What is the difference between varnish, oil and wax?
Whether the finish sits on the wood or in it, what that means for repairs, and which to choose for a given piece.
beginner20 min4 min read
Decorating
Painting, filling, finishing — how to get a tidy result.
191 guides in Home & DIY
Which roller nap or pile do I need?
Matching pile length to surface texture and paint type, and why the wrong roller either misses the hollows or leaves orange peel.
beginner12 min3 min readWhich type of blind should I choose for each room?
Roller, venetian, roman, vertical and pleated blinds compared on light control, privacy, damp tolerance and cleaning, plus the inside-or-outside mount decision.
beginner20 min5 min readWhy does paint keep peeling off my old ceiling in sheets?
Distemper, limewash and other water-soluble old coatings do not bond to modern emulsion. How to identify one, and the two honest routes out.
intermediate3 hr4 min readWhy has my white gloss gone yellow?
The chemistry behind oil-based yellowing, why it is worst in dark places, and what actually stops it recurring.
beginner20 min3 min readWhy is my paint running and sagging down the wall?
Too much paint, a non-absorbent surface, cold conditions or over-thinning — how to tell which one you have and how to correct a run before it sets.
beginner25 min3 min readHow do I fit laminate around a radiator pipe?
The cut-and-rejoin method that gives a clean hole with an expansion gap, plus the pipe collars that hide it.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I paint a radiator or metal surface?
Preparation, primer and the specific paint that survives heat cycling without yellowing or flaking.
intermediate3 hr2 min readHow do I tile above a bath so the bottom row is right?
Setting the bottom row off a level batten instead of the bath rim, and the fill-the-bath sealing sequence that stops the joint tearing.
intermediate3 hr5 min readDo I tile the wall or the floor first?
The order depends on whether a bath, tray or units are going in, and getting it wrong either traps dirt at the junction or leaves the wall tiles unsupported.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I fill the gap between architrave and the wall?
Why the gap keeps reopening, choosing between caulk and filler for each part of the joint, and getting a straight line without masking tape.
beginner45 min3 min readHow do I hang lining paper on a poor wall?
Choosing a grade, hanging horizontally or vertically, and why lining paper hides small defects and highlights large ones.
intermediate5 hr4 min readHow do I paint timber windows so they do not stick shut?
Where paint should and should not go on an opening window, the order of work, and the trick that stops a freshly painted casement bonding to its frame.
intermediate5 hr4 min readHow do I set up outdoor lighting?
Solar, low-voltage and mains — which is which, what you can install yourself, and how to avoid a garden that looks like a runway.
beginner2 hr2 min readHow do I store and dispose of leftover paint?
Storing it so it is still usable next year, hardening water-based paint for disposal, and where solvent-based has to go.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I tile onto a chipboard or floorboard floor?
Why timber and tile are a difficult marriage, the three things that have to be true before you start, and the build-ups that actually work.
advanced4 hr5 min readHow do I use a wallpaper steamer?
Scoring first, how long to hold the plate, and why over-steaming damages the wall underneath.
beginner4 hr4 min readHow do I wallpaper a wall?
How to hang wallpaper on a single wall — measuring, plumbing the first drop, pattern matching and dealing with corners and sockets.
intermediate5 hr3 min readHow do I wallpaper around sockets, corners and windows?
The specific techniques for the awkward parts, which is where most wallpapering goes wrong.
intermediate4 hr2 min readShould I fit the flooring before or after the skirting?
The sequence changes how the expansion gap is covered, how much cutting there is, and whether you end up with beading — and it depends on whether the skirting is already there.
beginner20 min4 min readWhich coving should I choose — plaster, polystyrene or duropolymer?
Four materials with very different weights, prices, finishes and fitting methods, and an honest account of which one suits a period room, a rental, a bathroom and a first attempt.
beginner20 min4 min readClick LVT or glue-down LVT — which should I choose?
Subfloor preparation, repairability, wet areas, underfloor heating and the feel underfoot all differ — and the subfloor usually makes the decision.
intermediate25 min4 min readCan I paint over silicone sealant?
Why paint beads up and peels off silicone, the paintable hybrids that exist, and how to deal with a joint that has already been siliconed.
beginner25 min3 min readCan I tile over existing tiles?
When overtiling is a legitimate shortcut and when it is storing up a failure — weight, thickness, the state of what is underneath, and what it does to doors and levels.
intermediate30 min5 min read
Going deeper: Renovation Calculator
Room-by-room material quantities, wastage allowances and project cost estimates.