Blog
Problem Solving: DAMP
They say every day is a learning day, so hopefully this blog teaches you something pretty basic and pretty useful! Salt – it attracts...
Common Misconceptions: Mould
It is a common misconception that you can chuck a bit of household bleach over the mould around your shower tray or at the edge of the...
Deposits (& Mental Health Again!)
When you’re already feeling ill, down and low on energy then someone knocking you back, cancelling on you last minute, rejecting you, or...
Hair-raising Bathroom Electrics
A space saving design solution UIL utilised back in 2018/2019 was to install a washing machine in a bathroom.
This is a common design tactic utilised in Europe and America and really it does make sense – after all, why would a washing machine be in a food area (kitchen)? If you don’t have a utility room then a bathroom (with all it’s lovely cleanliness and plumbing) is the obvious place for a washing machine.
Read the original post that UIL wrote on MyBuilder here
Limco (no, not Limbo)
Sometimes it does feel like we are living in a limbo…. So any time you can bring order to the chaos it is probably a good idea to do so! Don’t hire a fly-by-night or unprofessional trades-person, do your due diligence and you probably won't come unstuck.
When you are dealing with a proper incorporated Limited Company you, the customer will have access to certain information that other types of businesses (e.g. Sole-Trader) don’t or won't provide.
Mental Strength, Mental Health
You are what you say you are…
It sounds silly but it is true. Anyone who has ever changed career will have realised it is true. At first you have “impostor syndrome” but then all of a sudden you are running a new life, dressing differently, carrying yourself different, mixing with different people…
If you act shy you will be more shy…
If you give in to OCD you will become more OCD…
Afraid of something? Then you’ll be more afraid in the future…
Condensation Chaos
Water causes the most damage to buildings! Even above fire!
Most people are interested and surprised to learn this.
That dripping gutter you meant to fix ten years ago – seemed like a minor problem, but left unchecked it can cause a lot of damage to a structure because the slow drip drip drip has been chipping away at the building and causing all sort of unseen damage like rot, decay, paint peeling, etc.
The Bermuda Triangle & Doctor Who
A bit like the Bermuda triangle a project budget will always be a thing of mystery – after all, how do you control time, quality and money!? Surely only Dr Who can control time?! The simple answer is that you cannot control and prioritise all three aspects of a project – even for the best Project Manager, it is impossible.
UIL turns 4!
Yet again we missed our own birthday party! October was a crazy busy month, busy enough to almost forget that Upcycle Interiors Limited (UIL) turned 4 years old.
A big thank you goes out to all customers – past – present – future.
Thank you!
Pricing: Fixed Price vs Day Rate
If you’re unsure of the options then this blog will hopefully clarify the way that pricing a job works.
The Architecture Is In The Detail
“The devil is in the detail” so they say, alternatively, the “The Architecture is in the detail”, which is far better considering we are discussing buildings.
Both of these sayings are so true! Details can make or break a project, in the same way that they can make or break a business.
UIL is proud to act in a professional manner at all times and to conduct business in a completely transparent manner. There is nothing to hide - you will find all of the company details in this blog
The 3 Pillars of UIL
Please see the below video to find out about the 3 pillars that Upcycle Interiors stands by - Professional, Trustworthy, Reliable
Upcycling
'Flexible living spaces are what I create'
Recycling a material normally means reducing it to its raw material and then making a new item from it. For example, glass bottles are melted down and then used to make new glass bottles. This process uses a lot of energy. The value of the recycled material is “neutral”, after it is used it is thrown away, melted down and another bottle is made, which has the same value/quality of the bottle that was discarded.
Upcycling is similar to recycling, but literally, better.
An old item or “waste” material is reused, normally with minimal processing, this reduces the amount of energy wasted in melting it down to its raw material. More importantly, the value of the material has increased – a waste material with little or no value has become something far more useful or attractive and is now worth more or is better quality.
Non-Standard Value
Other Portland / Weymouth-based Handymen and Property Maintenance operatives include Chesil Property Maintenance and HouseMartin. Martin is much like Upcycle Interiors Limited – offering a broad range of skills and virtually able to cater for everything that a complete renovation requires. A promising fact is that House Martin does not advertise cheap or value prices and they aren’t trying to do everything at the lowest level.
2 Ply Toilet Paper
Ahhh the elusive Weymouth Handyman. Or should that be elusive tradesman (or tradesperson)?
If you have reached out to any trade (or even window cleaner or gardener) since about 2020 you may have experienced a common problem – zero availability!
Doing a quick check of the market would suggest Weymouth has a fair number of Handyman Businesses. For example, there’s RCD Contracts (South West) who come across as a fair-sized family team offering a large number of services.
Then there’s Handyman Solutions (Andy, if you’re reading, I think your website is down or the link from Yell.com is broken?) with his distinctive silver signs – love them!
Finally, in Dorchester is Handyman Hardy who has a great shiny website and looks similar to Handyman Solutions – a one-man band in a distinctive van.
Company History
To the loyal, existing customers of UIL, welcome back – hopefully you can see some new subtle changes to the website and it is easier for you to navigate.
To the new customers, hello and welcome! Thanks for taking a look at the blog and getting this far, hopefully you find something useful here.
Now that the site is undergoing a renovation we plan for the blog to become a regular feature: keeping you informed and up to date with the business goings on, whilst also sharing regular tips, guides, “how to” articles and even debunking some common misconceptions.
The blog will be a less formal area for some chit chat, a bit of moaning or getting issues off our chest, news, and a glimpse into personal lives and maybe even hobbies.
For those of you who don’t know about the past of Upcycle Interiors – the idea was conceived in Q1 2015, but was not formally incorporated at Companies House until June 2018, around this time Mark was a sole trader, trading as Upcycle Interiors.
New Team Member
Where has the time gone? It’s been around 2 years since I last updated the blog! I wouldn’t put it down to “time flying when you’re having fun” so much, more a case of being busy – which is good.
The business is now completely re-established and known in Weymouth with regular advertising in ‘Free Portland News’, Contact magazine, The Register and CheckaTrade directory. You might also see our correx advertising boards outside clients' homes or receive a business card dropped through your door (with a money-off voucher). We have built up a new client base and even with the Covid-19 situation the workload is consistently busy.
UIL To Relocate To Weymouth
Upcycle Interiors Limited (UIL) is excited to announce that the business will be relocating to beautiful & sunny Jurassic coast town of Weymouth (Dorset) next week!
The business has more than 100 projects under it's belt and I (Mark) would personally like to thank every single one of my previous customers. South East London is where the company was founded and the adventure began.

