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Morning All, There's a big HooHaa in the press ATM about Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC). The government are closing schools and public buildings that use it. After decades of use they've only just realised it can crumble. Story here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-66690889 My question...

Hi, The temperature control on my shower stopped working. It's fixed at one temperature. I've opened up the wall and removed the valve. Also unscrewed what I thought was the cartridge (marked 2 in the photo), but all it contains is a spring. Moving the temp control just compresses the spring...

Hi, I woke up to two rooms with wet ceilings and walls today. A quick poke around in the attic and saw water was coming in around the chimney. Put my ladders up, tied them off and took the picture below. https://images2.imgbox.com/88/b4/yolwAEWV_o.jpg There's a hole in the lead flashing just...

Hi, I'm about to buy two new front metal wings for a 17yr car. They're not painted to colour. The car is showing its age all over. Many scratches and small dents. High mileage. The existing wings have rust holes in them. There's no point in paying for a professional job on the wings alone as...

Hi, I'm with United Utilities and I have an internal water meter. I understand it's possible to have the water meter moved privately provided you fill out a form and send off a cheque. UU then come out and inspect the meter and re-seal it. The meter has to move because I'm decorating the room...

Hi, I bought a bag of J. Arthur Bower Autumn lawn food and moss killer. Weighed it out on the kitchen scales, and applied by hand via a shaker pot at 35g\m2, as directed by the instructions on the bag. Watered in after two days via hose pipe (also as instructed). Nearly all of the lawn...

Hello, My father had two new bathrooms installed just short of 12 months ago, and the push-fit that was installed is now leaking through the GF ceiling. I've done two bathrooms in my own house, but used soldered copper and solvent weld waste pipes to minimise maintenance. My father didn't...

Found a wasp next in my attic yesterday. I use the space for storage (boarded out) so the wasps had to go. I could see part of the nest from the ceiling hatch, but most of it was hidden behind a roof joist. I called Rentokil, and they said the nest killer spray might not work if I couldn’t...

Hello, I'm about to build some brick pillars (6 courses high) in my garden to put plant pots on. Nothing fancy. 6 Levels of brick topped with a stone \ concrete slab. My question is; do I need damp course above the dirt level? I don't see any damp course on my existing garden dwarf...

Hello, I'm about to buy an air brad nail gun, as I want to build a fair amount of timber furniture. I'd normally use screws (pilot hole first), but it's time consuming and the screw heads leave a large area to be filled and sanded. My question concerns the nail gun. I'm looking at a...

Hello, I'm in the process of changing a UPVC rear (external) door & frame to hardwood. The doorway has a window next to it, that is not full length. I've approached numerous door & frame manufacturers, who tell me that it is not possible to get a hardwood door frame with a non-full...

Hello, I've got a 32A breaker feeding 4mm (32A) T&E cable, which in turn is to feed 4 FCUs - that feed two 12.5A ovens, a 5A microwave and a 1A extractor fan. That's two 13A fuses, a 5A and 1A fuse. My question is, how do you get the 4mm cable to each of the FCUs? You can't loop in...

Hello, I've got to fix 4 fuses in a double gang drywall backbox. The fuses will protect 2x 13A ovens, 5A microwave, and 1A extractor fan. The only way I can see of doing this is to use the MK grid plus system, and use 4x fuse holders. I know you have to buy a 'frame' to go with the...

Hello, I've got a uPVC conservatory attached to the rear of my house. It has a 3 course engineering brick base, upon which the uPVC conservatory sits. I'm thinking of pulling the uPVC part down, and replacing it with a single skin brick summer room with windows (so there will be no cavity...

Hello, I've got an Vaillant ecoTEC plus 624. Its nearly two years old. In fact, today is the last day it's under warranty (31 Dec 09). When the heating starts in the morning, the radiators in my bedroom make this high pitched vibrating sound. It's not a thumping, more like the sound you...

Was working at my desk last night; had the desk lamp turned to face the ceiling so the light was more diffused. After about 20 minutes - BANG. Flying glass all over the place. Blew out the bulb and glass front cover. Luckily, the lamp was behind my computer, so I didn't get glass on me...

Hello, I had a Kahrs oak floor put down in my GF hallway just under a year ago, and I need advice on repair. The main problem, is that the floor seems to mark very easily. By that I mean, it dents when anything hard presses against it. Take your pick: 1. Stones stuck to the bottom of...

Hello, I had a hardwood door and frame (Iroko) made for the front of my house. The door was treated with cuprinol wood preservative at the shop, and with thomsons waterseal after installation. Even though the info on the waterseal tin says one application is good for up to a year, I...

Hi, Just finished a wedi wetroom. Wedi board on the floor and walls. Got a tiler in to stick the tiles to the floor and walls & grout. Floor adhesive: Ardex 5001. This is good stuff. Used for swimming pools. After 48 hours of the floor tiles going down, some of them (2) have come...

Hi, Just added a new soil stack to the side of my house (4 inch). What are the regs for new underground soil pipes? Depth of excavations? Type & amount of gravel below & above the pipe? Type of pipe? Etc.. Any help appreciated. Thanks.