Can I paint straight on to plasterboard Having moved into a newly built house with plasterboard walls, I need to start redecorating. I have redecorated similar rooms at my children's homes with some difficulty, as the plasterboard is extremely absorbent and acts like blotting paper, even after several coats of emulsion. In my previous, older properties I cheap oakley eyepatch 2 have not experienced this problem and new plaster has been decorated without difficulty. I am told that the up to date method of sealing such walls is by the use of a PVA adhesive solution. Could you please confirm that this is the preferred method? TT, by e mailThe stud partition walls, and often the inner faces of the outside walls too, are lined with plasterboard, but this is not skimmed with plaster. Instead, the screw holes are filled, and the joints between the boards are covered with paper tape and filler (called jointing compound). The paper surface of the cheap oakley eyepatch 2 sunglasses plasterboard is the only finish, and paint or wallpaper is applied directly to it. Like many developments in modern building practice, this one comes oakley eyepatch 2 sunglasses from the US, where plasterboard is rarely given a protective coat of plaster. It is cheaper and more convenient for the developers, but not so good oakley eyepatch 2 for homeowners.

Several readers with recently built homes have complained that they have started to scrape off wallpaper, only to find that they are actually removing the paper surface of the plasterboard; on walls that are painted, not papered, it is also necessary to take care when sanding the painted surfaces lest this, too, damages the plasterboard.As you have discovered, plasterboard is very absorbent (so care should be taken not to get it too wet, lest it loses strength), so it has to be sealed. Dilute PVA is one option, but it would be best to use one of the manufacturers' recommended products, such as Gyproc Drywall Sealer. This seals the plasterboard before painting and if used prior to wallpapering it is also claimed to be cheap oakley eyepatch 2 resistant to subsequent steam wallpaper stripping. Would it be possible to change the convection heaters for storage heaters?

Is it just a matter of swapping them over or would they have to be rewired and reconnected at the fuse box? MS, Talybont, GwyneddNight storage heaters on the Economy 7 tariff are becoming steadily more attractive as a heating option. After the recentenergy price rises, off peak electricity is now effectively as cheap as piped natural gas, and has the benefit of low installation costs and almost zero maintenance costs. Ideally, each storage heater should be run off its own spur oakley eyepatch 2 sunglasses a dedicated single cable running from the off peak consumer unit. But to save the costs of rewiring, it is also possible for a storage heater to be plugged in to an existing 30 amp ring main, using a time switch to ensure that it draws current only oakley eyepatch 2 during the off peak period. If you are planning to connect more than one storage heater to the same ring main, you should ensure that the total extra load does not exceed 4kW, or 3kW if the ring circuit includes a kitchen. If in doubt, consult a qualified electrician.

Also note that having storage heaters in bedrooms does not suit everyone. Modern storage heaters are very well insulated, but they still leak heat into the room, even when the output controls are turned down to the minimum, and the maximum heat leakage occurs when the core reaches its hottest period from around three o'clock in the morning. One of them leaks in very heavy rains and I wonder how we can repair it? cheap oakley eyepatch 2 sunglasses The surface does appear to have cracks in it but if they went right through we would be flooded when it rains. The church was built in the early 1930s and I would guess these roofs are original. DM, by e mailGood quality mastic asphalt is an excellent roofing material, and might last for 50 to 60 years, so your 1930s church roofs are definitely past their "sell by" date. There would be little point in trying to patch up cracked asphalt, and the best course of action would be to get the roofs stripped off and relaid. A key factor in longevity is to protect the asphalt surface from the effects of the sun by applying and maintaining a coat of solar reflective paint. A layer of white stone chippings is even better, as it will also buffer the asphalt from the effects of thermal shock when hot days are followed by cold nights, which can cause cracking.