Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

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 »

How many rolls of wallpaper you need is always a necessary calculation for wallpapering a room, and you’ll find many versions of different ‘wallpaper calculators’ online. In my guide ‘Wallpapering a room’ I show one fairly mathematical technique, but unless the room or rooms are very complicated or unusual in design, I tend to go for a far simpler option that I’ve detailed below. To make any calculation, you need to know what size of pattern repeat your choice of wallpaper has, as well as the dimensions of the roll. read more »

Creating watertight plumbing joints has always been an area that can stir up a little anxiety in even the most proficient DIY enthusiast, and rightly so as there’s always that moment when the water gets turned back on, and you sit staring at your newly made joint, with fingers crossed, and praying that all remains dry. Therefore in this guide, I want to provide you with a few pointers when you’re making plumbing joints, and detail what I consider to be the best joint options for DIY plumbing. read more »

A thorough home buying inspection is an essential step in the process of buying a new home. I tend to do quite a number every year, for friends or family, and below are a selection of my best tips for assessing a potential new house. Before exploring the list below, there are a few general rules for that first visit; remember to make notes, take a tape measure, ask questions, and above all take your time. You’ll clearly have at least one more viewing if you think you’ve found the house of your dreams read more »

A good stepladder is an essential for any DIY enthusiast, and in fact even if you only do a minimal amount of DIY, you still need a stepladder. Nothing annoys me more than seeing people balance on chairs, sofa edges, buckets, tables, and many other ‘unfit for purpose’ items, trying to bang in a nail, or stretch to paint the corner of the room. So, if you haven’t got one, get yourself a decent stepladder read more »