Topic: 🧱 Brickwork & masonry
Brickwork & masonry: how-to guides
Plastering, rendering, brick garden walls, patios, mortar work and stonework repairs.
47 guides in this topic
Practical, honest write-ups for jobs a Kent homeowner might tackle themselves: with clear stops where a specialist takes over.
How to batten a wall
A step-by-step UK guide to battening a masonry wall for dry lining or cladding (from marking out to packing battens level) with tips from Tommy's Trade Secrets.
Read the guideHow to blend in plaster
A practical UK guide to blending new plaster into an existing wall: getting the right mix consistency, feathering the edges, and finishing so the repair disappears.
Read the guideHow to build a brick garden wall
A practical UK guide to building a brick garden wall: from digging footings and pouring concrete to laying courses, keeping plumb, and finishing with a coping.
Read the guideHow to build a garden fire pit
A practical UK guide to building a brick or block garden fire pit: choosing a safe location, laying foundations, building the wall, and using it safely in a UK garden.
Read the guideHow to build a stud wall
A practical UK guide to building a timber stud partition wall, from marking out the sole and head plates to fixing the studwork and plasterboarding the frame.
Read the guideHow to build patio steps
A practical UK guide to building a raised patio step using bricks or blocks and a slab tread: from planning and foundations to pointing and finishing.
Read the guideHow to clean a patio
How to clean a patio in the UK: removing algae, moss, lichen, and staining from slabs and decking using patio cleaner, a stiff brush, and pressure washer.
Read the guideHow to dot and dab a wall
A practical UK guide to dot and dab plasterboarding (fixing boards to solid walls with adhesive dabs) based on the Tommy's Trade Secrets method.
Read the guideHow to fill cracks in render
A practical UK guide to filling cracks in exterior render: raking out the crack, choosing the right exterior filler, and blending the repair so it does not stand out.
Read the guideHow to fit a bathroom wall cabinet
A practical UK guide to fitting a bathroom wall cabinet securely: finding fixings in tiled or plasterboard walls, getting it level, and hanging it properly.
Read the guideHow to fit coving
A practical UK guide to fitting plaster or polystyrene coving: measuring, cutting mitres accurately, applying adhesive, and finishing the joins for a clean result.
Read the guideHow to fit kitchen wall units
A practical UK guide to hanging kitchen wall cabinets: marking the level line, fixing brackets securely, hanging the units, and adjusting the doors for a neat finish.
Read the guideHow to fit skirting boards
A practical UK guide to measuring, cutting, and fixing skirting boards, including coped internal corners, external mitres, and caulking for a clean, professional finish.
Read the guideHow to fit tongue-and-groove wall panelling
A practical UK guide to fitting tongue-and-groove wall panelling: marking out, fixing battens, slotting boards together, cutting around obstacles, and finishing with paint.
Read the guideHow to install skirting boards
A clear UK guide to fitting skirting boards from scratch: measuring, cutting mitres and scribes, fixing to the wall, and finishing neatly.
Read the guideHow to lay a path with slabs
Learn how to lay a garden path with paving slabs (marking out, sub-base, mortar bedding, and jointing) in this practical UK how-to guide from The Sandwich Handyman.
Read the guideHow to lay a porcelain patio
A practical UK guide to laying a porcelain patio, covering sub-base preparation, mortar mix, laying technique, cutting, pointing, and finishing.
Read the guideHow to lay block paving
A practical UK guide to laying block paving for a driveway or path: covering excavation, sub-base compaction, screeding, laying pavers, and brushing in sand.
Read the guideHow to lay Indian sandstone paving
A practical UK guide to laying Indian sandstone paving slabs on a full mortar bed, including sub-base preparation, laying technique, pointing, and sealing.
Read the guideHow to lay patio slabs
A practical UK guide to laying patio slabs, from excavating and laying a sub-base to bedding slabs on mortar and finishing the joints.
Read the guideHow to lay resin bound paving
A practical UK guide to laying resin bound paving for driveways and paths, covering base preparation, mixing the resin and aggregate, screeding, and curing.
Read the guideHow to mount a TV on a wall
A practical UK guide to wall mounting a TV: choosing the right bracket, finding solid fixings in brick or plasterboard, and getting the height spot on first time.
Read the guideHow to patch a hole in plasterboard
A practical UK guide to patching holes in plasterboard walls, from small filler jobs to mesh patches and timber-backed repairs for larger damage.
Read the guideHow to plaster a wall
A practical UK guide to plastering a wall from scratch, covering surface prep, mixing, applying two coats, and getting a smooth finish.
Read the guideHow to plasterboard a ceiling
A step-by-step UK guide to plasterboarding a ceiling (from marking joists to fixing sheets) with tips from Tommy's Trade Secrets on YouTube.
Read the guideHow to plasterboard a stud wall
Step-by-step UK guide to plasterboarding a stud wall: cutting sheets, fixing to studs, staggering joints, and leaving a clean surface ready for plastering.
Read the guideHow to point a patio
A practical UK guide to pointing patio slabs using mortar or a brush-in jointing compound, covering preparation, mix choice, and finishing, inspired by Skill Builder on YouTube.
Read the guideHow to prepare a patio base
Learn how to prepare a solid patio base the right way: from marking out and excavating to laying MOT Type 1 hardcore and getting your falls right.
Read the guideHow to remove ivy from a wall
How to remove ivy from a wall safely, including cutting stems, letting growth die back, protecting brickwork, clearing roots, and when to get help.
Read the guideHow to remove mould from walls and ceilings
A practical UK guide to removing black mould from walls and ceilings: treating the spores, cleaning the surface, and preventing it from coming back with better ventilation.
Read the guideHow to render a wall
A practical UK guide to rendering an exterior wall with sand and cement: from surface prep and mixing ratios through scratch coat, finish coat, and curing.
Read the guideHow to render exterior walls
A practical UK guide to rendering exterior walls with sand and cement: covering prep, scratch coats, mixes, and finishing, inspired by Roger Bisby at Skill Builder.
Read the guideHow to repair cracked brickwork
A step-by-step UK guide to repairing cracks in brickwork, from small mortar joint cracks to structural stitch repairs on external walls.
Read the guideHow to repair holes in plaster
A practical UK guide to filling and finishing holes in plaster walls, from small screw holes to larger damage, inspired by Charlie DIYte on YouTube.
Read the guideHow to replace skirting boards
Step-by-step UK guide to replacing skirting boards: removing the old timber, cutting internal and external mitres, and fixing new boards neatly.
Read the guideHow to repoint a boundary wall
A practical UK guide to repointing a brick boundary wall: raking out old mortar, choosing the right mix, and finishing the joints neatly.
Read the guideHow to repoint a garden wall
A practical UK guide to repointing a garden wall: choosing the right mortar mix, raking out old joints, and applying a neat finish that keeps water out.
Read the guideHow to repoint brickwork
A practical UK guide to repointing brickwork, including raking out old mortar, mixing the right ratio, applying new pointing, and finishing the joints.
Read the guideHow to repoint extension brickwork
A practical UK guide to repointing extension brickwork: raking out old mortar, mixing the right ratio, and finishing joints cleanly, by Skill Builder's Roger Bisby.
Read the guideHow to repoint old brickwork
A practical UK guide to repointing weathered mortar joints in old brickwork: covering raking out, choosing the right lime or cement mix, and finishing neatly.
Read the guideHow to seal block paving
A practical UK guide to sealing a block paved driveway or patio: cleaning, re-sanding the joints, applying sealer correctly, and keeping weeds and moss at bay long-term.
Read the guideHow to skim a wall
A practical UK guide to skimming a wall with finish plaster: mixing, applying two thin coats over plasterboard, and polishing to a smooth, paint-ready surface.
Read the guideHow to skim coat plasterboard
A practical UK guide to skim coating plasterboard: PVA priming, mixing finish plaster, laying on the first coat, ruling off, and achieving a smooth final surface.
Read the guideHow to tile a bathroom wall
A practical UK guide to tiling a bathroom wall, from planning the layout and preparing the surface through to applying adhesive, setting tiles, cutting edges, and grouting.
Read the guideHow to tile a kitchen wall
Step-by-step guide to tiling a kitchen wall the right way (setting out, adhesive, cutting, and grouting) from a UK tradesperson's perspective.
Read the guideHow to tile a wall
Step-by-step UK guide to tiling a wall: from finding the centre and setting out to cutting edge tiles and grouting for a neat, professional finish.
Read the guideHow to use wall fixings
A practical UK guide to choosing the right wall fixing for plasterboard, brick, block, or dot-and-dab walls, and drilling and fitting it so things actually stay up.
Read the guideOther topics
🌿 Garden & outdoor
Lawn care, hedges, fences, patios, pressure-washing and outdoor upkeep for a Kent garden.
🎨 Painting & decorating
Masonry paint, interior finishes, wallpapering, caulking and silicone work done properly.
🚰 Plumbing
Radiators, taps, toilets, waste pipes, stopcocks and everyday household plumbing repairs.
💡 Electrics
Light fittings, sockets, switches and small electrical jobs (with clear stops where a qualified electrician takes over).
🔨 Carpentry & joinery
Flat-pack furniture, shelves, plasterboard, stud walls, lofts and timber work around the house.
🚪 Doors & windows
Hinges, latches, locks, draught-proofing, sash windows and everyday door and window fixes.
⬛ Flooring & tiling
Laminate, vinyl, engineered wood, tile-and-grout and flooring transitions.
🏠 Roofing & guttering
Gutter-clearing, small roof-tile fixes, fascia and downpipe maintenance.
🔧 General household
Everyday fixes, maintenance jobs and small repairs that fall between the specialist trades.