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Index, by topic, of all the pages on
the diydata.com web site

Angle grinder - the various features and what to look for
Architrave - a step by step guide to fitting architrave around doors, windows and loft hatches.
Basement conversions explained.
Bathroom design
Bathroom electrical installations - a guide to the zones
Bench grinder - the various features and what to look for
Books
- Carpentry and woodworking books.
- Construction books for home and garden.
- Decorating.
- Eco-friendly diy books.
- Electrics books.
- Garden Design.
- Gardening books.
- General diy books, electrics and plumbing.
- Plumbing books.
- Property development and investment books.
Brickwork
- - Calculating the number of bricks required
- Building a garden wall
- Checking as you build a wall
- Foundations for a garden wall
- Pointing styles and techniques
- Repointing walls - a step by step guide.
- Replacing bricks in cavity walls
Brickwork Bonds
- English bond wall
- Flemish bond wall
- Stretcher bond wall
- Stretcher bond wall with piers
- Stretcher bond piers
Bricklayer's Tool Kit - the different tools used in bricklaying explained
Building Regs
- Building Regulations (England and Wales) - when do you need approval.
- Building Regulations and electrics (Jan 2005 changes)
- April 2002 changes to the regulations.
- Building Regulations (England and Wales) - a list of the approved documents and links to them on the Planning Portal.
- see also
  - Planning Permissions (England and Wales) - what you need permission for
  - Planning Permissions (England and Wales) - producing your own drawings
Burglar Alarms - the different types of burglar alarm available for home use
Catches - different types of cupboard catch explained
DIY CCTV Systems – What to consider when buying cctv cameras, dvrs and systems
Cement, concrete etc.
Central heating - see plumbing
Chasing cables and pipes into walls
Check for winter - some checks around the house to avoid winter problems
Circular Saw - the various features, what to look for, how to use and maintain
Cladding - external timber and uPVC plank cladding explained
Clamps - different types for different jobs
Colour Wheel and how to use colours in decorating.
Colour to overcome different decorating problems.
Concealed Hinges – the choice of hinges for your kitchen cupboard
Concrete
- - Calculators for concrete volumes - squares, rectangles, circles and triangles. Metric calculator or Imperial calculator
- - Calculators for working out the quantities of cement, sand, gravel or all-in ballast required for a volume. Metric calculator or Imperial calculator
- Mixing concrete - a 'how to guide' for mixing concrete by hand, with a mixer or using ready mix
- Planning concrete - the thickness, slope etc for different uses of concrete (paths, patios, driveways etc)
Condensation - the causes of condensation
Condensation - how to overcome condensation.
Conservatories - building confidence in getting one installed
Cordless angle grinder - the various features and what to look for
Cordless Screwdrivers - the various features and options explained.
Cornice and coving - the different materials and adhesives
Cornice and coving - cutting the mitres for internal and external corners
Preparing for putting up cornice/coving
Putting up cornice/coving
How to avoid cowboy builders and tradesmen
Cupboard Stays - different types and how they work
Dado rails - a step by step guide to putting up dado rails.
Dish washer - guide to connecting dishwashers to the water supply and waste.
Doors
- Choosing a door
- Fitting a door frame
- Glazing doors
- Hanging doors
Garden drainage problems - a brief discussion
Drawer runners - the options available explained
Drills - hand and electric - different types and their uses
Drill bits
Dry rot - how to identify and treat
Electric Drill - the features of electric hand drills
Electric sanders - the different types available to reduce 'elbow grease' when sanding
Electrics (relevant to United Kingdom)
- DIY books - electrics
- Replacing ceiling lighting rose
- Downlights for effective lighting
- Electric cables
- Electric cables - 2004 changes to colours of cables
- Electrical circuit protection explained - Fuses, MCBs, RCDs and RCBOs
- Fuses - Electrical circuit protection explained
- Ingress Protection - understanding IP classifications
- Junction Boxes - The types available and their uses
- Miniature Circuit Breakers - Electrical circuit protection explained
- Residual Current Device - Electrical circuit protection explained
- Residual Current Breaker with Overload protection - Electrical circuit protection explained
- Two way/changeover lighting circuit
- Understanding electric lighting circuits
- Understanding ring circuits and other power circuits
Energy efficiency:
- 10 free ways to be more energy efficient
- 8 low cost ways to be more energy efficient
UPVC fascias, soffits and bargeboards
Euro cylinder lock replacement - a step by step guide to removing and refitting a euro cylinder type lock
Extractor fan - Choosing the right extractor fan for your bathroom
Fencing
- Board fencing - the posts and rails
- Erecting a chain link fence
- Erecting a wooden panel fence
- Wooden fence posts
Fireplace Design, Fireplace Installation & Fire Surround Options in the UK
Fixings for different types of walls - how to make strong fixings to brick, block, stud, plasterboard, lathe and plaster, and dry lined walls
Fixings for hollow walls and surfaces
Fixings for solid walls
Flat roofs
- Laying a felt roof (three layer, cold adhesive)
- Repairing Felt Roofs
Floods - precautions for around the home
Flooring
- Floor soundproofing
- Self-levelling floor compound for concrete/solid floors.
- Timber Flooring:
  - Timber floor finishes - varnish, oils and waxes explained.
  - Removing old finishes - a guide to removing paint, varnish, oil wax and polishes from timber floorboards.
  - Sanding wooden floooring - a guide to applying stain to timber floorboards.
  - Staining wooden floors
  - Timber flooring - Solid or Engineered Timber Flooring? The Debate, which is better.
  - Varnishing wooden floorboards - a guide to varnishing timber floorboards.
- Vinyl flooring:
Garden gate plans from Buildeazy
Gardening books.
Garden Power Tools - hedge trimmers, chain saws etc.
Gas installations etc.
Glass
- The different types of glass for use around the house
- Using glass around the house
- Removing broken glass from windows (single glazed)
- Fitting new glass to windows (single glazed)
Glossaries - terms and terminology explained:
- Carpentry and woodworking
- Decorating
- Electrics
- General Building
- Plumbing
- Roofing
- Staircase
Glues - all sorts explained
- Natural Glues
- Nonreactive synthetic glues
- Reactive synthetic glues
Granite worktops - a guide to selecting
Maintaining rain water Guttering
Guttering for rain water
Hammers - various types and their uses
Handsaws - various types and their uses
Hinges - different types of hinge explained
Hot air heat guns - for stripping paint and more
How to change a rooms dimension using wall pictures
How to use home decor accessories to create a new look in a room
Imperial/metric conversions factors or quick look up tables
Conversion Calculator
Interior design - decorate your space with wall art
Insulation
- Loft Insulation - the materials and how to install them
- Insulating water tanks and pipes
- Insulating internal walls with boards
- Insulating pitched roof spaces
Interior wooden doors
Kitchens
- Kitchen Design
- Kitchen granite worktops - a guide to selecting
- Kitchen units - what's available in units and accessories
- Kitchen updating - advice from the Federation of Master Builders
- Under Cabinet Lighting in the kitchen - the options available, fluorescent, halogen and LED
Ladders - types and choices
Lighting in the home - type of light and bulbs explained
Locks
- Types of locks explained - mortice, rimlocks, nightlatch etc.
- Mortise Lock - a step by step guide to fitting a mortise lock.
- Mortise Lock - changing the latch - a step by step guide to changing the latch on a mortise lock.
- Rim Lock - an illustrated guide to fitting a rim lock
Loft conversion - planning guide
Loft hatch
- Making the hole in the ceiling
- Casing the access hole and making the cover
Man made, wood based boards
Nails
- Nails - all the different types
- Nail sizes - pennies to inches
- Nail tips - points to note
Paints and Painting
- Colour Wheel and how to use colours in decorating
- Paints for use around the house
- Painting stone, brick and render
- Painting ferrous metals surfaces
- Painting timber surfaces
- Paint finishes, the different types of problems, how to avoid and correct them
- Painting flush wooden doors - a step by step illustrated guide
- Painting tips
- Painting wooden panel doors - a step by step illustrated guide
- Painting wooden casement windows - a step by step illustrated guide
- Painting wooden sash windows - a step by step illustrated guide
- Preparing walls and ceilings - a guide to preparing for painting
- Preparing wooden doors and windows - a guide to preparing for repainting
- Stripping paint from wood - the options, advantages and drawbacks
- Timber finishes, varnishes, stains and dyes
- Using a paint roller - the technique explained.
Partitions
- Partitions - Plan before you build will save a lot of effort
- Partition (sound proof) - building a partition to reduce noise
- Stud Partition
  - The basic framework
  - Cladding with plasterboard
  - Finishing off
  - Tips on drylining - from the diydata forum
Party Wall Act - an outline of the duties and responsibilies for neighbouring parties.
Party Wall Act - a practical guide - a practical guide from a Party Wall Surveyor.
Pests in and out the house and their control
Picture rails - a step by step guide to putting up picture rails.
Planning Permission
- Planning Permissions (England and Wales) - what you need permission for
- Planning Permissions (England and Wales) - changes October 2008.
- Planning Permissions (England and Wales) - producing your own drawings
- see also
  - Building Regulations (England and Wales) - when do you need approval.
Plaster ceilings - the different types explained
Plaster repairs:
- Lath and plaster wall repairs - step by step guide to repairing holes in lath and plaster walls.
- Plaster wall repairs (large) - step by step guide to repairing large areas in plastered walls.
- Plaster wall repairs (small) - step by step guide to repairing cracks in plastered walls and external plaster corners.
- Repairing large holes in stud walls or ceilings - step by step guide to repairing large holes in plasterboard stud partition walls and ceilings.
- Repairing small holes in stud walls - step by step guide to repairing small holes in plasterboard stud partition walls.
Plaster walls - lath & plaster, straight plaster, stud walling and dry lining construction explained.
Plasterboard:
- Types of plasterboard explained.
- Cutting and fixing plasterboard - cutting straight line and cutouts, fixing with nails and screws.
- Filling plasterboard joints - finishing the joints with tape and filler.
- Finishing plasterboard corners with metal plasterboard corner strips.
Plans (FREE woodworking plans)
- For the Children - toys and things
- For the bedroom
- For the garden and outdoors
- For the kitchen
- For the workshop
Plumbing
- Air Admittance Valves explained.
- Ball valves (as fitted to WC cisterns and water tanks):
  - Slide and Diaphragm ball valves explained.
  - Slider type ball valve washer replacement - an illustrated step by step guide.
- Boiler systems - Conventional, Combi and System domestic boiler systems explained.
- DIY books - plumbing
- Copper pipe and connectors for household plumbing
  - bending copper pipes
  - cutting copper pipes
  - Compression fittings
  - using solder capillary fittings
- Central Heating:
  - Balancing Radiators
  - Bleeding the system and radiators
  - Draining an Open Vent Centrol Heating System explained.
  - Fitting valves and plugs etc to radiators.
  - Fixing radiators to different types of wall.
  - Flushing, descaling and refilling an Open Vent Centrol Heating System explained.
  - Removing a radiator - how to remove a radiator.
- Central Heating design
  - Centrol Heating Boiler controls explained. Room Thermostats (Roomstats), Timers and Programmers, Thermostatic Radiator Valves
  - Choosing radiators/emitters for water central heating
  - Limiting factors in water central heating systems
  - Sizing building thermal loses
    - Example of calculating thermal loses (Imperial)
  - Sizing for domestic hot water storage
  - Sizing pipework
  - U- values - the overall coefficient of heat transmission values of some common building materials/methods
  - Water Central Heating pipework and controls - the requirements of Building Regulation 2010
- Central Heating explained (water)
  - Boiler configurations
  - Boiler to radiator pipework arrangements
- Central Heating - Underfloor heating - the basic water and electric systems and the advantages/drawbacks explained.
- Ceramic taps explained - how they work and their advantages/disadvantages.
- Dish washer - guide to connecting dishwashers to the water supply and waste.
- Immersion water heaters:
  - Adjusting the thermostat
  - Replacing the thermostat
- Push on plumbing connectors and plastic pipe for household plumbing
- Showers
  - Choosing showers - the different types explained
  - Gravity fed showers - the system explained
  - Instantaneous Electric Showers - the systems explained
  - Power showers - the different types explained
  - Power Showers - points to consider when buying and installing
- Taps
  - Curing dripping taps - fitting replacement seats and washers
  - Connecting taps to the water pipes
  - Fixing and connecting mono-bloc (single hole) mixer taps
  - Fixing taps to baths, basins and sinks
  - Regrinding a tap seat
  - Replacing a tap washer
  - Replacing a Supatap washer
- Toilets
  - Cistern - modern direct action (syphon) lavatory cistern
  - Cistern - modern flap flush valve lavatory cistern - how they work
  - Cistern - old style Burlington Bell type lavatory cistern
  - Common problems with lavatory cisterns
  - Replacing a flap valve in a direct action cistern
- Washing machines - guide to connecting washing machines to the water supply and waste
- Waste disposal units - the basics and how to fit waste disposal units to sinks.
- Waste fittings:
  - Bath - Illustrated guide to the various types of waste water fittings for baths
  - Hand basin - Illustrated guide to the various types of waste water fittings for hand basins
  - Sink - Illustrated guide to the various types of waste water fittings for sinks
- Waste pipe
  - Making waste pipe connections to household drains
  - Waste pipes and connectors - the different types explained
- Waste traps - the different types of water waste traps explained
Power Washers - the options explained
Roofing
- Using Corrugated Roof Sheeting
- Laying a felt roof (three layer, cold adhesive)
- Repairing Felt Roofs
- Felting and battening - a step by step guide to putting on the felt and battens for a slate or tile roof
- Glossary of roofing terms
- Pitched roofs - cut and truss roofs explained
- Repairing plain tile roofs - a guide to the practical aspects of repairing plain tile roofs
- Repairing slate roofs - a guide to the practical aspects of repairing slate roofs
- Replacing ridge tiles - a guide to replacing loose and dislodged ridge tiles on the roof
- Using interlocking tiles - a guide to the practical aspects of roofing with interlocking tiles with side overlaps
- Using ridge tiles - a guide to the practical aspects of fixing ridge tiles to slate and tile roofs
- Using plain roofing tiles - a guide to the practical aspects of roofing using plain tiles
- Using slates - a guide to the practical aspects of roofing with slates
Router cutters - different types, material and uses
Routers - the various features, what to look for, how to maintain
Safety for the do it yourself person
Sandpaper & glasspaper - types and their uses
Screwdrivers - cordless - the various features and options explained.
Sealants - types explained
Self-build - advice from the Federation of Master Builders
Shelving
- Types of shelving to choose.
- Fitting long shelving with brackets - an illustrated step by step guide.
- Fitting short shelving with brackets - an illustrated step by step guide.
- Fitting shelving to an alcove - a step by step guide.
- Fitting shelving to a corner - a step by step guide.
- Materials explained - solid timber, chipwood, mdf, blockboard, plywood etc.
Skirting board - a step by step guide to cutting and fitting skirting board.
Sliding Wardrobe Doors - How to fit DIY sliding wardrobe doors between uneven walls
Smoke alarms - different types and their features
Solving the problems of an irregularly sized bedroom - design ideas for small and large bedrooms
Sound Proofing
- Background to soundproofing your property - why and how to soundproof
- Floor soundproofing
- Noises from your neighbour and how to soundproof party walls
- Partition (sound proof) - building a partition to reduce noise
- Suspended Ceiling to improve sound proofing
- Suspended Ceiling to improve sound proofing (alternative method)
Solar energy - design, install and use
A simple solar panel
Solar energy - Why install thermal solar panels ?
Spanners and wrenches - the different types and uses explained.
Staircases explained will illustrations and glossary plus repairing staircases.
Staircase requirements - Building Regulations and other design details
Staircases for Loft Conversions - Building Regulations and other design details for stairs in loft conversions.
Staircase - Basic design - guide for planning a basic staircase
Stucco/Rendering mixes
Stucco - uses and application
Suspended Ceiling to improve sound proofing.
Telephone sockets - adding some around the house.
Tiling
- Ceramic tiles - basic styles - The basic shapes and tile types explained
- Estimating wall tiles - A guide to working out how many tiles are required for a tiling job
- Estimating tile finishing strip - A guide to working out how many finishing strips are required for a tiling job and how to cut it to get the most out of it
- Preparing surfaces for ceramic wall tiles - A guide to preparing the surface whether wallpaper, paint, tile or timber
- Setting out ceramic wall tiles - A guide to making the job look professional
- Fixing ceramic wall tiles - A guide to fixing ceramic wall tiles
- Cutting ceramic tiles - A guide to cutting ceramic wall tiles
- Grouting wall tiles - A guide
- Tiling tools - the different tools required for wall and floor tiling explained.
Timber joints - simple
- Box joints
- Frame joints
- Mortise and tenon joints
Timber rot - dry and wet - how to identify and treat
Tools:
- Bricklayer's Tool Kit - the different tools used in bricklaying explained.
- Circular Saw - the various features, what to look for, how to use and maintain
- Clamps - different types available for different jobs
- Cordless Screwdrivers - the various features and options explained.
- Drills - hand and electric - different types and their uses
- Drill bits - different types for different jobs
- Electric Drill - the features of electric hand drills
- Garden Power Tools - hedge trimmers, chain saws etc.
- Hammers - various types and their uses
- Handsaws - various types and their uses
- Hot air heat guns - for stripping paint and more
- Ladders - types and choices
- Router cutters - different types, material and uses
- Routers - the various features, what to look for, how to maintain
- Sandpaper & glasspaper - types and their uses.
- Screwdrivers - cordless - the various features and options explained.
- Spanners and wrenches - the different types and uses explained.
- Tiling tools - the different tools required for wall and floor tiling explained.
Underfloor heating - the basic water and electric systems and the advantages/drawbacks explained.
Vinyl flooring
- Floor preparation
- Planning to lay vinyl tiles
- Calculating the number of floor tiles
- Setting out
- Laying the vinyl tiles
- After care
Wall chaser - the various features and what to look for
Wall Fixings for hollow walls and surfaces
Wall Fixings for solid walls
Wallpapering
- Types of Wallpaper - the different types explained.
- Symbols on labels - the symbols on wallpaper labels explained.
- How many rolls? - Calulate how many rools of wall paper you will require.
- Stripping wallpaper - a step by step guide to stripping different types of wall paper.
- Preparing different surfaces for hanging wallpaper - new and old plasterboard and plaster walls etc.
- Cutting and pasting wallpaper - a guide to setting out the start lines, cutting and pasting the wallpaper.
- Hanging wallpaper - a step by step guide to hanging wallpaper.
- Hanging wallpaper around architrave.
- Hanging wallpaper around electrical fittings.
- Hanging wallpaper around a recess at door and window surrounds.
Washing machines - guide to connecting washing machines to the water supply and waste.
wetNfix - repairs for wall plugs
Wet timber rot - how to identify and treat
Windows
- Sash windows - the basics
- Sash windows - renewing sash cords
Winter checks - some checks around the house to avoid winter problems
Wood screws - the basics
Wood screw clearance and pilot hole sizes
Worktops, Granite - a guide to selecting
Woodworking Plans (FREE)
- For the bedroom
- For the garden
- For the kitchen
- For the workshop

Index, by topic, of all the pages on the diydata.com web site

Index, by topic, of all the pages on
the diydata.com web site