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I sent some old Victorian doors off to be stripped. One came back with a black stain that seems to be oozing some sort of oily substance. anyone know what this is? How do I get rid of it? I ultimately want to paint the door, but can’t see how in this state. photos here …. thanks, ian

Hi, I’m looking for advice on the led layout in the diagram linked below. It’s a bathroom in an Edinburgh Victorian flat. Ceiling is flat for approx half the length, then slopes down at 45 degrees to a dormer window. I’ve read here that general advice is to have Dow light no closer than...

I’m in the process of fitting out a large walk in cupboard, into which I later hope to get a viessman 111 storage combi fitted. can someone please let me know exactly what sort of fixings are used to attach it to the wall? I have a bare brick wall just now, but am planning to build a false...

Can I have the output of a bathroom extractor fan adjacent to the boiler flue at the point where both exit the property? Ideally I’d like one to be 100mm below the other. It’s a first floor bathroom, so this would be approx 5m off the ground. Nearest window opening would be 800mm away. It...

Hi, any recommendations for an in-line valve for a permanent central heating drain point? I Probably needs to be pretty low down (between horizontal return pipe and floor?), so cant be anything big or bulky. I also need to attach the pressure relief drain-off to the downstream part of this...

Can someone please advise me how to go about connecting this boss to 40mm compression waste pipes? The existing shower and whb waste looks like 40mm compression fittings. I think this is the boss I need - its the "82mm Soil Patch Boss 40mm" from Drainage Online...

I have two floors of an old Victorian/Edwardian townhouse, where I have a bathroom on each floor. The waste pipes run up the corner of the building, and to allow for this one of the joists terminates in a small joist at 45 degrees to the other joists. Seen here: There are several issues...

I removed the plaster from a wall in my Victorian flat, and found this odd wooden patch. It looks like a brick has been removed, and another brick partially cut down in size. Anyone know what this might have been? Why hide a wooden patch behind plaster? Why not just put a brick in the...

I have a hallway which is approx 1m perfectly level, then there is a change to a slight downwards gradient (0.57 degrees, or 20mm over 2m) for 2m, then it levels off again for the last 2 or 3 m. Are those two changes in gradient enough to cause problems if I want to get vinyl planks fitted...

I have a downstairs bathroom (approx 2.5 x 2.5m), that previously had a shower, whb and wc. I'd like to reconfigure it to also include the boiler and washing machine (so I can move them from the open plan kitchen/diner). Is this allowed? Due to the large window on one wall, the shower...

I'm looking for recommendations for a wired doorbell kit (chime, transformer etc) that will work over a distance of 20 or 25m. Thats the distance from CU on 1st floor to the front door on ground floor (its a house converted to 2 flats). Chime will be a few meters away from CU. Thanks Ian

I was thinking of using acoustic plasterboard to board a wall that has a coom ceiling and Victorian dormer window, and noticed it’s only available with a taper edge. Why is this? How do you deal with outside corners when using taper edged board? Does two tapered boards meeting at an...

Looking for some thoughts and advice on a mess of old wires and stuff (need to find out names as well!) Its an old Edinburgh Victorian town house thats been split into two flats in the 1950's. I own the upper flat. The photo 1 shown below shows the wiring in the shared entrance hall...

Is 18mm plywood strong enough to use as a new subfloor in a Victorian flat where the joists are at approx 450mm centres (joists are approx 80mm thick), and every edge would be supported? I'd lay boards in same direction as joists, and cut boards lengthways such that both long edges were over...

Hi, I have stripped two rooms in a Victorian flat back to joists and brick in order to insulate, re-wire etc. There are 4 brick walls that were previously plastered. My preference is to batten the walls, and plasterboard over the battens, rather that dot-n-dab plasterboard. That way, its...

any tips for cutting 140mm wool insulation. Saw doesn't work. Bread knife doesn't work. Sharp kitchen knife just about works, but takes ages and is really hard work! I have 40 570mm wide rolls I need to cut down to 420mm wide :-(

Can these old water pipes be joined with modern copper pipes? I'd like to replace part of the large diameter 'old' pipe shown here, but am likely not able to access all of it just now so would need a join. Ian

How do I best repoint and/or strengthen this single column of brick between 2 door frames? If I scrape out the mortar below any brick then it's likely to fall. It's got old crumbly lime mortar between the bricks. I plan to batten the walls before plasterboarding. There will be a new stud...

i have a completely stripped room .... one outside wall, one party wall, two internal walls, and a ceiling (below a flat roof). Is there any preferred order to plasterboard all this? Thanks Ian

Is it possible to get 1800x900 PIR-plasterboard laminated boards .... ? Thanks Ian