I have had two (2) copper water piping leaks in my basement that are very expensive to repair with a plumbing company. On one occasion the plumber sealed it (pin hole) and used a new shut-off near the site. The second time he sealed the pin hole at the site. Being on a fixed-income and …
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How to Prioritize Repairs in 100 Year Old Building
I’ve just moved into a new apartment, in a building that’s around a hundred years old. I’ll be asking a lot of questions in the future, but my first question regards choosing a priority area of focus. There are 3 areas of concern: #1 Water Damaged Walls and Chipping Paint: There is water damage to …
How to Remove Popcorn Ceiling and Make Smooth
What is the best way to go about smoothing a painted popcorn ceiling? Scraping it is much too hard, so I guess a skim coat is the way to go, but what is the best material to use for the skim coat? Is it also possible to do a skim coat over unpainted popcorn, without …
Penny Stain: How to Make
I was excited about trying the vinegar and pennies and followed the directions from your article, but nothing happened. The pennies have been soaking for about 2 weeks now and for the most part the vinegar is still clear. What am i doing wrong? Laura
Painting over Water Stains and Mold: How to Repair and Prep After a Water Leak
What is the rule of thumb for painting over water stains? I have a two-story house, and my second-floor shower stall developed a leak, as evidenced by water dripping from the first floor ceiling. The leak is small–a few drops of water after every use–and I believe I have now fixed the source of the …
Painting over Water Stains and Mold: How to Repair and Prep After a Water LeakRead More
Refinishing Hardwood Floor Tools and Finish: Tools to use for sanding and recoating hardwood floors
I’m going to refinish my hardwood floors; what grid sandpaper should I use and what type of coating should I put back on the hardwood floors?
MERV Score for Indoor Air Filters?
What rating should indoor air filters have? Many intake filters don’t list the MERV rating.
Basement Water in Old House
We have probably a 1920’s house, and as you can imagine, the concrete floor has cracks (floor is tiled with old linoleum tiles), and the intersection of the walls and floor typically begin seeping water when we have 2+ inches or more in a 24-48 hour period. On one corner of the house is a …
Why do I have Moisture on Basement Support Beams?
There are small moisture spots on the steel support beams in my basement. I could be wrong but to me it seems like they originate from the inside of the beams. I tried priming and painting them with Rust-Oleum oil based primer and paint. After that didn’t work I tried again using the primer for …
Remove Greasy Smoke Stains from Wood Cabinets
I have extremely greasy smoke-stained cabinets (previous owners were smokers). I have tried every cabinet cleaner on them without any progress. I want to try TSP on it but I am worried it will take off the finish. Do you have any suggestions for heavy duty cleaner that won’t harm the cabinets?
Bathroom Remodel | Smaller Bedroom vs. Larger Bath
Hi, I have a nice L shaped master bedroom with this tiny master bath and a normal size closet for an old house. We are talking about extending the bathroom straight across the room and moving the closet on the other side of the new bathroom. This would downsize the bedroom space significantly, but would …
Air Conditioning Ducts Leaking Water: Prevent Condensation
I have a leak from my ceiling in my hallway. Last fall I had two plumbers come out to diagnose the problem and neither could find a leak. The last plumber suggested that I call an air duct contractor as there was a drip from the air duct pipe leading from my dryer to the …
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What’s the Best Temperature for Attic Fans?
At what temperature should I set my attic power vent fans to keep my attic cool? I live in a hot and humid climate, where temperatures are often in the 90s. The roof gets full exposure to the sun throughout the day.
Can I Add Modern Locks to Antique Door Knobs?
We’re in the process of remodeling our 1940s house. All the existing doors have mortise-style locks, antiques knobs and back plates that are original to the house. However, all of the keys are missing. I would like to replace the locking mechanism but keep the antique back plates and knobs – they look great. Is …
Pinhole Leaks in Copper Pipes: Repair or Replace?
I recently bought a home and am experiencing a problem with the copper waterlines/pipes corroding from the inside out. So far the corrosion appears to be limited to just the hot water lines, but I’m afraid to take a look inside the cold water lines. What’s happening is we keep getting pinhole leaks springing up …
How to Install Crown Molding the Easy Way
I would love to install crown molding in my home to add value. All the people that I try to hire want a fortune to install it and I can not cut all of the fancy corners!
Can I Move My Washer and Dryer to My Garage?
I’d like to move my washer and dryer from my basement to my unheated garage. Other than plumbing for the washer, do I need to do anything special beforehand, like add insulation to the space or heat it? My partner thinks it’s a bad idea, but I have a hard time with the stairs to …
How to Avoid VOC’s when Painting Cabinets
I’m concerned about VOCs, when painting cabinets. Is it okay to use an oil based primer with a latex paint in order to cut down on the VOCs? Also, if the cabinets I’m painting have laminate sides, do I need to prime those as well?
Fix for Basement Leak Near Chimney
I have an old chimney that use to vent the furnace. It has now developed a leak at the lower junction of the chimney and the basement floor. Do I seal i from the inside or to I have to dig down from the outside to seal the leak area?
How Durable is Deck Paint?
What do these deck painting companies use to redo wood decks, that they claim it will stain and protect the wood deck to the apocalypse? Can’t I get this product and just do it myself?
Well Pump Delivers Terrible Water Pressure
We share a well with two other houses, and the well head is at the home furthest from us. They both have great water pressure, but we have really bad pressure. We can’t use the faucet when showering, run the dishwasher and sink at the same time, we can’t water our garden, etc. Our plumber …
Does Adding Solar Increase Home Value?
I’m seeing a lot of advertisements for solar energy claiming that it adds value to your home. Is this true?
Water Damage in Flooring
We recently discovered our refrigerator water line had been leaking for some time. We have gotten the leak fixed and are now dealing with the damage. We discovered the leak after water began coming up from between the planks of bamboo flooring in the living room, which is on the other side of the wall …
Wet Basement “Expert” says Grading Won’t Stop Floods
Our basement is pretty humid and has moisture coming up through the concrete floors. The basement has a history of mold and flooding. From listening to The Money Pit, I know proper grading and gutter maintenance outside the home should prevent this. We had a basement expert come by and he said grading was not …
Wet Basement “Expert” says Grading Won’t Stop FloodsRead More