Why will my shed door not shut, and how do I fix it?
Whether it is the door, the frame or the whole shed that has moved, and the brace, hinge and threshold fixes for each.
beginner1 hr 30 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
Will new kitchen handles fit my existing holes?
How to measure centre distance properly, the handle shapes that hide an old hole, and the repair for a hole that has to be filled on a painted or foil-wrapped door.
beginner30 min4 min readAre all click flooring systems the same, and can I mix brands?
Click is three mechanically different joints sold under one word. Which one you have decides how the floor goes together, how it comes apart, and whether a replacement plank will fit at all.
beginner15 min3 min readDo I need a burglar alarm, and should it be monitored?
What an alarm adds over locks and lighting, the honest difference between bells-only, app-notified and professionally monitored, and where the money goes.
beginner40 min5 min readHow do I adjust bifold doors so they close flush?
Working from the hinge end outwards, using the three adjustments on a bifold hinge, and the reason a set that will not close flush is almost always wrong at the first leaf rather than the last.
intermediate1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I balance my radiators?
How to get every radiator in the house heating evenly by adjusting the lockshield valves, rather than some rooms baking and others staying cold.
intermediate2 hr2 min readHow do I check my house for storm damage after a storm?
Almost every kind of storm damage can be spotted from ground level with binoculars. Finding it early, and photographing it before touching anything, is what keeps a small repair small and a claim payable.
beginner45 min6 min readHow do I choose a blender, and what does the wattage really tell you?
Wattage is the most quoted and least useful blender specification. What actually determines whether it makes a smooth soup — jug shape, blade geometry and speed — and which type to buy.
beginner20 min5 min readHow do I clean a leather sofa?
Cleaning and conditioning leather without stripping it, and identifying which type of leather you have first.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I clean an extractor hood?
How to degrease extractor filters and the hood itself, and how often each needs doing to keep the extraction working.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I clean and maintain decking?
How to clean timber decking safely, when it needs re-oiling, and how to reduce the slipperiness that makes decking hazardous.
beginner4 hr3 min readHow do I clean outside windows?
Cleaning ground-floor and upstairs windows from outside safely, and when to pay someone instead.
intermediate2 hr2 min readHow do I fit a blind?
Measuring for inside or outside the recess, marking accurately, and fixing into the right material.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I fit a night latch to a front door?
Getting the height and backset right, cutting the connecting bar to the door thickness, and the difference between a plain latch and one an insurer will accept.
intermediate1 hr 15 min5 min readHow do I fit a replacement double glazed unit?
Getting the old unit out, setting the new one on the right packers in the right places, and the drainage rule that decides whether the replacement lasts five years or twenty-five.
advanced1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I fit a shower screen to a bath?
Getting the wall channel plumb, fixing into tile without cracking it, and sealing the screen so it drains back into the bath.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I fix a loose door handle?
Tightening or replacing a wobbly door handle, including the spindle and grub screw that usually cause it.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I get ceramic floor tiles off a concrete floor?
The realistic methods, the dust control that is not optional, and the honest question of whether laying over the tiles would be a better decision.
advanced8 hr3 min readHow do I lay a path or small patio?
Excavation depth, the sub-base that does the real work, and the falls that stop water pooling.
intermediate16 hr3 min readHow do I lift a manhole cover and read an inspection chamber?
Lifting a cover safely, what you are looking at inside, and how the pattern of full and empty chambers locates a blockage before anybody puts a rod down anything.
intermediate30 min5 min readHow do I move a washing machine without damaging it?
The transit bolts are the whole job. Without them the drum swings on its springs during the journey and can destroy its own suspension before the machine reaches the new house.
intermediate1 hr 30 min6 min readHow do I organise children's toys?
Reducing the volume, storing so children can tidy independently, and rotating so the same toys stay interesting.
beginner2 hr2 min readHow do I repair a chipboard floor that swelled after a leak?
Why swollen chipboard cannot be dried and reused, how much has to come out, and how to support and replace the section so the repair is as strong as the original deck.
intermediate2 hr3 min readHow do I service a uPVC or composite door once a year?
The half-hour routine that stops a gearbox failing, a seal perishing and a hinge seizing — and the two things people do to their doors every year that shorten their life.
beginner30 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.