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Shower Screen
I am looking for any suggestions as how to improve the current screen we have. You will see from the pics that it is a fold screen. the problem with it is that sometimes it leaks. Is there anything else, apart from ripping the bath out?
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a new bath or a new suite? advice please!
Hi, Would be grateful for any advice or views please. We are upgrading our bathroom, keeping it traditional in style with the house. The current sink and loo are fine but will need to be taken off as we need to replaster. The bath is very scratched and we definately want to change the bath along with some new taps etc to…
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Full electrical rewire - anything missing?
Currently getting a couple of quotes for a full re-wire of a 1940s house. Some of the original wiring is still in use and there is some dodgy electrical DIY that has been done over the years. I've put together a specification - is there anything glaringly obvious that I've missed or any improvements that you can recommend?…
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painting chipboard flooring?
My hallway has bare chipboard flooring which we'd like to eventually carpet over or put an acrylic/vinyl covering on, but at the moment we've not got the funds to do so.. so I was wondering how to make it look a bit better in the meantime. Does anyone know, is there a paint that would be suitable for using on a chipboard…
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Smoke leaking in from next door
We have just had new neighbours and they seem to smoke quite heavily because a strong smell of cigarettes is getting through into our upstairs bedrooms. The house is semi-detached, and the bedroom floor has joists running parallel to the front of the house, and (from memory) they run through the adjoining wall for the full…
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woodworm and damp
Haven't been on this forum in months as have been battling through my house purchase! Anyway, completing on fri, but we're not moving in straight away as we want to do some work on it. For information it is a 3 floor 1903 solid wall house. We have had a building survey and 2 damp surveys. First thing is treating various…
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How to get rid of burnt/smokey smell?!
Hope this is in the right place! The grill has been left on and whole house stinks! I've started by opening the doors and windows. What next?! :o
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shower flow rate/installation costs/regulations etc
bit of a long one this, with many "what ifs" but if you'll indulge me. I have recently moved into a new house (for me) and plan to re-do the bathroom in the next few months. the issue is the shower. the current electric one is OK, but the flow rate is terrible - though that doesn't surprise me. Its fed by a standard 6mm…
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Neighbours chimney in danger of falling.
My neighbours chimney is in a bad state of repair and is in danger of actually falling away from their property (this is a chimney breast that runs up the whole side of the neighbours house, the properties are detached but the space between our bungalow and the chimney is approx 3'). There is a visible gap between the…
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Rewiring houses - considerations?
We've recently moved into our first home and were looking to get some additional sockets put in, etc.. apparently our circuit board needs updating and, when considering the other costs of the work we want, we may be better off considering rewiring the house. I'm just trying to think through the knock-on effects and costs…
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Buying new carpet - replace underlay too?
Hi, We are hoping to put our flat up for sale next year sometime. We want to replace the carpet in the hall and lounge first, as it is looking a bit tatty now. Should we replace the underlay too? I don't want to spend unnecessary money, as we (hopefully) won't be here to get the use out if it. The carpet/underlay is 10…
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Painting ceilings
Not a how question. Just why! All the ceilings in my house are painted a different Colour to the walls. If the wall is buttermilk the celiling is brilliant white but if thr wall is white the celiling is light grey. Is this normal (I've never noticed it anywhere else) or is it just the old owners being lazy? Maybe it's a…
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Replace with new back boiler or new combi boiler?
We have just purchased a 1930s semi and it has a Baxi Bermuda back boiler. Unfortunately the boiler does not seem to be working as it has a leak. We have asked for some quotes to service and repair the boiler but the companies have recommended new combi boilers. I was surprised that they did not recommend a replacement…
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Programmable Radiator Valves
I notice these on sale for about £25 at B&Q. Also, some rather odd looking ones at Conrad electric on Amazon (Conrad are like a scaled up German version of Maplin). If these are reliable and last for 10 years or so, I could probably get my money back several times over. For example, the lounge radiators could be programmed…
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Leveling a Concrete Floor with Varying Depths
I'm converting a wet room back into a bathroom. It's a small room 3m x 3m, with a concrete floor. The floor levels vary from 75mm at the shower drain (far end) to about 10mm at the door end (a sort of wedge shape, getting narrower towards the door). I can't use screed at the door end because screed depth should be a min of…
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How do I use hot water tank system?
Hi everyone, I have just bought my first house, and am spending this week decorating and things before we move everything in on Friday. I am trying to figure out how to set the timer for the heating/hot water, and am currently printing off the manual(!) but the house has a hot water tank system. I've only ever lived with…
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Black & White self adhesive floor tiles - where to get them?
I'm looking to do my kitchen floor in a classic black and white checkerboard style in vinyl floor tiles (see pics for example). I've tried several online retailers, B&Q, wallsandfloors.co.uk etc, but no one seems to sell plain black self-adhesive vinyl tiles. I've managed to find white ones, but mostly everything else is…
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Garden waste disposal - brown lid bins
I have some narrow wood planks not really bulky, about less than a metre long and 3-4 inch wide and want to get rid of them. Am I ok to put them in the garden waste brown lid bin? Cheers
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Mould and damp meter readings - cause?
The DS is at uni and his basement room in a shared house is very damp and mouldy. It's a long-standing problem and after the previous tenants complained the room was stripped back to bare brick, "treated" (not sure what) and replastered about 4 weeks ago. The DS moved in 2 weeks ago and the room is already significantly…
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Harvey's HV3 water softener
Has anyone had any experience with this softener? I'm interested in getting the rental for £29 a month as the upfront cost I'm told is £1500 including installation. Would also be interested to know if anyone drinks softened water or whether you filter it...
