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1) I bought a sealed plastic pack of replacement tap washers from a DIY shed which where labelled 19mm. But when I measured them they were 25mm in diameter. Was this simply a packaging mistake or what? 2) I've replaced the washer in an old-fashioned tap in my 1930s house. The old washer was...

Thanks, I had not thought of that, and I've got a grinder. I really need to make it bigger than what I said, and if I put it in trunking as you suggest, it could be at least 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch. With that size, I'm worried about creating a stress point where the slab might start to...

I need to make a groove in the concrete floor slab of a 1960s house. At least 1/8 th inch deep and 1/4 inch wide, and about 600mm long. It does not have to be exact or neat. What would be the best/quickest/easiest way of doing it please? I've tried hammering with a cold chisel, but that...

I have two night storage radiators (NSR) already, and I want to get two more in different rooms. Do they require their own seperate dedicated circuit, or do they just run from the normal circuit with a non-removable plug? How much should they cost - I have been quoted £550 to fit one NSR...

Thanks. Where would I buy capping from, what does it look like, and what's the full name please? Is it possible to buy for example plastic conduit that a DIYer could use? Sorry, I don't know what kind of block it is.

I need to fix a stiff earth wire to another block wall prior to the wall being plastered. The house is 1960s. What is the best way to do this please? I imagine that run of the mill cable clips are not substantial enough to hammer into building blocks, and I don't know if its sensible to...

Sorry, maybe I should have gone into more detail. 1) Is it likely to be a sealed system? Any way of telling? Would the particular boiler model be ebough to tell me? If it is a sealed system: 2) will it drain down when I open the radiator drainage valve? 3) will it just fill up...

I was hoping for something that people had seen and would recommend.

I have an empty house, and the weathers becoming frosty. I've turned the water off at the stopcock under the sink and opened all the taps. I'm wondering if I should try draining the radiators or not. About a year ago the old boiler was replaced by a condensing boiler. The immersion tank was...

There is a kind of tape that is routinely used for putting over the joins of plasterboard before it is painted. The edges are tapered. I cannot remember the generic name, but any good DIY place should be able to tell you.

Are there any online videos that do a good job of teaching you how to paint? I've read painting and decorating books years ago, but its not the same as seeing how to do it. Thanks

I'd never heard of Owatrol oil until someone mentioned it here. Should it be used with non-drip paints? If its so wonderful, why is it not already added to paints as standard? Thanks

The pipe has been open for years. I punctured it several times with a narrow chisel I had to hand and was able to snap it off easily.

I have a lot of skirting board to paint. The problem I anticipate is keeping a nice straight line at the junction of the board and the emulsion. Is just a steady hand the only way to do this, or is there some better way? The other lesser problem is keeping paint off the fitted carpet...

Thanks. After removing the plaster around it, what would be the best way to cut it off? A hacksaw would not be able to get into the recess.

What does "lay off" mean please? I saw a professional decorator using a gloss roller recently - it looked like a shorter version of an emulsion roller.

Where can I find a list of painting terms like "feathering" "lay off" "cut in", and what they mean? Thanks

I've never used a roller for gloss before. In a High Street DIY place they had three different mini-rollers: 1) foam - I've read these are not very good and leave bubbles 2) towel-like fabric, said to be for emulsion 3) towel-like fabric, different colour to 2), said to be for...

Would paint stripper remove it?

I have an old open copper water pipe sticking out of a plastered block wall at right angles, in other words perpendicularly to the wall. The pipe is rigid and does not move. I would like to cut it below the surface so that the hole can be plastered to make it disapear. What would be the...