Whether you’re simply updating your bathroom accessories and brassware or you’re planning to redesign your entire bathroom, Better Bathrooms is the place to visit. The company’s full range of fantastic value products is available to buy online as well as in their three showrooms, and they also have a trade counter for customer collections if you simply can’t wait to get your hands on your new bathroom essentials.

With a selection of contemporary and traditional bathroom suites and bathroom furniture, shower enclosures and shower systems, freestanding and fitted baths, brassware, accessories and tiles all available at staggeringly low prices, you can bag yourself a bargain with Better Bathrooms, even if you don’t win the big prize!

The bathroom suite up for grabs in this fabulous pre-Christmas giveaway includes a contemporary, Design freestanding bath, white ceramic Bologna close coupled toilet and pedestal basin in a contemporary style, freestanding contemporary bath filler with shower mixer, and matching monobloc basin tap. You’ll also receive a 1200x800mm quadrant shower enclosure and shower tray complete with Ecobar shower system; choose from a left or right handed shower enclosure and tray to suit your own requirements.

Q. How many love ‘em or hate ‘em sprouts will Santa’s elves manage to squeeze into this beautiful bath?

For your chance to win, simply head over to the Sprout Count page to answer the question below and submit your details by 4pm (GMT) on the closing date of 19th December 2011.

You’ll need to be a UK resident to enter.

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Galvanization is the process of coating metal with zinc, sealing it and slowing down the process of water penetrating the metal. Products such as gates and railings are galvanized by dipping them in a bath of molten zinc, which is them left to dry. This process can result in sharp drips and spikes forming when the steel is hung to dry. Most of these drips should be filed down before the steelwork is delivered to you, but it is worth checking to make sure, particularly underneath the handrail.

Weathering Galvanized Steel

The main problem with galvanized steel is that, initially at least, it doesn’t take a coat of paint very well. The easiest way to solve this problem is to leave the galvanized to “weather” for four to six months. The effects of wind and weather will dull the coating of zinc and create a key for the paint. After six months, rub the steel down with fine abrasive paper, make sure it is clean, prime it and then paint it with good quality exterior paint.

Treating Galvanized Steel

If you don’t want to wait all that time with unpainted steelwork, you will need to recreate the effect of weathering yourself. This means painting the steel with a water-based alkaline cleanser to slightly soften the zinc coating, and then creating a key with abrasive paper. Alkaline cleanser can be bought from DIY stores and builders merchants.

Paint the alkaline cleanser onto the galvanized steel using an old, clean paintbrush and then use abrasive paper suitable for use on metal to create a key for the paint. Wipe down the steel with a clean cloth to remove any remaining alkaline solution, as well as any dust and dirt.

Paint the steelwork with a good metal primer (this would have been something like red lead paint, but nowadays lead-free paint has replaced this) and allow it to dry fully. Your galvanized steelwork is now ready to be painted in the topcoat of your choice.

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Materials such as sandpaper or wire wool used for rubbing down surfaces.

Acrylic

A water-based paint which can be used on internal walls and ceilings.

Adhesives

Any product used to bond materials together. You can find many different types for different materials.

Airbrick

Perforated bricks built into a wall to aid ventilation.

Airlock

Air trapped in pipework which acts as a blockage.

Alkyd

A resin used to make most modern solvent-based paints.

Ampere (Amp)

A measurement of the rate at which electricity travels through a circuit.

Anchor Bolt

A heavy-duty bolt which is set in concrete and then used to support structural elements of a building.

Apron

A sheet of zinc or lead which is set into a brickwork joint and then shaped to overlap the edge of a roof. Forms the waterproof edge.

Architrave

The moulded wood surrounding doors and windows.

Armoured Cable

Electric cable wrapped in a “skin” of steel wire to prevent it being damaged. Most often used on underground cable.

Arris

The sharp edge formed where two surfaces meet at an angle.

Auger

A flexible cable of coiled steel which can be fed along pipes to dislodge and clear blockages.

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Insulation placed around pipes to stop heat loss and to protect from freezing. Various types available.

Laminate

Can mean thin wood or wood-effect flooring and the outer surface of kitchen worktops.

Lath and Plaster

Rarely used nowadays, lath and plaster is method of constructing partition walls and ceilings. Thin strips of wood (laths) are nailed to the softwood frame and plaster is applied over the top.

Liming

A process used to lighten the colour of hardwood. Modern liming involves a specialist paste or emulsion rather than the traditional Lime.

Linoleum

Man made flooring material available in a huge variety of colours and finishes. Made from natural fibres, linseed oil and resins.

Lump Hammer

A large headed hammer used for driving chisels or demolishing brickwork.

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Secret Number 1: “How can I tell which skip companies in the Yellow Pages are the good ones?”

Unless you personally know the company, you can’t. Any fool with a wagon and a skip can get an advert designed and printed to entice you to call them, but mainly it’s a lottery not just in terms of prices and service, but also in terms of what actually happens to your waste – something that depressingly few of us actually think, or even care about.

Skip companies are not actually regulated at the time of writing. The good ones operate their own licensed waste transfer stations (regulated by the Environment Agency) and are members of the Institute of Wastes Management (a professional body that promotes education and raising standards in waste management).

The bad ones are just cowboys that often fly-tip your waste and therefore add to your council tax bill – ‘cos the councils are the ones who have to clean it up!

Did you know? “Every 35 seconds, somebody, somewhere is fly-tipping in the UK”

You don’t have to be a tree-hugger to be depressed about this fact.

This figure is so high because so many people opt for the cheapest skip hire or “man with van” they can find. Because these cowboys cannot afford to dispose of the waste properly, it ends up costing all of us more money.

Secret Number 2: “Why do skips cost so much money?”

Think about the overheads involved:

Skip Wagon: £35,000+
Skips: £500/each for standard builderSkip
Vehicle Insurance: £2000/year per vehicle
Public Liability: £1250/year per vehicle
Employer’s Liability: £1250/year per vehicle
Skip Wagon driver: £25,000/year
Fuel: £20,000/year
Office staff: £18,000/year per member of staff
Landfill taxes: £18/ton increasing by £3 every year until 2010 where it will stand at £35/ton
Recycling costs: Cost of buying shredders, trommels, weighbridges, picking stations etc – £millions

Soon adds up doesn’t it?

Add into this the cost of cowboys stealing proper companies skips (it does happen), plus the costs of being a licensed carrier and having a licensed waste transfer station – £££s!!

Getting rid of waste is not a cheap business (unless you do it illegally), but it has to go somewhere!

Secret Number 3: “Why isn’t my skip dropped off and picked up when I ask for it?”

This isn’t always the skip company’s fault – too many people don’t understand that hiring a skip is not like calling a taxi.

Just think about what goes into the average skip lorry driver’s day – it’s heavy haulage we’re talking about here, and lots of things can go wrong on a pick-up or drop off that will slow down the whole day’s schedule, such as a customer putting toxic waste in a skip, overfilling it, or the driver being given incorrect drop off details by a customer. We actually publish a national trade magazine for the industry called “The Skip” – You might have seen it in 2005 on BBC1′s “Have I Got News For You” – and through this magazine we are pushing for more skip companies to incorporate new technology like Vehicle Tracking to improve delivery schedules and take-up of this kind of improvement is increasing all the time.

We are using this magazine as a platform for creating the “National Skip Hire Association” – a trade body that will eventually be seen as a “kite-mark of quality” so you know you are going to be using the very best.

In the meantime, you should be patient waiting for your skip because it’s rarely a case of deliberately bad customer service. If you expect a skip to arrive at 9am on the dot, you will almost always be disappointed.

Any skip company giving you an exact time of delivery and pick-up is likely to be just saying that to secure your business. We think it’s fair and reasonable to aim for an AM or a PM delivery.

Secret Number 4: “Why won’t they take the skip away if the rubbish is just over the fill line?”

It’s not the skip driver being unreasonable – it’s the law!

They are legally bound to not carry unsafe loads and unfortunately many people order smaller skips than they need in order to save a few quid.

Our advice – order a larger skip than you think you need because you will always fill it – just don’t go over the line!

(This is not a sales gimmick, it really is true that saving a couple of pounds is a false economy with skips).

Secret Number 5: “What actually happens to my rubbish when they take it away?”

If you’re not asking this question, you should be.

Landfill space in the UK is running out fast. It is estimated that by 2010 there will be virtually no landfill space left in Britain and the government is increasing the landfill taxes that waste management companies have to pay every year.

The best skip hire companies are investing heavily into new plant and technology to the point that many of them are recycling over 90%! Using these companies will eventually reduce prices and massively increase recycling rates – something we should all be interested in.

The bottom line is – the cheaper the skip, the less likely it is that the waste is being responsibly managed.

Secret Number 6: “Why won’t my local skip company take a credit card or even tell me prices over the phone?”

This is mainly a historical thing. Most skip hire companies have evolved over the past 25 years from construction and demolition companies, and the traditional way they do business is either by issuing invoices or cash-in-hand!

Also, a lot of companies still charge for waste disposal by the tonne and won’t always quote an exact price because they don’t know exactly how much it’s going to cost them to get rid of until it comes in.

We at TopSkips.com are committed to telling you exactly how much your skip is going to cost and giving you the best service possible.

We ONLY take credit card payments for our skips. The good thing about this is you don’t have to be in when the skip is dropped off or picked up PLUS it’s easy for us to give you a refund if you are justifiably unhappy with our service (which is very rare).

Secret Number 7: “Why do I get quoted so many different prices for the same service from different skip hire companies?”

The answer’s in the question – you don’t get the same service from different companies!

You get different levels of service from different companies. Most of the time, you get what you pay for. After you’ve had a bad experience, you’ll wonder whether it really was worth saving £20 by going with the cheapest you could find.

Plus there are other factors such as skip permit prices.

All skip companies are supposed to tell you that you need a permit if the skip is to be on a public highway. These permits are provided by the local council – sometimes the company by law has to sort it out for you, sometimes you’ll have to go direct to the council yourself.

The variances in skip permit price across the UK are staggering – some councils charge nothing and issue them the same day, some charge over £70 and make you wait weeks before issuing.

It’s one of the reasons why TopSkips is working hard to establish The National Skip Hire Association – to fight local government and get some sort of standardisation of permit prices. In our view, permit prices are a tax on poorer people – if you haven’t got a drive or any private land, you will probably have to pay for a permit to put the skip on a public highway! This leads to more cowboys and more fly-tipping.

In the end…

It’s up to you. You now know pretty much everything necessary to make an informed choice about which skip hire company to use.

If you want all the guesswork taken out of the job and a guarantee of:
Excellent customer service levels
Fully online safe & secure payment system
A free-phone number so it won’t cost you to enquire about anything
Responsible waste management and a commitment to recycle at least 70% of waste collected
Fixed, published prices
Full UK-wide service

.then you could always use TopSkips.com. We operate a network of over 400 of the very best skip hire companies throughout the UK that go the extra mile to please our customers because, most of the time, TopSkips are THEIR biggest customer!

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The tool has 10 pre-selectable torque settings plus drill setting, giving maximum power for every application. With this tool you are able to drill both powerfully and delicately. The setting ring enables easy selection of the ‘screwdriving’ or ‘drilling’ modes. The run-out brake stops the motor in the shortest time possible with no after-run. This is ideal for driving rows of screws as it enables you to work without interruption and provides a clean work result.

Buy the Bosch PSR 18-Volt Cordless Drill/Driver with 2 Batteries for only £59.95

The rechargeable 18 Volt battery pack provides a high power output level. It is capable of a large number of charging and discharging cycles. The quick-change battery pack can be easily changed for the highest user convenience.

The tool has a twin-sleeve ‘click’ keyless chuck which enables easy change of screwdriver and drill bits. It emits an acoustic signal as soon as it is clamped in tight, ensuring the bit is always properly inserted.

The Bosch Electronic speed control using the trigger switch enables the user to ‘accelerate’ from 0 – max. This enables smooth pilot drilling followed by rapid drilling at full speed. The integrated PowerLight ensures the workpiece is always well lit and clearly visible. Comfortable handling and easy use is guaranteed by its ergonomic shape and integrated softgrip.

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Bucket – A clean plastic bucket, used for holding the wallpaper paste. Tie string across the top, between the handle brackets, so you can rest your pasting brush on it. It is better to buy a new bucket to use for wallpaper paste only, rather than reusing a bucket which might have dust and dirt in it.

Craft Knife – A sharp craft knife is better for cutting heavy paper or vinyl than scissors. Using scissors on heavy paper will increase the chance of you ripping or tearing the paper, particularly pasted paper. Remember to use with a metal straight edge.

Metal Rule – Make sure this is at least long enough to span the width of the paper. Don’t be tempted to use a piece of wood, etc. You can buy long metal straight edges for less than £10.

Pasting Brush – Most paste brushes have synthetic bristles and plastic handles to avoid rusting. The pasting brush you choose should be at least 100mm wide and used only for pasting. Many pasting brushes now feature a hook for hanging it on the side of a bucket.

Pasting Table - If you plan on doing a lot of wallpapering, a purpose-built pasting table is a great investment. You can buy a good pasting table for as little as £25, with cheap ones costing under £10.

Pencil – Use a HB or soft lead pencil, which will mark the paper clearly without needing too much pressure applied.

Plumb Line – A plumb line is an essential tool when starting any papering job. It allows you to find true verticals and is used to set the first sheet of wallpaper. You can also use a Laser Level if you have one.

Rags – Clean, lint-free rags are useful for cleaning your pasting table.

Sanding Pad – Useful to have close at hand to remove any scraps of paper left on a stripped wall.

Scissors – A small set of trimming scissors and a large set for cutting your paper ready to hang. Trimming scissors are used to cut around obstructions such as light fittings and window sills.

Seam Roller – This small plastic or wood roller is designed specifically for finishing seams in wallpaper. Seam rollers are also useful for other DIY jobs such as fitting flashing, so having one in your toolbox is a good idea.

Set Square – Not essential but useful for checking your cuts are consistently square.

Smoothing Brush – Sometimes known as a paperhangers brush, a smoothing brush has stiff but soft bristles so it does not mark the paper as you brush out air bubbles. Make sure your smoothing brush is kept clean and dry of you will end up smearing paste over the face of the paper.

Sponge – For wiping away excess paste whilst it is still wet.

Tape Measure – For measuring the height of the room, as well as measuring the overall wall space.

Steps – Good quality, aluminium steps are ideal as they are light, easy to move and sturdy. If you have two sets of steps, you can set up a small platform by placing two planks on level rungs. This can make wallpapering much easier.

Water Trough – Only needed if you are using pre-pasted paper. The paper will need to be soaked in the trough before applying it to the wall.

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Painting Casement Windows

Casement windows are those which are hinged on the sides and open like a door. Your first job should be to remove the stay and the catch. Without the stay and catch, the window is in danger of swinging about as you paint. To stop this, drive a small screw or nail into the underside of the window, hook a length of wire onto it and hook the other end into the screwhole of the catch.

You now need to consider the order of painting, which should always be started in the morning to allow time to dry. First you should paint the actual frame, starting with the areas which will be touched by the window as it closes. Next you should paint the top and bottom horizontal rails and then the vertical stiles (the outer frame of the actual window). Once this is done, paint the glazing bars, using a paint shield (or masking tape) to keep paint off the glass.

When the paint is touch dry, you can replace the catch and stay.

Painting Sash Windows

Sash windows are tricky to paint as they have two sliding panes which overlap each other. Getting to all of the areas that need painting needs some planning. This guide assumes you are painting the window from the inside, meaning the bottom sash slides in front of the top sash. As with casement windows, start early in the day to allow plenty of drying time before the window needs to be closed.

Raise the bottom sash fully and pull down the top one about halfway. Now paint the bottom meeting rail of the top sash (the meeting rail for each sash is the bit where the catch is found) and the parts of the vertical stiles which are accessible. Reverse the position of the sashes, leaving a small gap top and bottom. Finish off the painting of the top sash (the rest of the vertical stiles and then the top rail) and then paint the whole of the bottom sash.

Now start painting the frame, only leaving the runners (the grooves the sashes slide in) free of paint. Leave the paint to dry for as long as possible before closing the window for the evening. The next day, the paint should be nicely dry and you can start on the runners. Pull both sashes down to the bottom and paint the inner and outer runners. Leave to dry for a few hours and then move both sashes to the top and paint the bottom section of the runners.

If you are painting the outside of the window, start with the bottom sash instead of the top one. Apart from that small difference, you should follow the same order of painting.

Protecting the Glass

When painting window frames, it is important that the paint overlaps onto the glass very slightly (2mm or so) as this helps to prevent moisture seeping between the glass and woodwork. The easiest way to do this is to use a strip of masking tape. Stick the tape to the glass, leaving that important 2mm gap between the tape and the frame. Let the paint dry slightly and then carefully peel off the tape. If you leave it until the paint is full dry, the tape may pull some of it off.

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Chuck size and type

The two main things you need to think about when choosing a new drill are chuck size and power. Chuck sizes range from 1/4 inch (7mm) up to over 1/2 inch (13mm). Larger sizes are available, but very few, if any, diy jobs will require a chuck bigger than 1/2 inch. A good average size to look for is 3/8inch (10mm) as this will be able to handle most diy jobs. It is possible to buy drills with a selection of interchangable chucks for different sized jobs.

Several years ago, your only choice for type of chuck would have been one with a chuck key, a round, toothed key to undo the chuck. Nowadays, most drills use a keyless chuck which are tightened and released by turning the two locking barrels in opposite directions. There should be no real difference in how either locking option works, other than time taken.

A third type of chuck is available, and that is SDS. SDS (Special Direct System) drills are designed to increase the hammer action when drilling masonry, etc, but can also be used without hammer and even with just hammer and no rotation. SDS chucks are completely different to normal chucks, meaning standard drill bits will not fit without an adaptor. In most cases, you will not need SDS for diy jobs.

Power Source

Drill power is measured in two ways, depending on whether it is a corded or a cordless model.

The power of Corded Drills is measured in terms of Watts and range from 500w to over 1200w. Corded drills tend to offer more power than cordless drills of the same price, but it is always worth considering where you will need to use the drill most. You will obviously be restricted to where you can use it by the length of the cord, unless you also have a heavy duty extension lead.

Cordless drills are measured by Volts and range from 9.6v to 24v. You can buy higher voltage cordless drills but they are usually very expensive and not really needed for most diy tasks. Cordless drills are obviously a lot more portable than corded drills, but it is worth considering the battery. If possible, buy a cordless drill with a spare battery, so when working, you can always have one battery charging up ready to use.

There are three main battery types used in cordless drills. Ni-Mh (Nickel Metal Hydride), Ni-Cd (Nickel Cadmium) and Li-ion (Lithium Ion). The main difference between Ni-Mh and Ni-CD is that a Ni-Mh battery can hold 2 or three times the charge that a Ni-CD battery can. This is usually reflected in the price and the charging time. Li-ion batteries are the best of the lot, being lighter and holding more charge than the other two types. Again, this is reflected in the price.

Drill Speed

Most modern drills offer variable speed controlled by the amount of pressure on the trigger. For the average diy-er, variable speed is a must! You can get single or duel speed drills, but they will not offer anything a variable speed drill offers, so why not have the option of a range of speeds, rather than just one or two?

The added bonus of a variable speed drill is that it will usually be able to be used as a screwdriver as well. Single or duel speed drills will not, as they spin too quickly. Variable speed drills have a low speed start and high torque. This means starting a hole in a piece of material can be easier and more accurate.

Both corded and cordless drills are available with variable speed.

More options

The above features are the main things to consider when buying a new drill, but there are several other things you might also want to think about.

Hammer Action

Not all drills feature hammer action for drilling into masonry. It is, however, a very useful option to have on any drill you buy. Using the hammer action a lot, or putting too much pressure on the drill, could reduce its life. If you have a large amount of holes to drill in masonry in one go, consider hiring a SDS drill.

Variable Torque and reverse

Lots of modern drills have the ability to increase or decrease the torque. This ensures the drill does not overscrew or strip a screw when driving it. Better drills could have up to 16 torque settings.

Reverse gear is standard on all bu the very cheapest drills. Useful for backing out drill bits which have jammed in the material, and also for unscrewing screws quickly. If the drill you are considering does not have the reverse function, think about a different drill!

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Ladder Safety

When working at height, you need to make sure that you follow some safety rules. A fall from a ladder at the height of the gutter will result in serious injury at the least. Take a look at our Ladder Safety Guide for more information on setting up a ladder properly.

Treating Rust

Small patches of rust can be rubbed down with an Emery Cloth or some fine sandpaper, whilst larger patches should be cleaned up with a stiff wire brush or a wire brush wheel fitted in a drill. In either case, rub the rust back until you see only clean bare metal. You should now paint on a generous coat of rust-neutralising primer (available from most DIY stores) and allow it to dry completely.

If the guttering has rusted through in any areas, you will obviously need to make some repairs. Small holes and cracks can be sanded back to bare metal and sealed with roof and gutter sealant. Larger holes might need to be patched using either glass fibre filler or by applying some gutter repair tape. Gutter repair tape is a thin layer of foil coated with a layer of bitumenious adhesive, often on both sides of the tape. Make sure the area around the hole is clean and dry before applying either type of patch. Wait for the repair patch or filler to harden before painting the whole section of gutter with a good quality black bitumen or exterior gloss paint.

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