-
How to restore a timber benchtop
Difficulty: Beginner Timber benchtops add warmth, character and timeless style to any kitchen. But the timber can suffer from everyday wear and tear over time. This step-by-step guide shows how to restore your timber benchtop and keep it looking its best for years to come. The same techniques are suitable for timber…
-
How to maintain gutters and roofs
Difficulty: Beginner Roofs, gutters and downpipes require regular maintenance to avoid costly damage from leaks. Whether you have a tiled or flat roof, a simple inspection each year can help you catch issues early. Follow this step-by-step guide showing you how to safely inspect, maintain and repair your roof and external…
-
D.I.Y. manhole installation
A friend's house had an extension to his house that had a roofline that prevented internal roof access from the old to the new. So, he asked me to install a manhole that would allow some additional roof storage space. These are usually a straight forward easy project, but I thought I would share this one as there were a…
-
How to replace the blades in a planer
Like all powertools, they are only as good as the accessory fitted to them. And in the case of a planer its the blades. In an ideal world you would remove any nails, nail heads, staples etc before planing. But these aren't always visible, especially when restoring old wood. It only takes a fine pass over one of these…
-
Alfresco feature ceiling panelling
A friend of mine wanted a ceiling for his Alfresco area to finish and hide the rood frame. I saw these new wall panels at Bunnings and it gave me an idea... Materials Prempanel 2700 x 600 Oak Acoustic Panels 90mm x 35mm M10 pine Otter 50mm 14G black button head screws Batten Screws 75mm x 14ga Custom U-channel flashing…
-
Raised staggered veggie garden beds & fire-pit
When we bought our semi-renovated home, the front and back yards were essentially blank canvases—except for one surprise: a 6m x 6m concrete slab, hidden beneath an old children's playground. We knew it was there when we purchased the property, and I assumed it was just a typical 100mm-thick base from a former shed... but…
-
How to improve your home’s street appeal
Transforming the front of your house does not need to be a costly or time-consuming project. Simple improvements like removing clutter, planting and painting can have a dramatic impact. There are many reasons you might like to makeover your front garden and house exterior. If you are preparing to sell your home, improving…
-
Formal entrance created using single car garage
A single garage was sacrificed to create a formal front entrance and significantly enhance the street appeal of this home. It was the winner of best outdoor project in our 2024 search for Australia's best D.I.Y. projects. The project I bought this house that had the front entrance on a second level at the back of the…
-
How to install a door & window canopy
A mate of mine's rear entry garage door was starting to suffer the exposure of the weather. Plus after each time it had rained, water would drip over you when opening the door. So, I thought I would share this reasonably easy DIY project to install an awning over the door. Bunnings have a range of awenings available,…
-
70s laundry makeover using Kaboodle cabinets
A 70s laundry was given extra space for Kaboodle cabinetry as part of a whole-of-house renovation. The project The original laundry in our house like most 70s builds was small and not designed for modern appliances and functionality. One of my biggest design annoyances in any home is the wasted space of a dedicated toilet…
-
Master bathroom makeover
A complete bathroom renovation that started with paper-based plans and included a large vanity with dual basins, free-standing bathtub and shower. The project We had a very dated bathroom, that despite being a reasonably large space, was very poorly utilised. This was made worse by a two-way door in to a bedroom wasting…
-
Timber front fence with concealed gate
A bespoke front fence featuring over 600 hardwood battens and a concealed gate. The project Once the house renovations were complete, the next job was the outside starting with the front. First we ripped up the old driveway brick pavers and replaced it with a new design that included front-to-back pathways in exposed…
-
How to paint downpipes
Difficulty: Beginner Transform your home's exterior by painting the downpipes. This simple project can modernise and restore old downpipes or change the colour of new plumbing, giving your home a fresh look. Whether you have PVC (plastic) or metal downpipes, this guide will help you achieve a professional finish. The…
-
Floating hearth fireplace and timber feature wall
A brick fireplace with floating hearth and a timber feature wall for a 70s-era coastal home's living room. The project We bought this old 70s coastal house with the challenge to turn it in to something very modern, fresh and open plan. Since the living room is one space we spend a lot of time in, then that was one of the…
-
How to choose a spirit level
Some time back I needed to buy a sprit Level to replace my old well worn one. There is already a great article on "How to Choose and Use a Level" by @Adam_W that covers all the different types of levels available and what they are typically used for. However, I thought I would share some of my knowledge specific to “Sprit…
-
70s-era dining room open-plan transformation
A radical transformation of a dated 70s-era dining room to create an open-plan living area and maximise a stunning ocean view. The project We bought a very dated 70's home with great potential but needing a lot of work. The challenge was to completely transform each closed-in space into a continuous open flow, that would…
-
How to repair a rendered wall
Difficulty: Beginner Repairing a rendered wall is an easy D.I.Y. project that can improve its appearance and extend its life. By addressing chips, cracks and other damage, you can maintain the wall’s durability and ensure it looks great for years to come. Sponsored Post Steps Step 1 Clean and prepare the wall. For small to…
-
How to replace a broken window winder that won't open
I had a lockable window winder that needed to be replaced. The issue was that it was stuck in the closed position. Which meant I couldn't unwind the chain to access the window sash screws. Unfortunately the key cylinders are not replaceable, so I thought I would share how I was able to replace the winder in case anyone…
-
Timber front fence with concealed gate
Once the house renovations were complete, the next job was the outside starting with the front. First we ripped up the old driveway brick pavers and replaced it with a new design that included front to back pathways in exposed ag. Next we needed a front fence so that landscaping could then begin. We debated on a designed…
-
How to make holes in ceramic tiles, stone benchtops & cement sheeting
Making clean round holes in tiles for taps or in a stone bench top for a basin waste isn't an easy task unless you have the right type of hole saw, The hole saw you will need is diamond tipped along its rim. Don't bother trying to cash in on the diamonds, as they aren't' that type (I've tried). Instead of a traditional…
-
How to revive sick potted Kangaroo Paw?
We have two Kangaroo Paws that are about 5mths old that have been potted with a native potting mix. They get regular sun and watered as needed. The orange one is super healthy but the burgundy one until a few weeks ago is now in bad shape. It looks to have a blackish fungus on the stalks and black spotted leaves. Can you…
-
Need help with a lemon tree not thickening and growing
My lemon tree is about 2.5years old. For the past year or more its really struggled to get thicker and grow any taller while my lime trees and shrubs are thriving within the same area due too some form off health issue. As you can see it does produce small fruit, which I tend to pick off a lot of buds to keep that to a…
-
Master bathroom makeover
We had a very dated bathroom that despite have a reasonably large space, was very poorly utilised. This was made worse by a 2-way door in to a bedroom wasting even more valuable real estate. On the surface, bathrooms like kitchens sound like they are going to be a mammoth task, but they can be relatively straightforward…
-
70's dining room transformation
We bought a very dated 70's home with great potential but needing a LOT of work, because the challenge was to completely transform each closed in space into a continuous open flow that would also maximise the ocean views. There wasn't a wall that wasn't going to be impacted in some way. When planning a full renovation to…
-
Formal entrance created using single car garage
So, I bought this house that had the front entrance on a 2nd level on the back of the house. Obviously not ideal, especially when it came to deliveries. The only option in creating a new front entrance was to sacrifice the single garage. This is how how did it . . . . . Materials 90mm x 35mm pine 90mm x 45mm pine 10mm…
-
70's laundry makeover using Kaboodle cabinets
The original laundry in our house like most 70's builds was small and not designed for modern appliances and functionality. One of my biggest design annoyances in any home is the wasted space of a dedicated toilet (WC) room. Typically 75% of the 1m x 2.4m is dead space. Fortunately the WC was next to the laundry so, I was…
-
Check before drilling holes, driving screws and shooting nails in to walls
I was asked to remove a section of external fibre cement sheeting to allow the plumber to find a suspected slow gas leak. They weren't able to find it there and pressure tested other areas without luck. In the end, they decided to run a new gas line back to the meter. The next day, before refitting the section of board I…
-
How to repair a broken towel rail mounting plate
It's not uncommon for the stub on the fixing plate for bath/hand towels fixing plates to break off. Unfortunately there are no spare parts available as each type is unique by brand. Due to the weight of hanging and pulling towels on/off the rail, metal glues are just not strong enough. And since there is no common standard…
-
How to install an Illuma ambient solar powered skylight
This kitchen dining area suffered from poor natural light as all the windows face south and being the lower level of a 2-storey 1950's coastal home. Traditional solar-tube skylight wasn't going to work, but I heard from a friend who had installed solar-powered sky light from illuma that Bunnings range. They work on an…
-
Under pool deck storage
I was given the task to turn a wasted space under an above ground pool deck in to useable space for pool toys, furniture cushions and other items. It didn't have to be waterproof, just weather resistant phew! Here's how it was done. Materials Tinted Suntuff 2100mm sheets Suntuff fasteners 150mm x 25mm H3 rated treated pine…
