Send in your questions to Steve. . .

Q I want to replace the central pendant light in my living room with recessed spot lights. I don't want too many in the ceiling but I also don't want too few. A friend told me that with recessed lights you have to have them a certain distance apart. What's the distance and how many should I get in a living space of 5.36x3.05?

R Lennon

There is no set distance between the light fittings. One thing to keep in mind is that these lights give out a lot of heat so you must not have insulation around the light fitting.

I suggest that you make sure there is approximately 150mm (6in) clearance around the fitting. It would be best to access the ceiling from the floor above if you live in a two-storey house, or from the attic if you live in a bungalow.

If you have a bungalow it would be wise to keep the insulation back 150mm from the fitting and place timbers between the joists to prevent the insulation from hitting the fitting. The reason for the clearance is that the heat from the lights has been known to set fire to the insulation.

Q I just bought a house in Dublin. It's a total wreck. I've some building experience and I'm going to do it up with help from my brother. The downstairs living area is quite small and I don't like where the stairs are. I'd like to open up the space by repositioning the stairs in the centre of the room - not up against the wall where they are now. I'd also like open treads. Do I need planning for this or are there certain building regulationss I should be aware of?

Mike Dempsey, Dublin

No, you do not need planning permission for moving the stairs. The only planning you need is 'careful planning'. Putting the staircase into the centre of the room will reduce the amount of usable space.

People will have to walk around the stairs. That is why staircases are usually put against the side walls.

Did you consider a spiral staircase? This would give you a nice feature in the room and also a lot more space. Open treads are fine and are a good design feature.

Spiral staircases can be purchased as a kit and are easily put together by the DIY enthusiasist. Contact RPB Products, 1 Ballincollig Business Park, Cork, 021 4877564;

www. rpbproductsltd. com. They offer a comprehensive "tting service to customers throughout the country, including modular stairs, made-to-measure spiral stairs, open stairs and stairs for small spaces.

Q I'm a single girl living in Dublin. I bought an apartment last year but I don't like the taps that came with the kitchen. I'd love to change them. I'm really handy at DIY and have tiled the kitchen and bathroom walls myself - it's not perfect. Could I change the taps myself? They're the same type of tap just a bit more contemporary. How difficult would it be? What do I need to do?

Jolene Dobbs

Changing taps is not such a tricky job but they can sometimes be very awkward to access and you may need to purchase a tap spanner, although most modern mixing taps do away with the need for one.

Let's use the example of the modern taps with the two tails connected to the hot and cold water supplies by way of silver flexible connectors. You need to turn off the water supplies and open the taps to let out any surplus water. Disconnect the existing taps at the flexible connectors. Assemble the new taps following the manufacturer's instructions and replace them. Tighten the nuts on the flexible connectors. Then turn on the taps again and check for leaks.

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