These days the television schedules are full of DIY programs on home improvement.
This is all very well for the TV companies, it is cheap television for them, but the fact remains that they are very popular too.
This is because of the recent rise in house prices and the escalating cost of hiring a professional.
However, it is also true that people have to be extra cautious with money these days and you get more return on your money by mending the fence on a Saturday afternoon than going to the game.
It's a sad fact for some, although others actually enjoy working at DIY on their days off.
For those that do and those who have to, I have written five of my top Do-It-Yourself tips below, but first I will give you a quotation: "If all else fails, read the instructions" - ANON.
Aging Gracefully: here is a tip for weathering or aging new stone, be it real or reconstituted stone.
actually, I have two methods and I'll leave it up to you which one you prefer to use.
Depending on the area to be covered, take a pot of and water it down until it is quite thin.
Paint it on the exposed stone.
It should be thin enough not to notice.
This will take the shine off the stone and encourage algae to grow as it would naturally over decades.
The second method is to water some freshish cow dung down until you can paint with it.
apply as above.
One is cheaper, one is smellier.
A Difficult Screw: sometimes you have to get a screw into an awkward spot.
Some screwdrivers are magnetic, which is great, but brass screws are not.
So, if you are having problems, put a bit of grease on the end of the screwdriver blade and the screw should stick to it.
If that does not work, you can push the screw through a thin strip of still card and hold it in place with that.
Rip the card away after the screw has taken hold but before you screw it home.
Sloppiness: it is a common, but great mistake to be overgenerous when mixing cement for mortar.
Too much cement is not better.
The mix should be 4:1 sand to cement and the result should be like stiff porridge.
Better than this though few professionals do it any more, is 6:1:1 sand to lime to cement.
it provides for a much stronger mortar.
Stoned: it is a crying shame to see a lovely stone drive stained with oil dribbles from an engine.
You can remove them from slabs with a poultice of household bleach and builders' plaster.
Leave it set and then brush away with a hard yard broom.
Putty In Your Hands: I am not a fan of keeping old bits and pieces of things on the off chance that they may come in useful, but if you know it will, then fine.
If you have a bit of putty left over after a job, put it in a plastic bag and seal well with a rubber band.
Put it in the freezer for almost as long as you like and it will be usable again after a few minutes of kneading.