Which bit holder do I need — magnetic, quick-change or extension?
Four small accessories that solve four different problems, and the difference between a holder that grips the bit and one that only holds the screw.
beginner8 min3 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
Which caulking gun should I buy, and how do I stop it oozing?
Thrust ratio, rod type and the anti-drip mechanism are the three things that decide whether a gun is pleasant or infuriating — and none of them is on the front of the pack.
beginner12 min4 min readWhich door hinges do I need?
Matching hinge size, type and grade to the door's weight and duty, including when three hinges are needed and what a fire door demands.
beginner15 min3 min readWhich filler survives outdoors?
Rain, frost and daily movement destroy interior filler within a season — which products survive, and the preparation that decides whether any of them last.
beginner25 min4 min readWhich hinge do I need for a cabinet door?
Full overlay, half overlay and inset concealed hinges, the opening angle, and the two measurements to take before ordering a replacement.
beginner15 min3 min readWhich hinges do I need for a garden gate?
Tee hinges, band and gudgeon, and hook and band compared — which suits which gate weight, and why the fixing matters more than the hinge.
beginner20 min4 min readWhich mortar and concrete additives actually do anything?
Plasticiser, waterproofer, accelerator, retarder, frostproofer, fibres and SBR — what each genuinely changes, what none of them can do, and why the washing-up liquid trick keeps coming back.
intermediate12 min5 min readWhich storage boxes and containers should I buy?
Matching the container to the contents and the location — where clear beats opaque, where cardboard is wrong, and the two container types that quietly destroy what is inside them.
beginner20 min4 min readWhich type of MDF do I need?
Standard, moisture-resistant, flame-retardant, high-density and flexible MDF — what each is actually for, and the two that are usually a waste of money.
beginner9 min4 min readWhich type of concrete block do I need — dense, medium or aerated?
Three block families with very different strengths, weights and insulating properties — and the trade-off between what a block holds and what heat it lets through.
beginner10 min4 min readWhich type of nail do I need for the job?
Round wire, oval, lost head, ring shank, clout, panel pin and masonry nails — what each is shaped for and where each is wrong.
beginner15 min4 min readWhy did my drill bit blow out the back of the wood?
Why the exit face always tears, and the three ways to stop it — backing board, drilling from both sides, and easing off at the end.
beginner10 min3 min readWhy does glue squeeze-out show through my stain or varnish?
Dried glue seals the grain so nothing soaks in, and the pale ghost only appears once the stain goes on — how to prevent it, and what can be done afterwards.
intermediate25 min4 min readWhy does my RCD trip at the same time every night?
How to use the clock to identify a timed load that nobody is switching on, and the small set of appliances that cause almost every trip at a fixed hour.
beginner20 min4 min readWhy does my outside light come on in daylight or stay on all night?
How a PIR sensor and a dusk sensor actually decide, the six things that make them decide wrongly, and the adjustments that fix nearly all of it without replacing anything.
beginner25 min5 min readWhy does my sandpaper clog up so quickly?
Soft resin, uncured finish and heat — why abrasive loads up, and the papers, extraction and technique that stop it.
beginner12 min3 min readWhy has my new brickwork gone white?
Efflorescence brushes off and goes away on its own. Lime bloom does not, and needs completely different treatment. Telling them apart takes about ten seconds.
beginner15 min4 min readWhy has my new concrete cracked?
Shrinkage, drying too fast, no joints and too much water — how to read a crack in new concrete and what to do differently next time.
intermediate30 min4 min readWhy have small round bumps and cracks appeared over my plasterboard fixings?
Nail pops are the board moving relative to the timber behind it. Why they appear, why filling them alone brings them back, and the repair that holds.
beginner45 min4 min readWhy is a blunt blade more dangerous than a sharp one?
Force, control and where the tool goes when it slips — the mechanism behind an old workshop saying that turns out to be literally true.
beginner8 min3 min readWhy is my plaster full of trowel marks and ridges?
Lines, ridges and chatter in a skimmed surface come from four separate causes, and three of them are about when you trowelled rather than how. How to read the marks and what can still be rescued.
intermediate30 min4 min readWhy is my screw standing proud instead of sitting flush?
Six reasons a screw head stops short of the surface, how to tell them apart in ten seconds, and which ones you must not solve by turning harder.
beginner10 min3 min readWhy is my varnish still tacky and not drying?
Cold, damp, thick coats, contaminated timber and old stock — the five reasons a clear finish stays sticky, and which of them can be rescued.
beginner30 min3 min readWhy is the surface of my concrete dusty and powdery?
Concrete dusting is a thin weak layer at the very top, and the four things that cause it all happened on the day it was poured — plus what can honestly be done about it now.
beginner20 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.