Why will my French doors not meet in the middle?
Telling a dropped leaf from a bowed one and from a frame that has moved, and correcting each — plus the seasonal version of the fault that needs no correction at all.
intermediate1 hr4 min read
Repairs
Fixing the things that break — taps, handles, holes, hinges.
553 guides in Home & DIY
How do I fix cracks in plaster?
How to repair hairline and larger cracks in plaster so they don't reappear, and how to tell when a crack is a structural warning.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I fix peeling paint?
Why paint peels, how to prepare a peeling surface properly, and how to stop it happening again.
beginner3 hr2 min readHow do I hang something heavy on a wall?
How to hang mirrors, large frames and heavy items securely — finding structure, choosing fixings and spreading the load.
intermediate1 hr3 min readHow do I regrout tiles?
Removing old grout, applying new, and knowing where grout should be replaced by flexible sealant instead.
intermediate3 hr2 min readWhy does my new floating floor feel spongy and hollow?
A floating floor that sinks slightly underfoot or sounds hollow has one of four causes, and only one of them is a fault in the floor itself.
beginner45 min3 min readWhy does my washer dryer dry so badly?
In most cases the machine is working exactly as designed and the load is simply twice the size it can dry — but there are three real faults underneath that, and they are all about condensing.
beginner30 min5 min readDoes a cooker need its own circuit?
Whether your cooker needs a dedicated circuit depends on its total rated load, and the answer divides cleanly between plug-in appliances and anything that has to be hard-wired.
intermediate20 min5 min readHow do I adjust kitchen cabinet doors so they line up?
The three screws on a European hinge and which one moves the door in which direction.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I build an independent stud wall against a noisy party wall?
The most effective domestic treatment for a noisy party wall: a new frame that touches nothing, filled and boarded — and the details at the floor, ceiling and edges that decide whether it works at all.
advanced12 hr5 min readHow do I change a light bulb safely?
Changing bulbs safely including the awkward cases — halogen downlights, broken bulbs and fittings that have seized.
beginner10 min2 min readHow do I fit a door chain or viewer safely?
Where to position each, getting the fixings into solid timber rather than the lining, and why a chain alone is not security.
beginner1 hr5 min readHow do I fit a kitchen sink into a worktop?
Assembling the tap and waste before the sink goes in, sealing the cut edge, and why the clips compress the bead rather than replacing it.
intermediate2 hr 30 min5 min readHow do I fit a new mortice lock into an old mortice?
Measuring the lock you already have so the replacement drops straight in, and the three ways an almost-right lock leaves visible damage on a door.
intermediate1 hr4 min readHow do I fix a drawer or cupboard that will not shut?
Kitchen hinges adjust in three directions — most misaligned doors are a screwdriver turn away from right.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I fix a leak between the toilet cistern and the pan?
Telling the doughnut washer from the flush valve backnut, taking a close-coupled cistern off without breaking anything, and rebuilding the joint so it seals with almost no force.
intermediate1 hr 15 min5 min readHow do I fix a letterbox that is loose or draughty?
Tightening the bolts that have worked loose, replacing a sprung flap, and the internal brush that stops the draught for a few pounds.
beginner45 min4 min readHow do I fix a radiator to a plasterboard stud wall?
Why cavity fixings are the wrong tool for a radiator, and the two ways to get timber behind the board — before boarding, and afterwards.
intermediate1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I fix a rocking paving slab?
Why a slab rocks even when it looks level, the quick stabilisation that is worth doing, and the point at which it has to come up.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I fix a shelf that has already sagged?
Whether the sag is the board, the spacing or the fixings, and the four repairs in order of effort — from a front lipping to replacing the board.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I fix a shower door that drags or will not close?
Rollers, hinge pivots and a frame that has moved — how to tell which is causing a dragging shower door, and the adjustment that fixes each.
beginner30 min3 min readHow do I fix a squeaky door?
How to silence a squeaking hinge properly, and what to do when the noise is the door binding rather than the hinge.
beginner15 min3 min readHow do I get a broken key out of a lock?
The extraction methods that work, in order of how likely they are to succeed without damage — and the point at which the honest answer is a locksmith.
intermediate25 min4 min readHow do I get a white mark or water stain out of a wooden floor?
A white cloudy mark is trapped moisture inside the finish and usually comes out. A black mark has reached the timber and is a different, harder problem.
beginner40 min3 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.