How do I find where a water leak is coming from?
Tracing a leak back to its source, including why the wet patch is often nowhere near the actual problem.
intermediate1 hr 30 min3 min read
Household Problems
Damp, draughts, smells, noise and the other slow annoyances.
284 guides in Home & DIY
How do I get rid of rats in the garden?
Removing the three things that hold a rat population — food, water and harbourage — and the point at which it becomes someone else's job.
intermediate3 hr5 min readHow do I know if an appliance is worth repairing?
The rough cost rule, the faults that are cheap and the faults that are terminal, and the rights that may mean you pay nothing.
beginner30 min5 min readHow do I tell whether I have mice or rats?
Droppings, gnaw marks, smear marks, sound and smell give a reliable identification, and the answer changes both the treatment and whether it is a job for you.
beginner30 min5 min readIs damp and mould my landlord's responsibility, and how do I report it?
What a landlord is obliged to deal with, why 'lifestyle' is not a complete answer, and the reporting sequence that creates the record you will need.
beginner1 hr4 min readWhich side of the glass is my window condensation on?
One wipe of a finger separates three completely different problems — a moisture problem, a window working correctly, and a failed sealed unit.
beginner5 min4 min readWhy does my bathroom get so much condensation when other rooms do not?
The three levers that control bathroom condensation — moisture produced, moisture removed, and surface temperature — and which one to pull first.
beginner20 min3 min readWhy does my fridge freezer run constantly?
A compressor that never stops is either shedding heat badly, being fed warm air, or being asked for a colder temperature than it needs — and all three are things you can check in an hour.
beginner45 min4 min readWhy does my silicone keep going mouldy, and how do I stop it?
Mould does not eat silicone, it eats the soap film on top of it — which is why a sanitary grade still goes black, and why cleaning fixes one kind of staining and never the other.
beginner20 min5 min readWhy is my dishwasher not drying the dishes?
Most machines dry by condensation rather than heat, which makes rinse aid, final rinse temperature and how you unload it the three things that decide the result.
beginner20 min4 min readWhy is my washing machine shaking violently?
The transit bolts, the load balance and the feet — the three causes of nearly every shaking machine, in the order to check them.
beginner45 min4 min readWhy is my water pressure poor upstairs but fine downstairs?
Gravity head, mains pressure and the difference between the two systems — why upstairs is worse and what can actually be done.
beginner30 min4 min readWhy is there water in the bottom of my fridge?
The blocked drain hole that causes almost every case, how to clear it, and the seal and habit problems behind the rest.
beginner40 min4 min readHow do I get rid of mice?
Confirming mice, blocking the way in, and dealing with them — with the entry-point work that determines whether they come back.
intermediate3 hr2 min readHow do I keep a house cool in summer?
How to keep heat out rather than trying to remove it afterwards — shading, ventilation timing, and what actually helps at night.
beginner1 hr3 min readMy loft insulation is wet — what do I do?
Wet insulation does not insulate, does not reliably dry out in place, and is telling you something is getting water into the loft. Find the source before replacing anything.
beginner45 min2 min readWhy is my extractor hood not clearing steam and smells?
Six causes in the order that finds the answer fastest — from a filter you can wash tonight to a duct run that was never going to work.
beginner40 min5 min readCan I plug a heater or a tumble dryer into an extension lead?
Which appliances genuinely should not go on an extension lead and why, the narrow cases where a heavy-duty lead is acceptable, and what to do instead.
beginner8 min4 min readDo I actually need an injected damp proof course?
The four checks that come before any injection quote, why so many injected walls stay wet, and the small number of situations where a chemical course genuinely is the right answer.
intermediate1 hr5 min readHow do I check whether my appliance has been recalled?
Where to check, what you need before you do, and why a second-hand or inherited appliance is the one most likely to be sitting under an unactioned recall notice.
beginner15 min5 min readHow do I deal with squirrels or birds in the loft?
Confirm what it is, wait for it to leave, then seal — and why sealing first is the mistake that costs most.
intermediate1 hr2 min readHow do I get rid of fleas in the house?
Why the animal is only a fifth of the problem, the vacuum-and-repeat schedule the life cycle demands, and where treatment usually fails.
intermediate5 hr5 min readHow do I prevent pests without chemicals?
Remove the three things pests need and most never arrive — food, water and a way in.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I stop hearing footsteps from upstairs?
Impact noise enters the structure directly and radiates from the ceiling below, which is why treating the ceiling helps far less than treating the floor above — and what to do when you cannot touch the floor above.
intermediate1 hr4 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.