The Great DIY Beginners Support Group

[SunnieShine]

OK, so there seems to be a few of us who need to get jobs done at home - but don't know where to start/how to do it/need a confidence boost and some accountability.

I have a hunch we are all FAR more capable than we think we are.

So let's "buddy up" and start working through that list, one job at a time .

Who's with me? 😀

I had the same problem and now have a mould-free bathroom thanks to the advice received on a previous thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/4732530-mouldy-flaking-bathroom-ceiling?reply=123549014

YouTube is our friend 😀

That's what scares me. What if the wall falls into bits?

FruitBagder - you're in! 😁

I think building confidence is key. I am hoping my confidence will increase the more I do.

Do you have a list to work through?

The thing is what I learnt the hard way when I was paying £1000 to have my hallway, redecorated. Is if the wall falls down when the professional is doing it, they, they will charge you to fix it and be. They still want paying even if the walls fallen down and they then can’t carry on doing their decorating.

This sounds like my thread. Would love to do a basic hands on course to get confidence up for drilling/painting etc. Any recommendations?

I'm resigned to some DIY after every single tradesman I contact either fails to turn up to quote or quotes and then ghosts.
I've lived in this house about 40 years and it's been every colour. The furniture is all good solid stuff but brown. I could afford to replace it but don't care enough so I'm going to paint some of it.
I've done most decorating jobs over the years, ironic that I would rather pay someone now but can't.
I have three rooms to paint including skirtings that are woodstained which I want white.
Starting with some little bits of furniture. Main problem is sanding, I have poor wrist strength and get RSI very easily. DH can't operate so much as a screwdriver so it'a all down to me.

I have lots to do at home and no confidence to do it. Although I’ve recently painted our kitchen, including cabinets.

Need a curtain pole in our bay window but likely it’ll have to be drilled into the ceiling due to no clearance.

Need to build a cupboard around our new boiler. Had just replastered and repainted whole bathroom and then boiler died and new one is smaller so there’s a messy wall around it. Grr.

Our kitchen floor is spongy in places so I need to get the vinyl tiles up to have a look at what’s going on, could be a big job 😬

And we’ve a leak in the roof at the back…

got to love a Victorian terrace.

I was watching the latest episode of George Clarke’s Old House, New Home (series 9, episode 4) and a couple with no building experience at all managed to completely do up their home themselves, including putting a new kitchen in and knocking walls down, for under 40k. It seemed nuts but also gave me some hope!

I need to do a toilet seat change and also lots of painting this weekend. I have some wallpaper to put up too, which I was hopeful about but then a friend said she struggled with hers!

I left my H and have a whole house to do up.. I started with the lounge and wallpapered two ares (either side of the chimney breast) and painted the rest. With the help of YouTube that went quite well.! I've installed wooden shutters in the bay window and had wooden flooring installed. I have a reclaimed wooden fireplace I am going to restore (need to YouTube that) then get it on the lounge chimney breast wall! That will then complete room one! I'm also part way on bedroom one of three 🫣 painted three walls and wallpapered one large wall (one piece left to do round the light switch).. whole house needs doing. I felt so overwhelmed when we first moved in but month by month the house is coming together. Kids are with their dad this weekend so I intend to get some sh*t done! ☺️ I have all these grand plans.. from the little experience I've had with trades people it's evident to me most jobs are better done yourself (apart from plumbing and electrical work). The garden is also a complete blank canvas.. Lordy I could go on and on!! Each month I'm allocating around 1k for home improvements and have a little nest egg of money piling up. This thread will hopefully give me the kick up the butt I need to focus on getting these jobs done!!

Well done @rockingbird, you've done loads already! Do you have any wallpapering tips?

I need to redecorate the whole house, walls and woodwork. It's looking very tired so will be heavy redecoration with lots of filling and prep needed, 3 bedroom semi.

There's no flooring in the living room, stairs, landing or bedrooms. The living room floor needs to be levelled before anything can be done there too (original 60s floor tiles so probably asbestos involved. Encasing them under some latex is probably the safest approach!). I'll probably get soneone in for carpet on the stairs and landing but am debating having a go at parquet in the living room. A garden wall needs to be rendered. Some of the patio and drive way paving slabs need to be re laid. And the garden fence needs to be painted, but I've done that before so that's well within my capabilities.

Most pressing job now is the leak on the landing floor just outside the bathroom door, next to the bath, that appeared on Wednesday morning. I'm hoping that's due to the silicone needing to be replaced around the bath. I don't want to have to take the bath panel off as I know I'll need to replace it with a new one, because it will break when it comes out due to the way it was fitted. I don't think it's the waste as the ceiling downstairs is OK.

I also found out on Tuesday the car battery is on its last legs. After being quoted £359 for a new one from the garage I'm going to have a go at changing that myself.

I've been looking at this...

www.shecantraining.com/

Wallpapering tips: I found this guy on YouTube who teaches you how to score the paper with the back of your scissors and cut before it dries on the wall. Also match the pattern from the middle as that's central to your eye when walking into a room. The light switch tip is also a good one and works the same for power sockets. I've found him very helpful https://youtube.com/@AubreysAbsoluteDecorating

Well.. weekend free to crack on with the DIY. The new wooden blinds are arriving for upstairs rooms early next week so I need to get the walls done 🫣 determined to get the bathroom cabinet on the wall so drilling holes and getting it straight is my main focus! Got to make the dam thing first.. then I'm finishing the wallpaper in bedroom 1. Looking for a teal colour paint for my bedroom - any suggestions? Not to bright for a feature wall. Hallway needs tackling.. goodness me when will this end.

@FruitBadger I'm pooped just reading your list. And mine is as bad - and quite similar.

You know whst I just realised about DIY? It's the prep and planning that is the stumbling block.

I don't have much space for tools, and the space I do use is in the cupboard under the stairs. Which is cramped and dark so I hate going in there.

So my first job would be to do some serious decluttering so I can store my kit somewhere accessible.

Wondering where on earth I put my junior hacksaw makes getting started all the harder.

I'm in. Feeling frozen with apprehension and lack of knowledge. We do have a Tool Library nearby though. Marking my place for now as I'm making myself clear the decks in preparation. Thanks so much for creating this thread.

My cupboard is very small, so I cut holes in a shelf to store all my tools. Now they're all to hand and I will always keep it tidy!

Installed a rechargeable motion sensor light a couple of days ago in there too.

Pipes at the back will be covered in silver pipe sleeves soon.

Genius idea @DownNative So much easier to get started when your tool kit looks like that.

You are welcome and thank you for joining.

"Frozen with apprehension" sums it up perfectly.

How about we both start with one very job we can't fail at?

Mine could be replacing the light pullcord on the bathroom. If I can remember where I put it, that is...😁

Yes, the tools I don't use often is stored in a tool bag right at the back as well. Everything you can see are ones I use a LOT!

Made a huge difference.

@WaspLady you may find this works (but no promises)

Drill an over size hole, vacuum out any dust, fill the hole with Toupret filler. Redrill into the filler as normal.

Or use an expanding hollow wall anchor.

https://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails-fixings/hollow-wall-anchors/cat7280101

Guys, I might be asking the wrong people hair but I thought what the heck in for the Penny. What would you post skirting boards off with?

Pull not post

Thank you @rockingbird for wallpaper tips 😊

I have been having a productive day painting skirting boards and architraves, amazing how much better my hallway looks now