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I have blue tits trying to make a nest in the roof. There is a massive gap which I have blocked up for now. The rows of nails looks suspicious. Normally there is one or two nails near the top of the slate whereas here it looks like someone has tried to close the gap by nailing the slates down...

My property runs next to a stream and all of the rain and surface water is meant to go into the stream. The gutters and down pipes lead to underground pipes that flow into the stream. In this photo the gravel driveway slopes right to left, towards the stream. The building is a concrete shed...

I have a french door with a Yale Lockmaster lock. It isn't closing securely against the frame so is letting a draught in. It's the bottom roller cam that isn't holding the door against the frame. I tried adjusting the lower keep but it didn't help. Also adjusted the lower roller cam so that its...

This section of driveway slopes towards the hole in the picture. There is a stream where the blue lines are so ideally rainwater should flow in that direction. The rest of the plot correctly slopes and sends rainwater to the stream. These are the options I'm considering: 1. Fill the hole...

I share a septic tank that is located on my neighbours property. It's an ancient brick one that's probably not compliant anymore but my neighbour doesn't want to get it inspected. I've had some installers round to discuss installing a small sewage treatment plant on my own property and cutting...

The previous owner installed this bodge of a water butt. It's very annoying as the overflow often gets blocked and water floods onto the driveway. Also, I have fitted 2 water butts at the rear of the house near the garden so I don't need this one. The overflow water travels several metres...

I live in the midlands and hear this tapping noise coming from the ceiling every morning. I don't hear anything at night and I'm sure it's not birds on the roof. Could it be deathwatch beetles?

I have 4 lights in the hallway, all controlled by the same light switch. One of the lights has never worked since I moved in. I removed the light fitting and tested the wires with a volt meter. If the light switch is off I get approx 0 reading. With the light switch on, if I test the live wire...

I have this lintel that has rotted a bit: It doesn't look too bad but I'm nervous to paint it, in case it makes it worse. Can it be treated with something first and then painted over or does it need replacing?

This joist is moving away from the support (or vice versa). Should I clamp them together or will that just cause worse problems elsewhere?

The hot water pipe from the boiler to the H/W Cylinder is slow to circulate. There's no pump, it works off gravity. The pipework looks messy, the tee for the vent pipe off the main pipe is in the wrong place. If I crack the nut, sometimes air comes out. Does it make sense to move the vent pipe...

I need to detach the toilet and sink pipes from this soil pipe (they won't be added back later I just want a straight soil pipe remaining). I have caps so I can cap off the branches on the existing fitting but they won't budge, they are glued together. I could probably get a straight cut...

I was cleaning this waste and accidentally pulled it out. It now won't go back in. I tried shoving it and turning it etc. Is there a knack? There is no access from below.

These stains appeared on the living room ceiling. I have lived here for 2 years and the stains weren't there before. I took the floor up upstairs and there's nothing there. Is it feasible that this is an old stain that has bled through after 2 years? If I put a moisture meter directly on the...

My tiles don't have a finished edge so I'm using mosaic along the edge of a shelf. Which of these looks best: 1. Aligning the mosaics to create a continuous grout line with the tiles. 2. Just go straight across with the mosaics and don't line up with the grout line.

I want to put a bath in the area in the photo. The area is 2.75m wide and has a sloped roof above with a velux window in it. There is an eaves door, a socket and a radiator behind where the bath will be. I won't be installing a toilet. I'm considering either a free standing bath or a normal...

Any advice on how to neaten up these 2 thresholds? The rest of the room is as below. Large pine skirting on the plastered parts of the wall and nothing on the brick parts:

This pipe tees off the CH pipework and doesn't go anywhere. Is it there for expansion or something? I have the CH drained down at the moment. Should I remove it or leave as is?

I have an oil powered AGA that is always on (except during a heatwave). It's used for cooking but also heats the hot water and a towel radiator in the bathroom. I'm doing up the bathroom and so I was thinking of removing the towel rad. The room already has another normal radiator powered from...

Every radiator in the house has a draincock on it (except the one in the porch - where it would have actually been useful!). As well as being ugly can I just confirm that this is pointless? They are used to drain down the system right? So no point having one on each rad? Where the pipes are...