What is Insulated Plasterboard?
Insulated plasterboard is a commonly used building material, which is comprised of a sheet of standard plasterboard or gypsum board,
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Building Guides
Fitting a Plasterboard Ceiling
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.
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10 Tips for Building Stud Walls
Planning, building, altering or removing a stud wall are all home improvement projects that are manageable by most competent DIY-ers. Being able to completely change the layout of a room, add storage space or a bathroom or turn two rooms into one, without having to call in an expensive builder has got to be worth considering.
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Plastering Corners with Mesh Bead
Unless you know what you are doing, plastering external corners (such as a chimney breast) can be difficult. If you do not use mesh angle beading on the corner, this will be almost impossible and any knocks will quickly break the plaster away.
Read more5 Tips for Avoiding Cowboy Builders
If you have decided that a project is too difficult, dangerous or time consuming to do it yourself, it is
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Ready Mix Concrete
There are a few DIY jobs which might require large amounts of concrete at one time, including creating concrete driveways or laying the concrete slab foundation for a garage or outbuilding.
Read moreApplying Joint Compound
Whenever you use plasterboards as the finished surface of a wall (when no plaster is going to be applied over the top) you need to seal and disguise the tapered joints where the boards meet.
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Using Floor Levelling Compounds
When laying any type of floor covering onto a solid floor, it is important that the subfloor is sound, level
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Self-Build Guide
Building your own home can be both one of the most rewarding and the most stressful things you will ever do in your life. There are numerous benefits to building your own home, as well as many pitfalls waiting to catch out the unprepared.
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Home Improvement Safety Tips
These Home Improvement Safety Tips cover the very least you should think about before even opening your toolbox.
Read morePlanning Permission
A guide for DIY-ers needing to apply for planning permission in the UK.
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Fitting an Insulated Wall Lining
There are several ways to insulate a party wall to cut the sound that is transmitted, but one of the most effective is adding an insulated lining.
Read moreStud Wall Regulations
Although you generally do not need to seek planning permission to build an internal stud wall, you will need to follow certain building regulations. Building regulations are in place for the safety of the householders and anybody visiting the property.
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Types of Foundation
Using or being able to identify the correct types of foundation needed for a particular building project can mean the
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Understanding Internal Partition Walls
When you are planning DIY jobs which involve altering or fixing to internal partition walls, it is important to understand
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Using a Cement Mixer
Mixing concrete and mortar by hand is fairly easy to do and offers a good amount of control over the consistency of the mix. However, if you have a large amount of concrete or mortar to mix, it is often worth hiring a small cement mixer to make things easier.
Read moreBasement Waterproofing
Keeping your basement dry can be a difficult task. But it’s not surprising when you consider that your house is surrounded by water. The soil surrounding your house contains water from rain and snow.
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Replacing a Cracked or Spalled Brick
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.
Read moreFinding Wall Studs
When hanging a picture, putting up shelves or attaching anything to a partition wall, it is important to find and fix into one of the wooden studs that make up the wall structure. There are several methods you can use to find the studs in a partition wall, depending on what tools you have to hand.
Read moreRoofing Tiles and Materials
If you are replacing your current roofing material, it is best to use a replacement similar to that which is already there.
Read moreHome Insurance and DIY
Many people try and tackle their own home improvements in an attempt to add value to their homes. However; insurers are warning people that over-ambitious DIY projects can actually result in causing more damage that costs a huge amount of money to put right.
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Maintaining a Garage Door
Despite the fact that a garage door is extremely heavy and dangerous, it is amazing how many households pay little
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Reclaiming and Reusing Timber
Using reclaimed timber for home improvement projects is very popular at the moment. The use of reclaimed timber, for lintels,
Read moreHow to Apply Undercoat Plaster
When plastering walls, getting the undercoat plaster layer right is an important part of the process.
Read moreWhat Is Concrete?
If you are a keen DIY-er, it is more than likely that you have mixed and used concrete yourself. It is seen as an easy-to-use construction material for everything from walls to driveways, but what is concrete?
Read moreRemoving a Non-Loadbearing Stud Wall
Removing an internal, non-loadbearing Stud wall can be great for opening up a living space and allowing more light into dark, underused rooms.
Read moreWaterproof and Weatherproof Sealants
Waterproof and weatherproof sealants generally come in two different forms: liquid and paste or mastic.
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Planning a Solid Block Wall
There are several reasons why you may want to build a partition wall from solid blocks, rather than the potentially easier and quicker stud partition wall. Solid walls will give far greater acoustic and thermal insulation than a stud wall (even if the stud wall has insulation fitted) and will certainly feel more solid.
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