Alcove cupboard hiding TV DVD Sky and Speakers

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

 Tom Ware Painters wife was being driven to distraction by wires and boxes and remote controls and more cables and extension leads and speakers and blinking lights and telephones and mobiles and laptops and....  --- well, I'm sure you get the picture. It was a nightmare that takes place all over the country,  in countless homes (including mine). But this home was important. It is HER home. And she doesn't want to see the tangle of wires etc. So her husband, Tom, being the super chap that he is, decided his ears had had enough ear bashing and he needed to tidy away his toys.... Along came Jim. From a standing start, it took me a day to build the unit, from scratch, out of three sheets of MDF. Now EVERYTHING is tucked away behind vented doors (to let the air circulate around the electronics).  The cables running to the TV have been hidden  and so harmony reigns in the home, and Tom can now watch his favourite programmes in super surround sound in peace. It's the job of every happily married man to keep his wife content - isn't it?

Update: Tom has now decorated the room and unit in matching colours

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Built in wardrobes and shelves

Wardrobes closed (Click to enlarge)

Wardrobes open

In between a dozen other small jobs this week  I've been building wardrobes in a couple of  bedrooms. As you can see from the pictures they're built to wrap around a chimney breast. Both wardrobes are double hanging with a storage shelf at the top.Above the radiator is deep shelving.  The radiator is used as a drying station during the winter months, otherwise I would have incorporated a radiator cover. In the other bedroom (picture to follow) I've built a similar single wardrobe with double hanging. It took two days from start to finish. To finish the room off, the plasterer has skimmed all of the walls which will be painted on Monday, and the fitters are coming in on Wednesday to lay a new carpet. The new bed is standing in the hallway ready to take pride of place in this completely revamped bedroom.

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Install a BEKO Slimline Dishwasher.

BEKO Slimline Dishwasher

In order to install the dishwasher, I first had to source it. 
The couple are in their very late years and time is taking its toll. Vision is fading, and falls are frequent. They need something robust and simple. No huge array of flashing lights and tiny touch screen buttons, but SIMPLE buttons ON - OFF - WORK. It doesn't have to be any more complicated than that. At home Trish and I  have a Bosch Logixx automatic dishwasher. A fabulous machine with DOZENS and DOZENS of different programmes. We use ONE. We want the dishes clean that's all. We don't want to fly to the moon. It goes on standard wash come hell or high water. One programme. Talking to the vast majority of my customers who use dishwashers and washing machines, they do the same. 
But I digress...
I went to Langney Domestics (opposite the Salvation Army) and sourced a slimline model with 3 proper controls. On/Off  Stop/Start  Programme 1/2/3. No stupid screen in 10 different languages.
Langney Domestics is a family run electrical retailer celebrating over 40 years of trading. 
Ken helped find the right sort of dishwasher for somebody with fading sight. The dishwasher was in stock (as is almost everything they sell) and I was able to take it straight back to the customers house. The unit slotted into position and fitting it was simple It was soon up and running, and the lady was happy. She can now operate the dishwasher by touch when her eyesight deteriorates further.
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Sash window repair, broken cord, and top sash stuck.

No sooner had I arrived at the house to start work this morning , than I had to turn back to home because I'd forgotten to bring the most important bit of kit - dust sheets. Thankfully it was only a couple of miles there and back.
The next couple of hours were spent sorting out a sash window with broken cords and a top sash that had been painted shut. It's a routine task for me, but it must be disturbing for  some home owners when they see their windows being taken to bits. The hardest part of the whole operation is the removal of decades and decades of old paint that clog the slides and hold the sashes firmly shut. 


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Light not working and electrical socket broken.

It always amazes me how many home made bodges last such a long time. 
I was asked to come to a house in Old Town to sort out a couple of problems for  a lady who'd been referred to me. Dismantle an old gate, fit a door bell, mend a light and replace a broken electrical socket. The small stuff that I enjoy doing. Gate ten minutes. Door bell ten minutes. Socket replacement ten minutes minutes. Light fitting --  now that was an entirely different ball game. 


Years ago, long  before the lady had lived there, the room had been "modernised" with a suspended ceiling with concealed light box. Paint had been applied many many times and any sign of entry to the light box was completely covered over.  After quite a while, more by luck than anything else, I managed to get the panel undone and the light .assembly' was exposed. 


Take at least three standard fluorescent tube lighting assemblies, dismantle them for no apparent good reason, and screw the component parts together on to a piece of wood. Madness or what?  I can only assume that the perpetrator had cannibalistic tendencies and had butchered two or three old fittings to make this 'new' contraption. It made absolutely no sense at all. I just wish I had taken a photo. Needless to say, I took the bodged light out and replaced it with a proper single unit. 
The bodge had lasted for decades until I came along and then it was gone. What should have been a simple five minute tube replacement turned into an hour of muttering and grunting. But at least now the lady is safer in her own home.


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IKEA PAX sliding door wardrobe flat pack assembly and installation.

IKEA PAX WArdrobe

Building flat pack wardrobes from IKEA is all in a day's work for me. It goes together relatively simply and all the bits fit.  The beauty of IKEA flat pack is that once you're accustomed to the quirky fitting components they use, it all becomes very logical. For the most part the carcass fittings are all the same.  
The carcasses were simple enough, but this was the first time that I'd put together these particular type of sliding glass doors. It's a very good job that I had a Meccano set as a child, because the assembly and installation is not for the faint-hearted. The two doors come in hundreds of pieces of metal and screws and glass panels and plastic fittings. Even I was amazed at the staggering amount of pieces needed to assemble two four foot doors. It took as long to assemble the doors as it did to assemble the four carcasses and all the internal drawers baskets shelves and hanging rails. It requires a lot of floor space to assemble the doors because they have to be assembled on the flat. Yo will need about 8' x 10' floor space as a minimum.
A word from the wise. DO NOT EVEN THINK that hanging these doors is a one man job. IT'S NOT. The doors are heavy and their size makes them very awkward to put in place. Even though the lady of the house tried to help, it was no use, I had to call in the cavalry, and ask a mate to pop over and help with the final fiddly lift into place. Once hung, the doors slide beautifully, and the lady (nursing some bruised fingers from trying to help) was delighted that she could finally store all of her clothes in her new wardrobes.
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Genuinely! NO JOB TOO SMALL

This post is written with the kind permission of the client
"I've lost my false teeth!" came the lisping voice out of the earpiece. "I had them in a glass and knocked them over this morning. Now I can't find them."The voice had a hint of desperation. "Can you come and have a look for them." The carpet's the same colour as my teeth, and with my eyesight and bad back I'll never find them." 
The Eastbourne Handyman Extraordinaire was about to live up to his promise of NO Job too small. Ten minutes later I was there, and was invited into the lady's bedroom straight away (Oh yes, it's one of the perks of the job! :D). Me, on my hands and knees, and she in her slippers and nightie. It only took a couple of seconds (to find the teeth) and then I was on my way. When I say NO JOB TOO SMALL I mean it. 


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TV Sky Multi Media and DVD cupboard

A customer wanted something to keep his TV and various gizmos in one neat unit so I came up with this. Its everything in in one place. He loves it! He's going to paint it himself to match the colours in the room.


Click images to enlarge.

If you'd like something similar call me or to email me CLICK HERE

WIP... Fitted bookcases in alchoves

 

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wardrobes continued...

 

The woodwork is finished...
The customer has chosen Tom Ware Painters from Bexhill to finish the wardrobes in Satinwood white. Tom hopes to have them finished by Tuesday! I've really enjoyed doing this job.  I can hardly wait to see the finished result.  


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Wardrobes continued...

The second (right-hand) "internals" for the wardrobes went up this morning. building the drawers was time consuming (drawers always are). As you can see from the picture one set of wardrobes has four drawers the other has three.
The cabling for the blue ray and the satellite receiver is linked through the chimney breast to the TV and had to be routed through channels in the wardrobe sidings so that the minimum of cable will be  visible.  It all takes time, but we'll get there.
Tomorrow, I'll build the doors and hang them. Then it'll be time to make a start in the living room on the display units...



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Built in Wardrobes

I'm working up in the Meads all this week. It's a substantial property close to where Shackelton once lived. The rooms are large, and the alcoves either side of the chimney-breast  in the bedroom are in need of wardrobes. 

This afternoon I've built the internals.
Where once bare walls were, now stands the outline of the first wardrobe.

Long hanging for Ball Gowns are catered for, as is hanging space for blouses, jackets and skirts and trews. Four large drawers and ample shelving will make this a good sized wardrobe.  
I'll post more as the build progresses
Click the image to enlarge.
 
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Get rid of an air lock, a simple methodology

Hectic, hectic, hectic... Over the past few days I've been flying around Eastbourne doing Jim'll Fix It things. 
In these troubled times I'm pleased to be busy - lots of people are having a very hard time of it at the moment.
It helps that many of my customers use me on a regular basis and continue to recommend me to their friends to do those 'no job to small' jobs. As the lady on the telly says 'every little helps'.
Some jobs take literally five minutes or less. I've lost count of the number of light bulbs I've changed for people who can no longer do it. The funny thing is that when you do that sort of thing, people remember, and then they call you back again and again to do jobs that actually pay! My mother used to say "it costs nothing to be nice to others and it will bring rewards", and over the years I've tried, sometimes successfully, to follow her advice.
A case in point. Some time ago I was called to a house in Kilpatrick Close in Eastbourne. The basin hot tap would run for a short while and then just peter out.
"New tap washers" the lady said. "No" said I "its an airlock".
Less than five minutes later I was done and on my way.
Since then I've been back to the house several times to do other 'proper' jobs. Little things lead to greater things.
For all those reading this, sometimes, there is a simple way to get rid of an airlock.
It doesn't always work, but in this instance, it worked almost instantly.
Here's how.
Turn the offending tap on.
Go down stairs to the kitchen.
If the kitchen sink has a monobloc tap, hold your hand very firmly over the outlet so that water can't get out. Keeping your hand tight over the spout turn on the hot tap. Now turn on the cold tap. The mains pressure water forces its way back up through the hot water system and expunges the air as it does. Let it force its way through for a minute or so and  Hey Presto air lock will be gone.
As I said, it doesn't always work, and then only on certain types of system.
If you not sure or don't want to do it yourself  CALL ME on 07930 335 937 and I'll come around and do it for you.
PS if you don't get it right you can get very wet!

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Power shower

My customer had just moved into her new flat and had a problem with her shower -- it didn't work.
Well that's not strictly true. It did work. Just not well enough. 
It took ages to shower and there was simply not enough flow.
The water came out like someone with serious prostate problems.
She wanted a strong shower and at reasonable cost, so after a bit of research we decided that I should fit the 'Vigour' model from Mira, supplied by Plumbase in Eastbourne. I use Plumbase whenever possible. All of the guys know what they are talking about and are always friendly and helpful.
Fitting Mira products is generally a breeze, and this one was no exception. Getting to the hot and cold feeds under the bath proved to be more like an exercise in yoga. During installation I grazed my knuckles a couple of times, but apart from that it all went smoothly.  When the unit was commissioned later that day, Janice was delighted with the  surprisingly variable high powered shower. It cost a little bit more than the cheap models that are available, but the difference in output and looks more than cover the small extra outlay.


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The builders apron has arrived

If shoes don't feel immediately comfortable, don't delude yourself that they need to be 'broken in'.
It's you that gets broken in - not the shoes.
Ill fitting shoes remain ill fitting.
You've just learned to suffer them.
Why do I tell you this?
Well, on Tuesday of this week my builders apron arrived from the States.
In 57 years I can think of only a few things that have instantly felt good. My current and last wife Trish, my Fein Multimaster, my Burberry duffle coat, and now the builders apron.


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Cat flaps, Dog flaps,

Isn't it strange how some things come along in groups? Four cat flaps in a week! It must be months since I'd fitted a cat flap, and then within the space of 48 hours, two. One in a metal door (that was fun), and one in normal wooden door. But the really weird thing is that I've already got two for next Monday as well. It must be the breeding season!

Here's a video of how to fit a cat flap. (It's not me)

For those with dogs, here's a link to a dog catflap

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Rats continued, Traps, Pest Control, Eastbourne

Thought you might like an update on Ratus Ratus and friends. The householder is in her 70's and was aghast that rats were in her loft. Apparently it's very common. They'd come in through the drains, up the stink pipe, along the roofline, under the tiles, and into the loft. Don't start to get smug... it's VERY VERY common and can and does affect any household. That's what the heroic Eastbourne Council Pest Control Officer said.
He was punctual friendly polite and helpful, and explained what he would do and how he was going to get rid of them.  He set traps and laid bait and will be back to make sure the problem is gone. In short, he was the hero of the hour.
If you want to find out more about this very common problem click here. to read an article by Rentokil.

Fix a dripping overflow discover a rats nest

Spotless house.
Not a speck of dirt anywhere.
A place for everything and everything in its place.
The overflow in the loft was pouring water onto the ground outside.
In the loft two cisterns.
One for the hot and cold water.
One for the central heating.
Set up the step ladder.
Lift up the loft hatch. Switch on loft light. Start climbing into the loft.

Changing a ballcock in a storage tank is simple work. Its the getting to it and the finding what's there that causes the headaches. In this case it was very easy. Plenty of light, solid floor, and easy to get to. The pipework had a stopcock fitted so it was simply a matter of turning the water off. Undo the mains tap connector. Undo the back nut. take the old valve out and replace with a new one and then reverse the process.

The smell, immediately recognisable, everywhere, intense, pungent, biting the back of the throat.
The stench of urine. Over by the chimney the droppings. Long. Cylindrical. Rats it can only be rats.

I could smell them, but I had no intention of going after them. Their droppings were over by the chimney, so I stayed well away. Having changed the valve and checked for leaks, I was off out of there. The lady of the house had heard some noises over the months but thought it was birds nesting. She called Pest Control straight away and they will be there tomorrow afternoon to lay poison and traps. Let's hope they get the blighters.

Sally Bee

If like me you've started thinking about your health and more specifically your heart
take a good lookat this website
http://www.sally-bee.com/

Putting up lights switching switches and recover dead websites and find websites that have moved.

Today was a "clean" day. I went out clean, I came back home clean. Trish was amazed. I spent most of the morning changing light switches from worn away brass to white, and normal two gang switches to dimmer switches. I was also asked to replace some pendant lights that had seen better days. It can take a surprising amount of time to make such minor changes. It was cold and wet outside,  and I didn't want to get cold and wet, and so I pottered around, getting the job done and just enjoyed doing the work.
When buying a dimmer switch always look at the rating - many are rated about 240W max. A lot of dimmer switches 'fail' after a short time, mainly because they are overloaded. If a chandelier has 8 bulbs @ 40w (and lots do) then just one chandelier will already be overloading the dimmer. If you have two chandeliers on one dimmer.... well you do the sums. All I'm saying is check the loading if you are about to install dimmer switches. If your looking for good over the counter advice checkout 'TLC Electrical Supppliers' in Eastbourne.

While I was changing switches, my client and I were chatting about loads of things, and he mentioned  in passing how he had a website made in memory of his mother with her full life story but had lost it all when the hosting service ended.
Nothing is totally lost once its been on the net.
This evening I relaxed by hunting for the website. I quickly found some of the old pages, (The ones that were supposedly lost) and with some more digging managed to find all of the pages that he had assumed were gone forever. I phoned him to tell him that his mum's memoires were not lost, and tomorrow I'll  give him a copy of the lot. What he does then is up to him.
Nothing is totally lost once it's been on the Net.
For some that's good news and for others that may be bad.