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I’ve laid a new concrete base ready to lay a granite hearth but what adhesive should I use? The open fire will be used on occasions and then only for a few hours like at Christmas. So do I need to use a specialist product from the likes of Vitcas or can I use a normal cement based floor tile...

Just replaced my old controller and the new one seems to have different algorithms in the software than the old one. It switches heat off before the temp gets to the pre-set one and also switches on before the temp falls to the pre-set. I assume this is in an attempt to stop overshoot and keep a...

Sounds a bit strong, or is strong better for heat?

From time to time, probably around Christmas time.

Replacing our fireplace with a Victorian cast iron type. The front hearth will be a granite slab but not under the fire grate. This will be cemented, but what mortar mix should I be using? Richard

Why would I need to do this as the lower two floors are circulating fine. Richard

All valves have been opened. Have balanced the system by fully opening all trv and then just opening the lock shield by a 1/4 of a turn. All the rads came on on the first two floors with just a couple needing a little more lockshield open. The top floor rads were all fully open with the larger...

I changed a downstairs rad which works fine. Going to try taking out the bleed valve on the towel rail and putting a hose on it and then letting a good flow of water through whilst keeping the pressure up on the boiler.

Our local Brewers had a range of Polyvine products which included Decorators Varnish. Unfortunately they do not stock Crystal Clear Gloss. Richard

Sorry, should have said it was a combi system.

I recently drained down our CH system to carry out some repairs on the ground floor. Once done I filled the system back up and bleed all the rads. The system fired up and I got heat to all rads apart from the ones on the 2nd (loft) floor. The 2nd floor has three rads and a towel rad. After some...

Has anyone used a crystal clear lacquer gloss from Polyvine to improve the gloss finish of water based paint?

I didn't know that so thanks. But I put oil based undercoat over the top. Is that porous also?

I've been stripping back my bay windows with a hot air gun and then a good sand to get the wood ready for finishing. I put some Rustins shellac on all the knots and then a coat of Zinsser 1-2-3 as a first coat primer. I then put down the first coat of undercoat from the Deluxe Weathershield...

The kitchen definitely had a coal fired boiler as there was a chimney above it coming out the roof which has now been removed. Cant tell what was in the finback as I think the original had been removed back in the 60's by previous owners. Intriguing though. Richard

Thats a good suggestion but the original house had a coal boiler in the kitchen. We found the original hearth for it whilst re-fitting the kitchen. Richard

Just replacing joists and flooring and came across these three pipes set in the fire base. One is capped off but they others go in at least a foot. Does anyone know what they would have been for? I've got any idea that they would have been air vent to the fire place but can see no exiting...

I intend getting a good finish on the sapele before I start to paint. Was also thinking about putting a wood preserver on first before the primer. Also priming all the sections before gluing them together. Would the primer prevent the glue for taking a good hold? So would you say that aluminium...

Making some Sapele replacement windows and would like advice on the best primer to use. In the past I have seen Aluminium primer used but I was disappointed with the application. It seemed to drag and blob easily. For finishing I’ll probably use Dulux Weathershield oil based. Richard

We suffer with high humidity which causes condensation. Due to underground water courses in the area our underfloor is always damp. I’ve installed more air bricks and cleared out the couple of inches of mud on the oversite, so the use of a dpm either over the joists or preferably over the...