Fixing cracks and holes in plaster

A deep crack can be filled by using a screwed-up newspaper as a base for the filler. With larger holes you may need to build up several thin coats of filler rather than one thick one, letting each coat dry before adding the next.

1. Use a filling knife or scraper to rake loose plaster from the crack. Use a small paintbrush to dampen the crack with water. This will make the filler dry slowly and helps to stop it shrinking and falling out of the crack.
   
   
2. Load some filler onto a filling knife. Draw it across the hole at right angles to the crack, firmly pressing it in until the filler is just proud of the surface. Leave it to dry, then smooth with the medium-grade abrasive paper wrapped around a sanding block.

Putting up a shelf:

1. First check that the wall is free from hidden pipes or cables. By holding the shelf against the wall, mark where you want the bottom to go. Also mark where the first bracket should be, as well as the distance from this bracket to the next bracket. Use a spirit level to check that the marks are level.
   
   
2. Hold the first bracket up to the mark. Ensure it is vertical and mark the wall through the fixing holes. Repeat with the second. If there are more than two brackets, fit them between the outer brackets, equal distances apart.
   
   
3. Drill into the wall, insert wall plugs if you have a masonry wall and screw the brackets in place. Lay the shelf across and make a mark through the holes in the brackets for the fixing screws underneath it. Take the shelf down and drill pilot holes for the short screws, but be sure not to go right through the shelf. Replace the shelf and screw home the fixing screws.