How To Remove Wallpaper Fast!

How To Remove Wallpaper Fast! by James Thomas

So you want to know how to remove wallpaper in a no-mess, no fuss, efficient way.

That's great, because stripping off the old, dated wallpaper is almost always better than leaving it on and trying to apply a new covering over the top, though it can be done.

In this article I'm going to share with you my time-tested tips for how to remove wallpaper quickly.

How To Remove 'Strippable' Wallpaper:

Your wall may or may not have strippable wallpaper on it. Most stripplable wallpaper looks like vinyl with a fabric backing. However, the only way to find out if it is strippable is to try and peel it off.

Here's what you should do...

Lift up an inconspicuous corner of the wallpaper with a utility knife and keeping as close to the wall as possible, pull the paper down the wall vertically. Make sure you pull straight down and not away from the wall as this will reduce the chance of the wallpaper tearing.

If the wallpaper is indeed strippable, it should peel off quite neatly by only applying a moderate pressure. If it doesn't, the wallpaper is probably non-strippable in which case you will either need to use the soak, steam or dry strip methods.

If the wallpaper is peeling away, then continue with the method I've just layed out for you.

Most wallpapers are applied in vertical strips, so make sure you work from top to bottom and remember to stay as close to the wall as possible as it is much easier and neater to peel the wallpaper off in once piece.

How To Remove Non-Strippable Wallpaper:

The best method for how to remove wallpaper that you can strip down is to use the steaming method.

Many tool rental and wallpaper outlets rent electrical steamers to DIY home remodellers.

These are quite basic appliances and typically consist of an electrically heated water tank connected by a long hose to a steamer plate with a perforated face.

The purpose of using an electrical steamer is to soften the old adhesive behind the wallpaper itself.

Here's my tips for how to remove wallpaper with an electrical steamer.

As with the method for strippable wallpaper, always work from the top down.

What you do is hold the electrical steamer at the top of a single strip of wallpaper and keep it pressed against it until you see the edges around the steamer plate darken from the moisture.

Then what you do is grab your trusty utility knife, pull up a corner and then try and peel the wallpaper down with your hands in exactly the same way as I've explained above.

If the wallpaper doesn't peel away when applying a moderate pressure, than re-apply the steamer again and even a third time as the old adhesive behind the wallpaper can be quite hard and brittle.

If you still are not able to peel the wallpaper down with your hands, you will need to use a scraper. Again, keep your scraper as close to the wall as possible and scrape from top to bottom and horizontally across the edge of the wallpaper as you work you way down.

This is more time-consuming, but will give you a nice and clean result.

Once you've removed the wallpaper, check the wall for any patches of old adhesive and sand them down with some fine sandpaper.

Your now ready to either re-apply your wall with a new covering. Note: Wallpapering can be a tedious task, so make sure you really love the color, design and texture of the covering you have chosen.

Alternatively, you may like to just paint your walls instead.

Hope you find my 'how to remove wallpaper' tips helpful. Happy do-it- yourself-ing!
About the Author

James Thomas is a home remodelling and renovating enthusiast. To learn more about how to remove wallpaper and a lot of other great DIY tips, visit his website now at: http://www.iempower.org/how-to-remove-wallpaper.htm and discover how easy it can be!

DIY electricity

Part P Regulations in the UK

There are several electrical diy jobs that can be carried out in your house without local authority building control officer’s involvement.
This is classed as non-notifiable work and includes replacing sockets, fused connection units, switches and ceiling roses, and replacing damaged cable for a single circuit. Also adding new light fittings and light switches to existing circuits, and new socket outlets and fused spurs to existing ring and radial circuits.
Obviously anything other than these needs to be classed as notifiable and the local authority will need contacting and told exactly what you are going to do. Once you have had permission and then completed the work you must then ask the local authority to send an inspector to test the installation and issue a certificate, there will be a charge for this. If you have employed a suitably qualified electrician to do this work for you then they will sort out the certificate for you.

Solar Powered Lighting

When someone thinks of solar powered outdoor lighting, the first thought that comes to mind are usually the solar panels that charge up in the sunlight, providing electricity to a building. While this is common, solar powered outdoor lighting does take shape in many forms. For instance, have you ever considered adding solar powered lights for your garden or along the pathway up to your house or driveway? As unusual as it may sound for some of you, these little innovative ideas may actually help you cut out some cost to your electricity bill while adding a lovely aesthetic to your home or garden.

Highlighting a walkway, driveway or even your backyard with path lighting is always a good idea, especially if you have a lot of obstacles such as sprinklers, toys or planters that would be difficult to spot during the night. Solar powered path lighting works like any ordinary path light, except it relies on solar energy to charge up during the day. And what makes it even more convenient is that even if the sun isn't fully shining, there will still be enough UV rays out for the panel to charge up. In the end, you'd be cutting costs on your electricity bill just by using this eco-friendly method of outdoor lighting.

Solar powered lights also come in decorative forms while using the same method of solar charged energy. Eco-Lights.com has an interesting selection of garden and accent lighting that come in a variety of styles, from elegant lanterns to fun, realistic looking solar powered flower lights. The solar powered flower lights are especially interesting in the fact that they look like genuine colorful flowers during the day that automatically light up come dusk. Most will even stay lit for as long as 12 hours on just a few hours of charging out in the sun.

No longer does solar power have to be known as the lighting alternative that uses boring solar panels. Now that it's gaining popularity for its energy saving qualities and is starting to take shape in aesthetically pleasing designs, solar powered lighting will soon enough become a household name.

For an excellent selection in floor lamp and chandelier be sure to visit Eco-Lights.com

DIY in the Bathroom

You Can Do It Yourself! Tackling Diy Bathroom Plumbing
By: Michelle Bery

Do it yourself. A generational catch phrase born from the crop of reality-based television programming that has captured an audience with extravagant remodels accomplished over a weekend and elaborate decorating on a budget. Do it yourself – or DIY - always existed as concept – budget-conscious homeowners pulling up their sleeves to tackle a project armed with tools and the ability to think on their feet. But the phrase do it yourself has produced a whole new harvest of weekend warriors filled with newfound confidence and eager to experience the self-satisfaction of a job well done.

Nothing seems to urge on do-it-yourselfers like a DIY bathroom plumbing project. The evidence lays in the community of homeowners who have dug in their heels, refusing to shell out hard earned dollars to a plumber simply to rectify a leaky faucet. The DIY bathroom plumbing project runs the gamut from drippy faucets and running commodes to noisy nozzles and flooding floors. But even more diverse are the extended projects that result from this initial foray into DIY-land. Suddenly, a DIY bathroom plumbing project becomes a full-blown remodel – vanities replaced; showers re-tiled; original floors swapped for their newer counterparts.

For those who have strapped on their tool belt and begun their journey into their DIY bathroom plumbing project, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, it is imperative that before beginning any repairs of sinks, toilets, and showers to turn off the water to that location. Nothing ends a DIY bathroom plumbing project quicker than a surprise flood. Further, any project involving electricity should be handled with extreme caution. Just as you turned off the water – turn off the electric power in the bathroom before tackling any projects.

Secondly, be sure that you have the appropriate parts to complete the DIY bathroom plumbing project. Parts that don’t fit will elongate the project and can easily end with disastrous results.

Finally, do your homework. Be sure to research the DIY bathroom plumbing project prior to starting. The Internet can be an enormous source of information as can your local home improvement store. And remember, you may be doing it yourself, but that doesn’t mean you can’t call in a professional if you get in over your head. Sometimes a pro can actually wind up saving you money in the end.

If you are well-researched, organized, and on your toes, your DIY bathroom plumbing project can pay dividends. Not only will you have the bathroom you want, but you’ll have the unrivalled satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself.

Article Source: http://www.newarticleshere.com

For easy to understand, in depth information about plumbing visit our ezGuide 2 Plumbing

DIY for profit??

It's official: more and more of us are rolling our sleeves up and getting the paintbrushes and drills out.

New research from Bank of Scotland shows that more than half of the population have been doing up their houses over the last year.

And not just for the fun of it either. For a growing number of us, it's purely about improving the saleability of our property.

The research shows that redecorating is the nation's most popular home improvement, followed by doing up the garden. We're also keen on getting new furniture, flooring and a brand new bathroom. Energy and fuel saving improvements are becoming increasingly popular, too.

Our enthusiasm for DIY does not come cheap. Last year nearly half of us spent between £2,500 and £10,000 on home enhancement.

But we're hoping for a return on our investment. The Bank of Scotland Home Improvement Survey tells us that over a quarter of DIY practitioners believe that the work they've done will add more than £5,000 to the value of the property.

My question is, are they right? Will these home improvements have the desired effect and what else can we do to make our homes more appealing to potential buyers?

I'd advise asking the experts first, before getting the stepladders out and putting the dustsheets down. Obviously estate agents are well placed to tell us what really works and what definitely doesn't. So, what do they suggest?

First of all, there are some definite no-nos. Kitchens and bathrooms must not be carpeted. Re-decorating is confirmed as a good idea though. The word is that this can indeed add around £1,000-£2,000 to the value of your property (as long as it's done properly).

But if you're looking to add around £5,000 or more, I'm sorry to say it's going to take a bit more than a lick of paint and some nice, new wallpaper.

Some serious changes are going to have to be made and they are not going to be cheap. We are talking about adding another bedroom, installing central heating, or putting in double glazing.

And if you've got a garden, don't overlook the possibilities of kerb appeal - some potential buyers will drive by to get a look at your house from the outside. So, upgrading your lawn and driveway can increase saleability by a considerable amount as well.

It is also true that a new bathroom can add significant value, but it's more likely to get you the results you want if it's been done up well, in neutral colours, particularly with a white suite. Other colours can apparently be a bit of a turn-off.

If you don't have the budget for DIY, though, don't despair. Minor cosmetic changes may not add value, but they can still have a positive effect. Ensuring your home looks its best, by de-cluttering, clearing as much space as possible, keeping it at its cleanest and having everything in good repair can make all the difference between a sale and a house that stays on the market for longer than it should.

Some estate agents also recommend putting the lights on, lighting candles and playing classical music. It might be an old cliché, but pleasant scents, like coffee or baking bread still work well, too.

Whatever you do, though, remember that buyers are said to decide one way or another within the first 3-5 minutes of coming into your home. So, make first impressions count.

from Fool.co.uk

DIY security system

Looking to install a home security system? Why pay an expensive security company when you can do it yourself?

The main reason why people want a DIY home security system is because there is no reason to bother paying a home security company when it's just as easy to install cameras and equipment yourself. Networked home security cameras aren't anything new and with the increased use of wireless networks, adding security cameras doesn't pose much of a problem even for those with little technical know-how. This once complex task has become as simple as plugging a camera into a wireless router.

With a little patience and careful attention to instructions, you'll have no problem installing a security system for your home. It's cheaper to DIY and also more fun in the end!


from Article dashboard

Five DIY jobs I do not like doing.

As I have already said that I like to do DIY, mostly!!, but there are some jobs I do not relish doing and I have listed them in no particular order.

1. Cleaning up paint brushes and rollers, especially if using gloss paint, which means using turps or white spirit. As paint goes everywhere when you are cleaning up.

2. Laying fibre glass insulation in the loft, even if you wear all the right gear while doing it, invariably you end up itching for weeks afterwards.

3. Hanging doors, as I am not a carpenter, so it is not a job I would ever think of doing.

4. Using a blowtorch when plumbing, to braze the soldered joints, I do not fancy burning the house down.

5. Using an extension ladder to clean the gutter of debris, this is one job I have to do very reluctantly, as a few years ago while working me and a ladder parted company. I managed to break my leg so ever since I have always felt a bit unsure up an extension ladder, especially at the top.

If you feel like adding others feel free to post them.

Painting

Painting - Preparing to Decorate

Here are the key steps to preparing a room for a new coat of paint or paper. Whatever type of surface you're going to tackle it must be clean, dry and smooth for the best results - preparation is the secret of a good-looking finish.

Time to complete job: Preparing a room for a new coat of paint or paper will take at least half a day, including filling and smoothing old plaster.

Approximate budget: The basic tools and materials should cost less than £20 for most rooms.

You will need:
Sugar soap
Bucket and sponge
Rubber gloves
Interior plaster filler
Decorator's sealant
Filling knife
Sanding block or electric sander
Dust sheets
Step ladder
Dust mask

Tip: Always wear a dust mask and spread dust sheets over the floor before tackling the job.

Step 1: Smoothing the surface Scrape off any flaking paint with a flexible filling knife and smooth the surface with a sanding block. For more tips on stripping back paint, see Paint Stripping. If there is wallpaper on the walls this will need removing. For tips on doing this, see Stripping Wallpaper.

Step 2: Repairing damaged plaster Sometimes patches of old plaster become loose or cracked. Pick out the loose areas with your filling knife and repair the areas with plaster filler. Work methodically over the whole room to make sure you have treated all the damaged areas. When the filler is dry, use an electric sander or sanding block to smooth any rough areas of plaster and blend in the new repairs. Very powdery plasterwork or new bare plaster should be coated with a coat of plaster sealer. For larger patches of plaster that need repairing, see Patching Damaged Plaster. Tip: Cracks around the skirting boards and door frames will spoil your new finish. Rake out any chipped paint and fill the gaps with a flexible decorator's sealant.

Step 3: Cleaning Wash off any black mould with a solution of household bleach and leave to dry. Heavy mould or tobacco stains should be covered with a sealer coat of Anti-Damp Paint. Tip: It's essential to treat the cause of mould and damp patches before redecorating.

Step 4: Lining Decide if the exposed walls need covering with lining paper. If the walls have large repair patches or lots of tiny hairline cracks, covering with plain lining paper will provide a smooth base for paint or wallpaper. Hang the paper just like ordinary wallpaper and leave overnight to dry. For more tips, see Wallpapering. Finally, remove any dirt and grease with sugar soap or hot water and washing-up liquid. Don't forget to wash the ceiling as well if it's going to be decorated.

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For step-by-step practical guides and video footage to help with all your DIY needs visit UKTV's DIY Resources at http://uktv.co.uk/index.cfm/uktv/Style.homepage/sid/31

Power tools for DIY

If you are not familiar with the jargon that is inherent to power tools, then you may find it a bit intimidating to walk into your local home improvement store and confidently shop for the tools that best meet your needs. There are so many options available in the current market that making sense of all the descriptions is difficult. Not only are there different brands to choose from, but there are unique features and benefits within each brand. Differences in size, power, and function require that you know a little bit about what you need before you ever walk in the door. Take a little time to get comfortable with what is available and familiarize yourself with some of the options that you might find so that you can buy with confidence.




from http://www.doityourself.com/stry/powertoolprimer

DIY chain Focus sold

Cerberus, the private equity firm, has drafted in the retail veterans Bill Grimsey and Bill Hoskins to oversee a turnaround of Focus, the heavily indebted DIY group which it has bought for £1.
The private equity firm said it will pay off the company’s £174 million of debts and pay £40 million - 40p in the £1 - to bondholders of the Crewe-based company, which is the UK’s third-largest DIY business.
It has also named Mr Grimsey and Mr Hoskins, who in the Nineties led a turnaround of Wickes, the DIY chain and builders’ merchant, as chief executive and finance director to help revive the business.
The DIY retailer was put up for sale by the private equity firms Duke Street Capital and Apax Partners in January after it became clear that its sales were not improving fast enough to service its huge £280 million debt burden. Its banks set a June deadline for a deal.
The 250-store chain had struggled to compete and had accumulated debt in a difficult market. The deal is expected to complete in July. Last year underlying profits at the group were £42.7 million on sales of £701.9 million.
from the times online

Does DIY add value?

Each year people spend thousands of dollars on home improvement projects. Typically, homeowners do this because they want to:

1. Improve the look or function of their home to make it a better or more ideal place for them to live
2. Make repairs to keep the house and up and running well
3. Add value to their homes bottom line through upgrades

But, how do you know if home improvement projects really add money to the value of your home? Because not all projects add value, there are questions you can ask yourself when looking to increase the value of your home through a home improvement project. One of the most important things is knowing what will actually improve the value. Here are some things to consider:

Does the home improvement project add space, function or added benefits to the area?
Does the home improvement project make the area more attractive, not only to you but to others?
Does the home improvement project make significant positive changes to the home?

Imagine you're a potential home buyer visiting your own home. Ask yourself if you would you pay more for the home if it didn't have the features you're considering adding or changing? Of course, your thoughts may not be the same as what a real potential buyer's thoughts are. Since the value of a home is more defined by the actual way that it is valued by the buyer, if your home is for sale, then it is really up to pleasing them with these projects.

One way to learn more about the value of your potential home improvement project is to talk to a licensed home appraiser. Ask them about the potential added value to your home for the project you have in mind. A seasoned realtor can also provide you with helpful opinions. They visit hundreds of homes and, over time, have a feel for what attracts buyers and can offer suggestions on what projects can help.

In closing, it's important to note that by doing a $10,000 home improvement project doesn't necessarily correlate or mean that the value of your home will increaase by that much. It could be more but it could also be much less.
Article Source: ArticleHub

A tale of a DIY fan.

Another of the jobs I have done recently at my house, well I say recently, within the last two years, is put an extract fan in the bathroom. Now this wasn't as difficult as it could have been, because there was already a type of air brick in the wall, which did make the bathroom a bit cold in the winter.
I first of all looked around for a suitable extract fan that would do the job, I wanted one that when not working would have closed louvres to prevent draughts and would have a timer so it would run on for a while. I eventually found one on EBAY, made in Italy, the manufacturer was a company called OERRE, yes I know not a name I have heard of either, but it was the size I needed and did look good.
I ran a cable from the lighting circuit off the bathroom in the attic to a fuse spur, which I attached to a joist.
I pre-cut a piece of plywood about 12" x 12" and drilled out a hole of 9" circle, the same size as the outlet of the fan, then painted it with several coats of paint. I then cut out the front of the air brick, which turned out to be a metal cover, but not easy to actually take off, so I just cut through it. Next I fitted the fan to the wood, and drilled the plywood on to the wall covering the hole.
I lastly took a length of three core flex from the fuse spur to the fan, an earth was not required as the fan was double insulated so just used the earth wire as a neutral with black tape covering the earth colour, so it could not be confused as an earth at a later date. I made the connections and tidied up the job. It works a treat and so far has worked perfectly with no draughts. Register on eBay.co.uk!

Screwdiver

Screwdrivers come in all different sizes and types for all different types of jobs. There are several different style of heads like Phillips, PoziDriv and Slotted to mention but a few. You can also get screwdrivers that have spiral ratchet mechanisms, that rotate on the head when pressure is applied to the handle. I would avoid using screwdrivers for anything other than using it as a screwdriver, not recommended as a chisel or being hit with a hammer.

DIY Survey

The number of DIY enthusiasts is on the rise with more than half of homeowners undertaking some work around the house over the past 12 months, new figures show. A survey by Halifax found that 58% of respondents had redecorated, installed a new feature or modernised their property during the past year, up 12% on 2005's figures. More than a quarter of those who had undertaken some form of home improvements estimate the work they have completed has boosted the price of their house by more than £5,000.Almost two-thirds of people who carried out work on their home said it was to update or modernise their property, with more than a third stating it was to improve their standard of living. Adding to the value of a house was cited by 25% of people in the latest survey, compared to 7% last year. There has also been a hike in the number of people who took on DIY projects to improve the energy efficiency of their home. Almost a fifth of respondents cited reducing fuel bills as a reason for doing their home improvements, up from 4% last year. Phil Jenks, head of mortgages at Halifax, said: "Home improvements are becoming more popular with people looking to add value to their home and improve saleability.” Whilst DIYers continue to favour the more simple home improvements, such as redecorating, there are also signs that people are beginning to view their gardens as an extension of their home and are investing more time and money in improving the outdoors as well as the indoors.” He added: "It is good to see more people citing reasons such as reducing fuel bills and increasing energy efficiency for undertaking home improvements as it shows that climate change is moving up people's agenda."

Which Tools are DIY useful?

I find that before I carry out any DIY task, I make sure I have the right tools for the job. I usually keep most of my hand tools in a tool box, hand tools are mostly screwdrivers, hammers, pliers. grips, tape measure and a torch. I also have other toolboxes with other hand tools that I do not use so much, such as files and hacksaw.
One of the most important tools that I feel that should be in a diy'ers toolkit, though not used all the time is a power drill, hopefully with a hammer action. I sometimes use battery powered tools but not that often.

DIY or NOT DIY that is the question.

I try to evaluate every job in my house that could be a diy task, for instance when I moved in I tried to get as much painting done before I actually moved in, and would make the house more to my tastes. I soon realised after I moved in that there were other jobs needed doing, not all decorating. The heating in the house was a gas fired back boiler behind a gas fire in the living room, I would guess put in in the eighties, and because it was in the living room it had to have ventilation, so an air brick was in the wall of the living room, not ideal as the room subsequently was cold from draughts.
The gas fire was not the most attractive feature in the house, and the hot water was supplied from a tank in the airing cupboard, so pretty high on gas usage, all in all not great. I admit this was not a task for me to take the tank, back boiler and fire out, I realised this was definitely a job for a plumber/heating engineer. The diy job I did do while the plumber was doing his bits was putting a fire surround and hearth in after the back boiler and old gas fire were removed, so fortunately I got the plumber to put a replacement fire in. I also got him to put a radiator in the living room as well, so I do not use the gas fire too much as there was not a radiator in the living room.
Needless to say I blocked up the air brick very soon, as the boiler is now in the airing cupboard with an outlet through the roof for ventilation. I also took the opportunity to paint the walls in the living room as well. So estimate if you can do a job and if not do not be afraid to get someone better qualified to do the big job as invariably you can do some diy job as well.

A little DIY job.

One of the diy jobs that I find really easy to do others struggle to comprehend, that job is changing a ceiling rose for a light. When undone and people see red and black cables, these are the old colour cables by the way, they assume that all black cables and all red cables go together, big mistake. The resultant big bang when they put the power back on shows this is not the case, what they fail to realise that maybe one of those black cables is not really a black cable, it is a red cable. To make this a bit clearer when the cables were being installed originally one of the pairs of cables used were taken to the switch and as such is a switch wire, the black used should have had a red sleeve put over it to signify that it was a switch wire and is live, and not a neutral as the other blacks usually are. Obviously if the installation was done correctly the cable taken to the switch should have been a twin red (again these are old colours).

Electricity outdoors

At my old house(again!) we had a couple of sheds and a pond(mentioned before) that needed some sort of electricity supply to them. They were originally supplied from a three core flex buried in the ground with a plug on the end going into the house, not exactly safe, to say the least
I changed all that by digging to a decent depth and burying a steel wired armoured cable, appropriately glanded off and terminating in an adaptable box attached to the side of the wall of the house.
I also used adaptable boxes at the two sheds and at the fence by the pond. In the shed I fitted a two way distribution board with circuit breakers.
In the house I fed the supply outside from the ring main, protected by a residual current device.
All in all a decent installation.

Top Ten of Tasks that People do not want to do.

In a survey carried out by The Woolwich a list was compiled of the tasks that homeowners would rather get someone else to do, it makes interesting reading for the avid DIYER. First in the list is Electrics, which being an Electrician is surprising but not unusual, second is Plumbing, which I am not a favourite of but can get by at a push. Third is an extension, fourth is installing a new kitchen or bathroom, fifth is carpeting, sixth is tiling or flooring, seventh is replacing a fire, eighth is landscaping the garden, ninth is putting up sheds and tenth is painting and decorating which is again very surprising because as the saying goes if you can pXXXs you can paint.

Plumbing

Plumbing mainly is not difficult to do as a DIY task, not as dangerous as electricity anyway, at the most that can happen if you make a mistake with plumbing is a very wet self or area. One of the harder jobs I can see is the soldering of the joints in the pipes, so in theory I suppose if you are using a blowtorch is also set the place on fire.

DIY and Electricity

The more astute amongst you will have noticed that my profile shows I am an Electrician so I will be tempted to offer advice on Electrical items, but I will try to bare in mind that the recent regulations have tightened up a bit what can be done.

Electricity

Electricity can be dangerous, if you feel unsure about working on circuits at the very least turn off all power at the distibution board, if you are still unsure contact an Electrician.
I suggest that circuit breakers should be used in the distribution board as opposed to fuses, as apart from circuit breakers being more sensitive to faults on the circuit they are also easier to reset than having to change fuse wire.

DIY

Do it yourself or DIY refers to the practice of fabricating or repairing things on one's own rather than purchasing them or paying for professional repair

Why do DIY

There are many reasons why we choose to do DIY or DO IT YOURSELF, some of them are to save ourselves money, some because we enjoy DIY, and some because we have no other choice than to do it ourselves. Whatever the reason for carrying out DIY it should be enjoyable for at least some part of the proceedings, it may not seem much fun at the start of the job for various reasons or even in the middle when you are struggling with it, but at some point a sense of achievement or fulfillment should present itself.
As I have pointed out previously in these articles if you are capable of DIY and set yourself enough time to complete the DIY task, at some point you will enjoy it.

New Planning Rules

Government ministers are set to cut red tape for home improvements -- allowing homeowners to undertake small projects without planning permission, the Times reported on Saturday.
Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly will unveil a planning policy paper on Monday, expected to herald the largest shake-up in planning rules for 20 years.
The Times said the paper will include plans to allow people to build kitchen extensions, loft conversions and conservatories, or fit wind turbines and solar panels, without seeking prior approval.
At present, homeowners must obtain planning permission for minor alterations to their properties, in a process that costs up to 1,000 pounds and takes months.
Brian Berry, of the Federation of Master Builders, said the proposed overhaul was a "very good idea" for homeowners.
"If you want to extend your kitchen or have a loft conversion, you (will) no longer need to have planning permission," he told BBC News 24 on Saturday.
"Homeowners, at the moment, have to wait between eight and 16 weeks to get permission, as well as paying up to 1,000 pounds: this means this will be taken away, cutting out the red tape if you want to renovate your home."
Berry allayed fears that people might find it more difficult to stop their neighbours undertaking building work that they object to. There would be limits to what homeowners could do without permission; homeowners must comply with height and depth restrictions and meet an "impact test".
The move is expected to free-up the planning process, allowing planning authorities to concentrate on larger, more complex projects.
Some 350,000 domestic planning applications are processed per year, of which more than 90 percent are granted immediately, because there is no damaging impact on neighbouring property.
As the cost of moving home soars, more and more homeowners are choosing instead to improve and extend existing properties.
The cost of moving home has more than tripled in the past decade, according to a recent survey by property Web site propertyfinder.com.
Buying and selling costs -- excluding the property price and mortgage fees -- now stand at 9,486 pounds, up from 2,925 pounds in 1996. Stamp duty has increased 823 percent in the past decade. These mounting costs have led to a supply shortage that has stoked house price growth.

Garage D.I.Y.

I have at my house a garage, if you can call it that, constructed with wood battens, and asbestos panels. I think it was built not long after the house was built in the sixties, so obviously the problems with asbestos was not known about at the time.
The doors of the garage are wooden and I do not think they were ever painted or stained, so I have just painted the doors and part of the asbestos funnily enough the same colour as the fence at the back of the house. Strangely enough I replaced and painted the fence last year as well. I would like to point out that asbestos is safe as long as you do not damage it or make holes in it, so painting it is okay, in fact you may be encapsulating it, well it looks good anyway.

Painting Walls

I find that it is quite a good idea to paint walls a very neutral colour, possibly magnolia to keep the house looking bright and maybe bigger.

Security D.I.Y.

I recently put up some outside/security lights at my house, fortunately the one at the back was just replacing an old one that was an original when I bought the house, so no major problems there.
The harder task was the lights at the front of the house, I wanted a lantern type that came on when you walked past it and a flood light at the side that did the same.
The main distribution board was at the front of the house, and I had already put some mini trunking up the wall when I had moved in, admittedly it was too small now to take any more cable, but at least it was a start.
So I put some larger trunking up the wall, and drilled through to outside, and took both cables out, one to the lantern and the other to the floodlight.
The lantern type I bought from a local diy superstore after searching around a couple of them, and settled on a decent type that has two levels of light, it is on all the time when it is dark, at a very low power setting, but it makes the front of the house safer.
Obviously when you walk up to it goes into high wattage and all in all it does the job well.
I know that the power usage has now increased but I think that it makes the house a lot safer so have offset this with safety.

Tip

I would suggest that if you are thinking of doing a job outside make sure you have the time to complete it, and check the weather forecast!!! it is not fun working in the rain, especially if you are painting.

Mistakes

First Mistake
One of the first mistakes a lot of d.i.y.'ers do is overestimate their ability to carry out the task, which usually means that it all goes wrong and they end up not completing the task, probably a lot more common end than is admitted, I would think this most likely affects men, as women would know their limitations.
Second Mistake
I think that the next mistake d.i.y.'ers do is to use tools that are not quite up to the task, or should I say they are not of a quality to withstand the use they are being put to. A typical example would be maybe a screwdriver that has been bought from a stall on a Sunday market, okay for the occasional use, but when used for a prolonged amount of time will give up, or worse break. As an Electrician myself, I think that it is worth paying a little extra on good quality tools for the use they are required for. I am not suggesting that everyone runs out and buys industrial strength tools that professional tradesmen use, but some people may prefer this option, just be aware that some tools are of a better standard than others.