12.0 DIY Fixtures and Fittings

Useful Advice for DIY Jobs

When undertaking any painting or cleaning, avoid using products that are high in VOCs. VOCs are carbon-containing chemicals that are labeled ‘volatile’ because they evaporate easily at room temperature, thereby entering the air we breathe.

Health risks of exposure to VOCs include eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, loss of co-ordination, memory impairment, and nausea. Not to mention damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system.

If you are undertaking painting work please ensure that you:

• Choose water-based over oil-based paint whenever possible.
• Select the least toxic, lowest VOC paints available, especially for indoor paint jobs. Ask at your paint store for help.
• Read the labels carefully before you buy. Even latex, low-VOC paints can contain toxic ingredients.
• Read all the directions on the label and follow them carefully.
• Avoid spray painting.
• Do not use exterior paint indoors.
• When redecorating it is advisable to manually boost the MVR system if window opening is restricted in the room being decorated. Please refer to Section 2.11 for details on how to do this.
• Should you wish to repaint any areas of your apartment using its existing colours, please refer to the references provided here.
• When carrying out DIY, we would recommend where possible that you purchase your materials from sustainable sources.

Installing Pictures or Other Items to Walls and Ceilings

You may want to hang pictures, put up shelves and attach built in furniture. Be careful that the type of screws, pins and nails that you use to fix to the walls, floors and ceilings are appropriate and do not drill, nail or pin into any walls in an area about 9 inches (225 mm) wide above or below any electrical switch, socket or other fitting. All electric cables that have been installed in the property will run from the ceiling and then vertically downwards to the switch, socket or fitting so you will be able to trace its route. Light pictures can be hung anywhere with picture hooks and pins – except above or below electrical switches, sockets etc, which may result in fixing through an electric cable, which is dangerous.

Be particularly careful before fixing bookshelves, televisions, speakers, and other heavy items to the internal metal stud partition walls, which are only clad in plasterboard. You can locate the position of the stud work by tapping along a wall until the wall sounds solid. The ‘studs’ are normally about 600 mm apart. It is safe to drill screws into the stud work and affix items of various weights. If you are fixing items where there is no stud work, you should use plasterboard fixings or toggle bolts which are available in DIY shops, but we recommend that you use the stud work for support where possible. The same applies to ceiling fixings. If you are unsure, contact a specialist.