For painted shelves, MDF is hard to beat — it’s stable, takes paint well, and is widely available from any UK builders’ merchant or DIY shed. If you want a natural timber look, CLS-grade pine or redwood is cost-effective and easy to work with, but go for kiln-dried stock to avoid warping once it’s in a heated room. Hardwoods like oak give a premium finish but add cost and require sharper tools.

Nine times out of ten, a sticking door just needs planing rather than replacing — check the hinge side first, as dropped or loose hinges are the most common cause and the easiest fix. If the frame itself has moved due to seasonal moisture or subsidence, you may need to plane the leading edge of the door rather than refit hinges. Only replace the door if it’s warped beyond planing or if it’s an old hollow-core that’s past its useful life.

A non-load-bearing stud partition wall generally doesn’t require building regulations approval in England and Wales, provided it doesn’t affect means of escape, fire spread, or structural integrity. However, if the new wall creates a separate room that needs its own ventilation or changes the layout around a fire exit, you’ll need to notify your local building control. When in doubt, a quick call to your local authority building control team costs nothing and could save a costly retrospective inspection.

If you’ve got access from below, driving screws up through the joist and into the board to pull it tight is the most reliable fix. From above, you can drive screws at an angle into the joist to pull the board down — countersink them and fill with a matching wood filler. Talcum powder or graphite powder worked into the joint can quieten boards temporarily but it’s not a long-term solution.

PSE (Planed Square Edge) is smooth on all four sides and is your go-to for joinery, shelving, and anything that’ll be seen — it takes paint and stain cleanly. CLS (Canadian Lumber Standard) is a structural-grade stud timber with rounded arris edges, designed for framing walls and not intended to be on show. Use CLS for building stud partitions and noggings, PSE for anything decorative or finished.