Make the most of the extra daylight by tackling these DIY jobs around the house

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THE Consumer Crew are here to solve your problems.

Mel Hunter will take on readers’ consumer issues, Jane Hamilton will give you the best advice for buying your dream home, and Judge Rinder will tackle your legal woes.

Jane Hamilton, property expert

Property expert Jane Hamilton shares her tips on finding a home in the country

Brushing up on DIY skills

SATURDAY marks the summer solstice – the longest day of the year. 

The UK will experience 16 hours and 38 minutes of daylight, and possibly a  surge in DIY jobs as we use the extra light to get household jobs done. 

To help, we have teamed up with trades site myjobquote.co.uk to find answers for the most-searched DIY dilemmas.

Here are some DIY ideas to make the most of the extra daylight

Can you paint over mould and mildew? Do not paint over it, or it will return. First, wash the infected areas with a bleach-based cleaner to kill off mould growth or damp spores. Let it dry then apply a primer, damp paint or anti-mould paint as an undercoat and  paint the wall with the colour of your choice.

What is the white substance on bricks and is there any way to remove it? This is called efflorescence, which is the salt in mortar and brick coming to the surface. Remove the salt deposits by spraying distilled vinegar on the affected bricks and then wait for ten minutes for the efflorescence to absorb the vinegar. Once this is done, use a dry, stiff bristle brush to scrub away the salt deposits. 

How do I fix paint bubbles/blisters on walls? Scrape the wall and sand the blisters. Once a smooth finish has been achieved, coat the walls with primer before applying a quality acrylic latex interior paint. Do not use oil-based or alkyd paint over latex paint.

Can I paint my decking with fence paint? Many people tend to use fence paint on decking because it usually costs less than decking paint, stain and oil. But it is also less durable. Instead, use decking oil as it effectively penetrates the decking wood and gives it longer protection from use and the weather.

Rock-solid property boost

BRITAIN’S ancient landmarks give a rock-solid boost to our property prices.  

Homes close to the UK’s most famous stone circles are an average £290,262 – that is 25 per cent more than the current UK average.

Prices near Stonehenge in Wiltshire top £301,900. Colby Short, CEO of estate agents comparison site getagent.co.uk,  which carried out the research, said: “It certainly seems that ancient cosmic forces are at work, helping to push property prices near these Neolithic monuments above and beyond the UK average in most instances.” 

Judge Rinder

 Judge Rinder’s answers do not constitute legal advice and are not a substitute for obtaining independent legal advice

Q) I AM employed as the head groundsman at a boarding school and have been  furloughed for 11 weeks.  

At a recent meeting with the bursar I was told that my role was at risk, because of the need to make savings due to Covid-19. 

I was told that I could accept a new role as groundsman with a £7,000 reduction in my salary or take redundancy which is an eight-year package only. Is this legal?

Barrie, Hereford 

A) This school cannot make you redundant while your job still exists or you could have a case against them for unfair redundancy. The school appears to want you to do the same job you are doing now as head groundsman but for less money using a different title. 

The school is allowed to ask you to take a pay cut (many companies are) and you may decide to agree but they cannot force redundancy on you unless they get rid of the head groundsman job and are now – genuinely – offering you a different role. If they are, it will be up to you to decide what to do. There are precise legal requirements for calculating the redundancy package you are being offered. 

You need to think and act quickly in this case. You should ask your employer what your new role of “groundsman” would include then find out what redundancy package is being offered and, if you think the school is acting unlawfully, get legal advice as soon as possible. Citizens Advice Bureau can help. 

What happens if you haven’t got a job to go back to after being furloughed?