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floor debris - borers? rodents? other?
Here is our timber floor which is next to our galley kitchen. As you can see, the sealant between planks has decayed away. There are various marks in the timber but no fresh holes or tunnels. Last few days these piles of debris appear overnight, I suspect in the wee hours, even dawn. At first we thought termites but this…
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How large will this gum tree grow?
I'm concerned about this tree. It's inherited from the previous owner and it's grown nearly twice the size in the 2 years we've been here. It's less than a metre from the fence and not much more than that to the actual house behind it and is now overhanging their roof. I don't know the species or how large it will get. The…
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How to save wattle tree growing sideways?
The red circle marks where this tree (Qld Silver Wattle I think) surfaces and then immediately bends 90 degrees. I don't know how it got this way but it has been growing sideways for a while. I doubt it can be forced upright and even the trunk were somehow forced upright the foliage that is currently growing upward 1-2…
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How to remove grass sprouting among ground cover?
Is there a smart way to remove / combat blade grass starting to spread among our ground cover (Dichondra Repens I think) instead of trying to pull it up bit by bit? Also a different species of thin tufty grass in 2nd pic.
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How to paint bathroom ceiling?
Basic stuff but I'm an ignoramus in this department. Bathroom ceiling paint is bubbling and cracking. I don't necessarily need a professional, ready for sale result, more a maintenance job. How should I prepare?? Sand this back? Undercoat? How do I match the colour? I dont know whether this is happening because the…
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How to re-seal shower?
We have a shower with a wall/floor join that is obviously not in great shape. We also have very occasional little mushrooms sprouting at the join (actually none over the winter) which I know is bad and might mean rotten timber underneath and pulling up the whole floor at some point. In the short term I would like to…
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How to repair leaking sink drain?
What's going on here? This bathroom sink drain piping leaks where the arrow is pointing - as you'd expect since the corner pipe just slots into the next section with nothing to seal it. Seems like I need to replace at least that slighly darker section to the right of the arrow with something else. FYI the piping is roughly…
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How to fix burn mark on timber benchtop?
I have placed a hot pot on this surface and left a ring burn. Then I have seen what a kitchen scourer could do to reduce the mark. In the process I have ground off the gloss surface. I didn't realise what I was doing at the time because the scourer was wet. We didn't install the bench it but I think it is probably this or…
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How to replace door locks?
Two different locks! Front door is a common looking latch. It's getting harder to get our keys in so I'm thinking the thing to do is replace the barrel. Can I get the right part @ Bunnings? Back sliding door lock. Works fine but we've been left no key by previous owner so can't lock/unlock from outside. So need a key. What…
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What does this bag contain?
Previous residents left this behind. Its like orche gravel or just rocky earth, ie some powder, uneven chunks. There are numerous vines in our garden. I'm wondering if it could be sulphur? It doesn't smell. It isnt soluble, though it can break down into particles like dirt/sand as pictured. Any clues?
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How to fix a sick grape vine with red leaves?
Don't know the species. Its has grapes. I'm told the redness indicates some kind of disease. What to do?
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How to install a bidet for in-wall cistern toilet?
https://www.bunnings.com.au/evekare-smart-bidet-toilet-seat-with-remote_p0344202? Interested in that bidet unit you sell but we have a narrow bathroom with an in-wall cistern and no visible plumbing anywhere including under the toilet. Also no handy tap or powerpoint next to it. We moved into a new place so we don't know…
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How to remove overgrown weed?
New house. Gardening noob. What is this species and what should I do about it? It's knee-high in places and is encroaching from and completely submerging the bottom of the side fence and I've been advised it would be a great place to raise and house snakes. This is in Northcote, Melbourne, a couple of blocks from a creek…
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How to install a washing machine with a capped pipe?
What do I do here? Can I do it myself? New place, 'european laundry'. Should I buy a tap - turn off the water and attach it myself? I suppose a wash machine could attach straight to the hot pipe that currently has that metal cap on it (?) but a tap in between seems a better setup. I'll be getting a new washer so I suppose…
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How to repair bathroom sink crack and hole?
A crack in my sink became a hole and a pyramid-shaped piece has fallen out of the underside - leaving a tiny hole in the sink surface (about 1mm across) and a larger hole in the underside (about 1cm at widest point). See pics. So I'm thinking some kind of putty/filler. Recommendations please? Also the piece that fell out…
