Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Fox paint brushes are a distinctive range of brushes on the market that are definitely making a few waves with both pros and DIY enthusiasts alike. Paint brushes are certainly an area of the DIY and home improvement market place that seems to continue growing, and keeping up with developments can be a time consuming occupation. Therefore when the nice people at Fox brushes asked me to take a little look at their range – how could I refuse! And my guide below should help you make up your mind on any potential purchase. read more »

Painting a feature wall in your home uses the same basic techniques employed for painting any wall. However, it’s worth taking into account a few little extra considerations, just to ensure you get a top quality finish. Feature walls are used to add an extra dimension, or a bit more impact to a room’s colour scheme. As a result, there is a tendency to use accent colours, which are often bolder, darker or even brighter than the paint colour applied to the other walls in the room.  read more »

Zinsser BIN is a primer sealer that I feel outshines all ‘equivalent’ products on the market because it has so many applications, and can solve so many problems in all manner of decorating projects around your home. It has come across the pond from the US (along with so many other great decorating products!), and after I first became aware of it, maybe 10 or so years ago, it has become a stock item in my decorating supplies. In this guide I’ll explain a little more about what makes Zinsser BIN special, and a few areas of decorating where I find it to be an invaluable aid. read more »

Choosing exterior paint is a task that shouldn’t be taken lightly, as not only are you making a decision from a decorative view point, but you’re also picking products that will actually protect your home. Paint really doesn’t like rain, and extreme weather conditions, so buying quality exterior paint that deals best with these issues will give you the most longlasting, and hardwearing finish. For instructions on application see my guides ‘Painting exterior masonry’ and ‘Painting exterior wood’ read more »

Brushmate is a convenient storage system for paint brushes that have been used for applying solvent-based (oil-based) paints, or other decorative coatings such as varnish or woodstain. Basically after using a brush, you simply hang it on a little brush hook inside the Brushmate, and days, weeks, or even months later, you can simply take it out and it’s still moist, and ready to use. If this doesn’t sound exciting enough, the guide below explains why this system not only saves an incredible amount of time, read more »