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Best 'natural' finish for bare timber.
Hi. I'm trying to make a vanity unit out of an oak desk, with the preferred finish a shoe-banged one - Ie, blowtorched to both enhance the grain texture, and add a near-black finish. An initial trial is promising, and the grain looks lovely. If it works out, I'll need to protect it using, I guess, an oil or wax, or…
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Poor mortar match fix
Before owning my property, there has obviously been some fix and there is a section of the house's brickwork that has lighter mortar. I am having some additional work done to the property and I could also employ the builder to remedy the mortar at the same time. The cost is around £300 and it would be scrapped out and…
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What do bathroom spiders live on?
Our 'pet' sits just over our right shoulder when we're on the throne. He rarely moves. How can he survive - there's no obvious flies?
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Will frosted glass cheeks mitigate overlooking impact for a planned dormer?
Will frosted glass cheeks on my planned dormer be acceptable for the planning/council authorities to mitigate against overlooking impact? The weight of non glazed cheeks would make the project prohibitively expensive for me and obscure a beautiful view (on the non frosted side)
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Which gravel for a patio seating area?
Hello, so I'm in the process of creating a large circular patio in my garden and I'd like to get a fire pit in the middle so we could all sit around at night. I've already dug out the ground and have laid 100 mm of mot type 1. From a cost perspective and because I'm not exactly a master DIYer I'm opting for gravel. I've…
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Leak or Condensation? - Wet Patch on Sloped Ceiling
I have a persistent wet patch on the sloped ceiling of my bedroom. We have had some tiles replaced on the roof so don't *think* it's a leak.. it also seems to stay damp during long dry periods and doesn't seem to spread any further, it just sometimes looks wetter than others. Looking at photos from before we had the…
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Damp patch on bedroom wall
I have an increasing damp patch on an external bedroom wall near an old chimney. It started with the wallpaper and polystyrene sheet coming off the wall which though was the paste failing as I have similar bits peeling elsewhere. Then the plaster started to crumble and show damp. Years ago there was an open fire in that…
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How to repair the big broken ceiling
The roof was leaking, the ceiling was damp, then the ceiling dropped, what is the proper repair procedure?
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Budget thermal camera?
I have been on the hunt for a thermal camera but couldn't justify paying a lot of money and I am not sure a mobile phone attachment is a good long-term purchase (e.g. the phone stops working, or the app is no longer updated). I was thinking about an handheld version and found…
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Replace warm air boiler or install new heating system?
Hi! I live in a 1960s Bungalow which came with a warm air heating system. I actually do like it, but apparently we are likely to need a new boiler in the next few years and replacing it will be around £7k including installation. I think the quote is accurate as we were quotes maybe 5k by a different warm air company 4…
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Leaking boiler
Hi, I've got a glow worm boiler with a small leak, really don't want to have to pay a call out charge if this is something simple we could do ourselves. It only ever leaks after having the kitchen hot tap on / just after we top the tap / it's a slow drip . Any advice? Thanks!
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Replacement Dunelm Throw power cable
My elderly mother managed to crush the power cable to her teddy throw. I contacted Dunelm but they don't sell replacement cables. I'm keeping an eye out on ebay but does anyone know where I might get hold of a replacement?
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Uplift clause....
Hi, We're looking at buying a house with an uplift clause already on the deeds. The property has DPP for extending and refurbishment of the property and already obtained by the current owner, and he has already split the garden and sold that half as a plot. Would we trigger the uplift by carrying out the works?
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Outside light problem
I have 5 outside lights of the same design, and two are not working. Opened one up thinking it would just need a bulb replacement, but no, looks far more complicated. I’ve attached images, am I simply going to have to change the complete light to get it working, or is there a simple fix? Thanks
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Tilt and Turn Conservatory Door: rubber seals now sticking together
Have a Tilt and Turn Conservatory door. The Conservatory is not integrated with the house, so no heating in there. This has just started happening. It is sometimes difficult to open the door, because the Rubber Seal on the Door is stuck to the Rubber Seal on the Frame. Then I have to give it a shove and half the rubber on…
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Pins and TRVs?
So I've had problems for over a year of horrible noises as water returns to the boiler after the heating being on over 2hrs. Several heating guys have come round quickly to have a look, one for an hour but with no resoloution.I have a health problem so need the heating working. Now I think I may have the answer. 2…
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Electrician doubling quote after project start: what do you think?
Hi all, I have started some renovation works in my flat in London. Quite happy so far with the project manager, the tiler and the plumber. Not so much with the electrician which is why I am asking you for advice. Before starting the works, I had them all come over to explain in detail what the works were involving to make…
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Land plan query
Hi, I've got to sign the plan for the property we're buying to say that I agree that the boundary is correct. What are the other marks on the plan about? There's a pink section, a blue section, a white strip across the middle and a weird half-moon line in the bottom left corner.
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Party Wall - Notice of Proposed Work- Replace roof coverings
Hello all, I received this party wall notice from the surveyors (attached is the redacted
version) on behalf of the council who owns the neighbouring building (I believe
occupied by council tenant). I am the owner of this semi-detached house
(attached front and back of house picture) and renting this property to a
tenant…
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Leaking TNG shed, soaking through walls. Can it be saved?
The walls of my shed are soaking up water. Again. Back in the summer I applied shed paint and sanded down the exterior right angle wall joins and liberally applied exterior caulk to all the gaps. Well, it seems all that was in vain! Water is again soaking through the walls. Is there anything that can be done or is it best…
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344 discussions
1.3K comments
Most recent: Is a retaining wall different from a garden wall, in insurance terms? by gwynlas
5 August at 9:32AM
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