How do I fit laminate around a radiator pipe?
The cut-and-rejoin method that gives a clean hole with an expansion gap, plus the pipe collars that hide it.
beginner30 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
How do I fix a leaking shed roof?
Finding where a shed roof leaks, patching felt, and when to re-felt the whole roof instead.
intermediate3 hr2 min readHow do I fix a noisy or weak extractor fan?
Diagnosing an extractor fan that rattles or barely extracts, and the cleaning and ducting checks that usually fix it.
intermediate1 hr2 min readHow do I get black bitumen adhesive off a floor?
Identification first, because the black stuff is an asbestos question before it is a removal question. Then the methods that work on confirmed non-asbestos bitumen, and the encapsulate-in-place alternative.
advanced5 hr3 min readHow do I look after a wooden worktop?
Oiling, protecting and repairing solid wood surfaces so they last decades rather than years.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I paint a radiator or metal surface?
Preparation, primer and the specific paint that survives heat cycling without yellowing or flaking.
intermediate3 hr2 min readHow do I remove candle wax from fabric, carpet and surfaces?
The freeze-and-crack method for hard surfaces and the iron-and-paper method for fabric, plus the dye that is left behind.
beginner30 min3 min readHow do I repair a cracked or damaged window sill?
Repairing stone, concrete and uPVC external sills, telling a cosmetic crack from one that is letting water into the wall, and the drip detail that has to be restored whatever the material.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I tile above a bath so the bottom row is right?
Setting the bottom row off a level batten instead of the bath rim, and the fill-the-bath sealing sequence that stops the joint tearing.
intermediate3 hr5 min readHow do I use the awkward spaces in a house for storage?
The overlooked volume in an ordinary house — eaves, stair voids, above doors, deep corners, boxed-in pipework — and which of them are worth using rather than merely usable.
intermediate1 hr 30 min4 min readHow does a soakaway work, and do I need one?
What a soakaway actually does, the percolation test that decides whether one will work on your ground, and where they may and may not go.
intermediate30 min6 min readWhat foundations does a deck need?
Pads, screw piles, concrete footings and paving supports compared on cost, effort, ground conditions and how long the timber above them lasts.
intermediate30 min5 min readWhat is the difference between a mortice sashlock and a mortice deadlock?
Two locks that look identical in a catalogue and do different jobs — which door each belongs on, what the lever count means, and what an insurer is actually asking for.
beginner10 min3 min readWhen do I need to change the carbon filter in an extractor hood?
How to tell a saturated carbon filter from a greasy metal one, the realistic replacement interval, and how to check whether your hood even has one.
beginner15 min4 min readWhy does my radiator tick and creak when the heating comes on?
Ticking, creaking and popping as a system heats is nearly always thermal expansion finding something to rub against. Where it comes from, and the small changes that quieten it.
beginner20 min4 min readWhy has my blender stopped working or started smelling hot?
Most blender failures are a safety interlock, a thermal cut-out or a stripped drive coupling — and two of the three are things you can put right in minutes.
beginner20 min4 min readAre adhesive and sealant fumes dangerous indoors?
Which products in this cluster genuinely need ventilation and why, the difference between an irritant and a sensitiser, and what adequate ventilation actually looks like.
beginner12 min4 min readAre bagged ready-mixed mortar and concrete worth the money?
Where a just-add-water bag genuinely earns its premium, where it is an expensive way to buy sand, and the tubbed products that do something loose materials cannot.
beginner8 min4 min readCan I apply sealant in cold weather or onto a damp surface?
Every cartridge quotes a minimum application temperature and most people ignore it — what actually happens below it, and which products genuinely tolerate a damp surface.
beginner15 min4 min readCan I drink softened water?
What ion exchange actually adds to the water, who should avoid it, and why every softener installation keeps one tap on the hard supply.
beginner10 min3 min readCan I lay decking straight over an existing patio or concrete?
When an existing slab is a gift and when it is a trap — level, falls, drainage, ventilation and the height you have to play with.
intermediate40 min4 min readCan I put a washing machine on a suspended wooden floor upstairs?
It is usually possible and frequently done, but a suspended timber floor amplifies spin vibration and turns any leak into a ceiling repair — both of which need planning rather than hoping.
intermediate1 hr6 min readCan I put spikes or barbed wire on top of my fence?
The occupiers' liability position in plain terms, the height and signage conventions for anti-climb products, and the lawful deterrents that work at least as well.
beginner20 min5 min readDo I need a bottom entry or side entry toilet fill valve?
How to tell which entry your cistern has, why the two are not interchangeable without changing the plumbing, and what else to check before buying a replacement.
beginner15 min4 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.