Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

The Guardian, Saturday 23 April 2011

A downlighter has started to slip from its hole in our bathroom ceiling. I can push it back in, but it doesn’t stay for long.

“The spring clips that hold the downlighter in place may well have slipped, so check they are clamping in place correctly,” says our DIY guru, Julian Cassell. “If this doesn’t work, and it is a single light (ie, you don’t need to match the style with others in the room), you could replace it with a smaller modern design. It must be for bathroom use though – check out the Bell converter range at lamps2udirect.com. Another option is to cut a new hole, the right size, a little to the side of this one and reposition the light (you can then use the new cut out of plasterboard to patch the old hole). Finally, if the light needs to be in the exact same position, the best option is to replace the area with a new square of plasterboard, plaster the patch, and cut a new hole.”

The Guardian, Saturday 5 March 2011

We have some old, white laminated chipboard bookshelves we want to paint. The laminated surface is smooth and shiny. What paints and process would ensure a good coverage of paint that will not peel off or mark the books?

“There are different melamine/laminate primers on the market,” says our DIY guru, Julian Cassell, “but I use Zinnser BIN primer sealer (£13.95/1 litre, decoratingwarehouse.co.uk). Give the surfaces a light sand and remove any dust with a damp cloth before applying the primer direct to the shelves. It dries very quickly, so you can get on and apply your chosen decorative coats. Use a hardwearing option for shelving, so continue with two coats of oil-based eggshell for a matt finish or at least one undercoat and a gloss for a shinier finish. To ensure that the paint won’t peel off or be marked by the books, leave the final coat to dry for a few days before loading the shelves with books.”

The Guardian, Saturday 19 February 2011

The previous owner of our house stuck tiles to the corner of the bath. How can we remove the sealant and/or grout without damaging the bath to get the tiles off? If the tiles hide damage, how do we repair it? It’s not an old bath but it’s not plastic.

We asked our DIY expert, Julian Cassell. “It’s a little concerning that someone has stuck tiles to the bath – I would fear the worst about hiding damage, but unless you look you won’t know. The sealant can be removed with a window scraper, but take care not to scratch the bath surface. Alternatively you can use a sealant remover; this dissolves the sealant which you simply scrape away. No-Nonsense Sealant remover is cheap (£2.79/100ml, from screwfix.com) but remarkably effective. After this treatment, I’d be surprised if the tiles didn’t come away with a little gentle persuasion with a scraper around the edges. Finally a bit of methylated spirit on a rag should clean away any residue. If you find damage, as long as it’s not too major, excellent bath surface repair kits are available at tubbyuk.com.”

The Guardian, Saturday 18 December 2010

We have metal guttering and want to trap rainwater in a butt, but can’t find a company that supplies kit for metal. Can you help?

“A diverter kit fitted into a downpipe is what you need,” says DIY guru Julian Cassell. “Wickes has a plastic diverter that fits metal downpipes (£3.99). For something more heavy-duty, try the droughtbuster kit, £14.90, from doctorenergy.co.uk. At £33.60, a cast-iron diverter is steep (from combinedharvesters.co.uk), but it would be most in keeping with your pipes. Remember, you’ll also need a hacksaw to cut through the downpipe and brackets to support the pipe above and below the diverter.”

The Guardian, Saturday 11 December 2010

My walls are covered in Anaglypta paper (the pebbledash kind). If I try to remove it, the whole house will need replastering, and I am 72 and can’t face much upheaval. Do I just carry on applying fresh emulsion?

“Stripping and replastering is the best option, but there would be a lot of upheaval,” says DIY expert Julian Cassell. “Your next best option is to improve what you have, which will be quicker and less expensive. There are no products that smooth the textured surface of wallpaper, but a good decorator should be able to deal with it sympathetically. Lifted seams, dried-out overlaps and bubbling areas can all be stuck back with overlap adhesive, holes filled and sanded, and stains given an oil-based undercoat or stain blocker before the topcoat goes on. To give walls a fresh lease of life, try new colours: the World of Colour range from Focus DIY mixes old favourites with newer ones (about £12.99 for 2.5L).”