by Annemarie Harte | Apr 4, 2022 | Blog, How-To's
Our Glass Splashbacks come in 2 standard sizes (width x height) – 600mm x 750mm and 900mm x 750mm.
Before you start
1. Check that your splashback fits the space. This will depend on the size of the splashback ordered and your preferred orientation ie. portrait or landscape.
2. Your splashback must be at least 110mm away from the nearest heat source.
3. Check the surface is perfectly flat, non-porous, dry and dust free.
DO NOT CUT. Our splashbacks are made from high quality toughened glass and so cannot be cut.
PLEASE NOTE. Once in place the splashback cannot be repositioned.
What do I need?
- Chosen splashback
- Tape measure
- Clear silicone sealant – Low Modulus Type
- Sealant gun
- Clean cloth
How do I install?
1. PEEL off backing: Make sure all corners are well protected from any hard surfaces. Carefully peel off the protective film back. Take care not to remove the self-adhesive backing.
2. STICK on the wall: Place the bottom edge of the splashback to the rear of the hob, cooker, range or sink. Push it to the wall and apply with firm even pressure with a cloth.
3. SEAL all edges: Use clear silicone sealant to seal around all four sides of the splashback. Take care to ensure that the sealant is no more than 2.5mm in thickness.
How do I look after my splashback?
Simply use hot water and a mild soap detergent to clean your glass splashback. Do not use abrasive cleaners. (NB. Leave your splashback for at least 45 minutes to cool before wiping as in extreme cases applying a cold cloth to a hot surface can cause the glass to crack/shatter).
by Annemarie Harte | Aug 30, 2021 | Blog, How-To's
Inspect Your Doors on Delivery
It is very important to follow these instructions when taking delivery of your new doors. They are a big investment for your property and we want to ensure everything goes smoothly.
Your doors are packed for dispatching with packing and padding to prevent scuffs and damage. However, sometimes damage can occur in transit. It is therefore advisable to thoroughly check over your doors when you receive them. Remove packaging, including cardboard corner protectors. Note, if you intend to store the door for a long time, keep the door sealed in its polythene wrapper to prevent water damage.
Having satisfied yourself that the internal door is unblemished, please replace all packaging. It is important that you do this because doing so will prevent damage which may occur in the meantime whilst you wait until you are ready to hang your door. This is particularly crucial if you are storing the door in a corridor or an area of high traffic as it will reduce the risk of dust, dirt, paint splashes and collision damage.
If you have purchased unfinished doors you will need to take extra care. Because the wood is untreated it is particularly susceptible to warping. Keeping your door watertight until you are ready to treat and hang the door will prevent water damage.
If you’re not planning on hanging your new doors immediately, then you should be sure to store them properly to avoid damaging them beforehand.
Store your door:
- Horizontally
- In packaging
- On a dry/flat floor
Do Not store your door:
- Vertically – can cause the door to bow/may tip over
- In a room which has just been plastered – excess moisture in the room will warp the door
Whilst it may be tempting to store doors upright to save space by placing your door against a wall, doing so can cause the wood to bow through the strain involved. It is therefore advisable to rest doors on their long edge, or if possible to lie the door flat; this will avoid excessive strain to the door.
View our internal doors here.
by Annemarie Harte | Apr 8, 2020 | Blog, How-To's
When buying wallpaper, make sure each roll has the same batch number.
Make sure that all your walls are clean, dry and free from dirt and cobwebs. If there are any ‘problem areas’ such as damp, make sure that you resolve these problems before putting up the wallpaper.
Remove any nails, hooks or screws with pliers. Fill in any large holes with a filler and sandpaper down the holes before you apply the wallpaper so it does not cause a bump under your strip.
Measure the length of the wall that needs to be papered, then add about 20cm to the measurement (giving leeway at the top and bottom to account for any wonky walls or inaccurate measurements). Unroll your paper on the pasting table, then using a tape measure and a pencil, make a mark on the back of the paper where it needs to be cut. Fold your paper over on itself, making sure it lines up at the edges, and cut away your first strip.
Using your plumb line or app, mark a straight vertical line on the wall. Now you have your first piece cut to size and your plumb line drawn, it’s time to apply it to the wall. The wallpaper rule has always been that you paste the wall and you paste the paper, but I don’t really understand why.* I found that by pasting the paper, it’s a nightmare to transfer it from table to wall -it sticks to you, it sticks to itself. Instead, I just give the wall one generous coating of glue (place a roll against the wall first and mark how far along the wall needs to be pasted), then just paste a small piece of the paper in the top corners so that it is easy to first attach.
Apply your strip to the top of the wall, then gently smooth it down the wall using gentle strokes with your clean cloth. Smooth out from the middle of the paper to the edges. If it is not going on perfectly, don’t worry – breathe – gently peel if off, then apply it again. Remember to use gentle strokes so not to cause creases in the paper. Once you think it is laying nicely, use your cloth to smooth down the edges.
Again using your cloth, push your paper in as far as it will go into the crevice where the paper meets the ceiling and the skirting, creating a faint line which will act as a marking to where you will cut away the excess.
You can either cut freehand along the indented line, or push a ruler in the crevice and cut along that. OR, if you find the cutting knife tricky, pull the paper slightly away from the wall and cut the indented line with a pair of scissors. All three options work fine, but take your time and be patient with this part of wallpapering. There is the real possibility here that you will cut too much paper away (if this happens, scroll down for my quick fix!)
The second strip is harder than the first as you can’t just measure and stick it up, you need to match up the pattern. Depending on the type of wallpaper pattern you have chosen, this may be easy or a bit of a pain. Patterns with a big repeat drop mean you may get a lot of wastage.
Take the roll and slowly unroll it against your first strip until you can see where the pattern meets. if there is going to be alot of excess paper at the top, make a mark so that you can cut away what won’t be needed. Make sure that your second strip accounts for the length of the wall, the excess at the top of the roll, and then also your extra 10cm leeway at the bottom.
When applying this second strip, you are totally focusing on matching up the pattern, plus meeting the edge of the first strip. Don’t let your papers overlap as this will cause a glitch in the pattern and your paper to look ‘raised’ against the wall.
Place your papers edge so it meets the other, then gently slide the paper up and down until the pattern meets up. Once this is complete, gently stroke your paper down, pushing away from the matched edge with your cloth.
by Annemarie Harte | Apr 8, 2020 | Blog, How-To's
If you’re changing from a dark colour to a light colour, I would paint the room white first so that the next colour you are painting has a solid base and you should only need two coats of the new colour.
Equally if you’re painting wood for the first time I find an appropriate complementary colour primer is invaluable for the overall finish of the job.
Before you start, cover your furniture and your floor. Put on some old clothes. You may be using a roller for the main job but I find I’m covered in a thin spray of paint at the end of the job without even realising.
Tackle one wall at a time. Take a brush and “cut in”—paint along the corners, edges and trims from top to bottom. When applying paint with the roller, use long strokes in a W pattern for ample coverage (and to avoid roller marks). Once the wall is dry to the touch, it’s ready for a second coat.
Depending on the job, use tape on the edges of windows, skirting, coving etc. but I tend to try and keep to a straight line with a steady hand. Totally up to you, whatever you feel comfortable and confident doing.
by Annemarie Harte | Oct 2, 2019 | Blog, How-To's
Don’t make a mistake on fresh walls—get it right from the start with our simple tips on painting new plaster.
Surface Preparation: Proper surface preparation is crucial to maximum finish performance. The durability of the paint can be impaired by unsound or poorly prepared surface. Surfaces must be clean, dry and sound before painting.
- Ensure surface is clean, dry and sound.
- Allow plaster to dry out. When it is dry, the surface will be an even colour. This may take up to a week, depending on temperature and humidity.
- Fill all gaps that are subject to movement with elastomeric acrylic caulk, (e.g. plaster to doorframe, plaster to skirting, etc.).
Application of Primer:
- Can be applied with brush, roller or spray.
- Apply one coat of primer thinned with up to 10% water .
- Allow 1 hour to be touch dry, (depending on drying conditions).
- Recoat in 2-4 hours, (depending on drying conditions).
- Apply second coat of primer, (do not thin).
Application of Top Coat: Interior:
- Can be applied with brush, roller or spray.
- Apply one coat of matt interior paint in your chosen colour.
- Allow 30 minutes to 1 hour to be touch dry, (depending on drying conditions).
- Recoat in 4-6 hours.
- Apply second coat of either interior matt or vinyl/sheen in your chosen colour.
- Allow to dry.
Exterior:
- Can be applied with brush, roller or spray.
- Apply one coat of exterior/masonry paint in your chosen colour.
- Allow 30 minutes to 1 hour to be touch dry, (depending on drying conditions).
- Recoat in 4-6 hours.
- Apply second coat of exterior/masonry in your chosen colour.
- Allow to dry.