Can I add an extra socket myself?
Where UK law and competence actually sit on adding a socket, what makes it harder than it looks, and what to ask an electrician for so the job is done once.
beginner10 min5 min read
Home & DIY
Practical answers for repairs, cleaning, decorating and the household problems that turn up whether you planned for them or not. Written so you can start with what you already own.
2,154 guides
Can 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 a party wall agreement?
The three categories of work that trigger the Act in England and Wales, and why it is a process for doing work properly rather than a request for permission.
intermediate25 min3 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 readDo I need planning permission for solar panels or a heat pump?
Both are usually permitted development on houses in England subject to conditions — and the conditions, the certification and the building regulations side are where the real answers are.
beginner20 min4 min readDo air purifiers actually work, and how do I choose one?
They genuinely remove airborne particles, and they do nothing at all for several problems people buy them for. What to match to your room, which specifications mean something, and where the honest answer is that you need ventilation instead.
beginner25 min6 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 readDrill driver or combi drill — which one do I actually need?
The only difference is one mechanism, and whether you need it comes down to what your walls are made of rather than how ambitious you are.
beginner12 min3 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 apply silicone so it looks neat?
Cutting the nozzle, keeping a continuous bead, and the tooling that makes the difference between neat and obvious.
beginner45 min3 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 check a roof without going on it?
What to look for from the ground and from inside the loft, and what each sign means.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I check my house for a hidden water leak?
The meter test that proves whether water is being used, then a systematic isolation to narrow down where.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I clean and service a barbecue?
The annual gas service most people skip, why wire brushes are the wrong tool, and the checks that matter before the first cook.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 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 cut a straight line in tile?
Score-and-snap for straight cuts, a wet saw for porcelain, and the hole-cutting methods for pipes and sockets.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I deal with a stain on the ceiling?
Finding the source before decorating, why emulsion never covers a water stain, and the primer that does.
beginner1 hr 30 min3 min readHow do I drain an outside tap for winter?
The five-minute autumn job that prevents a split pipe inside the wall, and what to do if there is no isolating valve.
beginner15 min3 min readHow do I draught-proof a door?
Sealing the four gaps around a door — bottom, sides, letterbox and keyhole — with the right product for each.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I drill into tile without cracking it?
Breaking the glaze without cracking the tile, keeping the bit cool, and where to place the hole.
beginner25 min3 min readHow do I drill right through an external wall for a cable or a vent?
Getting a straight, correctly falling hole from one side of a cavity wall to the other without hitting a tie, wetting the cavity or breaking the outside face.
intermediate45 min4 min readHow do I find out if my house is listed or in a conservation area?
The six designations that change what you may do to a property, where each of them is recorded, and how to check all of them in one afternoon for nothing.
beginner45 min3 min readHow do I find where a water leak is coming from?
Tracing a leak back to its source, including why the wet patch is often nowhere near the actual problem.
intermediate1 hr 30 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 read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.
MaterialWorld is in development — GuideHQ covers the practical answers in the meantime.