Jack plane vs smoothing plane – what’s the best? If you only wanted one plane, which would you choose? I faced this dilemma several years ago when I tried to plane off the bottom of a door that was catching on the new carpet. Each plane has pros and cons; usually, it’s the job that …
Jack Plane vs Smoothing Plane – Which is Best? (DIY Guide) Read More »
If you’re fitting skirting boards but don’t have a mitre saw, there are several methods you can use to cut internal and external mitre joints. I don’t confess to being the best joiner in town, but I spent many years on building sites watching tradespeople at work, and I picked up a lot of great …
How To Cut Skirting Board Without a Mitre Saw (DIY Guide) Read More »
I recently came across an image on Pinterest—always a great source of inspiration for new interior design ideas—showing a staircase with carpeted treads and laminate risers. This style piqued my interest, so I looked into it in more detail, searching for the best way to do it and the best materials to use. So, if …
How To Do Half Carpet Half Laminate Stairs in 4 Easy Steps (DIY Guide) Read More »
Some years ago, I fitted a fan in my bathroom ceiling, which discharged through the roof via a plastic pipe. A few days later, I noticed a constant drip and a puddle of water on the bathroom floor, so I presumed there was a leak. I checked the loft, and the roof looked fine, but …
How To Fit a Condensation Trap in 5 Easy Steps (DIY Guide) Read More »
When I first laid laminate flooring in my lounge, I was faced with a choice. Do I remove the skirting and butt the flooring up to the wall, or do I leave the skirting in place and use beading to hide the rough edges? I then had the problem of what to do around radiator …
What is Beading for Laminate Flooring, and is it Better than Skirting? (DIY Guide) Read More »
With rising energy costs, the need for better insulation and reduction in heat loss has never been greater, but this creates another problem – damp! As an architectural technologist, one of the most significant issues in house building has been dampness and moisture control. Rising damp and condensation result from poor control measures and must …
When Do You Need a Damp Proof Membrane Rather than a Vapour Barrier (UK Guide)? Read More »
Like most homeowners, I mostly leave electrical work to the experts. However, I sometimes fix or replace the odd electrical component. Before doing so, I always remember to switch everything off. Despite my safety precautions, there’s still a slight chance that some current runs through the wiring. So, to be extra cautious, I always use …
What Is a VDE Screwdriver, and Why do I Need One? Read More »
A woodworking router is extremely versatile, but only professional cabinet makers and keen DIY joiners know how to use it to its full potential. Routers are great for cutting grooves in wooden planks and chamfering shelving, but a woodworking router does much more than you first realise. I’d never owned a router until recently, but …
Best Woodworking Router in the UK (2022 Reviews & Buying Guide) Read More »
In all my years of woodworking, there’s nothing more satisfying than the feel of a sharp chisel cutting through wood. Whether you’re a time-served joiner or a keen amateur, your choice of chisel depends on the job. This guide will show you the best wood chisels in the UK for general usage and explain the …
Best Wood Chisels in the UK (2022 Reviews & Buying Guide) Read More »
I’ve worked with many structural engineers, and I know how much value they bring to commercial projects. But they’re also helpful in domestic projects, such as opening up ground floor space to create a kitchen-diner and removing walls. Read on to find out the cost of a structural engineer for load-bearing walls. In a Hurry? …
Cost of Structural Engineer for Load Bearing Walls in 2022 (UK Price Guide) Read More »
I spent 40 years as an architectural technologist, and in that time, I’ve seen the best and worst techniques for roofing. How much for a pitched roof on a garage may seem like a simple question, but trust me, there are many variables to consider. In a Hurry? Find top-rated builders in your area by …
How Much for a Pitched Roof on a Garage? (2022 UK Price Guide) Read More »
Tiling is my favourite DIY project because you see the effects immediately. You can cover large wall or floor areas in just a few hours, but then you must stop and play the waiting game. It’s frustrating, I know, especially with flooring, because you can’t walk across it until the initial set is complete. So …
How Long Does Tile Adhesive Take to Dry Before Grouting (plus how to speed it up)? Read More »
I’m always using my mitre block when cutting trim or replacing damaged skirtings, but is the mitre joint the best option for all situations? In this guide, I’ll explain the different types of joints used in joinery work and explore the pros and cons of each. So, let’s look at mitre joint advantages and disadvantages …
Mitre Joint Advantages and Disadvantages (plus 5 best use cases) Read More »
I remember boarding out my loft by laying boards on quilt insulation. Not only did I lose lots of headroom, but I also created a bouncy castle! So when it came to laying laminate flooring in my lounge, I decided to investigate all the possible options properly. This guide comes from many hours researching and …
Best Thermal Underlay for Laminate Flooring in 2022 (UK Buying Guide) Read More »
Growing up in the northwest of England, I was well aware of scant timber and its use. However, when I grew older and travelled to construction sites all over the country, I learned the term had different meanings in other regions. So, what is scant timber? Is it the rough, warped, and twisted pieces that …
Builders typically apply a screed to get a completely level floor on a concrete slab. Once the screed has dried, they add the flooring finishes such as tiling, vinyl or carpet. The only problem with this approach is that it slows down the process because you have to allow the screed to dry, and drying …
How Long Does Screed Flooring Take to Dry Before You can Lay Carpet? Read More »
Colour on a wall can make or break the desired effect, but it’s no good creating the perfect design if the application is poor. In all my experience of room makeovers, one thing I discovered is never scrimp on the finish. Applying emulsion to a wall is pretty straightforward for most DIY enthusiasts, but many …
Best Paint Brush for Cutting In – 2022 Reviews & Buying Guide (UK) Read More »
There are plenty of chemicals on the market for this job, but I’m going to show you how to remove paint from textured glass WITHOUT harming the environment and your health. If you’ve ever painted bathroom windows, you’ll know that removing paint splashes from textured or obscure glass is more complicated than ordinary glass. The reason …
How to Remove Paint from Textured Glass – Step-by-Step DIY Guide Read More »
I’ve been in the property business for over 20 years. I’ve bought and renovated many houses in that time, so I know how removing emulsion paint from plaster walls is painful, not to mention hazardous. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll explain when you should remove old emulsion paint before repainting and how to avoid the …
Removing Emulsion Paint from Plaster Walls in 2022 (Step-by-Step DIY Guide) Read More »
So, you taped up around your window frame to protect it while you painted the wall, stripped off the tape, and found, to your horror, that paint has bled under the tape and is now firmly adhered to your nice white uPVC frame. Paint should be easy to remove when wet, but it takes on …
How to Remove Paint from uPVC Window Frames (DIY Guide) – UK Edition Read More »
I moved into an apartment a few years ago where the previous owner was a chain smoker. The walls and ceiling were so badly stained with nicotine; you could see the outline of the TV! I washed my walls and ceiling with sugar soap before painting them with the best emulsion I could find. Even …
Best Stain Block Paint in 2022 (Reviews & Buying Guide) – UK Edition Read More »
I’m going back many years now, but I remember helping my dad paint our garage, and I couldn’t figure out why it never seemed enough, no matter how much paint we put on the walls. Of course, the paint we were applying was utterly unsuitable for painting breeze blocks; it was more of a whitewash. …
Painting Breeze Blocks Like a Pro (DIY Step-by-Step Guide) Read More »
The angle grinder is one of the most versatile tools you can have in your tool shed, and I wouldn’t be without one. As a DIY enthusiast for many years, I’ve used my angle grinder to cut paving slabs up to 50mm thick and form grooves in concrete blocks for plumbing and wiring jobs. I’ve …
Best Angle Grinder in the UK (2022 Reviews and Buying Guide) – The Top 3 Read More »
As an architectural technologist, I often inspect old houses on behalf of potential buyers. In many cases, the first thing that hits me as I enter the house is the smell of damp. As I walk through these old houses, I soon notice the visible signs of damp – dangerous mould growth on the walls …
Best Anti Mould Paint in 2022 (UK Reviews & Buying Guide) – The Top 3 Read More »
A bow saw is a handy tool, even though power tools do the same job quicker. I.e. bow saws weigh a lot less than chainsaws, making them much easier to handle and manoeuvre. This feature is beneficial when you’re perched precariously in a tree, as I have on many occasions. However, with so many bow …
Best Bow Saw in the UK – 2022 Reviews & Buying Guide Read More »
When I think back to my building-site days, concrete breakers were giant machines that created massive amounts of noise and vibration. These oversized concrete breakers were connected to compressors and typically operated by a big, burly man who undoubtedly suffered from white fingers and tinnitus. These days, concrete breakers come in more manageable sizes and …
Best Concrete Breaker Reviews (2022 UK Buying Guide) – The Top 3 Read More »
Painting a metal roof is something you should only do a couple of times in your life, so it’s important to pick the best metal paint. Trust me, you don’t want to buy cheap paint and be up there more than twice in your lifetime. One time is more than enough! Fortunately for you, I’ve …
Best Paint for a Corrugated Metal Roof in the UK (2022 Reviews & Buying Guide) Read More »
I remember my woodwork teacher telling me about various saws and which one to use in a particular situation, but I just used whatever I could get my hands on. Typically, this boiled down to my trusty hacksaw. However, as I got older, I became much more interested in woodworking tools and their specific use …
Best Tenon Saw in the UK (2022 Reviews & Buying Guide) – The Top 3 Read More »
There is nothing new about insulating cavity walls. We’ve been doing it since the oil crisis in the 1970s. Still, people only started taking it seriously in the mid-80s when changes to the Building Regulations forced housebuilders and designers to re-think construction methods. I know because I was one of them. I’ve based this cost …
There are several reasons you should know how to seal concrete floor with PVA – to keep down the dust, provide a waterproof seal, and give a bond for a finishing layer of paint, tile, or screed. I once helped a friend convert a garage into a guest room. The first thing we had to …
How to Seal Concrete Floor with PVA in 4 Easy Steps (Complete DIY Guide) – UK Edition Read More »
With over 30 years of experience carrying out building surveys, I know damp when I see it, and it isn’t just the black spores of mould growth that give it away – it’s the pungent smell! In this guide, I’ll show you how to establish the source of your damp and how to treat damp …
How to Treat Damp Walls Before Painting – Complete DIY Guide (fix 3 types of damp) Read More »
I remember my dad using a hand brace to drill holes in a piece of wood and thinking, ‘there’s got to be an easier way’. Sure enough, there was, and when I was old enough to buy power tools myself, I wanted all types of drills going. These days, there are more types of drills …
With over 40 years of experience as an avid DIYer, I only recently found out I was using the wrong saw most of the time. I knew there were many types of saws out there – I do remember some of the things I was taught in woodwork class at school – so I decided …
