diy

Hi all, Just after a bit of advice/help at the moment. Our staircase comes down into the living room, it is a 1980's house and all in our area seem the same. The staircase in the living room makes the room feel very small and hard to heat as all the heat goes up the stairs. We would like to...

Happy New Year all - hope next year works out better than the last! Does anybody know what to do here?. I’ve changed some of the light fittings in our house no problem but the last one I need to do has more wires than I know what to do with. I've attached some images of the ceiling rose...

We are considering adding a timber frame extension at the back of our house, which would fill what is currently an "alley" between the back wall and a raised patio (image below is midway through some landscaping we had done last year): I have scoured these forums and others to see if what I...

Hi folks, Advice very welcome - I have a heavy mirror that I need to install on my living room chimney breast. 1950's/60's build so assuming plaster on brick? I think...? The mirror is round, 100cm in diameter, is about 20kg and has 2 x sawtooth bracket to hang on screws. See the pics...

Hi All, I'm planning to board the loft of my new build house. Initially I had planned on using the loft legs and loft boarding panels that interconnect, however, the loft legs feel flimsy. I would like to run CLS timber the opposite direction to the current joints and fix the boarding panels...

Hi guys, I have always had a strong interest in DIY but because I was born female I was always told it’s not right for me to do it so never learnt anything. I have now started my transition to male and am building a workstation for future DIY projects, however as I’ve never been taught anything...

Hi all, I've started working on a 3x6 metre porcelain patio out the back of our house. I've dug out to around 150mm below finished paving level (with 1 in 60 fall away from house) so now ready to get 100mm of MOT type 1 whackered in. There used to be a wee pond about 2x2 metres big to one side...

Hi All, like to think I'm generally competent diyer, though regards to plastering have only ever patched up existing blown plaster. correction: 13 years ago dot dabbed drylined garage to room conversion and tapped all joints before pro plasterer called in , he was complementary of my work...

Thanks to this lovely weather I've got to re felt my shed tbh I've been patching it up for a while. I've no idea how I'm going to do it as I can't get the left fascia off as the previous owner has put it up against the wall. Any advice on what felt I should get? I've had a quick look on...

Hi, I’ve recently bought a new build house. I’m looking to change a standard double panel 600mm x 600mm radiator to a vertical radiator which is 1800mm x 480 mm. The vertical radiator weighs around 45-50kg before water. I think the current one is probably only 20kg before water. The current...

Hi All, Recently added a new single storey extension with a gable style roof that abuts the existing house wall. I took a gamble, and decided to have a stab at doing the step and cover flashing myself. I knew it was a risk. Now hlat the point of boarding it out, however I decided to do one...

I've been renovating my bathroom, and essentially changed a couple of bits of copper pipe with JG speedfit so I could run a T off for the toilet to be moved half a metre. I haven't changed the system in any way. I've also had advice about it all from my plumber. Then I started thinking, what...

Hi I’m about to commence on a rear extension. The block and beam layout has to be drawn up and sizes spec’d by the beam supplier, and then sent through to our BCO. my question is, where the beams key into the existing wall, can they simply rest on the outer brick skin? (On a DPC) or do they...

I’m looking to install 3m of channel drainage to pick up the rainwater from a new pitched roof and take to an existing gulley. I’ve got a 9 inch grinder to cut concrete, looking for advice on how far to dig down and if I have to put a concrete bed below the channel? I’m not a plumber but not...

Hi folks - seeking some advice. Project is to spruce up the doorstep of a victorian terrace house (ignoring the tiles, for now). Appears to my (untrained) eye to be layers of mortar and paint over cement, with the obligatory rusted-to-hell coal hole cover. As per the photos (see attached!)...

Hi all, I have a UPVC garden room structure at the back of my lawn. It is in a disastrous state as you can see in the pictures and I have been using it as a storage room only. Given the extra time on hands this summer, I am thinking to start doing some projects which help this room to be usable...

Hi all, I was hoping for some advice please. I painted our 6ft high brick garden wall top and side during some good weather in September. I pressure washed the whole wall & top well beforehand. The brick was in good condition and clean. I then used 2 coats of Sandtex masonry paint. It...

Hi planning on building a bunk bed/ playhouse for my kids. Will hopefully be a fair size with a length of 2M and a height of 1.5m. Going to incorporate a slide to the side and have a set of stairs to the other side. The top and bottom floor will have a frame so that both mattresses are sat lower...

Very soon we are intending on creating an open plan kitchen/diner by holding up the gable end of the house using "picture frame" type steels. The calculations mention considering to use scaffolding/racking shores? Are these necessary? We were intending on using plenty of Strongboy XLs (on a...

Hi I have just finished building a small raised patio area. I was recommended by a handyman I know that I could lay a sand base and then just sprinkle some cement on before i laid each slab (400mm x 400mm) for stability. We laid a base of hardcore and then just about 1cm of sand, flattened it...