Can I just point over the old mortar?
The short answer is no, and the reason why explains most of what goes wrong with domestic repointing — including why overband pointing is worse than doing nothing.
beginner10 min4 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 lay laminate or LVT on stairs?
Stairs are the one place a floating floor cannot float. What has to be bonded, why the nosing is the critical component, and the sequence that gives a safe, quiet staircase.
advanced8 hr3 min readCan I paint in hot weather or direct sunlight?
Heat does not simply speed drying — it closes the film before the coat has flowed out, and on a hot substrate it causes lap marks, blistering and poor adhesion.
beginner10 min4 min readCould my old loft insulation contain asbestos?
Which loft materials raise an asbestos question, why loose granular fill is the one to stop for, and the correct sequence from suspicion to a laboratory answer.
beginner20 min4 min readDo I need a decoupling membrane under a tiled floor?
An uncoupling membrane breaks the rigid path between a moving substrate and a brittle tile. Where that genuinely earns its cost, and where it is being sold to solve a problem you do not have.
beginner20 min3 min readDo I need a primer or slurry under porcelain paving?
Why porcelain will not bond to a mortar bed on its own, what the slurry primer actually does, and applying it so slabs do not lift or rock later.
intermediate1 hr6 min readHow do I adjust the keeps on a uPVC door?
Setting compression at the keeps so the door seals without straining the gearbox, and why this must come after the hinges rather than before.
beginner45 min3 min readHow do I build a fence on a sloping garden?
Stepping panels against raking them, how to keep the tops level, and dealing with the triangular gaps a stepped fence leaves at the bottom.
intermediate6 hr3 min readHow do I build a low garden wall?
Foundation depth, the bonds that make a wall stable, and the coping and movement joints that stop it cracking.
advanced15 hr4 min readHow do I check a fire door is still doing its job?
A five-minute inspection covering gaps, seals, hinges, closers and the certification label, and what each failure actually means.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I check new windows and doors have been fitted properly?
The snagging inspection to do before the final payment, covering operation, seals, sealant, making-good, glass marks, ventilation and the paperwork that has to follow.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I check what is behind a wall before cutting a hole in it?
The inspection sequence before a saw goes into a wall: scan, reason about the building, look from the other side and from above, then make a small inspection hole and actually look before committing to the full opening.
intermediate30 min5 min readHow do I choose the right paint finish?
What matt, eggshell, satin and gloss actually do differently, and which to use in which room and on which surface.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I clean a TV or monitor screen?
Removing dust and marks without damaging the anti-glare coating, which household cleaners strip permanently.
beginner10 min2 min readHow do I clean a house before leaving it?
What actually gets checked, the order that avoids cleaning things twice, and what matters if a deposit is involved.
beginner5 hr2 min readHow do I clean an air fryer and other small appliances?
Cleaning the parts that matter — including the heating element people never look at — without damaging non-stick coatings.
beginner25 min2 min readHow do I clean chrome taps?
Getting chrome taps genuinely clean and shining, including the limescale ring at the base that a cloth cannot reach.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I clear a blocked downpipe?
Clearing a downpipe or gully that has blocked, and how to tell where the blockage actually is.
intermediate1 hr2 min readHow do I draught-proof a sash window?
Where the air actually comes through a sash window, the brush seal system that works and the stick-on strips that do not.
intermediate3 hr4 min readHow do I fill in old downlight holes in a ceiling?
Filling a 60 to 90mm circular hole so it does not show as a ring under the paint — the backing method that works, why filler alone always fails, and what has to happen to the cable first.
intermediate1 hr 30 min5 min readHow do I find a locksmith I can trust?
Locksmithing is unregulated in the UK, so the check is on the trade body, the quote and the identification — and the checks are quicker than the call-out.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I fit a bathroom cabinet or mirror to a tiled wall?
Working out what is behind the tile, choosing a fixing that carries a loaded cabinet, and drilling tile at the right height without cracking it.
intermediate1 hr 15 min4 min readHow do I fit a floating shelf so it does not droop at the front?
Why the hidden rod arrangement is so unforgiving, drilling the board holes dead straight, and the honest load limit of a concealed shelf.
intermediate1 hr 30 min5 min readHow do I fit a mortice lock into a timber door?
Marking, drilling and chopping the slot accurately, drilling the through-holes without breaking out the far face, and cutting the forend and keep recesses so everything finishes flush.
advanced2 hr5 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.