ABOUT SAM AND THIS WEBSITE

What's with this website?

I love to build websites, I also love home DIY, so I've decided to combine the two to make an ultimate DIY website. Over many years of doing-up a few homes, I've found the internet to be a pretty useful tool (2nd only to my trusty Stanley knife which I've had for 15 years!). I've trawled the web to find out about anything and everything, from the best products to use when sealing basalt stone tiles, to the best gradient of a poo pipe, it's all there.

When it comes to online DIY advice, I've come to realise one main thing. The big branded type websites tend to be lacking in the minor details that don't seem important on the face of it. However, you come to realise this level of detail is necessary to complete the job. A good analogy would be if I told you all the steps to change a car wheel, including how to use the jack, but didn't tell you where to find the actual jack.... you get the picture. On the other end of the spectrum, forum-type websites (the sort where every person leaving a comment believes he's the handyman God) tend to include so many different methods, opinions and facts that you leave with more questions than you had in the first place.

My mission is this: I will record every bit of DIY I do on this website (and places that link to this site), using the most inventive hardware I can afford (cameras, microphones, stands etc for said devices), and edit them the best I can using all sorts of software. Hopefully, I can make things easy to understand and enjoyable for you.

I have a rule: nothing gets missed out - I'll even publish my failures so you don't have to make the same mistakes, complete transparency.

Oh, and I'll tell you how much everything costs too. We're not made of money, so whatever cost cutting measure I find, I'll share with you.

I'm not an expert, but I do like to spend a reasonable amount of time researching the right way to get stuff done. Copy the examples on my website at your own risk, but please stay safe, if you don't feel comfortable doing things the way I do them, please don't do it. If you disagree with my methods, say so, that's why I have comment boxes under each post. If you think I'm doing a good job, share my stories.

funny picture showing sam with his family after making a real snowman
Sam with his family, after the first bit of good snow in years - December 2017

Our Approach

Our Story

My Story

After I left school, I was a bone-idle git who called in sick at least once a week. I would rather laze around wasting my time than do something constructive. In my early 20's, I got a job as an electronics engineer, by sheer fluke thanks to my friend who put in a good word for me. The owner of that company was a very hands-on type, always tinkering around with anything electrical and mechanical. This sparked my interest and I began to take notice. He was also a relentless critic of my work. Other than nurture a deep and bitter hatred for him, it etched in my mind an OCD-like drive for perfection and self-learning, something I've not been able to shake since.

Since that job (his company went bust by the way, I guess he was more interested in berating me than keeping an eye on his accounts!), I trained as a residential building site Engineer, land and building Surveyor, Structural and Civil Draftsman, a bit of Structural Engineering and more Civil Engineering. This took me to the beginning of 2015, when I finally realised I preferred to be more hands on, not stuck in an office. At this point I was part-way through a BSc in Civil Engineering. I weighed up my options and after deliberating for a few seconds I thought it was time to quit. I set up a landscaping company with my younger brother, Ben, and that's where I've been since. Before you think I'm completely reckless, I did finish the degree, got a 2:1, so I'm a tad over qualified for a landscaper but our clients like it, so it hasn't been a complete waste of time.

Whilst I was still a site Engineer, I got married to my brilliant wife, Ali, and we had our first child, Caitlin. I still find it astonishing that with all my career moves, Ali has always been incredibly supportive, but more importantly, she's always encouraged me to try something new. I wouldn't have done half the things in my life if it weren't for her encouragement. Caitlin is now 9 and I'm the proud daddy of two more, my 2nd being a fine young boy called Charlie, and my third being the cutest little girl of 2 called Ellie. Life's pretty hectic all of the time, but I love it!

Still reading?

I'm surprise you got this far, my story isn't that interesting! Stop procrastinating and get some jobs done! Looks to me like you need motivating...

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