Welcome to DIY Doctor's blog

Replacement sash windows by Gowercroft Joinery

Unseen and blessedly unfelt – a revolutionary draft proofing system for sash windows

I will be honest I was not really interested in ‘just another replacement window company’ when I went to Grand Designs Live at Excel in London. I was looking for something new and innovative that would wow our blog readers. Like our Tree Tent article or the write up on LoftZone products in previous posts

However then I met David Brown on the Gowercroft Joinery stand. He was so earnestly enthusiastic about his products, that he prompted me to spend more time talking to him, and by the end of our conversation he had officially proved himself to be The Window Specialist.

Accoya Timber Treatment

We initially started the conversation discussing the merits of Accoya timber. This is a non-toxic method of treating timber to resist weather damage, by treating the wood with ascetic acid to create a durable and stable surface.

Ascetic acid (also known as vinegar) makes the timber harder and more resistant to water. The process is similar to hardening conkers in vinegar. David joked that the treatment process means that his workshop smells of fish and chips. If you ever want to visit them in North Derbyshire he will be pleased to give you the tour, but I am guessing you will feel hungry as you wander around.

How To fit Sash Windows without the drafts

Not only does David’s company sell traditional wooden windows and sliding sash replacement windows, he also has a solution for completely draft proofing your home by fitting a window with his new Sash Sealer system. So if you are thinking of fitting a window but you believe that you can only avoid drafts by getting rid of your existing sash windows for the dreaded UPVc, then think again.

Although David was enthusiastic about his Accoya Timber, what he really wanted to show me was the SashSealer, this is Gowercroft’s answer to draughty sash windows. It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you want the aesthetic features of sash windows then you have to put up with a draught. However if the display model on the stand was anything to go by, Gowercraft may have found the solution. They certainly have the test results to back up their assertions.

Proving the system works

Gowercoft have been granted a patent for the SashSealer and they chose Grand Designs Live to launch it to market, visit their website to find out more about it. David is understandably proud of the product. He explains tests by the British Standards Institute showed performances equivalent to casement windows. He says “our sliding sash windows now exceeds Class 4 Air Permeability standards”.

It is an entirely invisible system and it does not alter the way the mechanism works so it can be used in conservation and heritage areas. It can be installed on all types of sash windows including spiral balanced or weighted sash windows whether double hung, single hung or fixed configurations.

So I left the stand reminding myself that sometimes the most effective building systems are unseen once they have been installed.

Quick Fix Remedies

If your renovation doesn’t run to a replacement sash window and you need to know how to referb a sash, you can learn how to replace a sash cord or how to paint a sash window in the DIY Doctor Projects section or visit our forum for help and advice on all sorts of Do It Yourself and Home Improvement problems such as repairing rotten sash windows

Tweet

Share via email

The Storefloor loft boarding system allows more insulation material to be fitted under loft boards

Get a suspended loft floor and buy more insulation to save on fuel consumption this year

This is the third in our series of reports on this year’s Grand Designs Live. You can read more in the series like what DIY Doctor thought of Tree Tents and our report on clay plaster at the show. While I was at the exhibition I was looking for the unusual, the stylish, and the innovative.

This product by Loftzone comes in the last category, and is unashamedly useful. In fact you could say this system just floored me!

The Storefloor is a system of loft flooring that uses the strength of the existing roof joists to take a flooring ‘bracket’ that you can load with loft boards. The Storefloor system spreads the load of the boards, and whatever is on top of them, while also allowing enough space underneath it to let you add the recommended amount of insulation, with an all-important air gap to ensure the insulating properties of the insulating material are most effective.

Dave Raval from Loftzone explained about the height of the flooring system: “It is sized to allow up to 300mm of insulation . . . plus an air gap above the insulation and below the boards. We asked the Buildings Research Establishment to advise us on the size of this gap, which helps to reduce any possible moisture build-up on the underside of the boards.”

The system is formed of sectional pieces that use the structure of the existing roof joists to builds a structurally sound floating or suspended floor that can be used for storage and occasional access, and can be strengthened if you want to walk on it regularly, or to allow you to store heavier items.

Compressed loft insulation material is only half as effective

What many people don’t realise is that if they squash the minimum recommended fibreglass wool insulation, it becomes less than half as effective as it would be with enough space for it to sit unmolested by loft boards. You know how it is, you need space to store Christmas decorations, old school books and your scuba diving kit, so you place loft boards on top of your insulation so then it is compressed down to the height of the joists and it has no air void between it and the loft boards.

When you consider that fibreglass insulation is one of the best loft insulation materials, in that it gives you the best energy saving returns pound for pound, plus the fact that nearly all of us have items stashed in our loft (whether it is properly boarded out or not), then it makes absolute sense to have this system.

Having effective loft insulation makes economic sense

We are all becoming increasingly aware of the costs of energy bills and the savings to be made by improving insulation in our homes. Energy ratings or EPC’s are now mandatory for any property that is marketed for rent or for sale, and so it is likely that systems like this will be taken up to satisfy the need for increased loft insulation while allowing us the convenience of having our loft boarded for storage.

It wouldn’t surprise us to find this system being fitted into new build properties by companies for whom eco building is of paramount importance.

However even if it isn’t already in the loft of the house you buy it would a such a simple job to retrofit, using simple basic DIY skills. The system is modular so you can even fit it without clearing your loft first. To read more about the Loftzone Storefloor system check out their website – and I know we are raving about it but I can assure you no money changed hands for the making of this post.

If it’s good it’s good…

The StoreFloor, raised platform loft storage system, fits to the ceiling joists to suspend the floor well above the insulation

Tweet

Share via email

TrustMark registers and vets UK building companies and tradesmen

Regular DIY Doctor visitors know we support good building practices by promoting the use of our building contract and quality vetted tradesmen like TrustMark builders

One of the ways we help consumers find reliable building professionals is to recommend you use a registered insured tradesman when you need a builder. Our find a tradesman section features Trustmark registered builders to help you do this. We say this because they are approved and vetted by TrustMark, the only Government endorsed quality mark for the building industry.

Last month TrustMark reached out to more than 3.4 million consumers in BBC radio broadcasts across the country. The idea was to promote their service and to help anyone looking for a builder to find local, reliable, trades people.

Liz Male, Chairman of TrustMark, said: “The radio interviews have been a great way for us to communicate with consumers up and down the country and to raise awareness of TrustMark and our tradesmen. We need to put a stop to the rogue traders who continue to take advantage of unsuspecting and vulnerable people” The radio programs were broadcast on Local BBC stations, all the way from Scotland down to Northumberland, across from Wales to Kent and back to Cornwall.

Find a building firm you trust

If you are planning on employing a builder or building company, you want to be confident that you are using someone you can trust. Trustmark vet and register UK building firms, smaller general builders and if you need a more specialist tradesman, they have those too, such as a plumber, electrician, plasterer, decorator or landscape gardener.

DIY Doctor has been promoting the idea of a reliable system to help consumers find the builder they need for their building job for the last 5 years. This is why we introduced our ‘Desired Outcome’ Building Contract, which you can download from the site, along with guidance notes to help you plan your build step by step (with you builder) so everyone knows where they stand at every step of the process.

Why you should use a building contract

Reliable builders are usually happy to work with a contract, where Cowboy Builders are likely to run a mile if you ask them to discuss and commit to their plans and costs at the beginning of the negotiations.

Mike Edwards, Brand Manager for DIY Doctor comments “The DIY Doctor Desired Outcome Contract has been developed by a team of builders and legal experts in consultation with our customer focus group, to be sure that it protects the interests of both parties in a fair and equitable way.”

See Mike explaining about the Contract and other ways to ensure you get a trusted tradesman for your build in the video below – there are also other explanatory videos and an interview between a builder and customer after using the Desired Outcome building contract on the DIY Doctor YouTube Channel.

Tweet

Share via email

The Tree Tent on display at ground level at Grand Designs Live so that the public can visit the luxurious interior

This is another in our series of Grand Designs features, this one is about Tree Tents with a low environmental impact construction

I was really pleased to see Jason Thawley and his Tree Tent at Grand Designs Live at the Excel Exhibition Centre in London. His innovative Tree Tent ‘balls’ featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces on Channel 4 earlier this year and it was great to get to see them in the flesh.

In case you have not seen the Tree Tent yet, it is a 3 meter spherical frame created from lightweight aluminium and steam-bent green ash. This forms the ball shape which is then covered with a khaki canvas cover to help it blend into the landscape. The structure is then hoisted into the trees and secured with a system of ropes and pulleys. This allows the Tree Tent to move slightly in its environment while being securely fixed.

Luxury tent in the tree canopy

In case you are worried that the tree tent doesn’t sound like a luxury choice, it is fully kitted out with seating and hammock style bed, and can even take a log burner, so there is no need to rough-it while you are at one with nature. So you can have that childhood joy of living in a treehouse or a ‘den’ but have a cosy and comfortable stay.

The team that worked on the design are an interesting mix of engineers, outdoor enthusiasts and aeronautical experts, the design borrows ideas from zeppelins and balloons as well as more modern techniques.

Jason Thawley explained that the aim was to create a structure that would be lightweight and transportable but also sustainable, using natural and recycled materials and having a non-permanent impact on the environment it is placed into. This low environmental impact strategy have earned the product lots of interest already, and we believe the excellent quality of the construction will make it sustainable in terms of sales as well as the environment.

It’s a yes from DIY Doctor

We think they have nailed the concept; it has the right blend of quirky shape and design with serious engineering and materials to inspire confidence in the structure. If you want to try the tent for yourself there is now a Tree Tent you can stay in at The Secret Campsite in the South Downs National Park.

To read more about the Tree Tent and the team that developed it you can visit their website here.

We also wrote about clay plaster at Grand Designs Live.

Tweet

Share via email

Garage doors are available in all different designs, from rollers to sectional and up and over variants. Although they may appear different on the exterior, these overhead doors all work in the same way. Moving across metal tracks on the wall, the doors operate using spring tension to provide the power needed to open and close. Therefore, if you encounter any issues with your garage door not functioning easily or properly, the solution can be simple.

Please be aware that you should not attempt to repair roll-up garage doors that have just one torsion spring. Doing so may result in injury as the tension in the spring can be very strong. If you have a door with this type of spring that needs repairing, professionals from providers such as A.B.I. garage doors Leeds should be contacted.

What you may need:

• Screwdriver
• Rubber mallet
• Marking level
• Wood filler
• Hollow fiber plugs
• Carpenter glue
• Household cleaning products

When inspecting the metal tracks inside the garage, you should work with the garage door firmly closed. If these tracks have grease or dirt on them then this can easily be cleaned using household products. In order to ensure your garage doors operate smoothly you should regularly clean the roller and tracks, and wipe them dry afterwards.

If there is any damage or dents to the tracks then these can be carefully worked out using a flat piece of wood and a rubber mallet. However, if the damage is exceptional then you should contact repair professionals. You should also check the mounting brackets that fix the tracks to the interior of the garage. These can come loose over time, but can be easily fixed by tightening screws and bolts back firmly into the bracket with a screwdriver.

If the issue still continues then your problem may be where the tracks are aligned. On roll-up garage doors vertical sections of the metal track should be exactly upright and horizontal tracks should slant slightly downwards towards the back of the garage. Both tracks should be positioned at the same height on the walls. Check the track levels and, if not properly aligned, loosen the screws that hold the mounting brackets in place. Make sure not to remove them completely. You should then carefully tap the tracks back into position and recheck the tracks to make sure they are correct. You can then tighten the screws firmly into the mounting bracket.

Loose hardware can also affect the performance of your garage doors. Make sure all screws on the plates of swing-up doors are tight. If you have a roll-up door, then you should check the hinges that hold the different sections together. Any loose screws or bolts should be tightened and damaged hinges replaced.

To fix an enlarged screw hole, replace the screw with a new, longer one that is of the same diameter. You will need to use a hollow fiber plug which has been dipped in carpenter’s glue when fixing the new screw. If the surrounding wood is cracked then you should remove the hinge completely and fill the crack with wood filler, moving the hinge onto solid wood if possible. Once the filler has dried, you can replace the hinge. Servicing the hinges will usually fix the door if it is sagging on one side.

Tweet

Share via email