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Hi all, I'm planning to lay an indian sandstone patio soon and have been doing some research. It appears that the professionals coat the backs of the stones with a slurry primer just before they lay them, which improves the bond with the underlying cement and therefore prevents the pointing...

Morning all, Not sure this is the best place to post this but I'm trying to find some good sources of information on using renewable energy sources for heating systems. I know that these systems have their critics but my thinking is that in the current climate, it would be wise to find a way...

Hi all, I have an oil-fired closed system with a tank that provides my heating and hot water. I've always had trouble with the valves on this system since it was installed in that one of them frequently made a noise when the heating of the water started. However, recently the heating of the...

Hi all, I have a hot water system with a tank on a direct feed so that the water main provides the pressure for the water flow. The tank is discharging hot water through the tundish and a plumber has advised me that the problem is that the pressure valve needs replacing. I've asked him to...

Hi all, I'm renovating a bungalow and have agreed with my plumber that I will install the radiators and pipework for the central heating system so that he can them install a new boiler. I understand the basic logic of the pipework in that each radiator needs a feed from the boiler and a return...

Hi all, I have an empty house that I've extended. When I bought it, the phone line was switched off, so when we built the extension, we disconnected all of the telephone wiring. Having finished the extension, all I'm left with is the cable that originally came in (has four wires, white...

Hi all, I'm puttung in the radiators and pipework for a central heating system and the pipework is running under the screed. The problem I have is that in some parts the screed is 50mm thick and 75mm thick in others. In the deeper areas I reckon I can plumb in 15mm copper with the lagging on...

Hi all, I need to run some pipework in my loft and I'm wondering if there are any guidelines for doing this to avoid the pipes getting accidentally damaged. I'm thinking that if I fix the pipes to the tops of the joists and then insulate with fibreglass they may get trodden on by mistake in the...

Hi all, I'm not sure if the issues are connected but live in an area that has particularly hard water and I notice that a few years after installation my taps start to drip. I'm wondering if this is caused by limescale deposits clogging up the working parts and if there's anything I can do to...

Hi all, Not sure I'm in the right place with this question but I couldn't find a groundwork category. Anyway, I want to lay a gravel area across the front of a house for parking, is there a widely accepted way of doing this? I was thinking of laying 100mm of hardcore then compacting and...

Hi all, Having extended and changed the layout of a property, I now want to re-lay the blue plastic underground pipe from the meter into the bathroom. I'm hoping all I have to do (after switching off the supply) is to disconnect the black 25mm existing pipe and reconnect with my roll of blue...

Hi all, I'm busy with the dot & dab on my bare blockwork walls and it's going well. However, there are a couple of existing walls that already have been plastered and painted with emulsion that I'd like to dry line over as well. Will the plasterboard adhesive stick to painted plaster or will...

Hi all, I'm doing a refurb on a bungalow and have taken out the old electric powered heating system with the intention of installing an oil or LPG fuelled system. This means I will need to provide a source of electricity to the new boiler. From what I've seen, this usually means taking a cable...

Hi all, It seems to be a hot topic here at the moment but I need to put in some boxes so that the electrical first fix can be done in a kitchen I'm working on. I recall from a similar project that I had to put the cooker panel a certain distance from the hob/oven. Am I right in thinking that...

Hi all, I'm refitting a bungalow and have rebuilt the partitions using 100mm breeze blocks. I wanted to have the whole lot plastered using bonding followed by a setting coat but I can't find a plasterer capable of/willing to do this. Every time I speak to a plasterer they tell me they only do...

Hi all, I've just built an extension on a bungalow and will be rewiring the whole lot. Before I get started, are there any minimum/maximum height dimensions under the latest regulations for light switches and plug sockets? TIA Jever

Hi all, I've used Wago boxes in the past and find them really practical. My question is is this type of box suitable for lighting cicuits: https://www.screwfix.com/p/wagobox-junction-box/7355f?_requestid=488160#product_additional_details_container I assume so but the reason I ask is I also...

Hi all, I'm currently refurbishing a property for rental which doesn't have mains gas. It previously had electric powered storage heaters, which I have removed, along with the electric powered copper immersion heater and want to replace them with a new hot water and heating system. Given that...

Hi all, I'm currently putting an extension on an investment property and as a consequence, I need to move the electricity meter box. It's not going to move far and actually results in less cable being needed to get to the box from the supplier's side. I've spoken to UK Power Networks and they...

Hi all, A few years back I bought a Strong TNT satellite box so that we could watch the Tour de France in French. Unfortunately the decrypting cards only last for four years and mine has now expired so I need to replace it. It seems you can buy them in France for € 15, but they're about £40...