Trade how-to guides
Straight-talking, step-by-step guides to jobs UK tradespeople hit every week. If your job doesn't match the guide, you can get an experienced tradesperson on a call in minutes.
Doors & windowsHow to align a uPVC door that won't shut properlyA uPVC door that catches on the frame, needs a shoulder to lock, or lets a draught through has usually dropped or shifted on its hinges. Most doors can be brought back into line with a hex key in under half an hour.LocksmithingHow to fit a door lock (mortice, tubular latch and cylinder)Fitting a lock is mostly marking out. Get the backset, height and centre line right and the cutting is straightforward; get them wrong and you're filling a door.LocksmithingHow to replace a euro cylinder lockSwapping a euro cylinder is one of the quickest security upgrades on a uPVC or composite door. The whole job hinges on measuring it properly.Doors & windowsHow to fix a door that won't latch or keeps swinging openA door that bounces back open is nearly always the latch missing the hole in the strike plate. Five minutes of diagnosis saves you rehanging the door.PlumbingHow to fix a dripping tapMost drips are a perished washer on a traditional tap or a worn ceramic disc cartridge on a quarter-turn or mixer tap. The repair differs, so identify which you have first.ElectricalHow to replace a light switch safely (UK)Swapping a like-for-like switch is a small job, but only after the circuit is isolated and proved dead. If anything behind the plate doesn't match what you expected, stop.Running a tradeWhere to buy trade supplies: trade counters, accounts and pricingPaying retail at the DIY shed eats your margin on every job. Most tradespeople buy through builders' merchants, trade counters and wholesalers with a trade account — here's how to get set up and pay less.Running a tradeNew to the trade? Your first year as a qualified tradespersonQualifying is the easy part — the first year of real jobs is where the learning happens. Here's what experienced trades wish someone had told them before their first paying customer.Running a tradeHow to set up a trade business in the UKSetting up properly takes a weekend of admin and saves you years of problems. This is the order to do things in — from registering with HMRC to getting your first invoice out.
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