How do I fit or refit a kitchen plinth?
How the clips work, cutting the plinth to length and around a leg, scribing to an uneven floor, and the seal at the bottom that keeps water out of the board.
beginner1 hr4 min read
Repairs
Fixing the things that break — taps, handles, holes, hinges.
553 guides in Home & DIY
How do I fit twin-slot shelving so the shelves are level and the uprights line up?
Setting the first upright plumb and working across, choosing bracket size against shelf depth, and why the top screw of each upright is the one that matters.
intermediate2 hr5 min readHow do I fix a casement window that has dropped?
Why a uPVC or timber casement sags at the outer corner, and the different repair for each — because a uPVC casement has no hinges to adjust.
intermediate1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I fix a door frame that has come loose?
Packing and refixing a frame that moves when the door closes, without pulling it out of plumb in the process.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I fix a sofa seat that has sunk in the middle?
Working out whether the sag is the cushion, the webbing, the springs or a broken frame rail, and which of those is worth repairing at home.
intermediate2 hr5 min readHow do I fix a toilet flush handle that has gone floppy?
The three things that make a lever go slack — a loose backnut, a broken lever arm and a detached link — and which of them is worth repairing.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I fix a wobbly table or chair?
Diagnosing whether the wobble is the furniture or the floor, and fixing loose joints so they stay fixed.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I fix coving that has come away from the ceiling?
Why coving drops at the top edge, refixing it without taking the whole run down, and the mechanical fixings that stop it happening again.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I fix something into a stone wall?
Hard stone, soft stone and rubble-filled walls behave completely differently. How to find out which you have, and the fixing method each one needs.
intermediate1 hr4 min readHow do I fix something to a hollow core door?
What is actually inside a hollow door, where the solid lock block sits, and the fixings that hold in 4mm of facing.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I get into a concealed toilet cistern?
The three ways a concealed cistern is meant to be reached, what the flush plate hides, and how to make a proper access hatch if the installer left none.
intermediate45 min4 min readHow do I glue MDF and chipboard edges so they actually hold?
Both boards drink glue out of the joint through their cut edges, so the standard PVA technique that works on timber gives a starved, weak joint here.
beginner25 min4 min readHow do I glue glass, and which adhesive stays invisible?
Why glass is chemically easy and mechanically unforgiving to bond, the three adhesive families that work on it, and the ones that leave a visible line for ever.
intermediate30 min5 min readHow do I hang a door in a frame that is out of square?
Scribing a door to a lining that is not plumb or square, deciding whether to correct the frame or the door, and getting a consistent gap when nothing in the opening is straight.
advanced2 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I make good the wall after taking out a fireplace?
Closing the opening properly with a vent, dealing with the hearth, and getting the plaster to meet the old wall without a visible panel — plus the boundary where this stops being a DIY job.
intermediate5 hr4 min readHow do I patch a hole or a broken edge in a concrete floor?
Squaring out the damage, keying and priming, choosing between repair mortar and a screed, and getting the patch level with the floor.
intermediate1 hr4 min readHow do I repair a hole in a lath and plaster wall?
Patching a hole in an old wall so it does not crack around the edge — why plasterboard is usually the right patch material, and how to deal with the depth difference.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I repair a plasterboard joint where the tape has lifted?
Why paper tape blisters and scrim cracks, cutting out only what has failed, and re-taping so the repair does not show as a ridge.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I repair a rotten door frame at the bottom?
Cutting out the decayed section of a frame leg and splicing in new timber, and when resin repair is the better answer.
intermediate4 hr4 min readHow do I replace a broken pane in a timber window?
Removing the old pane and putty safely, measuring for the replacement, and bedding the new glass so it does not rattle or leak.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I replace the rubber gaskets on a uPVC window?
The three gaskets on a uPVC window, which one causes which symptom, and fitting a replacement without stretching it or disturbing the glass.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I stop a toilet seat moving?
Why toilet seats work loose, how to tighten the fixings properly, and when the seat needs replacing instead.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I stop doors slamming?
Why doors slam and the cheap fixes — from a foam guard to a proper closer — plus the draught cause people miss.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I take an old bath out?
Isolating and disconnecting cleanly, breaking the tile-and-sealant bond without wrecking the wall, and the safe way to get each material out of the room.
intermediate2 hr5 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.