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Installing a LED mirror where a shaver point currently is in bathroom.
I've been trying to get a sparky to visit my house to install a LED mirror where a shaving point currently is (in an en-suite) for around 9 weeks now without success (? too small a job...). If this was in any other room I wouldn't have thought twice about doing it myself as I'm reasonably competent with the usual DIY…
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Wickes kitchen cabinet - robust
We have a Wickes kitchen installed and I have on a few occasions knocked pans, plates on the cabinets by accident and they don't chip/scratch (the same cannot be said about the composite worktop though. When I compare this to our bedroom wardrobes which are bespoke, I think they used MDF and they chip easily. What material…
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How are you coping with the inability to get a tradesperson out?
I'm going absolutely insane from this. I wonder if it's the nature of the main job I have, which is to remove my ensuite bathroom and dividing wall to open my bedroom out that is too fiddly for someone to do, but I am at my wits end about it. I contacted someone with great reviews on google, who after a couple of weeks…
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Opening enclosed stairs
The house we bought a couple of years ago used to have a small square entry with stairs immediately in front and a door to the living room to the left. The previous owners put up a stud wall in the living room to create a hallway but left the stairs wall in place. Has anyone had experience of removing this wall and…
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Dehumidifier recommendations please
Hi all, For the past few years Ive had black mould spots all over the external wall in my bedroom. I try to keep on top of it by spraying bleach and wiping it, but that takes the paint off and the white wall now has smeared black patches. Ive bought a few of those little plastic dehumidifiers 99p each from Lidl. Ive put…
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Vaillant, Worcester-Bosch, Viessmann boilers
Which company makes reliable boilers these days? I've heard that the quality and reliability of Vaillant boilers have dropped. Is it worth paying the extra for Viessmann?
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Plastering question
We’ve got our hallway ready to plaster but 2 walls will need building out about 2 inches before the final skim goes on. Can’t remember the name of it. Maybe bonding? Will a plasterer be able to build the wall out the 2” needed and do the final top skim in a day, or does the bonding (I think?) need a certain amount of time…
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How can I effectively complain about London Council
I've been badly let down by my council and could do with some ideas on what next as my council has been useless and just drags its heals. The problem in a nutshell: Newish council tenant next door with antisocial behaviour - fly tipping on pavement outside, worsening use of front garden as rubbish dump (chairs, sofas,…
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Latent Defect - Plumbing Edition
Hello all, Hoping for some advice and guidance. Bought a new build from developer Dec 2018. In May 2020, the main bathroom leaked into the kitchen below. The developers sent a plumber who checked under the bath and said it was probably the waste pipe under the bath. They replaced that part. October 2020 a leak was detected…
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Cracked Quartz Worktop
Got an unsightly crack in my white worktop. The worktop is several years old & not covered by warranty. The hairline crack needs cleaning out, its full of debris. I've tried Ciff & the Pink Stuff but no luck. Any ideas what else I can use? I've googled & websites suggest using epoxy, resin or superglue to seal the crack.…
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Cracked clay pipe, sewage smell in kitchen. Disaster!?
So I've been told that the source of a sewage smell in my kitchen is as a result of a cracked clay pipe under the house. Apparently the whole kitchen needs digging up and remedial pipework laid / assessed. If it's not fixed it might back up too all be told. Worst case scenario is yes, the whole kitchen has to be removed…
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Electric 'stove lookalike' heaters - quality difference??
Anyone help with this? I intend to get one of these to replace an ageing gas fire. I find that the makes and models being offered by non-high street specialist outlets - e.g. ranges such as Gazco, ACR, Broseley - are all at sky high prices (£600 and way upwards) as compared with the modest sums being asked in places like…
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Surveyor quote expensive?
Just had a survey quote for a small one bed room flat via my agent. £390?? Does that seem a bit steep. This is in the South West, not London.
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Advice re unexpected trade waste
Hi all, Happy Friday. I had my old fireplace replaced yesterday - the whole thing was replaced; the fire, fire surround, fire hearth etc. This was done by a professional gas fire fitter. Today i walked outside of my property and realised that the fireplace fitter left the old fire / surround / all waste outside of my…
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Choosing a shower
Hello MSE'rs. Time for some advice again! I am intending to retrofit a thermostatic bar valve shower (unvented tank being fitted) but I am torn between a £700 option (rain shower), and a £400 (Euphoria) option. The heads are the same, and the bar mixer, but one has cool touch and the other doesn't. That is the only…
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How can I make kitchen bigger?
Hi! I am buying a new build and the kitchen is quite narrow in width, I’d love to be able to get a kitchen island in there and was wondering how I could expand the width to maximise space. I was thinking to knock down the walls into the hallway (since they are stud) and then create a smaller entrance hallway wall sealed…
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How to get rid of loft insulation?
Hi We have a load of loft insulation which is over the rafters in the garage, plan was to convert into a room but we are looking to move so I putting the garage back to being a garage. Its a fair amount, 300mm deep and the garage is 5m x 3m. Nothing wrong with it, probably a year old. It came compressed so am I best to try…
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TV aerial
Hello - we moved into a new house recently and it doesn’t have the type of TV aerial point I’m used to seeing. These two cables are all we have. Does anyone know how I can plug them into my TV to get terrestrial TV, or are they old Virgin cables or something else? There appears to be an aerial on the roof. Thank you!
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WiFi switch
Has anyone come across WiFi controlled double gang switch, preferable if they are two way along with manual over ride. I can find sockets but not switches.
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White ceiling
Hi all Moved recently. Dark hall as lack of windows. Very old house. Ceiling is good quality embossed wallpaper painted white. We are going to paint walls much lighter colour than present. But started ceiling with good quality dulux and not made noticeable difference. Did a patch with 2 coats and no difference. As I said…
