Tips, Tutorials & Trade Secrets
Between us Colin and Peter have been fixing, building, wiring and plumbing homes since before most DIY websites existed. This is where we put everything we know — written in plain English, tested in the real world and aimed at anyone who wants to understand their home a little better than they did yesterday.
No filler. No content written by someone who has never held a wrench. Just straightforward, practical guidance from two Yorkshire tradesmen who have spent decades doing this for a living.
Plumbing Advice & Tutorials
Peter covers everything water, gas and heating related — from the simple jobs most homeowners can tackle themselves on a Saturday morning to the more complex systems that need a proper understanding before anyone touches them. If it involves pipes, pressure, hot water or a boiler, you will find it here.
Expect step-by-step tutorials on fixing leaks, replacing taps, sorting running toilets, bleeding radiators, understanding your stopcock and a whole lot more — all written with the clear instruction on where the job ends for a DIYer and where a qualified professional needs to take over.
Home Improvements & Building
Colin covers the broader world of home improvement — the building, renovation and general DIY work that makes the biggest difference to how a home looks, functions and holds its value. From plastering and tiling to extensions, loft conversions and everything in between, Colin writes from the perspective of someone who has done every job on a house and knows exactly how to explain it to someone who has not.
Whether you are tackling your first DIY project or planning something more ambitious, this is the place to start.
Electrics & Gas
Two of the most important areas in any home — and two of the most misunderstood. Peter writes about electrical and gas topics with the same straight-talking approach he brings to plumbing, but with an even clearer emphasis on what is safe, what is legal and what absolutely requires a qualified professional. There is useful information here for any homeowner who wants to understand how their home’s systems work — alongside very clear guidance on where understanding stops and qualified intervention begins.
Beginner Guides
Never picked up a wrench in your life? No problem. Colin and Peter both write with complete beginners in mind — breaking every job down into steps that make sense, explaining the tools you need before you need them, and making sure nobody feels out of their depth before they have even started. Everyone starts somewhere and there is no such thing as a stupid question on this site.
Browse the Latest
The most recent articles and tutorials are below. New content goes up regularly across both disciplines — bookmark the page or check back often.
