-
Cavity Wall Insulation Rant - Short
I know that it's nice to get free stuff or at least subsidised. I know that the utility companies have been told to spend some brass and get everybodies house insulated. But I'm fed up with cold callers trying to push cavity wall insulation on me. I know that they are only doing their job but a few hours in a classroom…
-
Log Burning Stove Quote Croydon
Hi, I've just ordered a survey for installation of a log burning stove from a company I found on google for ball park figure of £2,000 - £2,600 to include the stove and liner etc. I don't really have much experience in this department being fairly new to home owning and wondered if this was reasonable. Also, if anybody…
-
Programmable Thermostat
I have a conventional boiler (not combi) and currently have a programmable unit by the boiler which controls the times that the hot water and central heating come on. I also have a thermostat in the living room. Would it be an easy job to replace the room thermostat with a programmable thermostat so that the temperature on…
-
paint or varnish?
I have just bought a large flower box (trough) for the garden it's a used one and currently varnished but looks like it needs a spruce up. Should I give it a coat of varnish or would I be better off painting it, I'm thinking if its painted I could give it a quick re-coat every year to keep the weather from rotting it, but…
-
Possible to re-floor a shed?
I've just cleaned out my chicken shed, which is a converted 6' x 8' standard apex-roof shed, though the roof has been replaced with bitumen roofing panels to provide ventilation & stop red mite setting up home under the roofing felt. Because I was working flat out for a year, it hadn't been done for far too long; the mice…
-
Noisy toilet flush
Recently moved in and one of the toilets is like a foghorn after flushing. I'm not sure if it is the fill valve, the fill rate is fine but the noise has 2 characteristics. Immediately after flushing the noise begins and the pipes do seem to vibrate, so much so i think the rubber washer the is seated at the bottom of the…
-
how to remove pvc kitchen back door
hi , we are looking to move some white goods through the back entrance and may need to remove the door. it isn't totally clear to me how i might remove the door. there are some hinges which have an allen key (see pic). would it be as simple as undoing them ?
-
Beech Worktop Treatment
I've just acquired a piece of solid beech 40mm thick worktop, that I am using to build a breakfast bar. I want to sand it down and retreat it. Views on what to use seem to differ after a quick google search. I've had some good recommendations in the past with stains from here such as Osmo door oil etc which I was delighted…
-
internal wall repair
Hi, I hope someone can help!! I removed an internal stone wall and replaced with concrete joist overlapping 150 mm either end. Joists running opposed to concrete. Joist wall span 4.9 mtrs was 3mtr + 1.9mtr. Do I need building regs?
-
telephone is not ringing when calls come in
my house phone is not ringing when calls come in. I can ring out no problem. I rang bt and the line was checked and appears to be ok. Was told it could be a internal problem in the property? Not sure what to do next.
-
Cleaning a Magnaclean
The house i moved into earlier this year has a magnaclean fitted. I want to clean it out and add some inhibitor while I'm on. I've got the instructions for what to do.... the only thing that's stopping me is fear of it leaking afterwards as the internet is full of stories about them! Mine's the original Magnaclean (fitted…
-
Timber frame windows
Hi, we're taking on a barn conversion on a very tight budget. We recently found out that we have to have timber frame windows (despite no other houses in the area having them and its not a listed building either) and we're aware that they are much more expensive than UPVC. Does anyone have any tips on buying timber frame…
-
Getting rid of cooking smells
My niece has just returned to university for her final year in a shared property. They moved in on yesterday, but have noticed a smell throughout the house. It seems to be african cooking/meat from the previous student occupants. I visited yesterday and its really overpowering. They left the windows open most of the day,…
-
Help choosing a new combi boiler
Hi there Looking for some advice on buying a new combi boiler for my sons house Looking for a decent boiler, Worcester or Vaillant but not sure which one will do Money is tight, as usual, so looking to save, but not at the expense of quality. His house is a 3 bed semi, poor external walls, good roof/windows Looking at…
-
Heating thermostat options
Hi I've been told by a gas fitter that wireless thermostats are unreliable and that it would be better to have a wired-in one. This would involve a lot of upheaval removing furniture etc. Couldn't the existing programmer in the hall be replaced with a combined prog/timer? Thank you.
-
How to check if loft conversion is regulatory standard?
Hi, we're thinking of moving into a bigger house. The new house has a loft conversion. The loft is very well decorated and is about 2 metres high if not a big more, but the entrance is a ladder and not stairs. It being just a ladder got me thinking about if it meets regulatory standards. Is there rules about height or…
-
East London Roofer Recommendations
Can anyone recommend a good roofer in London who can replace the flashing and gutters on my London (butterfly) roof? It's a 3 storey house so I'm pretty sure we're going to need scaffolding.
-
Flats question
We live opposite small block of flats. We are trying to sort out an issue that is affecting our house with these flats. We have contacted the owners (freeholders) who built the flats - about the issue. They have said all the flats are sold and the managing agents have the responsibility. So who is responsible? I am…
-
New ball valve fitted to cold water tank - question.
Hi, the ball valve on my cold water tank in the roofspace failed, so I replaced it tonight. It seems to be connected up OK. However the water level is quite high. It's about 3mm below the overflow. It does stop there though. I've read on other forums to bend the arm downwards, but this seems like a bad idea - I know I'll…
-
Cracked bathroom tile
I was about to prepare the bathroom window sill for silicone sealant, having painted the walls and noticed that a tile is cracked. In summary, the wall up to the window sill is tiled, and the window sill is tiled, with a plastic edging strip at the join. The left most tile on the window sill is cracked (several irregular…
