Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

A good home maintenance schedule is essential for all of us, and exterior maintenance is of paramount importance as failure to look after things outside, may even cause structural damage. Even the jobs that don’t have structural significance are still vital, because if you let your outdoor features and surfaces deteriorate, it generally ends up costing you money to restore them, further down the line. The list of tips below is by no means comprehensive read more »

Choosing the best wood floor for your home can be a tricky process unless you know precisely what options are available to you. This process is further complicated by manufacturers using all sorts of differing terminology that can hinder, rather than help, the consumer know exactly what they are getting. In this guide I’ll try to simplify the process, explain some of the buzz words, and therefore allow you to make an informed decision on buying the best wood floor for your needs. read more »

Deciding which kitchen worktop oil to use is always a hot topic on DIY forums, with discussions normally providing plenty of conflicting advice covering everything from product preferences, to number of coats, to application methods. As a result of all these differing ideas and options, I would imagine that most readers leave the forum more confused than ever, and still concerned about what the best options actually are. Well for me, there is one product out there that far outperforms all the other options 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 »

Decorating fillers occupy row upon row of shelf space in most DIY outlets, which I always imagine provides a very confusing message to most experienced DIY enthusiasts, let alone some poor soul considering their first decorating project. I appreciate that there are different manufacturers, and different package sizes, but that aside, the overwhelming choice seems to encourage buying a different filler for every occasion, when in fact you can do every decorating job you’ll ever come across with a far, far smaller range requirement. read more »