In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

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Hi Have brown stain on ceiling from a leak. Have painted over it still shows. Whats best stain blocker on a budget to buy that works as are so expensive.

On the front external wall under the window: I had a mains box mounted onto the plasterboard. After I had the plasterboard replaced I thought it would be a good idea to use a back box that mounts into the plasterboard, like this: Now I'm wondering if this is a bad idea to install it on an external wall? I'm not sure how…

Hi, I have only 75mm of insulation and in one area none at all. I use gas for hot water & heating. I was looking to improve my loft insulation, but I was shocked by the quotation I have received. Has anyone else calculated how long it would take to break even? I estimate 10+ years :-(

Hi all, I’ve been sitting on this stable renovation for two years now, and the delay has made it more challenging than I expected. The reason for the holdup? I’ve been busy with a garage renovation, which is now 90% complete. But it’s time to shift gears and get this stable sorted before it falls apart! Current Condition:…

I noticed rising damp in the corner of the living room (terraced house party wall). It seems to be coming from under the stairs so I took off the wooden board which hides the underside of the stairs. The 2 wooden "struts" either side are rotten from the base up. Is this dry rot , wet rot , woodworm or something else. Can I…

I don't know how to investigate this. My lodger and I have both had an annoying, irritant dry cough for a couple of weeks now. I went to the doctor who pronounced me healthy and it must be an allergy. I haven't had any work done in the house for months, I haven't bought any new furnishings and I've lived here 4 years. If I…

I have architects plans for a granny flat. But I am wondering if I can save a bit of money by doing some of the donkey work myself then getting contractors in to do the rest. The work is turning the garage, the existing kitchen behind that, and the existing utility room behind that into a granny flat. The rest of the…

Hello, am re-laying my patio in a new design and need to cut a number of slabs to fit. I have tried using the grinder I use to cut bricks and block (Erbauer Masonry Diamond blade), but it is really struggling to cut much at all. Does anyone have any advice for how to efficiently cut these slabs with a grinder? Do I just…

I need to replace a double bed with a single bed but it's many years since I bought a bed. I looked on the Dreams website as a starting point and they have so many to choose from I don't know where to start. Can anyone give me advice please on what sort of things I should take into account when buying (a) a bed base and…

Hi, I’ve got these old, rugged brick-effect tiles in my backyard. I think they’re probably 30–40 years old. They seem to be cemented/bedded down, currently weed growing in joints. The whole area is looking quite messy now, and I’ve started removing some of the border tiles. I’m trying to work out the best approach before I…

Is there such a thing as a movement-activated security camera you can fix up inside the house, needing no special wiring, but which records onto a chip you can then remove and put in your computer to watch? I want one without any subscription. I have seen the adverts for the Remi Safeview product which has some of these…

Hi Had my boiler moved from kitchen to bedroom today and after he moved it the engineer tells me boiler doesn't work and that it was due to a fault on the boiler (it's 3 years old). They are asking me to pay the bill but tell me boiler is still under warranty so they will come back and repair boiler at no extra cost. They…

How does the price of ceramic tiles compare to sheet vinyl? I'm guessing there's a bigger cost to fitting tiles.

It's Worcester - in my new house - with Drayton controller and wireless thermostat: The thermostat is very primitive, and I want a programmable or a smart one to be able to control the temperature 24x7. What are my options? In the old house I had a basic boiler, Y system, mechanical thermostat and a programmable timer…

Microwave switches on then turned off immediately. Double socket radio works but makes a crackle sound. No tripping . Is it due to loose connections or faulty socket. How much to expect for call out? Thanks

I am going to put both floor and wall kitchen units on a stud wall. Does the plasterboards need skimming before the units go in? Or can the units be put directly on the stud wall?

Hi all, Id like to get a security cam system for the house. Perhaps 2 or 4 cameras - with audio, that alerts me on my phone if it detects something. Also a doorbell camera with intercom. Does anyone have any recommendations? Is it worth going to a security company to fit all this and get advice?

We have an Airbnb apartment which is attached to one end of the house. For historical reasons the apartment is heated via radiators using the boiler in the main house so when we have guests, we need to remember to have the heating in case they are not as used to Highland temperatures as we are! At the moment I am…

My bungalow was built 1969/1970. it has a parquet floor but it could do with a sand I would prefer a slightly lighter and less red toned colour. I decided to test sanding a patch under the rug to see how easily the varnish removes and it does sand back pretty easily. This patch was maybe 5 minutes of sanding. I wondered…

Probably going to put my house on the market next year, its a large 1920's semi.I am a bit concerned about the energy rating ( I bought this house over 20 years ago, long before EPC were a thing, hence I dont know much about this) I have loft insulation and double glazed windows but approx ten years ago, we were persuaded…