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    Retaining wall and fence - advice please

    I need to replace this beautiful fence: It's in a pretty sheltered location, as you can tell by the fact that it's still standing! There is a short length of wall, which retains my neighbours raised bed. The main part of this wall runs acros the neighbours garden perpendicular to the fence. My...
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    What paint for my bathroom window frame?

    The paint is peeling off my bathroom window frame (interior) already, after four years. I'm going to strip it and redo it, but I want to get it right this time. Please can someone tell me where I went wrong! The wood was sound and dry, and well rubbed down. Two coats of Dulux quick drying...
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    Is it OK to regularly clean a toilet with acid?

    Just cleaned the brown stains from my toilet bowl by chucking in 100ml or so of Spirit of Salts. It's brilliant, far better than any toilet cleaner product. Is it OK to do this regularly, or could it cause damage? The toilet is newish with a plastic (multifit?) connector, but the downpipe looks...
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    Brown hot water

    Help! I've just got home to find my hot water is brown. It looks too murky to have a bath in, and if I leave it it eventually settles to a fine dust at the bottom. The cold water is fine, even after heating in the kettle, so it doesn't seem to be a contaminant in the water supply. The hot...
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    Creaking bamboo floor

    I've foolishly laid a click together bamboo floor over a concrete base that's not level enough, and now it's creaking when I walk on it. I really don't want to have to level it properly with self levelling compound, but is there anything else I can do? I don't mind it flexing underfoot, as long...
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    Airbrick advice please

    I've been poking around under my floorboards trying to stop the small furry visitors getting in, and I noticed something odd about the airbicks. There are two at the front of the house that vent to the cavity, but one has a brick removed on the inside skin so that it vents right through to...
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    Fitting an outside tap, do I need to sleeve the pipe?

    I've bought an outside tap kit from HPS, in 15mm copper. I've heard a few people say to sleeve the pipe where it goes throgh the brick wall, either in 22mm copper or plastic tube. Other people don't mention it. Is it necessary? Is it worth filling round the pipe where it comes through the wall...
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    Motorised valve to fit 90mm OD pipe

    Anyone know where I'd get one cheap? It doesn't have to be great - it can leak externally and not close fully, but it needs to last a few years with no maintenance.
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    Cheap mitre saw - hand or electric?

    I've tried cutting the mitres in my kitchen trim using a plastic mitre box from B&Q and it's hopeless, I need a proper tool. My local shop has a Draper hand mitre saw for £22, or there's electric ones at Screwfix, B&Q and Wickes for about £50. Which will give me a better result with minimum...
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    Anyone used Durabond Lexel sealant?

    I'm looking for a clear flexible sealant to go between my wood worktops and glass splashbacks. I've been warned off silicone by Oilman, but this stuff looks exactly right. Has anyone tried it? http://www.partridges.uk.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=&products_id=3264
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    Sealing round the edge of a wooden worktop

    What do people recommend? The worktops are oiled oak, and I'm fitting a glass splashback. I was going to leave about 4mm gap between the top surface of the wood and the bottom of the glass, and fill it with low-modulus silicone, so that the wood can move. Will the silicone stick to the oiled...
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    What should I use for my Kitchen windowsill?

    Not sure if this is the right forum, but it seems the closest one to me. Apologies if it's wrong. My kitchen is nearly done, but I can't decide what to use for the windowsill. It's white cabinets, Oak worktops and red glass splashbacks. The sill is about 1600x250 and needs to be between 10mm...
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    Was I ripped off for Diamond core hire?

    Or was I just naive? I was fitting a 5" extractor duct, and figured I should hire a diamond core to cut throught the brick, as it would be the easiest method and leave a nice neat hole. Went to my local Brandons hire and got a 127mm bit, cost virtually nothing to hire, but £12+VAT per half...
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    I want a toy router

    I've got a couple of small router jobs to do and I was thinking of buying a cheap toy one just so that I can have a play and see what they're about. I can't see myself attempting any serious work with it. CPC have a Bosch (green) 600W 1/4" for £33, or a Ferm 850W 1/4" for about £20. Do...
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    Another "what oil to use on a wooden worktop" ques

    I know there seems to be loads of posts on this, but I couldn't find the answer to my question..... I bought solid oak worktops from Ikea - seemed like a good idea at the time... I'm happy with the worktops, but I made the mistake of using Ikea's own brush on oil stuff - which is utter...
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    Can I run ducting inside a cavity wall?

    I've got an awkward route to get the ducting from my cooker hood to an outside wall. If I run above the ceiling it would emerge level with a flat roof, so I need to run it vertically up the wall of the room above for about 500mm and then vent out through the wall. I would rather not have a boxed...
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