Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Yes, theoretically simple, but anyone who has tried hanging pictures and mirrors knows there can be a few problems along the way. First you need to consider what type of wall you are working with – for example a solid (masonry) wall or a hollow (stud) wall.

In general, masonry walls will accept some picture hooks and masonry nails. However, for heavier pictures, a screw fixing is required with the appropriate size of wall plug, to ensure that the weight of the picture will be supported. read more »

Doing a paint roller review has been on my “must do” list for a while now, and having walked around my local big DIY outlet at the weekend, I thought yes, I really, really must do a guide to buying a paint roller. Seldom have I seen, in my opinion, so much poor quality product stacked on row after row of shelving, and seldom have I imagined, so vividly, the problems that people will have when they try and paint their houses with this stuff.

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Regrouting tiles is a very effective way of reviving the look, and more importantly, the water repellent properties of a tiled surface. Grout will deteriorate a lot quicker than the tiles themselves and so within the lifespan of a tiled surface, you can expect to do some regrouting at least once or twice in order to keep things looking good as well as being water resistant. read more »

Replacing a broken tile is a straightforward job,  but you do need to be careful not to damage surrounding tiles during the process. The technique shown below deals with situations where single tiles may have cracked, been scratched, or perhaps a fitting has been moved and you want to make good the area. read more »

The secret of fixing into tiles is simply making sure that you use the correct drill bits. Always take care as there may be hidden pipes or services below the wall surface so be sure to use a cable, pipe and stud detector to help find safe fixing positions. Also, before proceeding check and double check that the holes you are making are exactly right for whatever the item you are fixing to the wall – tiles aren’t like a wall surface where you can simply fill, sand and paint over any mistakes. read more »