A reader recently emailed me, seeking advice on whether to take on a do-it-yourself repair of the mortar around her brick masonry. She regularly performs hands-on maintenance around her home, she said ...

Last week, I fielded no fewer than five phone calls from homeowners with the same grim news. They found it nearly impossible to get quotes from contractors to do fairly simple repairs. Each caller’s ...

Q We have responded to a leaflet for external wall coating for our house. The coating is guaranteed for 15 years, and conforms to British Standard BS5750 and ISO9002. The salesman assured us that the ...