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Once upon a time, hedgehogs were a common sight in British gardens. However, statistics show that their population is declining fast – so much so in fact, that hedgehog numbers declined by over a third between 2003 and 2012. Many factors have contributed to this drastic decline: new roads and more traffic, new houses being built resulting in habitat loss, and gardens being surrounded by solid walls and fences. To help, you can: - Stop using slug pellets and chemicals as they can poison hedgehogs - Before cutting hedges, shrubs, or mowing the lawn, check for hedgehogs in bushes and long grass -Cover ponds at night as hedgehogs can fall in but struggle to get out - Check bonfires for hedgehogs before lighting - Build a hedgehog house! Click here to view an A4, printable version of this guide, and please feel free to help more hedgehogs by publishing this guide on your own site (just use the embed code below). How to Build a Hedgehog House - An infographic by the team at www.ukoakdoors.co.uk Embed How to Build a Hedgehog House on Your Site: Copy and Paste the Code Below <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="https://www.ukoakdoors.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/UKOD-How-to-make-a-hedgehog-house-1.jpg" width="540"></p><br /><br /><br /> <p>How to Build a Hedgehog House - An infographic by the team at <a href="https://www.ukoakdoors.co.uk/">www.ukoakdoors.co.uk</a></p><br /><br /><br /> <p> When your hedgehog house is finished: - Do not varnish or treat the wood as the chemical could potentially be harmful to the hedgehogs - Place it in a quiet location in your garden, surrounded by plants, under a covering plant if possible, and against a wall or fence - Position the box so the entrance is protected from wind. It’s recommended that the house faces South or South West - Clean the hedgehog house once a year in spring, using an organic Pyrehthrum powder. If you’re not sure if a hedgehog is living in the house simply place something small outside the entrance overnight. If in the morning it has been moved, the house is probably being used by a grateful hedgehog! Information is accurate at time of publishing, however, may be subject to change.

Natural nest sites for birds are depleting fast: each time a tree is chopped down or an old building is repaired or demolished a bird loses a potential nesting site. Find out how you can help and give a family of birds a home in our step-by-step guide to making your very own birdhouse. Please feel free to download and print the guide, or to help more birds by sharing it on your own site using the embed code below!

Here at UK Oak Doors we are big fans of all things DIY, design and décor - especially when it comes in blog form! We've compiled a list of our favourite interior design based blogs which include everything from home renovation to crafty interiors projects. So without further ado, here is our top 30 for you to enjoy

Our solid oak external doors are handcrafted with care to ensure stability and warp resistance, but to ensure they last you a lifetime they must be correctly treated and cared for. The effects of harsh weather conditions like wind, rain and snow can all contribute to rot and damage. Because Oak is a natural product, we do not recommend the doors are directly exposed to the elements, ideally the door will be enclosed within a porch or under a canopy. To further ensure they last for as long as possible, you must treat them before fitting them, and then clean and re-treat them every two or three years. Here is our guide to correctly treating your external oak doors.

The year is almost over!  December should be a month for celebration and relaxation, so put away those paint brushes and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.  You will, of course, spend some time putting up the tree and the other decorations, but you can do this at your leisure.  If you've been working hard on renovating your home over the last few months then you should have a house to be proud of, and this is your chance to show it off. Getting the Whole Family Involved Why not share the load this month and get the whole family involved in making Christmas decorations?  Young children can have fun with cardboard, coloured cellophane and paint (making window decorations), while older children may enjoy doing some "adult" DIY by cutting and sanding balsa wood to make ornaments. If you have more than enough Christmas decorations to go around, there are still things that your children can do to get involved with the feeling of Christmas.  Making a festive candy-cane is a quick and easy job (all you need is some candy canes, and some pipe-cleaner or ribbon to tie around the long part of the cane, along with perhaps some mistletoe for a little festive flair), and they make a great table decoration. Candy Canes. Photo: Steve Nakatani Older children that have dextrous fingers, and a lot of patience, could make special embroidered handkerchiefs for family guests.  A white handkerchief with a red initial embroidered on it is a stylish but simple gift, and the knowledge that it's hand-made makes it even more special. Last-Minute Tips for Christmas No matter how organized you are, it's inevitable that something will go wrong during the festive season.  Perhaps guests will arrive a day earlier than expected, leaving you scrambling to clean up the bathroom.  Or, perhaps you'll run out of chilled wine or beer and have to scramble to find something to quench the thirst of your guests. When things go wrong, the important thing to remember is to remember the Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy's core phrase: "Don't panic".  While the empty shampoo bottle and soap box in the bathroom may leave you crimson with embarrassment, there's a good chance that your guests won't even notice.  A temporary delay in the flow of liquid refreshment at your Christmas Eve party might raise a couple of eyebrows, but as long as you keep the party moving, it will be forgotten by the end of the night. If you have some last minute cleaning to do, don't worry about doing it well - grab some boxes, stuff the "stuff" that you need to clean up into them, and put them on top of a wardrobe in your bedroom.  You can sort everything out properly once your guests have gone. Box of toys. Photo: David If you need to cool some wine or beer quickly, put the warm beverages in a bowl, and cover them with ice.  Pour some water over the ice, and then add some salt (make that a LOT of salt) to the mix.  Stir the saltwater mixture and let the drinks sit in it for a few minutes.  Your drinks should go from warm to ice cold in just three or four minutes.  Be sure to rinse the bottle off before serving it

Scroll down for UK Oak Door's new and improved guide to all the industry door jargon you've ever wanted or needed to understand. You can also download and print your own PDF here.

Purchasing products from reputable sources (such as UK Oak Doors) using good wood and reliable treatments is the best preventative action to the introduction of wood pests into the home. But whether by flying insects or the introduction of new furniture in the home, any modern house may inadvertently bring wood pests into the house, particularly if home designers prefer a more classic look with antique furniture.

A mitre box is an important woodworking tool which can be used to help you put accurate angled cuts into wood.  Mitre boxes are quite simple to make, and you can put one together out of scrap wood quite easily. Mitred Architrave With a 45 degree join. Photo: Michele Schaffer The time you invest in making a mitre box will save you time, waste and hassle in the future by ensuring that each piece of wood you cut in the future, whether for shelving or architrave, will be a straight, clean cut. The name “box” is a bit of a misnomer, since the box is open on two ends and at the top, so that longer, larger pieces of wood (such as architrave and skirting) can be slid into the box and the ends can be cut smoothly. If convenience is important to you, then you can purchase mitre boxes made of a strong plastic or rubber.  However, even store-bought mitre boxes need replacing periodically because the guide slots are prone to damage. Once you get the hang of making mitre boxes, you will probably find that it’s just as easy (and far cheaper) to make your own and swap them out when they start to show signs of wear. Fitting Your Mitre Box If you are going to be cutting a lot of a particular size of wood – for example, a large cornice, or some unusually sized architrave, make a box that will fit this.  Match the size of the bottom board to the size of the wood you are cutting, to ensure that the wood sits true while it is being cut. Making Your Mitre Box To make your own mitre box you will need: Three pieces of wood A workbench with clamps A tenon saw A combination square A screwdriver and some matching screws Assembling the Box Clamp the three pieces of wood together so that they form a ‘U’ shape. Position the base of the box so that it is slightly elevated – the outer sides should stick out by approximately ¼ of an inch, forming “legs” for the box. Mark the centre of the elevated base with a pencil so that you can accurately place the screw holes. Drill three holes on each side – one at each end and one in the middle, through the outer sides and into the inner piece of wood which makes up the base of the box. Screw the wood together – choose a long screw so that you get a firm, solid bite. Using a combination square, mark 90 and 45 degree angles (or whatever angles you are going to be cutting frequently) on the upper surface of the box. Cut the lines you have marked, using your tenon saw.  Cut slowly and carefully to a depth of around 2 inches (50mm). Using a Mitre Box To use your mitre box, place a piece of flat, scrap wood into the base of the box and rest the wood (or other material) that you want to cut on top of that wood.  Use the guide slots on the mitre box to start the cut. Insert the saw blade into the slot and gently draw the saw back and forth to open up the cut, while holding the wood firmly in place.  The slot will guide the cut from the top to the bottom of the board, ensuring that the cut is perpendicular to the edge of the board (or at a consistent angle all the way down.  This creates a consistent, precise finish. When you are making a 45-degree cut, the saw can easily fall out of the slots, so cut carefully, using short strokes. If the wood you are cutting does not fit snugly in the box, hold it in place firmly with a clamp. Architrave. Photo: Simon Wheatley Cutting And Fitting Architrave One of the main uses of a mitre box for interior design is cutting architrave – the timber moulding that fits around doors and windows.  Architrave is designed to hide the joint between the wall or ceiling and the timber casings, hiding movement or shrinkage, and keeping the wall looking clean and professionally finished. It is important that architrave is neatly cut, and that the corners are mitred.  Usually, the corners meet at right-angles, so the mitre cut on each piece should be 45 degrees (half of the right angle).  However, this is not always the case.  In very old properties, the door casing may no longer be square, so you should measure the real angle before you start cutting. Mark out the casing, leaving a suitable margin for the hinges. Make sure that the margin is big enough to allow you a safe nailing area, but not so large that it restricts the knuckle of the hinges.  Mark margins both horizontally and vertically. Mark the angles that you need to cut on the architrave, and use a mitre box to ensure that the cut follows the marking accurately. To place the architrave, position the head piece first of all.  Line it up against the horizontal margin markings, and make sure that the corners are in line with the vertical margin markings.  Tack the architrave in place with three nails, one in the centre and one on either side.  Do not put the nails all the way in at this point, simply use them to hold the architrave steady. Next, position one of the side the side pieces so that the mitred edges line up neatly with the sides.  Again, tack the first side in place but leave the nails protruding slightly.  Finally position the other side in the same fashion. Once you have all of the joints lined up, drive a panel pin into each mitre joint at an angle across the two pieces, to ensure that the joints remain flush.  After securing each joint, drive all of the nails home and punch them so that they are slightly lower than the surface of the architrave.  Fill in the hole with liquid wood, and allow this to dry.  Sand the surface flat, and paint it. Information is accurate at time of publishing, however, may be subject to change.

Read How to Use a Plumb Line in PDF format The plumb line is one of the simplest tools in the average homeowner’s toolbox, but it is also one of the most versatile.  You should use a plumb line whenever you need to make a straight, vertical line – whether that is for hanging wallpaper, putting up a painting, or checking the angle of a door. Making a Plumb Line You can purchase plumb lines quite cheaply from most DIY stores. Professionally made plumb lines come in a range of sizes, and usually have heavy steel bobs.  If you are doing any heavy-duty building work, it is a good idea to buy a heavy plumb line and bob, but a home-made plumb line should be good enough for most small indoor tasks. To make a plumb line you will need: A long string made of nylon or twisted cotton A small, heavy weight which can be secured to the string Some brightly coloured chalk Tie the weight to one end of the string.  Crush the chalk into a cloth until the chalk has turned into fine powder, and run the string through it so that it is covered in the dust.  Make sure that you are using a colour of chalk that is easy to see against the wall you are working with. Using a Plumb Line If using chalk will be too messy for the environment you are working in, hold the plumb line in place while someone else marks the vertical line with a soft pencil, using the string as a guide. To ensure accurate measurements, use a weight of at least six to eight ounces.  Choose a rope that will not stretch easily. You can improvise a plumb line with a length of string and anything that you have lying around (your watch, or keys, for example), but this is not ideal.  Try to use a heavier cord (para-cord, or washing line, for example), and a weight that is sufficient to pull the string completely taught. Working With a Plumb Line Now you are ready to use the plumb line.  Pin the loose end of the string to the top of the wall (use a nail, if possible, to ensure that the line stays secure), and let the string hang freely.  The string should be long enough to cover most of the wall, but not so long that the weight touches the floor. Lower the line gently and let the weight settle until the string stops moving.  Once you are sure that the string is stationary, push the bottom of the string into the wall, just above the weight and make sure that the string is taught. With your free hand, pull the centre of the string away from the wall, and let it ping back against the wall.  This should leave a line of chalk against the wall.  The chalk line will be exactly vertical, and perpendicular to the ceiling. If you are hanging wallpaper, make sure that you follow this procedure to place a straight line on each wall around the room. If you need the plumb line to stay still for a longer period of time, let the bob rest in a tub of clear, viscous oil so that it does not sway and move around every time someone walks past it. When to Use a Plumb Line Use a plumb line whenever you need to confirm the room’s true vertical – either when building a shed or an extension, or re-modelling an existing room.  Never assume that the walls in a room are straight.  If you have ever tried to replace the boring panel doors in your home with solid oak doors, you probably had to do some sanding and adjusting to make the doors fit.  Even recently built homes can have crooked walls.  It does not take a lot of foundation shift to make doorways and walls end up noticeably out of alignment. When hanging wallpaper, you should always make sure that the paper is straight and that the pattern lines up neatly.  Leave a little extra wallpaper at the top and the bottom, so that you can line up the repeating pattern and then trim the excess at the ceiling and the skirting board. Establish a plumb line for each wall that you plan on papering.  Allow for a half-inch overlap at the corners, for a clean and professional looking finish. Plumb Lines vs Spirit Levels Spirit levels are useful for small jobs such as hanging picture frames, or making sure that the shelves that you put up are straight. You can test the angle of a small object quickly and easily with a spirit level.  However, for surfaces without a straight edge, or for establishing a true vertical for a large project such as making a doorway, a spirit level will not be accurate enough. It is a good idea to carry both a plumb line and a spirit level so that you can take measurements on any scale.  Some smartphones have built-in spirit levels which offer a fairly detailed level of feedback, and can be useful for simpler carpentry jobs. The Importance of Careful Measurement Taking the time to hang a plumb line may seem like a lot of hassle, but it is worth the effort.  Once you get used to working with plumb lines, it only takes a minute or two to draw a perfect vertical line, and you can work with confidence. If you try to guess, or assume that the ceiling is perfectly horizontal, and you can work from there, then the results could be disastrous.  When you are decorating and standing close to the wall, your architrave or wallpaper may look fine.  Once you have finished the job and taken a step back, however, any errors will be glaringly obvious.  Do you really want to have to live with a misaligned fireplace or wonky door until you have the time and money to fix the issue? Measure carefully before you start cutting any decorating materials, and re-check your measurements and alignments regularly while you are working.  If you identify a mistake early on, you are more likely to be able to fix it. Information is accurate at time of publishing, however, may be subject to change.

This is the first in a new series of blog posts, helping to guide and inspire you to  undertake some home improvement projects throughout this year. Each month for the rest of 2013, we'll be letting you know what tasks you could be carrying out (both inside and outside of your home), depending on the time of year and of course the weather conditions! Read on for January's post... Spring Clean January is traditionally the time when people go on a house-cleaning spree, throwing away old and unwanted possessions, taking down decorations, and giving their homes a thorough cleaning.  Sadly, for many people this enthusiasm for cleaning and decorating doesn't last long, and by February any new-year's resolutions are forgotten. This year, why not take your spring-clean to the next level and start the year the way you mean to go on by preparing yourself for a year of successful DIY.   January is a Month of Planning Resist the temptation to try to start tackling all of your indoor jobs in January.  If you rush in to doing lots of jobs right away, there's a good chance you'll burn out and get sick of spending your weekends surrounded by screwdrivers and paintbrushes.  Instead of rushing to get jobs done in January, let yourself relax after the festive season, and ease into the year's projects by spending your time off doing some research. Make a list of all of the jobs that you want to get done this year (include stuff like re-turfing the garden, or fixing the roof, even though those jobs will have to wait until the warmer months).  Try to find out which jobs you can tackle yourself, and which you will need to pay a professional to do for you. Make a List Using this list, put together an annual budget for your DIY projects, and work out how much you'll need to set aside each month to afford all of the jobs you'll be doing throughout the year.  If it helps you to divide your finances strictly, you may want to consider opening a second bank account or instant access savings account online so that your DIY funds aren't sitting there in your main bank account, easy to access for impulse spending. If any of the jobs on your to-do list require planning permission, call your local authority and find out how long the application process takes.  Make sure that you start the application process early to ensure that you have a nice time buffer to work with in case there are delays or problems with your paperwork. Practical Shopping in the Sales Tools of the Trade The January sales can be a great time to pick up cheap tools and consumables.  While everyone else is rushing to the clothes, gifts and electronics aisles, take this opportunity to head on over to the DIY section.  You may find cheap gardening tools, paint brushes, rollers, trays, and other handy items. That sort of shopping might not be as exciting as shopping for a new TV in the sales, but you could save a fortune.  You can always pick up some shiny new electronics later in the year, when new models have been released and you've finished your renovation work. We’re running a January sale too – visit our sale page here. Spring Cleaning Your DIY projects will go much more smoothly if you have time to work.  It's a good idea to try to find some time for de-cluttering and spring-cleaning.  If you have a lot of clutter to sort through, consider trying the Fly Lady approach - break down the cleaning into lots of small tasks, doing a few minutes each day rather than trying to clean an entire room in one go.  Once you have tackled a room, make a point of trying to keep it uncluttered.  It's easier to tidy up after yourself each evening than it is to clean up a week's worth of mess in one go. Photo: Sean Freese, Dr Stephen Dann, Keith Williamson

Even if you are quite handy with power tools, you will eventually encounter a DIY project that requires you to bring in a contractor. This is no reflection on your abilities as a handyman.  Some projects are simply too complex to get done on a bank holiday weekend, and other jobs, such as ones

Did you know that your front door is one of the most important aspects of your home? Aside from the actual selection of the home in the first instance there are very few additions or modifications that the home owner can do to change the look and feel of the house they live in from the exterior.

Even the most avid of DIY enthusiasts will occasionally need to bring in a contractor.  Some projects, such as building an extension to accommodate your growing family, or getting insulation or storm windows, can be too time consuming to take on as a side project.

This is the second part in the series on how to build an internal doorway. The first part was concerned with the creation of a doorway in a plasterboard wall where one currently does not exist.

We are often asked how to build an internal doorway which is quite an open question as there are two very different circumstances people may actually be asking about.

Some doors come with locks already fitted but most quality doors will not, hence allowing the owner to choose what type of lock and latch they are going to use. Fitting a Mortise Lock into a door requires a slightly above average level of DIY skill.

Let’s not be half hearted about this, there are two areas of the Euro zone,  Spain and Greece,  that are in a desperate financial situation. It’s not just the immediate situation faced by these countries that is of such concern but the fact there is so little that can be done to prevent the problems reoccurring. Austerity measures that drastically cut public spending whilst increasing taxes are not acceptable to either populations as they feel they are the scapegoats for all the Euros woes.