Before starting to tile the shower area of my wet room, I needed to know how much slope was required for the water to drain properly. So, I searched on the Internet and found that the right slope was between 1.5% and 3%. What????? What does that mean in practical terms??? As I had no idea, I had to work it out another way. My wet room is finished and I am pleased to say that my system works well. So, I would like to share it with you in the hope that you will find useful for your own project! Continue reading
Category Archives: DIY
How to fix your squirrel-damaged peanut feeder
If a squirrel manages to open your bird feeder, try and fix it before running to the shop to buy a new one. I did that already but my squirrels did not take long before destroying my second one even though it looked so much stronger than the first one…
So, get a small length of Continue reading
How to design and tile a shower floor in a wet room
That tiling task was not as bad as I thought it would be. First, I had many sleepless nights worrying about it and did a lot of planning.. I used a 120cm x 90cm shower former and 60cm x 30cm porcelain tiles. Please note, they are all multiple of 30 which I think helps when tiling the shower former.
1. Work out where to place your tiles to get the most pleasing end result, laying them on the floor as accurately as possible and making sure you would not end up with very small pieces of cut tile along the edge. Below, you can see what Continue reading
How to keep your gutters free of leaves
Tile cutter too small?
If, like us, you bought large tiles (we bought 60 x 60cm), your standard-sized tile cutter will certainly be too small. Ooops! Buying another one would be very expensive…
So, just make Continue reading
How to pick up brick dust from drill
I used to place my vacuum cleaner’s nozzle next to a hole being drilled to suck up any brick dust and prevent it from falling down. This was not ideal though because the motor filter is not suited to very fine dust. Now, I would like to share with you a great new tip, a much better way to pick up brick dust that cannot damage the vacuum cleaner.
Use a dust pan (because it has a wide brim and a nice handle!), place a wet kitchen towel over it and locate the dust pan right under the hole being drilled. The falling brick dust will be collected by the wet kitchen towel. When finished, simply put the kitchen towel in the bin. Try this tip and let me know what you think!
Save on hole fillers
How to catch dust and dirt
The follwing tip will save you a lot of cleaning time and hassle. Continue reading
How to make white spirit last
All you need is two jars, clearly labelled. Let me explain in more details… Continue reading
How to make wood filler
If you have cracks, small holes, or even the occasional missing piece of cork that need filling, you can make your own wood filler at a fraction of the price.
Mix 2 parts Continue reading
Decorating: Preparing walls
Below are a few handy tips that you might find helpful when preparing walls before painting. Basically, it is all about pleasing the eye. Let me explain. Continue reading
Video tip on how to save your vacuum cleaner’s filters or dust bags
Doing DIY creates a lot of dust and dirt. So, to avoid replacing the dust bag too often (they are rather pricey) or even clogging the filter (fine dust has a detrimental effect on suction efficiency), it might be wise to Continue reading
Video tip on how to quickly apply adhesive on coving
I have been fitting coving many times over the years but it is only recently that I have found out how to apply the adhesive quickly and efficiently. Continue reading
How to remove an old waste pipe
If you are trying to remove an old waste pipe, the following tip might be useful to you. Continue reading
Using a skip efficiently
At some point in your life, you might have to hire a skip to get rid of unwanted items. To make the most of a skip, use it wisely. Continue reading
How to remove wallpaper with a wallpaper stripper
If you have a large area of wallpaper to remove, I would suggest the use of a wallpaper stripper. However, a wallpaper stripper is just a giant kettle and uses a lot of electricity to run so you should try and minimise the time it is switched on.
First, Continue reading
How to remove a raw plug from a wall
If you are trying to remove a raw plug from a wall, read my tips below. Continue reading
How to protect floors when decorating
Be careful when using fabric dust sheets as they seem to have a mind of their own. When preparing walls for decorating, I found that Continue reading
Make a composter out of a bed
This is a great way to recycle unwanted and bulky furniture and might save you a trip to the dump! Continue reading
Extended arm to clean your gutters
If you are not a home owner, this post will be of no interest to you as it will show you how clean gutters efficiently. Continue reading
How to shorten a screw
Ever wondered how to shorten a screw? My tip is easy and straight forward and does not involve a saw. Continue reading
How to make a wooden house sign
Cost of materials = Nil. Labour = free. In this post, I will show how I made a house sign using a piece of wooden panel from an old wooden shed and a dremel. I also used Continue reading
Bungalow renovation
We purchased our bungalow in August 2012.
As I wanted to share our experience with my parents, I started a bilingual blog called, Littlehill, our Little Piece of Heaven, dedicated to recording our progress throughout the renovation, although if I come across any good tips, I will certainly share them with you through this blog.
Wish me luck! 🙂
How to care for your garden bench
My garden bench is 8 years old but still looks as good as new. Maintenance should be done every year. It takes very little effort – less than 1/2 hour, start to finish – but it really makes a difference and will make your investment last longer. Continue reading