Beautiful Homes


The Camborne / Redruth / Hayle Gazette August 2017


Beautiful Homes


DIY at home this summer VARCURN


house has settled a bit and you might find the odd door sticking. You may be able to plane off a little wood along the top to make it fit snugly, without having to remove the door. If not, send for a carpen- ter.


NOW that summer is here and the weather is comparatively better, the time is ripe for set- ting about getting your home fit for next win- ter. And there’s no ex- cuse for neglect, the temperature is warmer, the days longer, the light better, so what more do you want? Af- ter all your home is probably the biggest in- vestment you will ever make in your life apart from your children, and it’s important to keep it in good shape. A house is, so they say, a ma- chine for living in and how many machines do you know of that will run for ever without proper maintenance?


Necessity estab- lished, what is your next move? A quick survey should be first. Take a pad and pen and, starting inside at the top, work your way through every room and passageway, noting down problem areas as you go. Look for flaking paint, damp patches on walls and ceiling, doors that need draught ex- cluders, windows that rattle, let in draughts, have cracked glass or need replacing, skirt- ings that seem to have


dropped a touch, light fittings far beyond their best, electric points that no longer fit snugly to the wall, creaking floor boards, wobbly door handles, locks that stick, taps that drip and anything else that pre- sents itself. You can probably deal with most of that yourself, draught excluders espe- cially are among the cheapest to buy and easiest to fit of all home improvements. Damp patches and electrical problems will obviously need further investiga- tion and you may have to call in a professional.


Insulation


Pop up into the loft and check the insula- tion is everywhere, thick and snug except under the water tank where it should be non- existent. Check there are no loose tiles you can see, that the roof lining is in one piece, that there is no sign of infestation by insect or rodent. It’s worth re- membering that the thicker the loft insula- tion the more effective the insulation proper- ties, so another layer might be a good idea.


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Don’t overlook the se- curity aspects of your home. Check all locks on doors and windows (you do have window locks, don’t you?) and make sure they are working as they should. If not, get an accredited locksmith in to deal with the problem, your local police station can usually supply a name. While you are at it, why not consider an alarm system or security lights?


Next move outside and begin again. Check that all woodwork is in good repair, note any with flaking paint or signs of rot. Look at the roof for slipped tiles. Examine the gutters for slippage, blockage or leaks. Grass will grow up there better than on the lawn if you allow it to, and birds seem to love building nests in gutters. Make sure the down pipes are con-


nected appropriately to them. Green algae growth on brickwork is a sure sign of water penetration. Flaking bricks may need replac- ing. Look carefully at the damp course and make sure it has not been breached or cov- ered with soil. The drains will need scrutiny too. Make sure they are not blocked with leaves or other rubbish.


All exterior wood- work needs careful at- tention, it is far more exposed than that in- side. Flaking paint will no longer prove protec- tion. Rotten wooden window frames will soon fall way taking the windows with them - perhaps replacement windows are required? Exterior doors need the same attention indeed, unless they are in the best of repair, they will no longer provide the burglar-proof barrier you need, let alone keep out the weather. Front doors are usually fine but back doors often get overlooked and they usually provide the per- fect way in for un- wanted guests. Hanging a door is a fiddly busi- ness for an amateur, try


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if you wish but unless you are really sure you know what you are do- ing, send for a profes- sional.


While you are out- side, check boundary fences, gates and out- houses. A little timely maintenance on all these can save a great deal of money later on.


Advice


Whatever your main- tenance or repair prob- lem, your local DIY store or builders’ mer- chant will be happy to provide the advice, tools and materials you need. Be wary though, there are many jobs that a professional builder can tackle that a DIY fiend will find dif- ficult if not impossible. Some jobs indeed can be downright danger- ous when tackled by an enthusiastic amateur. In the final analysis, as long as you know what your property’s faults are and you get them dealt with, it doesn’t matter a jot who does them as long as they are all done well!


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