Send in your questions to Steve. . .

Q Do you know anybody who fixes old clocks and returns them to the house to ensure that they work okay? I brought a repaired clock home from Dublin and think that I may have damaged it in transport.

When I hang the clock on the wall it's not balanced or centred properly. Can you help?

Mary Tyrrell I'm afraid this is not something I am familiar with but I have made a few enquiries and have been told that Kevin Chellar of Timepiece Antique Clocks, 57/58 Patrick Street, Dublin 8 ( 01-454 0774) would be a good man to help you out. Or why not go back to the people who carried out the original repair for you and tell them your problem I'm sure they would help.

Q I am (a fairly fit) OAP and want to add further insulation to our home - we moved here three years ago. There is the usual 'stuff' between the joists in the attic and I am thinking of laying XTRAthermal sheets over this. Would it be difficult and have you any tips?

Noel Mooney When you say usual 'stuff' I presume you mean fibreglass insulation.

Is this in good condition and what depth of insulation is there? The regulations years ago used to be 100mm (4") thickness and before that 50mm (2") insulation was used. Nowadays 150mm (6") and 200mm (8") are more commonly used. When fitting insulation into an attic space always be careful to step on the timber ceiling joists; if you step in between the joists you might end up going through the ceiling. It would be advisable to bring a crawling board into the attic to give you a sound footing. Always make sure that any wiring is kept visible and do not insulate around any light fittings. Always keep approximately 150mm (6") away from all light fittings. Do not insulate under the cold water storage tank and while you are at it insulate the cold water storage tank itself and any uninsulated pipe work.

Q I have a problem with a dividing wall between two bedrooms and was hoping you could help. We used to have built-in wardrobes in both bedrooms but have taken them down. This has now left us with very little privacy in both rooms. Our house is timber framed with concrete floors. . . . . it is a bungalow. It would appear that the builder did not put any insulation in the interior walls when he was building it. Any ideas what we can do?

Aileen McLeod

The simplest way to help solve this problem would to be to fix 12.5mm plasterboard with a polystyrene insulated backing. You will have to "nd the timber studs and screw the plasterboard into these. Beware of electrical cables and pipe work when drilling. You may need to adjust your electrical sockets to compensate for the new depth of walling. As always if you are not competent with wiring use a registered electrician to carry out the work. The plasterboard can be either plastered with skimcoat plaster or the screw holes and joints can be filled and then decorated. The insulation on the plasterboard will help reduce the transfer of noise through the wall.

Q My daughter and her husband are considering buying a two-bed ex-corporation house in Dublin. They had a survey done and it revealed signs of beetle infestation which indicates that the house may be damp. They knew there would be work to do on the house anyway but now aren't sure about buying. How can they find out how damp the house is and how much it will cost?

Leigh Smith The Damp Store in Dublin offers a free home inspection to check for damp, dry rot, wet rot and decay and will provide a written report and quotation. For further information contact Liam Harris at 01-874 5055 or email dampstore@eircom. net.