Recent content by KE55

I just opened a year-old tin of paint and suffered flakes of dried paint and surface rust falling from the rim into the paint as the lid came away. It made me wonder if there is anything that can be done to stop this. Any hints or tips? Or is it just one of those things that we have to tolerate?

We had our bathrooms refitted about 9 months ago, which included re-skimming the walls. I just noticed a crack has appeared near the top of one wall. I spoke to a plasterer and he recommended using a fine non-flexible filler. However, elsewhere I've read it's better to use a flexible filler...

Apparently the valves on flow and return allow the radiators at one end of the bungalow to be isolated.

Many thanks all for the responses. Now I know what to search for ("manual bypass") I've been able to find plenty of helpful info. Also my boiler (Glowworm 30cxi) is fitted with an automatic bypass valve so I guess the manual bypass can be left closed.

Most of our radiators have TRVs (I think the only exceptions are heated towel rails in the bathrooms). There is also a TRV on the hall radiator where the wall thermostat is located - is that a problem? If it is a manual bypass under what circumstances would it be used?

I'm just learning about plumbing so this might be a silly question... I was looking at the central heating pipework in our bungalow's attic and noticed what appears to be a manual valve linking the flow and return pipes - see photo below. The valve I'm talking about is the one on the left...

Hi, Once it had all dried out we redecorated and, on the assumption it was caused by water seeping through the brickwork, over the summer I treated the bricks above the window with a couple of coats of sealant (http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-water-repellent-seal-clear-5ltr/57474)...

I agree, I think it must be higher up (but don't understand why the window's lintel isn't stopping water getting into the window frame). The problem only ever occurs during heavy rain AND a strong wind blowing straight at the front of the house where the window is located. Could it be...

It's a two floor house with a conventional tiled roof. The window in question is on the ground floor. There's an identical window (which shows no sign off leaks) directly above it. We had a slight leak from the same window some time ago during extremely windy, rainy weather. The wind seems...

I was rummaging around in the loft today and spotted what looked like a large birds nest protruding through the bottom of the felt in a distant corner. The odd thing is that the "nest" (if that's what it is) is located in the angle between the roof and chimney, so to build it there from the...

With the recent rain and wind we have a sudden problem with water leaking around a downstairs uPVC window. Initially it was just dripping through the top of the window frame, leading me to suspect the window seal or the seal around the curved piece of wood above the window, but they appear OK...