Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

In DIY stores across the land, there are great products for sale……but amongst these are an equally large number of items that I really don’t think help the DIY cause in any shape or form. My top 10 (or rather bottom 10!) listed below are products that I find to be generally unnecessary, or trying to provide a ‘quick fix’ when the tried and tested option is for me, so much better. I’m not trying to single out manufacturers, as with those featured below, I will often sing their praises in other articles, with different products in their ‘catalogues’. However there really is some stuff that I wish they wouldn’t produce, and that I’d advise you to leave on the shelf. 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 »

Wayne de Wet is quite simply one of the nation’s finest decorators. He was the Grand Winner of the Dulux Select Decorator of the Year in 2011, and runner-up in 2008. He also hand picked a Team of Dulux Select decorators, and they painted show homes and room sets at the 2011 London Ideal Home Show (Swedish house open plan living) and 2012 (The Santiago Town House and Dulux Design Service room set) – the same team produced great results at London’s Exel Grand Designs Live 2012, decorating multiple room sets, and Kevin McCloud used one to open the show. read more »

Having the right wallpapering tools, not only makes hanging wallpaper much easier, but also ensures you will get a better, and longer lasting finish. You’ll need a fair few items from your household toolkit such as a spirit level and stanley knife, and in the guide below, as well as highlighting a few points about such tools in relation to wallpapering, I’ll also point out my preferences with some extra pieces of kit that are specifically designed for all wallpapering projects. read more »

If you’re thinking about putting up a new garden fence, and maybe you’ve seen one you like down at your local garden centre or DIY superstore, just bear in mind that your budget does need to include a number of bits and pieces other than just the panels and posts. You will need a good selection of tools from your ‘household toolkit’, but in this guide I want to point out a few fencing essentials that you’re probably not going to find in your toolbox. read more »