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Hello, Please can you advise the appropriate lubrication for UPVC windows / door locks and their mechanisms? Internet advice is contradictory and I want to do it right. Hopefully this site will be able to give me a professional view: Locks: Ultion cylinder locks (I have 2 of these): Ultion...

Hello, I hope someone can advise on the best course of action - Unfortunately it won't be DIY but I could do with some advice. We moved into our house earlier this year and twice within a couple of months the drain to our wet room backed up. Previously a cloak room so all we've done is extend...

Hello, We are changing carpets and as per advice we are changing the underlay too. The underlay that we are replacing is the thick rubber type and is in good condition - I could have saved a few pennies methinks. Anyway it's lifted now and I was going to use it as loft insulation. But my wife...

Hello, Is anyone watching DIYNOT today? We have an CITADEL alarm with an ADE control panel It seems to be doing a 'walk test' which we are unable to cancel using what I think is the Reset button "x" Any advice? For example do I have to input an Engineer's code and if I use the default will there...

Hi. I have what I think is a concrete tiled roof from when our bungalow was built in the late 50s / early 60s. When we moved in we repaired leaks in the 2 valleys. We also asked a builder to check / repair and fit new upvc soffits etc as needed. In hindsight I don't have much confidence in...

Hi, My wife suffers from a bad back so the plan is to install patio doors which will open onto a small seating area with a ramp to give access to our patio - in place of the current door and high steps. Our hope is to future proof so that wheelchair access is possible. To maximise space we...

Hello, Our dining room is an extension to the original bungalow. It is very cold in winter partly due to no underfloor insulation, a very large window and a flat roof with little or no insulation (I was told). My wife wants to turn the large window into patio doors and I am thinking that we...

Dear all, I have 6 Megaman bulbs in my kitchen. (CFL - Reflector - R80 - code 616897) http://www.megamanuk.com/products/cfl/8/reflector/32/r80/93/616897 They were bought in April 2009 from B&Q and a 4th bulb has now failed. They are meant to have a 15,000 hour life so I think 4 failures...

Dear all, Once again I am coming to this wonderful site with questions...... Our kitchen and utility room floor tiles were laid with light grey grout but it has stained darker in places. We assume this is grease because it won't clean off. I have read the forum feedback but have some...

Hi, Hopefully the people on this wonderful site can help me again. When we bought our bungalow in 2005 one of the 1st things we did was get a burglar alarm installed. Unfortunately the installer has retired. PIRs were installed in each room except where internal. Over the years we have had...

Earlier in they year my wife noticed a clicking sound from a dining room chair - bought late 2005. All advice was to stop being paranoid - it's heat expansion and contraction. The manufacturer said all their wood is treated. Anyway the chair went quiet....for the last couple of months at...

Hi, I hope someone can help me with this? We have a damp musty smell in a bedroom which as a child I would have described as the smell of an 'old person's house' We bought our bungalow in 2005 and I had cavity wall insulation installed. There are airbricks ar the top and bottom of the...

Hi, Please can you help me with what are probably 2 basic questions: Re: Metal Garage door. This has just been shot blasted and painted in gloss white. But it seems to show up many imperfections, dents etc that we didn't seem to see before. (Maybe it was damaged when shot blasted or the...

Hope this question has not been answered previously but I have searched the forums for downlighter advice and despite many posts I can't find an answer I can follow: About 3 years ago my wife wanted downlighters in the kitchen so we fitted 60W R80 reflector fittings (we'd had them in a...

We had new internal doors fitted about 3 years ago - the builder got them and the handles from Howdens. Within weeks a "plastic film" seemed to peel off the handles and they tarnished. They were replaced once and the same thing happened. (Other life issues stopped us following up further with...

Hi, In Spring I observed bees entering the wall of our bungalow via 3 holes (drilled and plugged but open - created by a previous occupant for a sky dish). The holes have since been blocked by what is a mud type substance. Reading suggests these were masonry bees? If so, advice on the...

Sorry if this is in the wrong place - not sure where it should go.... I have flexible ducting from a bathroom and en-suite to extractor fans and the to exterior walls. It is recommended that the ducting is insulated to minimise 'in-house' condensation. Can someone advise what I should use...

Hi, Sorry if this is the wrong place for this but most shower fan queries seem to be here. Also please forgive the naivety of the questions: I have a bathroom and en-suite both without windows. I previously installed Silavent Spotvent kits (lights above the shower) but these are not up to...

I have a cast iron soil pipe but there is no cover on it. It's outside diameter is about 110mm. B&Q say they don't have a suitable cover. Can I buy a ~100mm plastic cover and use mastic to attach it. (I believe there is a risk of blocage if I don't seal it). Thanks

We stripped the woodchip wallpaper from our spare room using a steamer. This brought the paint off the ceiling in strips. We were told that this was because vinyl paint had been used. Eventually we had to re-plaster the ceiling. The person who did it advised it was difficult to ‘stick’. The...