What Size Brush For What Paint Job?

Thanks to Harris for this info

12mm    small window frames,picture frames and intricate areas
18mm    small window frames, picture frames etc
25mm   window frames and doors
37mm   skirting boards and furniture
50mm   doors
62mm   radiators, door panels and a good size for cutting in before using a roller
75mm   garage doors
100mm  walls, ceilings and large flat areas

New To Decorating? Don't Know What to Buy?

For those of you who come to painting and decorating as complete novices we thought we'd start by giving you a list of the basics you may need for successful decorating. We're not saying it's definitive but it's what we've used ourselves over the years and would recommend to any of our customers.
The Basics
Painting woodwork including doors, windows and skirtings
paint brushes - 12mm to 50mm
masking tape (for painting glass panelled doors etc)
brush cleaning tub (or any plastic tub deep enough)
brush cleaner
sandpaper for preparation (all grades, you'll need them for removing old paint and smoothing)
dust sheets
safety glasses (not absolutely necessary but get paint in your eye and you'll know about it!)
paint stripper if you're repainting
primer if it's new wood
knotting (if it's new wood you'll need to seal any knots to stop them bleeding through)
scraper if you're removing paint - 2 sizes depending on whether it's a flat surface such as a door or narrow such as a window frame
overalls or a paint apron (again not absolutely necessary if you have 'scruffs' for doing DIY in - but the pockets come in handy)


You'll also need step ladders, rags, something to open paint tins with (NOT a kitchen knife) and patience.

The Basics
For Wallpapering
Pasting table - make sure it's sturdy and easy to wipe down
Pasting brush
Bucket
Wallpaper brush - for smoothing out air bubbles etc
Seam roller - not absolutely vital but a handy tool
Wallpapering scissors - not just household scissors, they have a longer bade and are sharper
Plumb line
Pencil or china graph pencil - you'll find you'll need to mark the pasting table for long lengths of paper

Again you'll need decent safe steps or step ladders, plenty of rags for quick wipe up of spills etc and an apron with pockets because there's nothing more annoying than getting to the top of the step ladder to find you've forgotten the wallpapering brush or you need a cloth quickly. If there's any old wooden spoons in the kitchen drawer don't throw them away - they make great paste stirrers.

That's about it. The rest is up to you. If you ned any more advice or help just email us and we'll get back to you post haste - or should that be paste haste!

How to Hang Wallpaper

Take a look at this if you need help. There are just a few things to remember if you're new to wallpapering.

1: Buy enough to cope with mistakes
2: If you go for a patterned wallpaper - check the size of the 'Repeat'. There's nothing more annoying to cut the length only to find you've cut it in the wrong place for the pattern to match. (Been there. Done that.)
3. Always read the instructions that go with your particular paper. Some papers can't cope with being left too long for the paste to soak in and may tear if mishandled.
4: Get your equipment ready before you do anything else. Sharp scissors, plenty of clean cloths,long enough pasting table, etc
5: Stand back and enjoy the finished product when it's dry.

How to Hang Wallpaper

Christmas Pudding Recipe From Morten's Kitchen

A recipe  that must be at least 20 years old. Hope you like it.
½lb currants
½lb sultanas
½lb raisins
2 oz candied peel
6 oz suet
6 oz self Raising Flour or 4 oz S.R.Flour and 2 oz ground almonds
½ teaspoon each of mixed spice and ground nutmeg
8 oz brown Sugar or 6 oz brown sugar and 1 tablespoon black treacle
8 oz bread crumbs
rind and juice of a lemon
2 large eggs or 3 medium (recipe states 2½ eggs!)- beaten
½ pint rum or try Guiness or Stout
6 tablespoons milk

Combine the fruit with the rum or stout and soak overnight. 
Put all the ingredients a in a mixing bowl and add the beaten eggs and place in the size (s) of pudding basins you need for Christmas. The recipe does not give any steaming times but, from memory, it would have been about 8 hours for a 1lb pudding then reheated on the day for 2 hours.
If you are going to use a pressure cooker check your instructions for cooking times.
To save washing up why not use foil puddings basins like the ones done by Caroline?

Bosch Indego Automatic Lawnmower

This is advance warning of an outbreak of lawn laziness! Gone will be the days of looking out and dreading getting the mower out, because you won't have to.

Bosch are introducing the Indego - and automatic lawnmower  with Intelligent LogiCut Navigation - think of it! Look out and see the lawn has been cut without a drop of sweat or effort on your part. Even stripes! Just set up the perimeter wire around the lawn and it will map out your garden and calculate the most efficicient route to mow.

Now here's a few details for those of you who want to know the nitty gritty:
Power - 32 V/3.0 Ah
Cutting width - 12 in
Charging time - 70 mins
Running time - 22 mins
Coverage per charge - 160 square metres
Memory - 8mb
Alarm - yes
Auto Charging Function
No Base Station stop/Home Functions
HMI - Human Machine Interface
Tactile Sensors, floating shell set up and designed engineered wheels
Ergonomic height of cut dial and manual stop button
2 years parts and labour guarantee

The price seems to be around £1400 at the moment. Mortens will get one as soon as they are in the country! Nothing to stop you pre-ordering though. Just email us at mortens@btconnect.com for more details.

Central Heating System Inhibitor

Does your central heating system make some strange noises? Do your radiators heat up at the top but never at the bottom? Could be your radiators are full of corrosion and scale which reduce their efficiency and the gas given off can cause knocking and rattling.
But don't give up. You could attempt the job yourself if you have a medium skill level and a good friend. To be really thorough you should remove each radiator, drain out the rubbish inside it in the garden then flush through with the hosepipe. A mucky job but think of the money you're saving. To flush a central heating system can cost £600+.
When you've done each radiator and refilled the system then put in system inhibitor in the header tank and enjoy a warmer (and quieter) winter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI3S8B7f_vY go to this link for a visual and helpful tutorial
 Mortens stock system inhibitor online and in store.

Don't Over Soak!

Many of you probably know this, but if like me you don't, you can save wear and tear on your dishes by NOT over soaking them.
Porcelain, terracotta, stoneware, ceramics - what ever your dish is made from the trick is to leave water in the dish if you need to and not leave it fully immersed. Dishes can absorb water, especially if they have any unglazed areas, so the dish will look dry when you come to use it next but there may be a chance that as soon as it is placed in the oven the absorbed water expands and you run the risk of cracking it. Have you ever discovered the glazing has crazed? This may be one of the causes.
The other is placing the dish into cold water while it's still hot. That funny faint crackling sound is the glaze breaking.
So leave to soak with water IN the cooled dish and leave it to dry propped up and you'll find it will last longer.