Oh, hello! Welcome to my favourite pastime. I’m never happier than when I’m doing a spot of DIY! You name it, I’ve done it. Though that’s actually not true, as SirThomas Beecham once said ‘Try everything once except folk dancing and incest’!
On the DIY front though I have more or less tried everything. From plastering to tiling. Plumbing to electrics. Decorating, sewing, and more. You’ll find it all here.
Part of my 2020 wishlist is to improve the kerb appeal of my home. It looks dated. So after spending time repointing all our old Devon stone walls. Which by the way has taken nearly two years to complete factoring in the weather! I am now turning my attention to the front of the house with the aim of improving my homes kerb appeal. To be honest it needs it too. I’ve left all those little tasks far too long. Having painted the front door I’m onto cleaning our driveway. At 23 years old it’s lost its colour. And has weeds a plenty between the pavers as well as numerous stains. So I thought I’d share restoring a block paved driveway with you. An easy how to that doesn’t cost the earth or take that much effort to do either.
Post contains gifted items. Built in 1894 our home needs some outdoor attention every five years or so. Last summer though it quickly became apparent that after living here nearly 23 years some big DIY’s need adding to the ever growing to do list. The front bay windows are looking sad and the paint has bubbled in places, the roof above them is leaking into the dining room, the Devon stone boundary wall (I made a start on repointing this last year) is falling down in places and the front door is cracked and looking rather less than glamorous. So this spring and summer is operation improve the kerb appeal! Though what at first seemed to be a flick over with a paint brush is quickly escalating to a full 2nd exterior renovation. Today I’m sharing with you my how to paint a panelled front door for a perfect finish. Continue Reading…
As part of operation improve the kerb appeal of my home, I thought let’s strip the paint off the window sill, because that’s a good idea! Why of why did I say that?? It turns out that in places the only thing keeping my rotted windows held together is in fact the paint! Removing over 120 years of built up paint was the least of my worries. Beneath what looks like in tact paint was rot! And lots of it too. So after my initial WTF expletives of which there were many. I dug deep telling myself that this is ok. I’ve got this. And do know what? I have. I thought how hard can it be to repair a rotten window. And apart from taking time it turns out that it’s quite simple and affordable too.
Anyone who has renovated an old house previously will know that even when you think you’ve finished you haven’t really. Sorry to those of you currently renovating. The truth is old buildings require constant care, for me that’s why I love them. Taking care of a period property to me is similar to doing your best to look after the environment. Just as I want the planet to be there for future generations I would like the heritage that comes from our homes to be there also. During the Summer months I always turn to the outside jobs (maintaining the kerb appeal amongst other things) and one of those this year is resurfacing the front steps. Here’s a step my step guide on how to bring old limestone or marble back to life Continue Reading…
If you follow me on Instagram you will probable already know that I have spent the last couple of weeks repointing our boundary wall. We are lucky to have it in one respect. It’s beautiful and covers our entire boundary. Having a walled garden is the best. The down side though is the maintenance required to keep it in tip top condition. And it’s our wall so I’m responsible for the upkeep of both sides. A few people have asked for this post on how to repoint a stone wall because theirs are falling into disrepair too. It’s actually not hard to do. Just time consuming, backbreaking and not in the slightest bit glamorous. But I promise it’s rewarding too, when you stand back to admire your work. Not to mention it hugely improves on the kerb appeal of your home too. Continue Reading…
