How do I work out which circuit a socket is on?
A methodical hour that produces a labelled board and a map of what is on which circuit, which turns every future fault from guesswork into a two-minute check.
beginner40 min4 min read
Maintenance
The jobs that stop problems happening in the first place.
353 guides in Home & DIY
What are wall ties, and how do I know if mine have failed?
Why a cavity wall needs ties at all, the horizontal cracking rhythm that gives failure away, and why this is a survey and a specialist repair rather than a repointing job.
intermediate15 min4 min readWhat is resin bound paving, and is it right for my drive?
The difference between resin bound and resin bonded, what each needs underneath, and the questions to ask before commissioning either.
beginner25 min4 min readHow do I take up an old patio and get rid of the slabs?
Breaking a patio out with the least handling, what to keep as hardcore, and the realistic disposal routes and their costs.
intermediate8 hr5 min readAre dummy alarm boxes and fake cameras worth putting up?
The narrow case where a dummy device helps, the ways they give themselves away, and the cheaper real measures that beat them.
beginner20 min4 min readCan I chase a cable into a wall myself?
The safe zone rules that govern where a cable may run, the depth and protection requirements, what chasing does to a wall structurally, and where an electrician has to be involved.
intermediate1 hr5 min readCan I render over painted brick or over old render?
Two backgrounds that render will not stick to on its own, the tests that tell you whether the surface is sound enough to work with, and the three ways to give it a key.
intermediate12 min4 min readHow do I move a shed to another part of the garden?
Deciding between sliding it whole and dismantling it, preparing the new base, and the roller-and-plank method that works for a small shed.
intermediate8 hr4 min readCan I put a shed against a fence or a house wall?
The clearance a shed needs on every side and why, the damp and fire reasons behind it, and what to do when the garden genuinely has no room.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I lay stepping stones in a lawn?
Setting the spacing to a natural walking stride, and bedding each stone low enough to mow over so the path does not sink or rock.
beginner3 hr5 min readDoes weed membrane under paving actually work?
Where a geotextile earns its place under hard surfaces and where it does nothing at all — and why the weeds in a patio did not come from below.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I check outdoor lighting and paths before the dark months?
An hour in October dealing with lights, moss and trip hazards prevents most winter falls at home, and falls on a dark path are one of the most common serious domestic injuries.
beginner1 hr 30 min6 min readWhy does my wall have gaps in the mortar joints, and can I fill them?
The open vertical joints above windows, doors and at the base of a wall are drainage, not defects — what they do, and the three other gaps people confuse them with.
beginner8 min3 min readDo plastic shed base grids actually work?
What an interlocking plastic grid base does and does not replace, the ground preparation it still needs, and the sheds it suits.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I replace a doorbell transformer?
The three ways a UK doorbell transformer is supplied, which of them is owner-level, how to specify the right replacement, and when a plug-in or wireless answer is the better decision.
intermediate30 min4 min readWhat is a movement joint in brickwork, and does my wall need one?
Why long runs of brickwork crack if nothing lets them move, what a movement joint actually is, and why filling one with mortar defeats the whole point.
intermediate10 min3 min readWhat is sulphate attack, and what does it do to a chimney or render?
A slow chemical reaction between sulphates in brick or soil and cement mortar that makes the mortar expand — and why the classic symptom is a chimney leaning towards the south.
intermediate12 min3 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.