M and R get my DIY vote. This family-run builders merchant and decorating supplier are well…read morestocked, reasonably priced and open late on a Saturday (most builders merchants close at 12 on a Saturday). I've brought a lintel, some silicone, a lock and lengths of wood from M and R. I've found them chatty and knowledgable. It's very easy to just drive in and load up your van or car, without attempting to find a place to park on the busy and double yellowed Cowbridge road. Two beautiful Alsatians guard the yard after dark and a caravan is tucked in the corner. I'm not sure who lives in it, it may be a fancy kennel for the Alsatians I fancy. M and R is great for both the professional builder and DIY enthusiast alike.

M&R Decorators Supplies is like a builder's arts and crafts store, or like walking into your mate's…read moreunreasonably large garage and digging out the supplies you want to borrow. With brown boxes stacked high, M&R is not your John Lewis of decorators' stores, but the wide selection seems to the main draw here, with massive vats of paint 10-year-old children can pile into, as well as a range of wallpaper, some priced as low as £3.99. They have everything here - Dulux and Johnson and Leyland trade paints, rolls of linoleum flooring, painting supplies, fence coating, poly filler and pretty much anything else you'd need to complete a house project. Early opening hours means you can get started early, but be aware they're closed on Sunday, so you'll have to save your browsing for the weekdays.

Picked up quite a bit off Wickes over the years. It has a very good choice of items in all…read morecategories - plumbing, electrical, paint, wood, etc. I've always found the prices to be very good and a lot better often than other competitor's. I quite like the layout because it's just an absolutely huge store all considering and there's plenty of space to move around and find exactly what you want. Staff are quite good. Generally a store I'd recommend over others such as B & Q or Homebase or etc. Carpark is excellent.

not shopped here much but always had stock when l have been for something.slightly off road in…read moreindustrial estate.

Q: What's friendly, efficient, honest, clean, comes to your rescue in a crisis and doesn't cost the…read moreearth? A: Gregory Plumbing Services A good plumber is hard to find, but EUREKA here you have found one. Gregory Plumbing Services will do anything from changing a lowly washer to complete bathroom installations. Gregory Plumbing Services specialises is domestic plumbing and offers a good quality, professional plumbing service to the South East Wales area. I have used Gregory Plumbing Services twice, once to have radiators fitted and once to have a lead pipe replaced. On both occasions I was very happy with the work. Having work done on your house can be stressful, but Simon the owner of Gregory Plumbing Services, with his thoughtfulness and cheery disposition, seems to make the process a whole lot easier.

We used Gregory Plumbing Services to have the flush on our loo replaced and the overflow from our…read morebath fixed. We asked Gregory Plumbing Services because they were local and were delighted with the services. Simon Gregory was fantastic. He efficient but also dilligent and very reasonable. We also asked him to look at another job, and he was honest in saying that the job could be costly and offered a cheaper alternative. We were delighted and having a young baby, these things really matter. Charlotte, Taffs Well

If you need to recarpet, look no further than this superb family run business. There is a huge…read morerange of carpets and other flooring choices and the staff are excellent at matching your needs exactly. The choice inside could be a little overwhelming but with their guidance we were able recarpet our whole house with the minimum of fuss and within our budget. They came to measure up on time and the entire fitting service was fast, reliable and professional. I wouldn't hesitate to use penarth carpets again in the future as the service was just first class and very friendly.Another point to remember if you visit the shop is mind the step! There is a practically invisible slight step into the shop, caught me out a couple of times!

Joshua's…read more This is one of the vanishing breed of ironmongers Even the word 'Ironmonger' Is slowly falling into disuse due to the advent of the DIY supermarket Joshua's has however has retained most of the advantages of the small shop There is always a helpful lady or gentleman behind the counter who really know their business. For example I have a hand stapler that uses Non standard size staples. I was not able to obtain these in either of the Main DIY supermarkets (when I was able to find someone to help.) They recommended that I purchased a new stapler as this particular size of staple was no longer manufactured . As a last resort I tried Joshua's and sure enough the gentleman behind the counter produced the necessary staples in about 30 seconds flat. This illustrates the value of the traditional Ironmongers, who really know their trade and of which Joshua's in a prime example. For small items which the DIY supermarkets are not always stocked its a good bet that Joshua's will rather have them or will order them for you. Take a can along and they will fill it with paraffin in the quantity you want rather than having to buy a gallon( which you don't want) in the DIY Supermarkets. .It is difficult to imagine any ironmongery item which Joshua's do not stock .If you find it difficult to describe then Joshua's will let you wonder though the shop looking at the items on the shelves. Many items are priced cheaper than the supermarkets. The only down side is that there is no car park and you have to park on the street although I have never found any difficulty. If after shopping you are in need of refreshment then the ' Otley' is close at hand !

We recently had a gate made from Gates 'n' Railings. We found their prices reasonable and they…read moreprovided an efficient installation service. They provided a high level of customer service. We would highly recommend their services.

If you are looking for good quality carpets or professional carpet cleaning services then look no…read morefurther. We have used Steve on numerous occassions and have been extremely happy with the end result. His staff are reliable, professional and very helpful.

Otherwise known as The Fire and Stove Shop. I've been ogiling this shop for many years, wandering…read morearound the showroom in a fantasy kind of way. Wouldn't it be nice to have a wood-burning stove... Until, finally, last autumn I took the plunge, or log or whatever. They sent a man round to look at my sad seventies style gas fire with knackered seventies back boiler. He said that they could take that out and replace it with a wood (and coal) burning stove. He even said that they could connect the aforementioned stove to the central heating system and I wouldn't need gas at all! They did all that, efficiently and with the minimum amount of mess that those sort of things can be done with. And fitted a sleeve up my chimney. And a cowl. The stove is FANTASTIC. But it ate copious amounts of wood in an attempt to feed all the radiators. Now I've put some gas back in and just have the stove to heat the sitting room. Lovely lovely mmmmmmmmmmmmm.