Topic: 🚪 Doors & windows
Doors & windows: how-to guides
Hinges, latches, locks, draught-proofing, sash windows and everyday door and window fixes.
30 guides in this topic
Practical, honest write-ups for jobs a Kent homeowner might tackle themselves: with clear stops where a specialist takes over.
How to change a euro lock on a uPVC door
Practical UK guide to changing a euro cylinder lock on a uPVC door, including measuring correctly, choosing anti-snap options, and matching locks around the house.
Read the guideHow to draught-proof doors
A practical UK guide to draught-proofing external doors, covering letterbox brushes, keyhole covers, compression strips, and door bottom seals.
Read the guideHow to fit a bathroom lock
A practical UK guide to fitting a bathroom privacy lock: from choosing the right thumbturn latch to chiselling the mortice and getting the striker plate spot on.
Read the guideHow to fit a bifold cupboard door
A practical UK guide to fitting a bifold cupboard or wardrobe door kit: track fitting, pivot adjustment, and getting the door running smoothly first time.
Read the guideHow to fit a door closer
A practical UK guide to fitting a concealed door closer so your door closes itself quietly — step-by-step advice for British homes from The Sandwich Handyman.
Read the guideHow to fit a door frame
Step-by-step UK guide to fitting an internal door lining frame: setting the width, packing plumb, and fixing securely so your door hangs and closes perfectly.
Read the guideHow to fit a door knocker
A practical UK guide to fitting a door knocker on timber, composite, or uPVC front doors: measuring, marking, drilling pilot holes, and fixing it level first time.
Read the guideHow to fit a door lining
A practical UK guide to fitting an internal door lining: covers cutting to size, fixing plumb and level, and packing out a rough opening ready to hang a door.
Read the guideHow to fit a door weather bar
A practical UK guide to fitting a door weather bar and rain deflector to an exterior door: stopping draughts, rain ingress, and heat loss in one simple job.
Read the guideHow to fit a doorbell
A plain-English UK guide to fitting a wired doorbell, from choosing a transformer and chime to running the cable and wiring up the push button on the door frame.
Read the guideHow to fit a draught excluder
A practical UK guide to fitting a draught excluder to an external or internal door, from choosing the right type to cutting, fixing, and adjusting the seal.
Read the guideHow to fit a gate latch
Learn how to fit a gate latch on a timber garden gate: choosing the right latch type, marking out, drilling, and getting the keeper aligned first time.
Read the guideHow to fit a letterbox
Step-by-step UK guide to fitting a sleeved letterbox in a wooden or uPVC front door: marking, cutting, and fixing it cleanly first time.
Read the guideHow to fit a mortice deadlock
A practical UK guide to fitting a 5-lever mortice deadlock in an external timber door: from marking and chiselling through fitting the keep and testing the key.
Read the guideHow to fit a sliding barn door
A practical UK guide to fitting an interior sliding barn door: planning clearances, fitting the header board and track, hanging the door, and adjusting for a smooth, reliable action.
Read the guideHow to fit a Velux roof window
A practical UK guide to fitting a Velux centre-pivot or top-hung roof window into a tiled roof, including installation brackets, flashing kit, and internal finishing.
Read the guideHow to fit a window board
A practical UK guide to fitting an internal timber window board: measuring, scribing, fixing, and finishing so the result looks clean and professional.
Read the guideHow to fit a Yale lock
A practical UK guide to fitting a Yale-style nightlatch on a front door: covers marking out, chiselling the keep, and adjusting the latch for a clean, secure fit.
Read the guideHow to fit an interior door handle
A practical UK guide to fitting an interior door handle and tubular latch: from marking out the spindle hole to chiselling the faceplate flush with the door edge.
Read the guideHow to fit door hinges
A practical UK guide to fitting butt hinges to an internal door: marking the recesses, chiselling accurately, and hanging the door so it swings and closes cleanly.
Read the guideHow to free a stuck door
How to free a stuck door at home, including simple checks for swelling, rubbing, loose hinges, latch problems, and when to call a handyman in Sandwich, Kent.
Read the guideHow to hang an external door
A practical UK guide to hanging an external door: from measuring and trimming the slab to fitting hinges and getting a weather-tight result first time.
Read the guideHow to hang an internal door
A practical UK guide to hanging an internal door, from trimming the door to fit and chiselling hinge recesses, to fitting the latch and adjusting for a clean, even gap.
Read the guideHow to lay a block-paved garden path
A practical UK guide to laying a block-paved garden path, covering base preparation, edge restraints, screeding, laying patterns, and finishing with jointing sand.
Read the guideHow to repair an internal door
A practical UK guide to repairing internal doors: fixing sticking edges, split panels, damaged corners, and loose hinges without replacing the whole door.
Read the guideHow to repair a rotten wooden window frame
A practical UK guide to repairing soft rot in a wooden window frame: digging out the damage, applying wood hardener, filling with two-part compound, and finishing with paint.
Read the guideHow to replace a broken window pane
A practical UK guide to replacing a broken single-glazed window pane with putty: removing old glass safely, cutting to size, and finishing neatly.
Read the guideHow to replace a uPVC window handle
A practical UK guide to removing and replacing a broken or stiff uPVC window handle: including measuring the spindle, choosing the right replacement, and fitting it correctly.
Read the guideHow to replace kitchen cabinet hinges
A practical UK guide to replacing concealed kitchen cabinet hinges — how to choose the right hinge, remove the old one, and get the door sitting square again.
Read the guideHow to replace sash window cords
A practical UK guide to replacing sash window cords: removing staff beads, lifting out the sash, accessing the weight pockets, threading new cord, and reassembling for a smooth, balanced window.
Read the guideOther topics
🌿 Garden & outdoor
Lawn care, hedges, fences, patios, pressure-washing and outdoor upkeep for a Kent garden.
🎨 Painting & decorating
Masonry paint, interior finishes, wallpapering, caulking and silicone work done properly.
🚰 Plumbing
Radiators, taps, toilets, waste pipes, stopcocks and everyday household plumbing repairs.
💡 Electrics
Light fittings, sockets, switches and small electrical jobs (with clear stops where a qualified electrician takes over).
🔨 Carpentry & joinery
Flat-pack furniture, shelves, plasterboard, stud walls, lofts and timber work around the house.
🧱 Brickwork & masonry
Plastering, rendering, brick garden walls, patios, mortar work and stonework repairs.
⬛ Flooring & tiling
Laminate, vinyl, engineered wood, tile-and-grout and flooring transitions.
🏠 Roofing & guttering
Gutter-clearing, small roof-tile fixes, fascia and downpipe maintenance.
🔧 General household
Everyday fixes, maintenance jobs and small repairs that fall between the specialist trades.