Dave's DIY Tips

REMOVING WALL TILES

Tools required :- Bolster chisel, preferably with a hand guard, 16 oz hammer or small lump hammer, paint scraper, old towels or dust sheets, hand brush and scoop, safety goggles and protective gloves. Safety tip :- Do not attempt to remove wall tiles without safety goggles (not safety specs) and protective gloves, fragments of the tiles [...]

DISCOLOURED GROUT

Tools required :- Liquid soap/sugar soap, old toothbrush or small stiff brush, dry cloth or towel and a lot of elbow grease and patience, grout reviver pen. Tile grout, especially in wet and damp areas such as showers and around baths does tend to discolour after a period of time and if left alone will [...]

PLASTERING – TOOLS NEEDED TO GET THE JOB DONE

If you find yourself involved in a home improvement project such as hanging drywall, painting or wallpapering, having the proper plastering tools are essential. Fortunately, all of these items are available at your local hardware or home improvement store. Trowel A trowel is an important plastering tool that allows you to smooth the plaster after [...]

PLUMBING SUPPLIES – WHICH TOOLS DO I NEED?

Every homeowner should possess the necessary plumbing tools in order to perform emergency do-it-yourself tasks around the home. Sometimes, there is simply no way to predict when a plumbing project or emergency might arise. And, with the plumbing supplies and knowledge at your disposal, you could very well save hundreds of pounds that you would [...]

CREATE A DIY GARDEN POND

Garden ponds are an excellent feature to have in any garden, a pond combined with a water feature, such as a small fountain enhances your garden, they help to create a relaxing atmosphere where you can just sit and chill out, listening to the sound of running or trickling water in the background. The pond can become the main feature of your garden, you just [...]

ELECTRICAL SUPPLY FOR A GARDEN POND OR WATER FEATURE

Any electrical work carried out in the garden should be done by a suitably qualified electrician (Part P ), the installation of cables and electrical equipment in a garden has to be done correctly and to current regulations, it is not a job that a DIY enthusiast should attempt. All electrical circuits in a garden have to be protected [...]

SAVING ENERGY IN YOUR HOME

Double glazing and new replacement boilers etc, are great ways to save energy in your home, unfortunately they don’t come cheap, but there are plenty of ways to save energy and reduce your bills just by doing some simple checks around your home and teaching yourself and other family members some good energy saving habits. Fit [...]

CHARCOAL TRAYS AND GRILLS

Just a short post in case anyone is going to build there own DIY brick barbecue, I have been looking around for good value charcoal tray and grill sets, there is a good set being sold by Amazon at the moment that appears to be quite good value. The coals or briquettes can be purchased from [...]

HOW TO HANG LINING PAPER BEFORE WALLPAPERING

The way you hang lining paper is really down to your own personal choice. Lining paper can be hung horizontally so that there is no risk of the joints lining up with your wallpaper joints, I prefer to hang the lining paper vertically as it is much easier to do and have never had a problem [...]

USING LINING PAPER

Achieving a good paint finish on a bare wall using filler and sandpaper is a lot easier said than done, I decided to to remove the wallpaper from various walls in my home, then fill any holes or cracks and sand the walls to obtain what I thought appeared to be a smooth surface ready for painting, but as [...]