How do I tell what kind of damp I have?
Distinguishing condensation, penetrating damp and rising damp, since each has a completely different remedy.
intermediate1 hr2 min read
Household Problems
Damp, draughts, smells, noise and the other slow annoyances.
284 guides in Home & DIY
I have drilled into a water pipe — what do I do?
Stopping the water first, why leaving the drill bit in the hole buys you time, working out which pipe you have hit, and what a proper repair involves rather than a patch.
beginner30 min6 min readShould I buy a compressor or a desiccant dehumidifier?
The two types work on completely different principles, and the deciding factor is the temperature of the room you are putting it in. Below about 15 degrees a compressor model largely stops working.
beginner20 min5 min readShould I use poison or traps for mice?
Why traps are the right answer indoors for almost every household, what rodenticide actually does, and the point at which the decision belongs to a professional.
beginner45 min5 min readWhat do I do about a slipped or missing roof tile?
Assessing the risk, protecting the inside, and understanding what the repair involves so you can judge a quote.
beginner45 min4 min readWhat is the difference between an RCD, an RCBO and an MCB?
The three protective devices in a UK consumer unit, the different fault each one is watching for, and how to tell which you have from the front.
beginner10 min4 min readWhy do I have to flush the toilet twice?
The five reasons a flush is weak, checked in the order that finds it fastest — water level, flush valve setting, blocked rim jets, a partial blockage, and the pan itself.
beginner40 min4 min readWhy do my LED bulbs flicker or glow when off?
The three causes — dimmer mismatch, illuminated switches and residual current — and which one your symptom points at.
beginner25 min3 min readWhy does my conservatory get so hot, and can I make it usable?
A glass box collects far more solar energy than it can lose, and the roof does most of it. What genuinely works, roughly in order of effect, and what is a waste of money.
beginner25 min6 min readWhy does my shower have no hot water?
Narrowing down whether it is the boiler, the shower, the thermostat or the tank, before calling anyone out.
beginner40 min3 min readWhy is my ceiling sagging or bulging?
Telling a water problem from failed plaster keys from a structural one, what to do in the first hour, and when a ceiling has to come down.
beginner30 min4 min readWhy is my garage floor wet when it has not rained?
A garage floor that goes wet in mild damp weather is usually condensing moisture out of the air, not letting damp up from below. The two need opposite responses.
beginner25 min2 min readWhy is my plug getting hot?
The three causes of heat at a plug — resistance at a poor connection, an overloaded lead and an undersized adaptor — and why every one of them is a stop-using-it answer.
beginner10 min4 min readWhy is my water cloudy, discoloured or smelly?
Separating harmless aeration from mains disturbance from a problem in your own pipework, using which taps are affected and how it behaves in a glass.
beginner20 min4 min readWhy is there ice on the back wall of my fridge?
A film of frost that comes and goes on the back wall is normal — a permanent sheet of ice means the fridge is over-cooling, a seal is leaking, or the drain behind it has blocked.
beginner40 min4 min readShould I buy a ducted or recirculating extractor hood?
Ducted removes moisture, heat, grease and smell from the house; recirculating removes grease and smell only. That single difference decides almost every case.
beginner30 min5 min readWhy is my concrete floor wet, and is it rising damp or condensation?
A wet concrete floor has two completely different causes with opposite cures. The taped polythene test separates them in a few days, and the answer decides what can be laid.
beginner30 min4 min readWhy is my extractor fan's outside vent the problem?
A fan can be working perfectly and still extract nothing if the outside end is blocked, painted over, or fitted with a grille that restricts it.
beginner30 min2 min readDo soundproofing paint, foam panels and thin acoustic mats actually work?
An honest assessment of the products marketed to householders for noise — what each one genuinely does, which ones do nothing for the problem people buy them for, and where the money is better spent.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I cool a loft conversion that overheats?
A converted loft has the insulation at the rafters and no buffer space above it, so it behaves differently from a normal bedroom. Why the usual advice underperforms, and what actually brings one down.
intermediate30 min5 min readHow do I deal with flies in the kitchen?
Identify which fly you have — the source is different for each, and finding it is the whole solution.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I get rid of an old appliance safely and legally?
Retailer take-back, council collection and the recycling centre are the three legitimate routes, plus the specific extra rules that apply to fridges, freezers, gas appliances and anything holding your data.
beginner40 min6 min readHow do I make a home safer for a small child?
The changes that address the most common serious injuries to young children at home, in rough order of risk.
beginner3 hr3 min readHow do I ventilate a bathroom with no window and no fan?
Managing moisture in an internal bathroom without extraction, what genuinely helps in the short term, and why a fan is the only real answer.
beginner30 min3 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.