When you take on DIY projects how confident are you? Are you the type of person who dives right in and trusts your natural instincts to take over or will you carefully research the DIY tips you need to use on YouTube videos and DIY bloggers?
If you’re a confident DIYer what tips would you pass on to those who don’t share your skills and enthusiasm? Is there a secret to getting DIY just right and not ending up in disaster? In this blog we share five secrets from the professionals to help get you DIY confident and ready to go.
DIY Tips from the Pros
The Painter and Decorator
When you think of a traditional painting and decorating job you imagine cotton dust sheets spread liberally around a property, lots of ladders, brushes and paint cans. But if you’re looking to make your clean up job less of a hassle and take the stress out of spills. Our top tip is to ditch the cotton sheets.
Instead consider using plastic dust sheets and laying heavy duty lining paper over the top, taped down with masking tape. The benefit of this is how easy it is to vacuum up dust from paper then carefully roll it up and throw it away. Underneath the floor is protected with an extra layer of plastic and all the paint is where it should be, on walls and not on the floor.
The Window Installer
This is no job for the amateur, to get this just right you need the right tools for the job and this is our top tip on making sure it’s waterproof. When you’re laying down the waterproof membrane or flashing on the window, make sure to layer it with the seams facing down. That way, water will simply glide down the wall and over the material. Never should the seams be facing upwards.
Fitting windows can be done by the confident DIYer but if you do need an expert, like Mann Kidwell Interior Window Treatments, then don’t be afraid to take a pass on this one.
The Carpenter
Our top tip here is an oldie but goodie and it’s to do with state of your tools. You can have brand new tools but still end up with sore fingers and a bodged job if your tools are not good quality. Chances are that if your level was cheap, it won’t be aligned properly and your shelves are not going to end up as straight as they should be.
Check the state of your tools before every job. Clean or change blades and test your levels out on a surface you know is flat to make sure they’re registering the level they should be.
The Builder
For the big jobs like a kitchen or bathroom renovation, you’re going to want a company with all the tools and industrial machinery to get it done. But when it comes to something much smaller such as building or repairing a garden wall, you can do this yourself. You’ll make this call based on your capabilities.
The trick is getting the base layer just right. This layer generally lives just below the ground and is likely resting on poured concrete. Make guidelines with ropes, making sure the lines are completely straight. Use these lines to create the first rows of your wall, using a spirit level and builder’s square to make sure that the corners are at true right angles.
After that you can carefully build up, checking with your spirit level after every layer and between every few bricks to make sure they are completely level and flat.
The Landscaper
It’s not just your home that requires upkeep, your garden too needs your attention and here we give you some great ideas to keep your plants on point. You might not think it, but eggs can be a valuable resource when it comes to your plants’ health.
Use the shells to grow saplings in during the spring, resting them in an egg box as a safe and secure way to transport them from your greenhouse or kitchen windowsill out into the garden. Don’t waste those shells but instead grind them up and add to plant feed for a calcium boost that plants love. Do the same with any water you’ve boiled your eggs in too. Allow it to cool down after cooking and water plants that need a little helping hand.
You may not be the best DIYer in your street but you can certainly learn to be with some inside hacks that give you a helping hand. Whether you’re painting or gardening, we’ve got a tip for you. Source
She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificates in Natural Health and Herbology from accredited programs. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
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