Plastering for beginners can be tricky. But with practice and the right tools, anyone can learn to plaster walls and ceilings. From this article, you’ll learn how to prepare and plaster a wall from scratch. And at the end, there’s a video of the process…
This is a guest post by Grant Findley. Choosing and hiring the right building contractor for your latest home project is no easy task. The last thing you want to do is hire a cowboy builder or con artist, so you’ll need a way of…
You’ll be pleased to know painting skirting boards isn’t a difficult job. However, it’s one of those jobs most people don’t enjoy. Mostly because it involves lots of crouching and crawling around the floor. There’s more to this everyday DIY job than applying paint, so…
This guide explains the process of draining down a sealed or unvented (pressurised) central heating system, so you can carry out repairs or maintenance – like replacing radiators or fixing pipework – without worry. This could save you a good wedge of cash if you…
There are several reasons why you might want to take a central heating radiator off the wall. Maybe you are fed up with struggling to wallpaper behind it or perhaps it is rusty, and you need to replace it. You might find that it no…
When it comes to DIY projects, dry lining is one of the most popular for homeowners to tackle on their own. Although you don’t need to be particularly skilled to install dry lining, it is however important that you have all the right materials, tools…
Whether you’re a beginner exploring a new DIY hobby or a keen amateur ready to tackle a plastering project, having the right plastering tools at your disposal is crucial for achieving a professional finish. This guide is designed with you in mind. We’ll take you…
In this article, I’ll explain how to hang lining paper to hide hairline cracks and other marks on interior plastered walls. Once the job’s done, you should have a nice smooth wall ready for painting or wallpapering. (If you’ve never plastered a wall before and…
Repointing brickwork is a labour-intensive process that most DIYers can do themselves. What’s more, you don’t need many tools and the ones you do need are relatively cheap to buy if you don’t already own them. The biggest cost for taking the DIY approach to…
Should you discover cracks or patches of loose plaster on the internal walls of your home (usually found when you redecorate), you will have to repair the walls before painting or wallpapering. Small cracks can be repaired using an appropriate flexible filler (like the Ronseal one below),…
In this beginner’s guide to tiling a wall, we’ll be looking at the most important parts of any tiling job so you can go into it with your eyes open. We’ll start with planning and move on to the job itself. Scroll down if you…
In this article, we’ll be looking at how to lay bricks. If you’ve never laid bricks before it’s good practice to build a small sample wall first. A four brick course (row), three bricks high is sufficient. The bricks can always be cleaned and reused later. When…
Here are some helpful diagrams that show how lighting operating on a one-way switch can be changed relatively easily for two-way switch operation. Turn off the consumer unit and remove the appropriate circuit fuse / miniature circuit breaker first before working on any electrical circuit, once the…
In this article, we’ll be looking at how to prepare interior woodwork for painting. You can use the methods described on skirting boards, window sills, architraves, bannisters, rails, doors etc. Good preparation is key when you’re painting interior woodwork. It’s worth spending more time on…
Wallpaper rolls typically measure 33′ (10m) long and 21″ (535mm) wide. If the room you’re decorating has a ceiling height of 9′ (2760mm) you’ll get three drops of wallpaper per roll. Allow a few inches per cut length for trimming the top and bottom off each…
Welcome to our beginner’s guide on the tools and equipment needed to paint and wallpaper a room, and how to use them. Whether you’re embarking on a home improvement project or simply looking to refresh the look of your living space, understanding the right tools…
First of all, you will have to decide on a suitable height for the dado rail. It doesn’t want to be either too high or too low. For example, on a recent project the dado rail was fitted at a height of 37 1/2″ (950mm) to the top edge with…
Draughty doors are a nuisance. They make your home colder and increase your energy bills. But there are several ways you can draught-proof doors so you feel more comfortable and keep more money in your pocket. The good news is that these methods don’t cost…
Replacing a ceiling rose is a job that can be carried out by a competent DIYer, but as always, if you’re not confident working with electricity you should use the services of a reliable electrician. The best way to find a decent electrician is by…
Are you wondering how to fit a kitchen? In this article, I’ll tell you about the process I used for fitting a new kitchen in my mum’s home. You can see the before and after pictures below. The cost of bringing in a contractor to…