Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Using lining paper on walls, and ceilings, is a decorating technique carried out for two primary reasons. Firstly, lining paper may be used to provide a base onto which you then hang a decorative wallpaper, or, secondly it can be used to help even out imperfections on a wall or ceiling surface, before paint is applied. In this guide, I’ll explain the main properties, and types, of lining paper, and the points you need to consider when deciding on whether using lining paper is right for your situation. read more »

Which paint you use for painting wood can be a confusing dilemma when faced with the options available in your local DIY outlet. My advice is to bring things back to basics, as fundamentally, there are three paint types you use for painting wood, and all the options out there can be classified in these three groups. One of the main problems encountered is that paint, in general, is divided into oil-based (solvent-based) and water-based options. Generally, you choose one option or the other for your paint system, but there can be exceptions to this, as mentioned in the guide below. read more »

Hanging a wallpaper border is a simple way of adding further decoration to painted walls, or over the top of wallpaper to add extra pattern and interest. Hanging a border is straightforward, but you do need to know what adhesive, if any, is required to hang the border. There are three main options – Firstly there are those borders that require border adhesive, that is pasted onto the back of the border with a brush or roller before hanging. read more »

Wallpapering around a window is a task that may be achieved in different ways, but the method I am showing here I’ve found to provide by far the best finish. There are no overlaps using this technique, resulting in a seamless finish, and as long as you are methodical in your approach, and trim accurately, it is no more difficult than any other wallpapering technique. read more »

How to wallpaper a feature wall, as a topic, is mainly about deciding on the best position to start papering. In other words, there is no need to alter any part of the hands-on ‘how-to’ wallpapering technique, but there is a need to be as accurate as possible when deciding on where to hang your first length. Okay, with the smallest patterns, you don’t need to worry too much, but with most papers you really need to concentrate on centralizing any design read more »