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Information and Links to useful sites

Hello again. We have searched the internet to find what we think are the some of the most useful websites. We have grouped them together below and listed the headings on the left. If you would like to suggest some additional sites for us to include. please Contact Us

  Legal and Government

Getting Planning permission	Building Regulations	Complaining
Choosing a school/about your local school	Money saving sites	Legal advice

 

Getting Planning Permission

If you want information about applying for planning permission go to www.planningportal.gov.uk or request The Planning Inspectorate's free booklet Planning, a Guide for Householders by phoning 0870 1226 236.

Building Regulations

For a free information pack on what Building Regulations are and how they are applied, go to http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/buildingregulations/

Complaining

Try http://www.complaintexpert.co.uk for a useful site giving advice on the best approach if you have a complaint.

Concerned about your rights as a consumer?http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/

Noisy neighbours? http://www.complaintexpert.co.uk/complaining-about-noisy-neighbour.html

Schools

 If you want information about your local schools go to: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/ChoosingASchool/

index.htm?cids=Google_PPC&cre=Education_Learning_Franchise

Money saving

ITV's Martin Lewis is always worth listening to: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

Legal Advice

For legal advice on a range of issues go to :http://www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk/

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 Trade Bodies

 Select which trade you want to go to see their trade bodies.

 

Plumbers Corgi and Gas Safe	Master Builders	Electricians NICEIC
Windows FENSA	Conservatories	Architects and Structural Engineers

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 Corgi and Gas Safe

Look for the yellow Gas Safe Register triangle not the orange CORGI registration badge.

Anyone carrying out work on gas must be registered with Gas Safe Register. If not, they are breaking the law and putting you and your family at risk.

Only a Gas Safe registered engineer is legally allowed to install gas appliances, boilers, hobs, ovens or fires in your home or workplace.

You must only use a Gas Safe registered engineer for any type of gas work, including installation, maintenance and servicing

Ask your plumber if they are Gas Safe registered

This information has been taken from the Gas Safe website.

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FMB (Federation of Master Builders)

The FMB is primarily designed to provide professional advice and support for its members.

There are different levels of cover which provide consumers with a choice both in length of protection and in cost.

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 FENSA

FENSA stands for the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme. It has been set up by the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) and other industry bodies with Government encouragement in response to the current Building Regulations for England and Wales.

When having windows and doors replaced homeowners must comply with current thermal peformance standards and ensure that they get a certificate of compliance from FENSA or from Local Authority Building Control. FENSA also enables companies that install replacement windows and doors to self certify compliance under these Building Regulations.

Website www.fensa.co.uk

This information has been taken from their website. 

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NHBC

NHBC, the National House-Building Council, is the standard setting body and leading warranty and insurance provider for new and newly converted homes in the UK.

Website www.nhbc.co.uk

There are approximately 20,500 house builders and developers on NHBC's Register (known as registered builders or registered developers), who agree to comply with NHBC Rules and Standards when building new homes.

More than 80% of new homes built in the UK each year are registered with NHBC and have a 10-year warranty and insurance policy called 'Buildmark'. Around 1.7 million homeowners are currently covered by Buildmark policies, and over the past 40 years, NHBC has protected more than 30% of existing homes in the UK.

This information has been taken from their website. 

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NICEIC

Website www.niceic.org.uk

NICEIC is the electrical contracting industry’s independent voluntary body for electrical installation matters throughout the UK.

They offer industry-leading certification services, Building Regulations Schemes, products and support to electrical contractors and many other trades within the construction industry.

It maintains and publishes registers of electrical contractors that have been assessed against Scheme requirements, including the national electrical safety standard BS 7671, the IEE Wiring Regulations.

The registers NICEIC maintains and publishes include the national Roll of Approved Contractors (established in 1956), and the Register of Domestic Installers.

You may wish to ask your electrician  whether he is NICEIC registered.

This information has been taken from their website.

This information has been taken from their website. 

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RIBA Royal Institute of British Architects

The Royal Institute of British Architects is the UK body for architecture and the architectural profession. They provide support for over 40,000 members worldwide in the form of training, technical services, publications and events and set standards for the education of architects, both in the UK and overseas.

They work with governments to improve the design quality of public buildings, new homes and new communities.

Their strategy is to demonstrate the benefits of good architecture, promote and enhance the benefits, facilitate the delivery of good architecture and to provide high quality support services.

For further information on the RIBA  you can access their site at www.architecture.com

Why  use an architect?

• a percentage of the total build cost
• on time expended

• or as a fixed price.

Structural Engineers

These engineers calculate the requirements for the structural strength and integrity of buildings and extensions. For example what size and type of joists might be required to support walls and roofs.

Planning applications and Building Regulation approval will often need to be supported by Engineering calculations, and architects will often use SE's to calculate loads.  It may be worth asking your Architect if an SE is required and how much it will cost. 

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Conservatories

The following information has been summarised from  www.conservatoryinfo.co.uk where fuller descriptions of what is involved can be found.

In general if a domestic conservatory meets certain criteria it is exempt under UK building regulations.

Planning permission may or may not be required, dependent on the property you are planning to put the conservatory on to, and the size and type of consercvatory you are considering.

Use the Search Box to find good local suppliers and installers of Conservatories. 

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Trading Standards

Use this site if you want to report that you are unhappy about the standard of service that you have received, and the retailer, supplier or tradesperson has not provided you with the service that you expected.

They can provide you with advice on how to pursue your claim and a range of other information services.

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/

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How do I?

Please find a list of links to sites that will help you with a range of "How do I" questions. Please let us know if you find any other useful links that you would like to share with our members. 

Deal with damp problems	Lay a patio	Decorate a room
Maintain my house during Summer	Rewire a 3 pin plug	Deal with a burst pipe
Insulate my house	Maintain my house during the Autumn	Get my house ready for sale
Improve the value of my house	Get a cheap flight	Fix my computer

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Deal with damp problems

Try http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects.htm. There is a long list of different types of damp problems, and suggestions on how to deal with them.

The following is adapted from their website

Get to the cause of the problem; deal only with the effect afterwards.

With damp problems most think they have rising damp. This is generally not the case and there are many reasons for damp within a building.

Do not attempt to decorate by sealing these damp spots in the wall…....Moisture must be allowed to evaporate and the cause of the damp must be found. Sealing moisture in will lead to larger, more expensive problems. Damp will sometimes remove the adhesion between plaster and wall, leaving the area “hollow”. It is better to remove and re-plaster this section. Plasterboard will swell and lose its insulative /decorative qualities. This is also better replaced. Mould can be treated by many fungicidal solutions on the market today and fungicidal protective paints are available for areas of high humidity. Kitchen and bathroom paints are generally oil-based eggshell, which will not allow the absorption of water.

To decorate over an area that has been water stained, a coat of oil based paint or stain block will need to be applied first. If not, a stain will bleed through no matter how many coats of emulsion you apply.

Remember buildings must breathe. There is a natural water content in all building materials. If this is sealed in by a waterproof coat on the outside and similar applications on the inside

Check for a damp proof course. If you do not have one at all, think seriously about getting one installed.

If the damp is at floor level, check for evidence of old doorways being bricked up without a dpc inserted. 

Check every bit of masonry for defective mortar joints, or if the walls are rendered, look for cracks. With older stonework, look for cracked and broken stones.

Is your patio too high or running towards the property?

Look for white, salty deposits on the brickwork etc. This is called efflorescence, and is a sure sign that there is an excess of moisture within the structure. When the moisture evaporates from the wall, it leaves behind the salts it has extracted from the masonry and or mortar. How is it getting in?

Check above and around windows/doors for a bad seal, water can get in and trickle through joints to find a weak spot.

Check all ground levels, paths etc close to the house, are they at least 6 inches below the damp proof course? If they are not, dig them back. If this is impossible, try looking at the diy doctor project on  French Drains

Check roof tiles for damage. Water can get in and run down the roofing felt, collect in the bottom of the felt where it meets the external walls and rot through. This will allow water onto the top of the walls; this can then trickle down through masonry joints and come in through a weak spot. Advice on this can be sought from the diydoctor forum.

Check all gutters for leakage, blockages and overflow. A constantly damp wall will suck moisture in.

Check your overflow pipes for the same reason.

Check any abutments to the wall and the joint it creates.

Check for holes made in walls for hanging baskets etc.

Get your drains checked for broken or blocked pipes and manholes.

Check all lead flashings for correct sealing at the point where they are chased into the wall and correct coverage to the surface and joint they are protecting.

Check outside taps for leaks.

Outside flues can sometimes cause condensation on the external wall they rise on, check the masonry in this area. (Make sure the boiler is off for this check).

Once you are absolutely sure the moisture is not getting in from the outside, check all internal pipe and waste connections to washing machines, sinks, basins, dishwashers etc. Check all downstairs (and upstairs) toilet wastes and cistern connections and look for condensation on the cold feed pipes to all taps and valves.  Then if you are sure these are not the cause read the diy Doctor article on condensation.

Try using  damp meters. These can be used to detect damp and to check if the problem is improved after your efforts.

Plastic DPC can be bought in our toolstore and when using cement mortar out of buckets a bucket trowel is invaluable. Small, largely unseen areas of render can be painted with waterproof "Bitumen" paint below, while small cracks can be filled using sealant and an applicator gun. All of these items are available from your local diy store.  

 

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Lay a patio

For detailed instructions, go to  http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/patio.htm

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Decorate a room

The diy doctor is a really useful site with lots of information on how to do jobs yourself. Check out the videos as they are very helpful in seeing experts do the job before you try it.

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http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/diyvideos/decorating.htm

 Wire a Plug

When you buy a plug there is a paper strip over the three pins. Stop right there!!! 

By reading this instruction card you can see that it actually gives some useful information such as the exact length the wire should be cut to enable an easy, safe connection to the plug terminal. The live lead of your flex is coloured brown and goes to the live terminal on the plug (it should be marked live). The connection is made at the end of the fuse in the plug. The live electricity has to pass through the fuse before it gets into the cable leading to your appliance. If anything is wrong, the fuse blows. The neutral wire is on the left of the plug and coloured blue Remember not to "blunder" by putting it on the wrong pin.

 

The earth wire, at the top of the plug, coloured green and yellow,  Most plug terminals have small holes in them into which you place the stripped end of the appropriate wire. Some plug terminals have small, brass, ring clamps which you position the cable under and screw the clamp down to fix the wire. Make sure all connections are tight including the clamp which holds the main body of the flex tight to the plug. If this is allowed to move around it will not be long before it loosens the wires in their terminals and a short circuit could occur.

Finally, some plugs require the lead to be threaded through the top of the plug before screwing down. Worth checking!!

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Insulate my House

There are a number of grants that may be open and available to you

Go to www.government-grants.co.uk–where you will find a variety of grants which may be of interest, eg  free loft and cavity wall insulation grants, gas central heating grants and solar heating grants.

For tips on becoming more energy efficient, go to http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/

Top tips for saving money

Pay by direct debit

Switch to an online tariff

Always do a meter reading - don't estimate

Don't use a prepayment meter

Become energy efficient at home

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Dealing with a burst pipe

Here's what you should do.....

1. Turn off the water supply immediately

Turn off the main stop tap - you should find this under the kitchen sink or where the service pipe enters your home.

• Drain the system - turn on all your cold taps.
• If water has been leaking through for some time and the ceilings are bulging - be careful, rooms may not be safe to enter.
• If you notice the leak quickly you can catch dripping water in buckets. Punch a hole in the ceiling to let water out if it starts to bulge.

2. Turn off water heating systems

• Switch off the central heating, immersion heater and any other water heating systems.
• If the central heating uses solid fuel, let this die out.
• Once water heating has shut down, then turn on the hot taps to help drain the system.

3. Turn off the electrics

If water leaks near your electrics or electrical appliances, switch off the mains immediately. If it is wet, don't touch them!

4. Central Heating leak

If the leak is in your central heating system, then follow all the steps above . Then find the lowest radiator in the house, and find the drain valve. Attach a hose and drain the system to somewhere taht can take the water. A bucket is not going to be enough!

5. Call a professional to repair the damage

Electrical wiring damaged by water can be very dangerous - you will need to call in a professional is this happens.

Finding a reliable plumber to repair the burst or frozen pipe(s).

6. Frozen Pipe

A frozen pipe is also an emergency, because this will  burst causing thawed water to come pouring from the break. The following steps describe what you should do as soon as you discover a frozen pipe:

1. Turn off the water supply

• Turn off the main stop tap. You should find this under the kitchen sink or where the service pipe enters your home.
• Turn off the stopcock in your cold water tank if you have one, it's usually found in the attic or loft.

2. Beat the burst

Protect everything around the pipe that appears to be frozen to avoid damage if it bursts. Get buckets and towels just in case.

3. Thawing out

• Open the tap nearest to the part of the pipe you think is frozen so the water can flow through when it has melted.
• Thaw the ice in the pipe with a hot water bottle or hairdryer (taking care to keep it well away from any water), beginning from the tap end and working back toward the cold water tank. Never use a heat gun or blow torch.

Prevention is better than cure...

If you are planning to do some diy and do some drilling, hammer in nails or put in screws, get  a pipe and cable detector first. They cost £10-£20

Know where your stopcock is! When you open it, open it fully, then turn it back a quarter of a turn. This will help stop it sticking.

Know where the external water  supply to the house is. There should be a valve there as well to enable you to turn off supply.

Be familiar with your water supply arrangements, ie where are the various water tanks, what sort of water heating system you have.

Know where you lowest radiator is and have  a hose ready just in case!

Avoid frozen pipes by:

• Insulate your loft and the sides of your water tanks.
• Insulate all your pipes.
• Open the loft trap door on cold days to let heat in.
• If you're away for awhile, spending winter somewhere warmer perhaps, then ask a friend or relative to check on your home and make sure pipes haven't burst or frozen.
• Re-washer dripping taps because if they freeze they'll block the pipe. This will also it will save up to a litre of water a day and your money if it's a hot tap.
• Make sure you know where your stop tap is and check regularly that you can turn it off easily in an emergency. It's handy to label it so you remember where it is in a panic.
• In very cold weather the heating will need to be on low, or set to come on a couple of times a day, especially if you're going away. Most modern boilers have a frost protection thermostat, which turns on automatically if the temperature drops to a level that will cause your pipes to freeze.

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 Improve  the value of your property

There are a number of do’s and don’ts  that can Increase or Decrease  the value of your property

Don’ts

Here are some common projects that will not necessarily mean an increase in the value of your property and could even reduce its attractiveness:

• New carpets
• New wood floors
• Redecorate in bright bold colours
• Install a Hot tub
• Create Ponds and Lakes
• Carry out extensive Garden landscaping

 Do’s

Here are some common projects that will likely mean an increase in the value of your property and improve its attractiveness:

• Build a Conservatory
• Build an Extensions
• New or revamped kitchen
• New or revamped bathroom
• Increase the light in the home, ie better curtains, blinds or electrical lighting
• Decorate with neutral colours
• Build a Garage
• Create off street parking
• Get rid of all the clutter and excessive unnecessary furniture

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Selling your property

If you are looking to sell your property, you want it to be at its most attractive.

The following tips will help in preparing your house for sale:

Clean house from top to bottom

Make sure everything is neat and tidy

Ensure lawn is cut and flower beds look tended

Clear guttering

Get rid of all clutter and unnecessary furniture

Remove family photos and personal memorabilia

Finish off all those half finished jobs

Consider redecorating outside if your house looks tatty compared to next doors

Decorate the inside in neutral colours

Try to give each room an identity and a function. Don’t show rooms as combined offices, laundry rooms and sitting rooms.

Eliminate nasty odours. You may love your cat, dog and home brewing, but others may not. Keep the windows open to air the property.

Remember you can click here to advertise your property privately on thegoodpeoplegroup.com website, or use our Search box to find a local recommended estate agent.

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Get a cheap holiday or flight

Is it me or does it seem that everyone else can get cheap flights and holidays but I always miss out?

For those of you who don't want to spend 24 hours a day on the internet try these links:

Pot luck Kayak Skyscanner Travelsupermarket Foundem Kelkoo Momondo Mobissimo Openjet	Holidays Expedia Opodo Travelocity Ebookers Lastminute.com Netflights
Flights Flycheapo Ryanair Easyjet	Flights and holidays Avro Thomascook Monarch Mytravel Thomson First Choice

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Fix my PC

1 Check power leads and cables. Are the lights on?

2 Check that wireless is on and the router is powered.

3 Nasty whirring sound? Could be fan, but also likely to be the hard disk telling you that its due to fail soon.

There are lots of PC optimization tools, and registry cleaners out there. These are three that we have used:

http://www.ccleaner.com/help/?v=2.18.878&l=1033 

www.PcDocPro.com

 http://pcpitstop.com/store/optimize2.asp?gclid=CPm08pD-kJsCFVIB4wodukQzpQ

 If you woud like to add your tips please Contact Us

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Property maintenance in the summer

Adapted from DIY Doctor

The emphasis is on painting and decorating in the Summer, but other jobs like replacing guttering, damaged through the bad months or patching render and brickwork joints are best carried out in the warmer, drier conditions the Summer offers.

Guttering

If the guttering needs any replacements or cleaning, this should be done first to stop dirt and debris falling onto other areas you have just decorated, When removing rotten cast iron gutters you will need help since the lengths are heavy and it is not safe just to let it break apart and drop to the ground. Remove down pipes with care and wear eye protection and gloves. When the old gutter is cleaned away, replace, repair and paint any fascia boards and soffits. See our related projects (left) for advice on this. For future maintenance free work in this area take a look at our aluminium guttering project.

Decorating Walls & Woodwork.

Start cleaning walls and windows from the top.

Preparation is the key to good decorating of any kind and it is truly false economy to paint over old surfaces without proper preparation. The paint will peel and crack in no time. A coat of masonry paint will not fill cracked render or cover mould growth. To clean render effectively, a power washer can be used with Fungicidal Wash removing any mould growth.

Make good any cracks or holes in the render and remove any loose material. Walls must be sound before painting. Tap the walls as you go listening for any "hollow" sounds as this means that the render has come unstuck from the masonry and should be replaced.

The major problem with cracked or "blown" render is that water will get in behind it and cause damage and damp problems so be vigilant.

Remove as much debris as possible with a wire brush, then apply Stabilizing Solution to allow a good key for the masonry paint. On already textured walls, Smooth Masonry Paint should be used but if you want to apply a texture, then Textured Masonry Paint can be used. Both usually have a 10 year guarantee if painted onto a properly prepared surface. Do not paint when the sun is hot, the paint dries quickly and the edges will show when you stop.

Decorating timber.

Painted timber should be washed down first to remove dirt.

If the paint is still keying well there is no need to remove it but it should be rubbed down with a fairly fine grade sandpaper to remove a little of the shine.

If the paint is not perfect, it is best to get back to a sound surface and start again. This can be done by using paint stripper or a heat gun.

After sanding down or stripping the surface should be wiped over with white spirit. Make good any defects with  filler and where any rot is present it should be cut away. The remaining wood should be treated with wood preserver and the gaps and holes filled with external wood filler.

If you have had to strip back to the wood you will need to prime the timber surface. The primer should be followed by an undercoat, then a top coat. Screwfix have a full range of paints for these purposes. Use the Microporous paints which allow the surface under the paint to breathe which in turn allows trapped moisture to evaporate saving rot setting in. Varnishing timber after stripping of sanding should be done as soon as possible to protect the timber.

Crumbling Brickwork.

If the Winter's freezing weather has caused the surface of the exposed brickwork to crumble and become unable to resist the ingress of moisture, it is important to seal them. Make good any defective pointing (See Spring checklist and related projects) and seal.

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Property maintenance in the Autumn

 Adapted from DIY Doctor.

All external decorating should be finished and remedial work using sand and cement mortar should be done as frost can affect this sort of work badly if the temepratures are too low when work is being done. On a building site for example, sand and cement work is not allowed to commence unless the teperature is at least 3 degrees and rising.

Preparing for the cold weather should be done now and your boiler, or other heating should be serviced ( By a competent, registered person).

Do not wait for cold weather to find out that something is not working properly. If you have a feed and expansion tank in the loft, make sure its working well by moving the float arm up and down a couple of times to make sure the valve lets in, and shuts off, the water. While you are in the loft, make sure you have at least 270mm of loft insulation and it is laid away from the roof eaves to let in air for loft ventilation. Check pipework in the loft is insulated and all stopcocks (this applys to the whole house) are working. Check all door and window draughtproofing, including the letter-box.

In older houses with solid walls, the appearance of damp in the colder months is common. This is usually caused by condensation . Condensation can be reduced greatly by making sure rooms are well ventilated and extractor fans are installed.

For a long term remedy it is as well to look to warming up the walls by dry lining them.

If the wall is wet as a result of water ingress from outside you should get to the cause first. This may be defective pointing, cracked or split render, broken bricks or simply old bricks which have become porous. See any of our projects on damp walls for more information on how to deal with wet walls.

 

As a final check, make sure there is no soil or other debris build up against any house walls, Remove leaves and other blockages from drains and gullies and clean and repair leaking gutters and downpipes.

Finally to prepare your home for Winter, clean up all patios and paths before they get slippery and make sure all exterior lighting is working.

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