Tag: Tables

A quotation is a fixed price for ajob. Before asking a builder to start work, ask for a firm quotation with a breakdown of the costs based on all the points you have discussed; provide a revised specification if necessary. There may be grey areas in the quotation, for example estimated costs for sub-contractors such as plumbers or electricians; you can try to get these firmed up before the job begins or you must be prepared to accept the charges. Make sure that all rubble and debris are to be removed and the site left clean and tidy.
If • Working Contract Set out your requirements and know exactly what a builder intends to supply. This provides the basis of a workable contract between the parties concerned. you require any making good and decoration, make sure that these are included in the costs. You also need to agree in advance how you will pay for the job. A small job can be paid for on or soon after completion. But where ajob is going to last for several weeks or months, and involves the purchase of a large amount of materials, it is reasonable for the builder to ask for interim payments to cover delivered materials and completed work; never pay for anything in advance. You can arrange to hold back 5 to 10 per cent of the costs on completion for a specified amount of time until you are sure that there is no faulty workmanship, but you must agree this with the contractor before the work starts. Finding a contractor Approach several contractors, personally recommended if possible. Ensure they have good references and ask to see examples of their work. ~
Dealing with the unexpected One can never guarantee, especially with a large project, that there will not be any unforeseen problems as the work progresses. If something unexpected has to be dealt with in the course of the work, ask for an estimate before agreeing to do the work. The same applies if you change your mind during the job or you ask for extra work to be done. For large jobs, it is a good idea to ask the builder to provide a schedule list; if an architect is overseeing the job, he or she will draw one up and ask the builder to fill it in. It sets out the stages of work such as building a blockwork wall, installing new wiring, plastering, fitting a sink, ete. As well as his own work, the builder is responsible for the quality of workmanship provided by any specialists he needs to employ.
If you have any concerns over the work supplied by a sub-contractor, discuss these with the builder rather than the person concerned. To avoid confusion, a sub-contractor should be directed by one person only-the person who employed him. If you are hiring individual specialists yourself to help with specific jobs as and when you need them, brief these as carefully and precisely as you would a general builder, and also ask for estimates or quotations for the work. Again, personal recommendation is the best thing to go by and inspecting examples of their work will convince you of their ability.

A compromise could be to do most of the groundwork yourself and hire in specialists, such as plasterers, plumbers or electricians, where necessary. Working much faster than an amateur is able to, skilled professionals can save a lot of time and worry. If you decide that hiring a professional is the answer, whether an architect, general builder or specialist, going about it in a businesslike manner will help ensure you get what you want and avoid potential pitfalls. Left Plans for a kitcben project, shoicing early stages of thinking. Ideas are sketched ill roughly to show suggestions for use of space, [ixtures and [ittings.
Choosing the right professional for the job For large-scale projects, such as major structural alteration or building an extension, it is wise to consult an architect. An architect will discuss your plans with you, be able to make constructive suggestions you had not considered and produce structurally sound designs that also look good. In addition, he or she can submit the necessary planning applications and, if desired, hire the building contractor and supervise the work to ensure it meets the specifications. When hiring a builder yourself it is essential to choose a reliable and reputable person who understands your requirements and can do the job competently within a specified time and according to a budget.
Finding such a builder can be a daunting prospect but thankfully, and in spite of the many horror stories of shoddy work and unexplained absences, there are many reliable ones about. Personal recommendation is a good place to start. If you know someone who has recently engaged a builder, ask to see their work and enquire about how they conducted the job. Failing that, the names of builders can be found in telephone directories and local newspapers. Not all builders do all kinds of work, however, so be prepared for some refusals. Look for contractors who are members of a trade association. Although membership does not necessarily guarantee the work, it usually is dependent on a having a sound reputation as well as bank and insurance references.
A good tradesman is proud of his work and will be pleased to supply you with references for you to follow up where you can inspect examples of his workmanship. Ask more than one contractor for an estimate so that you can compare costs. Estimates will be based on current prices, and may have to change if you do not decide to go ahead with the work straightwaway.
Cost will not be the only criterion in deciding which builder to use. Their attitude and your confidence in their ability to do the job are equally important. Establishing the brief Disagreements between builder and client often arise from a misundertanding as the result of inadequate briefing. The builder may be working to the best of his understanding which, unfortunately, is not what the client had intended. The best way to avoid this problem is to provide the bui Ider with a written specification – a list of the work to be done, the materials to be used and an indication of the required completion date. Many details will need to be revised, but this will give the builder a good idea of your requirements and can form the basis of his estimate for the cost. Before writing a specification, read the relevant chapter in this book to get an idea of the amount and type of work involved.

To make the T-halving joint, saw down to the shoulder line using a series~f cuts and then chisel out tile Waste wood.  T-halving joints Like the corner-halving joint, this type of joint is also used for joining wood of the same thickness, but this time to form cross rails. Again, you need to measure and cut each piece to half its original thickness. • Construction The best way to approach a recess comprising a chimney breast and alcoves is to construct cupboards as identical units. An ideal width for doors is 60cm f24in) – this allows you to cut them from a 1.2m f4ft) sheet of blockboard without wastage for use ready-made doors).
If this width of door is not convenient for the space you have, determine the number and size of doors by measuring the distance from wall to wall and then calculating the number of same- size doors that fit, allowing space for them to open. • Above Wall-mounted shelves are an obvious storage solution when floor space is limited, but even a space too small for a traditional wardrobe can be adapted by using freestanding racking of the type shown here. Materials and equipment • Timber, blockboard, and plywood for fascias, battens, shelves, and doors • Ready-made doors, if preferred • Moulding • Wood saw • Tenon saw • Jig saw • Spirit level • Try square • Marking gauge • Smoothing plane • Power drill and masonry bit • Cramps • Adhesive • Pins, screws, and wallplugs • Hammer and screwdriver • Chisel • Angle brackets • Iron-on veneer • Hinges, handles, and magnetic catches • Paint or varnish and brushes o o Cut to length 7.5 x 2.scm f3 x 1 in) softwood for the fascia framework. Mark out and cut T-halving and corner- halving joints using a tenon saw and chisel. e Use pva woodworking adhesive and cramps to complete and secure the joints. Check with a try square before final tightening.
When the glue has set, trim the joints neatly using a smoothing plane. e Mark out and then cut 15 x 2.scm f6 x 1 in) softwood for the footboard. Screw it to the rear of the bottom frame, 12mm fXin) below the top edge. o Cut 12mm fXin) plywood shelves. Screw 2.5 x 2.scm f1 x 1 in) battens to the wall and check they are level. Screw battens to the side and rear walls and then fix plywood to the battens with panel pins. Punch the pins below the surface. Fix a batten to the rear of the frame on the horizontal e e member. Offer the frame up.
Pin the top shelf to the batten and the lower to the footboard. ” Cut out the top inner fascia board from 15 x 2.scm f6 x 1 in) softwood, using an electric jigsaw or tenon saw. You may have to join two pieces. G Screw angle brackets to the rear of the fascia board and screw it to the ceiling – use the right fixings for your ceiling. Fix the inner fascia board to the rear of the side frames. • Make up the central cupboard frame from 7.5 x 2.scm f3 x 1 in) softwood. Fix it in between the side frames using brackets. Then screw it to the inner fascia. o Screw 2.5 x 2.5cm f1 x 1 in) battens to the chimney breast wall, with inner edges aligning with those of the fascia. f) Cut and fix 18mm f%in) c • blockboard to enclose each cupboard.
Fix side panels using panel pins. C If required, cut the dressing table top from 18mm f%in) blockboard. Fix 2.5 x 2.5cm f1 x 1 in) battens to the sides of the cupboards and rear wall. batten to the front. Screw the top to the battens . • Fix hanging rail brackets to the end wall and the side of the chim- ney breast. Slot the pole into one bracket before fixing the other. f) Cut the doors to size from 1 8mm f%in) blockboard and add a decorative moulding to give a panelled effect – or use ready-mad doors adjusted to fit. If using blockboard, cover all exposed edges with veneer. Screw three 7.5cm f3in) flush hinges to each door, then fix to the frame. Fit doo handles and magnetic catches. Sand down the complete wardrobe ready for painting or varnishing. • • • • • o m m r s s ro n r n q rofessionals H aving decided on a repair or improvement project for the home, the next decision is whether ro do the job yourself or to call in a professional. Complicated or long projects may require expertise or time which the homeowner may not have but that does not mean that the whole job has to be turned over ro a contracror.

Remove excess or flaking paint manually with a wire brush or with a cup or wheel brush attachment on a power drill. Always wear face protection. If repainting, use a metal primer on the cleaned surface first. Once metal has started to corrode the process will continue, and accelerate, unless it is properly treated. Where you find rust, indoors in bathrooms or on leaky radiators, or outdoors on decorative iron- work or guttering, use a wire brush to remove all traces of it. Finish off with wire wool to clear away any fine dust from the surface.

After that, paint over the whole affected area with a rust- neutralizing primer or a decorative rust-resisting enamel paint of the type used for radiators, which does not need a primer coat- and allow it to dry completely before applying the top coat. Rust by using a printer that reacts the rust and between the metal and the moisture-laden air. Different methods and materials used in the construction of walls often depends on the age of the building, when alterations or extensions of anywere made and whether the walls are external or internal.

For the purposes of decorating it is hardly important to know how walls are built for they are usually covered  internally with a layer of plaster or plasterboard, which presents a smooth surface for painting or papering. All types of wallcovering from wallpaper and vinyl to hessian, cork, and ceramic tiles can be fixed with special adhesives, as along as the plaster is firm and sound. But for fixing anything heavier it is important to know what lies beneath the plaster so that you can make the right choice of fixing.

External Walls

The outside walls of a house are usually built with a double thickness of bricks or blocks. Originally, walls would have been solid but, in the 1 920s, cavity walls were first introduced, and these are now stand- ard in houses built since that decade. These double walls improve insulation and reduce the risk of damp.

T Surfaces and primers Unpainted softwood composite boards Ordinary wood primers, all- purpose surface primers, or primer/undercoat Resinous softwood and hardwood Aluminium wood primer Insulation board Stabilizing primer New plastering, plasterboard, rendering, or brickwork All-surface primer under resin-based paints; no primer needed under emulsion Porous or powdery plaster, rendering, or masonry Stabilizing primer Old wallpaper Treat metallic inks with knotting New iron and steel Calcium plumbate primer outdoors; zinc chromate primate indoors Bitumen-coated metal Aluminium spirit-based sealer Galvanized iron and metal Calcium plumbate primer Aluminium Zinc chromate or zinc phosphate primer fnot lead- based primers) Copper and brass No priming necessary Lead Allow to weather before painting; no priming necessary Ceramic tiles All-surface primer or zinc chromate metal primer Plastic, glass fibre All-surface primer