Why is my tilt and turn window hanging off at the top?
The mis-operation that releases the top corner, the four-step recovery that resets it, and how to check nothing was bent in the process.
intermediate20 min3 min read
Repairs
Fixing the things that break — taps, handles, holes, hinges.
553 guides in Home & DIY
Why will my shed door not shut, and how do I fix it?
Whether it is the door, the frame or the whole shed that has moved, and the brace, hinge and threshold fixes for each.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min readWill new kitchen handles fit my existing holes?
How to measure centre distance properly, the handle shapes that hide an old hole, and the repair for a hole that has to be filled on a painted or foil-wrapped door.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I adjust bifold doors so they close flush?
Working from the hinge end outwards, using the three adjustments on a bifold hinge, and the reason a set that will not close flush is almost always wrong at the first leaf rather than the last.
intermediate1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I fit a blind?
Measuring for inside or outside the recess, marking accurately, and fixing into the right material.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I fit a night latch to a front door?
Getting the height and backset right, cutting the connecting bar to the door thickness, and the difference between a plain latch and one an insurer will accept.
intermediate1 hr 15 min5 min readHow do I fit a replacement double glazed unit?
Getting the old unit out, setting the new one on the right packers in the right places, and the drainage rule that decides whether the replacement lasts five years or twenty-five.
advanced1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I fix a loose door handle?
Tightening or replacing a wobbly door handle, including the spindle and grub screw that usually cause it.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I get ceramic floor tiles off a concrete floor?
The realistic methods, the dust control that is not optional, and the honest question of whether laying over the tiles would be a better decision.
advanced8 hr3 min readHow do I repair a chipboard floor that swelled after a leak?
Why swollen chipboard cannot be dried and reused, how much has to come out, and how to support and replace the section so the repair is as strong as the original deck.
intermediate2 hr3 min readWhy does my decking bounce when I walk on it?
Telling deflection from failure, then the four ways to stiffen a deck that is already down — noggins, sistering, an extra bearer and bracing.
intermediate4 hr5 min readWhy does my induction hob buzz, click or whirr?
Four distinct induction hob noises identified by what changes them — pan, power level, or nothing at all — and which one is worth a call.
beginner10 min3 min readWhy is there water under my hot water cylinder?
Six things that put water on the airing cupboard floor, how to tell which one you have from where the water is, and which of them is an emergency.
beginner25 min5 min readCan I plasterboard over a tiled wall?
Boarding over tiles instead of hacking them off — when it works, when it does not, and the fixing question that decides it, because a screw into tile is not a fixing.
intermediate4 hr4 min readHow do I bring the shine back to a dull or stained acrylic bath?
Why an acrylic bath goes dull and yellowish, why cleaning it harder makes it worse, and the cut-and-polish that actually restores the surface.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I clean or replace a tap aerator?
Getting it off without marking the spout, what the parts are and which way up they go, and the male-versus-female measurement that stops you buying the wrong replacement.
beginner20 min5 min readHow do I cut an expansion gap into a floor that is already down?
Finding every point where a floating floor has been pinched, and trimming the perimeter back without lifting the whole floor.
intermediate3 hr4 min readHow do I cut vinyl flooring to fit?
The template method for awkward rooms, scribing to a wall, and why you always cut oversized first.
beginner2 hr4 min readHow do I drain down the cold water system in my house?
The correct order for emptying the cold side, why hot and cold drain differently, and what has to be switched off before you start.
intermediate45 min4 min readHow do I fit a new door handle?
Measuring the backset and spindle before buying, matching the latch to the existing hole, and why a new handle often will not fit.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I fit a towel rail or toilet roll holder into tile without cracking it?
Drilling small fixings into tile safely, where each accessory actually belongs, and the adhesive alternatives that genuinely work when you do not want to drill.
beginner40 min4 min readHow do I fit a washing machine to the plumbing?
Transit bolts, the standpipe and trap arrangement, and getting the machine level so it does not walk.
intermediate2 hr5 min readHow do I fit an isolating valve?
Why every appliance and tap should have one, choosing compression against push-fit, and cutting into a live pipe safely.
intermediate1 hr5 min readHow do I fit skirting board neatly?
Scribing internal corners rather than mitring them, dealing with uneven walls, and fixing without splitting.
intermediate3 hr4 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.