Advice
If you’ve decided to self assemble your item or give those household tasks a go yourself, we’d love to share some tips with you. Our list of Do’s and Don’ts will help you with your project but as always, feel free to get in touch with us if you need any advice.
If you’re assembling furniture yourself, check that the items are from similar or the same batches. Some suppliers like to surprise you by changing the design slightly and not keeping the new stock separate in the shop. If you’re buying two of the same item, always check to make sure they’re identical before you leave the store.
Screwing into a wall?
Don’t do it unless you’ve used a stud detector first. A good device can set you back £30 like our one but, that’s £30 well spent in our opinion! While these are great for preventing a screw going through a cable or water pipe, they’re perfect for marking out where joists or beams are – giving you added strength when securing heavier items to the wall.
Look at the biggest components first. As a rule, the bigger the part, the more load bearing it’s going to be so find these first. Focus on what the finished item looks like and work backwards from there.
If it’s your first time, stick strictly to the instruction manual. A good manual will detail every last step. It can be the difference between a nicely finished product and having to take it all apart because you’ve missed a bolt.
Romney wasn’t built in a day….
You don’t need to have it built in the next five minute so take your time. Take a few minutes out. Don’t be put off if it looks complicated. It’s not impossible, even if it takes a couple of hours it can be very rewarding when you complete it.
Make sure you have the right tools for the job. Preparation beforehand will save you time during. If you haven’t got them, go get!
Believe in yourself. If you’ve got the right tools and a positive mindset, you can built it!
Know exactly what you want to achieve before you start.
How hard can it be? I’ll just give it a go and see how I get on…..
Always have a plan and know exactly what you want to do. Mounting a TV on the wall? Make sure you have suitable wall plugs for the weight of the TV and also appropriate for the wall type you’re going to be securing it to.
Allow plenty of time. There’s no point in starting a DIY task if unless you’ve no got enough time to complete it there and then. Feeling time-pressured while measuring or using tools can have a detrimental effect on what you’re trying to achieve. Allow twice as long – you can always fill in the time afterwards with a nice cuppa.
Distractions are not helpful. Turn off the TV, turn off the children and put the dog in the other room. The less noises around you, the better. Something as simple as a little one walking off with the hammer or the dog barking or getting under your feet can add to stress levels or potentially cause an injury.
Having a roll of parcel tape to hand will save you time later. You’ll get through a lot of boxes and plastic packaging throughout the build. Keep all of it in one place inside the cardboard and secure it all together at the end. Not only is it easier to carry down two flights of stairs but, when you leave it out for the bin men, it’s not going to fly half way down the street.
