The Complete DIY Guide

An online guide to do-it-yourself (DIY) for "the rest of us"

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Hello!

A cartoon man holding a paintbrush and drill.

I'm Chris and I'm hopeless at DIY. About five years ago, when I wanted to know how to fix a really troublesome faucet (that's a "tap" to you Brits), I searched on the Web, located some good information, and bookmarked the sites I found. I did the same thing when I made a real mess of redoing the silicone sealant in my bathroom. After a while, I found I'd built up quite a collection of useful DIY links and I realized it was probably useful to other people too. That's how this very simple (and hopefully very effective) website was born. Over the last few years, I have very gradually extended the page so it now contains a hand-compiled list of over 550 of the best DIY pages I know about covering everything from replacing a broken window to fixing a dripping faucet. I put it together for my own benefit, but I hope it really is a valuable guide for you too. I was aiming to make the web-equivalent of one of those big old DIY manuals you used to find in bookstores about 20 years ago.

This site was made by a human, i.e. me!

Please note that this is not a mechanically generated site full of garbage links! It has been meticulously compiled by hand and is maintained by hand whenever I have time or something new to add. I've done my absolute best to make this website helpful to ordinary people who want quick advice for tackling household DIY problems.

Please be sure to read the site disclaimer and privacy policy.

Update status

Last updated: 8 March 2012 (All links completely checked and revised).

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Contents

Introduction: Why do it yourself?

Are you happy with your home? Are there things you'd like to improve? Maybe you're put off by the daunting cost of home improvements, which can run into many thousands of pounds. Fear not, do-it-yourself could be the answer. Why have expensive tradesmen tramping through your home causing havoc when you can cause the havoc yourself? Seriously, if you're patient, organized, and methodical there's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't do an awful lot of home improvement yourself—and save a huge amount of money. Of course, there are some specialized jobs where you'd be an absolute fool not to use a professional. Plumbing and electrical work often fall into this category. But if all you want to do is paint the walls, hang new wallpaper, fix up some shelves, or build a garden path, why not try to do it yourself first?

Ten tips for newbies

Go straight to the links section if you want to but, if you're a complete beginner, you may prefer to check out our top-ten DIY tips first:

  1. Start simple: If you've never tackled a DIY project before, start with something easy to build your confidence. Try putting up some shelves, building a small outdoor path, or painting one small room. Once you get the easy job right, gradually build up to more difficult jobs. Start with something hard and bodge it up and you'll not only have a mess to put right, you'll also lose your confidence to do anything more.
  2. "Give me the tools and I'll do the job": Make sure you use the right tool for the job. Nothing's more likely to bodge a job than using the wrong tool. If you can't afford tools, how about hiring them or borrowing from a friend or neighbor? Have you looked on eBay for tools someone else no longer wants?
  3. Be safe: You can do a lot of damage with DIY, so be sure to review all the safety instructions and warnings on products and tools you use before you start.
  4. How-to projects save you time: Once you're a confident DIYer, you'll be able to come up with your own ideas very easily. In the meantime, there are literally hundreds of how-to pages on the Web that give you precise, step-by-step instructions. Start with these idiot-proof guides before setting out on your own.
  5. Take it slowly: There's always a temptation to rush to complete a job in a day or a weekend, especially if you're depending on something like the light or the weather. But don't rush: take your time. It takes twice as long to sort out a hurried, bodged job that's gone wrong as it does to do something slowly and properly in the first place.
  6. Know your limits: Don't take on something you can't manage, especially if it causes a major change to the appearance of your home. Remember that your home is the most expensive investment you will ever make. Nothing torpedoes the value of a house more quickly than bad DIY.
  7. Shop around: You know your saving pots of money with DIY so the temptation is just to buy the first raw materials you see. Don't! Check prices of tools, timber, and other raw materials in two or three places. It doesn't take more than a few minutes. Don't forget to look on eBay, in junk shops, and so on.
  8. Be green: Why not try to reuse and recycle materials when you can? Reclaimed timber is very fashionable for flooring, but even the waste products of DIY have their uses: don't forget to recycle unwanted wallpaper offcuts... and throw your sawdust in the compost bin!
  9. Don't be afraid to ask for help: Taking risks is a major cause of accidents. Why risk lifting something if you doubt you can do it? How long does it take to ask a friend to help you? Similarly, if you're not sure what you're doing is right, why not ask a friend for a second opinion.
  10. Don't be afraid to bail out: If it's all starting to go pear-shaped, stop, cut your losses, and call in a professional. If you're in a hole, know when to stop digging.

Safety advice: before you start

Tools

General links

Tool buying guides from Homebase UK

*The UK Homebase store has some clear and simple DIY buying guides, including quite a few covering tools:

Favorite DIY sites

*These are some of the web's most comprehensive DIY sites, ranked in alphabetical order. Most are written by one-man DIY professionals with years of experience, who really know their stuff, and are happy to share their knowledge. These sites should be firmly at the top of your bookmarks—the backbone of your online DIY reading! I would always point you to sites like this rather than my own humble little effort, but what I do offer you here that's different is a selection of different approaches to different problems.

Planning projects and getting ideas

There's a much-extended list of design links on our Complete Guide to Home Design page.

Painting

Preparing to paint

Paint calculators

Painting factsheets from Julian Cassell

Wallpapering

General wallpapering

Stripping wallpaper

Choosing new wallpaper

Tiles and tiling

Woodworking

There's a much bigger and better list of woodworking links on our Complete Guide to Woodworking page.

Guides to different types of wood

Miscellaneous woodworking sites

Using varnish and stains

Putting up shelves and shelving

Bookcases and cabinets

More woodworking projects and guides

More tool tips from diyfixit.co.uk

These are good simple guides to a few of your basic woodworking tools:

Making stands for loudspeakers

Electrical

There's a much-extended list of electrical links on our Complete Guide to Home Electrics page.

Electrical work can be highly dangerous! We strongly recommend you get all your home electrical work done by a qualified electrician. You can find qualified electrians in the UK through NICEIC.

In some countries, states, or other jurisdictions, it is illegal for unqualified people to carry out some or all aspects of home electrical work. For example, in the UK, from 1st January 2005, all new electrical work in a dwelling (a house, flat or small commercial premise linked to domestic accommodation) must be designed and installed to account for the new Part P of the Building Regulations. (Broadly speaking, that means only certified persons can carry out electrical work or the work must be certified when it's finished.) Lots of websites tell you more about this, including this page from DIY Doctor. The UK Planning Portal also gives the full text of Part P of the Building Reglations.

General electrical

Homebase electrical project guides

*The UK Homebase store has some very clear, illustrated electrical guides. Please note that these apply to the UK electrical system!

DIY Doctor projects

*DIY Doctor offers an alternative set of simple, clear, illustrated, electrical guides:

Energy-efficient lighting

Other home electrical

Walls and ceilings

General

Fixing and fastening things to walls

Plasterboard and partitions

Plaster

Ceilings

Coving

Skirting

Soundproofing

Doors, windows, and security

Doors—general

Windows: general

Double glazing

Repairing windows

Fitting locks

Other good sites about home security

Insulation and energy efficiency

General energy efficiency

Roof and loft insulation

Insulating doors and windows (general)

General draftproofing (draughtproofing) and air leaks

Draught-proofing sash windows

DIY window insulation with plastic sheets

Caulking windows

Cavity wall insulation

Energy-efficient heating and boilers

Measuring home energy use

Floors, rugs, carpets, and stairs

General flooring tips, advice, and ideas

Choosing your new floor

Environmentally friendly recycled floors

General information

Fitting your own carpet

Laying stair carpets

Repairing and cleaning your carpet

Repairing your carpet

Cleaning your carpet

Getting stains out of your carpet

Cork, vinyl, and ceramic tile floors

General introductions

Tiles

Cleaning tiles

Slate, stone, ceramic, and porcelain floors

Stone

Slate

Terrazzo floors

Wooden and laminate floors

Laminate floors

Parquet floors

Other wooden floors

Building staircases

Careers

Has your career hit the floor? Maybe it should! If you're interested in a career in carpet fitting or floor laying, take a look at these pages...

Carpet fitters

Plumbing, heating, and drains

Please note: In some countries, states, or regions, certain aspects of DIY work (such as plumbing work) may be prohibited by law. It is your responsibility to check that what you want to do is lawful in your area.

There's a much-extended list of plumbing links on our Complete Guide to Plumbing page.

General plumbing problems

Project worksheets from Homebase UK

*The UK Homebase store has a very good selection of how-to guides.

Plumbing emergencies

Fixing dripping faucets/taps

Plumbing repairs

Drains and drainage

Curtains, drapes, blinds, and upholstery

There's a much-extended list of home design links on our Complete Guide to Home Design page.

Making curtains

Making blinds

Making a shower curtain

Sun shades, conservatory blinds, and heat-reflecting curtains

Cleaning and repairing upholstery

Roofing and gutters

General DIY roofing guides

Roof repairs

Fixing roof tiles

Repairing and cleaning gutters

Outside: paths, walls, patios, gardens, and garages

General

Slabs and foundations

Patios and decking

Measuring and mixing concrete

Building garden steps

Making a garden pond

Garages and garage doors

Making a fence

Making a gate

Brick walls and outdoor bricklaying

Making a garden path

Making a garden shed

Making garden furniture

Building a pergola

Making bird boxes and bird tables

Videos

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