Building Mastic is an oil-based compound intended for general pointing and sealing in traditional forms of construction. But how long does it take to dry? let’s have a look. Most mastics will form a skin within 24-48 hours, they will take around 7 days to fully cure. This is obviously very general information. For a…
If you are planning on building a sleeper wall then you will have come across protecting the wood with a membrane, but is this needed? Let’s have a look. Why use a membrane? The idea behind using a membrane behind a sleeper wall is that it helps keep water and moisture away from the sleeper….
Sleepers are a great way of building steps in the garden, but can you use them to build a retaining wall? The good news is that yes, you can use sleepers for a retaining wall. This is actually a really common use for sleepers. They are chosen because of the ease of building and the…
Sleepers are a versatile building material and if you get the softwood type they are quite affordable. For these reasons you may well be wondering if you can use them for garden steps, well let’s have a look! Yes, you can use sleepers for steps. In fact, this is something I have done myself to…
If you have a few sleepers to cut then you will be trying to find the easiest method possible. This has obviously led to you considering a chainsaw, but will this work? Can you cut sleepers with a chainsaw? Let’s have a look! Yes, you can cut sleepers with a chainsaw. A chainsaw is often…
Cutting sleepers can be a tricky proposition, especially for a DIY’er who doesn’t have massive powered saws. So can you use a humble hand saw? Will it go through a sleeper? Yes, you can use a handsaw to cut a sleeper. Not only can you but it is often one of the best ways for…
So you want to know how thick a dot and dab wall is? There are a few different reasons why you may be asking this so I will attack the answer from a few different angles, hopefully I cover everything you need! How big is the gap between plasterboard and brick in a dot and…
So you want to hang something heavy on a plasterboard wall? Maybe a TV, Radiator or even a large mirror. Regardless of what it is you are hanging on the plasterboard, you are here because you want to know what the maximum weight plasterboard can hold is. Well, let’s have a look and work it…
Maybe you just want to hang a picture on your wall, and you’re wondering if you can just screw directly into plasterboard? Or do you need to find a wooden stud? Or is there something else you can do? Well worry not, we have the answer for you right here. Can you screw directly into…
So I’m guessing you’ve just had some electrical work done and you have some new wiring chased into your walls. The electrical work has been done but the finishing is up to you, and you’re wondering whether you can just plaster straight on top or do you need to do anything special? Well, let’s have…
When buying plasterboard you only really have two options (apart from size and thickness). That choice is tapered edge or square edge, what’s the difference and why would you choose one over the other? Tapered or square edge plasterboard? If you are dry lining the walls then you want to use tapered edge so you…
If you are interested in the sustainability of your building materials then one key thing to consider with wooden products is how long it takes the wood to grow. This can be a particularly troublesome query to answer when it comes to plywood as plywood is not one defined type of wood. So the answer…
Well, the only quick answer to this is that plywood can be any wood. Rather than being made from one specific type of wood, plywood is rather a method of construction and many different species of wood are turned into plywood. So what is plywood then? Plywood is created from thin sheets of wood glued…
Birch plywood is exactly what it sounds like, plywood made from thin layers of birch wood. It is very popular for furniture construction due to its clean, modern finish. Unlike cheaper plywoods, birch plywood has a very nice finish, which can just be finished with a clear sealer. Why would you choose birch plywood? There…
A standard sheet of plasterboard in the UK is 2.4m x 1.2m (8ft x 4ft) and are available in different thicknesses, commonly 9mm and 12mm. Smaller 1.2m x 0.9m (4ft x 3ft) sheets are available and tend to be common in DIY stores as they can fit neatly inside car boots. Why is 1.2m x…
If you have ever gone to buy plasterboard, you will have been faced with a choice you may not have been expecting. Should I buy straight edge or tapered edge plasterboard? What is the difference, and why would I choose one over the other? Well, worry not, we have the answer for you! So, what…