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The transformer is right next to the light switches, so only about a metre or so. My concern was that I know LED lights are very sensitive to voltage drop and that it can reduce their lifespan. 1mm twin cable will be ok?

Hi all, I'm planning on swapping my halogen bulbs for LED equivalents. I will be using the existing electronic transformer (min 20W, max 105W) to power them. There are only three outputs on the transformer, so I plan to use junction boxes in order to split the outputs in order to power the 6...

Hi all, I am replacing some under cabinet task lights in my kitchen and want to add one more than was originally there. They are connected to a switched fused wall socket on the ring main, protected by a 3amp fuse. I have 3 linolite sylvania lamps to hook up, each with a 30W bulb. Can...

Hi, I am looking to open up a new doorway from my hall into into the under-the-stairs cupboard. This will involve knocking out the doorway from the brick and supporting the new doorway in some way. Due to the restricted space, it is looking like there won't be room for a lintel (otherwise the...

Thanks roughcaster, that sounds quite easy. But can you explain what you mean by "tape it over"? I was assuming I would need to re-plaster over the new plasterboard...?

I'm not sure what the purpose to the small hole and the wire is, but are you basically saying to use plaster like an adhesive around the edge of the offcut to hold it in place?

I've got a very large airing cupboard that I want to tidy up and make into storage space. The ceiling is very tatty and has some holes in, through which you can see the loft insulation above. 1. The first hole is quite large, about 20cm in each direction. I've no idea how to fill this neatly...

Thanks for all the responses. There are no fish in the pond, but lots of other wildlife (frogs, water snails, even newts I think) so I don't want to disturb them too much if possible. There are lots of nice pond-type plants and flowers that grow around the edge of the pond. I'm a complete...

Hi all, I have a well-established pond right in the middle of my garden. I was hoping to be able to move it more towards the end to allow me to do more with the reset of the garden. Is this realistic? It appears to be made from a thick plastic sheet, with stones around the edge to hold...

Hi all, I've just had a boiler replacement which has involved getting rid of some pipework that ran up from the bedroom into the loft. Where the pipes went up into the ceiling the plasterwork was quite flaky and now that they're gone, there is a hole about 6 inches by 1-2 inches. The hole...

Yeah I was just wondering whether they were part of building regulations or not, because I'm having a combi boiler installed and I don't recall the guy mentioning TRVs...

Hi all, I'm having my old boiler replaced with a combi boiler. Can anyone tell me whether having thermostatic radiator valves installed is necessary (as in building regs or something)? Thanks

Another thought! There are actually two much larger pieces of timber that run the entire length of the loft (i want to call them purlins, but i don't know if this is the right term or not). Could these be used to create my raised floor level? I would guess they're 2 to 3 metres apart.

I'm actually taking advantage of a local council grant to get the work done, so my choice of insulation is fixed. Back to the drawing board? I only need a relatively small area of storage, 2m x 2m would suffice...

Thanks John. I've been up into the loft today and had a better look around. My existing timbers are around 2" width and 3" deep. To have the 10" insulation installed, that means I'm going to need pretty thick pieces of timber - will the extra weight of this cause any load problems on the...

just one last question: what does skew-nailed mean? :-)

Thanks - that all makes good sense. I've not done an awful lot of jobs with timber before, what would you say is the best way of attaching the east-west timbers to the north-south timbers?

My loft is currently about 70% boarded out and I plan on getting the insulation updated as it is currently quite thin. I'd like to pull back the existing boarding so that the new insulation can be installed underneath. However, I do need some storage space up there so I would like to put the...

Hi, I'm getting a 1300 x 700 radiator installed in my hallway and am not sure whether to go for a single or double. It will be heating the downstairs hall, stairway and small upstairs landing. The front door is in the hallway, which is the only external wall. The hallway is about 3 metres...

Hi, I had a new boiler pump fitted about a year ago as the old one packed up. I noticed recently that there is a sort of blue/green mould growing on the pipes around the new pump. The boiler is in a small-ish cupboard and I do put damp things in there to dry occasionally. I'm not sure...