Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Before wallpapering a room it is essential to prepare the walls so that they are in as good a condition as possible for hanging the wallpaper. If you need to strip the walls of their existing paper, see my guide ‘Stripping wallpaper‘. Fill any small holes in the walls with all-purpose interior filler. When dry, sand smooth and sand the remaining wall surfaces to remove any rough areas. The smoother you get the walls, the better the finish. If you are painting the ceiling and woodwork in the room, do this first, as it is much easier to wipe excess paste off painted surfaces than paint off wallpaper surfaces. read more »

Staining wood is a great alternative to painting, whilst still providing an extremely hardwearing finish. Wood stains may be bought water-based or solvent-based, and many may be used inside and out – check the manufacturer’s guidelines. As with all decorative coatings, make sure you have good ventilation when applying. read more »

Varnishing wood is a straightforward decorative option to using paint. Varnish can be used inside and out, as long as recommended by the manufacturer, and you can buy varnish either water-based or oil-based. The water-based options are quick drying and more user friendly but I still think the oil-based options offer a harder wearing finish. Take care when choosing filler to carry out any repairs as you need to choose a type/colour that is compatible with your chosen varnish. read more »

When painting exterior wood, you’ve got to be thorough with preparation, or the paint finish simply won’t last. You always have the option of stripping the paint right back (see guide – ‘Stripping paint‘), but this is only really necessary if there are lots of coats of paint and/or it is in a really bad condition. I would always use an oil-based paint for exterior wood – normally a gloss topcoat, although you can now find eggshell designed for exterior use. read more »

When painting exterior walls, safe access is of paramount importance, so consider hiring fixed scaffolding if you need to work at height. Always use paint that is specified for exterior use – for walls the most commonly used paint is exterior emulsion, which is generally called masonry paint. Most masonry paint is water-based, but for areas of the country that get particularly bad weather, such as exposed seaside areas, you can get an oil-based masonry paint which has greater durability. read more »