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In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

Archives for May 2011

EPDM draft seal
hi all just want to say quick this forum great. can anyone help im looking into buying this for doing my whole house with but before i commit could anyone give me anymore info on it please ebay number 250816485508 thanks :beer:
Kerb dropping / vehicle crossover
Hope someone can help! In brief, we have lived in our home for 6 years, it has a hard standing carriage driveway (entrance & exit) which has been in place for probably around 25 years. The entrance has a dropped kerb, but the exit does not. Our neighbours to either side have the same in/out driveway. One neighbour is…
Old oven stuck in kitchen carcass
Hi folks, We inherited an oven with our house, and it has recently given up the ghost. As it is wired with a plug, I thought it would be a simple task to swap out with a new one. However, the old one doesn't want to be removed. The usual screws that would normally hold it in place are missing, but when 'tugged' the oven…
Squeezing in an upstairs bathroom
I have just bought a house with a typical layout of bathroom tacked on to rear of kitchen downstairs. Upstairs are three good-sized double bedrooms and someone has already put a cloakroom in bed 3. I much prefer an upstairs bathroom and think that most do where possible. I could extend the cloakroom to fit a bath and still…
Leaking hot water cylinder - Essex Flange
Hi all Just after a bit of advice. I've got a leak on my hot water cylinder, which I have identified as coming from the fitting of the Essex Flange, the hot water feed for the power shower pump. It's not leaking a massive amount, but will no doubt get worse. My personal opinion, from what I have read up on this fitting, is…
Plumber or electrician? Or both?
Hi everyone, just looking for a bit of advice please. I want to install an electric shower as at the moment, we have an aged mixer taps shower combo which is not really much good. OK, so I've bought the electric shower and the cable from the airing cupboard is already threaded behind the plasterwork to the fuse box…
Boiler pressure gauage is too how. Help! How to get it to normal.
Our hotwater and central heating combi boiler is over/high the limit for the pressure and is in the red. Usually when it is below pressure we turn on a tap underneath the boiler and this moves the needle back to normal setting. This time it is the opposite and is too high. Outside we can see that there is water dripping…
New windows and doors - paying for the fitting separately?
My son has just moved into something of a money pit and one of the first items on his extensive 'to do' list is to replace the windows and doors. Sensibly, he has approached local companies and now has, I think, received 4 quotes. They are all around the £5,500 mark but the latest one he has received is for just over 4K,…
Rubber Wall Sound Insulation
Recently on DIY SOS on BBC-1 the team fitted rubber linings to both walls and floors in a house to sound proof the rooms and I guess add insulation to reduce heating bills. I have tried to find where to get this stuff from but to no avail'. Can someone please point me in the right direction.
About to install a claokroom toilet ...
Hi peeps ... just about to embark on a project to install a downstairs toilet. Length of room 170cm, width 70cm Got a tight budget to work with. Any tips on close coupled toilet etc. I expect the max projection I can work with is 60cm? I am thinking of going onto Ebay to make purchases more cost effictively? any tips…
Cheapest basic 60cm touch control glass/ceramic built in hob
DD wants a basic 60cm touch control glass/ceramic built in hob. She has a sealed electric one in her new home & hates it. A local store wants £229.00 for a Beko. Anyone know any better deals?
Oak too far?
I am having problems sorting out the flooring downstairs in the new build. It was decided to have oak engineered flooring throughout the open plan part but with marmoleum in the kitchen area. The kitchen is oak. But the engineered foor is 18mm thick and getting the kitchen part of the floor up to close tothat is proving…
What to put under a children's climbing frame?
My first post :) We are in a bit of a dilemma. We have just bought a used heavy duty climbing frame (so heavy it takes the weight of adults and doesn't need anchoring). It will take up most of our garden space at one side of the house. Ideally want grass as wood mulch will attract cat poo, rubber mulch is still mulch and…
Mixer shower problem
Hi, We moved to the new house a few months ago and had a Mira mixer shower which had never worked since we moved in. The house has a cold water tank on the loft and a hot water in the airing cabinet which is on the same level as the shower. I got a plumber from myhammer and he suggested to buy a Triton luca shower,…
Roofguard Solutions - Finlock Guttering Removal
Hi all, Just looking at having the finlock guttering removed from our house and got a quote by a company called Roofguard solutions ( I think they are based in bromsgrove) I cant find anything about them on the web and was wondering if anyone had herd of them, knew if they were any good etc etc. Just to say that the quote…
Loft insulation via walk-in surveyor?
Hi All, Spent really cold nights last winter especially upstairs, i believe it's definitely because of insulation and i already had plan to do it before this year's winter. Last week a surveyor knocked at my door from a company called SIG energy management. He said I’ve only 2-3 inches of insulation and it has to go up to…
Whitewashing pine furniture
I have a bed, chest of drawers and two bedside cabinets in orange coloured, matt varnished (I assume) PINE which I would like to white wash to give them a new lease of life. Is there a way to do this without spending hours sanding to within an inch of my life? Ideas gratefully received. Sophie
Calling all Twyford Geo 6 owners / shower experts!!
Hi all, I'm hoping you can help!! I've installed the shower trays for my shower enclosure (Twyford Geo 6 - which I went for in the end), however I am worried for the shower enclosure. What I need to know is - does the shower enclosure sit right on the very edge of the tray? I'm hoping it doesn't and that it comes in a…
Combi Boiler problem
Powermax 135 combi boiler only giving me lukewarm water. Just about warm enough to shower in. Is this likely to be anything I can fix myself or does it need an expert. I have a contract for repair, so not a financial issue so far, but could do without taking a day off work.
Assembled wardrobe
I am interested in Argos schreiber strafford assembed 3 door wardrobe catalogue no 643/7718. How do I make sure it will go up the stairs. My staircase is quite wide but when I had my schreiber wardrobes years ago although they came in three parts, they would not go up the stairs as they were too tall & the ceiling is quite…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
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Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

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