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 …
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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 …
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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.