Step-by-step Guides
Attaching a curtain pole to an old wall needs a thoughtful approach, as Helaine Clare explains in her fail-safe eight-step guide.
Over the course of a weekend, DIY expert Helaine Clare shows how to banish unsightly water stains on wooden windowsills by sanding and re-finishing them.
Help at hand With the winter approaching it’s the worst time for a maintenance meltdown. Helaine Clare gives advice on electricity cuts, frozen pipes and blocked drains.
Small solutions It’s time to resolve those everyday annoyances that lurk around the house. Whether it's mending a wobbly chair, unblocking a sink or fixing a creaky floorboard, a range of basic DIY skills can improve things overnight, says Helaine Clare.
Value added: Unprepossessing brown furniture can be transformed over a weekend. Helaine Clare shows how to give a chunky Victorian settle a makeover. Included a full list of tools and equipment you will need to complete the job.
Door plan Do you have a door that jams, sags or refuses to shut? Don’t leave it any longer says DIY expert Helaine Clare who advises how to make simple improvements and repairs.
Shelf service Putting up a shelf in a period house can present many challenges. In her step-by- step guide, Helaine Clare reveals some simple ways around the problems. includes a full lsit of tools and equipment you'll need to do the job.
Under lock and key As summer gets into full swing make sure your home is as secure as possible for when you go away. Follow Helaine Clare’s easy eight-step guide to bolster up doors, windows and lights and keep the burglars at bay.
Hot tips: It’s a good idea to give your stove a maintenance check every summer, to repair any rust spots, clean grimy windows and order new parts. Helaine Clare shows the essential things to fix in her eight-step project. Includes a full list of tools and equipment you'll need for the job.
New from old: Old brown furniture can often be bought inexpensively at auction and easily made over into something much more desirable. Helaine Clare shows how to transform a cupboard with her step-by-step guide. Includes a full list of tools and equipment you will need.
Head outdoors: Spring is in the air, so it’s time to tackle some garden maintenance tasks. Prepare for summer living and put aside a weekend to follow Helaine Clare’s six simple projects to spruce up furniture, patios and sheds. Includes a full list fo the tools and equipment you'll need to do the job.
Draughty floorboards are the bane of period homeowners, but two new products make the job of fixing the problem simpler than ever, as Helaine Clare shows in her step-by-step guide. Includes a full list of tools and equipment you will need to do the job.
Table turned: This charming writing table, passed from mother to daughter, lacked lustre and sported ugly watermarks. Over a weekend Helaine Clare set about restoring the finish, allowing the patina of the wood to shine out again. Find out how you can do the same with this easy to follow step-by-step guide.
Kitchen genie: Unglazed terracotta tiles look fitting in a period-style kitchen, but over time they can become dirty and stained. Allow several days to follow Helaine Clare’s step-by-step guide to cleaning and resealing tiles to a soft sheen. Includes a full list of tools and equipment needed for the job.
Damage limitation: Bare wooden floors are vulnerable to scratching and gouging, but there’s a simple solution at hand, as Helaine Clare shows in her simple guide to repairing wood boards without sanding back the whole floor. Includes a full list of tools and equipment you will need for the job.
Making subtle alterations to an old house always requires some patching up afterwards. Helaine Clare shows how to remedy a niggling area of damaged plasterwork in eight simple steps. Plus a full list of the tools and equipment you will need for the job.
Set aside a couple of weekends to build a traditional path that will create a focal point in your garden and, on a practical note, reduce the amount of mud and leaves brought into the house. Helaine Clare shares her step-by-step guide, including a full list of tools and equipment you'll need for the task.
Wooden worktops are warm and welcoming, but they take a great deal of wear on a daily basis. Helaine Clare’s project shows how to revive a time-worn counter, removing any watermarks or unsightly cuts with this easy to follow step-by-step guide.
With a Bank Holiday weekend to take advantage of this month, why not decide to get to grips with those perennial little period house repairs such as fixing loose handles and silencing creaky stairs? DIY expert Helaine Clare demonstrates some tricks of the trade.
Paper magic: Corner cupboards are common features in old houses, but can be difficult to incorporate into a contemporary decorating scheme. Helaine Clare’s easy eight-step project uses wallpaper to transform the look of this fine Victorian example.
Go with the grain: Looking for a weekend project? Wooden doors and furniture can be transformed by the simple chalky tones of liming wax. Helaine Clare shows how to achieve a professional looking finish in eight simple steps.
With winter on the wane the weather should be ideal for tackling outdoor painting projects, such as transforming scruffy window frames on a conservatory. Helaine Clare shows how in her step-by-step guide, including a full list of tools and materials you will need.
A traditional screen can be an advantage in a period house, from dividing rooms to excluding draughts or hiding clutter. Helaine Clare shows how to re-upholster a cast-off in just eight simple steps, including a full list of tools and materials you will need.
Making a few repairs and painting this inexpensive bureau in an elegant colour combination has transformed its fortunes. Helaine Clare shows how to tackle the project, including a full list of the tools needed.
In preparation for spring, now’s the time to spruce up precious old iron railings that are worse for wear. Helaine Clare shows how to clean, repair and repaint in eight easy steps, including a full list of the tools and equipment you will need for the job.
Follow Helaine Clare’s eight-step plan to make a discarded dining chair look loved again. The simple project can be tackled over a weekend and will teach you basic upholstery techniques.
Give your front door a gentle makeover following Helaine Clare’s easy to follow eight-step guide, including a full list of tools and equipment needed and a handy guide to suppliers and stockists.
Old windows are beautiful, but they can often allow in draughts, especially during the winter. Helaine Clare shows how to reduce any problems at once by installing secondary glazing. Plus a complete list of tools and equipment you will need for the job.
Clever customising: Take one worn-out footstool, stained and dog-eared, and transform it into an elegant piece of furniture for the fireside. Helaine Clare shows how in her simple eight-step guide, including a full list of tools and equipment needed for the job.
Chic antique: Here at PL, we are often asked how to give ‘brown’ furniture a French country look. In eight easy steps Helaine Clare works some paint effect magic on a plain console table, transforming it overnight into an elegant piece.
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