How May We Help You?

Fill in your Details to Sign up. Once Signed up, you can then fill in as much Detail about your Job and Post on the Site. You will Receive an unlimited amount of Quotes from Trade People, and you will choose one and you will pay the required Money into Work Sheriff Holding account. Your Job will get Done and if it is Completed to your Satisfaction the Money is released to the Trade Person. It is possible to have multiple properties.

Put as Much Information about You and What you Do as Possible. Include Pictures on Your Profile. Always Quote for a Worse Case Scenario, and make sure all Cost are Accounted for Including Labour, Parts, Tools, Fuel, Services Used.

Work Sheriff is NOT Responsible for any communication or Payments outside the site.

An Account May be Closed by Work Sheriff if a Customer or Trade Person has been found to be Miss Using the Site as set out in the Terms and Conditions which Includes but not Restricted to Abuse of Staff or other Users and fraudulent Behaviour.

• Pay as You Use to fill in the diary, saving money. • Fair comparison with other Trades People to win the job. • No Monthly or Yearly fee. • No fee for Being Short listed. • Only pay commission on jobs won, and not just for leads. • Cut down on time taken quoting for work. • Guaranteed payment waiting after the job is complete at the required standard. • No more having to do extra jobs on top of quote to get paid.

How Will Work Sheriff Work for Me as a Trade Person 1. Sign Up, You Will Need All Your Company Information, up to Date Public Liability Insurance, and details of anybody you are Part of i.e., NICEIC if you are an Electrician. When you Sign up You will Fill in Your Charges for Call Out and Labour Rates and Wasted Visit Charge (TPSU 1). Trade People will Pay a one-Off Joining Fee of £50 Unless there is an offer on. 2. Buy Credits £10 for 10 Credits, £40 for 50 Credits, £65 for 100 Credits, £100 for 200 Credits. 3. Use Credits to Bid on Jobs, You will see all the leads in the area you are interested in, and you can bid on as many as you want, you will use a credit to bid on the Lead. There are no extra fees to receive the Leads. Your bid must be for the worst-case scenario to complete the job. You must be able to do the Job you bid on or your account could be cancelled. 4. Win Job and get Customer information, arrange start and finish date. 5. Complete the job to the customers required standard, and request Milestone to show the job is complete. 6. Get Paid into your Work Sheriff account when the customer Releases the Milestone to confirm the Job is done. 7. Request transfer of funds from your Work Sheriff account to your bank account, which will be done ASAP. 8. Any Disputes will be delt with by ex-Trades People. If a Customer doesn’t release a milestone in 14 days let us know and we will pay you ASAP.

Trades People can claim back extra costs if required because of wrong information given or previous sub-standard work which needs correcting for the Job to proceed. Extra time can be calculated and apply the appropriate rate, and fair price should be charged for parts. The Trade persons Hourly/ Half Day/ Day Rates can be found on their Profile Page. (TPUA 7.5) (CUA 6.1)

There is some required information, but there are a lot of questions which do not have to be answered if the Customer does not know the answer. Trade People should be quoting for the worst-case scenario, so extra costs do not need to be added. (TPUA 7.3) (CUA 6.2)

Anything which Requires Exact Measurements must be done by the Trade Person before Ordering Parts, as Measurements are for Pricing Purposes Only. (TPUA 7.6)

If a higher/ Different standard of goods are wanted to what has been supplied, it must be stated as part of the quote information as the Trade Person will be assumed to be quoting for a basic range of product. Extra can be charged for any extra work carried out. (TPUA 7.16) (CUA 6.3)

Customer must inform the Trade Person of any postponement of the start date as soon as possible, but it is advised for the Trade Person to Confirm the start date beforehand. Any wasted visits will have an extra charge which will be on the extra’s list of the Trade Person. A new start date must be accepted by the Trade Person and not forced upon. (TPUA 7.8) (CUA 6.4)

If a Customer Supplies Parts Then Extra can be charged in the event of a failure, as Trades People are only Responsible for Parts they have Supplied for the warranted time, unless they have been Fitted Incorrectly. (TPUA 7.7) (CUA 6.5)

You will Request a Milestone when the job is completed. You Will be Paid into Your Bank Account 2 Week After the Completion Date. The Delay in Payment is to Ensure Your Customers Satisfaction. (PT 5)

A Customer can Postpone Payment if the Job is not Complete to their Satisfaction, so a new date will be made for completion of the snag and Payment. If this is an unfair Postponement then the Trade Person can dispute, and if found correct (Looked at by experienced Tradespeople) will be paid on the original date or ASAP (TPUA 10)

There is a One-Off Joining Fee of £50 unless an offer is Applied. You will Buy Credits to Bid on Jobs, which Cost between 50p and a £1 each, and then only pay 8% commission on work done, not on just leads. No Other Costs are Involved. (PT 2)

You Will Need All Your Company Information, up to Date Public Liability Insurance, and details of any body you are Part of i.e. NICEIC if you are an Electrician, Bank Details for us to Pay You. When you Sign up You will Fill in Your Charges for Call Out and Labour Rates and Wasted Visit Charge. (TPSU 1)

Trade people Can Not Bid on Jobs If they Do Not Have Current Public Liability Insurance. (TPSU 1) Public liability insurance is a type of business insurance that protects companies against compensation and damage claims from accidents and injuries which happen in relation to business operations. It covers the insurance cost of the incident claimed by the affected party—like the general public, or other third-parties such as customers, suppliers, or subcontractors. This type of policy covers the claim expense of incidents that happened within business premises and claims of damage to someone else’s property involving a business and its activities. The general goal of public liability insurance is to protect businesses from losing too much money because of public claims and avoid costly litigation processes that may significantly affect companies and how they operate.

Yes, You Can Be Responsible for multiple Trades People and you can Sign Up to Use Trades People Such as Gas Plumbers and Electricians to Provide a Complete Service for large Jobs. Only the Main Contractor and Customer Will Know the Costing of a Job, We Will However Contact the Gas Plumber or Electrician to Confirm their Sign Up and Confirm Their Participation on each Job. (TPSU2)

• Have the security in knowing the Trade Person will not be paid until the job is Complete. • You will be able to see a Trades Person’s work history. • You can grade the Trade Persons reliability, cleanliness, overall satisfaction. • You will see You are getting value for money with having a variety of quotes to choose from. • You can choose the Trade Person you want from the values which mean more to you, as you may want the highest rated or cheapest or someone who lives the closest. • You can issue stage payments on large jobs. • You will have a guide to help fill in as much information as possible to get the best price. • You can check the prices are fair if extra work must be undertaken.

1. Fill in as Much Information on the database as Possible. When the Trade Person quotes for a job, they will quote for the worst-case scenario. Be careful to put the Correct information in as false or wrong information can result in extra costs. 2. Receive Unlimited Quotes from Interested Trade People. When Choosing a Trade Person think about what the Trade Person is offering. You will have to consider things like; a. Price – Will cheaper be less quality? b. Distance – Will Trades People who live further away take more time to return if there was a problem? 3. Choose Your Trade Person and pay for the Job to be done. Work Sheriff will hold Your money with no charges. You can use PayPal and most major credit cards. 4. Have Your Job Done to the Standard you have requested. The Information you have given when posting the job will be used in any disputes, and the Trade Person will have to complete the job at your stated standard to get paid. 5. The Trade Person is paid if the job is completed to your Standard. Any problems must be raised within 2 weeks of the job completion.

Trades People can claim back extra costs if required. Extra time can be calculated and apply the appropriate rate, and fair price should be charged for parts. The Trade persons Hourly/ Half Day/ Day Rates can be found on their Profile Page. (CUA 6.1)

A Customer can Postpone Payment if the Job is not Complete to their Satisfaction, so a new date will be made for completion of the Snag and Payment. If this is an unfair Postponement then the Trade Person can dispute, and if found correct will be paid on the original date or ASAP. Large Jobs have got a Time Completion Clause and Must be Complete if a Charge is to be Made to the Trade Person on Date Non-Compliance. (CUA 8)

If You Remove your Job before Receiving Quotes you will Receive a Full Refund if a payment has been paid. If you Remove your Job after Receiving Quotes You Will Not Receive a Refund as we have Provided the Service Agreed. (CUA 10)

It Costs £0 for The Service of Providing Quotes and Protecting Your Money Until the Job has been Done to the Required Standard. There are no Charges on top of the Trade Person quote.

1. On Most British Tape Measures you can see Inches at the top and Cm/ mm at the bottom. Most Trades People use mm, and is the most Accurate. Make sure you do not get Cm and mm mixed up. 2. To allow an accurate measurement the hook on the end of the tape measure is taken into account and moves. the Hook Moves to take into account the thickness of the Hook so the measurement is correct if you either hook your tape measure over a piece of wood or but up to a piece of wood 3. Measure in a straight line not diagonal. Not measuring in a Straight Line will result in a measurement greater than the true measurement, Unless you want a diagonal measurement.

A. Outside wall. Is a wall between the inside of a house and the outside of the house. B. Adjoining wall. Is the wall between two houses (the wall between 2 semidetached houses). C. Interior wall. The wall separating 2 rooms within a house (the wall between the living room and dining room).

A. To take the plaster off the wall. In a neat as possible line depending on the quality of plastered wall. Old Plastering can fall off in big clumps, and is impossible to keep neat. B. You will need to patch/ fill in the chase with Plaster after the cable or pipe has been installed. C. Dust will go through the house. When chopping into walls a lot of dust is made so make sure furniture is covered with dust sheets or old bed sheets. Completely removing all furniture out of rooms being worked in is the Ideal area for Trade People to Work. D. Be aware of damage to the coving dado rail, skirting. Make sure the Trade Person is aware that you have no intension of installing new coving to avoid unnecessary damage. Sometimes coving and skirting does get caught and might need a little filling after, this can be unavoidable.

o Brick. Which is very good to fix to but can be very hard to drill into or cut into. Normally in brown or terracotta (dark orange) o Breeze block. Grey in colour, normally good to fix to but some types of breeze do need better fixings. Breeze is good to cut or drill if dry o Gap fill concrete. Is made by pouring concrete into a mould and strengthening with steel rods. Very hard to fix to and cut into. o Hollow studded wall, is an interior wall only (dividing a space into 2 room) which has a wooden frame covered with plasterboard. If you knock on the wall you can hear that it is hollow. Good to fix to and cut into, although if there is a lot of weight it will need reinforcing. o Studded straw filled Interior wall are walls made of compacted straw in the middle of plasterboards which is very hard to cut into although good to fix to if using the correct fixing which are a little more expensive. o Egg box type Interior walls are reinforced with cardboard in the middle of the plaster board. Easy to get pipes through

1) You can find out if your floor is Carpeted if the floor below is chipboard or floorboards by stamping on the floor and listen and feel for vibration, most likely the floor will be wooden if there is a room below. You will need to lift the carpet to tell the difference between floorboards or chipboard. 2) To find out if it is Concrete under the floor covering stamp on floor to see if solid, most of the time concrete floor is on the ground floor and it is unlikely to be concrete if there is a room below. 3) Tiled floor will be ruined if taken up, if you have spare tiles should be able to repair the damage. 4) Laminate floor, edging strip will be broken if taken up and will have to be replaced if the flooring is glued. You might be able to put the Laminate floor back down if it is click together laminate, but it is very difficult not to damage and a trade person would not be able to guarantee it. Laminate Flooring must have the floor in reasonable condition but does not need to be perfect. 5) Lino/ Vinyl will most likely will rip if taken up. Vinyl can be in 1 big piece like a carpet, or the size of laminate floors and laid like tiles or wooden flooring. The floor will need to be perfect to lay this and might need extra preparation before laying.

Scaffolding Information; A. Use The Work at Height Regulations 2005 if planning to use your own equipment. B. IF a job is a for a short duration ladders are ok to use if safe to do so i.e. replace a few tiles on a roof. C. Scaffolding must be used for higher risk jobs i.e. lifting heavy equipment to a high place. D. Scaffolding may be used to get to an awkward place for ladders to get to even though it may be a small job. The Regulations apply to all work at height where there is risk of a fall that is liable to cause personal injury. They place duties on employers, the self-employed and any person who controls the work of others (such as facilities managers or building owners who may contract others to work at height). Those with duties under the Regulations must ensure that: • all work at height is properly planned and organised • those involved in work at height are competent • the risks from work at height are assessed, and appropriate work equipment is selected and used • the risks of working on or near fragile surfaces are properly managed • the equipment used for work at height is properly inspected and maintained For managing work at height and selecting the most appropriate equipment, duty holders must: • avoid work at height where possible, for example doing the work from ground level using extending equipment • use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls, where work at height cannot be avoided, for example cherry pickers or scaffolding • use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of potential falls, where the risk cannot be eliminated, for example nets or bean bags • What is short duration work? • Short duration work means tasks that are measured in minutes rather than hours e.g. replacing a few of broken tiles on a roof or adjusting a television aerial • Are ladders banned? • No, ladders are not banned. They can be used for low-risk, short duration work and where a risk assessment shows that other more suitable work equipment cannot be used due to the layout of the work area. • Schedule 6 of the Work at Height Regulations deals with the requirements for ladders. • What is the maximum height a ladder can be used? • There is no maximum height for using a ladder. However, where a ladder rises 9 metres or more above its base, landing areas or rest platforms should be provided at suitable intervals

A. Look at where your neighbour’s satellite dishes are mounted and your satellite dish will have to face the same way. B. If there are no neighbours to copy off Apps can be downloaded for alignment or Google satellite alignment. C. Satellite dishes can be mounted on a tall pole if you don’t want the dish mounting on the same facing wall as your neighbour’s. D. The LMB is the bit which points at the dish and receives the signal

A. For double glazed doors and windows measure the opening side on the height and the width. Always measure the exact brickwork not the frame. B. To measure a square bay window they consist of 2 sides and a front window and 2 x 90 degree corner post. Measure the height externally but measure the width of each facet internally. C. To measure a bow window is the same as square bay but with shallow angles and more facets.

. Convert the measurements to meters, (if for any reason you was not able to make the original measurements in meters). If you try to figure your area with measurements in more than one unit of measure, your calculations will be incorrect. • Divide measurements in millimeters by 1000 to get meters. Therefore, if the object or area you measured is 800 millimeters long, that is 800 / 1000 = 0.80 meters. • Divide measurements in centimeters by 100 to get meters. Therefore, if the object or area you measured is 80 centimeters long, that is 80 / 100 = 0.80 meters. • Multiply measurements made in inches by 0.0254 to convert them to meters. Therefore, if your object or area is 12 inches long, that is 12 x 0.0254 = 0.3048 meters. • Multiply measurements made in feet by 0.3048 to convert to meters. If you measured something 2 feet long, it measures 2 x 0.3048 = 0.6096 meters. • Multiply any measurements taken in yards by 0.9144 to convert them to meters. So if the object you measured was 1/2 (0.5) yards long, it would measure 0.5 x 0.9144 = 0.4572 meters long. . Multiply the objects (or areas) length times its width. The result is its size, or the amount of area it covers, in square meters. If you measure a board and it is; 1.2 meters by 0.9 meters, its area is 1.2 X 0.9 = 1.08 Square Meters.

The most important thing when building a home is sighting the foundation, and no matter what type of foundation you end up using, they all begin the same way — with the footings. What Is a Footing? A footing is typically concrete and typically reinforced with steel. The footing is the bottom part of the foundation. It is the base — sometimes called a spread footings because it is spread wide and it spreads the vertical loads that are coming down in the building. In a foundation that is a slab (all slabs in general have a footing that goes around the perimeter of the building. How deep the excavation contractor needs to dig will depend upon the soil. The depth is usually designated by the structural engineer. They will tell you, based on the strength of the soil. The width gets into spreading those loads, and if the soil is not really that strong, then what you will need typically is a larger footer to help spread the load out a little bit more.

When you are making an alteration to a property that involves creating a new opening in the building (such as a door or window), it is essential that you ensure the integrity of the brickwork above the opening by means of a lintel. Typically on a domestic single leaf knock through with a gap larger than a door or window in a load bearing wall, a steel RSJ would be put in place to take the load above. Prior to any structural modification you must have the load calculated by either a capable builder or preferably a structural engineer. Each job is different and may warrant a different set of rules to accommodate different loads of the structure, which will be inspected by the building control to make sure it is to the building regulations.

A door bar is used to hide the join between the flooring between 2 rooms. • It will need replacing if the new flooring is a different material on either side of the door bar (i.e. from carpet to laminate). • May need replacing if stuck down • Not all door bars need taking up if changing the carpet. • Larger door bars could be fitted if a carpet isn’t covered by the original door bar.

Generally, you should always use underlay when installing new floor covering. Underlay acts as a shock absorber between your new carpet and the floor. Floors themselves have no give or resilience, so when you walk on a carpeted floor with no underlay all the pressure is absorbed by the carpet, rapidly accelerating its wear. When an underlay is used it takes all the pressure, cushioning the wear and protecting the carpet. This cushioning effect also adds an extra dimension of comfort to your carpet, giving it a really luxurious feel underfoot. In addition, an underlay provides good heat insulation and is excellent at absorbing noise. Always use the best underlay that you can afford. A top-quality underlay will make even the least expensive carpet feel luxurious and will make heavier quality carpets feel spectacular. But there are some exceptions. For example, you shouldn’t need underlay when fitting a vinyl floor that is cushioned and provides a soft surface or installing cushioned backed carpet. Most laminate and wood floors are what’s known as ‘floating’ floors which means that they aren’t permanently fixed down to the ground underneath it. These are the type of floors that will need underlay beneath them, to stop vapours getting into the flooring as well as for sound-proofing purposes. A good indication of the state of your existing underlay can be gained by testing the amount of bounce in your carpet in an area of heavier wear (such as a doorway) and then comparing it to an area which is not used (e.g. under a coffee table or sofa).

Gripper stops your Carpet from Moving and tucked nicely against the wall. Do you Need New Gripper? 1. If you have gripper missing you will need new gripper fitting. 2. If some of your gripper has come loose then you want your gripper totally replacing in that room. 3. Some carpets require long pin gripper which means you may need to change the type of gripper laid. 4. You may need new gripper laying if you previously had a felt backed carpet for instance and you are now having a hessian backed carpet. 5. You may need gripper taking up if you have it down now but are now having felt backed carpet or laminate fitted.

1. To lay laminate flooring the floor must be level. An uneven or sloping floor must be levelled. 2. Small gaps i.e. between a fitted unit and a wall could be hard for the fitter to make look good and could take up a lot of time. 3. Any bumps must be flattened any holes must be filled any nails must be removed before laying.

Beading described and how it is used. 1. Beading or skirting is used to cover the gap around the laminate flooring, which must be there to allow the floor to expand and contract with the temperature of the room. 2. Beading is used when the skirting board is not being removed when installing laminate flooring. 3. Beading can be matching to the laminate colour or white to match the skirting board it will be attached to.

You normally over board a wooden floor which is in poor condition, or if you will be tiling over boarding it will stop a lot of movement when screwed down. You May need over boarding if having laminate or vinyl flooring fitted to protect the new Flooring. You may need waterproof boards if going in a bathroom or kitchen

1. Any high or low point can cause cracks in the grout or even crack a tile if extreme enough. 2. High or low points will eventually cause squeaks on wooden flooring which may not happen straight away. 3. High or low points can rip vinyl which may not happen straight away.

Primary heating is the main heating in a room i.e. if there is a radiator in a room that will normally be the primary heating and if there is also under floor heating in the room that is normally considered secondary heating. Under floor heating can be primary or secondary but if it is going to be primary heating it must be a more powerful version and so more expensive.

• Conduit and Trunking are used to take cables up or across a wall. • Conduit and Trunking is normally used if cables aren’t being chased into a wall and looks neater than clipping a cable to a wall. • Conduit is round and is normally found in black or white. • Standard trunking is square and has a lid for access and is normally found in white or brown. Decorative trucking can be purchased and can be a variety of colours and shapes but a lot more expensive

The four most common kinds of damp problems are rising damp, penetrating damp, condensation and below ground level damp proofing. To work out the best way to treat the damp in your home, you will need to work out which of these you have a problem with. 1. Rising damp is caused by ground water moving up through a wall. Most walls allow some water in, but it’s usually stopped from causing damage by a barrier called a damp-proof course. This is usually a horizontal plastic or slate strip in the wall. If this is missing or ineffectual, your wall may suffer from rising damp. This type of damp can also happen when the level of the ground outside your home is higher than your damp-proof course, allowing water to get above it. If you have rising damp, you may notice damaged skirting boards and floorboards, crumbling or salt stained plaster and peeling paint and wallpaper. There may also be a tide mark along the wall. 2. Penetrating damp is caused by water leaking through walls. This type of damp may move around within a building, but this is through horizontal movement rather than by travelling up walls (as is the case with rising damp). Penetrating damp is usually caused by structural problems in a building, such as faulty guttering or roofing. Penetrating damp often shows up through damp patches on walls, ceilings, or floors, which may darken when it rains. You’re more likely to get penetrating damp if you live in an older building with solid walls, as cavity walls provide some protection. 3. Condensation is the most common kind of damp and is caused by moist air condensing on walls. It is mainly a winter problem, as at this time of year walls are much colder than the air inside. Condensation can be exacerbated by poor ventilation, and heating that comes on and off, as this allows warm, damp air to condense. You may notice water droplets on windows or walls, see dark mould appearing and/or notice an unpleasant smell. If left untreated, condensation can damage paint and plaster and cause window frames to decay. 4. Waterproofing below ground level is often referred to as tanking is the application of a layer of waterproof material directly to the structure. This is usually a cementitious waterproof render system on the walls, typically applied in several layers, linked to a waterproof screed on the floor. Tanking can also involve a sheet membrane, asphalt or other liquid-applied waterproofing material. Tanking is also required to withstand the external water pressure around the cellar (hydrostatic pressure). The pressure from the water table around a basement can be enormous and unless the tanking is very securely fixed to the substrate, it can fail. Hydrostatic pressure will force water through the tiniest fault very rapidly and once a leak occurs it can be very difficult to isolate and repair. Cavity drain membranes are an alternative. The membranes are used to create an inner waterproof structure in the basement or cellar, behind which is a cavity (created by the membranes studded profile) that is fully drained, so any tiny leaks in the outer structure are diverted harmlessly away via a drain. By constantly draining away any small leaks there is never any water pressure against the inner structure. Several reports consider cavity membranes to be the most reliable way to waterproof a basement.

Soil stack All (sinks, toilets etc.) fixtures are connected to waste lines, which in turn take the waste to a soil stack, or soil vent pipe. At the building drain system lowest point, the drain-waste vent is attached, and rises (usually inside a wall) to and out of the roof. Waste is removed from the building through the building drain and taken to a sewage line, which leads to a septic system or a public sewer. Gully Wastewater from your kitchen and bathroom and roof is piped to a gully trap before emptying into the sewer. A gully trap is a basin in the ground with a water seal to prevent foul odours of the sewer reaching the surface. Gully traps are buried in the ground with the tops or surround raised above ground level to prevent ground water entering into the sewer

The difference between solar hot water and PV is Solar water heating use the sun’s rays to warm domestic hot water, and solar PV system’s convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting or sell back to your supplier. Your Panels must face South, so you can use a compass to get the exact position or simply go outside on a sunny day at lunchtime. Your roof ideally will be facing straight at the sun. 5 square meters are needed to fit the average roof panels. To find the angle of the roof go into the loft and use a spirit level and a protractor. If you imagine a board laid flat on the floor and you start lifting it that will be a shallow angle up until halfway which is the normal angle and carry on lifting through a steep angle to vertical on the boards edge. You must have a hot water tank to have solar water heating (PV System not affected), no combi boilers can have it ( you could use a heat recovery device). Check the government web site to see if there are any schemes to help with installation costs. If a panel can’t be fitted to a roof other options include making a frame to fit on a flat roof or fitting to a wall. If the property is to be insulated it must have air flow and may need air bricks fitting if not up to standard or mould will be a big problem. Solar water heating systems use free heat from the sun to warm domestic hot water. A conventional boiler or immersion heater can be used to make the water hotter, or to provide hot water when solar energy is unavailable. The benefits of solar water heating are that there is hot water throughout the year: the system works all year round, though you will need to heat the water further with a boiler or immersion heater during the winter months, you will cut your bills: sunlight is free, so once you have paid for the initial installation your hot water costs will be reduced, you will cut your carbon footprint, solar hot water is a green renewable heating system and can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions. Solar water heating systems use solar panels, called collectors, fitted to your roof. These collect heat from the sun and use it to heat up water which is stored in a hot water cylinder. A boiler or immersion heater can be used as a back up to heat the water further to reach the temperature you want. Larger solar panels can be arranged to provide some contribution to heating your home as well. However, the amount of heat provided is generally very small and it is not normally considered worthwhile. Savings are moderate - the system could provide most of your hot water in the summer, but much less during colder weather. Maintenance costs for solar water heating systems are generally very low. Most solar water heating systems come with a five-year or ten-year warranty and require little maintenance. Once fitted your installer should leave written details of any maintenance checks that you can carry out from time to time, ensuring everything is working properly. Perhaps the most important thing you can check for yourself from time to time is whether there are any leaks. If there are any leaks of anti-freeze (even if you can’t see any liquid) this will have a strong smell. If you notice this, you should contact your installer. In general, you should keep an eye on your system to check that it is doing what it has been designed to do. If you are not getting hot water or the solar pipework is cold (when the pump is running) on warm, sunny days then again you should contact your installer. For peace of mind some installation companies offer an annual service check. You should have your system checked more thoroughly by an accredited installer every 3-7 years, or as specified by your installer. It is likely that after this period of time the anti-freeze that is used to protect your system in the winter months will need to top up or be replaced as it breaks down over time reducing the performance of your system. Anti-freeze lasts better if the solar water system is used throughout the year and not left unused during the warmest weeks of the year. The other thing that your installer should check is the pump. In a well maintained system, pumps can last for ten years plus. Solar water heating systems can achieve savings on your energy bills. Typical carbon savings are around 230kgCO2/year when replacing gas and 510kgCO2/year when replacing electric immersion heating. You will need around five square metres of roof space which faces east to west through south and receives direct sunlight for the main part of the day. The panels do not have to be mounted on a roof: they can be fixed to a frame on a flat roof or hanging from a wall. If a dedicated solar hot water cylinder is not already installed, then you will usually need to replace the existing cylinder or add a dedicated cylinder with a solar heating coil. Most conventional boiler and hot water cylinder systems are compatible with solar water heating. But if your boiler is a combination boiler (combi) and you do not currently have a hot water tank, a solar hot water system may not be compatible. Solar panel electricity systems, also known as solar photovoltaics (PV), capture the sun energy using photovoltaic cells. These cells do not need direct sunlight to work – they can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting. Cut your electricity bills with a PV system because sunlight is free, so once you have paid for the initial installation your electricity costs will be reduced. Sell electricity back to the grid if your system is producing more electricity than you need, or when you cannot use it, you can sell the surplus back to the grid. Cut your carbon footprint solar electricity is green, renewables energy and does not release any harmful carbon dioxide] or other pollutants. A typical home solar PV system could save over a tonne of carbon dioxide per year – that is more than 30 tonnes over its lifetime. PV cells are made from layers of semi-conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is produced. Groups of cells are mounted together in panels or modules that can be mounted on your roof. The power of a PV cell is measured in kilowatts peak (kWp). That is the rate at which it generates energy at peak performance in full direct sunlight during the summer. PV cells come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Most PV systems are made up of panels that fit on top of an existing roof, but you can also fit solar tiles. Solar tiles are designed to be used in place of ordinary roof tiles. A system made up of solar tiles will typically cost around twice as much as an equivalent panel system, although you will save the money you would have spent on roof tiles or slates. Solar tile systems are not normally as cost-effective as panel systems and are usually only considered where panels are not considered appropriate for aesthetic or planning reasons. factors that affect PV installation costs are: • The more electricity the system can generate, the more it costs but the more it could save. • Larger systems are usually more cost-effective than smaller systems (up to 4kWp). • PV panels are all around the same price per kWp, but PV tiles cost much more than a typical system made up of panels. • Panels built into a roof are more expensive than those that sit on top. A 3.5kWp system can generate around 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year – about three quarters of a typical household electricity needs. It will save over a tonne of carbon dioxide every year. Solar PV needs little maintenance – you will just need to keep the panels relatively clean and make sure trees do not begin to overshadow them. In the UK panels that are tilted at 15° or more have the additional benefit of being cleaned by rainfall to ensure optimal performance. Debris is more likely to accumulate if you have ground mounted panels. If dust, debris, snow or bird droppings are a problem they should be removed with warm water (and perhaps some washing-up liquid or something similar – your installer can advise) and a brush or a high-pressure hose (or telescopic cleaning pole) if the panels are difficult to reach. Always be careful if you are working above the ground or near the top of a ladder. Alternatively, there are a number of specialist window cleaning companies who will clean solar PV panels for you. Many of these companies use a water fed pole system which does away with the need for a ladder. Once fitted, your installer should leave written details of any maintenance checks that you should carry out from time to time to ensure everything is working properly. This should include details of the main inverter fault signals and key trouble-shooting guidance. Ideally your installer should demonstrate this to you at the point of handover. Keeping a close eye on your system and the amount of electricity it’s generating (alongside the weather conditions) will familiarise you with what to expect and alert you to when something might be wrong. The panels should last 25 years or more, but the inverter is likely to need replacing sometime during this period. Consult with your installer for exact maintenance requirements before you commit to installing a solar PV system.

Aimed at properties that don’t (or can’t) have solar central heating, a Passive Flue Gas Heat Recovery Device (PFGHRD) gathers heat from your boilers exhaust and channels it to pre-heating cold water before it gets heated properly by the boiler. Devices like this are most useful in the Winter, when the boiler will be operational for longer periods of time. An example of one of these devices is the Baxi Multi-fit GasSaver GS1. This device can cut up to 37% of the gas used, giving you vast savings on your hot water heating expenses.

Around a third of all the heat lost in an uninsulated home goes through the walls? Heat will always flow from a warm area to a cold one. In winter, the colder it is outside, the faster heat from your home will escape into the surrounding air. Most houses built from the 1990s onwards were built with insulation in the walls to keep the heat in, but if your house is older than that it may not have any wall insulation at all. If this is the case then you are paying good money to heat the outside air, instead of just heating your home. Luckily most types of walls can be insulated in one way or another. The first thing you need to find out is what sort of walls you have. Houses in the UK mostly have either solid walls or cavity walls: • a cavity wall is actually made up of two walls with a gap in between, known as the cavity; the outer leaf is usually made of brick, and the inner layer of brick or concrete block. • a solid wall has no cavity: each wall is a single solid wall, usually made of brick or stone. If your house was built after the 1920s it is likely to have cavity walls. Older houses are more likely to have solid walls. If you can see the brickwork on the outside of the house, look at the pattern of the bricks. If your home has cavity walls, the bricks will usually have a regular pattern, but If your home has solid walls, the bricks will have an alternating pattern. If the brickwork has been covered, you can also tell by measuring the width of the wall. Go to a window or door on one of your external walls. If a brick wall is more than 260mm thick, then it probably has a cavity; a narrower wall is probably solid. Stone walls can be thicker still but are usually solid. Some houses are not made from brick or stone at all, and so do not fit neatly into these two categories - for example, steel-frame and timber-frame buildings, and houses made from pre-fabricated concrete, generally these houses do not have a cavity to fill, but it may be possible to insulate them in the same way as a solid wall. Your home will usually be suitable for cavity wall insulation if its external walls are unfilled cavity walls, and your cavity is at least 50mm wide and the masonry or brickwork of your property is in good condition and it is more than twenty years old (most newer houses will have insulation already) and the walls are not exposed to driving rain. If your house was built in the last twenty years or so, its walls are probably insulated already. To find out whether they are ask a registered installer for a boroscope inspection. They will drill a small hole in your external wall to see if your walls are hollow or filled or check with your local authority building control department - they might know if your cavity walls have been filled already. Cavity wall insulation is blown into the cavity from the outside of a house. Every part of the wall must be filled with insulation, so it is important that the installer can reach all your external walls. If your home external walls are joined to another house, the installer will need to insert a cavity barrier to contain the insulation, so your neighbours are not affected. If you have any damp patches on your internal walls, then they should not be insulated until the problem is sorted out. You should speak to a builder who specialises in damp prevention. To insulate your cavity walls, the installer drills small holes around 22mm in size at intervals of around 1m in the outside wall of your home. With specially designed equipment, they then blow insulation into the cavity. Once all the insulation is in, the installer fills the holes in the brickwork so you will barely notice them. Filling cavity walls is not a job you can do yourself: you will need to find a registered installer. A professional can do the job in around two hours for an average house with easily accessible walls; it should be simple, quick - and make no mess. Insulating your solid walls could cut your heating costs considerably, because solid walls let through twice as much heat as cavity walls do. The good news is they can be insulated – from the inside or the outside. If your home was built before 1920, its external walls are probably solid rather than cavity walls. Cavity walls are made of two layers with a small gap or ‘cavity’ between them. Solid walls have no such gap, so they let more heat through. Solid walls can be insulated – either from the inside or the outside. This will cost more than insulating a standard cavity wall, but the savings on your heating bills will be bigger too. You might be able to reduce costs by carrying out the work at the same time as other home improvements. And you could spread the cost by not tackling all the house at once. Internal wall insulation is done by fitting rigid insulation boards to the wall, or by building a stud wall filled in with mineral wool fibre. External wall insulation involves fixing a layer of insulation material to the wall, then covering it with a special type of render (plasterwork) or cladding. The finish can be smooth, textured, painted, tiled, panelled, pebble-dashed, or finished with brick slips. Internal wall insulation is generally cheaper to install than external wall insulation but will slightly reduce the floor area of any rooms in which it is applied (the thickness of the insulation is around 100mm) and is disruptive, but can be done room by room and requires skirting boards, door frames and external fittings to be removed and reattached and can make it hard to fix heavy items to inside walls – although special fixings are available. Your walls will needs any problems with penetrating or rising damp to be fixed first. External wall insulation can be applied without disruption to the household and does not reduce the floor area of your home and will renews the appearance of outer walls and will improve weatherproofing and sound resistance and will fill cracks and gaps in the brickwork, which will reduce draughts and it increases the life of your walls by protecting the brickwork and reduces condensation on internal walls and can help prevent damp (but will not solve rising or penetration damp). It is best installed at the same time as external refurbishment work to reduce the cost and may need planning permission - check with your local council, it requires good access to the outer walls. External wall insulation is not recommended if the outer walls are structurally unsound and cannot be repaired. A price could be for a Company to come in, insulate your whole house in one go, fully redecorate and replace everything just as it was. Some people want exactly this, but it does cost a lot of money. If you are looking for a cheaper option, the best thing to do is to insulate a wall whenever you are doing something else to it anyway. Fitting the insulation work in with your other home improvements not only saves money on the job, it also spreads the cost of the insulation as you work your way round the house. If you are planning a new kitchen or bathroom, this is an obvious time to fit internal insulation. But for all the other rooms, why not factor it in when you are next redecorating? You will be clearing the room and making a mess anyway, so why not take the opportunity to improve your insulation while you are in there? External insulation will also cost less if you do it when you are having other work done to the outside. If you are having a new roof, or painting the windows, or even having solar PV panels fitted, then you will probably have scaffolding up already, which can save a bit on the costs. And if you have rendered walls with damaged render, or brick walls that need re-pointing, external insulation may not cost you much more than you would need to pay for the repairs. Lots of older houses have an attractive frontage which would not be suitable for external insulation, but a much less impressive rear where external insulation could be just the thing. The front wall can then be insulated internally, one room at a time. If you insulate a solid wall, you have to make sure it complies with the current Building Regulations. The main condition to meet is the thermal performance of the insulated wall - if you live in England or Wales then it must have a U-value of no more than 0.30 W/m2K. The U-value is a measure of how quickly heat will pass through the wall - as a rough guide you will need around 60mm to 120mm of insulation to achieve this, depending on what insulation material you use. Normally your installer will ensure that the insulation is up to standard and will arrange approval from the local Building Control Office for you. If they are not going to do this, you should contact Building Control at an early stage to make sure you comply. If you are planning to remove and replace more than half of the internal plaster or external render of a wall, or if you are dry lining a wall, then you have to insulate to this standard whether you were planning to insulate or not. If you live in Northern Ireland or Scotland you should contact your local building control office for information on what you need to do to comply with the regulations.

A. To truly be safe the best way to isolate the electric supply is to turn off the main switch which is the first switch after the meter. This is normally the big RED switch on the fuse board, it should say main switch on it, but it could be a switch on the wires between the fuse board and the meter. MAKE SURE IT CAN’T BE SWITCH BACK ON WHILE YOU ARE WORKING ON IT. B. To look safely behind a socket front when you need to keep the lights on, you could isolate the individual socket circuit by plugging in a lamp and one at a time turn of all circuit breakers or pull fuses labelled sockets. If the breakers/ fuses are not labelled, then the sockets will either be on a 30/32A circuit (red dots) or a 20/16/15A circuit (yellow/ blue dots). To make sure the light has not broke, after you have tested turn the circuit back on to make sure lamp turns back on, then isolate again when satisfied correct one is found. MAKE SURE IT CAN’T BE SWITCH BACK ON WHILE YOU ARE WORKING ON IT. C. To look safely behind a light switch when you want to keep sockets on. Turn on the light switch which you want to look behind and then turn of the breaker or pull the fuse on all circuits marked lights one at a time until the right one is found. If the breakers/ fuses are not marked they will be a 5/6/10A (white dots). Turn lights back on again to make sure lamp hasn’t broke then turn off again if satisfied correct one is found. MAKE SURE IT CAN’T BE SWITCH BACK ON WHILE YOU ARE WORKING ON IT.

An RCD is the switch with a test button on it. RCD’s work differently to fuses as they measure the balance of electric passing through it and not the amount. What goes up the live i.e. 10.23A must come down the neutral 10.23A so if it detects any difference over 0.03A it will break the circuit. An RCD powers the circuit breakers next to it and should have a sticker on the board indicating which ways/ CB’s (circuit breakers) it controls. An RCBO works the same way as a RCD but it looks like a Circuit Breaker and only operates the individual circuit. Again you can tell the difference by the test button on it.

• Main tails are the live and neutral cables which run from the meter to the fuse box. • In Britain there is a standard size of 25mm² for newly installed live and neutral main supply cables. • If new cables are to be installed or a new fuse box is being installed 25mm is the size which should be fitted. • If the supply cables are not the correct size although it is recommended to have 25mm² tails, if 16mm² (the next size down) exists then it is not “illegal” to keep the existing cables. • 16mm² existing tails can safely manage the load up to 80A. The maximum load to carry will depend on the main fuse which is before the meter. • If 16mm cables are protected by a 100A fuse it is recommended to get the tails upgraded.

• Main earth cable is the earth cable which supplies the earth to the fuse box which then earths each individual circuit. • Main earth bonding is the earth cable which connects the fuse box to the water stop tap and the gas meter (oil supply in some rural areas). • To check if the earth bonding cable is 10mm, put a fuse found in a standard plug socket (BS1361) next to it and it should be the same size, if the cable is larger that’s ok too. • The main earth cable should be 16mm², so older houses might need an upgrade. It is a safety recommendation and is not “illegal” if not done. • The main earth bonding should be 10mm², so older houses might need an upgrade. It is a safety recommendation and is not. • The earth bonding cable is there because if a live cable touches the pipe it will blow the circuit which is at fault. If the pipe is not earthed then the pipe could potentially become like a big exposed cable with no insulation to protect people from an electric shock.

• Most rewires are done because of the age of an installation but it may not be necessary. • If a large amount of work is to be done in the house and it has old wiring and more sockets are to be fitted, then it might be the best time to get a rewire done. • If fuses/ breakers trip a good electrician will be able to test and inspect and give a diagnosis to what is needed. Often a small fault can be found and is easily corrected. • Most houses which may be ready for a rewire often have lights close to the window, and have only 1 socket per bedroom near the door. • Modern living often requires more sockets and can be added if an inspection and test shows good readings. Poor readings may mean a rewire will be best. • A partial rewire can be done if there is a problem with only one circuit but it is a messy job, and if one circuit is in need of a rewire it would be recommended to get the other circuits done if they are the same age.

• Timers can be used to turn the power on and off to the light or heater etc. which are either 24hr or 7 day. • Photocells react to light so when it gets dark your light will come on and turn off when it gets light. • Timers and photocells can be put together so the photocell will turn the light on only when it gets dark and turn off using the timer. • Sensors switch the lights on when it picks up movement and off after a set period when the motion has stopped, they normally also have a photocell built in so it’s not operating in the day time. The down side is it will pick up people or cats or other animals passing the sensor. • Light fitting can be bought with timers, photocells and sensors built in.

• You should have at least one smoke detector on each level of the house. • You should also have a smoke detector on the hallway ceiling outside of sleeping areas (bedrooms). Remember to install a separate smoke detector in each sleeping area if you have multiple sleeping areas located in different areas or different levels of the house. • Kitchens are important when choosing locations for smoke detectors. Put one either inside using a heat detector or just outside the kitchen. Smoke from cooking causes nuisance alarms. • Ionization smoke detection is generally more responsive to flaming fires. They basically smell a fire. • Photoelectric smoke detection is generally more responsive to fires that begin with a long period of smoldering. They basically see the fire. • Heat detectors are used in kitchens as they will not sound an alarm when cooking. • Smoke detectors can be battery operated but you must change the battery every year. Mains voltage detectors are the best as the battery is just for back up. If you have more than one detector they should be interlinked (which means they tell each other if there is a fire). • Radio bases can be used to link the smoke detectors which means they will all sound their alarm when just one picks up smoke in the house. Normally a cable will have to be fitted between the detectors, which means chopping the cable in to plaster or clipping the cable to the wall or fitting trunking, but with a radio base a cable will have to supply the detector but it can be taken from a close supply.

• Fans can be mounted on the wall or on a ceiling if there is a loft above. • If a fan is to be mounted on a ceiling it must have to be able to exit the loft through ducting either through the eves or through a gable end wall, or out through a vent tile in the roof. • If the fan is to be fitted to a wall it will need core drilling which is a hole the size of the fan duct to vent outside. Core drilling creates a lot of dust • Fans can be switched either with a pull cord fitted in the fan or by a pull cord or switch put in a convenient place. • Fan switches are normally located next to light switches or the fan can be switched on with the lights. • Fans which come on with the lights can have an override on them which makes the fan continue running for a timed period after the light has been turned off. • Fans can have a humidistat fitted which turns the fan on when there is moisture in the air.

• Pressurised fans are used to push air in to a house which then forces damp out of the house. • Pressurised fans come in a few different designs A. The most common being the fan which sits in the loft and blows air in to the landing area. B. If just the bathroom is a problem a normal fan could be exchanged for a pressurised wall fan. C. There is a design of pressurised fan which can be used if there is no loft i.e. in a flat.

• Pressurised fans are used to push air in to a house (Common fans suck air out) which then forces damp out of the house. • Pressurised fans come in a few different designs A. The most common being the fan which sits in the loft and blows air in to the landing area. B. If just the bathroom is a problem a normal fan could be exchanged for a pressurised wall fan. C. There is a design of pressurised fan which can be used if there is no loft i.e. in a flat.

• A spur is the general term used for a circuit which comes off the socket circuit. • A fused spur is the size of a single socket. • A fused spur can be with or without switches. • Anything could be put on a fused spur which will not move which normally would have a plug on it. Pumps, boilers, fires, fans are the most common thing to have on a fused spur.

A pattress is a white box which the socket or switch sits in when the socket/ switch is not being sunk into a wall.

Only combi boilers supply central heating and hot water direct with no hot water tank, all other boilers have a hot water tank. A back boiler is an old style of boiler which is built into the gas fire. A S plan system has a valve fitted to the hot water supply and a valve fitted to the central heating. A Y plan system has just 1 valve controlling the hot water and the central heating.

• The easiest way to check if the lighting circuit is earthed is to in the day time turn on the light in a bright room. • Go to your fuse box and turn off all lighting circuits which is the fuse with the white dots or 5A/ 6A/10A circuit breaker, the light should now stay off if the light switch is up or down. • Unscrew the front plate to see behind and if the lighting circuit is earthed then you will see a yellow and green or just green covered wire connected to the back box or in a block. • Screw the front plate back on and be careful not to trap the wires between the screw and back box, and turn the power back on at the fuse box.

• To find the correct lighting circuit turn on the light switch which you want to have work done on and then turn of the breaker or pull the fuse on all circuits marked lights one at a time until the right one is found. If the breakers/ fuses are not marked they will be a 5/6/10A (white dots). • To isolate an individual socket circuit plug in a lamp and one at a time turn of all circuit breakers or pull fuses labelled sockets. If the breakers/ fuses are not labelled, then the sockets will either be on a 30/32A circuit (red dots) or a 20/16/15A circuit (yellow/ blue dots).

• Cable is measured by the cross sectional area of the conductor (the copper bit). You might find the cross section area written on the grey sleeving or yellow and green sleeving if it’s an earth cable. The Common sizes in the UK are 1mm for Lighting, 2.5mm for Sockets, 6mm for Cookers, and 10mm for showers. Obviously this can vary as 1.5mm cable can also be used on Lighting, 4mm can be used for Sockets, and 6mm can be used on low Wattage Showers. An easy way to find if a cable is 6mm or 10mm is check if the earth is a single core (6mm) or stranded multiple cores (10mm), but some older 6mm cables had multiple cores but is rare.

Floor screeding is often done to level and smooth uneven concrete floors or after under floor heating has been laid as it insures an even spread of heat and it also gives a good foundation to lay Tiles or Vinyl on.

Mechanical thermostats are basic on/ off thermostats which are the easiest to use Digital thermostats can turn the heat on and off with the temperature and also the time can be set to turn the heat on and off. They can be Complicated for old people to use.

If the fuse box is close enough to the new circuit and there is a spare way in the fuse box then a new circuit is always the best option, but it might be possible to come off the socket circuit. If you have a good 32A ring circuit (2 cables feeding the socket) then in most cases it will be possible to just extend it off a socket close to the new Circuit/ Socket. If you have a 20/16/15A radial circuit (1 cable feeding the socket) close to the New Circuit/ Socket and you are just having a light and TV type equipment in there then it might be possible to extend off that socket. If you are having electric heating or air conditioning in the area then a new circuit from the fuse board might be needed. The installing electrician will need to do a Zs test first on either the radial circuit or ring circuit to determine if the fuse protecting the circuit will trip in time if there is a fault, and calculate usage on the Original Circuit.

Soffits and fascia are used to hide the rough saw timber roofing to make a pleasant looking finish to the roof. Soffit’s are underneath and the fascia is the front. Guttering is used to catch the rain landing on the roof and direct to a gully. Cladding can be used to finish off a wall and hiding the insulation and timber behind.

The Apex is the peak of the roof or the top of the triangle over a window. This is normally a roofing term.

Air needs to flow in and out of your house so it stays fresh, dry and healthy. Make sure you don’t block or seal any intentional ventilation, as this causes Mould: • extractor fans – these take out damp air quickly in rooms where lots of moisture is produced (kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms) • under-floor grilles or airbricks – these help keep wooden beams and floors dry • wall vents – these let small amounts of fresh air into rooms • trickle vents – modern windows often have small vents above them to let fresh air trickle in.

A. A gable end is a triangular (Normally Brick) wall between the edges of a sloping roof. i. One gable end (End terraced) (Semi detached) looks like rectangle from a bird’s eye view ii. Two gable ends (Normal gable) looks like rectangle from a bird’s eye view iii. Cross gabled roof looks like a cross from a bird’s eye view. B. Standard Hip roofs have no gable ends and slopes from the top and ends at the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. They are symmetrical and will have a gutter fitted all around the house. i. Standard hip looks rectangle from a bird’s eye view ii. Pyramid hip looks square from a bird’s eye view iii. Cross hipped looks like a cross from a bird’s eye view. C. Half hip roof’s have a gable (wall In between The roof) as the big part of a triangle with a hip roof on top of the gable. The guttering on the small hip leads back on to the remainder of the roof on one or both side. D. Dutch hip roof’s are a hip roof (see B) with a small gable wall above it, They are almost always symmetrical and will have a gutter fitted all around the house. E. Mansard roof’s are a hip type roof (See B) with four sides with two different roof angles, the lower slope is much steeper than the upper slope of the roof. F. Bonnet roof’s are a hip type roof (see B) with four sides with two different roof angles, the lower slope is less steep than the upper slope (opposite to the mansard roof); often extends over an open-sided raised porch to provide shade for the house and protection against rain. G. Gambrel roof’s are a gable end (wall) roof with two sides with two different angled slopes per side, often steep to shallow. H. Intersecting roof’s have a gable or hip and a valley. The valley is formed where the two different sections of the roof meet, generally at a 90° and look like the letter T from a bird’s eye view. I. Butterfly roof’s have two sides sloping inward toward the middle, so that they dip to create a central valley, which is opposite to most traditional roofs. Butterfly roof’s have varied angle gradations and may not be of identical length or angle on each Side. J. Saltbox roof’s have gable end walls and have a long pitched roof that slopes down to the back. A saltbox roofed house has two stories in the front and just one at the back. K. Shed roof’s are simply a straight slope which is often attached to another building. L. Dormer roof’s are a smaller roof with a window at the front which protrudes from the slope of the main roof surface.

Trussed roofs have 10.16 cm x 5.08 (2 inch x 4 inch) wood securely fastened together with metal ties (batten straps), the design provides equal distribution of weight to the interior walls and ceiling supports. To find out if your roof is trussed simply go into your loft and look for the metal ties (batten straps) joining the different angles of wood together. Trussed roof are designs to withstand the weight of the structure itself as well as snow and ice on top, so trussed roof frames should never be altered from its original factory state. It should also never be used as a foundation or support for a space for living or storage which could leave the structure vulnerable to failure or outright collapse.

A ridge on a roof is where the roof faces join which is always on the top of the House and also down the sides from the top on a hip roof. The tile which covers the join between the roof faces is called the ridge tile.

Measure from the bottom left of the door frame to the top right, write down the measurement. Then measure the bottom right to the top left of the door frame and the measurement should be about the same. A few mm difference is square but over 1cm (10mm) difference it is getting to a not square situation.

A. Pin and glue skirting is the most popular and cheapest method of fixing the skirting board to the wall. The walls need to be reasonably straight B. Screwing and pelting the skirting to the wall is normally done when the walls are uneven or not straight or if the skirting is being varnished not glossed.

A. A plinth, or kickboard, is often added along the bottom edge of the base units, to make them appear to stand directly on the floor in a material that matches the cupboards, and give the kitchen a solid finished look. B. The cornice can be fitted to the top and pelmet to the bottom of the wall units, to look like the unit is not just a square box. The cornice and pelmets can hide junction boxes or transformers for under unit lighting.

A magic corner makes the most of the space in the corner of the Kitchen base units. Various designs are used to make it possible to use the space in the base corner unit without having to take everything out at the front of the unit and getting on your hands and knees to reach the back.

A kitchen Splash back is an extension of the worktop, walls are protected and there are no traps to collect dirt and moisture. Splash backs usually comes in the form of tiling or a cut length of the same worktop material which sits on the worktop but can also be other materials such as glass, steel.

The cornice will need a cut on every angle change and for every length over 2meter if the cornice is 2meters long.

Winders are the turns in the stairs. You describe the stairs as though you are walking up them. So, if you walk up 2 steps and turn right then you go straight to the top of the stairs then you have a bottom right winder. If you walk straight to near the top and then turn left you have a top left winder. If you have a winder at the top and bottom it is a double winder. Balustrade or banister is the handrail which look like a fence made to stop people from falling off the stairs or landing, vertical rails are the rails which go up the stairs. Newel is the piece of wood which the Banister fits to and a half newel is the wood which fits the banister to the wall.

If the distance between the flu exit and a window (which can open) or a door is more than 600mm or 1200mm under a car port there is no problem with the position of the flu. If the distance between the flu exit is less than above there could be a problem although the measurements above are the max distances and you may still be ok. If your vent is less than those distances you can check the exact regulation distance on page 44 http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADJ_2002.pdf The distance depends on if it’s a balanced flu or open flu or natural draught or fanned draught and the power of the boiler being installed.

When you consider household heating systems you should differentiate between your household heating requirements and your domestic hot water requirement. Whilst heating the property is often left to the radiators or Under Floor Heating there are different ways to provide domestic hot water. The main types of household heating and water systems: A. Conventional open vented system (including gravity fed open vented hot water / Radiator system or vented hot water system with sealed primary and radiator circuit. B. Mains Pressure (unvented) Hot Water System - accompanied by either sealed or open vented radiator circuit. C. Combination Boiler System (Hot water on demand with sealed radiator circuit - no cylinder or tank required) D. Conventional Boiler. E. System Boiler. F. Back boiler. G. Condensing boiler. A Fully vented / Gravity Fed System The term fully vented comes from the fact that no part of this type of system is pressurised. Control of what your boiler heats is by a programmer, thermostats on your tank and in you room, and the zone valves. There are usually two water tanks situated in the loft (one smaller than the other). The larger cold water cistern (or tank) supplies water to the hot water cylinder and does so purely by the force of gravity. The domestic hot water system and cylinder vent back into this cistern. The smaller feed and expansion tank that vents the radiator circuit (and also keeps it topped up) also operates courtesy of gravity.. A gravity system is inherently safe. Because it should be impossible to have a dangerous pressure build-up in any part of the system there is no risk of something bursting under pressure. The main draw back with a fully vented gravity system is the pressure you can expect from your domestic hot water. As mentioned, the cold water feed to your hot water cylinder is under the force of gravity. It is therefore going to be relatively low pressure. If you want a tap which is higher than the tank, as water will not travel uphill you need to add a booster pump. You can even get a negative head pump to cope with the problems of outlets above cistern level. The term unvented refers to the pressure you achieve at your hot taps. Mains pressure systems provide mains pressure hot water. This is only an advantage if you enjoy good mains pressure within your property. If your supply pressure and flow rate are poor there is little point. Hot water at high pressure is extremely dangerous and must have an annual service to ensure they continue to function safely. Unvented mains pressure hot water systems require notification to building control, certified installation and commissioning. A Combination Boiler does not need a tank because it provides hot water directly from the incoming cold water mains. It also provides a circuit of hot water to heat the household radiator system which can be programmed. A Combi boiler will only heat what you require so are economical, but are not particularly suitable for properties with more than one bathroom or shower Boilers with bigger and better flow rates are being made but performance is still a little lacking, which is noticed when filling a bath while using another tap. A conventional boiler heats an exchanger in which water passes through and heated. Hot water cannot be provided on demand for taps but must be stored, usually in a copper tank. This type of boiler has relatively simple controls and tends to be more reliable as less can go wrong. Energy consumption can be high but the cost of this is moderated by the low maintenance costs. They are versatile in that they can be used in almost any type of property and can be pumped or gravity fed. Like a conventional boiler, a system boiler can provide central heating, and hot water from a Tank. The difference with a system boiler is that all the major components are built in to the boiler such as the pump, safety valve, the automatic air vent, programmer and expansion vessel which replaces the feed and expansion tank often installed in the loft so removes the worry of any leaks or frost damage to tanks and pipe work. With these components built in it is cheaper to install as fewer materials are required, and servicing is simplified so costs are reduced. Back boilers can be fuelled by solid fuel unlike most other boilers. All back boilers require a lined, natural-draught open flue. Gas and oil back boilers can work independently of the fire front so are able to provide hot water all year round but solid fuel back boilers can only provide hot water when the fire is lit, but an electric immersion heater can be used as with a conventional boiler. The condensing boiler is designed so that the cooler water returning from the radiators is passed through a secondary exchanger heated by hot flue gases which are normally expelled outside, the warmer water is then sent back to the radiators. It is known as a Condensing boiler because the water from these flue gases condenses in the secondary heat exchanger and the water drains away at the bottom of the boiler. Condensing boilers are more expensive to buy, but are becoming increasingly popular as dramatic savings can be made on fuel consumption (grants can often be obtained to assist with the extra cost).

Water mains or Water mains supply is the Water stop tap (most often found under a sink) or the gas meter. A supply is the cold or/and hot water to the sink or bath, toilet, shower etc. Gas Mains is your meter which is often found in a box on the outside of the house but can also be anywhere in the house if not. Electric Mains is the Electric meter and incoming fused supply, commonly found on the outside of the house in a box on the wall but also can be anywhere in a house including a cellar if there is one.

Skimming is done over the browning layer (base layer) of plaster or over plaster board. Skimming is the final coat of plaster which will be painted over, so has to be very smooth. When work has been done like having a new socket fitted or the wall has cracks in it, having the wall skimmed will make the wall look like new.

Anywhere it is hard to get a trowel in is hard to plaster, such as narrow gaps in the area to be skimmed. Any place which is higher than a hop up (a small bench) which is about 2 steps on normal step ladders is considered more time consuming.

Rendering is a covering for walls to make them look better or to make weather resistant. Depending on the look required, rendering can be fine or coarse, textured, or smooth, natural, or coloured, pigmented or painted. Traditional cement rendering is the application of a premixed layer of sand and cement to brick, cement, stone or mud brick. It is generally used on exterior walls but can also be used to feature an interior wall. Acrylic premixed renders have superior water resistance and strength. They can be used on a wider variety of surfaces, including concrete, cement blocks, and AAC concrete panelling. Acrylic renders take only 2 days to dry and cure much faster than the 28 days for traditional cement render. Most premixed acrylic renders have a smoother complexion than traditional cement renders. There are also a wide variety of acrylic bound pigmented finishing coats that can be applied over acrylic render. Various finishes, patterns and textures are possible such as sand, sandstone, marble, stone, stone chip, lime wash or clay like finishes. There are stipple, glistening finishes, and those with enhanced water resistance and antifungal properties

A. British slate is tough and watertight and because new regulations mean that all new quarried British slate must be fire and frost proof. If imported slate is to be used, make sure it has been tested for water absorption and its carbonate content because anything above 20%, could cause discolouring although slight colour changes are natural. B. Roof tiles are the most common roof option and there are a variety of colours, shapes and materials to choose from. The weight of tiles should be suitable for the strength of the roof and the style should be similar to the surrounding houses.

You may need a roof refurbishment if you have; A. Damaged tiles that have corroded, cracked or become dislodged, B. Cement mortar that has decomposed, cracked or broken away from the tiling C. Flashing that has become detached or corroded. What can be done with the problems found; Tiles, mortar and flashing can be replaced as needed. If you have corroded tiles your roof can be thoroughly cleaned with high pressure water jets. All of the dirt, grime, moss and other build up is completely removed. Once the roof is cleaned A fungicide is then applied which penetrates the tiles. The flexible, water and sunlight resistant coating is then applied twice to make the tiles look like new.

Consider what kind of CCTV system you want, you then need to plan what goes where. Switch controller’s (and line powered camera monitor) have all the cables come back to them, so keep it central or as close as possible to the connecting cameras and monitors. Consider what type of camera is required. There are many different types available. Day only cameras will not see anything at night time unless good lighting is available around the area. Infra - Red (IR) cameras are required for night time viewing. Moveable pre- programmed and controllable cameras are also available these can cover different areas with a single camera. A. The line powered camera is simplest system and therefore the cheapest system to install. line powered camera’s have all camera’s connected directly to a monitor with a coaxial cable, with the power for the camera/s being provided from the monitor. This is generally a DIY system which is relatively old but still available from some manufacturers. B. The mains powered CCTV installation is where the camera has a dual cable (shotgun cable) carrying power on one side of the cable and the picture in the other. Mains powered cameras are not used as often due to low voltage ac/dc cameras now becoming more popular which use a low voltage power supply connected to the mains supply. A system may contain a combination of both mains and low voltage cameras. Both A video switch and controller will be used when you want to record any camera selected. The picture can be held on the screen or set to sequence in turn through all the cameras. To cut down on cameras, moveable cameras can be used to cover a wider area, and systems may contain a combination of both fixed and movable cameras. C. The most commonly used, and most modern of CCTV systems is where the cameras are connected with a dual cable (shotgun cable) carrying low voltage power on one side of the cable and the picture in the other. The cameras are connected to a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) which records images on an internal hard drive and can be transferred onto a CD when evidence is required. The DVR is also the switch and controller so no need for additional equipment and it can also control moveable cameras. The DVR can also be connected to a WIFI network and viewed on most smart phones. It will then be connected to a CCTV monitor, PC Monitor or a standard TV for viewing of the cameras. D. WIFI Cameras need a good WIFI signal to stream the view to your phone or tablet or TV. for recording you will a subscription to a supplier.

Edging strips are used to finish the end of the tiled area or used to make an exterior corner look good, for example round a window reveal. On the picture the tiling goes halfway up the wall so it has white edging strip to finish off, also used on the tiled area round the sides and bottom of the window area.

Walls should be flat and that their surface should be good enough for tiles to stick permanently onto, so remove wall paper any paint which is flaky (test by putting stick tape on the wall in different areas and pulling off), fill any depressions or holes with general purpose interior filler. Make sure that your old tiles are firmly fixed if tiling over old tiles with new tiles. If the wall is in a bad condition when you have removed old tiles or wall paper, the wall will have to be re-plastered or plaster boarded.

To find the surface area in square meters, multiply the wall length by its height of the whole wall. If you measure your wall and it is 3meters long and 2.25 meters high, then the square meters in 6.75meter². Then deduct any areas which are not to be covered i.e., a door way. When deducting for a window reveal (the small wall between a main wall and the actual window) remember to then add on the area to be fitted into the window reveal. When Tiling for instance most fitters when they have the final measurement will then round up and then add 10%, so if we have a final measurement of 6.75m² we round up to 7m then add 10% =7.7m² then round up again to 8m². When Tiling It is always best to have enough tiles as even though the type and colour might be the same, batches vary in colour (very noticeable in most cases) and finding the same batch of tiles later can be impossible. To measure for the edging strip when tiling simply measure the length which the edging will cover and then divide by the length of edging strip to find out how many lengths are needed. So if the total length is 6.25meter and the strips are in 2meter lengths, 4 lengths are needed.

The things to consider when buying and before laying tiles are; 1. The size. Large tiles in a small room will make the room look smaller 2. The shape, a. If they are square should they be laid square or as a diamond. b. If the tiles are rectangle are they being laid portrait or landscape. 3. The design; a. The colour. b. If there are patterned tiles how many are needed. 4. If there is a border how is it to be used? They don’t just have to go round the centre of the room. For example, some people use border tiles to do a vertical line behind the shower as a feature.

• Material to have, UPVC, Wood, Aluminum. • Energy Efficiency, different windows have different energy efficiency ratings. • Style, will the windows need to open? if so how, to the left or right or up, or is there a particular requirement. Will it be a fire escape? • Noise Reduction; if your close to a road, noise reducing windows can be fitted. • What type of glass is to be installed standard or frosted or tinted or stained with a pattern. • What type of handles are to be fitted.

Take your Time to Filling in as much information as Possible, because Trade People will be pricing for the worst case scenario. Be careful to put the Correct information in as false or inaccurate information can result in extra costs. When Choosing a Trade Person think about what the Trade Person is offering. The Cheapest Trade Person might be rushing and doing a lesser Quality Job, or using cheaper Quality Products which may not last as long.

The Basic Operation of the Site. 1. Customer fills in Database Questions. 2. Trade People will see the Job and give a quote. 3. Customer Will Choose a Trade Person. and Pay for the Job into a Holding Account. 4. The Trade Person Does the Job. 5. Everyone is Happy in the 2 Weeks Following the Completion, and the Trade Person Is Paid.

Pets are the responsibility of the Customer. If a pet could be in a position to cause an Injury or be Injured or escape the Property on the day of work, the Customer must put in place a safeguard NOT Relying on the Trade Person to prevent such event, or remove the pet from the property.

£10 for 10 Credits, £40 for 50 Credits, £65 for 100 Credits, £100 for 200 Credits.

Trade People will Pay a one-Off Joining Fee of £50 unless there is an offer

Work Sheriff Take 8% Commission rounded up to the nearest £1 off Trades People for a completed Job.

Yes, PayPal and Most Cards are accepted.

You must inform the Trade Person of any postponement of the start date as soon as possible, but it is advised for the Trade Person to Confirm the start date beforehand. Any wasted visits will have an extra charge which will be on the extra’s list of the Trade Person. A new start date must be accepted by the Trade Person and not forced upon. (TPUA 7.8) (CUA 6.4)

Who Ever has Hired the equipment is responsible for it, usually the Trade Person.

First, please try and talk to your Trade Person and they will most likely sort out the issue. If the Trade Person refuses to sort out the issue Work Sheriff will step in, to sort out a fair solution to the Problem. A Bad Trade Person could ultimately be removed from site, with costs sorted out fairly.

Trade People must get Consent to turn power off on any circuit. Consent is Automatically given if the Customer is not present, and the Trade Person has not been told to Not turn certain circuits off.

Give as much information as possible. When the Trade Person quotes for a job, they will quote for the worst-case scenario. It may sometimes seem cost effective to get your own equipment, but remember if it fails then you must pay for the trade person to refit it, where if the Trade Person supplies it and it fails within the warranted time the trade person must exchange for free.

The Trade Person can charge for a waisted visit if the Customer /Homeowner has not informed the Trade Person in reasonable time

Trade People should take a picture of the work area on arrival, noting stains on a carpet, or damage to furniture or wall or doors etc. Any damage caused by the Trade Person will come from the Trade Persons Payment, if reported before the Trade Person is Paid.

Trades People should take every care not to hit Pipes and cables, so they are responsible for put damage right, with an exception below. All cables should be in zones which can be horizontal or vertical from a socket or switch, or 150mm from a wall corner edge or ceiling. Any cables hit outside zones are poor previous work and the Homeowner is responsible for the cost to put right.

If the Trade Person has supplied goods as the Customer/ Homeowner has as requested, or the customer has not stated what they want, the customer must pay for the change of goods. If the Customer has requested something which is not supplied correct, then the Trade Person must pay the cost for replacement.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) 2015, are regulations governing the way construction projects of all sizes and types are planned in the UK which aim to improve the overall health and safety and welfare of those working in construction. These regulations offer a definition of what construction works are, and who has responsibility for health and safety for everyone involved, in home maintenance and improvement works. In situations where work is planned to last longer than 30 working days, with more than 20 workers working on site at the same time during any part of the project, or if the project exceeds 500 person days in total, the HSE must be notified of the project. https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/2015/index.htm

Carbon Monoxide Detectors were only required where solid fuel burning was in a living space (Reg 2015), But in 2022 the regulation requires a Carbon Monoxide Detector in any room as living accommodation which contains a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers).Land Lords should ensure carbon monoxide alarms are repaired or replaced once informed and found that they are faulty. The requirements are enforced by local authorities who can impose a fine of up to £5,000 where a landlord fails to comply with a remedial notice.

The ONLY reason Work Sheriff Ask Questions about your Property is to enable a Trade Person to build a picture in their mind of the Job and give an accurate quote on your work. No details will be shared with any other company. Some Questions might not seem appropriate for your job, but are there as they could be relevant in future projects.

This Video might help to Describe your fuse box https://youtu.be/oWIqn9MrRIU

This Video Might help if your Power Goes off https://youtu.be/oWIqn9MrRIU

Click on the blue POST A JOB button and you will go to the first page. 1st option, Select property. Choose the property you want the work done on, if you have not already added a property, choose ADD PROPERTY in the option. 2nd option, Project title. You just add a descriptive title for the work you want doing. 3rd and 4th option, SELECT YOUR TYPE OF PROJECT, and CHOOSE FROM THE LIST. Use SINGLE TRADE if you only need one type of Trade Person for example just an Electrician to fix a light, or you can use MULTIPLE TRADE if you want different Trades People to be coordinated by 1 Trade Person (who bids on the job). When you choose MULTIPLE TRADE, you will get to choose what type of project you want doing, so for example you might choose you want a bathroom fitting, so you can choose TILING, PLUMBING and ELECTRICIAN along with other options. 5th and 6th option, Start and end dates. If you need your job done within a certain time just add the dates here. 7th option, who will supply your materials. Simply state Trade Person if you want the Trade Person to supply your materials, or you could list the bits you want to supply. 8th option, Attachments. You can attach files and pictures which you think will help Trades People quote for the job. The blue CONTINUE TO JOB QUESTIONS button. This button will take you to the Job Questions page. On the JOB-RELATED QUESTIONS page, you will see at the top page the trade you have chosen and then below are the click boxes. The first click box is

Click on the relevant boxes which apply to the jobs you want done, and the questions will appear for you to complete. Unticking a box removes the job from the list the Trade Person will quote from. If you have filled in questions, then untick, the answers will not show on the posted job which the Trades People will quote from, but don’t worry if you tick the box again the answers you have given will reappear. Open different jobs by clicking on the respective box with “> Information for”. This opens all the questions for that section, and that job section ends with the “Other Information” box. Feel free to add as many job sections as you need. You only need to click on boxes which apply to your job. On larger projects you might notice the same question asked more than once, for example " who will get rid of waste", you only need to answer once. Some questions might require multiple answers so you can tick more than one box, and some questions must have a definitive answer so you can only tick one circle. If you tick a circle and it’s wrong, just tick the correct circle and the wrong one will disappear. If extra information is required and put in the "Other Information" box, please be clear in what the information refers to. If you get stuck, you can just add a picture on the review page to help with your issue.

If a Customer does not respond to a Milestone Request, then the Trade Person should use the Request 14 day Payment button below the Milestone button. The Trade Person will be paid ASAP if 14 days have passed.