fancyAhouse

Archive for November, 2009

One of the most important thing about having a cat or dog is making sure they have access to come and go as they please. Cats in particular will learn to go toilet outdoors and play in the garden as well as exploring all the surrounding areas. Dogs only need to go outside to go toilet and will not venture out into other peoples garden. So fitting a cat flap or fitting a dog flap is essential for your pets to go toilet.

If you are buying a glass door but require a cat flap fitted in, this can only be done during manufacturing and finding someone to do it afterwards is extremely difficult. It’s not hard to find a glazier – it’s just that after cutting a hole for the cat flap, the area tends to mist around the glass so this isn’t really recommended. Don’t attempt to do it yourself as you might damage the door. So with an average charge of £40-80 to fit a standard cat flap how hard is it to fit a cat flap yourself? The answer is not so hard as you can fit a cat flap yourself because it’s not hard at all.

The easiest way to fit a cat flap?

If you have a uPVC door then you should have no problems at all as they are very simple to fit. Some cat flaps also come with a guide that you stick to the door so you know where to cut and drill. What you will need:

• A pencil
• A drill
• A compass saw
• Masking tape (optional)

If your cat flap has come with a guide, then find your cat and position the cat flap at a reasonable height – remember to allow room for growth as your cat will get taller

Stick the guide with some masking tape and drill four holes; one in each of the four corners. Then with a compass saw cut away in a straight line to remove the inner part of the door where the cat flap will fit into. Then position the cat flap in place and screw it over the hole.

If your cat flap has not come with a guide, then simply measure up and drill four holes in each corner of the square so it’s easy to cut out, then follow the remaining steps above.

If you are fitting a dog flap then the same steps apply, only difference is that the dog flap may be a little larger than a cat flap as most dogs are usually bigger than cats.

You may have to tempt your cat to use the cat flap if they have never used one before. Try placing a few treats on the other side of the door. They should soon get the message and then you will no longer have to use a cat litter tray indoors as they will get used to ‘going’ outside.

After having 6ft fence panels put up in my garden, I found the idea of having to paint all of them very daunting. If you have a garden over 60ft long, it’s quite impractical to paint each fence panel as sometimes a second coat might be needed.

Spray painting a fence panel

Although most paint sprayers advise that you buy their own branded paint this is not obligatory as I have found that own brand paint from the local DIY store will work just as well. When purchasing branded paint to go with the sprayer (for example Cuprinol), l found that for the first few refills you are fine but after having to refill for the third time, that’s when you start to notice the problems.

The bad points to spray painting a fence:

• The filter inside the spray container gets clogged up too quickly so you have to keep cleaning it out
• The battery only lasts 30 minutes, you have to recharge it for two and a half hours afterwards before you can use it again
• Getting the paint to spray out the nozzle and not squirt can take awhile, so you lose precious battery spraying time
• It’s a heavy spray machine that although comes with a shoulder strap can cause some injury if used for long periods of time
• The maker insist you buy their branded paint even though non branded paint does exactly the same job
• The machine makes a hell of a lot of noise, so if you live in a quiet area your neighbours may complain
• The paint tends to drip down the fence panel sometimes leaving a darker finish at the bottom

The good points to spray painting a fence

• It takes less time to spray paint than paint with a brush
• The spray nozzle sprays paint into all the creases and folds of the fence panels

Painting a fence the old fashioned way

Many people are reluctant to paint a fence panel due to stressful and busy lives. If you have a small garden then it won’t take long but if you have a very big garden with fence panels down each side then you can say goodbye to your weekends.

The bad points to painting a fence with a brush

• Painting a fence with a fence brush does take a lot of time
• It takes twice as long as spray painting
• Your hands hurt after a little while
• It’s really boring

The good points to painting a fence panel

• You don’t have to wait for the spray machine battery to charge
• The brush takes only what it needs so you don’t waste or drip paint
• You don’t waste paint

The verdict: In some ways I like spray painting because it’s quick and easy but the finish isn’t so good and you will need to spray on a second coat. Painting a fence panel requires more patience and strength as your hand will cramp up after a while. For the sake of convenience, spray painting is quick and easy but if you want a really good finish then painting with a fence brush is the way to go.

From time to time, we get fed up with the decor we have, so we start afresh. In some cases, this means removing wallpaper – if you haven’t lived in the house long enough, you won’t know what condition the walls are in until after the wallpaper has been stripped off. In some situations when you finally find out the state of your walls, it can delay your decorating schedule and break the bank because of the remedial and restoration work that needs to be done first.

Alternatives to plastering

If you were to call a decorator, they would charge you a lot of money and advise on many things that can be avoided such as plastering every room. In most cases, walls are in good condition with a few weak spots that are crumbling. If you want the walls to survive a long time, the best thing to do is plaster them. If not then by wallpapering it, most imperfections will be covered. Just remember to buy thick wallpaper and not the cheap thin type and preferably with a pattern or embossed. You can also buy lining paper that is used to paper onto the wall before painting – this can also disguise poor wall surfaces if done correctly. Just remember that it is extremely hard to disguise lining paper by painting it due to the seams inbetween the joins.

Filling and light remedial work for walls

If you are selling or want a modern approach to your home, then just sanding and filling in the holes will do a good job. The problem with filler is that it dries very quickly so I’d advise you to buy a small tub or tube and work as quickly as you can. I would throw it away afterwards as if it’s kept too long it will become hard and useless. Here are a few tips for remedial work on walls:

• The best way to fill in minor cracks and dents in the wall is to paint it first as this will make the imperfections very clear to notice
• Fill in dents, cracks and small holes with suitable filler
• Sand and then wipe clean
• Paint again

If the cracks, dents and holes are still visible you may need to apply more filler; be careful not to sand too much as this may cause the wall to have an indent where too much pressure has been applied by the sander.

If for example you have knocked off tiles from the kitchen wall and will have units in their place, you might well just get away with some light plastering yourself. If it’s a small area then it might be a good place to practice – remember to have good ventilation for the plaster to dry otherwise it may crack or stay humid.

By taking the above tips into consideration, you may be able to save yourself a few bob by doing it yourself. Remember there are some things that you can do yourself that won’t be noticeable to others and look professional as well instead of having to hire someone else to do it and charge you afterwards.

The council does try to collect and recycle as much rubbish as possible but sometimes this is not enough and we may need to light a bonfire to get rid of some garden and domestic waste. The most common reason to have a bonfire is to burn down hedge trimmings, pruned trees and waste as sometimes it proves too much for the council to collect. Other times are to burn confidential papers because you don’t have a shredder.

Bonfire law

There is no law on lighting bonfires on your own private property but there are things that your local council will ask you to take into consideration when lighting a bonfire.

• Inform neighbours of your intention to make sure they don’t disapprove
• You can be fined if your bonfire gets out of control or causes an accident or dangerous driving conditions
• Burn dry waste as wet waste will cause more smoke and will take longer to get rid of
• Do not burn hazardous waste such as plastic, rubber or painted materials as these have potentially poisonous fumes

Although there is no law on bonfires and when you can have them, some councils insist that they should be done after 6pm but if you have nice neighbours and warn them beforehand, there is no reason why you can’t have them during the (cloudy miserable) day.

If you have more than a few bonfires a year, you may get a visit from the local council as it will be considered a nuisance and you could be fined up to £5000 and a further £500 if you do not comply. However this will only apply in extreme cases when a person does them all the time.

If you do decide to have a garden bonfire, try to keep it small and have a hose to hand just in case the bonfire gets too big and out of control