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It’s June, which means the hot weather should be just around the corner (or we’d hope so!). As we all know, warm weather in England is a synonym of beer gardens and garden parties. You can start (or at least thinking of) pulling out the barbeque, dusting off the furniture and cleaning the patio. There are also a few other things you can do to get your garden ready for summer and all its glory.

1. Mow the lawn

It’s the obvious one, however, it’s probably one of the most important things to do when the weather starts getting better. Yes, mowing the lawn can be a tedious chore, but not only will it help prevent weeds from growing, it will also instantly make your garden look tidier. Additionally, you can use a trimmer around the edges and bases of any trees to neaten things up a bit.

If your lawn has patches where grass won’t seem to grow, then you may need re-seed those bare patches. If all fails, you can always buy artificial turf, which will reduce the overall maintenance time of your garden to a minimum.

2. Clean the Patio

Just like mowing the lawn, cleaning the patio has an instant impact on the look of your garden, making it appear immediately better than it did over the winter months. Depending on what your patio is made of (bricks, decking, slabs) a jet wash is usually a good option. This will remove any dirt and debris left on your patio and will make it look more visually appealing. If you do not own or want to purchase a jet washer, we offer various pressure washing services all around London.

You may find that weeds have grown, in which case you will need to remove them. You can pull them up from the roots to prevent them from returning or you can contact our team to get completely rid of them with our jet washers. Simply call 0800-0-12-12-12.

3. Purchase some plants

Whether you already own some or have never cared for a plant in your life, purchasing plants is a great way to make your garden look livelier and more colourful. Plants can be used as ornaments around the garden by using pots in different colours and sizes. There are many types of plants to choose from, including bright red flowers, leafy green plants or even some small trees.

4. Garden Furniture

The most important garden furniture to have would be some form of seating. Whether you just want to sit and read a good book or have some guests over, seating is key. If you have old furniture then that’s great, even if it’s looking a bit shabby. Sand it down and maybe give it a lick of paint to have it looking as good as new. Too much of a hassle? Our team can also pressure wash garden furniture to bring it back to life.

If you are planning on buying new furniture, think about whether you have a specific colour scheme in your garden. Minimalistic colours are usually the best to go for as they won’t draw too much attention away from your plants, but still become the centrepiece of your garden.

A garden table to match your seating is another important purchase if you haven’t already got one. Whether it’s for eating a meal at or just to put down your drink, it’s another thing that will bring your garden together. Again, you don’t necessarily have to go out and buy a brand new one, you can spruce up your old table and make it look as great as when you bought it.

If you do not feel you have the time to liven up your furniture, then you can contact our handymen in London who will give you a second pair of hands with your furniture. We can treat wooden furniture and even repaint furniture. In case you’ve bought some new garden flat pack furniture, call our team to assemble your flat pack furniture.

5. Lighting for your garden

Lighting is a lovely touch that can make your garden seem that much more interesting. Solar powered fairy lights are a great idea, you can get some to go along the edge of your fence or across a wall of your house, depending on what works for you. Fairy lights create a cosy ambience in your garden and if they are solar powered it also means that you don’t have to worry about changing the batteries or finding some way of wiring them into your home.

You may need to get some stronger lights if you are planning on staying in your newly refreshed garden later into the night. Some wall lights may be what you need. These can be solar powered as well, or you can get ones that require wiring in. If you do not know where to begin then our team of London electricians are more than happy to help.

If you don’t have enough time in your hands to give your garden the spruce-up it needs, then don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know what it is we can assist you with. Whether it be pressure washing, installing outdoor lighting or assembling your garden furniture, the Squad is always happy to help.

Tired of coming home at night and using your phone’s flashlight to help you see the keyhole space in your front door? Or maybe you simply haven’t had enough time to call a professional to change the light fixtures on your entrance door? Perhaps you want to make your home more welcoming with some outdoor lighting? No matter why you’ve decided that it’s time to install outdoor lighting – the Handy Squad is here to help.

Outdoor lighting has many benefits, some of which you might not even have thought about. Besides illuminating your entrance door or your patio, outdoor lights can help you identify any strangers who pass by your house at night and can even deter burglars from your home.

Safety Note

Before proceeding to install your outdoor lights, you must take hazards and safety into full consideration. Before you begin anything, follow these safety precautions:

• Switch off the main power at the consumer unit/fuse box.
• Attach a note to the unit to advise you are working on the circuit.
• Get yourself a socket tester (or voltage tester for lighting circuits) to confirm whether circuits are dead and safe to work on.

Never take risks with electrical safety, any electrical work must be installed in accordance with local Building Regulations and must comply with the latest IEE Wiring Regulations. Please see more information online or from your local authority. If you are ever in doubt of any electrical work, we would highly recommend contacting a professional electrician. At the Handy Squad, we have a team of experienced electricians in London who will be able to carry out any electrical work you require.

Installing an outdoor light on a wall

If you are looking to install an outdoor light on a wall near your front or back door, please follow the guide below. When fitting outdoor lights ensure that the chosen lights are waterproof and solely for outdoor usage. To successfully install wall mounted lights outdoors, follow these steps:

1. Start by drilling a hole in the area which you desire for the light to go. After doing so, line the hole with a plastic conduit and push the cable through.
2. Once you’ve pushed the cables through, connect their cores to the destined terminals within the unit. After doing so, wrap them firmly in PVC electrical tape to prevent any water or damp.
3. Position the light to the wall and use a small amount of silicone to prevent any moisture from entering.
4. Go inside the house, run the light supply cable back to a decent position for cutting into the main circuit table using a four-terminal junction box.
5. Fit in a switch and run a length of 1mm² two core-and-earth cable back to the placement of the junction box
6. Segregate the circuit and ensure that the power is off with the help of a voltage tester. Proceed to then cut through the main circuit cable and make the appreciate connections needed in the junction box.

How to fit garden lighting 

Another type of outdoor lighting is garden lighting. This kind of lighting is used to illuminate back gardens, as well as to illuminate the pathway to your entrance door. We would recommend low-voltage garden lighting as it is the easiest and safest lighting to install. These types of light units often are on spikes which are simply pushed into the ground.

If installing outdoor lights seems like too much of an intricate job for you, contact our professional London electricians today. We offer many services to help you illuminate both the exterior and interior of your home, including changing light fittings, replacing hard-to-reach lightbulbs, installing spurs from existing sockets, among many other services. Our electricians will be more than happy to assist you to install all and any lights at your home, quickly and efficiently!

While our electricians are installing your garden lighting, why not ask them to help put up some string lights across your patio or on your trees to give your whole garden a stylish and magical atmosphere? Request a free quote today by filling our online booking form.

We hope that you have enjoyed this guide and that it has been helpful. In case you have any inquiries regarding our services, feel free to contact our friendly team on 0800-0 12 12 12.

Having a small garden doesn’t necessarily mean that you cannot decorate it to your custom liking, small backyards can, in fact, have a big impact. With a lot of creative thinking and smart planning, you can transform your small garden into something you never imagined it to be. Allow us to present our ideas to help you transform your small outdoor space into something amazing!

Planning and choosing a focus

Before getting dirty and decorative, it’s important to choose a focus and to thoroughly plan what exactly you intend to do. That way, you’ll find decorating much easier as you’ll have a secure plan to follow. You should also try to avoid doing too much within your small garden space as it may become and feel overworked.

To pinpoint your focus, think of the kinds of things/activities you plan to do in your garden and your favourite ways to spend time in your outdoor space. Once you’ve figured out your focus, proceed to design your space! Think about the essentials you need to consider, for example:

• Which decorations you’d like to give life to your outdoor space.
• The types of versatile furniture that complement your outdoor space.
• What colour theme and designs you’d like to work with.

But don’t limit your creativity! These are just a few ideas to help kick start your imagination.

Mapping the base and shape of your backyard as well as marking out the boundaries of the plot is a method that can help you keep track of the amount of space you have to work with. Once you have everything outlined, you can begin to try out different designs to see what can be included in your outdoor space, such as sheds, outdoor couches, a patio or versatile storage boxes.

Choose space-saving garden furniture

If you like spending most of your time in your outdoor space or maybe dining in your garden, then having comfortable furniture is a necessity. Furniture, however, can be space consuming, so be sure to choose furniture that is space-optimizing. If you like dining outdoors, perhaps opt for a bistro table set with foldable table and chairs. If you like entertaining, go for stackable furniture and storage benches to help make more room for your guests.

When it comes to putting your new furniture together, it can be pretty daunting and time-consuming, so, we are happy to offer you our garden furniture assembling service! This service among our many other furniture assembling services gives you the opportunity to sit back and relax while our handymen do all the hard work for you. If you’d rather spend more hours relaxing than putting together garden furniture, book online today.

Re-using old garden furniture

The furniture you use in your garden doesn’t necessarily have to be brand-new, there are many ways you can re-use old/stored away furniture! Perhaps you have an old bench or garden chair that’s sitting away in a storage place, if so, what’s the harm in renovating it and re-using it? Not only will this save money, but you’ll have more storage space when you decide to use it again. During the time your furniture was stored away, it probably collected a lot of dirt, stains or cobwebs (which could be another reason why you decided not to use it), if you fall into this category – don’t fear, the Squad will come to the rescue! We offer a variety of services to bring your old furniture back to life, including pressure washing garden furniture, treating wooden furniture and even repainting furniture.

Build a decking area

Decking is an ideal touch for a small garden as it provides sufficient surface for a dining or relaxing area. As opposed to gravel or paving, decking can easily be refreshed with a new coat of paint. However, if your decking area becomes a little dirty due to its usage, put your jet washing skills to the test! If you don’t own a jet washer or don’t have the time to jet wash a decking area, contact our handymen in London who will be able to pressure wash your decking in no time.

There are many other benefits to having a decking area in a small garden. For instance, the way you lay your decking boards can manipulate and enhance the overall area; laying decking boards vertical will elongate the decked area, whereas laying them horizontally will widen the decking area.

Using plants as ornaments

Hanging plants and having plants in pots is an easy and effective way of adding splashes of colour here and there without having to worry about taking up huge quantities of space. Not only that, but they’re removable at any time if you ever need to create extra space or want to replant any of your flowers. Certain plants are inherently architectural or can be pruned to look that way, so whatever type of plant you choose, don’t forget to get creative with different types of plants, styles of plant pots and their placement!

We hope that you have enjoyed this guide and that it has been helpful. In case you have any enquiries regarding our services, feel free to contact our friendly team on 0800-0 12 12 12. Alternatively, request a quote for our team to spruce up your outdoor area by filling our online booking form.

Patios are a nice touch to our outdoor space. Along with their hard-wearing surface and presentable looks, the paving on your patio is more than prone to cracking, dirt build-up, and other types of damage, due to small ground movements or heavy usage.

Paving your outdoor space isn’t cheap, and it can cost a small fortune to have any damaged paving repaired, especially when it can be repaired with a little work of your own! Find out how to repair your damaged paving in the easiest and cheapest possible way in this guide. Alternatively, you can book online today with the Handy Squad, or call 0800 0 12 12 12 and we’ll be happy to help.

Replacing paving slabs:

If a paving slab has sunken or has been damaged beyond repair, it’s a pretty simple process to either re-lay or replace it. However, if you’re re-laying or replacing slabs that are 600mm x 600mm or larger, it’s recommended that you have somebody to help you do so. Make sure you have the right equipment and protection to help you re-lay/replace the slab(s). It is highly recommended that you wear safety goggles along with heavy-duty gloves for this task.

Steps:

1. 1. Using a plugging chisel and a club hammer, chip out the pointing around the slab.
   2. Using a spade, lift up the slab. To protect the slab next to the slab you’re lifting, use a timber cut-off.
   3. For easier removal, place a broom handle under the slab and use it to roll the slab out of the way.
   4. Dispose of the old mortar under the slab you just removed by breaking it up, you can do this using a bolster chisel or a club hammer. If your slab has been laid on sand, use a piece of timber to precisely level it, add more sand if necessary.
   5. If your slab was laid on mortar, wet the back of your slab and lay it into position for a fresh set of mortar. Ensure that the slab is in line with the surrounding slabs. Then, using a timber cut-off and a club hammer, press the slab into position and fill the joints with dry mortar.

Regrouting paving stones

If the joints between your paving start to crack, this can lead to the joints being completely damaged, which will then lead to other problems down the line, such as your slabs becoming loose or weeds growing in between the cracks, which completely ruins the overall look of your paving. It’s essential to regrout your paving joints as soon as you start to notice any threatening cracks. Repairing the loss of jointing is easy to fix, but if you feel that this isn’t the task for you, or you feel that your skills are not up to the “standard,” then why not call the Handy Squad? They’d be more than willing to regrout your paving stones, making it look as good as new again!

Steps:

1. 1. Remove all of the existing cracked patio joints using a hammer and a bolster chisel, as these are the best-suited tools for this task.
   2. Once all of the joints are clear, you can start repointing them. The amount of sand and cement you will use to point will depend solely on the width of your joints. (It’s highly recommended that any pointing done is carried out when your patio itself is dry.) Using a bucket, sprinkle the mix of sand and cement along the joints that need repointing. Then, using a soft brush, carefully sweep the mixture into the joint(s). Ensure that the joint(s) are absolutely full. When the joints are full, brush off any excess of the mix and leave the joints to air-dry.

Jet washing stains on paving:

Stains and bad marks ruin the overall look of your patio, especially when they’ve built up over time. Removing stains is an easy task that will get your patio looking as good as new in no time. If a task that involves getting a little wet isn’t your forte, then a trained professional from our Handy Squad would gladly pressure wash your patio paving, leaving it sparkly clean!

Steps:

1. 1. Completely clear your paving of any furniture, pots, etc.
   2. Using a broom, brush away any loose debris, such as leaves or dirt.
   3. Before cleaning your paving, it’s recommended that you apply a detergent to the surface to help dissolve any stains and to help make the paving easier to clean. Applying detergents can also protect your paving surfaces from weather damage.
   4. Connect your jet washer to the mains electricity supply then turn it on to pressurise the system and to clean your paving.

Your home’s exterior is the first thing that your visitors will look at, and as we all know, first impressions are quite important. Have you ever walked into a home which was beautiful on the inside, but its outside didn’t make it look welcoming? That’s exactly what you don’t want to happen when your friends come to visit.

Kerb appeal is the term used to describe the attractiveness of your home’s exterior and we’re certain that you want to make sure your home is always in top shape, both inside and outside. Follow our tips and tricks below to give your home some serious kerb appeal.

Focus on your entrance door

Entrance doors are used every day and are exposed to all weather conditions, so it’s normal when they start showing wear and tear. Maybe the colour is fading, starting to peel off or there are some cracks on the door. Give a bit of extra love to your front door by taking care of these little details every now and then.

Maybe your door frame has been damaged after a break-in, we would recommend repairing it as soon as possible. Our team of carpenters in London will be able to repair your door frame and even hang a new door if needed. Go one step further and call our London locksmiths, who’ll be able to install a higher security door lock, so you can feel safe at home.

A fresh coat of paint makes wonders

An easy way to improve your home’s appearance is to repaint it. You can choose to paint it with the same colour, or you might want to choose something different. Maybe by having an accent colour on your front door? Or by giving a different colour to the door frame or window frames? If you don’t want to fully paint your home’s exterior, why not just gloss the wooden details and give a new shine?

In case you don’t have time to paint the exterior of your home or you simply don’t want to get your hands dirty, enquire with our decorators in London, who are always happy to help. They will be able to gloss your front door, paint your entrance door or paint your whole home exterior.

Don’t forget your windows

The entrance door should be your main focus; however, windows are also very important. If you live in an older property, taking care of your windows is not only vital for the appearance of your home, but also for the overall insulation of your home. Nobody wants to be cold during the winter months due to draughts that are coming through the cracks in old windows. Windows can be repaired, but if yours are beyond repair, our highly-experienced team can replace sash windows in a heartbeat.

Refresh your paving or driveway

The journey to your home should also be looked after. With time, pavement stones start developing cracks and start accumulating grime and dirt. If you need a professional to clean and refresh any paving or driveway areas, our team will be able to give you an extra pair of hands and pressure wash your paving. However, if you notice cracks between paving and broken grout, maybe it’s time to replace the paving stones or regrout the paving.

Let there be light

Add light fixtures to your entrance. This will help you find your keys late at night and will add a stylish and decorative touch. Front light can also make your home look more welcoming and cosier. If you have a front garden, why not add some lights to different areas of the garden? If you need a professional for the job, our highly skilled London electricians will be able to replace old lights and install new lighting fixtures.

Add flowers and greenery

Outdoor plants and flowers can really give a finishing touch to any home. Potted plants on either side of the entrance door always look stunning. If you need any help moving around heavy pots, give our team a call.

If the idea of enhancing your home’s exterior seems like an idea you’d like to pursue, but you simply don’t have enough time on your hands – leave it to the Squad. We are able to take on any big or small jobs you require. Give our team a call today on 0800-0 12 12 12 or request a free quote by filling our online form.