The industrial revolution plus your DIY questions answered

REVOLUTION means different things to different people, writes Andrea McLean.

You only have to look at the world today to get a sense that protest and revolt – while stemming from the same desire for change – can have radically different methods and results.

Keeping things inside the home, that revolution can bring discord as well as harmony.

To some, it means having a good clear-out, whether it be of clothes or clutter, and taking a long, hard look at life thus far.

For others, it can bring the joy of learning a skill from the bot- tom up, and enjoying the thrill that comes with filling your brain with new and interesting things.

For me, it is all of the above, but it comes down to one simple thing – revolutionising my way of thinking.

If you have always been a fan of bright, sunny colours, why not see if darks can provide some contrast?

You’ll be surprised what can happen if you introduce two opposites, which shouldn’t attract.

Take a sumptuous pink velvet sofa, for example – it would look right at home in a bub- blegum-pink living room, bedecked with fluffy cushions and throws… in fact, I’m loving the image already.

But take that same sofa and put it against the bare backdrop of an exposed brick wall with stark copper lighting and it becomes something completely different.

It becomes more than the sum of its parts and has brought two opposing expressions together – surely that’s what revolution is all about? DIY questions and answers Q My in-laws had a new bathroom installed just

over a year ago, but the top of the toilet cistern has been left stained by a bottle of orangecoloured Listerine. How can it be removed?

Max, by email If ever I get a mark or chip on a bathroom suite, I use a company called The Bathroom Surgery (bathroom surgery. com). They repair chips, cracks, holes, scratches and carry out stain removal.

I’m having a problem in my kitchen with what may be silicone used to fit my ceiling. It’s seeped out down the wall. I’ve tried to paint over the

AQmarks several times, but after a few weeks it comes back through.

Andrena, by email If it’s silicone, then paint won’t stick to it. I would sand back the area and then wash it with silicone remover – you can get this from most DIY stores for under £10.

Then rinse the affected area, leave to dry and apply paint again. Add stain block for extra protection.

I have a garage which is built on a concrete base. When it rains, the water seeps in at the bottom. I have tried to seal the

AQjoints with cement, but to no avail. Any suggestions please?

Colin, by email Make sure there is no build-up of soil behind or at the sides of the garage to prevent a course for the water. Find where the water is coming in, too – if it’s through a crack, you need to cut this out and carry out a proper repair with a concrete mix. Once you have identified where the water is coming in, you could apply some internal tanking with a bitumen paint. You will need to leave the concrete to dry out during a dry spell for it to work.

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