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Hello I've found some solvent based varnish which suits my project made by Blackfriar. It's a coloured light oak varnish, but they only make it in Gloss whereas we would prefer Satin. However in the same range they do a clear satin varnish. Can I just apply the coloured gloss, but then paint...

Hello I've built some new shelves in the kitchen from plywood and would like to apply a veneer surface followed by varnishing. Once the veneer is stuck down, how would you go about trimming the edges? Is it worth buying a special trimmer or just use a very sharp chisel? Thanks Robin

Hello For some time I've been noticing a slight odour in the toilet and today discovered that the sealing filler on the waste pipe has shrunk leaving a slight gap. It's been there over 30 years so perhaps not surprising it's shrunk, please see photo. Which sealer do you recommend I should use...

Hello We accidentally made a small drill hole about 3mm in our 21.5mm floplast condensate pipe and I was wondering how to fix it. It's in a awkward place to cut the pipe and fit a joiner so perhaps we can permanently patch such a small hole? My first thought was to cut a joiner up to make a...

Hello I have a water meter under the kitchen sink and want to upgrade the pipework. I know water companies have strict rules that customers should not tamper with their meters, however the pipework I wish to change is on my side of the meter. The meter has a compression joint on the top, and...

Hi I am planning to renew the skirting board in my kitchen and the moment there is no covering on the floor. Eventually it will have vinyl lino at one end and a thin pile carpet in the dining area at the other side. Should I leave a small gap between the skirting board and the floor and if so...

Hello A simple question just to satisfy my curiosity! I need to have the bonding replaced between my consumer unit and the incoming gas pipe, which are next to each other. I know this is done so that the copper pipes in the house are earthed, but what potential faults can cause the pipework...

Hello Yesterday I decided to clean the magnetic filter on my combi boiler which was fine, but sometime later I discovered water leaking from the bottom of the boiler. I assume that I must have disturbed the joint where the rad return pipe connects to the boiler, since that's the only pipe that...

My water company recently came to replace my Water Meter and the plumber used all push fit copper fittings. He told me they couldn't solder joints anymore because the water company insists that after soldering a joint they have to watch it for an hour afterwards to make sure nothing catches fire...

Hello Due to some kitchen alterations I need to reroute my condensate pipe from a Vaillant EcoTech Boiler. This is a fairly simple job, and it has a good gradual drop, I just have one question. The old pipe is fairly loose where it connects to the underside of the boiler. I assume there is no...

Hello I have an old Wylex Fusebox which has some re-wireable fuses and some MCB upgrades. I know there is no great advantage in upgrading rewireable fuses to MCB's other than they can be reset quickly. They do not offer RCD protection. However can you tell me, do MCB's react quicker to a...

Hi We are building an alcove in the kitchen with sides made of 18mm plywood. We'd like to add some shelves which are reasonably strong, enough to hold a microwave. What supports would you recommend for the shelves please? The supports need to be fitted from the inside, so we thought about...

Hi I'm planning to extend a ring main by breaking into the ring using Wago connectors and boxes. The extension is quite short and I'm only adding one socket, however the cables will need to be chased into plasterboard. Is there a minimum parallel distance you would recommend between the...

Hi On a socket tester what is the correct measurement for N-E voltage? If the socket is wired properly should the Neutral to Earth voltage be zero? If there is a small voltage present, why does that happen and what is an acceptable maximum please?

I have always wondered how electricians work with live wires when changing consumer units? Presumably you don't pull the main fuse that belongs to the network and so have to connect live incoming wires? Do you wear thick rubber boots? I should point out I am just curious, I have no plans to...

I am doing some alterations on my kitchen. The boiler condensate pipe from the upstairs boiler passes behind some kitchen cupboards on it's way to the drain. I need to reroute the pipe which is not a problem. For a short while, until the job is finished, is it OK to cut the pipe and collect the...

I have recently been doing some renovation work on my kitchen and have noticed that the dedicated cable from the Wylex fusebox to my single oven is using 2.5mm cable which I believe is rated 26amp. That's fine because the single oven is only 10amp, but the fuse in the box is 30amp. Is that a...

Hi I recently had my living room ceiling skim plastered and it's now been painted (mist coat and 3 top coats). Even though we used matt ceiling paint some of it still looks uneven with ripples showing. I was thinking of sanding it with a hand sander and 120 grit paper and then repainting. I'm...

Hello I've recenly had my kitchen ceiling skim plastered and will soon need to paint it with a roller. I was planning to put on 2 mist coats of 50:50 watered down emulsion, followed by a couple of top coats. The ceiling seems really smooth, but when should I sand out any minor imperfection...

Hello I'd like to have my kitchen ceiling skim plastered. The ceiling is easy to reach except perhaps at one end where there are a few cupboards on the wall. There is a 6 inch gap between the top of the cupboards and the ceiling and the cupboards are 12 inches deep. Will it be easy for a...