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A few days left to go, but here are my predictions: (1) The illegal Starmer government that is occupying number 10 will finally be deposed, and Nigel will be brought in to lead a Reform government of national unity. (2) Trump will announce his plans to stay in post in 2028 and 2032, which will...

Hi all, A bit of a long shot question. I need to add a new downpipe to the side elevation of my house to collect rain from a new gutter where, previously, it had been falling onto a neighbouring roof then overflowing their gutter 9Increasing their gutter size is not an option). The only...

Hi all, I've got some 1990s vintage softwood sash windows that need attention. I have lots of experience with working with cord-and-weight windows but this is my first go at dismantling spring balance windows. I am trying to get the upper (outside) sash removed. I'm working from the inside and...

Hi all, I'm a DIY-er who is after an insulation tester. (Back story: I have - genuinely - an electrician who has worked with me before and is happy for me to do first fix then she tests at the end. However, I am fitting some electric underfloor heating and put the self levelling over it next...

Hi all, I'm running electric UFH. (Yes, I know opinions vary about usefulness ... let's just go with it!) It's a 16m^2 area and I'm using loose cable. I have 2 reels. This means two cold tails. I know the heating cable itself should not get closer than 50mm but is there any reason I can't...

I am thinking about a new drainage run for waste water from a sink in a garden outbuilding. My house is uphill, so any drain run to it would need a pump to lift the waste water. However, behind the outbuilding there's a shared lane (owner unknown - it's the typical service lane that runs behind...

Hi, I've got a Vaillant system boiler (ecoTec plus 637). It's around 12 years old and has been maintained. We've just been away for a couple of weeks so, keen not to burn gas unnecessarily, I set all the zone thermostats/timers (hot water, 2 x radiators, underfloor heating) to off/frost...

Hi all, HNY and all that. I've installed an underground rainwater harvesting tank with an attached soakaway for any overspill. The soakaway is a bit sluggish (slighly clay soil) but the best option I had for the time being. However, over the last few days it's been noticeable that the...

Hi, I'm having a shed/home office built in my garden, about 20 metres from the house. My house has a TNC-S supply and the electrician has told me the outhouse needs a local TT earth. Fine by me, but ... The outhouse will have no incoming gas or water supplies, and has no other classic...

20210728_122630 by James Carmichael posted 28 Jul 2021 at 12:39 PMHi, We had bifold doors installed about two years ago. Outside there's around a 40cm drop to the garden and the plan at the time was to run steps down, so the installers included a 225mm aluminium sill. The doors are face drained...

Hi, I have a manual pump for an old water well in my garden. It's nothing special, 1950s steel pump body attached to brass fittings and copper pipe. I've just paint stripped off years of flaking paint and it's now all bright and shiny. I quite like the steam punk effect and want to put it back...

Hi all, I've got a wall to tile that dips away in one corner. It's brick with a scratch coat of sand and cement render on. Now, I could go to get some sand and cement to dub it out prior to tiling, or I could just use the Mapei adhesive (powder, not premix) I am about to buy from Screwfix...

Hi, Just bought a house with a Glow Worm 30CI boiler. It has no external controls so I plan to fit a combined programmer and thermostat across the volt free contacts. The instructions are clear but they don't seem to indicate I can remove the internal programmer - they're explicit that I *can*...

I am decorating one of the rooms in my house and want to add ethernet while I am at it. I want to bury the cable. It makes sense to me to borrow the "safe zone" thinking of electrical wiring, so I don't undo all of my good work later on by driving a picture hanging nail into my nicely concealed...

Hi, I've got an old Victorian tell-tale/servant's call box (the type where some presses a button in a room and a little flag waves while a bell rings to call a servant). Connecting it up to a 6V supply it works perfectly and I can happily call servants to any room from my workbench! So, I'd...

Hello, I live in an Edwardian house with an original 9 inch brick flue in the kitchen. This is as built above the original stove and has spent most of its 100+ years merrily transporting cooking fumes and smoke out of the kitchen, from the days of cast iron and coal onwards. It's in good nick...

Hi, I've got a LightWaveRF link to control my connect series switches and stuff. Partly because I want to extend my system, and partly because I want Google assistant integration, the time has come to consider upgrading to a Link+. Does anyone know if I can just import all of my device...

Hi, I am not sure if this is just a rant or a request for advice ..! I have a semi derelict 1920s garage in my garden that I would like to knock down and replace with a garden room and storage area. The details aren't important; it is unambiguously a scheme that needs planning permission...

Hi, I need to lay about 24 square metres of solid oak parquet to a concrete slab floor. The slab was laid about 10 years ago, with a DPM, and has wet underfloor heating installed. It's been 'pretty well' levelled with a water based self levelling compound (TileMaster Rapid Level 30) to no more...

Hi, I've scanned the forum and can't see an exact answer, so apologies if I'm duplicating stuff that's been covered before. I have a 6 metre x 4 metre kitchen concrete slab floor in my kitchen. It's ten years old so modern standards - well insulated, damp proofed. It has wet underfloor...