Dear Donny

QA large Cotswold stone trough has developed an 18in crack in one corner due, I believe, to frost damage. Can you recommend a product I can use without making the repair too obvious?

Terry Adams, via email

For minor stone repairs I use a product called Toupret Exterior Filler. You mix it into a paste with water and it dries white so just rub some dirt over it to weather it. There are also various two-part fillers you can use too. Q

Is it a legal requirement to have a kitchen cooker extractor? We live in a bungalow with vented windows near the gas hob and a small wall extractor on the same wall.

Linda Taylor, via email

A

In commercial kitchens yes, but I’ve not heard of that for domestic homes. If you don’t want a cooker hood or extractor you don’t need one. Q

How do you peel off wallpaper that’s been up for years – we’re having a real job getting it off. Barbara Morgan, via email

A

Get a bucket of water and a large 4in paste brush and soak the paper. Keep it wet until it softens the paste beneath and then it should peel off easily. If it’s a washable paper peel off the top vinyl layer first.

ADONNY’S TOP TIP

If you have a door that is rubbing on the threshold bar at the bottom, a quick rub with a wax candle should solve the problem.

QWe have a large wall and we want to hang pictures on it but the same area has a large number of plugs, phone sockets and radiator plastic pipes which mean we can’t position hooks where we want to. Are there any adhesive hooks you can recommend which are capable of taking the weight of a picture, but are also removable and non-permanent? Sue Jenks, via email

What you want are Command picture hanging strips which are made by 3M. They allow damagefree hanging and can easily hold large, heavy pictures. The strips come off cleanly if you need to remove them.

ASEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: diy.donny@trinitymirror.com

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