There are a few things that a handyman should always keep in their toolkit as they will always be needed. Without these things jobs will take longer and costs to complete jobs will go up. Now you might think we are talking about tools, but this isn’t the case, we are talking about sundry items.

Some of the sundry itmes you might need include:

• A range of different screws
• A range of different drill bits including holesaws
• Wall plugs
• Spare saw blades
• Nails
• A selection of different fixings

These are of course things many of us have at home, but it’s amazing how often we find ourselves on a job and need something as simple as a plasterboard plug, only to find we used the last one a few weeks previous.

As children grow, it becomes more important to provide them with items that suit their needs perfectly. This would include getting rid of their cots and replacing them with proper beds or replacing a chest of drawers with a small wardrobe so that it meets their storage needs properly. Purchasing correct furniture can also help them to become more responsible. For this reason, it is necessary that children are given their own things.

Usually, buying suitable children’s beds is one of the most difficult things to do. This is mainly because there is a wide collection of children’s beds to choose and many things that have to be considered.

If you have a small room or a misshapen room it’s quite easy to buy a standard bed frame and modify it to meet the shape of the room. As long as you stay within the constraints of the mattress you should have no problem. Many box rooms have awkward shapes which can only be solved when you build your own bed.

Just as most adults want their bedrooms to be elegant and attractive, children want their bedrooms to be fun and lively. This would definitely not mean that you have to include video games in the bedroom. However, you can make your children’s bedroom a lot more fun and energetic in other ways. Including appropriate children’s furniture can help you design an exciting and vibrant bedroom for your children.

Children’s bedroom ideas

There is a wide availability of different kinds of children’s furniture and bedding that can make a bedroom apt for your children. Mentioned below are some commonly used themes that can make your child’s bedroom lively, fun and beautiful.

Football theme- If your child is a football enthusiast, you can find a whole range of football theme bedding for them. From blankets to duvet sets, pillows and lamps, there is a lot to choose from to create a bedroom that is perfect for the ultimate football lover.

Pirate theme- For all those children who love eye flaps and boats, pirate themed bedding is the perfect way to decorate their bedrooms. You can find a wide selection of pirate themed children’s bedding and even furniture to make your child’s bedroom look like it just came alive from a fairytale.

Castle theme- If your child is a big fan of stories, castles, magic and wizards, the best theme to go with are wizards and castle themes. You can find all kinds of children’s bedding to complement this theme. Whether it is a castle clock or a knight money box, you can find wonderful items to make it real.

Besides these, there are a number of other themes that can make children’s bedrooms fun and exciting.

Unlike before, batteries are now commonly used to power remote controls, digital cameras, phones and other appliances. If you require batteries in most of the home devices then it is recommended to use rechargeable ones. These batteries are manufactured in such a way that they can be charged and reused, when required. Here are few reasons to use rechargeable batteries:

Saves money – Once you have purchased rechargeable batteries then there is no need to invest again on disposable ones. These batteries can be recharged many times and used wherever you want. Although they are costlier than disposable batteries, they save money in the long run.

Eco-friendly – All the batteries which are thrown are toxic in nature and pollute the environment. This is because they contain metals such as nickel, aluminium and mercury. They can cause environment problems if not disposed properly. As rechargeable batteries can be reused, you can protect the environment to some extent.

Convenient to use – The best thing about rechargeable batteries is that they are easy to use. Once you have bought rechargeable batteries then you no longer have to keep a stock of disposable batteries. It is more convenient to charge the batteries than going out to buy a pair of disposable batteries every month.

Consistent voltage – It has been proved that the voltage rate of disposable batteries go down over time. Unlike disposable batteries, rechargeable batteries work at a voltage of 1.2. This means that your appliances will work at a consistent level.

The EU initiative to phase out those light bulbs which are lower ratings of energy efficiency is now well under way, with 100 watt light bulbs already a glimmer in our memory.

The latest casualty of the EU ruling is the 60 watt bulb. Shops in the UK have not been able to order supplies of any of these bulbs since the 1st of September 2011 so stocks are running low and you might find your local store has already run out.

Anyone who wants to buy a bulb of a similar luminance rating will now have to swap to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

Painting doors is easy…If you have a good paintbrush and you take your time.

A good tradesperson never blames their tools. Is that right? Maybe. Like anything in life, if you don’t have the right equipment to do the job it’ll never look as good in the end.

Before you paint a door you need to buy a ‘quality’ paintbrush. Not one where the bristles fall out with every stroke. Not one you get in a pack of five ‘basics’ brushes. A good old fashioned horsehair paintbrush.

After sanding the door, make sure you undercoat or prime it before applying the top coats. Start at the top left (If you are right handed) and work your way across and down the door, not stopping until you’ve added a complete coat. If you stop part way the paint will dry and you’ll get a streaky finish. Don’t be tempted to ‘slap’ the paint on. The more thin coats the better the finish.

Lightly sand the door between coats. If you start with an unfinished door it should take a coat of primer, then a coat of undercoat then two top coats.

Anyone can lay laminate flooring. Don’t be pushed into getting it fitted why you buy it from a retailer. Don’t be flummoxed by all the bumf you read on the internet, fitting laminate is really easy. And when you’ve done one room you wont want to stop.

There are some essentials you won’t be able to do without though:

• Jigsaw
• Laminate fitting kit (Spacers, pull bar, rubber mallet, whacking block)
• Power drill + drill bits
• Square
• PPE
• Measuring tape
• Joiners saw
• Mitre block

If you follow the instructions on the laminate flooring you won’t go wrong.

Top tip: It’s worth spending a little time getting the subfloor sorted before you lay the laminate. Use a suitable underlay and make sure no floorboard creak when you walk across them.

We always like ways to make DIY jobs quicker. What we don’t like however are half-arsed jobs that look like they were done by a five year old.

Some of the worst half-arsed jobs over the last few years can be put down to one DIY tool - the fence panel paint sprayer. Yes they spray paint - over just about every surface within about 100 feet of the nozzle!

If you have a lot of fence panels to paint, don’t invest in one of these timesavers. Instead take your time and paint the fence properly. The spray from the paint sprayer does end up everywhere. The posts will be ruined, if you have concrete bases these will be ruined, the spray paint is three times more expensive than ordinary paint and your neighbours will complain when the ‘like water’ paint runs through the panels and all over their side of the fence.

And don’t even mention cleaning the bloody thing out after you’ve finished.

If there’s a problem, you’ll be sure that someone has already developed a solution.

We have a problem with a cat - our cat - he jumps on our flat roof from the fence at the side of our house. He leaps on the fence then hops on the roof and meows at the bedroom window to be let in - usually at 4:30 in the morning. As you may realise, this is not particularly endearing, nor does it want me to shower the feline with praise for being so resourceful. So I had a look on the internet for a solution.

Cat spikes - Yes, they exist. They are a strip of plastic with pre-molded spikes. They can be fitted to fence tops to stop cats walking along a fence. The manufacturer of the product says they won’t hurt the cat and simply act as a deterrent. I ordered some.

When the postman delivered them I could see why they act as a deterrent. One false move when trying to negotiate the unforgiving spikes and the le chat noir would be neutered quicker than you could say ‘lopabollocoff’. Joking apart they did seem a little cruel, so we fitted them.

Shed felt only usually lasts a few years before it needs to be replaced. But you don’t have to worry if you’ve never done it before as it’s really easy.

The old shed felt should be removed and any timber roofing that’s damp should always be replaced before refelting. Start at the lower roof level and pull the sheet across the roof. Cut to size and tack in place using clout nails around the edge of the felt. Do the same on the other side of the roof and finally add the apex piece of felt, making sure the felt overlaps the first two pieces of felt you have fitted, so no water can penetrate the surface. If needed you can always apply bitumen or gutter sealer to the edges to make sure no water can get in and your shed will be as good as new for another few years.