do it yourself – The Interiors Addict

A little bit of DIY can be very empowering!

I’ve never been known for being handy. I’m not a crafter or a DIYer. I may own an interiors blog but my skills in that department are more along the lines of having a vision for what looks good. I can use a tape measure and a level and I’ll have a go at painting but anything that sounds like a handyman job? Well, I have a great handyman on speed dial and I basically save up all those little jobs until I have a day’s work for him!

It’s not laziness, I’m just not very handy or confident with that stuff and Damian isn’t either, although I will say he has improved greatly since we bought this house.

Selleys however, challenged me to have a go at one of those little jobs: gap-filling to make for perfectly prepped walls for painting. Ordinarily I’d say no way because that involves using one of those caulking guns and they look way out of my league! But being that No More Gaps Multi-Purpose Gap Filler comes in a new easy tube version, I thought sure, I’ll have a go. And I found it totally doable! And very satisfying!
So much so I’ve now been all round the house looking for anything else that needs filling around door and window frames and skirting boards. It’s addictive!

Watch me show those gaps whose boss in this video:

It’s actually so empowering to know I can do this job now and not have to call on my handyman, Michael! Not to mention how much better a room looks once those pesky gaps are filled. You don’t realise how they bring down the overall look until you see how much better and more finished things look when they magically disappear! And if there’s one piece of advice that seems to be given over and over again in those advice articles about how to paint like a pro, it’s preparation is everything, right?!

It’s THIS easy:

Find a gap!
Start with a clean and dry surface.
Cut the top off a tube of Selleys No More Gaps Multipurpose at a 45-degree angle.
Simply squeeze out the product and press it into the gap.

Smooth over it to remove any excess with a wet finger or spatula (told you it was easy!).

Just 30 minutes later, you can paint over it (with water-based paints).

The product gives a long-lasting, crack-resistant finish and each tube contains up to 4 metres worth! It’s great for small jobs and hard to reach spots.

This is definitely a case of if I can do this, so can you!

I’m off to fill some more gaps…

For more on Selleys No More Gaps

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DIY you should never try: 5 jobs tradies say to avoid

Spring is certainly the season to renovate and shows like The Block are inspiring many of us to change things up in our own homes. Even though there are lots of DIYs you can easily do yourself, there are certain things you should leave to the professionals to avoid a reno disaster.

We spoke to real life tradies Mark Menegatti and Adrian Franchina from Bostik, who helped glue together The Gatwick on the latest season of The Block. They gave us some advice regarding DIY tasks you should leave to the pros.

Electrical work should always be carried out by a licensed electrician and upon the job being complete, they should provide you with a certificate of electrical safety and compliance.

Certain types of plumbing work, like the connection of gas appliances and hot water services as well as installing toilets, split system air conditioners and moving taps or drains, should be done by a licensed plumber, who should issue a certificate of compliance once the job is complete.

Another job that requires a certificate of compliance is waterproofing. If not completed correctly, issues that may arise from inexperienced waterproofing, may result in an unsealed permeable membrane application, with a potential repercussion of leaking/seepage into the below structures. This can cause rot and damage, which over time can progress to big structural issues that are expensive to fix.

As we know, asbestos is a highly dangerous material and removal should only be carried out by licensed asbestos removers under the strict rules and standards prescribed by that industry.

Last but not least is roofing. Adrian is an experienced roofer and has seen some daunting cases of people trying to attempt this themselves. Even if it’s only a repair to the roof, the roofer should hold a minimum of a DBL-K license.

By leaving the above to the professionals, you can make sure your renovation experience won’t be a daunting one and instead focus on things such as installing timber flooring, painting and grouting.