Our house has a gas fireplace that is just a single pipe with holes. Do we need anything special to use it? Or can I just light it?
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Will DRYLOK Stop Basement Leaks in Heavy Rain?
Would you recommend the product DRYLOK to stop water leaking through cinder block basement walls in heavy rain storms
Storing Paint: Best Way to Make Paint Last
After painting I have two partially used cans of latex paint. I know that in storage it will be evaporation of water, benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde which results in paint hardening in 3-5 years. Can the shelf life be improved if all the air in the cans to be stored were replaced with water to …
Best Paint for a Concrete Patio
I live in Nebraska with extreme heat in the summer and cold in the winter. I have a cement patio that I would like to repaint I am looking for the best paint options and wondering if they make a outdoor epoxy finish. I did etch the cement before the first time I painted it …
How to Remove Window Grille Dividers in an Exterior Door
I’d like to remove the plastic window pane dividers from a steel door. They seem to be factory installed because nothing seems to fit in the fasteners that hold it in place. It is a plastic piece. Is there a way to take these off?
How to Remove Window Grille Dividers in an Exterior DoorRead More
Best Anti-Slip Sealer for Bathroom Tile Floor
We have well water which left our bathroom tile covered with rust stains. We did a deep cleaning of the floors and walls using Muriatic acid and are now looking for a sealer to prevent further rust buildup but need to find one that does not make the tiles slippery. Heard you mention a sealer …
Best Flooring for a Wet Basement Family Room
My house was built in 1962. Everything was fine until about 3 years ago. I discovered mold in my basement family room. I hired a company to clean up the mold. The carpet and padding were removed only to find that we had asbestos flooring that was also removed. I bought new flooring and then …
Return Air Vent Missing
We purchased a house about 10 years ago and since have found several significant problems. It was inspected as part of the purchase, and none of these issues were identified. One that I just noticed recently is that several rooms do not have return air vent ducts to the furnace. Some have registers that are …
How to Clean Wood Siding
My wood siding was damaged the last time it was power washed, so I am hesitant to do this again. It will probably need some touch ups this year and a full paint job in the next couple years. It has mold and green mildew on it and I wondered if there is a product …
How to paint a textured brick fireplace
My house is in Evansville Indiana and was built in 1908. I want to paint our brick fireplace white. I know painting means it will be permanent which is fine with me. However, I saw that there are white brick stains and wanted to know if a white stain would be better than regular paint? …
How to Paint Plastic Swing Sets and Toys
I painted my daughter’s playground about 2 years ago. The wood part was raw painted red and the plastic was originally green that I painted white to match a shed we have in the backyard. The paint keeps chipping off the green plastic. The 1st product I tried to use was a spray paint made …
GFCI Outlets in 2 Bathrooms Not Working
A GFCI outlet quit working. I replaced it but got wiring wrong. This killed the outlet and the GFCI outlet in a 2nd bathroom, (apparently wired together). I guess I should leave breaker off until I wire both new outlets. Can I replace these 2 outlets or do I need an electrician?
Solution for Soggy Backyard
In the back corner of our yard we have a lot of standing water. I would like to drain that so the kids can utilize this space. How do I go about draining out this space?
Mini-Split Ductless: Good for Heating and A/C?
I’m looking into putting central air and heat into my home and I was hoping to get your opinion on mini-split ductless systems. My last company to give me an estimate suggested the Mitsubishi Mr. Slim system but I know nothing about them and it would be almost twice the price of the traditional duct …
Baseboard Radiator Covers
I recently completed a huge renovation of my kitchen and living room space which included removing a wall, re-arranging the kitchen and creating craftsman window and door mouldings from scratch. I made my 1958 home look very updated and modern. The problem I have now is I left the original baseboard radiators, which so not …
Will Replacing Tub with Shower Impact Home Value?
It’s time to redo the tub/shower after 34 years. We built this 3 bedroom Cape as a young family. The children are grown and I am a widow and have no need for a tub. I would like a nice tiled shower with frameless, sliding barndoor type glass doors. BUT this is the only tub …
Best scratch-proof flooring for pets and children
We have hardwood floors that began scratching from the first moment the dogs and children began walking on them! They are now covered with literally hundreds of thousands of scratches. They have to go! We desperately need your advice to chose the correct wood look flooring that is the best scratch resistant out there. Would …
Best Options for Heating a Garage
I recently insulated my garage, and was looking to heat it for two reasons. One to do a few projects and second to heat the rooms above. I found two heaters; a radiant heater and a blue flame heater. I do have access to a gas line so plan on hooking it up to that. …
Best Way to Repair Pinhole Leaks in Copper Pipe
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 …
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 …
Tips to Get Rid of 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?
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?