Money saving DIY decking

Have you ever wanted to get decking in your garden or yard, but haven't been able to afford it? Well this entry is exactly what you have been waiting and/or looking for, a cost effective, DIY solution to decking. If you have been following me on Twitter (@HOGservices) or like HOG's Facebook page, you will have seen that I put this as a teaser to try and spread the word on the aforementioned social media sites, to see how many people take notice of what I post on there. If they do take notice, they will realise that the answer is right here.
So you're wanting to know more about this budget decking? Allow me to elaborate then, the secret lies in recycling old pallets, which can be obtained from most industrial estates. Please ensure you ask permission from the manager, prior to taking any pallets and avoid coloured ones, as suppliers will reuse them, for example, blue pallets are property of the NHS.
Once you have the required number of pallets to cover the allocated area for your decking, you will need to take measurements of the gaps between the slats, so you can purchase wood to the correct specifications to fill these gaps, leaving a small gap between each slat to allow for drainage. You can get wood from most hardware stores like B&Q or Wickes, but personally I prefer to purchase it from a timberyard, as they can cut each piece to size, which saves a lot of time and is generally better value for money.
The next step is screw the wood to the pallets, sand any rough areas and treat it with creosote or something similar to lock out the elements and prevent rotting.
The final things to do is place the pallets in position, fit catches to connect and hold them together, again somewhere like B&Q or Wickes will supply catches, and there you have it, your very own garden deck.
The great thing with this is, if you fancy a change, you can easily move it to another section of the garden or even take it with you if you move house.
So, in conclusion, this budget decking is, and I quote a famous meerkat, "simples".
Thanks again for giving up your time to read my blog, keep checking back for future updates, links are posted on 'HOG services' Facebook page and on Twitter, @HOGservices, when new posts are added here. Please +1 this and leave any feedback you have. See the website for all info, contact info and services available;
www.hogservices.moonfruit.com

Snow and a tip to building a shed

Who is fed up of this snow? I mean don't get me wrong, I love the snow when's its fresh, but once its been around for this long and starts disrupting business, it gets a bit monotonous.
I was due to do some weeding for a few clients this week, which had to be cancelled, one garden design for landscaping in the next few weeks and a couple a drives to be cleared of snow which can't be done until the snow is due to stop, I have managed to clear a few but when it is frozen to the drive/path it makes it lot more difficult.
I was also in the process of landscaping my own front garden to use as an advert of what I can do to hopefully get some passing trade, but with the prolonged snow, this project has had to be placed on hold like everything else.
The benefits of the snow though, I know what you are thinking, but there are, you need to put a positive spin on everything, like 'when its raining, look for the rainbow' or 'see the silver lining of a mushroom cloud'. That last one isn't really one but I like it and wanted to squeeze it in somewhere.
Anywho, back on topic after going off on a tangent there, it freed up my time so that I didn't have to go racing around like a headless chicken here, there and everywhere after attending "The Princes' Trust" Exploring Enterprise 4 day course, which took up most of the daylight hours from 1000 til 1500, but it was definitely worth it. I gained some great ideas to help improve business, met some great, motivated, like minded people and if you, yourself, are contemplating whether to go self-employed and start up your own business, I would definitely recommend getting in touch with them to both onto the course.
You may have noticed that I am rambling a bit, but in this line of business, it does tend to be quite seasonal. So I shall finish this entry with a tip about building you're own woodwork/potting shed. The garden troughs, that are extremely popular for brightening up and adding spots of colour to front and back yards, and garden border fences ideally require the use of a shed to construct them. To make my shed, I will be using an old greenhouse frame, which is an ideal start as you have the structure, from here you have the option to use panes of glass for a section of the shed so that light can get in, giving you a part potting shed for growing fruit, veg and/or bedding plants to protect them from the elements and part workshop. If you aren't interested in being self sufficient you can use wood for the entirety of the shed, but ensure the wood is treated with creosote or wood treatment paint to prevent against rotting.
On that note I will close this entry, once again, I thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you will return to read future posts and please leave any feedback you have to help me improve this.

Website: www.hogservices.moonfruit.com
Twitter: @HOGservices
Facebook: HOG services

HOG Blog 1

This is my first attempt at a blog, so bare with me ;-).

I will begin by telling you what HOG services is and does. To start I will use 'the elevator pitch', so here goes, HOG services can maximise and improve your indoor and outdoor space. How, you ask, OK, I will tell you. Our Handyman and Odd jobs service, or the H and O of HOG if you will (10 points for guessing what the G stands for #answersonapostcard), perform jobs as simple as changing a light bulb to building a walk-in wardrobe, or even boarding out your loft. If you are unsure about anything, feel free to ask, contact info will be coming up at the end or feel free to leave a comment. Well that covers the indoors, now for the outdoors.
The G of HOG stands for...(insert drumroll here)...yes, you guessed it, Garden services. Our Garden services, HOG's bread and butter, range from light gardening, i.e. mowing the lawn, lawn edging, light weeding, to full garden overhaul and landscaping. You come first when it comes to designing your dream garden, you tell us what you would like and we draw it up, so that you can see what works and what doesn't. There are more in depth details on our website, which takes us nicely on to the methods you can use to get in touch;
1. Check out our website by either, clicking on the HOG tree, the link or by going to www.hogservices.moonfruit.com
2. Tweet us on Twitter; @HOGservices
3. Find us on Facebook by searching 'HOG services'
4. Call or text Ben on 07709696679
5. Email daddydback21@gmail.com

I hope you enjoyed reading my first blog, please leave any feedback and comments so I can continue to grow HOG services into a sustainable and trustworthy brand.

Thank you for your time and please pop back to check for the next installment.