What do I do if a builder damages something?
Which insurance responds to what, the order to act in, and why claiming on your own policy first is usually the wrong move.
beginner45 min3 min read
Repairs
Fixing the things that break — taps, handles, holes, hinges.
553 guides in Home & DIY
What should I check before calling out an appliance engineer?
Fifteen minutes of checks that resolve a large share of appliance faults, plus the information to have ready if they do not — because a call-out is typically £70 to £120 and is usually payable whether or not anything was wrong.
beginner25 min6 min readWhy does my induction hob not recognise my pan?
Five reasons a hob refuses a pan, in the order that finds the answer fastest — and how to tell a pan problem from a hob fault.
beginner10 min4 min readWhy does my shower go hot or cold when someone uses a tap?
What a thermostatic valve is supposed to do about pressure changes elsewhere in the house, why it stops doing it, and the descaling that usually restores it.
beginner30 min3 min readWhy is my bookcase leaning forward, and how do I make it safe?
The four reasons a bookcase leans forward, why loading and floor covering matter more than people expect, and the anchoring that removes the risk entirely.
beginner45 min5 min readWhy is my stair carpet coming loose at the edges?
Stair carpet works loose at the nosing and the edges because that is where it is stretched hardest and walked on most. The fix depends on what is holding it.
intermediate1 hr2 min readWhy will my key not turn in the lock?
Separating a worn key from a worn cylinder, a door under load and a lock that has simply dried out — with the cheapest and most likely causes checked first.
beginner20 min4 min readCan I lay new flooring straight over floorboards?
Floorboards move, cup and have gaps, so most new floors want a layer of board over them first. Whether you can skip that depends on the state of the boards and the floor going down.
intermediate45 min3 min readHow do I fill a deep hole in a wall so it does not sink?
Deep holes are filled in layers with the right material for each layer. Trying to do it in one pass is what produces the sunken, cracked repair everyone recognises.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I fix a washing machine that will not drain?
The three things that stop a washing machine draining — filter, hose and pump — and how to check each in order.
beginner1 hr2 min readCan I plaster a wall myself, or should I get a plasterer in?
An honest account of which plastering jobs a competent DIYer succeeds at, which ones almost everyone fails at first time, and what a bad attempt costs you to put right.
intermediate30 min4 min readDo I need an architect, a structural engineer, or neither?
What each professional actually produces, the jobs where one of them is unavoidable, and the cheaper middle options people do not know exist.
beginner25 min4 min readHow do I build a shed base?
Why the base decides how long a shed lasts, the three practical options, and getting it level and square before anything is built on it.
intermediate8 hr3 min readHow do I fix a sagging gutter?
Why gutters sag, restoring the fall so water actually runs, and the bracket spacing that stops it recurring.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I fix cracked or mouldy sealant?
Recognising when sealant needs replacing rather than cleaning, and replacing it so it lasts.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I get rid of a smelly drain?
Why a drain smells even when it is not blocked, and the three causes — biofilm, a dry trap and a blocked overflow.
beginner40 min2 min readHow do I hang a heavy mirror safely?
Matching the fixing to the wall and the weight, using two points rather than one, and where not to hang one at all.
beginner45 min3 min readHow do I remove old carpet and underlay?
Lifting carpet and underlay cleanly, dealing with gripper rods and staples, and getting the old material out of the house.
beginner3 hr3 min readHow do I repair scratches and damage on a worktop?
What can actually be repaired on laminate, solid wood and composite worktops, and the fixes that make damage worse.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I replace a damaged floorboard?
Cutting out a damaged board over the right bearing, supporting the new one properly, and dealing with the tongue so the replacement drops in without wrecking its neighbours.
intermediate1 hr4 min readHow do I replace a section of guttering?
Matching the profile, cutting and joining plastic gutter, and setting the new section to the existing fall.
intermediate3 hr4 min readHow do I replace a toilet flush mechanism?
Identifying which mechanism you have, measuring before buying, and getting the seal right so it does not weep.
intermediate2 hr3 min readHow do I stop a pipe leaking until a plumber arrives?
Temporary repairs that genuinely hold — a repair clamp, self-amalgamating tape, epoxy putty — and the order of actions that limits the damage while you wait.
beginner20 min5 min readHow do I test a fridge door seal, and can I replace it myself?
The paper test finds a failing seal in two minutes, and on most appliances the gasket is a push-fit part the owner can change with no tools at all.
beginner1 hr6 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.