INSTRUCTIONS FOR KNOCKING THROUGH THE TAP HOLE

You will need:

A 10mm Pin or Centre Punch

A Claw Hammer

Safety Goggles & Gloves

It is highly recommended that safety goggles and gloves are worn when knocking through the tap hole.

Position the pin punch on the surface of the sink over the centre of the part-drilled hole (please note that the red dot labels are for guidance only and do not give the exact centre of the tap hole).

Gently tap the punch with a claw hammer until a hole is punched through, and then continue tapping out the excess from around the hole, ensuring any rough or sharp edges are removed.

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.

The United Kingdom is currently experiencing bitterly cold weather conditions. This can cause a lot of discomfort and the last thing you want is to wake up one day to find your water pipes are frozen or even worse, that they have caused flooding and major damage to your home.

New homeowners can take precautions

If you are fortunate enough to oversee the building of your home, make sure that the plumber does not run any supply lines in the outside walls of your home. Simply insulating outdoor water pipes does not guarantee they won’t freeze.

For the rest of us…

For the general public who were not around when their house was built, always remove the water hose from your outdoor spigot in the winter.

Rule number one is the most important

Know all about your main water supply – where it is and how to shut it off. In water emergency situations, shutting off the water quickly will minimize the damage. If you can’t locate the shutoff valve, use the valve inside your water meter pit.

Find the source

The source of the problem is typically found in the water pipes located in outside walls or in floors over unheated spaces, such as bathrooms over garages. In this case, keep your garage door closed.

After closing the main water supply valve to your home, locate the frozen pipe and run your hand along its length to find the coldest spot, i.e. the frozen area. Open the tap at the end of the damaged pipe to release water pressure.

Examine the entire length of the pipe for damage such as cracks, breaks and holes. These can cause flooding when the pipe is being thawed so in this case, it is best to call a plumber.

Thawing water pipes

After testing for water leaks, use a small desk lamp with its adjustable neck approximately one inch away from touching the surface of the pipe. You can also use an electric space heater on a low setting, a small propane torch, a hairdryer or a soldering iron which you can strap to the pipe with the hot tip in contact with the pipe, allowing heat to be conducted along the pipe in both directions. As a torch or soldering iron can cause the pipe to burst, use them only on the tap side of the ice block. You can pour warm water on the frozen area but as the water supply will be cut off, this is a messy option. Never use hot or boiling water as this can cause the pipe to burst! Once the ice has melted, water will drip from the tap. Close the tap and inspect the pipe for leaks.

Insulating water pipes

Insulate by using heater tapes or thermal blanket to wrap around water pipes or use a heated reflector lamp in a dry, enclosed space. Heater tapes must be wrapped between the pipe and the insulation to work. Wrap the heat tape in a spiral pattern around water lines (without covering the pipe solid), leaving one to two inches between the next spiral. Wrap the pipes loosely and secure the insulation in place with electrical tape.

If using a thermal blanket, measure the length of each water supply line and cut the thermal blanket twice this length. Soak the blanket in hot water and wrap it, two layers thick, around the length of the pipe so that it fits securely, but not tightly. You can use an old shoestring or duct tape to secure the blanket in place on the top or bottom.

Another option is to build a box or small cover over outdoor pipes and insulate the interior of the box for extra protection.

Frozen radiator

For a frozen radiator, apply heat by using hot towels, a heating pad, a hair dryer, a soldering iron or any other similar source of heat. If the room is warm, the ice will melt on its own, but very slowly.

When there is no power

Having no power makes it more likely that your pipes will freeze. Shut off the main water supply valve and open all taps so that water runs at a slow, constant drip, leaving no pressure in the system.

Handy products

Hot water optimisers have sensors that detect a temperature below a user-chosen set point. They then intermittently circulate tepid-warm water throughout your hot and cold waterlines.

A water heat rod will keep the water line from freezing above the frost line. More effective than heat tape, a heating rod will get around 90 degrees Farenheit and stay there as long as it’s plugged into an electrical socket.

Safety first

Using electrical equipment and open flames carries extreme potential for fires. Never use an open flame to thaw frozen pipes. Also never use boiling water as it may cause the pipe to burst.

Extra tips

Unplug heat tape and rods during warmer months to save on electricity

If you’re on a holiday, don’t turn your heating system off or set the thermostat below 55 degrees Farenheit because the pipes can freeze if the room temperature drops low enough. Have someone check on your home frequently.

If the same pipe freezes every year, try installing a louvered grill or create some source of air flow between the room that the freezing occurs in and a heated room. Look for small holes to the outside when insulating pipes and use expanding foam on these to seal out the breeze.

Prepare an emergency bottle for frozen water pipes on very cold mornings and heat the bottle in the microwave or in a pot on the stove to about 60 degrees Farenheit. Gently pour the water on the frozen pipe then slowly turn on the water and allow it to thaw for a few minutes.

Focus on areas most susceptible to freezing pipes, e.g. cold, isolated basements, garages, rooms over garages, outside walls, crawl spaces etc. Remember to insulate and heat drain lines here.

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!

Businesses are turning to social media networks to enhance their online marketing campaigns. In June this year, the Nielsen Company, published an article stating that three of the world’s most popular brands online are social-media related, that social networks or blog sites are visited by three quarters of global consumers who go online and that the numbers of people visiting these sites increased by 24% over last year. Businesses have seen the value in using social media networks, which encourage consumer participation with a brand.

The popular HGTV.com (website of the American TV programme, Home and Garden Television) has been using social media networks for a few years now and their TV show often promotes their designers’ Facebook and Twitter accounts. HGTV’s Facebook page is “liked” by over 1 million people and their Twitter page is followed by nearly 33 000 (they are following just under 8 000), which clearly points to their authority in the home and garden improvement industry online.

One of the website’s interactive features is known as “Rate my Space”. It was launched in February 2007 so that users could post images of their rooms and allow others to discuss and rate them and help solve design problems. Quickly gaining popularity, the television programme, “Rate my Space” came into existence. Homeowners whose rooms receive low ratings can pick three rooms that inspire them from the website, identify objects or finishes they would like to have as their own and their own rooms are made over by an HGTV designer. Once remodelled, other users can rate the makeover online.

Leading furniture and homewares website, MyDeco, is one of the first eCommerce companies in Europe to integrate the newly launched Facebook Social Plugins. The UK-based home decor intermediary aggregates hundreds of retailers into their site which offers over a million products. Users can create their own profile on the site and build 3D models of their rooms, adding their preferred decor and furniture they can buy. The rooms form the content of a user’s profile and creates a social community around the rooms, which are shareable on social networks. By clicking the “like” button, users can broadcast their taste in home decor to all their friends on Facebook.

A user’s profile on MyDeco is much like any social media network. One can follow other users and have followers, send and receive messages, view other profiles, receive comments and ratings on their rooms etc. MyDeco has a Facebook page and a Facebook application, which is linked to the main website. This enables users to log in to the MyDeco main site with their Facebook details, which captures their interactivity on the main site and this is broadcasted to their friends on Facebook. MyDeco’s Facebook page is “liked” by nearly 7 000 people and their Twitter page has nearly 4 000 followers.

But for other small or new businesses, consumer participation via social networks can be slow or non-existent. Fans or followers may number only a handful. So how can a home improvement business pick up fans or followers? One way is to hold a contest that only those following the business’s social media site can participate in.

A web community revolving around DIY design, Curbly, also allows users to create profile pages and interact with one another. Other than the usual About Me section and network of friends, Curbly lets users write a blog focusing on interior design tips and “clip” interesting items from around the web using a bookmarklet. They can tag articles, add images, insert videos from YouTube, comment on and rank other articles.

A celebrate its launch, Curbly staged a competition where users posted a picture of their favourite “happy” place in their home. The website has since run other competitions. For example, by signing up for the monthly newsletter, users could enter to win a Ray and Charles Eames chair. Another competition asked users to post pictures of their $20 or less DIY project to stand a chance to win gift certificates. Over 700 people “like” Curbly’s Facebook page and they have over 300 followers on Twitter.

Earlier this year, Home-Designing, a website offering design ideas, ran a contest on Facebook. The rules were simple. Facebook users had to “like” Home-Designing’s Facebook page and suggest the page to five of their friends. They then had to post the message “just participated in this cool contest! http://www.facebook.com/homedesigning?v=app_6009294086” as their status on Facebook. Lastly, participators had to add the comment “I have participated” on their page. Three winners were randomly chosen from this list of commenters and received cash prizes and books, and everyone who took part received the Home-Designing PDF with pictures of rooms visualised and designed by professionals. Currently, nearly 31 000 people “like” Home-Designing’s Facebook page.

@home Homewares Store, selling high quality home products and furniture in South Africa, is currently running a monthly competition on their Facebook page known as “Bride of the month”. Participants can select up to five photos and upload them to their album. They then get their friends to vote on their album and/or upload their album to Facebook. Winners receive R4 000. Their Facebook page has over 500 fans.

The above businesses are using social media networks to create brand awareness and encourage interaction with potential customers. These customers are, in turn, spreading the word to their friends by suggesting their pages. Word of mouth marketing has always been a highly valuable form of marketing and home improvement websites can use the trust that friends on Facebook and other social media networks have, as a modern day form of word of mouth marketing.

However, through my research I have noticed that, while many home improvement websites have Facebook pages, they have not used them effectively or even realised their potential as a form of online marketing. Therefore, social media networks present businesses with a wide open market that is ready to be tapped into and it is in a business’s best interest to do so.

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.

A. Using outline of the sink bowl as a template, cut out a hole in the counter in the position that you want install the sink.
B. Make evenly placed holes in the underside of the counter for the screw plugs.
C. Apply a generous line of silicone sealer (available from all hardware stores) around the underside of the edge of the counter cut out.
D. Position the sink in place and hold it there, you will need an extra pair of hands for this.
E. Insert the screws and fastening plates into the counter and tighten by hand to secure the sink in place.
Here is a link to a related article showing the use of the fixing screws

Kitchen mixer tap 56187

Most kitchen taps and some bathroom taps feature convenient swivel spouts.
These taps usually have rubber orings and a nylon bush in the spout for water seal and swivel action. To maintain good spout swivel action try the following:
- Turn off the water supply to the tap
- remove the spout (normally held in place by a grub screw at the back)
- clean the exposed part of the spout and the open hole where it came out of
- apply some vaseline to the orings and nylon bush.
- Replace the spout

Bath tap 6103a

With such a wide range of kitchen appliances and decorative items on offer these days, homeowners can create a variety of different looks in their kitchen. Sinks alone come in a variety of shapes and styles.
When considering how many sinks you need, what shape and size they need to be and which type of material to go for, you need to look at the rest of your kitchen. Three major elements in a kitchen are the cabinets, countertops and sink. Attention must be paid to the size and visual aspect of these elements. Once you have given this some thought, you can begin to think about the other details, like size and material. With numerous options of material, from stainless steel to brass or copper, you can have very different looks and feels.
The next step is to decide on the number of sinks you will have in your kitchen. To make this decision, you need to think about what you will use your sink for and how often. Although dishwashers relieve us of the task of cleaning piles of dirty dishes, there are still some pots and pans that might be too big or awkward to fit. Some homeowners might prefer to have one large, single sink in which they can clean large crockery or a double sink, where one is large and the other a lot smaller. Others might choose to have a two sinks of equal size, and soak dishes in one side while cleaning up or using the other sink for something else. One sink can also be used for preparing fruits or vegetables.

Some kitchens have two sinks in entirely different places of the kitchen. These can be used simply for washing hands or entertainment purposes, or as salad washing station. Having two separate sinks create two areas for chopping up and preparing food. These days, sinks come with cutting boards, draining stations and drop in compartments, which also contribute to making the whole cooking and cleaning experience that much easier.
An abundance of options in your kitchen can create unique, interesting looks and can also provide you with something that suits your lifestyle. By putting extra thought and care into these decisions, you will be able to create a kitchen where you can feel comfortable and where you will feel proud to entertain guests.
To begin thinking about what would most suit your kitchen, take a look at these kitchen sinks.

When we turn on the kitchen tap or run a bath we may not be thinking how the water is coming out, unless it is dripping or not coming out at all! But, water pressure is something that we should all be familiar with.

Most households receive water from a municipal water system where the water is usually extracted from groundwater sources and then treated for human consumption. Then it is pumped to water towers and from there gravity takes over to provide the pressure that forces the water through pipes and into our homes.

The pressure of water in each home will vary according to their elevation to the water source, as well as with the system that is delivering the water in. A plumbing company website says, “A cubic foot of water weighs 62.4 lb. and exerts .4333 lbs of pressure per square inch on the bottom of its container at a depth of one foot. Therefore, the discharge pressure of a water storage tower 100 ft. tall will be 43.33 psi. If your house is in a valley 50 ft. below the bottom of the tower, the theoretical water pressure at your house will be approximately 65 psi, reduced by the friction in the pipes.”
Click here for a handy pressure conversion tool: http://www.sensorsone.co.uk/pressure-units-conversion.html

Typical residential water systems are designed to function under a pressure of 40-70 psi. If the water pressure exceeds 100 psi a pressure regulator may need to be installed in the line to reduce the pressure to an acceptable range. This protects the equipment in your home from damage caused by excess force exerted by the water. The opposite can occur too, if pressure is below 40 psi a pressure-booster could be needed to bring it up to acceptable levels. Note also that hard water can reduce pressure.

It is also important to note that water flow is not the same thing as water pressure. Water flow is the result of your water pressure on the amount of water available for delivery (volume). Low water flow could be a result of an obstruction on the water line. An old pipe can contain mineral build-up or corrosion that reduces the pipe’s internal diameter. So if a water pressure gauge is reading at an acceptable level but the pressure seems off, it may be a flow problem.

If you are unsure of the water pressure at your home you can easily test it with a simple water pressure gauge available from your local plumbing merchant, or you can ask your plumber/DIY friend to check it for you…