Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Drilling into porcelain tiles is a lot trickier than drilling holes in ceramic tiles as porcelain is a much harder material. Therefore rather than using a standard spear shaped tile bit that is used for ceramic tiles (see my guide – ‘Fixing into tiles’), you need to use a diamond drill bit, which is specifically designed for making holes in hard tiles. Like any drill bits, diamond bits come in a number of different sizes, so you need to select the right size of bit for the job at hand read more »

Handsaws will always be important tools in any DIY toolkit, in spite of the fact that you can now buy a power saw for almost every cutting need. Handsaws are clearly much cheaper than their powered counterparts, so unless you are at the very serious end of the DIY spectrum, then buying all the circular and reciprocating saws that are available is simply not necessary. Also, there are many jobs when a handsaw is the only option to use read more »

Window locks are an essential part of your home security ‘system’. UPVC windows normally have locking points integral to the window design, as do many designs of modern wooden window. However, older wooden windows were generally made without any real security considerations, other than the use of window stays, and window fasteners, to hold the window in a closed position. It is therefore these types of windows that I’m concerned with here, and below are a selection of window locks that can be used to improve the security of your wooden windows. read more »

A good manual tile cutter is pretty vital to a tiler’s toolkit and although you may need an electric tile cutter, or tile saw, for making tricky cuts, a manual cutter is the ideal tool for making quick, straight and accurate cuts. These types of tile cutter are also known as score and snap tile cutters, because that best describes how they work, and although you can buy hand held manual cutters, I’d urge you to opt for the larger model of manual tile cutter that I demonstrate in the guide below. read more »

How to fix a shed roof is a topic that can certainly range in extremes, from simply tacking back down some loose felt, to discovering the ply or building boards (roof sheets) used to make up the structure of the roof are totally rotten, and so complete replacement becomes necessary. Below are a few considerations and solutions to common shed roof problems, as well as what I’ve found to be a selection of excellent products for fixing a shed roof. read more »