Safety tip :-   Do not attempt to remove wall tiles without safety goggles (not safety specs) and protective gloves, fragments of the tiles being removed will shoot off in every direction and they can have extremely sharp edges.

Safety goggles

Before you start work, if you are removing wall tiles above, around or near sinks, baths, worktops etc, protect these surfaces with several layers of dust sheets, old towels or whatever you have available to avoid the surfaces being scratched. If you are removing wall tiles from above, as an example a bath, extra protection may be needed as a wall tile dropping from height may do a great deal of impact damage on whatever surface it lands on.

Start by lining up the edge of the bolster chisel with the tile grout line, angle the bolster chisel as close to the wall as possible and strike the chisel with your hammer (the first tile is usually the hardest to remove), you will soon get a ‘feel’ for how hard you need to hit the chisel in order to remove the tile. When you have removed several wall tiles the others should hopefully start to chisel away much easier, this does depend on the original adhesive used to hold the wall tiles in place, if the adhesive is standard tile adhesive, the wall tiles should come away fairly easily, the adhesive can then be removed from the wall using a strong paint scraper or wallpaper scraper, if the wall tiles are stuck in place on a cement render or adhesive then it would be a good idea to let your friends and family know you may be busy for a while.

If the cement adhesive is on a solid brick or block wall you can remove it using a bolster chisel and hammer/lump hammer but this will take some time, if the cement adhesive is on a partition wall , then removing the cement may damage the partition wall surface so much that it may need to be re-boarded with an appropriate board such as Aquapanel. I had this problem at home and after attempting  to remove several wall tiles and cement adhesive I decided it would be far easier to tile over the original tiles on this particular section of wall.

Tile grout, especially in wet and damp areas such as showers and around baths does tend to discolour after a period of time and if left alone will eventually turn Black and become very unsightly. I have the same problem in my own bathroom but rather than re-grout the tiles (one of my top three don’t want to do it jobs) I tried a grout pen which basically colours the grout white.

The discoloured grout should be cleaned as much as possible, I used an old toothbrush and liquid soap with hot water, this takes quite a while but it did remove some of the grout discolouration, then rinsed off the tiles and grout with clean water. Dry the tiles and grout with a towel or cloth and wait several hours or more if possible so the grout is completely dry.

Safety Tip :-  If you decide to use cleaning agents wear gloves, avoid splashes and keep the room well ventilated.

When you are confident the grout is dry (read the instructions first) run the grout reviver pen along each of the grout lines you want to whiten, depending on how badly discoloured the grout is, you may have to repeat this along the grout lines to achieve the desired result. I used a Unibond grout reviver pen which I purchased for £4.99 and although it is not cheap, it did the job and made a huge difference to the appearance of my bathroom, I have used other cheaper brands in recent years, but this is the best one I have used so far.

To prolong the life and colour of both tile grout and sealant it is worth trying to get everyone who has a shower or bath just to spend a minute or two drying off the tiles and around the bath or shower base with a dry towel when they have finished, doing this will reduce any mold growth and therefore reduce the discolouration. If, like me you have teenagers at home who leave the bathroom looking like a water park this might take some persistance on your part.

Trowel

A trowel is an important plastering tool that allows you to smooth the plaster after applying it to the wall. This tool is used to flatten the plaster down over the area intended for plastering. It’s important to have a good, clean surface on the trowel to provide for a uniform finish.

Hawk

A hawk is used by the professionals to carry the plaster with them as they move down the wall. An advantage of this, over carrying plaster in a pan or working from the bucket directly, is the amount of drywall compound that that can be picked up by the trowel in each “scooping” action. As plaster sticks to the hawk after a few seconds the hawk can be tipped up at a 90 degree angle whilst scooping plaster off with the trowel.

Mud Pan

A mud pan can be used instead of a hawk for the less experienced plasterer. While it can be more wasteful, time consuming and laborious scooping plaster material out of the pan, it is harder to spill material onto the floor with the pan than with a hawk.

Utility Knife/Scissors

A utility knife or scissors will help cut plaster tape to size. The utility knife is employed to square out the edge of the hole to be plastered over if repairing damaged walls. Straight edged holes are easier to smooth over for an even surface.

Sponge/Sandpaper

A wet sponge is used to smooth out unevenness that may occur after plastering the wall.
Coarse grit sandpaper is used quickly to smooth out large areas of rough unevenness, and then the finer grit is used to finish up the area.

Jointing Knife

A jointing knife is essential for defining a straight line and edging into tight spaces such as corners and those areas that are tight, such as between a window near the wall and the wall that is perpendicular to it. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes as needed. Angled jointing knives help reach hard to reach angles.

Step Ladder

A step ladder is an invaluable tool for reaching the holes in the walls at the higher areas. Try to get a ladder which includes a pan shelf at the top. You can carry the materials and tools you are using in the pan to reduce fatigue and time spent going up and down the ladder.

Bucket

Never discount the importance of a couple buckets of clear, fresh water for keeping tools clean and for wetting the sponge during the project.

By having the right plastering tools for the job, your next home improvement project will go off without a hitch.

The following are a series of tools which every DIY plumber should have on hand:

Pipe Wrench

The first of these is the pipe wrench, which is essential for the rotating and gripping of pipe fittings and threaded pipes. These wrenches, which are available in a variety of sizes, are specifically designed for this purpose with their toothed jaws which are able to be adjusted to fit different requirements. Make sure that, when using the wrench, the force is not being applied against the adjustable jaw as this could damage the wrench.

Adjustable Wrench

These wrenches can be used to fit varying sizes of fittings and bolts as well as nuts. These wrenches can also be purchased in varying sizes, although a DIY plumber usually only requires a wrench of no more than 12” in length. As is the case with the pipe wrench, make sure that any force is being exerted against the fixed and not the adjustable jaw.

Locking Pliers

These pliers are excellent for jobs which require clamping. Locking pliers can be used to lock a pipe or bolt and are adjustable through the use of the screw present in one of the handles.

Rib-joint Pliers

These pliers can be used in a variety of projects which include the turning of nuts, fittings and pipes such as is needed to tighten pipes to prevent leakage. These pliers can also be adjusted by moving the pivot into varying positions on the pliers. This allows for the objects in question to be gripped firmly within the pliers.

Pipe Cutters

Having a variety of pipe cutters is highly useful. Depending upon the type, these cutters can cut through steel, copper, and other materials used in piping. Other types of cutters are also available which can cut flexible and rigid plastic tubing such as is found in sprinkler pipes.

Screwdrivers

Most homeowners already possess screwdrivers as they can be used in a variety of capacities. Not surprisingly, the screwdriver is also an essential part of plumbing maintenance. In order to disassemble appliances or replace faucets, a screwdriver is indispensable. The best option is a 4-in-1 screwdriver which can be used in many different ways. Make sure that the head of the screwdriver matches the screw as closely as possible. Otherwise, either the screw or the screw driver might become damaged.

Tools to Clear Drains

Drains get clogged all the time. Therefore, it is a good idea to have the tools that are necessary to unclog toilets and drains. These tools include toilet augers, plungers, drain augers, and hydraulic blow bags.

Measuring Tape

Another essential component of a plumping tool kit, the best choice for a measuring tape is a retractable 25 foot tape that is composed of steel so it does not require support when at a distance.

Garden ponds are an excellent feature to have in any garden, a pond combined with a water feature, such as a small fountain enhances your garden, they help to create a relaxing atmosphere where you can just sit and chill out, listening to the sound of running or trickling water in the background. The pond can become the main feature of your garden, you just need to decide where to site it, as there are a few things to take into consideration before you start work.

How big and what shape do you want your pond.

Do you want to use a pond liner to create your own pond shape, or are you going to purchase a preformed fibreglass pond.

Do you want the pond to be sited in a sunny position (sunshine apparently encourages algae growth).     

Is your favourite site for the pond beneath any over hanging trees, as you will be constantly removing leaves from the water during the autumn months.

Do you need to consider child safety, will you need to build a fence around the perimeter of the pond and reduce the depth of your design to reduce any risks to young children.

Where do you want to site the pond in relation to where you sit out in the summer.

Do you want to add a water feature such as a fountain or waterfall.

What depth do you want the pond, do you want it to have different levels (Black pond liners give the pond a deeper look).

The pond will require an electrical supply for the pump, so check if it is practical to do this with regard to installing the cable from the pond to your property. (see pond electrical supply post)

When you have decided on the pond type (liner or fibreglass), size, shape and where to site it, you can mark out its position on the ground using small sticks and string. Make sure that you have a plentiful supply of rubble/strong bags if you intend to get rid of the dug out soil yourself, you may wish to order a small skip as it is quite surprising, depending on the size of your pond, how much soil you have to excavate. If you want to re-use any turf from the pond location, cut through the turf with a spade using the string line as a guide, remember to cut approximately 8 inches (200mm) out from the string line around the whole circumference, this is to allow for the pond liner overlap (which can be covered later with turf or stone slabs etc, then cut through the turf across the pond in straight lines approximately a spades width apart, now remove the turf by cutting through the soil just below the turf surface.

Excavate the soil to either the required shape and depth for the fibreglass pond, or to suit your own design for the pond liner, remove an extra 1 inch (25mm) of soil from your excavation and remove any sharp stones etc. Check your excavation is level using a spirit level, if not add or remove more soil as required. Now lay a soft base of damp building sand and pond felt or even old carpet, at least 1 inch (25mm) deep all around your excavation, this protects the pond shell or liner from any sharp stones, etc, that may puncture the pond base or liner.

Now place the fibreglass pond in the hole and fill any gaps around the sides with soft soil and sand and fill it with water to around 1 inch (25mm) below the top edge, if you have a pond liner, drape the liner over the hole, at this stage just get the liner in roughly the right position with an even overlap around the edges taking care not to punture it, place bricks or weights on the overlap edges to hold the liner flat and in position (see fig 1 below) then start to fill the liner slowly with water from a hosepipe, as the liner fills, lift the bricks slightly to allow the liner to slide slowly down and bed against the sides and base of your excavation, smooth out any folds in the liner as well as you can and fill it to around 1 inch (25mm) below the top edge of the liner. 

Allow several hours for the pond liner to bed into the excavation, then trim off any excess liner around the pond edge, I would leave an overlap of around 7 inches (180 mm) which can be covered with either turf or stone slab, etc. The pond can be lined with carefully placed smooth large pebbles (take care not to puncture the pond base or liner) which creates a rock pool effect, like the one in the video below which I think looks very effective.

All electrical circuits in a garden have to be protected by a suitably sized fuse/miniature circuit breaker and an RCD device, any cable supplying a pond pump or water feature and any electrical equipment must be suitable for outdoor use, ideally small wire armoured (SWA) cable should be used for an electrical supply from your property out to the garden pond pump or water feature, it should be buried in the ground at a depth of 20 inches (500mm). The cable should be bedded in sand and then covered with approximately 6 inches (150mm) of soil, then a ‘Live cable below’ warning tape should be ran the length of the cable trench, the trench can then be completely filled to the ground level, the 6 inch (150mm) difference in depth between the warning tape and cable allows anyone who is excavating soil in the vicinity of the cable to dig up the warning tape first, hopefully without damaging the cable at the same time. You can run cables outside through conduits, but I think if there were any savings to make they would be negligible against the cost of SWA cable.

I would get advice from an electrician and see what they recommend, you can always save money by excavating the cable trench yourself rather than paying the electrician to do it (I am confident the electrician would appreciate it being done by others), there are outdoor/garden electrical kits available which might suit your requirements but again check with your electrician. As I always suggest, try and use an electrician recommended by friends or family members

Fit energy saving light bulbs wherever you can.

Switch off or unplug phone chargers when not in use.

Switch off  TV sets and other electrical equipment rather than leaving them on standby.

Check your heating system timer is programmed correctly, so you are not heating up an empty house.

Try turning down the heating thermostat a degree or two, if you still feel comfortable leave it turned down.

If you have an old wall thermostat (dial type) with a bi-metal strip, change it for an electronic one which are much more accurate.

Make sure the loft is well insulated, keep a lookout during the summer months at your local DIY stores, as they usually have great deals on loft insulation, two packs for one etc, which makes for great savings. 

Check doors and windows for draughts (preferably on a windy day as it makes them much easier to detect). If you detect a draught fit some draught excluder around the offending door or window frame.

Ensure your hot water tank is well insulated with a suitable jacket.

Fit radiator reflective foil.

If the water coming out of your hot water tap from the immersion heater is extremely hot, check the immersion heater thermostat on the tank and turn it down, try it set at a lower setting until you find the one you are happy with.

Educate yourself and other family members on getting into the habit of switching things off when not in use, especially room lights when the room is not occupied, not leaving external doors open or windows during cold spells of weather.

If you are boiling water in your electric kettle, don’t fill it up to make one cup, as long as the water level is a couple of inches (50mm) above the top of the heating element it will be sufficient.

Fill dishwashers and washing machines to their recommended level rather than using them twice for the same amount (this one is a regular family pastime in my home, one sweatshirt washed for 80 minutes, drives me nuts).

The coals or briquettes can be purchased from DIY stores, garden centres, food stores etc.

To achieve a good wall surface on which to hang the lining paper, fill all knock marks, holes and cracks using a filler knife and flexible filler, remove any loose plaster and re-plaster if necessary (see wall plaster repair post). Go back over areas you have filled several times as I was amazed how much I had missed on the first pass. Let the filler/plaster dry hard, then sand the wall down, concentrating on a small area at a time, sand the filler level and remove any loose flecks of old paint and bits of wallpaper, this does take time to do but it is well worth the effort. I used an electric sander and sanding block to do this but you could always use a small block of timber wrapped with sandpaper to enable you to sand down using a flat surface and not your hand. Don’t forget to use dustsheets to cover furniture and floor coverings, and I would also recommend using safety goggles and a face mask to avoid breathing in any small particles of dust.

Safety tip :- Keep children and pets clear of the walls/room being sanded down to avoid them breathing in any dust present in the air. Ventilate the room by opening windows, if possible close the doors to adjacent rooms to avoid the dust spreading throughout your home.

If you have used a lot of filler or plaster to patch up the wall it is worthwhile sizing the wall prior to hanging the lining paper, size is basically diluted wallpaper paste (the dilution ratio can usually be found on the packet), this is applied to the wall to stop the filler or plaster from removing too much water from the pasted piece of lining paper too quickly and therefore reducing its adhesive properties. Sizing a wall also allows you to slide the paper more easily into position when you start papering the wall.

Should you decide to hang the lining paper horizontally across the wall, mark a level line, preferably with a chalk line and spirit level, see fig 1 below. If your lining paper has a width of 24 inches (600mm) mark the line approximately 20 inches (500mm) below the ceiling, this should easily take into account any discrepancies in the existing ceiling level. Measure the width of the wall and add 6 inches (150mm) to the length for trimming in the corners. You will need two pairs of steps and a walk board or planks supported where necessary in order to reach the work area, the lining paper is pasted and folded in the same way as normal wallpaper (see hanging wallpaper post) the only difference being you are hanging the lining paper horizontally rather than vertically.   

Safety tip :-  Great care must be taken when working at height, especially as you will no doubt be concentrating on hanging the paper correctly rather than looking where you are placing your feet as you move along the walk board or planks. An assistant is invaluable, if only to watch your step for you and pass any decorating tools you may need.

  

fig 1

As shown in fig 1 above, hang each piece of lining paper in position butting the joints together, try to ensure there are no overlaps as these will show through your wallpaper eventually and spoil the finished look. Cut the lining paper into the corners of the wall and trim as required along the ceiling and skirting board edges, once again don’t let the lining paper overlap anywhere if possible. Let the lining paper dry out for approximately 24 hours and then you can start to hang your wallpaper. Have a look for other tips and advice in the main decorating section on hanging wallpaper etc.

I overcame this problem by using lining paper on every wall and I was very pleased with the results. Lining paper is relatively inexpensive and can be obtained from most decorating suppliers or DIY stores, the rolls come in different weights, usually 1200, 1400, 1700 and 2000, basically the higher the number, the thicker the lining paper. I chose the 1400 paper to cover my walls, they were reasonably flat but had lots of knock marks and old patches of emulsion on them. I found the 1400 lining paper was easy to hang and of a suitable thickness to cover any slight discrepancies on the walls I wanted to paint. Depending on the condition of your own walls you may need to use a heavier lining paper to suit your needs.

To achieve a good wall surface on which to hang the lining paper, fill all knock marks, holes and cracks using a filler knife and flexible filler, remove any loose plaster and re-plaster if necessary (see wall plaster repair post). Go back over areas you have filled several times as I was amazed how much I had missed on the first pass. Let the filler/plaster dry hard, then sand the wall down, concentrating on a small area at a time, sand the filler level and remove any loose flecks of old paint and bits of wallpaper, this does take time to do but it is well worth the effort. I used an electric sander and sanding block to do this but you could always use a small block of timber wrapped with sandpaper to enable you to sand down using a flat surface and not your hand. Don’t forget to use dustsheets to cover furniture and floor coverings, and I would also recommend using safety goggles and a face mask to avoid breathing in any small particles of dust.

Safety tip :- Keep children and pets clear of the walls/room being sanded down to avoid them breathing in any dust present in the air. Ventilate the room by opening windows, if possible close the doors to adjacent rooms to avoid the dust spreading throughout your home.

If you have used a lot of filler or plaster to patch up the wall it is worthwhile sizing the wall prior to hanging the lining paper, size is basically diluted wallpaper paste (the dilution ratio can usually be found on the packet), this is applied to the wall to stop the filler or plaster from removing too much water from the pasted piece of lining paper too quickly and therefore reducing its adhesive properties. Sizing a wall also allows you to slide the paper more easily into position when you start papering the wall.

Lining paper is sometimes hung horizontally if it is being used as a base for wallpaper (see how to hang lining paper before wallpapering post), but as I was using the lining paper to obtain a good surface for painting I hung the lining paper vertically just as you would when wallpapering a wall (see pasting and hanging post), when all the strips of lining paper were hung in position, I allowed 24 hours for the lining paper to dry out, I then filled any noticeable small gaps in the joints between the strips of lining paper using a filler knife and flexible filler, where the joints had overlapped a little I cut out the excess paper using a Stanley/craft knife and filled the gap, again using the filler knife and flexible filler. Allow the filler to dry out fully, then lightly sand the filler surface flat, if you are not happy with the finish, refill the joint and repeat the process until the joints have a level flat finish. Now you can start to paint the wall and hopefully you will be pleased with the results. I used an inexpensive base coat of White emulsion, as the first coat tends to soak into the lining paper, then finished off with two coats of coloured emulsion using a paint brush for around the edges and a roller for the larger surface area. 

Preparing the walls, filling the paper joints etc, does take quite a lot of time and patience, but the difference to the end result is very impressive and well worth all of your efforts, when I had finished my walls, several of my family members thought the walls had been re-plastered prior to painting.