Next time you buy someone a gift, why not kill two birds with one stone by buying your loved ones a gift they will enjoy that can also be used to improve your home’s appearance?

Those who enjoy DIY will appreciate DIY gifts because their present will last longer than their birthday, anniversary or Christmas Day and will give them something to look forward to. There are so many DIY projects that can be done around your home, from the big to the small, and they all help in the maintenance and appearance of your home. These projects can also be very simple with all the DIY kits available today, but there is no lack of more complicated DIY projects for those looking for a challenge! This wide choice and range of DIY projects make DIY gifts suitable for people of all ages.

DIY gifts to decorate the house

The arty, crafty and creative may love getting a DIY gift to decorate their home. Here are a few ideas of what to buy for a DIY gift:

Some pretty material that can be used to make curtains in various rooms around the house, as well as all the necessary instructions and tools that are needed to make them. Choosing this kind of gift can be tricky, so you might want to find out exactly what kind of tastes the gift receiver has and maybe even drop some hints to find out what they would like to see in their home.

Paint, paint brushes and all the other necessary equipment for the gift receiver to give their home a fresh, new coat of paint wherever it is needed. Again, try to find out what colours, patterns etc. they like.

Seeds or colourful pot plants for house plants. Even better, buy plain pot plants that can be decorated and throw in some paint and other decorative items.

Equipment to make hanging accessories for the kitchen, bathroom or elsewhere in the home. For example, bathroom racks for toothbrushes and toothpaste or kitchen racks for spices or utensils.

Plain boxes that can be decoupaged or painted and used for items around the home, e.g. coffee and tea containers.

Something for the kids – plain curtain material or tiles around the house that can be painted on. This way, your kids can feel proud to be a part of your home’s interior decorating and your memories of them will be a part of the home for a long time.

If you’re a bit nervous to leave your decorating scheme in the hands of your children, you could give them something a little smaller to work on, such as plain fridge magnets.

DIY gifts to fix up and improve the home

If you know someone who loves getting their hands dirty around the house and is constantly finding something that they think needs fixing, then help them to cheerfully improve and fix up their home with a DIY gift, such as:

New taps that can be installed in the kitchen or bathroom, such as a pull out kitchen tap, a kitchen mixer tap or a bathroom basin mixer tap. Other options include shower heads and bath taps.

Supply them with all the necessary instructions and equipment to make built-in cupboards. You can even do the measurements yourself and get the right sizes yourself.

Use those colourful tiles your kids proudly made and lay them down yourself on your kitchen floor, shower floor or elsewhere around your home.

Equipment to sand down and shine wooden surface of chairs and tables and perhaps paint for a fresh, new look.

Give them whatever they need to make their very own kitchen island and even provide them with various add-ons to improve the beauty and functionality of the island.

Equipment to make a cabinet for their television or stereo, or shelves for a CD and DVD rack or wine bottle rack (and throw in a bottle of wine to get them started!)

DIY gifts for the chefs of the house

If your loved one enjoys spending time in the kitchen, then give them something that will help make their cooking and baking experiences more enjoyable.

For example, a splashback they can install, a rack that can be hung up and used to hold their recipe book open or cutlery and crockery that they can decorate themselves with beads or paint etc.

DIY gifts are useful for a number of reasons – they last longer than a birthday or Christmas Day, they occupy a person’s time for longer, they can have sentimental value and they maintain and improve homes. Finally, they are suitable for anyone of any age who enjoys a bit of DIY, so if you’re struggling to think of the perfect gift for your mother, wife, sister, father, husband or brother, a DIY gift could be your answer.

No bathroom design is complete without the right accessories. Although bathroom accessories are usually the smaller items in a bathroom, they are still important. They provide the bathroom with functionality, make it more user-friendly and give it its finishing touch. When bathroom accessories work together, they can bring all the decor together, making its general appearance more attractive.

There are many kinds of bathroom accessories which means that no matter what type of bathroom you have, whether it’s traditional or contemporary, there will be something not only suitable for your bathroom, but beautiful too.

Toilet accessories

These include toilet paper holders, toilet seats, toilet seat warmers, toilet brush holders etc. These accessories, like most bathroom accessories, come in many different sizes, shapes and styles.

Take the toilet paper holder for example. You can get one with an old fashioned roller design, or an open hook design for quick and easy changes of paper, two point support rollerless designs, recessed models, mounted models, freestanding models etc.

Shower accessories

There are all kinds of shower heads and shower valves to choose from. Like all other bathroom accessories, homeowners can choose from the more traditional to more modern and innovative accessories.

Towel accessories

There are various ways you can hang up your towel in your bathroom. You can install bars, rings, hooks, stands or shelves. Once again, the variety of designs are endless. Towel bars, for example, can be single or double. You can also get heated towel rails, which makes your bathroom even more functional in chilly winter seasons.

An accessory that provides a place to put your towel is an integral part of your bathroom but they can also be beautiful. This kind of accessory can also be used to store other items. Your bathroom robe, for example, can be hung up on a hook or folded up onto a shelf. Glass shelves can make your bathroom look more elegant.

Cabinets

Even your cabinets can have their own accessories, such as drawer pulls. All the small details count! Drawer pulls can complement your cabinets and make a decorative statement in your bathroom.

Lighting and mirrors

Don’t forget about using lighting and mirrors to make your bathroom more attractive. Both of these can make rooms appear bigger than they really are. Lights can come in various shapes and forms as well as number. You can have one main light, or rather many different lights all over your bathroom, including in your shower and on mirrors.

The little, yet important, accessories

Then there are the other, smaller accessories that are just as important as the rest. These include a soap dish or soap dispenser, baskets and other holders for various objects such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, a hair dryer holder, pot plants or other items that serve to beautify your bathroom etc.

When all the equipment and accessories in your bathroom match or suit one particular theme or look, your bathroom can be transformed into a completely different room. What’s great about bathroom accessories is that they suit many budgets, so you don’t have to pay a lot of money to easily improve your bathroom’s overall look, but if you want a space that is truly luxurious, the list of stylish accessories that you can add to your bathroom is endless!

Chrome taps have been around for nearly 100 years and are very popular in today’s modern world for a number of reasons. The popularity of chrome has spread to other uses, such as appliance handles like those found in refrigerators, lighting fixtures, expensive toys etc.

One of the hardest metals in the world, chrome is not useful as a solid, pure substance. Instead, a thin layer or plating of chrome is applied to other solid objects which are usually made of steel, aluminium, brass, copper, plastic or stainless steel. Chrome plating is number one in the metal plating industry.

Chrome bathroom and kitchen taps have become popular because they are, depending on their quality, scratch resistant, corrosion resistant, easy to clean and maintain and less difficult to assemble.

Not only is chrome the most durable finish, but it is also an excellent design choice. Their glossy nature makes the bathroom or kitchen appear cleaner and adds a sense of class to the atmosphere, yet at the same time, chrome taps are a simple and common choice. Chrome plating can create several different styles and designs.

Chrome taps can fit in with any design. They can blend in with earthy browns or amber tones, create layers of colour in dark blue or black colour schemes and they can simply add brightness to a room and give it a shiny, modern look. The simple touch of chrome taps can instantly make a kitchen or bathroom look more attractive.

The best way to clean chrome taps is to simply use soap. One needs to be aware that applying chemicals or abrasive materials might do more harm than good as these chemicals may expunge the chrome plating.

Forgetting about your worries while soaking in a bathtub is something many people love to do, especially on a cold winter’s day. It’s the getting out part that can be tough though. Making the adjustment from hot bath to cold air can be very uncomfortable. Something else many people love to do is to feel the warmth of a dry towel fresh out the dryer against their skin. What do these two things have to do with each other? A heated towel rail can be of use in both situations.

Heated towel rails can make the process of getting out of the bath or shower a much more pleasant experience. Those thinking of renovating their bathroom, might like the idea of having a heated towel rail in their bathroom as it is a simple change, yet one that makes a big difference and offers great luxury and comfort.

Wrapping your body with a dry, warm towel can make you feel loved and cared for instantly. It is an innovative and convenient invention that has replaced the need for radiators in the bathroom.

Heated towel rails are also cost effective. Central heating bills can be a real pain during those chilly winters and may not be enough to keep your bathroom warm. Heated bathroom features, however, like heated toilet seats and heated towel rails, can make a big difference at a more affordable price, while at the same time improving your bathroom’s overall look.

There are two types of heated towel rails – electric and radiator towel rails. They are both convenient and can be controlled to conserve energy and heat through the use of timers.

If you’re installing a radiator towel rail, you can turn it into a DIY job as long as you’re careful with the plumbing connections. Before starting any DIY, remember to protect the floors and hard surfaces. Try to find a towel rail the same size as your radiator as this will make the job a lot easier. If this is not the case, you may have to add or reduce your pipework. First, you need to drain down your central heating system. To do this, you will have to shut off the boiler, switch off the fuel supply and leave to cool down for a few hours. When the water in the heating system is cold, you can cut off the water supply at the expansion tank. You then fit one end of a garden hose over the drain cock and the other end over an external drain gully.

You then decide on the position of your towel rail. They are usually hung on the wall with the supply pipes coming through the wall to meet the valve. If the pipework is in the floor or feeding your old radiator, you can extend it up the wall to meet the valves or shape it using bends and elbows above floor level to meet the valves. Alternatively, you can take up a section of the floor to move the pipework into a position so it looks neater.

Once you know where you want to fit the rail, mark this exact position as well as the position of the valves. It is easier to use compression fittings if you decide to chase the pipes into the wall, and you need to sleeve them in bigger pipes before filling the chase so there is no contact between mortar, plastic and pipes. Remember to put tape or a stop end over the end of the pipe so nothing gets in until you are ready to connect up. Don’t forget to check the heated towel rail’s fitting instructions so that the rail is firmly in position. Make the required connections and then re-set your central heating system.

Electric towel radiators look the same as radiator towel rails but they are filled with various fluids that are heated via an electric thermostatic heating element that is user friendly and efficient, accurately controlling the temperature of the rail. This job requires a professional however.

Try adding a heated towel rail to your bathroom and enjoy experiencing luxury, convenience, and warmth while not fearing your next electric bill.

Before giving your bathroom a complete makeover, consider if perhaps it simply needs a few new touches, such as a fresh coat of paint or new taps. Maybe your bathroom furniture needs to be replaced. If this is the case, ensure that you buy items of the same size and shape so they will fit correctly.

If you want to completely re-design your bathroom, there are certain things you will have to consider beforehand. First and foremost, think about whether you want one room with your shower and/or bath, toilet and sink or if you want two rooms; one with only a toilet or a toilet and sink and the other with shower and/or bath.

Depending on how many people use the bathroom, who these people are and how often they use it, what you will need in your bathroom can differ from home to home. For example, if your bathroom is quite small and you don’t often have time to relax in a bathtub, it might be unnecessary to have one.

Space is an important factor of course. Determine how much space you have and for a better idea of what furniture to get and where it can go, produce a scale version floor plan. Make the best use of space but remember that you will need enough room to move around the furniture, e.g. stepping out of the bath, opening up cabinets and doors, windows etc. If you have a small bathroom, there are certain tricks you can employ to make it appear bigger than it really is, such as using the correct lighting and mirrors. You can also use fitted furniture. Corner sinks, showers and bath can save space.

Don’t forget to include plumbing in your plan. You will want to box in pipes to make the bathroom appear tidier. You will also need lighting, ventilation and you may need heating. Space for storage is not essential but should be considered if you store medicine, children’s toys, toiletries or anything else in the bathroom. You can create storage space in cabinets or pedestals or on shelves. Also think about any accessories you may want, like a toothbrush holder, soap dish and mirrors.

Consider who will be using the bathroom and if they have any needs you should consider, for example, adaptions for the disabled or locks on the medicine cabinet for young children.

When it comes to flooring, tiling is the common choice. Tiling makes for a neat environment and allows for easy cleaning. There is a wide range of tiles that differ in size and design. Remember to tile on clean, dry plaster and not papered surfaces. You can also use splashbacks against the bath, sink and shower and this can be made from different materials, such as glass, stainless steel, laminate, granite, mirror and more.

Think about your bathroom furniture and what type of material you want. Do you want plastic? Acrylic? Cast iron? Wood?

There are many different sizes and styles of sinks. Once you know what type of sink you want, think about how you want it placed in your bathroom. Do you want to mount your sink on a pedestal unit or have it hung on the wall? Mounting the sink on a cabinet gives the bathroom a finished look while a classic pedestal style sink saves space. Your sink can be mounted on the top or underneath or it can be a flush mount sink, which is most common. A traditional style of mounting the sink is placing a bowl on a pedestal or stand.

When deciding whether or not to include a bathtub in your bathroom, remember that many people require a bathtub in their home and not having one could affect your home’s selling value.

If you have a small bathroom but want both a shower and a bath, you can put your shower in your bathtub by installing a showerhead above your bathtub and having a shower curtain or door. A shower bath can be located in the corner or in other positions in your bathroom and can have various designs and shapes.

Separate showers come in various shapes, such as the common rectangle or square, oval and more. The shower door can swing out or pivot or it can be a sliding door, which is a good option if you need extra space to move around the bathroom, especially if there is often more than one person in the bathroom at a time.

Quadrant enclosures are corner shower enclosures with a quarter circular curved front. These save space and fits into smaller gaps while maximising shower space.

You can turn your entire bathroom into a giant shower if you like. Wet rooms are showering areas that open into the rest of the bathroom and create a spacious environment in any space. You can create some division between the shower and the rest of the bathroom. For example, you can secure a glass division on the floor. Wet rooms require more complex plumbing and a sloped floor with a drain to route water.

Your shower can be a walk-in enclosure which will appear larger and look modern and elegant. This is also helpful for the disabled. There are various types of walk-in showers, such as the tiled cubicle which usually has three walls with a curtained opening or door making up the fourth wall and a double spa-shower, with a separate shower head and water temperature controls for two people.

For those bathrooms that have lots of space to play around with, you can include seating in your shower area and install additional shower heads with different functions. Don’t forget about shelves or storage areas for your soap, shampoo and other products that you usually use in your shower. You can even add built-in radio or TV made for the bathroom.

Think about the material you want for your shower, such as stone, tile, marble or glass. A glass shower allows you to look out of your shower, reflects light and is easy to clean.

Bathtubs are wonderful to include in your bathroom as they are a great place to relax, especially during cold winters. Corner bathtubs are very common, especially in small bathrooms. They are usually rectangular in shape, but you can have different shapes as well, such as a triangular.

Also suitable for small bathrooms is a recessed or alcove bathtub, where only the front needs to be finished. These are space efficient and affordable. Recessed tubs can be molded from steel but these are noisy and likely to chip. A better but more expensive and heavier material is cast iron.

For bigger bathrooms, drop-in bathtubs are attractive additions. These are “dropped” into place, either into a platform, between walls or into the floor. They can be floor mounted sunken tubs, although these can be a bit difficult to get out of. They can be deck mounted bathtubs, which have the faucets mounted on the deck and have a deeper water level. Or they can be pedestal mounted tubs. Drop-in bathtubs can be square, rectangular or oval, among other shapes. They are easy to clean.

A freestanding bathtub stands alone and on four legs. They are more expensive and suit bigger bathrooms but they are very attractive.

Finally, when it’s time to purchase your items, get various quotes that include products, installation and any extras you may have. When your furniture starts arriving, make sure that nothing is damaged before you remove old fittings.

1- unscrew the ‘H/C’ disc on top of the tap. This will expose a screw (some discs might pop off)
2- remove the screw
3- lift off the tap lever head. This exposes the brass nut on top of the ceramic cartridge
4- remove the nut which is part of the cartridge and so the cartridge will simply lift out
5- wipe the seating and seal with a clean cloth, smear the surfaces with vaseline and replace the cartridge
6- See this post for more on cartridges and maintenance: http://blog.grandtaps.co.uk/how-to-clean-ceramic-disc-cartridges-in-taps/

ceramic cartridge in a mixer tap

What and how:
Ceramic disc cartridges are made with two ceramic discs each with two holes (for mixers) or 1 hole (for pillar or 2 handle taps) in it. One disc moves with the tap handle and the other disc remains in position. When these holes are aligned, the water is allowed to flow. In the off position, the holes are no longer aligned and the water stops.
These regulate the flow of water from your tap. It can happen that small particles get stuck in the disc assembly and you must clean the cartridge. In extreme cases you must replace the cartridge but obviously it is better to clean the cartridge before replacing it.

1. Turn off the water supply. Place a cloth over the waste hole to catch any small screws or parts that may accidentally drop into the basin/sink as you work.
2. Remove the cartridge
3. Examine the cartridge. Clean and rinse the seals, openings and cylinder. If a seal is damaged then replace it
4. Remove mineral deposits stuck on the ceramic discs. A drop of food coloring may reveal a cracked ceramic disc. If you see a crack you must replace the cartridge
5. Reassemble and test. Ensure the tap is in the ‘on’ position and slowly turn the water supply back on. Too much pressure too fast can harm the discs in the cartridge
6. If the tap still leaks you need to replace the old cartridge

Why do you do it yourself when you can get someone else to do it for you?

The way I see it DIY only allows you to be independent of expensive tradesmen. Sure some bigger jobs might be beyond DIY but most smaller projects in and around the home can prove rewarding if you DIY. Like fixing a leaky tap, unblocking a drain or fixing a flickering light.

Small jobs are also very expensive if you call out a proffessional as there is the same call out/travel expense as in a large job.

It is also handy to have good experience in a variety of DIY fields because the proffessionals are not always available to come to your rescue.

Its simply matter of empowering yourself with the skills and feeling good about it. The internet is a great place to get ‘how to do it’ info…. Have fun

Dual flow taps used to make up the majority of monobloc tap sales but the current trend is towards single flow style taps.
It is recommended that non return valves are fitted to single flow taps.
All the mixers sold by Grand Taps are the single flow style.

- In single flow taps the hot and cold water mix within the tap body and
spout, by the time the water has left the spout the water should be well
mixed to the desired temperature.
Single flow taps will generally have a better flow rate than an identical
dual flow tap, as the outlet diameter is greater.

- In dual flow taps the hot water is fed through a separate pipe within the
spout, the cold water passes around the outside of this pipe.
Although the water only mixes once it has left the tap this gives the
benefit the spout should never become uncomfortably hot.
As both hot and cold are kept separate the chance of backflow is
minimised.

single flow mixer tap

dual flow mixer tap

Most of the furniture in your bathroom is fixed so you must design your bathroom with this in mind, there will be little you can do to the design after you have completed the room. If you are redesigning your entire house, leave the bathroom till last as to have enough time to consider all aspects of what you want it to be. It is important to know exactly what you want to do before you start because once you have started, it will cost a lot of money to change. A bathroom is not an entertaining area but it is a place where you want to relax.

Ask a professional designer for help, they know all the important aspects that need to be considered to ensure that you enjoy your bathroom as much as you should.

Remember to consider all the plumbing requirements, ask a professional plumber for help. A bathroom is used frequently and you don’t want to struggle when using it. It is not always necessary to change the furniture in your bathroom. Painting it a different color or replacing the old tiles with new ones can also make a big improvement. A new shower door, basin cabinet, taps, towel rails or toilet seat are a few things you can change without removing fixed furniture. Plants can give a whole new appearance to a room and will provide a relaxing atmosphere. These days bathroom suppliers have got many items to choose from. Bathroom ware is available in a multitude of styles.

I recommend that you go to a few bathroom supply stores before you begin planning. You will expose yourself to new ideas that can make your planning easier. Careful planning will result in a a stunning, relaxing bathroom for you and yours