In the current economic climate we are all looking to save money on unnecessary spends, and home improvement is a great way for us to pinch pennies by doing it ourselves. Sorry professional painters and decorators!
But the jargon that goes with a lot of these simple processes is really confusing. What do you do with an air lock and how would you go about bleeding valves?
Air locks when a bubble of air gets trapped it causes a spluttering at your taps, or a strange absence of water. To sort this, you need to attach a hose between the tap and your mains tap and let the water run for a while.
Balanced flue never heard of one? It's the ducting system that brings fresh air into the home, and lets the gases produced back out.
Soil pipe this is the pipe that takes the waste form the loo into the main drain. Its different from the grey water pipe that keeps the cistern flowing.
Architrave this is the piping around a door or window that holds it in place.
Stopcock this is the knob used to switch off the mains supply of water. It's normally under the sink, but it's a good idea to know where it is in case of a cracked pipe or water leak.
Floor screed - this is a thin layer of cement that Is added over a concrete floor to make it smooth. Its important to have it smooth and flat before adding carpet or wooden flooring otherwise you will get bumps.
Artex a finish used on ceilings. It can be smooth or textured depending on how you would like it to look. It's quite hard to remove so seek a professional if you want to get rid of it, as early artex contained lead which can be poisonous.
PIR sensors stands for passive infra red sensors and they are security lights that are set off by body heat. Some of them are a little sensitive and detect animals, but this is a great movement in home security measures.
If you are carrying out any changes on the home then make sure you have checked with your House Insurance company to see if you are covered.