PLASTERING – TOOLS NEEDED TO GET THE JOB DONE

Plastering Tools - Trowel

If you find yourself involved in a home improvement project such as hanging drywall, painting or wallpapering, having the proper plastering tools are essential. Fortunately, all of these items are available at your local hardware or home improvement store. 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 … [Read more...]

WALL PLASTER REPAIR

Damaged plaster

Tools required :-  Plasterers trowel, two buckets, face mask, hand brush, old paintbrush, mixing stick, dust sheet or old towel, kitchen fork or scarifier, sanding block if required.    Should you discover that there are cracks or patches of loose plaster on the internal walls of your home (usually found when you redecorate), then they will need to be repaired. Small cracks can be repaired using an appropriate flexible filler, then sanded to a smooth finish. Larger patches of damaged or loose plaster (as pictured below) will require re-plastering to obtain a suitable surface … [Read more...]

FLOOR TILING

Chalk lines to obtain room centre point

Please read tips and advice on the tiling page for tips on tools required, setting out, using a guide rod, cutting tiles and using tile spacers. DIY tip :-  To achieve a better finished 'look' to your tiled floor, skirting boards can be removed and replaced after the floor has been tiled to give a cleaner looking edge.     Just like a wall that is going to be tiled, the floor needs to be clean, solid, flat and free from any loose debris, dust or holes before you start to lay tiles on it. Start tiling from the centre of the room, so measure and mark the centre … [Read more...]

CREATE A STEPPING STONE PATH

Stepping stones

  Tools required :-  Spade, spot board, trowel, markers i.e. sticks, rubber mallet Placing stepping stones across a garden lawn is a great way to create easy access to sheds, flowerbeds and patio areas, with the minimum of disruption to the lawn itself. First walk the route you wish to cross your lawn and at each step leave a marker such as a short stick, stuck in the ground. This will give you the number of stepping stones you will need and a guide for where to eventually lay them. Now you can spend some time at your local DIY store choosing some suitably coloured / shaped … [Read more...]

BRICKLAYING TIPS & ADVICE

fig 1

Tools required :-  Spade / shovel, spot board, bucket, bricklaying trowel, 150mm boat spirit level, 600mm - 1000mm spirit level, lump hammer, bolster chisel, tape measure, plumb line (a length of string with a couple of nails attached), a piece of metal or rubber tube 20 - 25mm dia, soft hand brush. Bricklaying usually requires a bit of practice in order to 'gain the knack' (Most DIYers, myself included usually ' jump in with both feet' and start the project straight away), if you have never laid bricks before it is good practice to build a sample wall first, e.g.  a four brick course, … [Read more...]