shed. Remember not to lean on anything once you’ve taken the brace off as the walls might be wobbly.
5. Unscrew the frame from the floor Remove all the screws that are holding the shed to the base, remembering not to lean on the walls.
6. Unscrew the frame corners Starting at the corner of the front gable, remove the screws where the panels meet. Once a panel is free, lift it carefully out of the way so you can carry on with the others.

Is there a hole in your asphalt driveway you feel you can repair yourself? If it’s something you know you can confidently do then this step by step guide is just for you. If otherwise, then we’d recommend you hire the services of a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results while also saving you some time and extra money that could result from possible errors. In this article, we’d go over the reparation process of an asphalt driveway with a hole in it.

✓ Get the necessary tools. You’re going to need a broom ( to clean the area), caulking gun ( to fill the hole), a hand tamp a plate compactor or a hammer ( to level the filled in hole) and a weeding glove (just in case there are weeds growing in the hole).

✓ Prepare the area. Do this by weeding the plants or weeds that might have grown inside the hole and identify your asphalt filler.

✓ Wet your soil, if necessary. It’s important to note that this is only necessary if your soil is dry to help the filler stick properly.

✓ Fill in deep holes. If the hole goes down about 3 to 4 inches or more, simply fill it with any material like rocks, clay etc.

✓ Apply the asphalt filler. Fill the hole with the asphalt filler to about half an inch higher than the surface of the driveway.

✓ Level the filler. For a large hole, make use of a plate compactor or a hand stamp, but a hammer will be sufficient for smaller holes.

✓ Cover the hole, if necessary. If your home isn’t level, covering your hole with a piece of plywood is advisable.

✓ Clean off the seal. After the asphalt looks done and in place, simply brush away the debris from the seal to finish off the project.

Yes, it’s a dirty job, but every homeowner out there has got to do it! Your gutter needs to be free of dead leaves, birds’ nest and other debris as well as being through clean in order to perform its functions effectively. It’s just a part of the responsibilities that comes with owning a home. Dry leaves, tree branches and other materials build up in your gutters overtime especially during the dry summer and you won’t notice until the point where your gutters start overflowing during the first main rain of the season.

In the event whereby your dirty and clogged gutter is left unattended to, this can lead to several issues like a leaky gutter and mold, leaky roof and basements,cracked foundation, driveway and yard damage and several more which will definitely make you incur more unnecessary expenses. So the question is, how often should the gutters be cleaned? The answer is, it depends. According to several experts, gutters should be cleaned at least twice a year - which is once in the late spring and once in the late summer or early fall. However, there are a couple of factors that may make you have a rethink.

If you happen to have a pine tree growing above your house, it’ll be wise to consider inspecting your gutters every 3 months. This is because pine trees shed needles year-round and they usually have a lot of these needles to shed. In the situation whereby you’re located at a higher elevation, ice is will most likely be your greatest source of concern. Making sure that your gutters remain clean throughout the winter can be quite a headache, but damage to your roof cause by ice can be an even greater pain. Prevention is always better than cure.

Can You Paint Over A Wallpaper?

According to some painting and decoration experts, painting over a wallpaper can never produce a result that’ll be as good as painting on a blank or naked wall. However in the event whereby there’s a pressing need to quickly beautify a room, it’ll be totally understandable if you don’t want to go through the hassle of the time consuming old wallpaper removal process.

Therefore, the short and simple answer to this question is yes, it’s absolutely possible to paint over a wallpaper and get a good outcome so far you don’t rush the process. To ensure your success if you want to paint over a wallpaper, there’s also the need to use the right tools and techniques. And just like any other DIY project, proper preparation before commencement is key.

If you’re going to paint over a wallpaper, many of the tools you’ll need to acquire are the standard painting and decorating products. This means that they can be easily procured at many DIY stores. To paint over a wallpaper, you’ll need a paint roller, top quality paint brushes, joint compound ( you’ll only need this in situations whereby your wallpaper is damaged or peeling), oil based primer, tape, sandpaper, paint ( can be water, solvent or oil based paints) as well as drop clothes ( for the protection of your furnitures).

As a rule of thumb, if you can easily remove the existing wallpaper, then you probably should before you start to paint the walls. However, if removing the wallpaper seems to be a pain or can significantly damage your wall, then it’ll be smart to simply paint over it. But before you proceed, you must also note that painting over the wallpaper will make it even harder to remove later in the future.

How Much Does It Cost To Have Roof Cleaned?

If your roof is dirty, it’s highly recommended that you have it cleaned by a reliable and professional roof cleaning contractor who specializes in cleaning of all types of roofs rather than making it a DIY project or hiring an odd job man who is a jack of all trades. This is due to fact that major mistakes like incorporating inappropriate cleaning agents, pressure as well as wrong cleaning techniques can have a serious negative impact on your home while also putting in mind the several dangers that comes with working at height. However, when hiring a professional roof cleaning person or company, do make sure that the cleaner is fully insured, possesses the relevant training working at height and has the ability to operate access machinery. In other words, when it comes to roof cleaning where safety is the first priority, it shouldn’t always be about the price of the job but the quality of the service you’re going to receive.

There are several variables that determines the cost of cleaning a roof and these includes both the type of the roof in question as well as the size of the house. Let’s take a look!

✓ For a small semi detached or terraced house with a standard front and rear elevation with no side hips, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £390 and above.

✓ For a semi detached or detached house which is a free standing residential building, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £490 and above.

✓ For a averaged sized detached house which is a stand alone property, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £590 and above.

✓ For a large detached house featuring several additional roofs including a porch, double garage and even an extension, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £790 and above.