Free guides for DIY and household repairs

You might find these articles useful if you are taking on a Do It Yourself household project or when selecting a company to provide that service for you. You'll find advice on a wide range of DIY projects from home improvement, interior painting and decorating, gardening, landscaping, audio visual installations, plumbing and gas central heating to electrical lighting and repairs, handyman jobs and carpet fitting.

Look to the right for the navigation menu and select the area that relates to your DIY project. If you scroll down below you will find individual articles on a range of topics from household DIY to Top 5 reviews.

DIY videos and how to guides

• How to video guides

Useful articles about London and the UK

• A comprehensive list of London Postcodes
• A comprehensive list of Greater London Postcodes
• A comprehensive list of Counties in the United Kingdom

DIY Painting and decorating advice

• Painting the interior of your home
• Painting the exterior of your house
• Tips for hanging wallpaper
• Tips for painting a house
• Interior painting and decorating tips
• Ideas for painting and decorating your home
• Painting and decorating health and safety advice
• Exterior painting: A guide for painting the outside of your house
• How to get the best paint finish on woodwork and wood
• Quick and easy painting and decorating
• Preparing for an interior painting project
• Home improvement - painting the outside walls of your house
• Getting a smooth finish - a guide to painting & decorating
• How to hang wallpaper professionally
• Plastering - A guide for a professional finish
• House plastering - Why you should use a professional plasterer.
• Building a plasterboard wall
• Tips for plastering a wall
• Exterior painting and decorating
• Money saving tips - paint your own house!
• Painting outside houses made easy
• The 5 most expensive paintings in the world (for sale)
• The World's greatest painters and artists
• Advice on the different types of ceramic floor and wall tiles available

DIY landscaping and gardening advice

• The elements of good garden design
• 10 tips on getting a great garden without the effort
• How to make great compost
• Ideas for your London garden balcony
• Great tips for growing tomatoes in greenhouses
• How to build a chicken coop
• Advice on how Japanese knotweed can affect your mortgage chances
• Advice and tips on how to fell a tree and remove the stump
• How to grow an apple tree from a seed
• How to plant a tree
• Landscape gardening - tips for planting
• Great tips for installing wooden timber decking
• Garden clearance - getting the best out of your garden
• The different types of garden plants pots
• Tips for timber decking projects
• How to create a beautiful garden and hire a gardener to help
• The different types of garden fencing available
• Planning to build a garden
• Hiring a landscape gardener in London
• What type of lawn mower should I purchase?
• What type of wood should I use for constructing a wooden deck?
• How to build a wooden garden fence
• The best material for laying patios
• The correct way to cut down and remove a tree
• How to lay a patio. A guide for getting your paving right.
• A review of the top 5 garden landscaping companies in London
• The best plants to grow in a greenhouse
• The 5 largest trees in the world
• The tallest hedge in the world and the stories behind it
• The 5 longest living trees in the UK
• The top 5 deadliest plants in the world
• The five longest living trees
• The five longest living plants
• The top five carnivorous plants in the world
• The five best garden designers in the world
• The best way to plant a tree
• The ten best office plants
• The best plants for your office
• Gardener clearance, land and site clearing service London
• Landscape gardening design advice
• Details of the Thames Water hosepipe ban 2012 and exemptions
• How to deter foxes from coming into your garden
• How to remove Japanese Knotweed

Plumbing & gas central heating advice

• Are domestic water treatment systems and filters a good idea?
• How do hot water tanks and water heating systems work?
• How to improve water pressure in your home
• Should I use plastic pipes in my home?
• A guide to bathroom and toilet plumbing
• I have frozen pipes - what do I do now?
• How do sump pumps work?
• How tankless water heaters can generate savings
• The advantages and disadvantages of dual flush toilets
• The cost of keeping warm
• A guide price of the cost of installing a new boiler
• What is radiator power flushing?
• The advantages of underfloor heating
• What does a plumber do?
• A guide for preventing costly central heating repairs
• Installing a new gas boiler - legal requirements
• Plumbing services - What a plumber can do.
• What is a Landlords Gas Safety Certificate?
• 5 ways to save money by keeping your central heating system in good condition
• Power flushing - what is it?
• How to find a good Gas Safe engineer in London
• More tips for finding a good gas heating engineer in London
• The cost of installing a new gas boiler
• Frequently asked questions about the boiler scrappage scheme in England and Wales
• Domestic solar water heating systems
• How regular servicing extends the life of your boiler
• Maintaining and servicing your boiler
• Finding a professional plumber or gas engineer
• Installing a domestic or commercial boiler - things you should know
• When should you replace a gas boiler?
• Guidelines for gas boiler repairs
• The benefits of solar heating in London
• The advanatages of a bidet toilet
• The advantages of power flushing your radiators
• A few good reasons to get a professional boiler maintenance service in London
• 5 good reasons to replace your gas boiler
• How to unblock a drain
• The top 5 plumbing companies in London
• Preparing your home for winter
• Gas Safe advice flues ceiling spaces voids and landlords
• What is benchmark?
• Oil boilers advice
• Is PEX pipe a good plumbing alternative?
• Pros and cons of combi gas boilers
• How to buy the best boiler
• Condensing boilers

Plumbing & drains advice

• Drain clearance - what is it?
• What is a CCTV drainage Survey?
• How to repair a drain without digging it up
• What are the causes of blocked toilets and how do I clear them?
• What is the cause of a blocked shower?
• What are the causes of blocked baths?
• What are the causes of a blocked sink?
• How do I change a pair of taps?
• What is drain jetting?
• What is reverse osmosis?

Locksmith and glazing advice

• How to fit a door lock
• How to pick a lock
• How to open a combination lock
• How to open a padlock
• How to open a door when you've lost the key
• How to replace a broken window
• The top 5 bicycle locks
• The top 5 front door locks
• How to fit a window lock
• The top 5 safes to buy
• The top 5 burglar alarms to buy
• How to fit a burglar alarm

Domestic electrical advice

• The economics of home lighting - a different look
• What is an Electrical Installation Condition Report or EICR?
• Should I install electric solar panels?
• 8 tips to reduce your energy bills
• The best way to change a fuse in a fuseboard
• The best way to change an electrical plug socket
• Electrical safety law in the UK
• The qualifications needed to be an electrician
• The best way to change an electrical light socket
• Qualifications needed to be an electrician
• The best way to electrically rewire a house
• Why do I need a Periodic Inspection Report?
• PAT testing explained
• Part P building regulations and electricity
• Electrical safety and the law
• Electrical equipment safety regulations for landlords
• Top five causes of electrical faults
• What is an electrical Periodic Inspection Report?
• Common electrical faults - top electrical faults likely to affect a domestic electrical system
• Why Landlords need a PIR (Periodic Inspection Report)
• What is Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)?
• What is Visual electrical inspection and why would I need one?
• How to reduce your energy bills
• Gas and electrical safety advice for landlords renting property
• The top 5 electrical repair companies in London
• What is a wall heater?
• What is a storage heater?
• Electrical installation condition report

Satellites, SKY and TV aerial advice

• A guide for installing a satellite dish
• Why does it cost so much to install a TV aerial?
• The 3 types of TV wall mounting bracket
• Mounting a TV DIY guide

Carpets, flooring and carpet fitting advice

• How to choose the right carpet
• 5 carpet myths and tips for making carpet last longer
• Myths about carpet care and how to look after carpet
• Complaints about Serviceteam
• Luxury woollen carpet. What you should be covering your floor with
• How to lay vinyl flooring
• The best types of fibres and blends for carpet
• Five top tips for maintaining your flooring

Computer repair advice

• What's good about a netbook and what's bad about a netbook
• How to remove a computer virus
• How to get data off a broken hard drive
• How to set up a wireless home network
• How to install Windows 7 onto your computer - part one
• How to install Windows 7 onto your computer - part two
• Good methods and advice for backing up your computer data
• Tips and advice on how to speed up your computer
• Advice on how to speed up your computer - part two
• What is the best browser for surfing the internet?
• What to look for when buying a budget computer or PC system
• The TomTom Go 710. A field test and review - driving around Europe
• 5 tips for getting the best out of your TV and surround sound set
• The 3G network. Why it's so bad and why you can't connect to it in London
• What to look for when buying a laptop
• How to use Anti-virus software to remove a virus
• When should I replace my computer?
• How to backup a hard drive
• How to repair a hard drive
• How a personal computer works
• A brief history of the silicon chip
• A brief history of the computer
• What is a web browser?
• The most popular computer languages
• What are the most popular games consoles?
• Inside secrets of the Playstation 4
• Inside secrets about the Xbox 720
• What is super computer?
• iPhone 5 rumours
• What is a mainframe computer?
• The different types of web browser

Smart phone advice

• 10 tips and tricks to extend the battery life on your smart phone
• Smartphones. Why you should buy one
• iPhone 5 rumours

Health and safety advice and guidance

• How to work safely at height

Computers: Interesting companies and interesting people

• A brief history of the BBC Microcomputer
• A brief history of ARM
• Who was Jon Von Neumann?
• A brief history of Google
• A brief history of Panasonic
• A brief history of Samsung
• A brief history of Intel Corporation
• A brief history of Microsoft
• A brief history of Apple computers
• What companies Microsoft might buy next
• The ten largest Microsoft acquisitions
• 10 companies bought by Microsoft
• A history of dell computers
• A history of Sony
• Why outsource to India?
• A history of IBM
• A brief history of NOKia
• Who is Bill Gates?

Articles about Search Engines

• A brief history of the search engine
• A list of search engines
• How does Google Adwords work?
• A short article about Google
• A short article about Bing
• Search engines and a little about them
• What is search engine marketing?
• What is search engine optimization?
• Who is Matt Cutts?
• Who is Larry Page?
• A short article about Yahoo!
• What is Ask Jeeves?
• How can I make money on the internet?

TV, IT and Audio Visual advice

• 3D Television. Should I buy one?
• Smartphones & laptops - how to improve the battery life

Energy Performance

• 25 easy ways to save energy
• What is the energy saving trust?
• The best ways of generating your own home energy
• Hot water tank and pipe insulation and how much you can save
• Draught proofing - what is it and how much can I save?
• How much money can I save by insulating my loft?
• What is floor insulation and how much money will it save?
• What is cavity wall insulation and how much money will it save?
• 5 reasons to use energy saving light bulbs
• How efficiently does your home breathe?
• Why do I need a commercial energy performance certificate?
• How can I improve the energy efficiency of my home and save money?
• Serviceteam complaints about Serviceteam ltd
• What is a domestic energy performance certificate?
• Why do I need an On Construction energy performance certificate?
• A technical guide to reducing heat loss in the home
• European Commission and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)
• How can I reduce my carbon footprint?
• Information on energy saving grants and discounts from the government and energy suppliers
• How much money can I save by installing solid wall insulation
• How to become a commercial energy assessor
• How to save money by installing double glazing

Top 5 reviews - the best buys for gadgets and white goods

• A review of the top 5 smartphones 2011
• A review of the top 5 desktop computers for business 2011
• A review of the top 5 budget laptops 2011
• A review of the top 5 business laptops 2011
• A review of the top 5 camcorders
• A review of the top 5 Laser printers
• A review of the top 5 Inkjet printers
• A review of the top 5 tablet PCs in 2011
• A review of the top 5 Sat Navs
• A review of the top 5 music centers and Hi-fis
• A review of the top 5 netbook PCs in 2011
• A review of the top 5 desktop PCs in 2011
• A review of the top 5 laptops in 2010
• A review of the top 5 3D LCD televisions
• A review of the top 5 digital cameras
• A review of the top 5 entertainment gadgets
• The top 5 washing machines
• A review of the 5 mobile apps
• The top 5 52" LCD televisions
• The top 5 ipod docks
• A review of the top 5 digital radios
• The top 5 Blu-Ray DVD players to buy in the UK
• Top 5 antivirus software
• A review of the top 5 surround sound systems
• A review of the top 5 headphones
• A review of the top 5 digital projectors
• A review of the top 5 computer games of 2010
• Top 5 smart phones
• Top 5 anti-spam software programs
• Top 5 budget mobile phones
• A review of the top 5 digital SLR cameras
• A review of the top 5 internet radio stations
• A review of the top 5 electric lawn mowers
• A review of the top 5 petrol lawn mowers
• A review of the top 5 electric strimmers to buy
• A review of the top 5 window locks to buy
• A review of the top 5 electric screwdrivers to buy
• A review of the top 5 electric drills to buy
• A review of the top 5 electric chainsaws
• A review of the top 5 wheelbarrows
• A review of the top 5 ride-on lawn mowers
• The top 5 car alarms to buy
• A review of the top 5 padlocks
• The top 5 front doors to buy for security
• The top 5 hardest cars to break into

General articles of interest

• Serviceteam reviews of complaints and review sites for poor service
• How to spot a cowboy builder
• What to do if you're a victim of a cowboy builder
• Tips for winter proofing your home
• Serviceteam complaints

The best articles?

• What is central heating?
• A guide to installing a combination boiler
• A guide to competent persons schemes
• Super cool designs
• Cowboy Tradesmen, Rogue traders, cowboy traders - Serviceteam
• Serviceteam's guide to finding the right tradesman or builder