Building Poole
Do you need some advice on a building project? The articles found here offer tips on things like brickwork, stonework, concrete and render, plasterboard, stud walls and much more, so read on.
Newest Topics
Replacing Balustrading Poole
If your wooden balustrade is damaged in several places it is possible to replace individual components or, if you cannot find balusters to match your existing ones, you can buy a full kit to replace balusters, handrail, base rail and newel posts. Here is a complete DIY guide to removing old balustrading and replacing handrail, baserail and balusters with new.
Repairing Plastered Corners Poole
Where plaster has broken off of an external corner (such as the corner of a chimney breast) it can be difficult to make a good repair. Here is a DIY guide to the best way to repair broken plaster on external corner, such as the corner of a chimney breast.
Fitting a Plasterboard Patch Poole
Small holes in plasterboard, up to about 130mm across, can be filled with a small backing piece and standard filler. If you need to fill a larger hole or a large damaged section of plasterboard, you will need to consider fitting a plasterbaord patch. Here is a guide to preparing and fitting a plasterboard patch to a hole which is too large to be filled in other ways.
Staggered Stud Wall Poole
If you are planning to partition a room it is often a good idea to create some built in storage space. By creating a staggered stud partition you can quickly create alcoves in both side of the newly partitioned room which can be used for exactly this. Here is a DIY guide on properly planning and building a staggered stud wall (partition wall). From building the stud frame to fixing the plasterboards.
Building Your Own Home Poole
Part 5 of our introduction to the ever-growing Self-Build market. Learn step-by-step what it takes to build your own home. This is no small undertaking. Building your own home can be stressful in the extreme. Dealing with tradesmen, dealing with your lender, juggling finances, scheduling build stages. If any one of these things is handled badly, you could see a big rise in both time and costs of your self-build.
All Topics
A Guide to Walls Poole
A complete guide to the different types of wall you might encounter when undertaking DIY projects. There is more to the walls of your house than first meets the eye. It is important to know what type of walls you have if, for example, you need to drill through them or make repairs.
Building a Stud Wall Poole
A DIY guide on properly planning and building a stud wall (partition wall). From building the stud frame to fixing the plasterboards. It is fairly simple to construct a partition wall if you wish to divide a large room into two smaller rooms. Partition walls are simply a framework of timber over which plasterboard is laid. As this wall is not load-bearing, you can place a door or window anywhere you wish.
Building a Wall Poole
A complete DIY guide to building a wall, for any purpose, around your home. Building a wall is a fairly easy task, building a wall well is a lot tougher. Bricklaying is a job that can only be mastered by practice. Building the odd wall here and there does not make you a bricklayer. However, building walls under about 12 courses (1 metre) high is definitely within the realms of DIY.
Building Your Own Home Poole
Part 5 of our introduction to the ever-growing Self-Build market. Learn step-by-step what it takes to build your own home. This is no small undertaking. Building your own home can be stressful in the extreme. Dealing with tradesmen, dealing with your lender, juggling finances, scheduling build stages. If any one of these things is handled badly, you could see a big rise in both time and costs of your self-build.
Concrete and Mortar Guide Poole
A complete guide to concrete and mortar for the diy enthusiast. Including tips on choosing and mixing. Being able to mix concrete and mortar is an essential skill for any ardent DIY-er. Concrete is used in many places around the home, for laying a firm sub-floor or a base for paving, whilst Mortar is the most important bit in any wall. Both Mortar and Concrete is made with a mix of sand and cement, with Concrete also containing coarse aggregate (small stones) for extra strength.
Concrete Surface Finishes Poole
For a better looking concrete surface, whilst still retaining a good amount of grip, you can put down a layer of small stones or pebbles. This takes a bit of practice and care, but can give a very nice finish.
Cutting a Doorway into a Stud Wall Poole
Cut the plasterboard or lath and plaster out of your opening using either a sharp bolster chisel for laths or a sharp trimming knife for plasterboard. If the opening is smaller than the gap between the two studs, cut the plasterboard back to the centre of the stud on both sides. You now need to cut two new studs that will become the sides of the opening, as well as a head member to create the top.
Cutting Bricks Poole
A complete DIY guide to the easiest and best way of cutting bricks and blocks by hand using a Bolster and Club Hammer. There are many occasions when you may need to cut bricks in half or trim them to fit particular areas of a wall or pier. Cutting bricks takes a little practice, but once you have the knack you should be able to chop them in half without a second thought.
Fitting a Plasterboard Ceiling Poole
A complete DIY guide to preparing and fitting a new plasterboard ceiling in your home. Replacing an old plasterboard ceiling is a messy task, but can often be necessary one. Ceilings, especially those on the ground floor, can be subject to a lot of stresses over time and can often crack. You can patch smaller cracks with filler, but this is only a short-term fix.
Fitting a Plasterboard Patch Poole
Small holes in plasterboard, up to about 130mm across, can be filled with a small backing piece and standard filler. If you need to fill a larger hole or a large damaged section of plasterboard, you will need to consider fitting a plasterbaord patch. Here is a guide to preparing and fitting a plasterboard patch to a hole which is too large to be filled in other ways.
Fitting an Airbrick Poole
Once you have decided that you need more airbricks, you need to decide which type to fit. Older houses will most probably have traditional terracotta airbricks, whilst newer houses might have plastic ones.
Guide to Roofing Materials Poole
You certainly need to consider the weight of the new material and if the roof structure can support it. Read on and get more information.
Laying a Gravel Path Poole
A complete diy guide to marking out and laying a gravel pathway in your garden. Gravel paths can look very attractive and can also provide an extra security measure for your home (the noise it makes will prove a deterrent to intruders). They are relatively easy to lay and also reasonably cheap. On the down side, weeds will soon grow up through the gravel if the path is not maintained properly.
Laying Wall Foundations (Walls) Poole
Using the outer strings on the profile board as a guide, dig out 50mm of topsoil along the length of the foundation. You now need to get some lengths of 25x25mm timber to use as marker pegs.
Load-bearing Walls Poole
The internal walls of your house are not so easy to categorise. At least some of the walls will be load-bearing (except in some timber frame houses, etc) but some will also be non load-bearing. It is always a good idea to check with a structural engineer if you are unsure, but here are a few ways to identify load-bearing walls.
Planning Permission Poole
Every property (apart from listed buildings) has an allowance called Permitted Development. This states that the owner can increase the size of the house by up to 40 cubic metres (or 10% of the total size) before planning permission is needed.
Plastering Guide Poole
Gypsum Plaster is the choice of the professionals and is usually applied in two coats. The first coat, the undercoat, is applied to about 10mm thick, and scored to provide a key for the second layer.
Preparing Masonry for Plaster Poole
A DIY guide to preparing brick, block and concrete surfaces for plastering, ensuring a good bond and great finish. As with all diy projects, the correct preparation of different surfaces for plastering is essential to the success of the finish. Failing to prepare the surface to be plastered can result in numerous problems, including flaking and a "blown" surface.
Repairing Concrete Poole
A DIY guide to the problems you can encounter with concrete, and the solutions to those problems. There are very few houses in the UK which do not include some concrete in their construction or in the garden. Concrete, as with any other building material, will suffer from the effects of damp and weather if it has not been treated properly (and sometimes even when it has).
Repairing Concrete Steps Poole
You now need to find a board that matches the height of the riser (front face of the step) and at least 20-30cm wider than the area to be repaired. A cheap or old pine shelf is often great for this. Prop the board flat against the riser and hold it in securely place with a couple of blocks or bricks.
Repairing Doorposts Poole
A diy guide to cutting out, removing and replacing rotten or broken doorposts. External doors and doorframes often suffer from damp and rot. Even with meticulous care and maintenance, it is hard to protect them from the wet British weather. Rather than replacing the whole doorframe, it is often easier to cut out and replace only the rotten section.
Repairing Exterior Render Poole
A complete diy guide to repairing the exterior render on your home. Render is a mix of cement, lime and sand applied to external walls either to make them more waterproof or to cover up less attractive materials. If cracks appear in the render of your house (which can happen during the normal movement of your house) rainwater is allowed behind the render, which can cause large patches of the surface to crumble away.
Repairing Plastered Corners Poole
Where plaster has broken off of an external corner (such as the corner of a chimney breast) it can be difficult to make a good repair. Here is a DIY guide to the best way to repair broken plaster on external corner, such as the corner of a chimney breast.
Replacing a Brick Poole
A diy guide on how to replace a broken brick quickly and easily. If you live in an old brick built house, it is inevitable that at some point some of the bricks will need replacing. Assuming that the area to be replaced is not too large this is a relatively easy job. All bricks absorb at least a small amount of water, when the water inside the brick freezes the face of the brick can often be damaged.
Replacing Balustrading Poole
If your wooden balustrade is damaged in several places it is possible to replace individual components or, if you cannot find balusters to match your existing ones, you can buy a full kit to replace balusters, handrail, base rail and newel posts. Here is a complete DIY guide to removing old balustrading and replacing handrail, baserail and balusters with new.
Repointing Brickwork Poole
Use an old screwdriver to scrape out any loose mortar and a hammer to clear out any remaining pieces. Take the mortar back by about 15 millimetres, and then use a brush to remove any dust. Soak the brickwork and joints in water to stop moisture being absorbed out of the new mortar.
Self Build Part 1 - Finances Poole
The following is the introduction to the ever-growing Self-Build market. Learn step-by-step what it takes to build your own home.
Self Build Part 2 - Plot Poole
The first thing you need to do is decide how much land you actually require. 1/8th of an acre (roughly 15m x 33m) will happily accommodate an average sized 4-bedroom house, including a decent sized garden.
Self Build Part 3 - Build Options Poole
There are obvious pro's and con's with each of these choices (and this list is by no means exhaustive), but the most important point to remember is to make sure you or your builder is comfortable working with the building technique you choose.
Self Build Part 4 - Planning Permission Poole
Problems might still occur if you wish to drastically alter the proposed dwelling, but as long as you stick roughly to proposal already submitted, things should go smoothly.
Spanning Openings in Brick Walls Poole
A DIY guide to safely and properly spanning and supporting new opening in a brick or block wall. Read on and learn more.
Staggered Stud Wall Poole
If you are planning to partition a room it is often a good idea to create some built in storage space. By creating a staggered stud partition you can quickly create alcoves in both side of the newly partitioned room which can be used for exactly this. Here is a DIY guide on properly planning and building a staggered stud wall (partition wall). From building the stud frame to fixing the plasterboards.
Stud Wall Regulations Poole
Working out which regulations apply to your particular situation depends a lot on the purpose of the stud wall. If you are simply partitioning off a corner of a bedroom to create a large wardrobe, few building regs will apply.
Stud Walls - Fixing Plasterboard Poole
A guide to the different methods of affixing plasterboard to studs in a partition wall. Read on and learn more.
Two Rooms or One? Poole
For a start you will have a larger room, most likely with more light as there will probably be at least two windows in it.
Types of Glass Poole
A guide to the different types of glass available, the manufacturing methods involved and the recommended uses of each. Glass is available in a variety of thicknesses. The thickness you choose depends on things such as the amount of exposure to wind (and the suction load on the surface) and the size of the sheet required. Most domestic glass is 4mm thick.
Types of Plasterboard Poole
A DIY guide to the different types of plasterboard available, and the main uses of each type. Read on and learn more.