This is our old playhouse shed for our kids, we knocked it down and replaced it with a larger shed when our children outgrew it. Rather than dumping it we recycled it by selling it in Garden Structures Section of eBay. Got a very … Read more
Most cars now come with an Alternator that charges the car battery rather than a Dynamo. The main difference is that the Alternator generates AC (Alternating) current initially that is then rectified to DC (Direct Current) that charges the Battery whereas the … Read more
The legal requirements have recently been changed which mean that any fixed wiring on a property should be installed by a competent person, this is typically defined as someone qualified and certified in 16th Edition wiring regulations. Failure to observe this requirement … Read more
Sometimes plastered solid walls become “blown”, i.e. the basecoat becomes separated from the bricks behind. This can be detected by tapping the plaster: it will sound hollow where it is blown. It could stay like that for many years without trouble or … Read more
Ceilings and stud partition (i.e. not solid) walls were made out of lath and plaster before plasterboard was invented. Laths are thin strips of wood which are nailed between supporting timbers, separated by small gaps. When the laths are plastered, the plaster … Read more
How can you easily tell if holes in items of furniture or wood are a new or an old attack of woodworm; If they are new, the holes will be clean (new-looking wood visible inside), and there will be little piles of … Read more
Lime mortar/plaster consists of a mixture of sand and lime. Ordinary Portland Cement was invented in 1824, this is what is used in almost all new buildings, but lime plaster has it’s uses especially in the renovation of old properties. Lime is … Read more
A water softener is a device which removes the chemicals in hard water areas which cause scaling: calcium and magnesium carbonate. It should not be confused with chemical/electrolytic/magnetic DE-SCALERS which merely attempt to prevent these chemicals depositing themselves inside pipes, tanks and … Read more
Given time, all washing machines leak. If the leak appears on the floor, creeping out from under the front of the machine, the likelihood is that it is the door seal that needs replacing. If the puddle seems to be emerging from … Read more
There are a number of reasons why a single radiator will not heat up compared to the rest, below are some reasons: Assuming the rest of the system works, i.e. all other radiators heat up, here is a non exhaustive list of … Read more
