Another calculator works out the BTU/hour of any given room to allow you to decide how many radiators you'll need. There's also a spirit level and QR code scanner. That scanner can be used to scan adverts or in-store posters, in order to find out more about a product or to learn how to use it.
And Screwfix TV takes you to a library of 4,000 tutorial videos that will take you through how to do just about any DIY task you can dream up. A built-in catalogue would have been good, though.
DIY Cement
This app will have you mixing and laying in no time
Price: Free
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch
Thankfully, there's ready-mix concrete for those of us who don't spend our days on building sites, but you still need to know what to buy and how to use it properly. DIY Cement, from Lafarge Cement, has tutorials on everything from laying a patio to building a barbecue and fixing fence posts.
It'll tell you how to mix cement, how to build brickwork, and how to lay foundations. The tutorial videos are clear and easy to follow and will help anyone nervous about using cement for the first time. There's a cost calculator that will tell you which product you need how much of it you should order. And, of course, there's a store locator to help you find your nearest outlet.
There's a product catalogue and downloadable datasheets, but there's no way to order materials from the company within the app. That's unfortunate, because, otherwise this is an invaluable tool for work with cement.
Decor Advisor
Find the perfect brush or roller for your painting job
Price: Free
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch
Buying a paintbrush, sounds easy - just nip to the local DIY store and choose one that's the right size for the job. That is, until see the dozens of shelves stacked with brushes. Which to choose?
That's where Decor Advisor from brush and roller manufacturer Harris comes in. It will help you not only choose the right brush or roller for the job - a Harris model, of course - but tell you where your nearest Harris stockest is. In addition there are text-based tutorials (pictures would be helpful here) for tasks such as preparing walls, tiling and hanging wallpaper. Plus, there's a catalogue of Harris products.
It would have been useful to have prices, but since Harris is the manufacturer and not a retailer, any price stated would only have been a guide anyway. No decorating app would be complete without a cost calculator, naturally, and there's one on hand here.
Home 3D for iPad
Plan and visualise that new extension in three dimensions on your iPad
Price: £5.99 / $8.99
Works with: iPad
Home 3D's aim is nothing less than allowing you to build a 3D model of the room you want to refurbish, or the extension you plan to build, and then fill it with furniture. You can add wall and floor coverings, and view the results as either a two-dimensional plan or 3D model.
Home 3D comes with a library of fixtures, fittings and furniture that can be altered in size. You can use the floor or wall coverings supplied, or use any image in your Photo Library. Plans can be shared by Dropbox or email, and a walkthrough feature allows you to get a sense of your creation.
It's remarkably easy to use, too. Irregular rooms can be made by combining rectangles and removing walls. And if you get stuck there's no need to panic; there are video tutorials. Perhaps best of all is that all the content is included in the price. A remarkable app that's easier to use than many of its desktop counterparts.
iHandy Carpenter
Five very useful and beautifully rendered tools in one very useful app
Price: £1.49 / $1.99
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch
iHandy Carpenter includes a spirit level; a surface level, for measuring how flat that patio you've just laid really is; a protractor to ensure that you come at everything from the correct angle; a plumb line to make sure that wallpaper hangs straight, and a ruler, for, er, measuring stuff. The tools are all easy to use and work brilliantly, thanks largely to the iPhone's own built-in sensors.
It's also beautifully rendered; for example, the spirit level works in landscape and portrait mode, as you would expect, but tilt the iPhone backwards beyond 45 degrees and the bubble changes form, as if you were looking down from directly above it.
Limitations are those inherent in the iPhone itself. It's not big enough to make a decent ruler, for example. And there are times when only a twofoot long spirit level will do. But other than that, it's terrific value and a lovely app.
