Nov 14
An article in The Telegraph has highlighted the charges local councils are hitting householders with for collecting garden rubbish or for taking it to the nearest tip and have labelled it a ‘stealth tax’.
Charges differ across the country but apparently more than a third of councils in England are charging up to £90 per year to collect garden rubbish from residents homes on top of council taxes. Statistics from The Sunday Telegraph show that out of 326 local authorities 111 of them now charge for collecting garden rubbish. This charge is usually around £30 to £50 to use the service but Harlow District Council charge £90 for a fortnightly garden waste collection. There are often additional costs such as the cost of a special wheelie bin or you have to pay ‘per bag’ for single use garden waste bags.
Shockingly, the article also says that some councils are charging between 60p and £1.50 for garden waste bags, but then these are just being collected and dumped into landfill with all the other household rubbish collected.
A spokesman for Local Authority Recycling Advice Committee defended the use of charging for collecting garden waste, saying “A charge can often support the promotion of home composting which remains the preferable means of treating garden and some food wastes.”
DIY Doctor strongly believes it is better to recycle whenever possible, so if you have the outside space, you can save on all these costs by recycling your garden (and kitchen) waste and using a simple compost container.
Our project on building a compost container gives step by step instruction on building a wooden compost bin. Or you can always buy one like the one pictured above.
Once set up, maintenance is low and you get great compost for your garden!! A no-brainer if you ask us!!
Oct 27
We often neglect the ceilings in our homes but putting up coving can really smarten up a room and is obviously a good project for the winter months when we want to be DIYing indoors! It is a relatively simple DIY task but reading up on the method and practising how to cut coving is advised.
There is a great project on the website that gives instruction on measuring and cutting (or mitreing), fitting and fixing your coving and also some advice on different types of coving including a great alternative to plaster coving called Orac Polyurethane coving available from Davuka.
As well as coving there are all types of decorative mouldings available from Davuka GRP Ltd including ceiling roses and domes, architrave, flexible cornices, dado rails, skirting and columns.
Oct 24
The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) have blogged an interesting post highlighting five low tech eco building projects which they think people should be aware of and we think you might be interested too!
CAT have listed Lammas Ecovillages, which are based in West Wales, as the first example. Their aim is provide a model for an eco village in Pembrokeshire which can be replicated across Wales.
The Hockerton Housing Project in Nottinghamshire is the first earth sheltered, self-sufficient eco-housing development in the UK and is another inspiring project.
There has been much publicity about number three on their list – Simon Dale’s woodland house, and quite rightly so. Again it was built in Wales, and is a fantastic example of a low impact home and was built in an amazing 4 months!!
Tinkers Bubble in Somerset is their fourth example and was established in 1994 as an ‘intentional community’. It consists of low impact housing as well as 20 acres of woodland.
Finally is Cae Mabon, which is an eco retreat centre in North Wales. They offer events during the year including working parties, workshops and retreats, but you can also book it for group workshops and retreats etc.
Sep 14
We have recently discovered a great website which has some innovative design ideas for diy projects. This coiled-cord lamp caught our eye as a possible project you could try to produce a unique piece of lighting for your home.
The lamp is made from basic frame with an extension cable wound round it to create a striking table lamp which when lit, is stunning. The cable idea can also be used as a design for a pendant light from the ceiling.
Many thanks to Dornob.com for this great idea!
Aug 10
Summer is a great time to look round your home for the repairs winter has made necessary.
Good pointing stops water ingress
One of the bigger jobs undertaken by a lot of DIY enthusiasts is re-pointing walls and chimney stacks after the cold and wet weather has wreaked it’s vengeance.
DIY Doctor can help with this job, which incidentally offers a great deal of job satisafaction, by pointing (no pun intended) you to our project on pointing and re-pointing brickwork.
You will learn why your pointing falls out, how to mix and reinstate it and the many different ways to repoint a wall.
Jul 15
We have added some more new projects this week – and have already had some great feedback from you.
New garden projects include building sleeper steps and flagstone steps, plus fitting a shed lock and installing an outdoor socket.
Staying with the security theme, we’ve a new project on fitting a safe to store those valuable items found inside the house.
As part of our commitment to bring you, our users, what you are asking for, we have a survey that we would love you to complete. Click through here to be taken to our survey page.
It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes and as a Thank You, every survey completed will be entered into a prize draw to win £150 of Screwfix vouchers!
Jul 07
Following feedback from you, our users, we’ve moved back indoors for our most recent new projects.
The bathroom seemed to be the main focus of your feedback, so we have several new projects in this area.
If you are considering changing your lighting, then our guide to bathroom lighting will give you some hints tips and advice on the regulations around this.
We have also covered various methods of bathroom heating, plus how to replace a damaged tile, changing a toilet seat and fitting a shaver point.
How to hang pictures and heavy mirrors are popular requests, so have a look at our projects on these too.
Do keep letting us know what else you would like to see on DIY Doctor – and what you think of these latest projects!
If you prefer to employ someone to do your home improvements, click through to our Find a Tradesman for free, no obligation quotes from reliable, insured tradesmen in your area.
Jun 16
Here at DIY Doctor HQ, we’ve been busy writing lots of new projects for the website, with a focus on garden-based projects for the summer (hoping that we have some more good weather!).
So if you are needing some advice or inspiration on an outdoor project take a look - they include step by step advice on how to stain a fence and staining your decking, designing your patio, how to build an exterior block screen, cutting a hedge, installing a water butt and building an arbour.
We’ve got advice if you have, or would like to have, a grassy garden with help on how to lay turf and how to repair a damaged lawn, plus things to consider if you are creating a garden path. Hopefully we will be having some more sunny weather soon, so we have a new project on building a barbecue, so you can enjoy cooking and eating in your garden too!
For these plus all our other projects, go to our main projects page and take a look!
Jun 09
DIY Doctor are pleased to welcome Sylglas to the website. As a company, they offer a wide range of easy to use sealing, waterproofing and safety products and applications for the DIYer’s home and garden. They have joined our Lead Flashing project page to show an alternative to lead flashing which is their own Flashing Tape.
The Flashing Tape is very easy to use, you just peel and stick, and it provides a lead like finish which bonds to all common roofing and building surfaces, giving a long lasting seal. It is ideal for sealing and repairing your damaged flashings, including valley gutter repairs and any extension flashings.
Apr 21
Here at DIY Doctor, we like to practise what we preach – and Do It Ourselves! New Sales Manager Karen Arter, who joined us at the beginning of April, has taken on her own DIY challenge for the upcoming Easter bank holiday weekend.
First impressions count, and as the front door to Karen’s house is looking very tired and faded, with several layers of chipped paint, stripping and repainting the door is the task to be undertaken.
Preparation is the key with this type of job, and stripping the door will provide a sound base to work from. Karen has purchased an eco friendly paint stripper as suggested on our stripping paint project, thereby avoiding the need to rub down the door manually and wearing herself out at the first stage!
Here in the office we hope the weather stays good – for Karen to complete her door and for the rest of us to enjoy a relaxing weekend! Let us know what DIY projects you are planning this weekend.
Karen has identified several projects around her house that need attention so keep an eye on the blog as she works her way through the list over the coming months.
Does your door need painting? You can get free no-obligation quotes for all your home improvement projects from reliable and insured tradesmen in your local area. Simply click here and choose your category.
