Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Green lawnmowers, and I’m not talking colours here, is a subject that I’ve been meaning to comment on for a while now, and I’ve literally been prompted into action today by reading some extraordinary reviews about a particular mower. The machine in question is a very simple cylinder mower that is completely unspectacular in appearance, but extremely spectacular in performance. Therefore let’s take a slightly closer look at the little green lawnmower that’s selling by the thousand. read more »

There are many simple and inexpensive things you can do to have a greener home, which will save money as well as energy, and even small initiatives help. Making your house more environmentally friendly will add to its value. A new kitchen or bathroom is an investment, but even better, is an energy efficient home. Below are a number of energy saving ideas that you should consider when planning for a greener home. read more »

The best toolboxes for the DIY market, and the professional market for that matter, are supplied by Stanley. As a company, Stanley seem to have made it their mission to design the perfect toolbox range by carefully thinking through exactly what ‘we’ require, rather than just slapping a couple of hinges on a box, which is what many other manufacturers have clearly done. The following guide looks at the essentials for toolbox design, and which Stanley option is, in my opinion, the best toolbox in their range. read more »

Wallpaper border frames are an alternative way of adding interest to a wall surface. You can use them to ‘outline’ a wall, or to create panels, or even to ‘frame’ paintings and pictures. The trickiest aspect of making a border frame is mitre joining the pattern in each corner, and you’ll find that some designs will be far more suitable to making this join than others. The following sequence shows how to make a mitre join when creating a wallpaper border frame. read more »

Using a hammer correctly not only makes your DIY work much more efficient, but also saves you from injuring thumbs and fingers. It’s clearly not the most complicated of operations, but many people don’t hold a hammer correctly, or look after the head of the hammer so that the majority of the blows you make, hit the intended target. Below are a few simple points about the correct way to use a hammer. read more »