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Would timber plugs sealed in with resin be a suitable repair for this joist? We could thread the cable through just one hole ...the remaining four would be redundant. Replacing it would be quite complex so we would like to avoid that.

I have just moved into a rural area & have inherited a dispute over a permeable hardstanding that was constructed over 8 years ago. The wooden box structure was filled with gravel to give good drainage. However, a local farmer claims that it should not come up to the boundary hedge & he has a...

I am planning on having my consumer unit upgraded & it has been pointed out to me that the old installation does not have an isolating switch to disconnect the unit from the main supply. Should I contact the electricity supplier (First: Utility) to install one or are electricians able to...

In my property, I have noticed that whilst most of the wiring is reasonably new solid core cabling, the cable that runs from the consumer unit to the first socket in the 30A ring main is a stranded core. Does this need replacing? I am about to get my CU upgraded, so was wondering if I should...

I am rebuilding a shower/bath & the walls around the shower area are 12mm hardwood faced WBP ply. These need preparing for tiling. As the plywood is boxing in pipework & is vented at the base, does it need sealing on the back? I have a large quantity of masonry paint & wondered if it would be...

I am trying to remove the wallpaper in a large room. After steaming off one layer I have discovered another of oil-painted textured wallpaper! It has taken a full week of scraping to clear one wall, with much damage to the plaster (& myself). Can anyone suggest a better method? I did try...

I have 2 cast iron waste pipes running through my flat, one in the kitchen & one in the bathroom. Both seem to have small leaks as rusty streaks run down them. They are soon to be boxed in & tiled over. As it is unlikely the owners of the block will replace the stack, what is the best way to...

My Potterton Suprima 50 fails to light after the ignition process starts the fan & activates the electrode spark. I measured 250v+ DC across the gas valve which, I believe, rules out the PCB. I have been told it may be the gas valve solenoid, which would require the replacement of the...

I have read many of the shower postings but find I need to ask advice. I have a gravity fed open-vented system in a flat & would like to install a shower. As there is only a ceiling lighting circuit in the bathroom, I was steering away from electric installations. Cold water pressure is...

I have a bedside table made of slatted lacquered walnut. I would like to darken the colour to match other bedroom furniture, without the additional patterns that are created with coloured varnishes. So far I have tried the following with poor results: Liberon Black Polish - too dark Ronseal...

I have to remove several layers of paint from cast iron pipes. Would I be in danger of causing a fracture if I used a gas burner?

According to several manufacturers, I have an ideal situation for a venturi shower unit. Cold water pressure of 2bar & a separate hot water head of some 500mm. However, little reference is made to pipe lengths, in my case 9 metres for the hot pipe. I was interested in the Croydex H20 Shower...

I live in a block of flats with a shared cold water storage tank in the roof. This feeds cold taps directly, giving a pressure of about 2bar, & a combination storage tank above the hot water cylinder, in an open vented indirect system. Hot water pressure is about 0.2bar. Is there any reason...

I have recently installed an Albion Superduty CF45 high recovery hot water cylinder. As the name suggests this holds 45 litres & is designed for a rapid reheat. Is this sufficient for the installation of a power shower?

My 1930s-built flat has steel gaspipes running under the concrete flooring & on the surface of my kitchen wall. Are these obsolete? My cooker & gas fire are still supplied by these pipes & the cooker fittings look a bit rusty. Some years ago the meter was moved from the kitchen & I now have a...

Seems to be the topic of the day but there are a few things I would like to clarify. Recently replaced my heat exchanger tank to an Albion Superduty CF45. No problems here. As cooler weather approaches & the CH switches in I find the Potterton now has a tendancy to cut out when initially...

I was planning on installing a 100mA RCD to protect my consumer unit & a 30mA RCD protecting selected circuits on that unit. I have now been told that I would need 'special cross-bonding' as well. As my circuits are already earthed & cross-bonded is this necessary? The first reference to this...

I am hoping to install double doors in the hallway of my flat, effectively dividing the front from the rear sleeping area. I would like a combination of sound reduction, fire resistance & security. The plan was to reinforce the frame with steel & maybe the door but I have yet to...

The manufacturers of my new heat exchanger (fully pumped, indirect open-vented system) recommend setting my Potterton Suprima 50 to MAX, for optimum performance. This seems to be fine but I am convinced the correctly-wired pump does not overrun. On rare occasions the boiler will kettle (bang)...

I have to ask this question as I have not found the answer on this site or elsewhere. When pulling cable through buried conduit, how do you attach the new cable to that being replaced (or the nylon pull-through cord)?