advice needed

Hello all, Wondering if this is something I can attempt to sort myself or whether I might need to get the pros in. We are in a new build and it's around 3 years old. Developers have scarpered and are non responsive on a number of issues but I don't have the time/energy to chase and would...

Hi- we recently replaced our kitchen doors to give the old kitchen a refresh, and replaced the stainless steel sink with a Belfast sink to match the new style. The sink we bought was the same dimension as the old one, but as it’s curved it doesn’t fit the space. Annoyingly the plumber broke the...

This may be too ambitious a project but oh well... Any advice or criticisms gratefully received. I have a relatively large lean to that is effectively useless and I plan to make a functional little workshop and gym space It's a single skin brick lean to with brick walls between 1 and 1.5m high...

I have a old a Anglepoise Lamp that I use as a reading light. The bulb went. As it is for reading I would need a bright one. It says on it 100w Max. Is it still possibe to get these or what would be the modern equivalent? Its bayonet fit bulb. I am in the U.K. it stands on the floor. Its very...

Hi everyone! I looking to remove an overflow pipe run that goes into the bathroom and re-route an immersion overflow into the kitchen and connect it to the washing machine waste. Currently, the overflow from the immersion tank passes through a partition wall into the bathroom where it connects...

I was out in my garden and noticed one of the slabs on my footpath around the lawn was loose. There was some weeds etc underneath. When i had dealt with all that I put it back level. When I was standing on it it cracked down the middle lol. It was not a proper slab but poured concrete I think...

Hello, I was looking in the loft of a 1900s house we've recently moved to, and noticed some tracks in the rafters that look like some kind of wood boring insect (images attached) - is that correct and is it possible to tell if old or recent? There's insulation below the beams so difficult to...

We are close to exchange on a house constructed in the 1930s and the searches indicated that a 225mm foul sewer is within the property boundary running longitudinally underneath the house. There is another sewer at the end of the garden. Search also revealed a water main (in blue, size unknown)...

Hello, I'm considering purchasing this property but I'm worried about cracks around the windows both internally and externally. The windows sit one on top of the other and the external crack in the picture below sits between the two of them. We're first time buyers in our 30s and have already...

Evening all. Looking for advise regards neighbours wanting a larger dormer loft putting in on there property. I have a few concerns to this. One being noise issue as can hear ever footstep on the landing as it is, not to mention when they are in there loft as it is. Second is structure as its...

I have a Hive thermostat and hub, which was installed by British Gas around 4 1/2 years ago. Thermostat on back says it’s Model WPT1. The Hub is a Nano 2 Hub V2, Sales Code HUB320. British Gas have emailed me and offered me 6 months free Hive Heating Plus. Does anyone know if my existing...

Hi, I have recently purchased a property and after starting to paint the hallway a brilliant white colour, i noticed filled in cracks that had been painted over by the previous owner. The cracks are visible from the bottom all the way to the top of the stairs. Are these a cause for concern or...

Hi, I've just uncovered the third fireplace in my 1860s terrace. The first two I uncovered are lovely stone fireplaces, all straightforward and easy to clear out and fix up, with nice even slabs of York stone as their lintels. The third one is unlike any lintel I've ever seen as it's got the...

Hello everyone, I am looking at building a timber lean to veranda / patio cover down the side of my house and was hoping that I could get a bit of advice on how to do it. The span is going to be roughly 2.7m wide by 6m long with a roof at 15 degrees. The whole thing will be painted with...

Hi, We've been looking at moving house and due to budget, we've been mostly looking at houses that need a bit of updating. One of the houses we really like has a long, horizontal crack in the lintel above the downstairs living room window. It looks like the stone that's cracked might just be a...

Hi, We've had our chimney breast opening widened (probably a brick wider than the builders opening) and the lintel replaced with a stronger one and moved higher up at the front. Some of the brickwork needed to be cut out. Is our chimney flue and the second/third row of bricks supported by the...

We have removed two 1000l underground water tanks from under the rotten decking in our garden. We are now stuck on how to fill them. My partner wants to break up a pile of bricks we have in the garden and use with sand that was under a brick patio we removed, however this appears to be just...

I own a 1930s house and am in the process of renovating a room where some kind soul has wallpapered the ceiling, whats more, its on lathe and plaster. My intention is to put some spotlights in and I am wondering, if time isn't an issue, should I just rip the lot out? Are there any benefits...

First time posting, but would like some tips and ideas. We have recently purchased our first house, the whole thing needs work but the garden is where we are stuck and complete novices. It's full of pebbles that my two year old loves to throw and is just too much work. We want something we can...

Hi All, once again turning to you for some advice. I am building a 3 x 3 m corner summer house, which has a diagonal of about 4m I need to stay below 2.5m to avoid planning restrictions and struggling The option I'm looking at at the moment is.... Base - 3" (3 x 2 on concrete with a membrane)...