My uPVC door will not open — what can I do?
Working out from the handle and the key whether it is a jammed bolt, a failed gearbox or a seized cylinder — and which of the three you can do anything about from your side.
intermediate30 min4 min read
Repairs
Fixing the things that break — taps, handles, holes, hinges.
553 guides in Home & DIY
Should I pay a builder in cash?
What you give up when you pay cash, when a small cash payment is genuinely fine, and why the discount is usually not the bargain it looks.
beginner15 min3 min readWhat do I do about a stair tread that moves?
A moving tread is different from a creaking one. Creaks are noise; movement is a failed joint, and it needs fixing rather than silencing.
intermediate1 hr2 min readWhat do first fix and second fix actually mean?
The two halves of every trade's work, what belongs in each, and why the moment between them is the point of no return for the layout.
beginner20 min3 min readWhy does my toilet keep running?
Telling a leaking flush valve from an overfilling inlet, the dye test that identifies it in minutes, and what each fix involves.
beginner1 hr3 min readWhy is my microwave not heating the food?
Separating no heat at all from uneven heat in one test, and the honest verdict on repair economics when it is the magnetron.
beginner15 min4 min readCan I lay new flooring over old tiles?
Usually yes, and it is often the better option — but only if the tiles are sound, the height increase works and the grout lines are dealt with.
beginner30 min3 min readHow do I unblock a shower drain?
How to clear a slow shower drain, which is almost always hair, and how to stop it happening again.
beginner30 min2 min readMy gas hob will not light — what can I safely check myself?
Three bounded owner checks — burner cap seating, blocked ports and a contaminated ignition electrode — and a clear statement of where owner work stops.
beginner15 min5 min readWhy does my tumble dryer take so long to dry a load?
Drying time is set by airflow and by how wet the load arrived, and almost every dryer that has got slower over months has got slower for the same reason: lint somewhere the owner has not looked.
beginner40 min6 min readCan I replace just the doors and drawer fronts on my kitchen?
When new doors on old carcasses is a genuinely good deal, the six measurements a supplier needs, and the two things that stop it working.
intermediate5 hr5 min readDo I need an asbestos survey before building work?
The difference between a management survey and a refurbishment survey, when the work justifies one, and who is responsible on a domestic job.
beginner20 min3 min readDoes my wall need re-plastering, or can it just be filled?
The four tests that separate a wall needing filler, a wall needing a skim, and a wall needing taking back to the brick — with an honest account of what each costs you in time and mess.
beginner25 min4 min readHow do I adjust hinges on a uPVC door?
The three axes of adjustment, finding which one you actually need, and the small movements that fix a door catching or letting draughts in.
beginner1 hr5 min readHow do I build fitted alcove shelves?
Battens on three walls rather than brackets, why alcoves are never square, and scribing the shelf so the gaps disappear.
intermediate6 hr5 min readHow do I clear a blocked sink trap?
Taking the trap apart without flooding the cupboard, what actually causes the blockage, and preventing the next one.
beginner30 min3 min readHow do I fix a leaking gutter joint?
Why gutter joints leak, cleaning and reseating a union properly, and why sealant is usually the wrong answer.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I fix a wobbly kitchen tap?
Why taps work loose, how to reach the fixing nut in an awkward cupboard, and what to do when the sink itself is the problem.
beginner45 min3 min readHow do I repair a hole in plasterboard?
Patching small, medium and large holes in plasterboard so the repair disappears under paint.
intermediate2 hr2 min readHow do I reseal around a window?
Removing the old bead completely, choosing a sealant that survives outdoors, and the tooling that makes it stick.
beginner2 hr4 min readHow do I stop a shower screen leaking?
The four places a screen leaks from, how to tell which one you have, and the repairs that fix each.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I stop a shower tray or bath leaking at the edge?
Why resealing usually fails, finding whether it is the seal or the tray, and doing it so it lasts.
intermediate3 hr4 min readHow do I turn off the water supply?
Where to find the stopcock and isolation valves in a typical home, how to shut the water off in an emergency, and how to keep the valve working.
beginner15 min3 min readHow much can I cut off a door before I ruin it?
The limit is set by how the door is built, not by a universal figure. A solid door has plenty in hand; a hollow-core one has only the depth of its bottom rail.
beginner15 min2 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.