This blog is the result of over 20 years of working in building and renovations and a growing career in writing guides, columns and books.
Posted in 'How-to' Guides, Doors and Door Security on February 22nd, 2012 by Julian Cassell – 6 Comments
Fitting a door lining is a job that is required if you are replacing an old door lining, or you’ve built a new wall with a doorway, and therefore need to create a perfectly ‘square’ wooden frame onto which you then hang your new door. For more information on openings for doors, the anatomy of a doorway and frame, and measuring up for a new door lining, see my guide – ‘Interior door frames’. The sequence below shows how to assemble a door lining kit, and how to fit it into the opening in a wall. read more »
Posted in 'How-to' Guides, Doors and Door Security on February 20th, 2012 by Julian Cassell – 2 Comments
Interior door frames do vary in design and construction, but the most commonly used system in the UK is covered in this post. Before you go about changing an internal door, or fitting a new door in a new frame, it’s best to fully understand how the door frame is constructed. The two illustrations below show the main components of a door frame. Fig. 1 – shows the completed door and frame construction, whilst Fig. 2 – shows how the door and frame have been assembled. read more »
Posted in Fruit Gardening, Gardening Guides on February 17th, 2012 by Julian Cassell – Be the first to comment
Growing blueberries, for most people, is not normally the first idea that comes to mind when thinking about growing fruit in your garden. However, blueberries are one of what are now described as the ‘Superfoods’ because they are highly nutritional and crammed with antioxidants, and therefore it certainly seems a good option to me. Acid soil, suitable for heathers and rhodedendrons, is essential to successfully grow blueberries. read more »
Posted in Gardening Guides, Planting a Garden on February 15th, 2012 by Julian Cassell – Be the first to comment
Raised garden beds are excellent options for creating almost instant planting areas, whilst adding further features to your garden. They can be used to grow pretty much anything in, commonly vegetables, but you really don’t need to stop there. You just need to check that you will have sufficient depth of soil for what you are intending to grow. One particular advantage is that you can be very prescriptive on the soil that goes into your beds, read more »
Posted in Fruit Gardening, Gardening Guides on February 13th, 2012 by Julian Cassell – Be the first to comment
Growing raspberries is truly simple, and it is therefore somewhat surprising that delicious raspberries are not grown more. They really are amongst the easiest fruits to care for and, as they flower late, it is possible to get good crops in areas where other fruits fail. Choose a sunny or partially shaded position to grow your raspberries. Raspberry canes can be planted from autumn through to spring, but avoid planting if the soil is waterlogged or frozen. You don’t need to grow raspberries in beds as shown below, and if space is an issue, you can plant single canes in large containers. read more »
