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Fitting a new conservatory increases your living space and improves the value of your home

Many Home Improvement tasks are thought to net the homeowner a return but a recent report by HSBC warns that some jobs are not as profitable as others when it comes to doing up you home.

The only DIY Home Improvement Project to give an increased return on investment this year was the addition of a conservatory to your home. Perhaps this is because we have needed to shelter out of the rain so much in the last couple of years. If you want to find out about how to go about fitting a DIY conservatory then take a look at the project on our main site about UPVC conservatories.

The survey also showed that a loft conversion is still the best way to improve a property’s value. On average a loft conversion will raise the average house price by around £16,000. We also have some advice on loft conversions in DIY Doctors projects section.

So while you may not get the same level of return on your investment it will still significantly increase the value of your home, but perhaps more importantly it will give you more living space, for less money than buying the same size house in the first place.

Not surprisingly the HSBC’s study also revealed a differences between the north and the south – while a new kitchen in London will increase a home’s value by on average  £9,125, the same work would create an increase of £4,300 in north-east England and just £2,333 in Scotland.

Head of Mortgages at HSBC, Peter Dockar, concluded: “Householders should think carefully about the type and extent of any improvement works being contemplated. Those which enhance living environment whilst retaining broad appeal should be favoured over more individually styled alterations.”

So as we said if you want to refurbish your home make sure you do it to suit you and your family primarily, and then you can think about whether it is worthwhile from an investment point of view as a secondary consideration.

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DIY Doctor will be at Sandown Park in Surrey for the Southern Homebuilding and Renovating Show on the 29-30 June, will you come and join us there?

We are offering 15 minute appointments with ‘The Doctor’ to get help on your DIY or Home Improvement questions.

Book your appointment with the Doctor

Mike Edwards will be available from 11am until 1pm and again from 2pm until 3pm on both days of the Show. If you want to sign up for some time in the doctors surgery then send us an email with your preferred time and a brief outline of your query to office@diydoctor.org.uk. Of course you can also take pot luck on the day if you are planning to go along at the end of the month.

The video shows Mike sharing his Tips and Tricks from last years series of Homebuilding and Renovating Show exhibitions, you can see this video and many others which include Product Reviews, How To video guides and a few DIY funnies on our You Tube channel, please have a browse through what we are offering there and let us know if we are missing anything you would like to see.

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First select your doors

Though choosing a wooden door can sometimes be hard enough, one of the many predicaments that people often face is how exactly to install it.

Of course, not everyone has the privilege of being an expert carpenter or joiner, however with a little help you can get your door onto its hinges in no time, with the right advice, and we hope to help you with that here.

If you are about to select doors for your home there is a great door gallery for each area of the home at Oakwood Doors. They also stock locks, hinges and other door furniture.

Upon Delivery

The most important thing to do when you receive your new door is to check the quality; ensure that the components of the door, along with the protective packaging, has not been damaged.

This is important, as the appropriate moisture content must be maintained during the storage of the door in accordance with BS1186 parts 1 and 2 to ensure the quality of timber and joinery workmanship.

If you have to store the door for a short period of time, you should treat it as you would an expensive piece of furniture, if possible. Ensure that the door is stored on a flat surface in a dry, ventilated building.

Installation

Never use rule of thumb to install a door, you should use a range of tools to ensure that the door is fitted squarely, true and plumb and to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Take care to fit enough hinges to an external door, and do not damage the joints when fitting a lock

If you are fitting a door that weighs more than 20 kilograms or a door which would experience large temperature differences on opposing surfaces such as a front or back door, known as an External door, then three hinges should be fitted.

As some people want to install locks on doors, it is important to ensure that the locks do not cut through the joints of the door. Doing so will risk impairing the performance and structure of a rail joint.

For those installing fire resisting doors, it is important to note that these should not be altered on site, such work should only be carried out with the approval of the door manufacturer and a local fire officer.

Finishing

If a door is not finished, upon delivery you should apply the finishing coats as soon as you have checked that all surfaces and edges are in good condition.

External doors, as you can imagine, should have more care taken to ensure that no gaps within the coat have been missed. Only use quality paints or ‘high build’ stain. A low quality stain should not be used on any external door whatsoever, because it will not offer the appropriate protection for the door.

As many craftsmen will tell you, the secret to a smooth finish is a series of sanding stages. If you do wish to sand the door down, work with the grain and work with progressively finer sandpaper.

Three coats of wood stain should be applied to exterior doors alongside two coats of preservative.

If you are installing an internal door, one coat of preservative and three coats of wood stain should prove adequate.

The type of wooden door you select should not change the number of coats of your chosen finishing product that are necessary. Whether it is an Oak wood, pine or beech door, the above guide to the number of coats should be all your door needs.

Maintenance

Paint Varnish onto the door with a good quality brush and use 3-4 coats to give good protection

To ensure that your door is properly cared for, check all parts of it at least twice a year and carry out work as required.

Manufacturers often provide a two to three year warranty on their doors. However, making it last as long as possible is important, and can save you large amounts of money in the long run.

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Mr Myers with the restored window in Clifton Parish Church, York

A heartening tale of a man who takes Do It Yourself to new heights, and quite dizzying heights at that!

This is a great story that we noticed in the York Press this week (click the image above to see the original story – image is the property of The Press).

Tony Myers was concerned about the cost of renovating a window frame in Clifton Parish Church, Yorkshire, where he has been warden for many years, and so he decided to do some repairs himself rather than call in a stonemason. It is impressive enough that Mr Myers had to scale the 70 foot bell tower to do this, but how much more impressive that is when you learn he is 80 years old.

So why did he do this – in true Yorkshire style he was being careful with money!

Mr Myers said: “It could have cost thousands, but I reckon we did it for £15.” adding “I’m not frightened of heights so it was no problem,”

He took his safety seriously though and had assistance form a local experienced mountaineer Paul Brown, who hoisted scaffolding planks up to the belfry as safety barriers. Then the two worked on a narrow ledge wearing safety harnesses.

No doubt the parish is very grateful for their efforts, and the Vicar Clifton Parish Church’s Rev Canon David Casswell acknowledged their efforts had saved the church community a great deal of money. He went on to say:

“Health and safety has become important, but Tony is from a time before health and safety even existed.” He said most 80-year-olds would not even think of taking on such a task, but age does not stop Tony. It’s great to have people like that.” Rev Canon David Casswell

We salute you Mr Myers and lets hope we can all boast that we are doing DIY in our eighties!

If you are planning on working at height but don’t have access to a local friendly mountaineer, why not check out our project on scaffolding, which explains how much scaffolding you need and how to use it.

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Our Video Reviews are The Most Watched on You Tube

It makes sense to us that before buying a piece of equipment you want to do some research on it, and how better to see it in action than to see one of our tradesmen testing it out? That’s why on our You Tube Channel some of our most popular videos are the tool reviews.

DIY Doctor tests tools and reports on their performance to guide you to chose the right tool for the job

You can see the sort of videos we make by heading over to our YouTube channel, where you will find our reviews and also many instructional videos on building processes.

It would be great if you would subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss all our great new videos that are coming soon. Our resident ‘Star’, Mike Edwards, is now moving into directing and he has been having a great time filming all sorts of building and DIY guides to help you with Home Improvement projects.

DIY Doctor Reviews Products as an Industry Expert

Mike Edwards is a regular on stage at various trade shows including the Homebuilding and Renovating Shows and the Ideal Home Show, he also makes appearances on Radio and Television and has become the trusted voice of DIY and Home Improvement through his work with TrustMark to help eliminate Cowboy Builders in the Building industry.

If you have products that you want to have tried and tested then we would also be happy to hear from you with your suggestions, please contact us in the first instance and then we can explain the process to you. We don’t promise to flatter – but we will be honest!

If you have any suggestions for videos please do contact us to let us know what you want to see.

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