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Pictures of the jack-leg, the inadequate aluminium channel, and the problem where the latter has been crushed by the jack-leg.

I'll have a go, asap.

I'll try!

Modified jack-leg cabin has a gently curving roof covered with rubber sheeting, which is terminated by overlapping onto the soffit boards by only an inch or two, and held in place there by an aluminium channel which is supposed to serve as a basic gutter, but which isn't very functional. This...

Thanks. Looking at the dog-flap we've just bought to fit in another door, there'll not be much room for an extra middle rail between the existing and the top of the dog-flap, nor any space for two extra diagonals. I'm aware that a single brace is meant to take the strain of the top of the door...

You've perhaps missed the idea that we want to fit a dog-flap - not just have a hole in the door!:) And we have, in fact, left the door open for years, but it's rather draughty, and a waste of heat! The dog is used to having free access to outside, but it's wasteful to leave the door open all...

The original suggestion of those black cable clips would surely do the job? Pretty neat, and would not be inappropriate. Secure with black screws to minimise visual disruption.

This would involve cutting through the lower brace entirely...so what could I do to reinforce the door? Just fit two vertical pieces of wood between the lower and central ledge on either side of the opening? Will that be enough to stop the door falling apart?

That's great, Steven. I look forward to reading an update! Like you, I could probably use the thing intuitively, but it would be good to know I'm doing it properly - potentially dangerous, clamping power tools upside down and using them not quite as they were intended!

Please share if you get a positive reply. Actually the more I think about and tinker on with the thing, I could probably sort it without the manual. The last time I used it was with the router installed, and now I want to mount my equally ancient B&D circular saw. It seems as if the metal...

Got quite excited there for a minute, but it turns out none of the parts are available, apart from a screw, and whilst I actually need one of those, I could probably find one locally. No manual though.

I've just tried to resurrect mine. Haven't used it for about 20 years. Does anyone have a copy of the manual?

Finally heard back from the lab: no asbestos in our tiles! So I can remove them with impunity. Thanks for your comments and advice, though. There are other potential asbestos materials around the place: corrugated shed and stable roofing (which I have no intention of disturbing) and sheets of...

I'm the homeowner, wanting to keep builder's costs down by doing the stripping out etc. myself.

Asked to give a quote for the renovation of a flat roof extension and the removal of the 70s suspended ceiling tiles, my potential builder suggested that the tiles might contain asbestos. I've sent away a sample. Disappointed that the "next working day email" hasn't arrived, so still awaiting...

Well, there's a lean-to outbuilding on each side of an old stone wall which lies between the existing wiring in the garage, an area of garden/grass (where I'd dig the trench) and the new portacabin. Through the outbuildings, under the roof and over the wall where there's a gap between the two...

Can I do this myself? Thinking of taking armoured cabling from a switch box in the garage (previously installed for a kiln which is no longer used - wired from the main fusebox with a 30 amp fuse), down the wall, underground (3 metres), up and through a wooden outbuilding (clipped to frame and...

I wonder what the render is hiding? Might be best to leave it, as others have suggested. Paint it - masonry paint - maybe not white, as that's a bit obvious, but a warm cream/sandstone colour. How about a small water feature (some kind of water trough) at the base of the rendered section, with...

The cabin is a wooden framed, plywood clad construction, with a textured finish. I want to clad it with boards and battens to match existing stable and outbuildings. 1. Could I deck screw the boards and battens straight onto the existing finish, or should I place horizontal battens then the...

Thanks, Newboy. Next dumb questions: 1. Depth of concrete pad? 2. A stack of single blocks, or alternating pairs? I might need piers to be 2' high. 3. How crucial is the mortar mix? I wouldn't want to compromise the inherent strength of the blocks.