Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Wooden garden arches are excellent features for any garden and from a DIY perspective, they are simple to build because they are always supplied in a kit form. As shown in the sequence below, you literally require a few screws for assembly, which are often supplied with the arch, and then it just becomes a case of fixing it in position. I always favour concreting in the arch feet or posts, but you can use fence spikes if you prefer (for more about this, see ‘Things to consider’ below the sequence). If you do decide to erect a wooden garden arch, they are pretty weighty pieces of kit, so remember to find yourself a bit of help for getting it in place. read more »

Replacing a broken slab in a patio or path is a straightforward DIY job. What is also good news is that there is no need to mix up any mortar, as you can use a product called Slablayer to bed down a replacement slab, and this is the technique I’ve shown in the example below. For more details on general points about laying slabs and using Slablayer, see my guide ‘Laying a patio’. read more »

Mirror brackets are used to hang mirrors that are frameless or have no pre-drilled holes. Bracket design does vary, but the examples shown below are an excellent option for securing a mirror. Remember to take care when finding suitable fixing points, and there is more about this in my ‘DIY Basics’ guides. Below, only a small mirror is being hung, so only two brackets are required along the bottom edge and two further for the top edge – larger mirrors may need more brackets. read more »

How to wallpaper a chimney breast is no different in technique from any other wall except you just need to consider where the best starting point may be, which is often dictated by the size of pattern on your chosen wallpaper. For large-patterned wallpapers it is important to make sure the most prominent part of the design or motif is centralized on the chimney breast to provide the most balanced effect. read more »

Where to start wallpapering in a room can often cause a touch of anxiety, but basically you just need to follow a few simple rules. A decision on the best starting point is often dependent on the size and type of pattern in your chosen wallpaper. Basically any large pattern may well require centralizing the main motif on the most prominent wall in the room, which is normally one containing a chimney breast. read more »