Repair unstuck lining paper with these top tips.

• Over time, lining paper, like all wallpaper, has a tendency to come away from the wall, especially at the seams and above radiators where the heat can cause it to buckle. The answer, unless you want to remove all the lining paper and start again, is to remedy the problem when you first spot it.
• You can try gluing the lining paper back in place with border adhesive, but the paper is often too rigid for this to work. If so, take a craft knife and cut out the area around the offending piece of lining paper. You may find that as you cut, more and more of the paper needs to come off because it’s no longer stuck to the wall. It’s easy to suddenly find that you’ve removed lots of paper, leaving you with a big old hole, so do be careful.
• When you’ve removed the paper, sand the edges of the hole with fine sandpaper to smooth them, then wipe clean. You now need to blend the hole with the rest of the lining paper. Do this with a filling knife and filler or, preferably, finishing skim. This is like filler but is softer to apply and sand than most fillers and so works well for this job.
• When dry, sand the filler or finishing skim with very fine sandpaper and see how the repair looks. You may need to do a few applications to blend it seamlessly with the lining paper – getting the edges right is crucial. Try putting a lamp under the repair so you can see it really well.
• When you’re happy with the finish, clean off the repair and paint it the same colour as the rest of the lining paper. Stir the paint really well and be prepared for it to dry to a slightly different colour, as the paint on the walls may have faded. If this happens, you might want to paint the whole wall, or room, depending on how big the colour difference is.

DIY news bulletin

International and Japlac paints are available to buy online from the International website for the first time, for delivery direct to your door. The range includes some great specialist paints, and buying them is now easier than ever. Go to www.international-paints.co.uk.

Tape specialist Duck has launched Ultimate Duck Tape, its toughest ever multipurpose cloth tape.

Designed to be stronger, tougher and stickier, Ultimate Duck Tape comes in handy for all sorts of DIY and repair jobs around the home and garden – no toolkit should be without it.

It uses triple-layer technology – super-strength adhesive, toughened fabric and waterproof layers – and yet you can tear it easily with your hands, which is really useful. It will even stick to uneven surfaces and is completely waterproof.

Available in four colours – silver, black, white and clear – so you can make a visible or discreet repair, Ultimate Duck Tape starts at £8.16 from DIY stores. For more information, visit www.duckbrand.com.

Ask the expert…

Q: Can I use wallpaper in my kitchen?

A: Yes, there are special vinyl kitchen and bathroom wallpaper ranges and you can even use normal wallpaper, as long as it’s not going to get splashed. If you want to put it on a wall where it could get splashed, you need to protect it with a clear glass or Perspex panel. Buy a panel that’s the right size, with pre-drilled screw holes, so it’s easy to fit yourself. Use tile spacers between the panel and the worktop to create a 2mm expansion gap, then silicone seal all around the panel 24 hours after fitting it.

Seasonal task…

We’re still getting some lovely days but autumn’s here, so now’s the time to do one last big garden project of the year. If you’re building a deck, you need a saw made for the job, such as the Bosch PCM 7 mitre saw, £149.99. It has a powerful 1100W motor, an adjustable laser beam so it’s easy to make straight and accurate cuts, a dust bag for working indoors, and a clamp for horizontal and vertical fixing. It makes those tricky perfect mitre cuts a doddle, and you can move the angle of the blade to make straight cuts. It chews through wood quicker and easier than other types of saw – a brilliant addition to your kit if you’re a serious DIYer.