D.I.Y Home Improvements

With newly built British homes being (on average) the smallest in Europe, there is barely enough room to swing a cat* in the sitting room, and some of the kitchen sizes are built on a similar scale to the downstairs loo. The compact kitchens look OK if only one person is doing the cooking, but no sooner they start opening the cupboard doors, the available space in these kitchens becomes severely compromised.

Oldham & Sheffield based fitted furniture gurus Hill’s Panel Products have redesigned, reinvented and reintroduced the sliding door in order to ensure these compact kitchens work as efficiently as possible. Obviously there’s nothing new about sliding doors. But due to them not sliding as smoothly as people liked, they fell out of favour and by the mid nineteen sixties, they were practically non-existent in our kitchens.

By using lighter materials, better rollers and smoother sliding mechanisms, modern sliding doors are better than ever before. Long gone are the days of the sticky and stuttery sliding mechanisms our mothers had to put up with, in fact the only sliding doors my mother would entertain is a romantic comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow! Thanks to Hill’s Panel Products, this new breed of sliding kitchen cabinet doors make the most of the available space in your kitchen, no matter how small it is.

The full range of sliding doors will soon be available from HPP’s trade website, www.doorsandfittings.co.uk.
*NOTE – No cats were harmed whilst checking average room sizes.

By Barry Summers

Where to find the perfect gate

We have been producing high quality gates and railings for 18 years and our attention to detail is second to none. Our experienced staff can make any design of gate that the customer requires. Many of our gates are made to measure to new built posts as old posts simply are not strong enough to hold our durable gates. Automatic gates can be built and fitted to ensure a quality service throughout the process.

 Our Railings are to the highest quality and can be galvanised to produce a 25 year guarantee.   All our welders are coded to BSEN 287, so you can be sure of a quality job.We can paint all our products to any specification.  We can also offer powder coating.

We can build gates and railings to any spec. We have many years experience to bring you the perfect solution to your needs.

Many of our gates are made to measure to new built posts as old posts simply are not strong enough to hold our durable gates. Automatic gates can be built and fitted to ensure a quality service throughout the process. Automation can be fitted to existing gates with little disruption to your drive.

Please feel free to call for an informal chat or send information for a very competitive free quote.

Address:Unit 3a, Lansil Ind Est, Caton Rd, Lancaster LA1 3PQ
Phone:01524 543999
Mobile:07919993731 – (Preferred)
E-mail:info@worldofgates.co.uk

Website: www.worldofgates.co.uk

The standard sized kitchen base units which are now ubiquitous in our kitchens are an absolute DIY godsend… even if you didn’t do them yourself. Once installed they make giving your kitchen a make over a quick and easy task as only the cupboard doors and drawer fronts need replacing. However before you rush out and order some new kitchen doors and a variety of matching kitchen accessories, make sure you measure your existing doors first as ‘standard’ size does not mean ‘one size fits all’. Door and drawer widths and heights do vary, even if they look the right size they may not be.

Measure twice and buy once is the best advice if you’re looking to replace kitchen doors. And if you need a large number of doors and drawer fronts, make sure your supplier has the amount you need in stock or can order them. There’s two things you really cannot get away with when you replace kitchen doors, mixing the style and mixing the sizes. A gap of more than a couple of millimetres will stand out like a sore thumb and having two different styles of  doors or drawer fronts will simply look like you’ve done half a job.

By Carl Liver and Barry Summers

The truss is one invention from antiquity which is still very much in use today. To put it simply, a truss is a triangle, or a series of triangles used as a roof support in construction; the triangle being the strongest geometric shape. Trusses are also used extensively in the construction of bridges, skyscrapers and other large buildings such as aircraft hangers. The distinctive triangular framework of a trussed construction is evident on many modern skyscrapers, yet the use of a trussed construction is more evident on each and every pylon which stands in our landscape.

Timber framed buildings rely heavily on trusses for supporting the roof. It is also the distinctive truss which gives timber framed buildings much of their character. There are numerous examples of timber framed buildings throughout the UK which are still structurally sound after several hundred years, largely thanks to their ‘trussed’ construction but also thanks to their oak frames. Oak is the perfect timber for construction as once it has seasoned, it is quite literally as hard as a nails.

Other examples of the truss used in construction can be found on the Forth Rail Bridge; where the thee huge cantilevers are connected via trussed bridge sections. The distinctive construction of London Stansted Airport and 30 St Mary Axe (the gherkin) both use what is called a ‘lattice shell’ construction, which is quite literally a multitude of trusses. So the next time you’re looking for an example of trusses in construction, just look around you as they can be found almost everywhere.

By Dave Liver

Hill Panel Products Ltd are a north west manufacturer of replacement kitchen cabinet doors, flat pack kitchen units and all associated fixtures and fittings. From their factory in Oldham, Hill Panel Products been the premier supplier of fitted furniture products for over twenty years. The company has two branches, one being in Oldham, Greater Manchester and the other being in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Primarily they supply to tradesmen and other bulk order businesses, however ‘the average Joe’ can purchase items at either of their showrooms in Sheffield or Oldham, or by visiting www.doorsandfittings.co.uk.

Being a manufacturer as well as a wholesaler and supplier, Hill’s Panel Products can manufacture replacement kitchen cabinet doors and drawers to any size you require. They have a huge range of vinyl coverings from classic white to marble and wood effect to perfectly create the look you desire. And being he UK’s premier supplier of Blum hinges means their products will give years of reliable service, no matter how heavy handed you or your family are.

Hill’s Panel Products’ founders Stephen and Martin Hill are also passionate about the community they operate from. Recently opened in Oldham city centre, the Mahdlo Youth Centre aims to give opportunities, support and life skills to young people in the area, and Stephen and Martin are proud to be the founder patrons of this exciting venture.

By Carl Liver