MATERIALS


end. Some still have their doors closed now, depending on what sector they work in. A significant by-product of that


U fact has been


the Government’s introduction of the furlough scheme, with statistics at the beginning of June stating that one in four Brits had been, at some stage, put on the initiative. For context, that is nearly nine million workers across the country. A common question that has


come off the back of that is how have those people have filled their time away from their jobs? Many have volunteered their time to the NHS. Others have learned a new skill or language. Many have been happy to spend it with their family. A lot, however, have turned to DIY and home improvements. What the furlough scheme has


offered thousands of people across the UK is a chance to get those jobs done that they had previously been putting off for one reason or another. But what we have seen at The Metals Warehouse, the leading UK supplier of custom cut metal, is a heightened creative approach to completing those otherwise mundane projects and saving some money along the way. Here, we reveal the five most innovative ways people have been using our products when it comes to home improvement...


Who knew one sheet could be so handy? We have seen a lot of stainless steel sheets purchased to be utilised as a splashback at the back of the cooker hood, and even drain covers. With the cut to size option on stainless sheets, several customers have bought one sheet and simply glued them to their kitchen walls to act as the splashback or simply fit across drains. There are several websites that sell these splashbacks, but they are often far more expensive because it is sold as a finished product. In reality, though, all they are selling is a polished stainless steel sheet grained to a satin polish. This is the second most simple of the tips we’re going to mention, but as the saying goes, sometimes the most simple things are the most effective.


Safety first when it comes to vehicle cladding It might be awhile before people in the UK are getting on an aeroplane, but just for a moment think about


22 DIY WEEK AUGUST 2020


p until very recently, many businesses had been shut across the UK due to Covid-19 - most for weeks on


METAL MAKING THE MOST


OF


Gary Peters, founder of The Metals Warehouse, looks at five innovative ways metal have been used for home improvements during lockdown


those steps that you climb up and down when boarding and getting off. They are made of aluminium treadplate - an anti-slip sheet that does exactly what it says on the tin. It prevents you from slipping. What we have seen a lot, however,


is customers using these plates to clad the steps on their caravans, trailers, lorries and other types of larger vehicles. Unfortunately, not many people


are going abroad this year and, instead, will be having their holidays in this country. As we know, the weather is pretty notorious here and so many customers have been preparing their vehicles


for the worst outcome during a staycation.


How stainless steel sheets are keeping our burning passion alive at a fractional cost Brits have a burning passion for fire and with the fantastic weather we have had so far this summer, it is


no surprise that fire pits have been proving popular. But why go and spend a great deal buying one when you can make your own with some makeshift materials? It couldn’t be easier. With a couple


of stainless steel sheets and box sections cut to size, customers have been making their very own firepits. It’s a known fact that stainless steel can withstand heat and the finished product can look pretty nice as well.


Bringing the garden to life with a simple, but effective, water feature


Stainless steel tubes have been popular for customers looking to make their own home water features and all it takes are three pieces cut to size. However, you will need three other items to bring this to life: • A water pump, which can be purchased for as little as £12 online • An end cap


• A pot or barrel to sit everything in Water pumps are incredibly cheap to get hold of online. Once purchased,


though, by


threading it through these connected tubes and putting an end cap at the very top, you have a water feature in its most basic form. Water features, typically, cost over £100, but there has been a high rise in the number of customers wanting to try and create their own by simply putting together three different


sizes of stainless steel


tubes at the fraction of the cost. By sitting that in a pot or barrel, which again can be picked up from anywhere, and layering it over some nice stones and water plants, you have created yourself a garden water feature.


For anyone that knows their way around DIY and pulling parts together, it’s an easy task and the end result is quite impressive from what we have seen.


www.diyweek.net


simply


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