Sanding is an essential part of good preparation

Top tips for... sanding

:: Sanding is an essential part of preparation when you're doing DIY, but it's really hard work, so don't underestimate how long it can take to do properly, or how much mess it can make. After sanding, you'll not only need to thoroughly clean what you've sanded, you'll also need to clean the rest of the room - and sometimes surrounding rooms as well - before continuing.

:: You'll need different grades of sandpaper to hand - I recommend using aluminium oxide sandpaper because it's more hardwearing than the conventional, cheaper stuff. For some jobs, it's best to start with abrasive sandpaper and work through to finer grades, but for others, one grade will suffice - you'll learn what grade suits the task with a bit of practice. A sanding block, around which you wrap the sandpaper, can be useful for sanding large, flat areas, as can an electric sander (see below).

:: There are various reasons for sanding, principally creating a smooth surface on which to paint, such as levelling off filler or getting rid of 'debris' on walls and woodwork. Another reason is to create a 'key' for paint. This means roughening the surface of, say, previously painted or varnished wood so that the new paint adheres better.

:: Some fillers are harder to sand than others - wood filler can be particularly tough - but this shouldn't be an excuse for not doing the job properly. Nothing looks worse than bumpy filler, so be prepared to sand until your arm hurts! Some fillers are quite soft and powdery, and you must be careful not to sand them all away.

:: An electric sander is invaluable for some jobs and although the sanding sheets are quite expensive, a sander will save you time and energy. If you have lots of DIY to do, a multi-sander (with different sanding bases for the same machine) will be most useful. Be warned, though, that using a sander for long periods will make your hand vibrate, even when the sander's not on! Sanders also create a lot of dust.

DIY news bulletin

:: A new survey by www.thecaliforniacompany.co.uk reveals that women are getting stuck in to DIY. Ninety per cent of the women surveyed said that they own power tools, 67% said that they do the DIY, and 41% said that they've stepped in to complete an unfinished job.

However, it seems that women are not as quick as men when it comes to doing home improvements. More than two thirds said that it takes them more than four weeks to finish a job, compared to within seven days for 48% of men.

The research also shows that there's a difference in attitude between younger and older women. The 40-plus age group are more likely to take responsibility for DIY than younger women, as only a third of the 16-26 age group get their hands dirty (more than 80% prefer to come up with the design concept for the style of a room).

Only one in 10 of those surveyed said that they would hire someone to do DIY. Instead, they are turning to online 'how-to' videos (60%) and advice from family and friends (41%), although, of course, let's not underestimate how useful newspaper articles can be!