Use your PC to plan a DIY project

The internet is a treasure trove of DIY information. We show you the best sites

Most of us have tried our hand at a bit of DIY at some point or other.

Whether it be hanging a picture on a wall or designing and building a bookshelf, doing it yourself can be challenging and rewarding in equal measure.

But even minor jobs can go wrong without the right preparation, know-how and equipment. Fortunately, there’s a world of resources at your fingertips to make sure the only surprises you get are pleasant ones.

Join us as we show how your PC makes the perfect partner for any DIY task around the home.

The way forward
So, how can a PC possibly help with DIY? Well, regardless of the size of the project, a degree of planning is essential.

Whether it’s a simple printed screw hole template, or a scale diagram of a room. It’s also useful to have a list of tasks, tools and timelines, particularly for more complicated jobs.

Commit your plans to scrap paper, if you like, but word processing, drawing and planning software will keep your plans on track and even enable you to email them to friends and relatives with a bit of expertise if you get stuck.

Choosing the right tool is important, too, and the internet puts every hammer, chisel and power tool at your fingertips – often cheaper than in the shops.

Finally, everyone needs a bit of advice now and again, and that’s where your PC could become the most important tool to hand, giving you access to hundreds of websites and forums offering tips and even video guides to walk you through projects large and small.

One point we can’t stress enough is the importance of working safely. No matter how small the job, we strongly advise taking every safety precaution possible, and here too websites and discussion forums are an invaluable resource. In this regard, it’s just not worth taking shortcuts.

Lastly, consider whether the job you’re taking on requires planning permission. If it does, you can sort out the paperwork online. Some jobs are subject to other regulations, such as some electrical and wiring tasks. Again, information is at hand.

Information overload
The internet is a huge store of information and advice on any subject and DIY is no different. You may never have considered spending a couple of hours online before taking on a home-improvement project, but consider the following: what are the chances that no one has ever tried to do what you’re doing before? Not very high, we’d guess.

So, look around for advice from people who have been there before; not only might you pick up valuable tips or insights that could make the job easier, but you may also stumble across all sorts of clever and creative ideas that may inspire you to change the nature of the job altogether.

In terms of general advice and information, there are loads of great websites that are packed full of useful guides, tutorials and pointers. We start with retailer B &Q’s website.

As you would expect, everything you would normally find in the physical B &Q shop is available to buy online, but for now we’ll restrict ourselves to B &Q’s Knowledge Centre, a veritable treasure trove of information.

Walkthroughs for every conceivable type of DIY project are covered here, split into four basic categories: decorating, installation, building and fixing.

For each project, a step-by-step guide is provided in PDF format, along with a rating out of five showing how difficult the job is overall.

We applaud the fact that, in each case, safety precautions and best working practice are covered before a single word is said about how to do the job itself.

Another plus point comes from the fact that although all the required tools and equipment for any given task can be bought on the same website, the tutorials make no obvious attempt to steer you towards buying.

The B&Q site also contains general guides to considerations when buying items such as paint or wallpaper, as well as checklists and imperial-to-metric conversion calculators, all aimed at giving you maximum control over your DIY project.

Other great sites for general DIY and home improvement advice are DIY Fix It and the BBC’s DIY section.

Video guides
While B&Q’s guides are excellently presented and easy to follow, they are delivered simply as text – supported by accompanying photographs or graphics.

Video tutorials are often a better way of showing how to do a job, especially for beginners, who might not be familiar with the best way to use a specific tool, for example.

The best website we’ve come across for simple, well-presented video tutorials is the oddly named Videojug. This site isn’t dedicated to DIY, but it does contain a DIY and garden section containing a huge number of clips showing how to complete all manner of do-it-yourself jobs around the home.

The information in each video is also presented in text form on the same page, which is useful to refer back to if you’re watching a different part of the video, for example. There’s a strong community aspect to the site, with a discussion forum where you can gain, and impart, valuable knowledge.

Viewing these video tutorials requires your PC to have the appropriate media player plug-in. It’s quite likely that you already have the required software in place, in which case any clip will simply play without any further fuss when you click on it.

However, if the video won’t play, or a message displays saying your PC cannot play the video clip in question, you will need to download a media player plug-in.

Videojug’s clips are presented in Flash format, a player for which can be found on the Adobe website. This is free and perfectly safe to download, as is Real Player, a media player that can also be launched as a separate program and which is compatible with a wide variety of media file formats.

Both these players are available for the Internet Explorer and Firefox web browsers. Download the installation file for either to your desktop, double-click it and follow the on-screen instructions.

Such guides – whether presented in text or video form – tend to be fairly general and can’t cover the specific nature of every job, but there are plenty of discussion forums where the advice from other home improvers will fill in any gaps in your knowledge.

In fact, most of the sites we’ve already mentioned have a discussion section, but for good overall independent advice you can trust, we would recommend DIY Doctor and The Ultimate Handyman.

These sites are especially helpful when things go wrong, as it’s comforting to know that someone else has experienced – and probably solved – the problem that’s driving you spare.

And speaking of things going wrong, you may want to read up some troubleshooting guides on how to deal with home emergencies.

We all hate to think of worst-case scenarios, but forewarned is forearmed, and a site such as the UK Government's Preparing For Emergencies could literally be a life saver.

Make a plan
For the most part, we’ve so far concentrated on relatively simple DIY projects that are straightforward to plan and execute.

Larger-scale jobs are more complex to plan for and may require planning permission from your local council.

Even if they don’t, it’s always wise to consider those around you before doing any major work. Often a polite chat with a neighbour can prevent more unpleasant dealings further down the line.

There is no simple rule for determining whether a DIY job needs planning permission from the council, though it’s broadly safe to say that major external work does need planning permission, while interior work – short of knocking down walls or rewiring the house – doesn’t.

The safest option is to check at the Government’s Planning Portal. This site contains detailed information on any kind of DIY project imaginable, as well as information on the process of applying for permission itself and how the decision will be made. We found a particularly useful interactive guide to planning permission needs.

The Directgov website provides similar information, and is also a good place to find your local council. Usefully, it also provides specific examples of work for which you don’t need permission, such as erecting walls and fences under a certain height, or installing telephone connections or alarm boxes.

You may still require professional help with the work itself, but at least you’ll know there aren’t any costly and time-consuming administrative hoops to jump through.

When it comes to larger, more complex jobs – such as building an extension or a garden shed, you may be wise to turn to dedicated software to help you visualise and plan the project. A good place to start is Google Sketchup, a simple but free 3D modelling application.

Getting to a reasonable level of competence with such software is often a long and difficult process, but Sketchup is easier to learn than most and is surprisingly versatile, too. Check out our Workshop on getting started with Google Sketchup on our website.

There are also several paid-for design programs that help you not only design and visualise your project but also generate lists of required materials and forecast the costs involved.

A small outlay of just £10 will get you Ideal Home 3D Home Design Deluxe 5, or if you’re more serious about things Turbocad 14 Deluxe represents the pinnacle of the computer-aided design market and will set you back a hefty £80.

Tools of the trade
There’s no escaping the fact that even the simplest of DIY jobs require some kind of tools or equipment.

If you’re reading this you’ll almost certainly be in possession of a hammer, screwdriver set and tape measure, but the more complex the job the more specialised the equipment you need.

Add to that the physical materials for, say, building a large bookshelf and you’re facing a major headache when it comes time to heading out the door to buy it all.

Fortunately, an excellent choice of reputable online dealers means you can buy all the tools and equipment you need without leaving your chair, never mind your home.

The best-known DIY retail chains in the UK – B&Q and Homebase – are both well represented online, as is Focus. In terms of variety and ease of use, B&Q’s site is our favourite and you can buy anything from raw planking to ready-made curtains.

Tools themselves have benefited greatly from recent technological advances. Spirit levels now come with lasers, tape measures and drills with digital displays, while stud locators make locating wood and metal studs in partition walls easy. Individually, these items have hardly revolutionised DIY, but they have made do-it-yourself jobs more precise and less taxing.

The self-styled fix-it expert
Whether it’s using the latest in digital tools or creating a 3D design with a free piece of software on your PC, it’s clear that technology has not only made DIY projects easier and more enjoyable, it has also increased the potential for diversity and creativity.

Expert and amateur help is never more than a few mouse clicks away and all the equipment you need can be delivered straight to your door without you ever having to leave the house. Doing it yourself has never been easier.

Find a good tradesperson
You may be tempted – particularly from a financial perspective – to do everything yourself, but there are some jobs that require a professional tradesperson.

There are plenty of reputable and trustworthy people out there, and while we’ve all heard horror stories about conmen and crooks, there’s no need to fear if you go about things the right way.

Rated People is a free online service aimed at promoting and rewarding honest and reliable tradespeople – and pointing out those who are not. The premise of this fast-growing site (and others like it, such as Only Recommended) is simple: enter your postcode and supply some information on the type of service you need.

The site will recommend up to three local tradespeople who may be appropriate. From here you can read references from people who have used the tradesperson in question and find out more about their credentials before making a decision on whether to use any of them.

If you do, then after the work is done you can submit your own reference. This will help other home improvers – and, of course, the tradesperson – in the future.

Like all such social sites, its effectiveness depends on the number of people using it. It may not be ideal for those living in more remote areas, but in bigger towns it’s a great way of finding a tradesperson you can trust.

Safety first
Shortcuts are never advisable when it comes to DIY ­ they can lead to sloppy work and poor results. And when it comes to safety, shortcuts can be disastrous. Building regulations are there not only to ensure that work is of a sufficient standard, but also to protect your safety.

It makes sense to use the right tools for the job and to apply sensible safety procedures, but when planning technical or complex work, safety should be foremost in your mind.

Fortunately, we’re not the only ones who think safety is important and all the DIY websites we’ve covered offer comprehensive and sensible advice on the correct equipment to use and the right way to approach any job.

Safety becomes an even trickier issue when dealing with electrical work. If you employ an electrician to work on your house and the job isn’t done properly, the repercussions could be dangerous, not only to the electrician at the time but also to you and your family at any point afterwards.

That’s why the so-called Part P regulations on electrical work exist. These regulations force you to employ only a Part P-accredited electrician for electrical work, with the aim of simultaneously reducing the number of deaths and accidents resulting from faulty electrical installations, and weeding out those ‘cowboy’ electricians who perform such unsafe installations in the first place.