Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Architrave simply covers the joint created by a door frame (the door lining) and the surrounding wall surface. There are many styles available, and most people match the profile/design of their architrave with the skirting board in the room. Fitting architrave is a very straightforward job, with the only potentially tricky part being that you need to cut accurate mitred joints for the corners. Old architrave can normally be prised off with a claw hammer. read more »

Door surrounds were traditionally made from plaster, and offer a more decorative or ornate option to wooden architrave. You can still buy traditional plaster surrounds or you can choose the modern, more lightweight alternatives – as shown below. Door surrounds are normally supplied in kit form, which you then cut to fit your door/entrance size. read more »

Traditional ceiling roses are made of plaster, but you can now buy lightweight resin and plastic varieties. The lighter weight options do make their fitting much easier, but some people will still prefer the look and feel of a plaster rose. read more »

Modern coving is mostly made from plastic, polystyrene, or plaster. The techniques for measuring and cutting remain the same for all, but the type of adhesive you use will need to vary accordingly. I’ve chosen to use plaster coving in the sequence below. The trickiest thing about fitting coving is dealing with the corners. You may either cut your own mitre joins for corners or use corner pieces supplied by the manufacturer. Both options are shown below. read more »

You can tile directly onto concrete floors if they are sound, dry, and level, or you can use a self-levelling compound to improve the surface. Floorboards should be covered with 12-18mm ply to provide a sound, rigid surface for tiling. For more information on laying a suitable subfloor see the related posts at the bottom of this page. read more »