Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Hollow walls or stud walls are most commonly made from vertical wooden supports (studs) that are covered by sheets of plasterboard. Because there are gaps between the vertical supports, significant areas of the wall will be hollow when covered with plasterboard, so this wall type is often referred to as a hollow wall. Ideally, you should try and fix into the wooden supports, but, if this is not possible, there are fixing techniques to ensure that you can cope with the hollow part of the wall, and that is what is shown below. read more »

Masonry walls are most commonly concrete block (lightweight or dense), brick, natural stone and rubble, and many combinations of these categories. They all require the same fixings and technique. Use a cable, pipe and stud detector to help find safe positions to fix into. It is important to locate all these elements, all of which may be concealed within the wall surface you are working on. read more »

A basic fixings box that is well stocked with the most commonly used fixings is handy to have alongside your toolbox in the home. You can then refill regularly with the items you use most. The length of fixings you use should always be guided by the manufacturer’s instructions where appropriate. A general guide is that the length of fixing should be three times the depth of the item you are fixing through. read more »

It is best to build up a household toolkit according to need, but having a small collection of basic handtools provides a good foundation for beginners or professionals alike. The quality of a tool is often reflected in its price and buying cheap tools can be a false economy, as they may not be as sturdy or long-lasting as more expensive ones. Cheaper tools can be useful for light work, or if you only use them infrequently. Below are a selection of tools that will allow you to do many DIY jobs around the home. read more »

I don’t know how many thousand questions I’ve been asked about DIY, but the most common theme, somewhat unsurprisingly, is about the nuts and bolts of how do to a specific DIY job. When I reply with a carefully considered answer, the assumed DIY ability of the individual soon becomes apparent as they either lap up every instruction I give them with confident abandon, or, their eyes begin to glaze over as if I’ve started speaking an obscure Russian dialect. read more »