Why has my wood floor got gaps between the boards in winter?
Seasonal gapping is wood doing what wood does, and the question is whether the gaps close again in summer — because permanent gaps mean something else.
beginner20 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
Are thermal imaging cameras worth it for finding heat loss?
What a thermal image actually shows, the conditions it needs to show anything useful, and where a ten-pound infrared thermometer does the same job better.
intermediate30 min4 min readAre water filter taps worth fitting?
What a filter actually removes from UK mains water, the three configurations, and the running cost that decides whether it beats a jug.
beginner15 min5 min readCoach screw or coach bolt — which one do I need?
One threads into timber, one goes right through and takes a nut. Which the job actually allows, and why that decision changes the load the joint can carry.
beginner12 min3 min readDo I need reinforcing mesh or bar in a concrete slab?
What reinforcement actually does, why its position in the pour matters more than its presence, and the domestic cases where fibres or a movement joint are the better answer.
intermediate12 min4 min readDoes a wall need priming before tiling?
What primer actually does on each substrate, why PVA is the wrong product under tiles, and the surfaces that need sealing before adhesive touches them.
beginner20 min4 min readDoes someone need to foot my ladder?
Why footing is the last resort rather than the default, what it does and does not prevent, how to do it properly when there is no alternative, and the two better options most people never consider.
beginner10 min5 min readHow deep should shelves be, and how far apart should they go?
The real dimensions of books, files, records, crockery and boxes, and why unequal shelf spacing that fits actual objects beats evenly spaced shelves that fit nothing.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I break up a concrete slab or base safely?
Working out what is under the slab before you start, choosing between a sledge, a breaker and a saw, the sequence that makes it far less work, and getting rid of the rubble.
advanced4 hr5 min readHow do I build a bin store?
Sizing it around the actual bins, the lid and access details that make it usable, and keeping rats, foxes and smell under control.
beginner5 hr3 min readHow do I clean wheelie bins and recycling boxes?
Cleaning outdoor bins so they stop smelling and attracting flies, and the habits that keep them manageable.
beginner40 min2 min readHow do I copy an angle that is not 90 degrees?
A sliding bevel copies an angle without ever measuring it in degrees. How to take an angle off a real corner, why a mitre in an out-of-square corner is cut at half the angle, and how to get that angle onto a mitre saw.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I cure concrete in hot or cold weather?
Why curing is about keeping water in rather than letting it dry, and the protection each temperature extreme needs.
intermediate30 min4 min readHow do I cut skirting for a corner that is not square?
Scribing handles any internal corner without measuring an angle at all, and external corners get a mitre cut to the true angle rather than an assumed forty-five degrees.
intermediate1 hr5 min readHow do I cut through timber with nails or screws in it?
Which blades survive metal, why a carbide-tipped wood blade is exactly the wrong choice, and the alternative of removing the fixing first.
intermediate20 min3 min readHow do I deal with a cupped, bowed or twisted board?
Naming the four kinds of distortion, deciding which are worth correcting, and the machining and fixing tricks that use a bad board anyway.
intermediate30 min4 min readHow do I dig a post hole in hard or stony ground?
Getting a post hole into clay, stone, rubble or compacted ground with hand tools, and the point at which the tool has to change.
intermediate1 hr4 min readHow do I finish the raw edge of a sheet of board?
Edge banding, solid lipping and sealing for paint — which to use where, how each is actually applied, and why the edge is the part of a board that fails first.
intermediate40 min5 min readHow do I fit a hollow wall anchor properly?
The metal anchor with folding legs that stays in the wall when you take the screw out — how to set one without a special tool, and the two things that ruin it.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I fit a shower riser rail, and what if the bracket keeps slipping?
Setting the height so the tallest user clears the head, drilling into tile without cracking it, and fixing a slipping handset bracket properly.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I fix an integrated appliance door that drags or has come loose?
The two fixing systems used to hang a cabinet door on a dishwasher, fridge or washing machine, and how to reset one so the door lines up with the rest of the kitchen.
intermediate1 hr4 min readHow do I fix into a hollow or perforated brick?
Modern bricks are often half void. How to recognise one while you are drilling, why ordinary plugs fail in them, and the two fixings that work.
intermediate40 min3 min readHow do I get at the waste and trap under a shower tray?
Working out whether your tray has access at all, the three routes to a trap that is buried, and the removable-waste designs that avoid the problem entirely.
intermediate1 hr4 min readHow do I get long timber home in a car?
The four ways to get lengths home, how to secure them so they cannot move, and the point at which having it cut or delivered is simply the right answer.
beginner20 min5 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.