Gardening - DIY or hire a pro?
Isidora Markovic
6 years ago
Always hire a pro
Always DIY
Depends on the job
Other - comment below!
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (18)
angelboyman
6 years agoLouise Clark
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Parquet Flooring
Comments (39)Lucky you - discovering a Parquet floor, this one is Pine, laid herringbone design, it has been previously sanded - not sympathetically though, you can see some chatter marks. Don't worry they will all come out - if you have it professionally sanded - Parquet is a specialist sand as the grain of the wood is not in all the same direction. It can be stained - I would reccommend a water based stain and finished in a clear matt lacquer. If you wanted to paint it white, you would need to treat all the knots with knot primer, followed by a floor primer, then a couple of coats of paint ie Farrow & Ball Personal recommendation a clear finish to highligh the knots and grain of your wood - using white accents Good Kuck - Elaine...See MoreNew kitchen remodeling - architect or designer? SW11 London
Comments (12)Hi Paula, Wow loads of great advice already ! I'd suggest you ask your builder if he can recommend a structural engineer, that he's worked with previously, to come and view the stack - it may be that by extending the thick nub on bottom left of that area marked, that you can then put one beam across to support above? ( but I'm not a SE - so you will need on site advice for this !!) I'm the concept planner that Minnie added the link for ( thank you Minnie !!) We sell purely design, no product. So charge for our services, rather than making a mark up on what you buy, like a showroom would. (We have a few types of service - the most expensive, for a project this size, is about the same cost as a good dishwasher) But that does mean you get a PDF with all the plans/elevations/colour perspectives, panoramics and item listing to shop around with, which means you can compare like for like and negotiate great deals with showrooms/studios/even online suppliers of kitchen furniture and appliances etc. We can even supply colour A3 prints, if you want, too ! So we are a bit different to a free studio service - but can work well for busy people who want an input into the design stage ( we have a service that involves you throughout the design process over a five day period) and those who want to approach a few different studios or online suppliers to quote, but that don't have the time to deal with several site visits from several designers and to sit through several presentations that are all different - so it becomes a bit confusing to see who's offering the best deal ! You simply email them your design PDF - or drop them in a printed copy, ask for their best price as you are shopping around. All they need to do initially is price it - so much easier for the studios too ! Anyway enough of the 'sales pitch' from me ! Best wishes for your project, which ever route you choose ! :-)...See MoreRenovation of London Victorian terrace - need creative layout advice:)
Comments (36)Hi there! I’d love to hear what you are using the under the stair spaces for. It looks like the bike could fit under the stairs near main entrance comfortably. You then could use the current bike area for the utility i.e. muddy stuff mops and sports equipment. As such you would need to install shelves to add on the storage space. I’d like to agree with Minipie that, if you really love for the bike area to remain as is, as I feel you might, the next best position for the utility is in the basement. The basement offers several advantages as compared to hiving off a space on G.F, especially when you consider the available space which you’d require to store all the stuff you said. I imagine sports equipment for example would need quite a generous area. I like the idea of a cosier retiring area for the library and I would really recommend an alterations for that. As for a pantry usable from the kitchen, options look really limited but I’d know what you think about moving the toilet across to the opposite void area, and then converting the new space to a pantry. It’s both proximal to the kitchen island, and will also not complicate the plumbing process, since you also want to introduce a sink in there. Hope this is useful! If you need more guidance, feel free to drop me a line or check out our site: www.betterspace.co...See MoreSmall north facing garden design
Comments (14)Start with your budget, what is it? Make a plan, gardening is not an overnight transformation, it takes time but that for many of us is the sheer joy of it. A year of all around plant interest is possible in time. I would spend my budget on getting the basics in place, so decide what you want e.g. do you want a patio and large beds and no grass, or some grass? If your local college has an agricultural course running they might be willing to help you as the students would learn a lot here, maybe ask? What is your soil type e.g. is it heavy clay or sandy? Is it acidic, alkaline or neutral, these facts are deciding factors on whether or not plants will thrive. Look at what plants are thriving in your local area that is a good guide to your soil, e.g. if there are lots of rhododendrons thriving near by then the soil will be acidic. If it were me, I would get it all dug up, lay a patio, add large beds (put in lots of fine bark compost), and no grass, just gravel. Work with your site, right plant right place is a mantra for a very good reason (!), there is no point planting sun loving plants if you get little sun so do your research on plants that thrive in shade, one good website is Plantsforshade. I would add lots of trellis to grow climbers as they will give you height and trick the eye into making your garden appear bigger, climbing hydrangeas, star jasmine ( for scent) some roses but choose carefully. Now draw up a year's plan so you can start planting for all year round colour, take your time and it's not daunting. Add attractive tubs (often on sale on our local Facebook!) and and plant appropriate annuals, there is loads of advice on line. Best of luck....See MoreIsidora Markovic
6 years agoHeidi Cullen
6 years agoIsidora Markovic
6 years agoHeidi Cullen
6 years agoMarcella Quail
6 years agoSonia
6 years agoS Sanders
6 years agoUser
6 years agocraftycountess
6 years agoUser
6 years agoEmmeline Westin
6 years agoIsidora Markovic
6 years agoLiz Mooney
6 years agoBlooming Planters Garden Design
6 years agoMark Lane Designs
6 years ago
User