It had thousands of shoppers lining up for days outside Apple stores on its release but many of us who aren’t tech-enthusiasts were left wondering - what’s the big deal about the IPad 2? Is it all hype and no help? Tablet technology experts, PC World, give Problem Solved the lowdown …
There will be a surge in DIY projects this bank holiday weekend, and the main reason behind these projects is that Britons wish to add value to their properties.
Jace Tyrrell, spokesperson for the New West End Company, explained that the current surge in DIY improvements is because consumers want to "invest and hopefully make some money when the property prices come back".
DIY is a popular weekend activity, especially when people are looking to save money or think they can’t find a reliable tradesman. DIY can be great when all goes according to plan, but watch out: DIY disasters can strain the peace between couples.
Many people take on more than they can manage when planning DIY, which leads to big messes that can strain a relationship more than couples anticipate.
The latest trend in home design is neutral colours paired with splashes of bright, bold colours according to David Shepherd, brand manager at Dulux. Speaking at The Gadget Show Live 2010, Shepard said that the addition of some bright accents to bright, neutral colours adds personality.
Home Insurance expert Swinton has shown that safety warnings for DIY’ers are justified. Over Easter weekend, there was a spike in DIY accidents which led to a further increase in home insurance claims, Swinton reports. They say that this rise is down to people trying to fit too much into just a few days.
A 42-year-old Auckland builder died working under his Avondale home on Monday morning. Investigators say they are still trying to piece together what happened.
The dead man had gone under his house to investigate electrical problems, and Labour Department investigators have been called in by police to see if there were any problems with the wiring at the house, and to help determine what led to the man's death.
A BBQ can be a great addition to your garden, and a great way to entertain during the summer months. After all, who doesn’t love a nice steak or burger fresh from the BBQ?
If you're doing a spot of DIY and decide to hire some tools for the job, be careful. A study by Which? showed that many hire companies have faulty tools which could be dangerous to the consumer.
The consumers advocacy company hired 26 tools form various hire firms, which included high street names and large DIY chains. The tools were independently tested for electrical and mechanical defects according to British standards and all companies except HSS failed for one or more reasons.
Doing your own tiling can be a great way to save money when renovating a kitchen or bathroom. But what happens when you get to those tricky corners? We've included a handy video below about how to tile around corners. Scroll below to see other DIY videos and links to other useful resources.
The Homebuilding & Renovating show is Britain's number one self build show and takes place at the NEC Birmingham from 18-21 March 2010. ProblemSolved is offering it's readers complimentary tickets (usually £10) for the event.
A train station in Carlisle has been given an exciting new DIY makeover in preparation for the filming of a new television advert. The station's bridge has received a stripy-coloured makeover, while one of the platforms has been transformed with turquoise paint, purple wallpaper and lampshades hanging from the ceiling.
If you're looking to decorate a room, it can be a tricky job to paint around a radiator. To get that perfect finish, you really need to remove the radiator from the wall. Here's a video about how to remove a radiator if you're decorating. If you need any further advice see the links below the video or search through our hints & tips section for more advice.
Research by B&Q in 2009 found that over 66% of homeowners have unfinished jobs around the house, and the things that stop us doing these jobs are time, cost and know-how. In response to this, B&Q have come up with a number of DIY tips to make 2010 the year that these jobs are completed. Click here to see more hints and tips on ProblemSolved.
I know that it might seem like one of the simplest diy projects, but painting a wall to get a professional looking finish can be harder than you think. So here's a handy video on How to Paint a Wall that includes some great hints and tips from a professional painter and decorator. Scroll below the video to see other diy advice videos.
Installing a dimmer switch shouldn't be a big job. Watch this handy video to find out how to fit a dimmer switch. Remember to take care when fitting a dimmer switch, and if in doubt call in a professional handyman.
Having problems mixing plaster? It can be a really easy procedure, just watch this handy video to get some useful tips. For more articles about how to mix plaster, scroll down to click on the links.
Do you have a damaged screw that you've been trying to remove that just won't budge? If you need a few tips you can watch this handy video about how to remove a damaged screw. If you're still stuck, there are some additional resources that have been included below.
If you need to add some additional security to your doors, you should consider adding a mortice lock. This video contains a step by step guide about how to fit a mortice lock. If you need some more advice, why not get in touch with a locksmith on ProblemSolved from your local area.
Does your radiator have rust on the outside? If it does, then it's very likely that it is far more rusty on the inside! It's advisable to test for this. So watch this video below about how to test if you have rust in your radiator. If you're still having problems with your radiator, why not search for a local plumber on ProblemSolved.
Lets-do-diy.com is a fantastic resource for all you budding diyers out there.
Whether it's a DIY garden project or home DIY, lets-do-diy.com provides free Do-It-Yourself advice to enhance and improve your home with over 180 illustrated DIY projects covering a wide range of work.
There's also a thriving Ask An Expert forum, where you can post your diy related queries. To find out more, visit www.lets-do-diy.com.
Dripping taps waste around 90 litres of water a week. Luckily, it's a simple fix and if you've got one of those old fashioned "Stem" taps, all you need to do is change the washer. Watch this video to see how it's done.
Is your bathroom looking tired and old fashioned? Adding new tiles is easy and can be a cheap way of giving the room a quick facelift. Take a look at these two videos of how to tile your bathroom wall.
Want to know some Tricks of the Trade from professionals in the know? These tips are all related to painting and decorating and have been supplied by Prestige Services.
It is advisable to check you roof regularly for broken tiles or slates. If you find one, it’s a good idea to make a temporary replacement to prevent a leak from happening. This is only a temporary measure however, and a replacement should be found as soon as possible. Below are four simple steps to help you make a temporary repair of a roof tile.
o Ladder with stand-off bracket o Roof ladder o Scissors o Wire brush o Flashing strip primer
1. Knead the putty until it is soft and pliable. Take a small ball (palm sized) and squeeze a continuous band into the rebate, using your thumb to press it in place. Make sure that it is roughly 3mm thick all around the window.
2. Put some gloves on and then sit the new pane in place, gently pushing it into position. Exert pressure around the edge of the glass, not in the middle, and allow the glass to squeeze the putty until you have a 2mm bed of putty behind the glass.
3. Gently tap the glass in place using glazing panel pins at 200mm intervals with a small hammer.
With the cost of DIY soaring, many homeowners would be forgiven for not attempting renovation work. There is hope though, with the European commission declaring its support for the idea of lowering VAT on home renovation work.
The current proposals suggest that the rate should be lowered from the standard 17.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
I know that we’ve been harping on about this for months now, but it really does seem that people are looking to improve rather than move from their homes.
With house prices predicted to fall by up to 35 per cent in the next two years, home improvement is once again high on the list of priorities for the homeowner, as they attempt to sit tight and wait it out.
So what advice is out there for those looking to invest in a spot of renovation on their property?
With rain and more rain forecast for this weekend, now could be the perfect time to get all of those jobs that need doing around the house out of the way.
Tools and Material Screwdriver, matchsticks, wood adhesive, mallet, wood chisel.
1. Firstly check to see if any of the hinge screws are loose. If so tighten them up. 2. If the screws will not tighten, you will need to plug the existing screw holes for reinsertion of the old screws. 3. With a screwdriver, remove the old screws from the hinge which will not tighten and put to one side. 4. Fold the metal hinge part back on to itself to expose the screw holes on the bare wood behind (either the door or doorframe).
A spluttering tap may not be the worst plumbing situation to arise but it is annoying, especially when coupled with clanging pipework and spitting water. Luckily, resolving the issue is just as simply as the problem. With a few basic things you can find in the garden shed and an extra pair of hands to help, free flowing water can be a quick 10 minutes away.
It’s not fun to walk around your house, and be able to hear every moment due to a few central positioned squeaky floorboards. Easy to repair as long as you don’t have carpet (sorry), creaking floorboards generally occur when some of the fixing nails worked them selves loose from the joist below causing the board itself to become loose. To ease the squeak and be able to stealthily move around your home when needed, just follow the simple guide below.
Sometimes in the home you will come across electrical appliances or lights which aren’t working due to an electrical fault, through finding exactly where this fault has occurred can be a bit of a challenge. As with all things there are a number of reasons why a fault can occurring so to shed some light on the problem (mind the pun) follow the below links to try and trace the electrical fault, and then deal with the problem.
1. If the circuits of your home are protected by an RCD (residual current device) within the consumer unit, check to see if it has tripped. If so reset it.
Before trying to reset this circuit, check to see if any of the appliances on the circuit are causing it to trip. Unplug all appliances and check to see if they work on a circuit which still has power.
A fuse protects a circuit from the damage of excessive current overload which can generate overheating within the circuit and lead to the start of a fire. Know as current protection devices, fuses contain a metal wire which melts when there is too much current flow. This separation of the wire breaks the circuit connection, thus protecting the rest of the circuit. The wire in a fuse can either be exposed in the fuse carrier or contained within a cartridge in the fuse carrier as commonly seen in plugs.
A simple battery powered tool, a continuity tester is used to check whether a circuit is continuous.
N. B. You should always use a continuity tester on a DEAD circuit i.e. with the power switched off.
To use a continuity tester, test the questioned circuit through the neutral cable cores (click to read more about cable cores colours) by touching the individual probes of the tester to each core simultaneously.
A socket tester is a handy device for quickly checking the connections of a socket. It has three pins which plug into the socket and three neon lights on the face of the tester. These neon lights light up in different combinations to indicate whether or not there is a fault in the connections of the socket and if so where it is situated.
Need a socket tester? Try these useful DIY supply sites below:
I know this is old news to electricians, but to anyone else planning to do odd DIY electrical jobs in the home, you should be aware of the electrical regulations put in place by the Building Regulations for England & Wales Jan 2005.
In the simplest format, the regulations states there are certain basic electrics you can do in your home, and more often than not, ones you can’t. The latter requires a qualified electrician.
Did you know up to 25% of heat in an un-insulate house is lost through the roof? By laying down insulation in the loft you could save as much as 20% off your energy bills, and it’s really easy to do. So just follow the simple steps below and look forward to a having a cosy warm home for this and many other winter seasons to come.
Preparation:
• Firstly you will need to measure the area of your loft in square metres to calculate how much insulation is required.
It’s not fun to walk around your house and be able to hear every moment due to a few central positioned squeaky floorboards. Easy to repair as long as you don’t have carpet (sorry), creaking floorboards generally occur when some of the fixing nails worked them selves loose from the joist below causing the board itself to become loose. To ease the squeak and be able to stealthily move around your home when needed, just follow the simple guide below and hopefully those late night nags will just slip under the radar from now on.
Something handy for all home owners, here’s a quick summary of what cable colours you can find in your home:
The IEE published Amendments No2. to BS 7671:2001 (the IEE Wiring Regulations) on the 31st March 2004 specifying new cable core colours for all new fixed wiring in electrical installations in the UK. These colours are referred to as ‘harmonised’ colours as they are closely related to the electrical practices performed in mainland Europe.
