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Hi, I just had to unclog an outside pipe which runs from a sink and wasing machine and exits the house as a fixed black plastic pipe which is positioned directly over a drain gully - image attached. The reason it clogged is because the end of the pipe is very close to the drain gully - it was...

Hi, My house was built around 1750 and there's a patio running up to the wall which I want to fill with gravel. The wall was previously painted black below the damp course at some point and before I fill the channel with gravel, I'd like to refresh the paint if it serves any purpose. Do I use a...

Hi, My patio has been fitted with SWA cable poking up from holes in some of the flags - please see the photos. I've got post/bollard lights but looking at them, it's not obvious how the SWA cable will fit to them. I think I've got two options - if they're wired for mains, I need an...

Hi, I've got a concrete base in my garden that's approximately 5m wide by 15m length. At one end there's a timber shed about 5m x 7.3m. I'm trying to think of what to do with the rest of the concrete base and thought about a 5m x 5m gazebo/outdoor kitchen to the other end, leaving 2.7m space...

Hi, Can anyone recommend a good whole house water filter/descaler system? My water supplier, United Utilities, changed our supply from relatively soft, reservoir water to very hard, clinical-tasting water and I'm seeing deposits on bathroom fittings and in my kettle. I'm more worried about my...

Hi, My shower tray (Mira Flight Level 1700 X 900 with a waste rated at 30 litres/min) doesn't seem to be able to cope with the water flow from my shower. I think that it's a drain issue as it's never been right - the shower drains just fine at first and then it's as though it clogs up. I...

Hi, I need to replace a broken door handle on my summerhouse but I can't seem to find a suitable handle. It wasn't only about six years ago that it was installed - the door is timber but it's a multipoint lock with a Euro cylinder. The sizes are as follows: Handle size top to bottom is 240mm...

Hi, My electrician has just done the second fix after plastering my porch and realised that there's a switch in an adjoining room linked to the outside lights instead of the wiring in the porch. I did provide them with a diagram but it's been missed. I don't want to have them digging out the...

Hi, I have an existing garage/outbuilding (in greenbelt and a conservation area) that I wish to extend. The extension would: 1. Be under 4m height (dual pitch roof), 2. 2.5m at the eaves, 3. Take up (far) less than 50% of the property's curtilage, 4. Be more than 2m away from any boundary...

Hi, I've submitted a planning application for a triple-bay garage to replace a two-bay garage and it's been rejected by planning because I'm in greenbelt (also in a conservation are but with no article 4 in place). As an alternative, I'm thinking of building the two-bay garage with planning...

Hi, I didn't want to hijack this thread: https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/painting-exterior-brick-work.392211/ ...but I've got a similar issue with a bit of a difference. My patio is raised up to the DPC but has been cut away to prevent surface water ingress. The builder has now gone and...

Hi, I have a patio which sits above my grass by about three standard bricks and I want to build a wall around the patio at around 8 bricks high so the wall from the patio side looks about 5 bricks high. Can anyone tell me what the minimum height should be to avoid a trip hazard and to meet any...

Hi, My property has a 30m+ long hawthorn hedge running alongside a road. It's in a conservation area so I'm probably expected to renovate the hedge using native species but prioritising on hawthorn (no laurel allowed). The hedge is in terrible condition as large trees and shrubs have been...

Hi, I'm having a problem with my plumbing - the builder responsible has long since "departed" and I've only noticed a problem when I've increased the time/duration of my recirculation cycle. It seems that the cold water tap is now producing relatively warm water and I'm concerned that warm...

Hi, I've had French doors fitted to a first-floor bedroom in anticipation of having a balcony installed. However, due to a change in circumstances, I may not install the balcony after all (it might be something I do in the future though) and I'm looking for a way of making the doors safe and...

Hi, A builder installed a concrete slab and assembled a wooden garage on it. Unfortunately, the slab wasn't level so it ended up needing a significant number of wedges to level the garage - please see the attached picture. The builder will not be returning so I'm looking for a way to deal with...

Hi, I want to build a new garage which will replace an existing one and, ideally, I'd like to do it under Permitted Developmet. However, my property's layout is a bit odd because the house is side-on to the road and the existing garage sits to the front of the property, which I've assumed is...

Hi, I have some seamless aluminium gutters and they appear to have a rubber sleeve for the downpipe which measures roughly 63mm. Having spoken to the manufacturer, they said I can use either 63mm or 76mm downpipes but I can't get an answer out of them as to whether or not it makes any...

Hi, My property's ground floor is tiled in 25mm limestone paving - each piece is fixed in size at 600mm in one dimension and is variable up to 900mm in the other. It's a bit rustic looking with heavily tumbled edges, etc. and having tried a piece of timber skirting, it's obvious that limestone...

Hi, I've had a 55mm thick oak door made by my joiner and he's asked me what hardware I want to use. I want to use the best I can find so does anyone have any recommendations? The house is mid-1700s so I don't want to go for anything that's obviously modern - e.g. Banham locks or anything...