When you move into a new property or plan to work extensively on an existing one, taking out a wall between adjoining rooms may be one of the DIY projects you have in mind.  Always ensure before you start taking out a wall between rooms that it is safe to do so from a structural point of view.  The building plan to your property, or a qualified architect, should be able to tell you if the wall in question is essential; it may be holding up the roof and it might seriously weaken the building’s structure if it is removed.

One of the major advantages of taking out a wall between rooms is that the result is a larger room which may be brighter as the result of having more windows.  The larger room can be used as a dining or play area, or be used as a larger living or sleeping area.  You should consider, however, that having two rooms has its own benefits, such as increased privacy, being able to use the rooms for different purposes and giving a different feel to your property.

You are also advised to think about the potential value of your property by having one large or two smaller rooms.  Constructing a larger room may increase the value of your property, although it may not be to everyone’s taste.  Taking out a wall can also result in you having more DIY projects, such as installing new flooring or rearranging wall fittings and fixtures.

The weekend was really hot and sunny down here so I decided to do a bit of gardening. The front and back gardens at my house have been somewhat neglected over the past few months (largely because of the weather), but the nice weather persuaded me to do a bit of gardening.

I got the lawn mower out on Saturday afternoon and cut the grass in the front and back gardens and sorted out my pots so I could plant some veg in them. On Sunday we took the grass cuttings to the skip and stopped off at the garden centre to get some compost and seeds. We also got some potatoes and potato grow bags and when we got back I set about planting.

There is nothing better than having a couple of beers and doing some gardening at the same time, especially if it is nice. I have all my vegetables planted up now so in a couple of months I should get a decent crop from them.

I now have a nicely trimmed garden and a sun tan to boot

Many older properties already have coving, as a certain amount of taste and style as well as functionality used to be expected when a house was regarded primarily as a home for life rather than an investment.  This is a sign of the times, but nowadays in modern houses, it is an easy matter to install coving yourself and make your rooms look more cosy and habitable.

Coving makes a room seem complete and endows it with character and warmth but apart from these aesthetic considerations, it is also handy for covering up the cracks and blemishes that often accumulate at the meeting of walls and ceiling.  It saves you having to be too careful about the tidiness of the line between ceiling and wall paint too.

Hold the strip of coving at the ceiling join and make a line along the edges with a pencil, then score cross-hatching all over this margin to create a decent key for the adhesive you are going to apply.

The strips of coving should be cut at a 45-degree angle at their ends to fit them neatly around the corners, external and internal.  Butt-end and apply adhesive to these end sections to create a good join.  Any remaining gaps can be filled with wood filler and sanded when dry.

Use a spatula or scraper to mix the adhesive and apply it to the back of the coving before pressing it into position.  The coving has marks on the back to indicate whether that edge belongs to the wall or the ceiling.

Installing new carpet to a room can improve the look and value of a home.  You can lay carpet and save a lot off the cost of hiring professionals.  Here are some tips on how to lay a carpet.

Preparations

Before you lay your carpet, make sure the floor is dry and clean.  If the carpet you’re laying is rubber backed then it will need to be stuck down using 50mm double sided tape across the room’s edge.  Woven backed carpets should be fastened down with gripper strips, which you should place around 6mm away from the skirting board, angling the teeth towards the wall. 

Underlay

Carpets with a rubber or foam back do not require underlay, but if you do have a need for it then make a point of cutting with a 50mm gap all around the perimeter of the room.  Carpet tape should be used to seal any joins in the underlay. 

Laying the Carpet

Roll your carpet across the room’s length, and get it roughly into position so that you start in the corner of two walls.  Line up the machine cut edge against one wall and fix this with the gripper strips or tape.  You must make sure that the carpet is stretched as flat as possible across the room, ideally using a knee kicker.  Knee kickers can be purchased or hired. 

Lay the carpet out as flat as possible then, working at the opposite wall from which you began, stretch the carpet onto the tape/gripper strip with the kicker. 

Cutting Carpet to Fit

When cutting a carpet to fit any area, take your time and be sure to leave enough excess carpet to fit underneath the skirting.  Remember, it’s better to have too much carpet then to cut it too short and have to piece it together.

As I said last week on my blog, I have now got the Kinect sensor for the Xbox 360 and wanting to get a bit fitter I purchased EA Active 2 at the weekend. Here is my quick review of this latest fitness product.

Setting up:

As with most of EA Sports games there is a bit of setting up to do and before you start exercising you will have to set up a profile. This is relatively straight forward; you type in your name, height and weight, then choose a character and make them look like you. You can also choose your own outfits as well.

Workouts:

Once you have set up your character you can start your fitness regime. I chose to do the 9 week fitness course, which I started last night and this marks on a calendar 4 days a week with various exercises. The workout consists of 28 activities ranging from sprinting and mountain biking to dodge ball and kick ups; there is also a range of warm up and warm down exercises at the beginning and end of the session.

My first session lasted for about 28 minutes and I burned off 179 calories, which is really good, but there are some flaws to the Kinect system. Sometimes the sensor will not recognise you and goes to the identify player screen, but I don’t know whether it was me as I tended to walk away from it to get some water.

I have to say that the workout really got my heart going and I can see a lot of benefits of the EA Active 2 system; it not recognising you is a minor hindrance and can be skipped on with the controller.

I will write another review after I have completed 4 weeks of training to see if I feel any different and give you some tips and tricks.

If you have ever hung wallpaper you will have an idea of the difficulties it can cause.  Not only is measuring, cutting and sticking a lot of work, getting it positioned correctly on the wall matching the pattern can be difficult.  This is where additional do-it-yourself tips can come in handy.

The problem will often lie in the type of wallpaper you have chosen.  If you are hanging with a ready-pasted paper, professionals advise to also use a weaker paste mix along with the paste already on the paper.  Sometimes, the manufacturer will miss paste spots on the back of the paper, causing dry patches that won’t stick.

If you have chosen vinyl wallpaper, make sure to purchase the proper vinyl wallpaper adhesive.  This paper is thicker than conventional wallpaper and the ordinary paste is simply not strong enough.

It is important to read the instructions on the paper you have purchased because some manufacturers require that the wall be pasted and not the paper.  To do this, it is best to purchase a roller to apply the adhesive directly to the wall.

If you are having difficulty with lifting edges and seams, the best solution is to use a wooden roller.  Gentle use of this will ensure a perfectly laid paper.  If air bubbles are bursting to get out from under your freshly hung wallpaper, inserting adhesive into the bubble then gently smoothing out with a roller or brush should do the trick.

While converting a loft space into a state-of-the-art media room or children’s playroom is certainly tempting, some homeowners need to use that bit of extra room for practical storage. If you would like to turn your loft into a functional storage space, the following tips will help you get the job done. 

Accessing the Space 

Most lofts are accessed via a loft hatch, a simple door that pulls down from the ceiling, swings to the side on hinges, or can be slid off and up into the roof. Sizes vary, and older homes may have very small hatches. Installing a loft ladder is an easy, permanent solution for accessing your space. Generally, these ladders are inexpensive and relatively easy to install.

Boarding and Loading 

Loft storage requires a sturdy platform on which to stand or store items and boxes. Most major home improvement stores carry tongue and groove boards specially made for lofts. These platforms are not really appropriate for storing heavy items, as these objects increase stress on ceiling joists and can cause them to sag. They do, however, work very well for holding lighter items like boxes of clothing or old paperwork. 

Organisation 

In order to make the most of your new storage space, you should consider some sort of organisation plan. Purchase transparent plastic storage crates to help protect items from pests and extreme temperatures, and to allow you to locate items quickly. 

Lights 

Don’t forget about lighting your space adequately. Have a certified electrician complete the job, which should not cost much, given its simplicity.

Wallpaper can make or break a room’s look and feel by the way that it is hung. It can be tricky to know what to do if you are inexperienced, but following these simple rules can help you wallpaper like the professionals.

Cutting Wallpaper

Before a piece of wallpaper can be cut, the length required must be measured.  The easiest way to achieve this is to hold the wallpaper against the wall and make a mark where it is to be cut; this task is made much easier if you have someone to help.  A little extra paper should be left at the top and bottom for trimming.  To speed up the process, is possible to cut several strips before you start hanging them, taking care to match up the pattern as the strips are cut.  A beginner may prefer to hang the first strip before matching and cutting the second one.

Hanging Wallpaper

After applying the paste or wetting the back of the paper, if it is pre-pasted, line the strip up and gently push it against the wall, adjusting as necessary.  When the strip is in the correct position, it is important to push the air bubbles out and smooth it against the wall.  The best tool for this is a hanging brush, which has a flat, smooth surface.  The brush should be moved from the top of the paper to the bottom, starting in the centre.  The brush should then be moved in an outward direction from the centre, towards the edges and at right angles, so that any trapped air is pushed out.

I do a lot of reading and lounging about in the spare bedroom and have been looking at getting a chaise lounge. Being an avid gamer I spend a long time trying to get comfortable on the kids bean bags or perched on the side of the bed, so a chaise lounge seems like a great idea.

I have seen a nice one by renowned designer Dan-From on the Areaz website, which is now down to £437 from £478 and comes in three colours, black, white and brown. The Snake Chaise Lounge has a contemporary design and the fully padded leather covering and headrest looks really comfortable.

I’ll make my decision in a couple of days, but in the meantime check out the picture below for the one I want.

I believe we’ve all painted a door at some point in our lives; most of us just slapping a coat of new paint over the old one – with less-than-pleasing results. But, there comes that point where you want something better-looking; something professional looking. To achieve it, the key is in the preparation.

If the existing paint isn’t too thick and is still in decent condition, you can paint over it and still achieve a decent look by keying the old paint using a sander and fine grit paper. Make sure to clean your surface well. Washing with hot water and sugar soap helps remove grease, built-up grime, and even some stains (like nicotine).

If you find you have to strip the door and doorframe, there are two methods from which you can choose: chemical paint stripper or a hot air gun. Chemical stripper is applied using an old paintbrush in dabbing-type strokes. Once the paint reacts to the chemical, it can be easily removed with a scraper. Using a hot air gun has similar results; the paint bubbles and can be scraped away.

Once the surface has been stripped, look for and repair any damage, using fine grit sandpaper to smooth surfaces. Primer will be needed in those areas you sand or if you’re painting new, bare wood.

Applying an undercoat will give you a better finished product and it is important to use the right sized brush for the areas your painting (i.e., if the door has panels).