How do I fix a door that sticks?
How to diagnose why a door catches — hinges, humidity or a dropped frame — and fix it in the right order, planing only as a last resort.
beginner1 hr3 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 fix hinge screws that just spin?
Three ways to give a stripped hinge screw something to bite into again, and why a longer screw is usually the best of them.
beginner40 min3 min readHow do I fix into dot and dab plasterboard?
Why plasterboard fixings and toggles both fail on a dabbed wall, and the long-plug method that reaches the blockwork behind.
intermediate45 min4 min readHow do I fix low water pressure?
How to work out whether low pressure affects one tap or the whole house, and the fixes for each — from a blocked aerator to a partly closed stopcock.
beginner45 min3 min readHow do I get a sofa or a wardrobe through a doorway?
The five measurements to take before lifting anything, the diagonal trick that gets a sofa through a tight door, and what to remove when it still will not go.
intermediate1 hr5 min readHow do I get rid of ants in the house?
Why ants appear indoors, why killing the ones you see doesn't work, and the bait-based approach that does.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I get rid of flies in the house?
Finding the breeding source rather than swatting the adults, which is the only thing that ends an infestation.
beginner45 min3 min readHow do I improve a room without spending much?
The changes that make the largest visual difference per pound, in the order worth doing them.
beginner3 hr2 min readHow do I insulate a shed or garden office?
Insulating walls, roof and floor without trapping moisture in the structure, and the vapour control and ventilation that have to go with it.
intermediate12 hr4 min readHow do I insulate under a floor?
What can be done from above and below, and why floor insulation is more involved than loft or walls.
advanced10 hr2 min readHow do I keep a top-floor flat cool?
A top-floor flat gets the roof gain of a house with far fewer options — often single-aspect, restricted windows and nothing you are allowed to alter. What still works within those limits.
beginner20 min5 min readHow do I know when a job needs a professional?
Where the line sits between competent DIY and work that is legally restricted, dangerous, or expensive to get wrong.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I lay out a gallery wall so it looks deliberate?
Setting the whole group from the eye line, keeping the gaps equal, sizing the arrangement to the furniture below, and the paper-template method that avoids a wall full of holes.
beginner2 hr5 min readHow do I look after wooden windows and doors?
The annual check and the small repairs that make wooden windows last a century rather than a decade.
intermediate4 hr2 min readHow do I make a bedroom quieter?
Reducing noise in a bedroom with realistic measures — sealing gaps, soft furnishings and masking what remains.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I measure my kitchen for new units and worktops?
Measuring at three heights because walls lean, recording services before they are hidden, and why the survey happens after strip-out rather than before.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I overboard a ceiling with plasterboard?
Fixing new board through an old ceiling into the joists — the method, the joist-marking that makes it possible, working with a board lifter, and the consequences for coving, roses and downlights.
advanced8 hr5 min readHow do I paint over old gloss paint?
Why paint slides off gloss, the abrade-and-degrease routine that works, and when an adhesion primer earns its place.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I put up coving?
Setting out the lines, cutting the first corner, and getting a run of coving up without gaps at the mitres or a wavy line along the wall — including the order of work that makes it manageable alone.
intermediate5 hr5 min readHow do I re-lay a sunken paving slab?
Lifting a slab without breaking it or its neighbours, finding out why it sank, and rebedding it so it stays level.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I replace a tap washer?
The step-by-step for changing a washer in a traditional compression tap, including what to do if the seat is damaged.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I replace the multipoint lock in a uPVC door?
Getting the old lock strip out, fitting the new one without cross-threading the faceplate, and the alignment check that stops the new lock failing the same way as the old one.
intermediate1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I rodent-proof airbricks and pipe entries without blocking ventilation?
The two details that account for most rodent entry into a house, done properly: a meshed airbrick that still ventilates, and a service pipe sleeve that is actually sealed.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I saw a straight line by hand?
Starting the cut without jumping, cutting to the waste side, and using your body rather than your wrist to keep the blade straight.
beginner30 min4 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.