Measuring up

The first step of all is to measure up to find how much guttering to buy. If you’re replacing old guttering, this could be as simple as measuring the length of the old gutter sections you’ve removed – otherwise, just measure at ground level the walls of the house where the guttering’s to be installed. When buying your new gutter sections, don’t forget that you’ll need enough brackets to give the guttering adequate support – at least one every metre, and at every joint too (unless your guttering system uses screw fixings for angles and outlets).

Now it’s time to start the job of fitting the guttering. Fixings go first.

Don’t forget to make sure your ladder (if you need one) is properly secured – and ideally have an assistant standing underneath to hold you steady!

Installing the gutter fixings

The first piece to be installed is the outlet. This goes directly over the existing drain, and needs to be attached to the fascia board under the eaves, by screwing the outlet itself (or its support bracket, if your system uses brackets) to the board. It should be no more than 50mm (2in) below the tiles at this point.

At the other end of the guttering run, fix a support bracket. This should be higher on the fascia board (ie a shorter distance below the tiles) to give the guttering a suitable incline and allow the rainwater to run off towards the outlet. How much exactly depends on the length of the run, but you should be aiming for a drop of at least 25mm in every 15m (or 1in in every 50ft).

You can then fit the rest of the brackets in a straight line between the two ends – a tight piece of string between them is a useful guide.

Fitting the gutter sections

Having done that, you can now install the gutter lengths themselves. The back edge goes under the roofing felt and into the back lips of the brackets. You then work your way along the length of the run, clipping the front edge of the section into each bracket in turn.

If (as is likely) you’re using more than one length of guttering, you fit the second into the first by pushing the spigot end (the plain end) of the second section into the socket of the first, using enough pressure to compress the rubber seal in the socket. Don’t push it all the way home, though – leave a small expansion gap of about 5mm (¼in).

Cutting lengths of guttering

At some point you’ll no doubt have to cut a section short. Use a hacksaw, and make sure that the cut is square (clipping a bracket round the guttering just next to where you’re cutting it is a good way of holding it rigid).

Make sure to check the two ends that the cut section is to fit between. If they’re both sockets, then you should measure your length from the spigot end; otherwise, measure from the socket end. Don’t forget to allow enough extra length for the spigots to be pushed into the sockets!

There are plenty of materials available for replacements, ranging from the traditional cast iron and asbestos cement to more modern cast aluminium and rolled-sheet aluminium and the increasingly popular uPVC. Here are a few of the most important considerations to help you choose your new rainwater goods.

Like-for-like replacement? Or start from scratch?

If you’re only replacing a short section of guttering rather than the house’s entire rainwater goods, then you’ll want to replace like with like – or at least with something that’s in keeping. This isn’t always as easy as it may seem, especially if you’re replacing cast-iron guttering, but it can be a problem with modern uPVC too.

On the other hand, uPVC guttering is a lot easier to install than either aluminium or cast iron, so if you’re replacing a lot of cast iron guttering, it may be worth considering full replacement of your rainwater goods rather than patching up a system that’s already near the end of its useful life.

Size does matter

Whatever you’re replacing, make sure that your new guttering is at least the same size, or you may well find that it’s perennially overflowing!

Go with the flow

Changes to the layout of your guttering and downpipes – even small ones – can make very significant differences to the rate at which rainwater is carried away. For instance, siting your downpipe near a bend in the guttering can mean a big reduction in the flow rate, and downpipes near the end of a gutter don’t perform as efficiently as centrally located ones. (This may only be a consideration if you’re providing guttering for a brand new build rather than simply replacing an old installation.)

Maintaining your profile

There are a variety of profiles of gutter – the most common are half-round, box and ogee. If the section isn’t symmetrical, as with the variations on the ogee theme, you’ll need to check whether to order left-handed or right-handed replacement components at certain points, eg on corners. The same applies if your guttering joins to your neighbour’s at some point and your replacement guttering will have a different profile from theirs.

This can be a tough job! Cast iron is heavy and brittle. And since you’re likely to be working at the top of a ladder, you’ll need to get someone to help – to make sure that the area below where you’re working is kept clear, to help keep you steady, and to take the lengths of guttering off you as they’re removed.

Cast-iron guttering comes in six-foot (1828mm) lengths that are sealed together with putty and fixed together with bolts and nuts. Since these fixings are frequently wet, it’s very likely that they’ll have rusted, so you may well find that you have to cut the lengths apart using a hacksaw, or drill out the bolts. Either way, wear goggles – you really do not want to get rust or swarf in your eye! It wouldn’t be a bad idea for you and your assistant to wear some tough gloves or gauntlets either.

Once you’ve removed the old guttering, you’ll need to replace it – but before you do that, check the fascia boards (and soffit boards, if there are any) to make sure they’re still in good condition. If your guttering has been leaking badly, the chances are that the boards will have started to rot. You’ll need to either cut away the rot, treat the sound wood with wood preserver and fill the gaps with filler, or else replace the board altogether, possibly with uPVC so that you don’t have to bother about the replacement board rotting…

OK, now it’s time to put the new guttering up. We’ll be talking about that soon.

As always seems to be the case with anything around the home, whether it’s the TV, the washing machine or the dishwasher, everything seems to be working perfectly until you’re no longer covered.

When things do start to go wrong what choices do you have? Well, firstly there’s buying a replacement but this is often an expensive option, especially if the appliance is only a couple of years old. Plus, this is unlikely to be many people’s first choice given the current economic downturn. Alternatively, you could go back to the retailer to arrange a repair but in most cases this won’t be a cost-effective option as the majority of manufacturers still routinely charge hefty call-out fees with additional charges for parts on top.

Thankfully there is another, more frugal option available. One way of saving money when it comes to home repairs is to opt for a fixed price repair. The recently launched home repair service from www.repaircare.co.uk offers repairs on most domestic appliances including washing machines, fridges, freezers and extractor fans for a fixed fee. Prices range from £70 to £150, depending on the appliance type and brand, and include call out, evaluation, labour, parts if required and a professional safety check.

Fixed priced services enable the lifespan of domestic appliances to be expanded beyond the warranty period and are a great way to save money and take the hassle out of appliance faults. Repaircare offers an easy to use service with simple online booking available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Learn more at www.repaircare.co.uk

[The service is available in most UK cities.]

One of the pipes in my bathroom, the paint covering has flaked off and there’s green all along the top of the pipe. I’m hoping this is usual and nothing to worry about, but just wanted to ask?

This doesn’t sound like anything very sinister, but it’s worth checking out.

Green along copper pipes is usually a result of the tarnishing of the copper (verdigris). It’s conceivable that the paint was simply applied to the pipe without the pipe having been cleaned first, and that the peeling’s happened because of that. But you’d be well advised to examine the run of pipe – especially any joints along it – to see that there are no slow leaks. Is there an obvious starting point for the tarnishing? If there is, and it’s the source of a leak, then you’ll need to get it fixed.

Having satisfied yourself that the pipework is sound, you can then repaint your pipe. (It’s not actually necessary to paint copper pipework, but most people do as it’s a pain to have to keep polishing it!)

Before you paint, use wire wool and white spirit to clean the surface of the pipe and prepare it for painting. After that, just paint the pipe using a suitable undercoat and top coat. Unlike steel or iron, copper doesn’t need a primer coat.

You have two basic courses of action open to you. But before we get on to deal with those, first of all you’ll need to tidy up the floor where the superimposed hearth used to be!

Levelling the floor

This is pretty simple if you’ve got a solid floor or if you’re planning to carpet over a boarded floor. Just build up the constructional hearth to the same level as the rest of the floor, using self-levelling screed or mortar. Easy as that!

If you’ve got floorboards and you’re planning to make a feature of them, you’ll have a bit more work on your hands. Using a hammer and cold chisel, cut back the constructional hearth to where the floor meets the chimney breast, so that you can install a new joist and floorboards.

Covering the fireplace

As noted above, you’ve got two basic courses of action. You can cover the opening with a panel on a wooden frame, which will be easier to remove if you ever decide to fit a fireplace again in the future; or you can brick up the opening.

To cover the hole with a panel, you’ll first need to fit battens inside the opening – 50mm x 50mm (2″x2″) should do the job. They’ll need to be set back inside the opening to the depth of the panel, so that the panel lies flush with the plaster on the chimney breast. (Set it back a fraction further – say, 3mm or ⅛” – if you’re planning to add a skim of plaster rather than papering over it.) Then cut a piece of plasterboard to size and nail it to the opening – ivory side out if you’re papering over, grey side out if you’re plastering. Finally, when you’ve decorated, fit a plastic ventilator above the skirting, to prevent condensation in the chimney.

If you’re planning the more permanent bricking-up, then you’ll need to take out bricks from alternate courses, enabling you to “tooth in” the brickwork. You’ll also need to fit an airbrick in the centre of the hole, just above the skirting, to stop condensation forming. Plaster over the brickwork and allow it to dry thoroughly before decorating.

The final touch is to take off the old skirting from either side of the old fireplace, and replace the two pieces with a single one running the full width of the chimney breast.

Capping the chimney

Actually, that’s not quite the final touch! You’ll need to have the chimney capped too, so that air can circulate without rain being allowed in. There are plenty of cowls or caps designed for the purpose that can be used to replace the conventional chimney pot, or you can simply bed a half-round ridge tile in cement.

You’ll need:

• A club hammer
• A bolster chisel
• Safety goggles
• Heavy-duty gloves
• A crowbar or other sturdy lever
• A screwdriver
• Wedges

It’s a fairly mucky and heavy job, so you’ll want to put plenty of dustsheets down. It’d be a good idea to get the chimney swept as well!

First, check to see whether the fire surround is built on top of the hearth. Usually, the superimposed cosmetic hearth is fitted after the surround. If the surround was built on top of the hearth, you’ll need to remove it first.

To remove the hearth, use the club hammer and bolster to break the seal between the cosmetic hearth and the constructional hearth below. Wedges can help here. Then lever the cosmetic hearth free and (with an assistant) lift it out. Mind your backs – it’ll be heavy!

Fire surrounds are normally installed by screwing them to the wall – they’re fitted with metal lugs for that purpose. You’ll need to chip away the plaster around the perimeter of the surround to locate the lugs, then clear away the plaster from around the lugs and undo the screws. The chances are that they may be stuck, so it may be necessary to give them a squirt of penetrating oil and leave them for a few hours or overnight. If they still won’t budge, you’ll have to drill out the heads.

Once that’s done, you can then remove the surround:

• Brick and stone surrounds can be dismantled piece by piece, breaking the mortar joints with the bolster.
• Wooden surrounds are often screwed on to battens fixed to the chimney breast. The screws may be concealed; locate them, chisel out the filler or wooden plug concealers and unscrew the surround.
• Marble surrounds are made in sections; remove the mantel shelf first, then the lintel, then the jambs.

After you’ve removed the fireplace, you’ll need to close up the opening! You can read how to do that in our follow-up article:
Repair Wizard: Covering a fireplace

It’s best if you can get someone to help you by walking slowly up the stairs, counting them off as they go so that you know which step they’re on. Make a mark on the ones that creak, then have your assistant test the creaky ones so that you can find out which joints are loose.

There are two main problems that are likely to be the cause of any creaks: loose housing joints and loose blocks.

Loose housing joints

The treads and risers of a staircase are generally held in place in the string housing by using wedges. If any of these has worked loose, it’s a straightforward fix in most cases; just prise out the wedge using a chisel, clean it up with glass paper, coat it with PVA wood adhesive and knock the wedge back into place with a mallet.

If the wedge is split or damaged, you’ll need to make a new wedge to replace it. Use hardwood for this – softwood will get squashed, and then you’ll be left with a creaky step again.

Loose blocks

The interior angle of the joints between the treads and risers are usually supported by triangular blocks glued into position. If any of these have come loose, remove them altogether and sand off the old adhesive from the blocks and the joints with glass paper.

Before replacing the blocks, prise the joint open slightly using a chisel, then squirt PVA wood adhesive inside. Then go to the upper side of the staircase and tighten up the joint using countersunk screws as described in our earlier article.

Returning below the stairs, apply PVA to the holding surfaces of the blocks, then rub-joint them into the angle of the joint. If necessary, fix them into place using panel pins while the adhesive sets. (The panel pins are additional to the adhesive, not an alternative.)

If any of the blocks are missing, they’re easy to replace if you have a suitable workbench and vice. Set a length of 50mm x 50mm (2″ x 2″) softwood on end in the vice, then cut the wood from corner to corner across the end, down the length of the wood. Cut the two resulting triangular sections of wood into 75mm (3″) blocks.

The first step (ha, ha) is to determine whether you can work on the stairs from underneath. If you can, you’ll be able to achieve a better repair. But in many homes (particularly more modern builds) the underside of the stairs is concealed by a soffit panel. If this can’t be removed easily (for instance, if it’s plasterboard rather than a wooden board held in place by screws) then you’ll find it much easier to work from above. We’ll look at this method first.

Loose nosing joints

Nosings (the bits of the tread which stick out beyond the risers) are generally attached to the risers by tongue-and-groove joints. More rarely, the riser is housed into the tread underside, or the two are simply butted together and held by nails or screws. Whichever way they’re held together, from time to time the nosing can work loose.

If you’re working from above, the cure’s relatively simple. You’ll need some 1½” (38mm) countersunk screws, some PVA wood adhesive, a drill and a screwdriver.

Drill pilot holes for the screws through the tread, making sure to do so directly above the centre of the riser. Squeeze some PVA into each of the holes and jiggle the joint about as best you can, to make sure that the glue works its way into the joint. Then screw the tread and the riser tightly together.

If you can’t hide the holes with a stair carpet, you’ll need to add an extra step to the process. Using a drill bit wider than the head of the screws, drill a counterbore hole just deep enough to put the screw heads below the surface when they’re screwed into place. You can then plug the holes with matching wood – small sections of dowel are ideal for the purpose.

Loose riser joints

These are more tricky as you can’t pull the joints together using screws – although we’ve seen some pretty shoddy looking attempts to do just that…

The best you can do is probably to glue a section of triangular softwood moulding into the angle between riser and tread, which will help hold the two together. However, you’ll only be able to do this if the flat surface of the tread from the edge of the moulding to the nosing remains no smaller than 220mm (8¾”) – any less, and you’ll fall foul of Building Regulations.

The wider the moulding section the better, as that will add the maximum strength to the joint. But make sure you cut it a little less wide than the stair carpet so that it’s hidden. (If you don’t have a stair carpet, then you may want to add mouldings to each step to give a uniform appearance.)

If you are able to work from underneath the stairs, you’ll find more on how to do that on this page.

I have a Rayburn Regent solid fuel range from the mid ’70s and need a new firedoor. I’ve been told that the doors are made to suit the Rayburn so replacement doors are impossible to find.

The firedoor (left hand side) is just about on its last legs as the latch has broken, so it’s either find a new door or buy a new Rayburn. Any help would be appreciated.

Note: I emailed Audrey in order to get more info on this and found out that the Rayburn Regent is the older style that has vertical handles…

Audrey, it’s pretty much impossible to find such doors new, these days. You might be lucky and come across a dealer who has some very old stock, but I reckon that this is highly unlikely.

I’ve been trying to find you someone who can supply a second-hand door, and thought I had come up trumps with a supplier who promised much; however, the upshot of my enquiries was that the supplier was too busy to be bothered looking to see if the door that he has in stock was the correct type. Actual words:

I have some old doors off a Regent but really haven’t time to mess about for the sake of a £2 handle

Now, as getting this info took well over two weeks I’d say we’ll forget that avenue of enquiry. Considering that you’d be looking at spending well over £100 on a second-hand door with this trader, I’d have thought that taking ten minutes to check which handle version he has in stock would be well worth him doing. Obviously not!

I also made a few eBay searches and came across a few Regents, though most of them were in pretty poor condition. So I’d definitely advise against buying on eBay – then again, it’s only the door that needs to be in good condition…we won’t dismiss eBay just yet.

Purchasing a new Rayburn is obviously an option, but one that shouldn’t be necessary. I’ll make some more enquiries and see if I can’t come up with a better solution for you.