How do I stop a fence blowing down in high wind?
Why a solid fence catches more wind than you would think, and the changes to posts, panels and permeability that keep one standing.
beginner1 hr 30 min3 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
How 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 stop hard water damaging my appliances?
Scale forms on heating elements and shortens the life of everything that heats water. What to do per appliance, why dishwasher salt is not optional in a hard water area, and what the various inhibitors are actually worth.
beginner30 min7 min readHow do I stop hearing footsteps from upstairs?
Impact noise enters the structure directly and radiates from the ceiling below, which is why treating the ceiling helps far less than treating the floor above — and what to do when you cannot touch the floor above.
intermediate1 hr4 min readHow do I tell if my door lock cylinder is snap-resistant?
Reading the markings on the cylinder you already have, checking how far it stands proud, and deciding whether it needs replacing.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I tell what kind of damp I have?
Distinguishing condensation, penetrating damp and rising damp, since each has a completely different remedy.
intermediate1 hr2 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 readHow do I use a jigsaw?
Blade choice, speed and support — the three things that turn a jigsaw from a tool that wanders into one that cuts where you want.
beginner30 min3 min readHow do I work out which layer my paint failed at?
Turn the flake over. Whatever is stuck to the back of it names the layer that let go — and that single observation decides the entire repair.
intermediate20 min5 min readHow does the lock in a uPVC or composite door actually work?
The hooks, rollers, gearbox and keeps that make up a multipoint lock, what the handle does that the key does not, and why that distinction explains almost every fault.
beginner12 min4 min readHow long before a freshly painted room is safe to sleep in?
What VOCs are, what the labels actually mean, and how long to wait before a room is sensible to sleep in — for water-based and solvent-based paint separately.
beginner8 min3 min readHow long should I wait before grouting?
Grouting too early traps water in the adhesive and causes patchy grout and weak bonds. The wait is a curing requirement, not a convention.
beginner10 min2 min readI have drilled into a water pipe — what do I do?
Stopping the water first, why leaving the drill bit in the hole buys you time, working out which pipe you have hit, and what a proper repair involves rather than a patch.
beginner30 min6 min readIs a 5Ah battery more powerful than a 2Ah one?
What amp-hours actually buy, the one situation where a bigger pack genuinely does make a tool perform better, and why two medium packs beat one large one.
beginner10 min3 min readIs a robot vacuum actually worth buying?
Yes as an addition that keeps floors presentable between real cleans, in a home that suits one. No as a replacement for a proper vacuum, and no at all in some houses — with an honest list of which.
beginner20 min5 min readIs it worth topping up loft insulation that is already there?
Why the first hundred millimetres does most of the work, what topping up still buys you, and how to lay the second layer so it covers the joists rather than just the gaps.
intermediate4 hr5 min readIs my wall dot-and-dab dry lining or a stud wall?
Both sound hollow, both are plasterboard on the face, and they need opposite fixings. The tests that separate them, what dot and dab actually is, and why builders use it.
beginner15 min4 min readShould I buy a compressor or a desiccant dehumidifier?
The two types work on completely different principles, and the deciding factor is the temperature of the room you are putting it in. Below about 15 degrees a compressor model largely stops working.
beginner20 min5 min readShould I buy a corded or cordless drill?
What actually separates the two, which jobs genuinely need mains power, and why the battery platform matters more than the drill.
beginner15 min3 min readShould I use poison or traps for mice?
Why traps are the right answer indoors for almost every household, what rodenticide actually does, and the point at which the decision belongs to a professional.
beginner45 min5 min readWhat do I do about a slipped or missing roof tile?
Assessing the risk, protecting the inside, and understanding what the repair involves so you can judge a quote.
beginner45 min4 min readWhat do microwave power levels actually do?
A power level is a duty cycle, not a dimmer. The magnetron is either on at full power or off, and that single fact explains everything about how the settings behave.
beginner10 min4 min readWhat does a soft or spongy spot in a floor mean?
A soft patch is not the same as a bouncy floor. It is a local loss of strength with a short list of causes, and finding which one decides whether it is a board repair or a structural job.
intermediate1 hr4 min readWhat guarantees should I get, and is an insurance-backed guarantee worth anything?
The four different things sold as a guarantee, which of them survive the trader going out of business, and what to read before relying on any of them.
beginner25 min3 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.