Home Design Guides: Maintenance

No hot water? Hot water tank leaking? Don't panic! Depending on what's wrong, there are a few basic steps you can follow to assess and control the situation.

Is your aircon dripping water? Not blowing cold air? Perhaps it's making funny noises or blowing out a bad smell? There are a few different things that can go wrong with an airconditioner. Find out how to deal with them.

Insulation in walls can make a huge difference to the comfort of your home. Find out how to improve your wall insulation.

Over time, stump subfloors need to be restumped to make sure the house is evenly supported. Find out what restumping involves.

Find out how to set your home up to get the best range and signal from your WiFi access point. Learn more about what affects signal strength and range.

Getting your roof sealed has many advantages - the first and most obvious of which is that it effectively becomes completely waterproof. Learn more about roof sealing and resealing.

Learn the secrets to cutting your bills and improving your energy efficiency. Cutting electricity use is a great way to save both money and the environment.

Electricity can be very dangerous when things go wrong. Find out what you should do when you have an emergency that involves electricity.

Not sure about how your switchboard works? Have the lights or appliances gone out only in one part of the house? Find out how to use your safety switches, circuit breakers or fuses.

Properly cleaning and oiling your deck will help to bring out its natural colours and make it look like new. Find out the best way to go about it.

Need some help with plumbing? Got a leak and not sure what to do? Don't panic - here's some quick how to handle various different sorts of plumbing emergencies.

A gas leak is serious business - and is extremely dangerous anywhere in your home. Find out what steps to take if you suspect there is a gas leak inside your home.

Is your house not keeping out the neighbour's noisy parties? Perhaps you're intending on setting up a home theatre? Find out more about how to improve the soundproofing in your home with better insulation.

What sort of insulation can you install yourself - and when might you need to hire a professional do the job properly? Find out more about what's required to install different sorts of acoustic insulation.

Most maintenance is pretty basic - but some of it can be deceptively dangerous. Here are 8 rules to help you maintain your home without ending up in hospital.

Thinking of getting on the roof? Awkward to get the ladder exactly where you want it? Make sure you understand how to stay safe when working at heights.

Ever had an electric shock? Not sure what you should and shouldn't be working on in your home? Find out what you should handle in terms of your home's electrical systems.

Download our free home maintenance schedule. This schedule's a great way to stay on top of all of your home maintenance tasks, and to keep your place in perfect shape for years to come.

A well maintained home, even if it’s covered in brown tiles, green shag pile and other construction crimes from three decades ago, is a much better home.

Everyone knows about asbestos, but it’s surprising how few people realise how much of a risk lead paint can be – and just how common it is in older Australian homes.