Overconfident DIY

We bought our home - a Victorian detached house - a little over four years ago. Since then we've undertaken a fair number of DIY projects to either restore or enhance various aspects. Our long-term goal is to restore some of the period features that have been lost over many years of modernisation, and when dealing with the original features, our aim has been to utilise traditional techniques and materials where possible.


A brace and bit boring a hole in a door
Installing a rim lock with hand tools

Throughout this endeavour, it has often proved difficult to research information about the correct techniques. Every house has been built differently, maintained differently, and altered by countless tradesmen, each working in their own way. As the realisation hit that there is no one true way, it became more about sourcing ideas and improvising.


A copper pipe junction being held next to the pipe it's to be splices into
Bypassing a stretch of lead water pipe

This blog is intended to serve as another source of ideas for others turning their hand to similar things. The concept of a blog feels somewhat dated these days, particularly in the DIY space, where YouTube hosts hundreds of great channels of relevant content. However, with a full time job and a young family to spend time with, DIY has to be squeezed in where it can be. That means getting to work without worrying about having an extra pair of hands to hold the camera, getting the right angle, the right lighting, and spending time editing the footage into something useful.


A coat of lime plaster on the walls and chimney breast
Lime plastering the kitchen

A blog has a far lower barrier to entry, and as such, should be easier to keep up with. Whether that happens remains to be seen.

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