Why have my galvanised screws gone rusty?
The four ways a zinc coating stops protecting — thickness, damage, treated timber and contact with another metal — and what to specify next time.
beginner12 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
Why have my screws stained the wood black around them?
Iron reacting with tannin makes a permanent black stain in oak, cedar and chestnut — why it happens, which timbers do it, and how to lift the marks that are already there.
beginner30 min3 min readWhy is my circular saw cutting at a slight angle instead of square?
Five causes of an out-of-square cut, how to check the blade against the shoe properly, and why a bevel detent that reads zero is not proof of anything.
beginner20 min3 min readWhy is my jigsaw cutting at an angle instead of square?
Blade flex, a shoe knocked off its detent, and the blade guide roller — the three causes of a cut that is not square through the edge.
beginner15 min3 min readWood filler or wood stopping — which do I need?
Two products with almost the same name doing different jobs: one is for repairs that will be painted, the other for small defects in wood that will be stained or varnished.
beginner15 min4 min readCan I skim over a painted wall, or does the paint have to come off?
The paint types that can be skimmed over safely, the ones that guarantee a failure, and how to decide when the wall should be re-boarded instead.
intermediate40 min4 min readFelt, EPDM or corrugated sheets — what should I put on a shed roof?
What each shed roof covering actually costs you in life, labour and pitch, and the two questions — roof pitch and deck condition — that decide most of it.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I clean skirting boards?
Getting the dust and scuff marks off skirting boards quickly, and the trick that keeps them clean for longer.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I drill a deep hole without the bit binding or wandering?
Why long holes jam and curve, and the peck-drilling, pilot and alignment routine that keeps them straight.
intermediate20 min3 min readHow do I fit a coach screw properly?
The pilot hole, clearance hole and washer a coach screw needs, and why a spanner rather than a drill drives them.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I fit a plaster ceiling rose?
Centring it properly in a room that is not square, fixing a heavy plaster moulding to a ceiling so it stays up, and getting the light fitting back through the middle without cracking it.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I fix a gate that drags or will not shut?
Diagnosing whether a gate has dropped, the post has moved, or the timber has swollen — and fixing each.
intermediate1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I fix into a concrete ceiling or soffit?
Reinforcement, overhead resin technique and the fixings rated for suspended loads — plus when to stop and get advice.
intermediate40 min4 min readHow do I glue rubber so the repair does not just peel off?
Rubber flexes, and every ordinary adhesive is at its weakest in peel — which is why a rubber repair that looks perfect lifts at one corner a week later.
intermediate30 min5 min readHow do I lay the first row of flooring against a wall that is not straight?
Scribing the first row to the wall so the floor is straight even though the wall is not — and why laying the first row to the wall is the mistake.
intermediate1 hr5 min readHow do I lift a stuck manhole cover?
Freeing a cover that has been sealed by rust, mortar or paint, without breaking it or the frame, and putting it back so it lifts next time.
beginner45 min5 min readHow do I make a plunge cut with a circular saw?
Starting a cut in the middle of a board: how to pivot the saw in on the front of the shoe, how far the cut overruns at each end, and when to use something else entirely.
advanced20 min4 min readHow do I make an access hatch in a floor for pipes or cables?
A permanent, screwed-down access panel over a stop valve, a leaking joint or a junction, cut so the deck around it is not weakened and the panel does not rock or creak.
intermediate1 hr 15 min3 min readHow do I pull nails out without damaging the timber?
Levering against a block, rolling rather than pulling, and the punch-through method for nails whose heads have gone.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I read a vernier or digital caliper?
The four measurements one caliper takes, how a vernier scale is actually read, and the handling errors that make a precision tool give sloppy numbers.
intermediate20 min4 min readHow do I replace a spiral balance on a sash window?
Telling a spiral balance sash from a corded one, matching a replacement on length and load, and winding the new one to the right tension so the sash stays where you put it.
intermediate1 hr 15 min4 min readHow do I service an up-and-over garage door?
The half-hour of cleaning, lubricating and checking that keeps an up-and-over door light, quiet and lasting — and the balance test that tells you when to call someone.
beginner1 hr5 min readHow do I stop water running off my drive onto the road or next door?
Why a drive sheds water where it does, the four interventions that change it, and the legal position on water leaving your land.
intermediate1 hr6 min readHow do I take a uPVC or composite door off its hinges?
Identifying which of the three hinge types you have, releasing each one correctly, and marking the adjustment settings so the door goes back exactly where it was.
intermediate30 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.