What angle should I sharpen at, and how do I know when it is sharp?
Why the angle matters less than its consistency, what a burr is and why it is the only reliable test, and the working angles for common tools.
beginner25 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
What are noggins, and where do they go in a stud wall?
The short horizontal timbers between studs do three separate jobs, and the one people forget — providing something to fix to later — is the one that costs the most to add afterwards.
beginner15 min4 min readWhat are the joints in my concrete floor for?
The lines cut or formed into a slab are there so it cracks where you chose rather than where it likes. Filling or covering them without thinking undoes that.
intermediate15 min2 min readWhat are the parts of a window called?
Frame, sash, mullion, transom, cill and bead, plus the ironmongery — stay, fastener, friction hinge and trickle vent. What each part is and which ones you can actually replace.
beginner8 min5 min readWhat do the old red and black wire colours mean in UK wiring?
The old and new UK cable colours, the overlap period that produced mixed installations, and the black-and-blue trap in lighting circuits that catches people out.
beginner10 min4 min readWhat does "making good" mean, and who is supposed to do it?
The most argued-about phrase in domestic building work. What it usually covers, what it usually does not, and how to settle it before the work rather than after.
beginner8 min4 min readWhat does a damp meter actually measure, and can I trust the reading?
Why a pin meter on plaster is measuring conductivity rather than water, the surfaces that read soaking wet when they are bone dry, and how to use one so it tells you something true.
intermediate25 min4 min readWhat does low modulus mean, and which sealant do I need for a joint that moves?
Two numbers on the cartridge decide whether a bead survives a winter: how far it can stretch, and how hard it pulls on the surfaces while doing it.
intermediate15 min4 min readWhat is a cold bridge and why does it cause damp?
Why mould appears in the same corners every winter, how to tell a cold bridge from a leak, and what actually fixes one.
beginner25 min4 min readWhat is a motorised valve, and why is it the usual suspect?
A small electrically operated valve that opens a circuit and then tells the boiler it has. Why the end switch inside it matters more than the valve, the manual lever on the side, and the four symptoms that point straight at one.
intermediate8 min5 min readWhat is a shower tray upstand, and do I need a seal kit?
Why silicone alone at the tray-to-wall joint is a single point of failure, what an upstand and a seal kit each do differently, and when you can and cannot add one.
intermediate25 min4 min readWhat is a step drill bit for and how do I use one?
The cone of stacked steps that drills sheet metal cleanly, sizes the hole for you, and deburrs it on the way through.
beginner12 min3 min readWhat is a tenon saw for, and how is it different from a panel saw?
The five hand saws worth knowing, what tooth count and set actually control, and why a saw that cuts beautifully in one job is useless in another.
beginner10 min4 min readWhat is fire-rated sealant, and where do I have to use it?
The difference between intumescent, fire-resistant and acoustic products, why fire-stopping is a tested system rather than a tube, and where the boundary of DIY sits.
advanced20 min4 min readWhat is grab adhesive and when should I use it?
What it actually does well, where it is the wrong choice, and the surface preparation that decides whether it holds.
beginner30 min4 min readWhat is the difference between a euro, oval and rim cylinder?
How to recognise each of the three lock cylinders found on British doors, which door each belongs to, and the internal options — key both sides or thumbturn — that matter for escape.
beginner10 min3 min readWhat is the difference between a wood screw and a chipboard screw?
Two screws that look nearly identical and behave differently — the thread, the shank and the point, and which one belongs in solid timber and which in board.
beginner10 min3 min readWhat is the difference between varnish, oil and wax?
Whether the finish sits on the wood or in it, what that means for repairs, and which to choose for a given piece.
beginner20 min4 min readWhat is underpinning, and when does a house actually need it?
What underpinning physically is, the main methods, why it is a last resort rather than a first response, and why partial underpinning can cause the problem it was meant to solve.
advanced10 min5 min readWhat joist spacing and fall does decking need?
The joist centres, fall and board gaps that decide whether a deck feels solid and drains, and the details that cause bounce and rot.
advanced8 hr4 min readWhat should I do if I think I have bats in my roof?
How to tell bats from rodents or birds, what the legal protection actually stops you doing, and the free advice route that exists precisely for householders.
beginner30 min5 min readWhat should I do if my home is uninhabitable after damage?
The order of the first few days after major damage: safety, then insurance, then somewhere to live, then drying. Doing them out of order is what costs money and months.
beginner2 hr6 min readWhat size and type of shelf bracket do I need?
Matching bracket arm length to shelf depth, why the height of the upstand decides the pull-out force, and which bracket type suits which job.
beginner15 min4 min readWhen do I need to change the filters in an air purifier?
Three filter stages with three different intervals, why the indicator light on most machines is only a timer, and how to tell a spent carbon filter from a spent HEPA one when neither looks any different.
beginner15 min6 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.