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You are at:Home»Projects and advice»DIY tips and hints

DIY tips and hints

DIY hints and tips

Plastic products in self-assembly kits are usually designed to simply slot together and lock in place. If you need to make a permanent joint, the easiest way is to use mechanical fasteners or adhesive.

Bathroom tips

Drilling holes through ceramic wall tiles

When drilling through a ceramic tile, stick a piece of masking tape over the position where the hole is to be drilled. This will prevent the drill bit sliding across the tile.

Fitting a pedestal basin

When installing a pedestal basin, do not over tighten the mounting screw to avoid cracking the base.

A simple way of smartening kitchen and bathroom tiles

Freshen up discoloured grout between ceramic tiles with a grout pen. A simple, effective and inexpensive way of smartening kitchen and bathroom tiles.

Removing or loosening a tap with a pair of pliers

Make sure you protect the tap from getting scratched by wrapping electrical tape around the pliers.


Building, brickwork and masonry tips

Maintaining mortar

Mortar is less durable than brick and can be maintained by re-pointing.

Keep weep holes clear

Weep holes, small holes at the bottom of brickwork that allow moisture to drain out of the building or wall, need to be kept clean.

Drilling masonry

When drilling masonry make sure you keep the drill bit cool. You can do this by withdrawing the tip every 4-6 seconds or by spraying water into the hole. If the drill bit gets hot it can cause damage.

Snapping a line

The easiest way to draw a straight line between two walls is to use a chalk line reel.

  • Measure half way along two opposite walls.
  • Place a nail in the floor half way along one wall.
  • Clip the end of the reel to the nail.
  • Pull the reel out across the room the halfway point on the opposite wall.
  • When the string is taught, pluck the string up, and, as it snaps back into place it will mark a straight line on the floor.

Ceiling tips

Choosing the colour for a ceiling

Painting a ceiling white will give the illusion that the ceiling is higher. If you paint the ceiling in a dark colour the room will feel smaller.

Papering the ceiling

Wallpapering the ceiling is also a good way to cover ceiling flaws


Cleaning tips

Use baking soda to clean

Bicarbonate of Soda (baking soda) can be used as a cleaning agent to remove grease from a stove or to clean a bath or sink.

Cleaning up broken glass

Use masking tape to pick up small shards of broken glass. The small shards will stick to it and it can easily be disposed of safely.

Removing marks on carpets

If you have a mark on a carpet, put some fizzy drink (i.e. cola or lemonade) on it, wait a few minutes and then dab with a towel or cloth. You may need to do this a few times to fully remove any dirt that is brought to the surface by the fizzy drink.

Removing black scuffmarks from vinyl

You can remove black scuffmarks on a vinyl floor by using a pencil eraser.

Removing limescale from your kettle

If you create a mixture of 50% vinegar and 50% water, boil the kettle and leave it overnight, the limescale will fall away.


Concrete work tips

Ordering ready mix concrete

When using ready mix concrete make sure you add an extra 5%-10% to the volume you order. The extra amount allows for spillage, wastage or over-excavation.

Cleaning tools

Remove concrete from tools as soon as you have finished using them, waiting a day or more can make it very difficult to get them clean.

Drilling concrete

Sometimes when drilling concrete you might hit a hard piece of concrete. Insert a masonry nail into the hole that you have been drilling and hammer it a few times, this will help break down the concrete. After you have done this a few times, insert your drill back in and continue drilling.

Do not use excessive force when drilling concrete

When drilling concrete do not push too hard or bear down on the drill with all your strength. If you use too much force you might break the drill bit. It is better to drill slowly.

Use the correct drill when drilling concrete

Make sure you use a hammer drill when drilling concrete.

Drilling larger holes in concrete

When drilling holes larger than ½ an inch it is better to use a rotary drill. Make sure you use the correct drill bit. SDS is the most common drill bit for this job.


Damp, rot and infestation tips

Removing moisture from the air

If there is a room or area in the house that suffers from moisture and damp you can place charcoal in a container and it will absorb the moisture from the air. Alternatively a de-humidifier efficiently removes moisture from the air.


Tiling tips

Drilling holes through ceramic wall tiles

When drilling through a ceramic tile, stick a piece of masking tape over the position where the hole is to be drilled. This will prevent the drill bit sliding across the tile.

Give an old tile floor a new lease of life

To give an old tile floor a new lease of life, re-grout it with a different colour grout.

A simple way of smartening kitchen and bathroom tiles

Freshen up discoloured grout between ceramic tiles with a grout pen. A simple, effective and inexpensive way of smartening kitchen and bathroom tiles.

Minimises the chance of the glaze cracking

When drilling a tile minimises the chance of the glaze cracking by using a small drill bit to make the pilot hole. Having made the pilot hole fit the correct size of bit for the hole required. Position the tip of the bit in the hole and carefully drill through the tile, plaster and into the masonry.

Keep tiles uniform

Using plastic spacers will keep joints between tiles uniform.


Woodwork tips

Prevent wood from splintering whilst drilling

When drilling wood reduce pressure before the drill bit exits the timber, this will prevent splintering.

Sanding wood

When sanding wood always follow the direction of the grain.

Using a power sander

Start power sanders before bringing them into contact with the timber to avoid surface damage.

Measuring tip

“Measure twice, cut once” is valuable advice if you want to avoid unnecessary waste.

Cutting wood

When cutting laminates or timber have someone supporting the excess to avoid an untidy break.

Drilling tip

Wind tape around the drill bit to gauge when the required depth has been reached.

Driving into pilot holes

Lubricating screws with wax makes them easier to drive into the pilot holes.

Nailing

The basic method for hammering in a nail needs no explanation. However, if you are trying to nail a fine panel pin into moulding, or nail into a tight angle, hold the nail with a pair of pliers to hammer it home. Another option is to insert the nail into a piece of card and hold the card while you hammer the nail. This can easily be ripped off when the nail is in place.

o recess a nail into the surface, use a nail punch. Position the punch over the head of the nail and tap the punch with a hammer. To conceal the fixing, apply wood filler before finishing the wood.

An alternative to nailing thin materials for a temporary or lightweight fixing is to use a staple gun.


Related projects

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