How do I level kitchen units on their adjustable legs?
Working from the high point of the floor, why every unit is set to the worktop line rather than to the floor, and how to stop a unit rocking for good.
beginner1 hr4 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 make a template for an awkward shape?
When a shape has too many angles to measure, copy it instead. Card and hardboard templates, the tick-stick method for a shape you cannot get a sheet into, and how to transfer the template without losing the accuracy you just gained.
intermediate45 min4 min readHow do I mix and use two-part epoxy properly?
Getting the ratio and mixing right, why pot life is not working time, and the surface preparation that decides whether epoxy holds.
intermediate25 min4 min readHow do I punch and fill nail heads in trim so they disappear?
Choosing the punch size, how deep to set the head, and the filling and priming sequence that keeps the repair invisible under paint.
beginner25 min3 min readHow do I put a shed on a sloping garden?
Cut-and-fill versus a stilted base, why filled ground is the one you must not build on, and getting a level platform on a slope that stays level.
intermediate8 hr5 min readHow do I re-putty a timber window?
Raking out failed putty without cracking the glass, priming the rebate, and getting a straight fillet by hand.
intermediate3 hr4 min readHow do I remove paint from a brick wall?
Whether the paint should come off at all, the four removal methods ranked by how much brick they take with them, and why a whole house is a specialist job.
advanced5 hr4 min readHow do I repair a hole in a hollow core door?
Filling a hole in a door with nothing behind it, using expanding foam as a backing, and being honest about when replacement is cheaper.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I replace a broken pane of greenhouse glass?
Getting the old glass and the clips out safely, measuring for a replacement, and refitting so the pane sits square and the overlap sheds water.
intermediate1 hr6 min readHow do I seal where bathroom wall panelling meets a bath or shower tray?
Why a panelled wall behaves differently from tiles at the bottom edge, the end profiles and trims that belong in that joint, and getting the sequence right so water cannot get behind the panel.
intermediate45 min4 min readHow do I snap a chalk line straight?
The fastest way to mark a straight line over any distance. How to snap it without the line bowing, which chalk colour to use where, and the trick for a line longer than your reach.
beginner10 min4 min readHow do I solder electronics without making a mess of it?
Tinning the tip, heating the joint rather than the solder, and recognising a cold joint. Plus lead-free, flux, extraction, and the handful of things that make the difference between a joint that lasts and one that fails intermittently.
intermediate10 min5 min readHow do I stop a wooden gate warping?
Why a gate twists or sags, the difference between a racked frame and a warped board, and the brace direction that actually resists it.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I store timber so it does not warp?
Flat support, air on all faces, and matching the timber to the moisture of the room it will live in.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I take flat-pack furniture apart without wrecking it?
The order that keeps chipboard intact, how to release cams and back panels without tearing them, and an honest view of what survives a second assembly.
beginner1 hr5 min readHow do I use a belt sander without gouging the wood?
The tool that removes more material than any other hand-held sander, and the four habits — keep it moving, never tip it, work at an angle, finish elsewhere — that stop it wrecking the surface.
intermediate30 min4 min readHow do I use a speed square?
It is a saw guide first and a marking tool second. How the lipped fence turns a wobbly freehand crosscut into a square one, how to read the degree scale, and what the pivot point is for.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I use candles and open fires safely in winter?
Candles and open fires cause a disproportionate share of UK winter house fires, and almost all of it comes down to what is near them and whether anyone is in the room.
beginner20 min6 min readHow do I use spray adhesive without it going everywhere?
The difference between the temporary and permanent grades, how to spray one face or two for different results, and how to contain the overspray that ruins everything nearby.
beginner20 min4 min readHow long should new render or mortar dry before I paint it?
Why fresh cement-based surfaces destroy ordinary paint, what governs the waiting time, and the test that tells you whether the wall is genuinely ready.
beginner8 min3 min readHow many metres does a cartridge of sealant or adhesive actually do?
Coverage is decided by the cross-section of the bead, which changes with the square of the nozzle size — which is why a slightly bigger nozzle halves the length you get.
beginner10 min3 min readHow tight should a bolt be, and how do I avoid over-tightening it?
A bolt is a stretched spring, not a clamp you squeeze harder. What tight actually means, how to judge it by feel, and where a torque figure is not optional.
beginner12 min3 min readIs laminated glass or security film worth fitting?
What each one actually does to a pane, where the difference matters, and the two or three windows in a typical house where it is worth the money.
intermediate1 hr 30 min5 min readShould I cap an unused chimney, and how do I stop it going damp?
Why a disused flue must be ventilated at both ends rather than sealed, the difference between a solid cap and a vented cowl, and what to leave for whoever owns the house next.
intermediate45 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.