How do I fit underlay correctly?
Choosing the right type for the floor beneath, butting rather than overlapping, and where the damp barrier goes.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min read
Repairs
Fixing the things that break — taps, handles, holes, hinges.
553 guides in Home & DIY
How do I fix LVT or vinyl tiles that are lifting at the edges?
The four reasons vinyl tiles curl at the edges, and why re-sticking without finding the cause always fails a second time.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I fix a carpet that has rucked up in waves?
Why carpets ripple, why a knee kicker alone rarely fixes it, and how the edges are refixed to the gripper afterwards.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I fix a handrail securely to a plasterboard wall?
Why a handrail is different from every other wall fixing, how to find the timber it has to reach, and what to do when the studs are not where the brackets need to be.
intermediate1 hr 30 min3 min readHow do I fix a power tool that has stopped working?
Working from the socket inwards, the four things that account for most failures, and when it is not worth repairing.
intermediate1 hr4 min readHow do I fix a sliding or bifold door that jumps its track?
Finding whether it is the track, the rollers or the adjustment, and the cleaning that fixes most of them.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I fix kitchen wall units to a plasterboard wall?
The hanging rail method, why unit brackets need timber behind them, and how to deal with studs that do not line up with the unit positions.
intermediate2 hr3 min readHow do I fix loose or lifting parquet blocks?
Why parquet blocks lift, how to lift and re-bed them cleanly, and the moisture problem that has to be dealt with first or the repair simply repeats.
intermediate2 hr3 min readHow do I fix nail pops in a plasterboard ceiling or wall?
Why little circular bumps appear in rows, and the two-screw repair that stops them coming back.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I glue wood to metal so it stays stuck?
Two materials that move at completely different rates, so the adhesive has to hold and flex at once — which families do that, and the preparation each metal needs.
intermediate30 min5 min readHow do I hang an internal door?
Getting the clearance gaps right, cutting hinge recesses, and why the door is fitted to the frame rather than the other way round.
intermediate3 hr5 min readHow do I level an uneven floor before laying anything?
Measuring how far out it is, choosing between compound, plywood and packing, and why laying over an uneven floor always shows.
intermediate4 hr4 min readHow do I lift a floorboard without breaking it?
Telling square-edge from tongue-and-groove, cutting the tongue safely, and lifting a board so it can go back down and look untouched.
intermediate1 hr4 min readHow do I make a broken window or door secure until it is repaired?
A temporary repair that will hold overnight in wind and rain, using materials from one shop, without making the room a fire trap.
intermediate1 hr 30 min5 min readHow do I match a replacement board to old floorboards?
Old boards are not modern sizes, and colour is the last problem rather than the first. What to measure, where to source, and the order in which to match thickness, width, grain and finally colour.
intermediate45 min3 min readHow do I plane a door edge properly?
Which edge to take material off, how to keep the edge square, the lock-side lean nobody mentions, and why the edge must be sealed the same day.
intermediate1 hr5 min readHow do I refit a bath panel that keeps falling off?
Why bath panels work loose, the batten and clip systems that hold them properly, and keeping access for the plumbing behind.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I refix a kitchen drawer front that has come loose?
The three ways a drawer front attaches, why it always fails at the handle rather than at the fixings, and how to reset the gaps once it is back on.
beginner35 min5 min readHow do I refix a skirting board that has come away from the wall?
Why skirting pulls away at the top, refixing it into something solid, and getting the caulk line straight again afterwards.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I remove old vinyl floor tiles and their adhesive?
Establishing whether the tiles are safe to lift at all, then the heat-and-scrape method and what to do about the adhesive left behind.
intermediate5 hr4 min readHow do I repair a chip in a bath?
What can realistically be repaired on acrylic and on enamel, the two-part filler method, and when a repair is only cosmetic.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I repair a cracked concrete drive?
Telling a shrinkage crack from a structural one, cutting out and filling properly, and when a drive is past repairing.
intermediate4 hr3 min readHow do I repair a cracked lath and plaster ceiling?
How the ceiling is held up, why the keys fail, and repairing cracks and small failed patches without pulling the whole ceiling down.
intermediate4 hr4 min readHow do I repair a fixing hole in masonry that has blown out?
Three ways to recover a hole that has crumbled — moving, filling and redrilling, or chemical anchoring — and how to choose between them.
intermediate45 min4 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.