How do I fix a screw that has stripped its hole in chipboard furniture?
Why chipboard strips so readily, the four repairs ranked by how well they hold, and the ones that look sensible and do not work.
beginner40 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
How do I fix a sunken or rocking paving slab?
Why slabs sink and rock, lifting one without damaging its neighbours, and the full mortar bed that stops it happening again.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I fix into a lath and plaster wall or ceiling?
Why plugs and cavity fixings both fail in lath and plaster, how to find the timber behind, and the fixings that actually work in it.
intermediate30 min4 min readHow do I flatten a wavy, bumpy wall?
Measuring how far out the wall actually is, then choosing between filling, skimming, battening and boarding, or lining paper — because the size of the deviation decides the method.
intermediate4 hr4 min readHow do I get rid of a musty smell in a wardrobe or drawer?
Musty smell in storage is still air plus moisture plus body oil left in clothes, and the fix is airflow and washing — not a scented liner.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I get rid of cluster flies in the loft?
Why they arrive in autumn, why they are not breeding in your house, and the proofing and ventilation that reduce it year on year.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I identify window and door hardware to order the right spare?
Where the maker's marks hide on a hinge, a stay, a handle and a lock, what to do when there are none, and the two documents that name your hardware without you measuring anything.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I lay bricks so the wall comes out level and plumb?
Corners first, then the line — the sequence that produces a straight wall, plus the trowel technique and the gauge rod that keep every course the same height.
intermediate2 hr5 min readHow do I live in a house while it is being renovated?
The decisions that make the difference between difficult and unbearable: one room kept clean, a temporary kitchen that works, and the honest question of when to move out.
beginner10 min5 min readHow do I look after garden furniture?
Wood, metal, rattan and plastic each fail differently — the annual routine for each and how to store them.
beginner2 hr2 min readHow do I make a box room actually usable?
Deciding what the smallest bedroom is actually for, the layouts that work at 2 by 2.4 metres, and the fitted approach that beats freestanding furniture every time.
beginner1 hr 30 min5 min readHow do I make an existing hole bigger?
Why a bigger bit will not centre itself in a hole that already exists, and the three fixes — one for wood, one for sheet, one for masonry.
beginner15 min3 min readHow do I match new wood to the colour of old wood?
Old timber is darker, warmer and less even than anything you can buy. How to build a match in layers rather than looking for one stain that does it.
advanced1 hr 30 min5 min readHow do I paint over a dark colour?
Covering dark walls with light paint without applying five coats, using a tinted primer to do the work.
beginner4 hr2 min readHow do I prepare a subfloor for LVT?
Why LVT is far less forgiving than laminate, the flatness and smoothness it needs, and how to prepare chipboard, floorboards and concrete for it.
intermediate5 hr4 min readHow do I prepare my home for a storm?
The outdoor and indoor preparation that prevents most storm damage, done in the day before rather than during.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I reduce noise in my home?
The difference between absorbing and blocking sound, and the realistic measures for airborne and impact noise in a normal home.
intermediate3 hr3 min readHow do I remove oil and rust stains from a patio?
Matching the treatment to the stain — oil, rust, tannin, paint and efflorescence all behave differently — and what genuinely cannot be removed.
beginner1 hr 30 min3 min readHow do I replace a bath waste and overflow?
The washer stack that seals a bath waste, why the banjo has to be clocked correctly, and how to make sure the overflow is actually tested before the panel goes back.
intermediate1 hr 30 min5 min readHow do I replace a broken kitchen cabinet hinge?
Swapping a snapped or seized concealed hinge, and what to do when the 35mm cup hole itself has broken out of the door.
beginner25 min4 min readHow do I replace a door latch?
Measuring backset and case size before buying, swapping a tubular or mortice latch, and the catches used on doors that have no latch at all.
beginner45 min4 min readHow do I replace a uPVC window friction stay?
Measuring a stay correctly before buying, telling a worn friction pad from a bent arm, and fitting the replacement without dropping the sash.
intermediate1 hr4 min readHow do I restore an old parquet floor?
Assessing whether the blocks are worth saving, the order of work from re-bedding to sanding, and why parquet is sanded differently from a board floor.
advanced20 hr3 min readHow do I seal a gap wider than 10mm around a bath?
Why a thick bead of silicone always fails in a wide gap, and the backer rod or trim methods that actually work.
beginner1 hr3 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.