Index of diy articles

• 10 DIY tips for DIY newbies
  
  
• Air Source Heat Pumps - explained.
  
  
• Architrave - a step by step guide to putting up architrave around doors etc.
  
  
• Ball valves (as fitted to WC cisterns and water tanks):
  • Slide and Diaphragm ball valves explained.
  • Slider type ball valve washer replacement - an illustrated step by step guide.
    
  
  
• Books for DIY'ers
  • Construction books.
  • DVDs - How to DIY series
  • Eco-friendly diy books.
  • Electrics books.
  • Gardening books
  • Garden Design - Books & CDs.
  • Plumbing books.
  • Property development etc.
  
  
• Baths
  • Connecting ½ and ¾ inch taps for baths.
  • Fitting ½ and ¾ inch taps to baths.
  • Removing an old bath in an orderly manner will make the job easier
  • Waste fittings - an illustrated guide to the various types of waste fitted for baths.
    
    
• Carpentry - Glossary of carpentry and wood working terms explained. .
  
  
• Ceramic tiling:
  1. Ceramic tiles - basic styles - The basic shapes and tile types explained.
  2. Estimating wall tiles - A guide to working out how many tiles are required for a tiling job.
  3. Estimating tile finishing strip - A guide to working out how many finishing strips are required for a tiling job and how to cut it to get the most out of it.
  4. Preparing surfaces for ceramic wall tiles - A guide to preparing the surface whether wallpaper, paint, tile or timber.
  5. Setting out ceramic wall tiles - A guide to making the job look professional.
  6. Fixing ceramic wall tiles - A guide to fixing ceramic wall tiles.
  7. Cutting ceramic tiles - A guide to cutting ceramic wall tiles.
  8. Grouting wall tiles - A guide.
     
     
• Chimney
  • blocking up an old fireplace or chimney breast
  • removing a chimney breast - A guide.
  
  
• Clearing blocked waste pipes from sink, basin, bath or shower.
  
  
• Checks around the house:
  • 6 monthly, property check list
  • 12 monthly, property check list
  • 5 yearly property check list
    
    
• Cladding - different external timber and uPVC plank cladding explained
  
  
• Cladding - horizontal - guide to fixing horizontal cladding.
  
  
• Cold water tank explained.
  
  
• Cold water tank installation - fitting a new or replacement tank.
  
  
• Concrete:
  
  • Concrete design - a guide to the thickness, sub-base, slope etc required for different uses.
  • Concrete mixing - a guide to mixing concrete by hand, using a cement mixer or using Ready mix.
  • Metric calculator - for concrete volumes - squares, rectangles, circles and triangles.
  • Metric calculator - for working out the quantities of cement, sand, gravel or all-in ballast required for a volume.
  • Imperial calculator - for concrete volumes - squares, rectangles, circles and triangles.
  • Imperial calculator - for working out the quantities of cement, sand, gravel or all-in ballast required for a volume.
  
  
• Condensing boilers explained - combi, conventional and systems boilers.
  
  
• Cooker hoods - the types and selection options.
  
  
• Dado rails - a step by step guide to putting up dado rails.
  
  
• Decorating - Glossary of decorating terms.
  
  
• DVDs - How to DIY series
  
  
• Electrical cable - modern types of cable with the 'old' and harmonised colours explained, plus current ratings etc.
  
  
• Electrical cable - the old types which may still be found in houses - the different types and their risks.
  
  
• Electrical work and Building Regulations - how Building Regulations Part P (Electrical Safety) affect DIY in England and Wales
  
  
• Electrical Terms - glossary.
  
  
• Euro Cylinder door lock replacement - step by step guide to removing and refitting a euro cylinder type lock.
  
  
• Finishes for timber - waxes, french polish, varnishes etc.
  
  
• Fireplace surround and hearth removal.
  
  
• Fixings for different types of walls - how to make strong fixings to brick, block, stud, plasterboard, lathe and plaster, and dry lined walls
  
  
• Flooring:
  
  • Floors, suspended - Ground floor, suspended timber flooring explained.
    
  • Floors, Block and Beam - Block and Beam flooring explained.
    
  • Timber floor finishes - varnish, oils and waxes explained.
  • Removing old finishes - a guide to removing paint, varnish, oil wax and polishes from timber floorboards.
  • Sanding wooden flooring - a guide to applying stain to timber floorboards.
  • Staining wooden floors
    
  • Varnishing wooden floorboards - a guide to varnishing timber floorboards.
• Garage Door Security and Locks - the options explained.
  
  
• Garden arch - plans and instructions for building your own garden arch.
  
  
  
• Garden Decking:
  • Building simple low level decking
  • Planning garden decking
    
    
• Glossaries:
  • Carpentry and woodworking
  • Decorating
  • Electrics
  • General Building
  • Plumbing
  • Roofing
  • Staircase
  
  
• Hard and soft water and how to avoid limescale.
  
  
• Kitchen design - step by step for designing a kitchen layout
  
  
• Kitchen units - the different options available.
  
  
• Lavatories:
  • Cistern - modern direct action (syphon) lavatory cistern
  • Cistern - modern flap flush valve lavatory cistern - how they work
  • Cistern - old style Burlington Bell type lavatory cistern
  • Common problems with lavatory cisterns
  • Replacing a diaphragm in a direct action syphon cistern
  
  
• Laying paving blocks - a step by step illustrated guide to laying pavers.
  
  
• Light tubes - what they are and how they work - also known as light tunnels,  sun pipes, sun scopes, solar light pipes, sky lights or daylight pipes
  
  
• Lighting wiring - the common (loop-in and radial) wiring systems explained.
  • Loop-in - typical ceiling rose wiring
  • Radial - typical ceiling rose wiring
  
  
• Locks:
  • Lock - Euro Cylinder door lock replacement - step by step guide to removing and refitting a euro cylinder type lock.
  • Lock - Latch - a step by step guide to changing the latch on a mortice lock.
  • Lock - Mortice - a step by step guide to fitting a mortice lock.
  • Lock - Rim - a step by step guide to fitting a rim lock.
    
    
• Painting:
  • Flush wooden doors - a step by step illustrated guide to painting flush wooden doors.
  • Wooden panel doors - a step by step illustrated guide to painting wooden panel doors.
    
    
  • Wooden casement windows - a step by step illustrated guide to painting wooden casement windows.
    
  • Wooden sash windows - a step by step illustrated guide to painting wooden sash windows.
    
    
  • Preparing walls and ceilings - a guide to preparing for painting.
  • Preparing wooden doors and windows - a guide to preparing for repainting.
    
    
  • Staircase - the sequence for painting a staircase.
    
    
  • Using a paint roller - the technique explained.
    
    
• Paving blocks - a step by step illustrated guide to laying pavers.
  
  
• Picture rails - a step by step guide to putting up picture rails
  
  
• Plans (FREE woodworking plans)
  • For the Children - toys and things
  • For the bedroom
  • For the garden and outdoors
  • For the kitchen
  • For the workshop
    
    
• Plasterboard:
  • Types of plasterboard explained.
  • Cutting and fixing plasterboard - cutting straight line and cutouts, fixing with nails and screws.
  • Filling plasterboard joints - finishing the joints with tape and filler.
  • Finishing plasterboard corners with metal plasterboard corner strips.
  
  
• Plaster ceilings - lath & plaster and plasterboard construction explained.
  
  
• Plaster walls - lath & plaster, straight plaster, stud walling and dry lining construction explained.
  
  
• Plaster repairs:
  • Lath and plaster repairs - step by step guide to repairing holes in lath and plaster walls and ceilings.
  • Plaster repairs (large) - step by step guide to repairing large areas in plaster walls.
  • Plaster repairs (small) - step by step guide to repairing small cracks in plaster walls and external plaster corners.
  • Repairing large holes in stud walls or ceilings - step by step guide to repairing large holes in plasterboard stud partition walls and ceilings.
  • Repairing small holes in stud walls - step by step guide to repairing small holes in plasterboard stud partition walls.
    
    
• Plumbing - glossary of terms.
  
  
• Pocket walls - How to create a pocket for a pocket sliding door
  
  
• Removing of decorative finishes such as textured finishes (like Artex), Polystyrene, cork and ceramic tiles, ceiling and wall timber cladding.
  
  
• Removing old finishes from floorboards - a guide to removing paint, varnish, oil wax and polishes from timber floorboards.
  
  
• Roofing:
  • Felting and battening - step by step guides to putting on the felt and battens for a slate or tile roof.
  • Glossary of roofing terms
  • Repairing plain tile roofs - a guide to the practical aspects of repairing plain tile roofs.
  • Repairing slate roofs - a guide to the practical aspects of repairing slate roofs.
  • Replacing ridge tiles - a guide to replacing loose and dislodged ridge tiles on the roof.
  • Using interlocking tiles - a guide to the practical aspects of roofing with interlocking tiles with side overlaps.
  • Using plain roofing tiles - a guide to the practical aspects of roofing using plain tiles.
  • Using ridge tiles - a guide to the practical aspects of fixing ridge tiles to slate and tile roofs.
  • Using slates - a guide to the practical aspects of roofing with slates.
    
    
• Sanding wooden floors - a step by step guide.
  
  
• Service valves in gravity feed plumbing systems
  
  
• Shelving
  
  • Types of shelving to choose.
  • Fitting long shelving with brackets - an illustrated step by step guide.
  • Fitting short shelving with brackets - an illustrated step by step guide.
  • Fitting shelving to an alcove - a step by step guide.
  • Fitting shelving to a corner - a step by step guide.
  • Materials explained - solid timber, chipboard, mdf, blockboard, plywood etc.
    
    
• Shower Enclosures - Choosing and fitting shower enclosures
  
  
• Staining wooden flooring - a guide to applying stain to timber floorboards.
  
  
• Staircases explained will illustrations and glossary plus repairing staircases.
  
  
• Stripping wallpaper - a step by step guide to stripping different types of wall paper.
  
  
• Taps:
  • Connecting ½ and ¾ inch taps for baths, hand basins and sinks.
  • Fitting an outside tap and connecting it to the cold water supply.
  • Fitting ½ and ¾ inch taps to baths, hand basins and sinks.
  • Fitting Mono-block (single hole) mixer taps - an illustrated, step by step how-to guide.
    
    
• Tiling:
  1. Ceramic wall tiles - basic styles - The basic shapes and tile types explained.
  2. Estimating wall tiles - A guide to working out how many tiles are required for a tiling job.
  3. Estimating tile finishing strip - A guide to working out how many finishing strips are required for a tiling job and how to cut it to get the most out of it.
  4. Preparing surfaces for ceramic wall tiles - A guide to preparing the surface whether wallpaper, paint, tile or timber.
  5. Setting out ceramic wall tiles - A guide to making the job look professional.
  6. Fixing ceramic wall tiles - A guide to fixing ceramic wall tiles.
  7. Cutting ceramic wall tiles - A guide to cutting ceramic wall tiles.
  8. Grouting wall tiles - A guide.
     
     
• Toilet - new or replacement, the aspects to considering when choosing a new or replacement toilet/cistern.
  
  
• Varnishing wooden floorboards - a guide to varnishing timber floorboards.
  
  
• Ventilation
  • Continuous mechanical extraction - central mechanical extraction explained.
  • Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery systems - MVHR systems explained.
  • Passive stack ventilation - PSV systems explained.
    
    
• Wallpapering:
  • Types of Wallpaper - the different types explained.
  • Symbols on labels - the symbols on wallpaper labels explained.
  • How many rolls? - Calculate how many rolls of wall paper you will require.
  • Stripping wallpaper - a step by step guide to stripping different types of wall paper.
  • Preparing different surfaces for hanging wallpaper - new and old plasterboard and plaster walls etc.
  • Cutting and pasting wallpaper - a guide to setting out the start lines, cutting and pasting the wallpaper.
  • Hanging wallpaper - a step by step guide to hanging wallpaper.
  • Hanging wallpaper around architrave.
  • Hanging wallpaper around electrical fittings.
  • Hanging wallpaper around a recess at door and window surrounds.
    
    
• Waste disposal units explained
  
  
• Waste water fittings for:
  • Baths - an illustrated guide to the various types of waste fitted for baths.
    
  • Hand basins - an illustrated guide to fitting waste outlets for hand basins.
    
  • Sinks - an illustrated guide to fitting waste outlets for sinks.
    
    
• Waste water traps - different types of waste water traps explained and illustrated.
  
  
• Water hammer noise and some possible remedies.
  
  
• Water noises - the noise which come from the pipes and their causes.
  
  
• Water supplies explained:
  • Direct water system - no tank in the attic.
    
  • Indirect water system - a tank in the attic.
    
    
• Woodworking plans:
  • For Children (toys and things)
  • For the bedroom
  • For the garden and outdoors
  • For the kitchen
  • For the workshop