The Benefits of Using Stain-Free Plumber’s Putty
“No, no, no—put the rag down!” I shouted across the showroom kitchen at the DIY superstore. A young couple were frantically scrubbing the brand-new composi…
DIY
Does Plumber’s Putty Expire? Understanding the Shelf Life
I’ve been a City & Guilds Level 3 plumber for 12 years and have bedded somewhere north of 1,400 basket strainers, bath wastes, and shower trays. I keep a …
How to Remove Old Plumber’s Putty: A Step-by-Step Guide
I once pulled a sink drain out of a 1978 bungalow and found a lump of plumbers putty that had hardened into something between coal and ceramic. It didn’t j…
The Ultimate Guide to Toilet Types: One-Piece vs Two-Piece
I’m crouched on a 1970s avocado-green bathroom floor in Crouch End, torch between my teeth, trying to rock a one-piece toilet sideways so the wax seal will…
Troubleshooting Common Toilet Problems: A DIY Guide
Twenty-seven drips per minute. That’s what I heard when I opened the bathroom door at 3 a.m. in a semi-detached in Bury. Not a leak. Not a faulty valve. Th…
The Ultimate Guide to Toilet Installation: A Step-by-Step Guide
Twenty-three millimetres—that’s the exact gap I stared at last Tuesday when a brand-new Vitra S50 pan refused to sit flush against a newly tiled wall in a …
What is Plumber’s Putty: A Comprehensive Guide
The sink leaked for 11 days before I noticed the drip. Not because it was quiet—because it wasn’t. Every 3.7 seconds, a single drop hit the porcelain basin…
The Ultimate Guide to Utility Sinks in Kitchens
Twenty-seven centimetres. That’s the exact width of the gap between the dishwasher and the back door in my old flat in Bristol—a space so narrow it swallow…
Vaillant Boiler Heating Issues: Troubleshooting Guide
Twenty-seven drips per minute. That’s how fast the tap in Mrs. Ellis’s kitchen was leaking when I arrived—cold water, mind you, despite the radiators hummi…
The Ultimate Guide to Shower Valve Kits: Types, Installation, and Maintenance
Twenty-seven drips per minute adds up to 3.8 litres of wasted water every 24 hours—enough to fill a hotel ice bucket and then some. I discovered that figur…