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Guttering/leaking pipes
Evening all, Just had an email from my landlady informing me next door have complained of water leaking into their bathroom from our property. She's asked me to check if the gutters are blocked. Is this as simple as looking at the guttering? And do I just unblock it if they are blocked? Sorry if this is a silly question, I…
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Council doesn't repair my water damage
I'm a Southwark council leaseholder. At some point in April a contractor from the council came and drilled some holes from the outside into my wall for filling in some insulation material. Early June I discovered that there must be a water leak and that my front kitchen wall is humid. Chances are that this comes from the…
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Staircase needs painting..help please
Ok, so we have a standard stair banister and rails which was varnished to a horrible medium brown colour and looks outdated. I want to spruce the hallway up and paint it white. Do I just need to clean, scrub, sand down lightly, prime and then paint? Or do I need to completely remove the varnish? (dreading that I have to!)…
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Garage conversion advice
Dear collective, How much does building regulation cost - I'd like to convert my single garage which is separate from my house, into an office. I require a simple conversion. But, will not be getting an architect to draw plans? How do I even go about it. I've been to the on line portal and they list what BR they would need…
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Double glazed window fitted with a large crack!
My installers fitted a window knowingly with a large crack. Has anyone had this happened to them. Surly, the window should have gone back to the manufacturer? I'm waiting for a panel to be fitted and I'm going to make a complaint. I'm just flabbergasted. I thought I'd picked a reasonable company.
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House locks
Hi, hope someone can help! Just in the process of buying my first house, i want to change the door locks (front door and Back french doors) just for peace and mind. A friend has told me about bump stop (correct me if im wrong) locks that are good... i have 2 questions 1. What is the best locks to buy for security and…
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Folding Wall
Has anyone install a folding wall in their home? I've had a look online and most suppliers seem to be for businesses, but has anyone installed one in their house? I want to be able to full close of the living room and dining room when required, and be able to fully open it up (bar the folded doors) when I want the whole…
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Bathroom
Hi a friend has asked me to find out the best / cheap place to get a bathroom suite from? I said not from B&Q due to quality and getting spares later on Ideas please
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How long should sealant around bath on new bathroom last?
We had our (tiny) bathroom redone in March 2013 - new bath, loo and sink and the whole room tiled. Over the last month I have noticed that the sealant around the bath is starting to pull away from the tiles around the bath and sink. It looks like it was only covering the bottom of the tiles on the wall by a millimetre or…
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Electric Fires - Noisy? Expensive?
I am looking to install a fireplace in my lounge as it is looking rather bare without one. I am undecided which is the better option gas or electric. I am currently swaying towards electric - as it is safer to have on around a toddler. Prices seem to be lower, plus I don't NEED heat, just an ornament in the room. Does…
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home alarm and CCTV system
Are there any decent, easy to set up home alarm and/orCCTV systems for home use you'd recommend? moving soon and just want to be as safe as possible (even though its a very safe area) Or are these things better left to professionals to fit?
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Removing radiator with TRV & 5p trick - how?
We need to remove a radiator which has a TRV on in order to decorate. I'd like to check i've got the process correct. I removed one at the turn of the year but it resulted in me doing it wrong & landed me with an £80 call out charge for a plumber. Something i'd like to not be repeating, but i can't remember how it's…
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what type of boiler in house I'm buying?
Will soon be moving house and the place we are buying has an old boiler in the kitchen (boxed in), and a copper cylinder in an airing cupboard upstairs, and 2 water tanks in the loft. I'm expecting to need to replace the boiler at some point, if I get a combi boiler will removing everything be a pain?
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SDS drill advice needed
Hi everyone, I need to hack off about 40 metres of plaster up to 1.2m and then drill holes in the brick mortar all the way round (I'm damp proofing and doing this bit of the job myself saves me over £500!) My research has led me to the conclusion I need an sds drill with rotary stop but as there about 50 million available…
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Squeaky Stairs and Flooring
Hi All, I have very squeaky stairs and a number of uneven floorsboards within my house. The problem is that the areas in question have carpet over them which has got a reasonable amount of life left in it. Is it possible to correct these issues? Thanks in advance.
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Venetian blinds - what/where/how
Looking for venetian blinds, large wood slats, but the window is very wide - 240cm across with 160cm drop - so concerned that wood would be too heavy to operate easily. Not keen on metal, unless it's changed from the old clanging aluminium that my grandparents had. Are there any other materials to consider? Faux wood tends…
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Cost Query
Dear fellow MSE peeps! The house I recently purchased had a garage, that the previous owner turned into a cinema room. They did this by installing a stud wall just behind the garage door, and then raised the floor so that it is level with the remainder of the house. There is also a door to the house, and the room has…
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Lamona appliances
Hi, I have seen many threads about Lamona appliances but am confused about whether to go ahead with getting these. They have been thrown in with my kitchen so I can save on buying appliances right now but if they are as unreliable as I read, then maybe it is still not worth it? I have also seen read that they are made by…
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Extending garden into fields, planning?
DH has acquired land to the rear of her home. They want to change the use of some of this to create a larger garden as it's now a big house with a very small rear garden. Can anyone suggest any issues she will have with the local authority. IE are there limits etc to what can be changed to garden? I'm off to search out…
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Looking to buy a property, have noticed a few things. Advice please.
Hi everybody, Went to view a house yesterday, which I thought was great, and I am know considering an offer. However, there are a couple of things: All the ceilings upstairs are covered in artex, and all of them have cracks along the curved edges. Could this be a sign of movement in the house ceiling, or just the artex? To…
