Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Decking screws have often been sources of disappointment for me. They’re packaged with big claims about corrosion resistance, sharp points, self countersinking ease of use etc. etc. but in most cases, I’ve found them to fail on more than one of these promises. However, following a recent decking project, I believe I’ve found the best decking screws on the market, that certainly live up to all the manufacturer’s claims. read more »

Buying an SDS drill for DIY has the potential to be an expensive activity, and one which is not altogether necessary, if you have a good quality cordless combi drill, or standard power drill. Therefore before taking the plunge, I’ve put together a few points to explain exactly what extra an SDS drill has to offer, and tell you what I feel is the best DIY SDS drill on the market, which also happens to be one of the cheapest. read more »

Workbenches can often divide opinion in the DIY world. Some DIYers  look upon them as the equivalent to a dishwasher in a kitchen, as they can’t imagine what life was like before having one. Others are very happy resting stuff on the end of garden benches, steps, or grovelling around on the floor with a couple of lengths of wood for support. Personally, I have a foot in both camps, and it does depend on the particular job at hand, but if you are thinking of investing in a new collapsible workbench, here are a few points to consider that should help in your deliberations. read more »

Choosing the right paint for your walls and ceilings can be slightly daunting to the uninitiated as if you start looking at the options and different types of paint racked up along the miles of shelves in your local DIY store, it can leave you shaking your head and wondering where to begin. It’s literally very difficult to decide from such displays, which paints are for walls, which are for ceilings and indeed which are for wood? Well, in this guide I’ll give you my opinion on what to look out for read more »

Work gloves are an essential part of any DIY toolkit, and in recent years there have been big improvements on comfort, protection levels, and clever design additions, that have basically been of a great help to any DIY enthusiast. Before I let you know which are my ‘go-to’ gloves, I just though it worthwhile to have a look at a few of the standard options out there, which still certainly have a use, but have in my opinion, now been overtaken by far better options. read more »