Why are there moths in my kitchen cupboards?
Pantry moths arrive inside a packet from the shop, not through the window, so the fix is finding the infested item and changing how dry goods are stored.
beginner2 hr4 min read
Household Problems
Damp, draughts, smells, noise and the other slow annoyances.
284 guides in Home & DIY
Why do my LED bulbs keep failing?
Why a lamp rated for 25,000 hours dies in eight months, the heat and enclosure problem that causes most of it, and the fitting-specific causes worth checking.
beginner20 min5 min readWhy does clay soil make a house move?
Shrinkable clay changes volume as it wets and dries, and everything founded in that layer moves with it. What the seasonal cycle looks like in a house, how trees magnify it, and the difference between subsidence, heave and settlement.
intermediate10 min5 min readWhy does my extractor fan drip water?
Condensate forming inside the duct is the cause in almost every case — why it happens, and the insulation, fall and trap that stop it.
intermediate1 hr3 min readWhy does my sink gurgle when the washing machine drains?
Gurgling is air being pulled through a trap. What that says about your waste pipework, and the difference between a partial blockage and a venting problem.
beginner30 min3 min readWhy is my dehumidifier not collecting any water?
Six causes in order of likelihood, most of which are not faults at all — the room being colder or drier than the machine can work in accounts for the great majority of empty tanks.
beginner25 min6 min readWhy is my dishwasher not filling with water?
Water, valve, filter, float — four things in a short line, and three of them are owner-checkable in twenty minutes.
beginner30 min4 min readWhy is my hot tap slower than my cold tap?
Why a difference between hot and cold is normal on some systems and a fault on others, and how to tell which you have.
beginner20 min3 min readWhy is my shed damp inside?
Telling a leak from condensation from ground moisture, and the ventilation and base changes that dry a shed out for good.
beginner1 hr3 min readWhy is there a crack above my door or window?
Openings concentrate stress at their corners, so cracks appear there first — and the direction, width and pattern tell you whether it matters.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I ventilate my home properly?
Balancing warmth against moisture, and the specific ventilation that prevents damp without wasting heat.
beginner30 min2 min readWhy is cold air blowing in through my extractor fan?
A fan that lets cold air in has a backdraught shutter that is not closing, and the fix is usually the shutter rather than the fan.
beginner25 min2 min readWhy is water coming into my house when it rains?
Water appearing inside during rain has three completely different causes — an external leak, a plumbing leak and condensation — and they look identical on a wall. Telling them apart before ringing anyone saves the most money.
beginner1 hr6 min readAre smart appliances actually useful?
A short list of features that genuinely earn their place, a longer list that does not, and the question nobody asks at the shop — what happens to a twelve-year appliance when its app is discontinued after four.
beginner20 min5 min readDoes insulation in a stud wall actually reduce noise?
Mineral wool in a partition genuinely helps, but not for the reason most people think, and not by as much as they hope — what it actually does, which product to use, and what has to accompany it.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I get rid of ants in the house?
Why ants appear indoors, why killing the ones you see doesn't work, and the bait-based approach that does.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I get rid of flies in the house?
Finding the breeding source rather than swatting the adults, which is the only thing that ends an infestation.
beginner45 min3 min readHow do I keep a top-floor flat cool?
A top-floor flat gets the roof gain of a house with far fewer options — often single-aspect, restricted windows and nothing you are allowed to alter. What still works within those limits.
beginner20 min5 min readHow do I make a bedroom quieter?
Reducing noise in a bedroom with realistic measures — sealing gaps, soft furnishings and masking what remains.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I stop my bathroom mirror steaming up?
Why a mirror fogs and a tiled wall does not, the temporary tricks that work, and the heated pad that removes the problem permanently.
beginner15 min3 min readHow do I stop my house smelling of dog?
Dog smell lives in soft materials and in the oil the dog leaves on them, so the fix is a list of washable things plus ventilation — not a plug-in air freshener.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I stop water pooling around my house?
Tracing where the water comes from, and the gutters, gradients and soakaways that move it away.
intermediate3 hr2 min readHow do I tell dry rot from wet rot, and how serious is it?
The visual differences between the two decay fungi, why the moisture history matters more than the name, and an honest account of what dry rot does and does not do.
intermediate45 min4 min readHow do I tell if I have woodworm, and does it need treating?
Telling active infestation from long-dead historic damage, identifying the beetle from the hole and the dust, and deciding whether it needs treatment at all.
intermediate1 hr5 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.