Q If you're not handy at DIY my advice would be to find a good carpenter, get a written quote from him and if you are happy with the quote give him the job. I'm sure he'll organise the purchasing of all the materials you require.

We live in a three-bed semi in Dublin. The house is about 40 years old and we'd love to get better insulation in the walls and attic. We're not too sure on the types of insulation available. Also, is this a messy job?

Q If I was you I'd get a move on as winter is upon us. Insulating your home is a relatively clean operation if carried out professionally. For a list of approved installers in your area visit the Irish Agrement Board website on www. irishagrementboard. com/installers. Your property will need to be surveyed and a report prepared as to the suitability of the property to be insulated. When insulating the cavity of an older building the preferred method is to blow or pump the insulating material into the cavity by means of drilling holes at pre-determined heights. It is imperative that care is taken to ensure that all ventilation openings, eg, boiler flues, underfloor vents etc, are kept clear. You will also need to determine if there are electric cables in the cavity as these could melt the insulating material.

Insulating the attic will be a job you might wish to undertake yourself. You can purchase rolls of insulation which are cut to the correct width. The easiest way to measure the amount you require would be to measure the width and depth of your house and multiply them together to calculate the area of your loft.

Q I'm redesigning my bathroom and was thinking of getting an original cast-iron, rolltop bath, but a friend has suggested that the taps and fittings would not be compatible with our plumbing. She also said the bath would be too heavy for the floor. Is this true? I don't want to buy a bath and find out it isn't suitable?

With the extensive range of materials and fittings on the market today I think it has never been easier to fit different plumbing materials together so easily (if you know what you're looking for). Check with your plumber first as to the suitability of what you want to buy and your plumbing requirements. As for the suitability of your floor to hold the weight of the bath, the bath water, and a person in it of course, I cannot advise without first seeing the floor. I would suggest as a rough guide that the minimum depth for the floor joists would need to be 150mm. If you are unsure or worried about the suitability of the flooring then ask the advice of a structural engineer.

Q My partner and I are restoring an old house in Dublin. We'd like to keep as much of the original character as possible.

The handrail on the stairs is badly damaged and some of the spindles are missing. Is there a company or person who can restore the stairs for us?

The handrail and spindles can be easily replaced. A joiner will advise you if it would be better to fit a complete brand new handrail or, if it's possible, to make up sections to replace the badly damaged areas. I am sure that a good joiner will be able to copy the existing spindles, giving you a new 'old' looking stairs. I recently used a joiner/carpenter, Stephen Dwan from Thurles, and found him very helpful. You can find his details and the details of all the other carpenters/joiners registered on www. tradesmenireland. com. While you're at it, why not click on 'post a job' and we will send your job requirements to all the tradesmen you require for your task and have them contact you.

WRITE TO US If you have a building/renovation-related query that you'd like Steve to help you with, email: doorstepdoctor@tribune. ie Steve Guerin is managing director of www. tradesmenireland. com the one-stop website that will help you find a tradesman, a site for sale, a property to rent or buy and all the plant hire and machinery you need to complete your house build or renovation