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Advice needed: Wooden window protection
Hi All, Last week I sanded down my wooden windows, it had dark teak woodstain on them, after hours of sanding and being covered in dust I have them back to the original wood, to my delight the wood has come out really well. The original idea was to re stain them dark but me and my wife really like the natural light wood…
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loft hatch and boarding
The survey on my house said the loft insulation was satisfactory but that ventilation was not, and advised ventilating roof tiles be fitted. The loft hatch is small, but there is only approx 3 inches space to widen it. Is there a rough cost for widening this and boarding the loft so that it can be used for storage? would…
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Need advice on next steps
I live in a 3 bed semi, with a carport attached. The carport is not attached to any house other than mine, and there's a gap between it and the next building (stand alone garages). It is a single garage size and can fit a car in, just, it is a step down from the house with a slabbed floor, fencing for walls and a…
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Horses kept next to home
Hello, we have woodland/field directly behind our back garden with a stable block built against out fence. The stable has been vacant for a long time. The owner now plans to sell the land but would like to keep the stables in case someone purchases who would like to keep livestock and/or horses. My question is anyone aware…
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Re-varnishing floors (pine, epoxy varnish)
I originally cleaned floorboards with a mixture of caustic soda and wallpaper paste and a light sand to give it a more rustic look. I tried using a big sanding machine in my room and it was a nightmare. I then used an epoxy 2 part varnish. I ended up with practically the same finish and it was a lot cheaper and did not…
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Advice on 2 rooms that need updating.
Hello. Over the next 2 weeks my partner and myself we be decorating her parents kitchen and athen the living/lounge room. Her parents are in their mid 70's and not to mobile so they will be going away for the 2 weeks as we think it would be safer for them. Lounge room. They have a 3.5 X 3.5 metre with a bay window. As you…
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Ancient gas meter
I've got an ancient prepayment gas meter in my house. A boiler repair man mentioned that I maybe ought to get a new one fitted. Who do I contact? I don't pay for gas to the gas board but Bulb Energy. Should I contact them or someone else? And will I have to pay for the new meter? Thanks
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Shower mix tap expanding and jamming
We have a fairly standard shower mixer tap – one tap to turn on and adjust water flow, and the other tap adjusts temperate. Before turning it on, the water temperature tap is adjustable (if a little stiff). However, once the shower is on, it’s only possible to turn it one way (to make it hotter). It gets jammed, and it’s…
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siemens oven
Anyone know how to clean the internal glass in Siemens oven. We cant seem to get to it
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Converting a pond into seating area
Hi I have an idea for a pond to turn it into a sunken seating area. Has anyone done this? I think it will be a big job but I want to do as much as I can myself to save money. It doesn't have to be perfect as it may get ripped out in a few years when we redo the garden fully. I just wanted to make the pond useful until…
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Garage conversion now & building on top in the future
Hi everyone. Just looking for advice around garage conversion & building on top of garage. We currently have a garage (attached to the house) that is in a relatively good condition, and we're thinking of converting it to an extra room. We're also thinking of building another room on top of the garage itself. We want to do…
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Kitchen advice
Hi, Just about to pull the trigger on a diykitchen. Having trouble working out what size cooker hood. I have a 40cm base and wall unit then 900 pan drawers with a 60cm hob. Then again 40cm base and wall unit. The cooker hood we want is a chimney style with curved glass. Do I get the 60cm one which leaves a 15cm between the…
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Brick Tinting Services, Any Good?
Having some problems with bricks on the side of the house crumbling and blowing out however, the installation of a strip drain has stopped the problem getting any worse. I would love to clean up the mess of the damage, the house was built before they started using engineering bricks for the bottom. I have been turned down…
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Neighbors tree
My neighbors garden is filthy and full of weeds. Normally the weeds just die out in winter but one of them grew next to the house and my fence (it’s a terrace house), and it looks like it’s a proper young tree. I know that having trees close to the foundation is not good and it can damage theirs and mine, as it is…
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Bathroom refit with separate shower installation
Hi, I'm getting a full bathroom refit (everything stripped out and new sink/toilet/bath, new tiles, new flooring etc fitted) next month but the fitter doesn't do electrical work, so I'll need to get an electrician in separately to fit a new electric shower. I'm looking for advice as to when to get the electrician in. Would…
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Immersion heater not heating up overnight
Hi I have a problem with my immersion heater. It runs on an economy 7 tariff overnight. It heats water when the boost is on but doesn’t heat water overnight – hasn’t done for a couple of months. I have just had the element to the economy 7 unit replaced by a plumber but there is still no hot water in the morning until I…
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Sliding glass door
As part of our ongoing renovations we are opening our kitchen up in to our dining room. We want to have a sliding frosted-glass door to close off the kitchen when required. It will be a standard width opening (76cm approx) and we would like a soft close fitting. Can anyone recommend somewhere online we can get a frosted…
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How do you clean 2nd floor sash windows without falling out of the window?
That's it really, I can't find a window cleaner. I've just had them painted (I asked if the painter could clean them, which he did, with white spirit so they need doing again) one couldn't be bothered to turn up, the one who did turn up used a brush with a hose and just water, which wasn't great as it left water marks and…
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Doors and frames painting problem
I had new doors and door frames / architrave fitted upstairs and am finding them a nightmare to paint. I made the mistake of having bare wood frames etc (complete with knots) which I have undercoated and sanded 3 times and the wood is still showing through. I used that stuff on the knots first and then a primer and…
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Shower knob spinning
Hi, We have a poorly shower. Shower has 2 knobs- one changes temperature, the other turns on/off and diverts between shower head and rainfall shower. The shower looks like this https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/milan-square-thermostatic-bar-shower-valve-riser-kit-chrome (but not sure of exact model/ manufacturer). On/off…
