How do I set a fence post so it stays put?
Hole depth, concrete versus post spikes, and the drainage detail that determines how long the post lasts.
intermediate2 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 stop a click floor creaking and crackling?
Why a floating floor makes noise, why the noise is almost never the boards themselves, and the three things to check under it.
beginner1 hr 30 min3 min readHow do I stop concrete sticking to the formwork?
Concrete sticks because the form face is absorbent or rough. A release agent and a smooth, sound face are what let the formwork come off cleanly.
intermediate30 min3 min readHow do I stop my shed getting damp inside?
Working out whether the damp is coming through the roof, up from the base, or condensing out of the air, since the three need entirely different fixes.
intermediate3 hr4 min readHow do I stop the door handle punching a hole in the wall?
Repairing the crater a handle has made in plasterboard, and the four ways of stopping it happening again — one of which is right for a rented flat and one of which is right for a hallway with children.
beginner45 min4 min readHow do I stop the last row of flooring being a thin sliver?
The width calculation that takes five minutes before you start, and the first-row rip that makes both edges of the room match.
intermediate45 min5 min readHow do I tell what metal something is?
A magnet, your eyes and your hand answer the question for almost everything in a house. The sequence of tests, what each one rules in and out, and the two places the simple tests mislead.
beginner9 min5 min readHow do I trim a door without splintering it?
Marking, scoring and cutting a door so the veneer does not chip, plus how much can be taken off each type of door before it is ruined.
intermediate1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I unstick a window that will not open?
Paint, swelling and seized mechanisms — the three causes and the gentle approach to each.
beginner40 min2 min readHow do I use contact adhesive without ruining the alignment?
The adhesive that grabs on contact and gives you no second chance — and the slip-sheet technique that lets you place a panel exactly right first time.
intermediate45 min5 min readHow do I work with cement safely, and what do I do about a cement burn?
Why cement burns creep up on you, the kit that prevents them, and what to do in the first minutes when cement gets on skin or in an eye.
beginner8 min4 min readHow do thermostatic radiator valves work?
What the numbers on a TRV mean, why one valve is different from the other, and how to fix a stuck one.
beginner20 min2 min readHow does a seal actually work, and why does tightening it not help?
O-rings, gaskets and compression olives seal in three different ways. Which one you are looking at decides whether tightening helps, does nothing, or destroys the seal — and it is why so many leaks get worse after someone attacks them with a spanner.
intermediate9 min6 min readHow long before I can walk or drive on new concrete?
Set, cured and fully strong are three different things at three different times — and what each one lets you do without damaging the slab.
beginner8 min3 min readHow long should I heat my hot water cylinder for?
Why a cylinder schedule is set by reheat time rather than by when you want a shower, and how to size the heating windows to your household without paying to keep water hot all day.
beginner15 min4 min readHow much adhesive should be under a tile?
Why full support matters more than adhesive strength, how to comb and collapse a notched bed, and the lift-and-look check that tells you whether you have it.
intermediate20 min5 min readHow much does it cost to rewire a house, and do I actually need one?
The signs that genuinely indicate a rewire rather than a board change, what a full and a partial rewire involve, realistic UK costs, and how to sequence it so it costs less.
beginner15 min5 min readHow wide and how deep should a sealant joint be?
The geometry that lets a bead stretch — roughly twice as wide as it is deep, bonded to two faces and not three — and why almost every split bead breaks this rule.
intermediate20 min5 min readIs it safe to plug one extension lead into another?
What actually goes wrong when leads are chained, why the fuse does not save you, and the two legitimate ways to get power further away.
beginner8 min4 min readIs my cracked render causing the damp inside?
Why a cracked render is worse than no render at all, how to tell sound render from render that has lost its bond, and what to do when a patch repair will not hold.
intermediate45 min4 min readIs secondary glazing worth it?
Where it makes sense against replacing windows, what it does for noise, and the cheap film version.
beginner30 min2 min readIs the ground level too high against my house wall?
Why 150mm of clearance below the damp proof course matters, how paving and soil creep up over the years, and how to dig a wall back out without causing a new problem.
beginner3 hr4 min readMy kitchen wall unit has dropped or pulled away from the wall — what do I do?
Reading the gap at the top, the four places the failure can be, and which of them a householder can put right.
intermediate1 hr 30 min5 min readShould I seal grout, and what with?
Which grouts benefit from a sealer, which do not need one, and the difference between a penetrating sealer and a surface coating.
beginner45 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.