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When leaving a water heater inactive for a long term, such as months at a time, is it recommended to turn "off" the breaker to the heater to keep the sulfur buildup
Do I need to flush my air conditioner by Trane in the spring or fall? and with what?
My daughter added a woodstove to one room in her house this winter. The stovepipe was such that it created a downdraft and caused creosote to get all over her vinyl siding.
My porch gets dew on it at night which wets the porch. What should I do? The paint is peeling.
"Bill, before you go, would you look at my toilet? It's been running for weeks."Soon after the bathroom debacle, Marilyn enrolled in a continuing education class: Basic Repairs
How is the best way to paint hard textured ceilings?
I have a model 9120B smoke alarm. It chirps about every 1 to 2 hours apart. I have replaced the batteries, checked connections, and even unplugged it from the wall. I
My "silk flowers" used in outdoor planter baskets are leaking red dye down my wall. How do I remove the dye from the silk flowers off of the baskets and wooden walls on
I have so much to do to my mobile I don't know where to start. The walls need repair and the roof leaks even though I had it sealed. I am a single parent and I don't
Can anyone suggest the best way to clean the outside of my house which is made of cladding? At the moment it is very, very dirty and we have been told that a pressure washer
I need to paint some 60s vintage kitchen cabinets. They are "custom" oak veneer plywood. There has been some delamination on some of the doors and drawer fronts.
We have a very old cottage house, and it has the windows that are so old, they stick so badly. What are some thoughts or ideas from any of you that have dealt with this problem
My smoke alarm keeps beeping every 20 seconds. The battery cannot be changed for life of product. I have blown it out, but it still beeps, what more can I do?
How do I remove oil paint from a wall?
I don't know how to change my furnace filter. What do I do?
Whenever there was a rain storm, rain got into the dining room window at the back of the house which has exterior vinyl siding. The gutter at the front of the
For most people, scheduling a chimney cleaning isn't an essential phone call. Yet for everyone who has any type of furnace or heating stove, it is a safety measure that
My sump pump breaker keeps tripping. How can I fix it?
Farm machinery and other machinery used outdoors will last a great deal longer if protected from rust. To make your own rust protector, melt together 5 pounds tallow and 1 pound
Our front porch posts and window trim were covered with white aluminum siding about 25 years ago and it has gradually turned gray. Is there a way to clean it back to
How do I get rid of mildew in closets?
When we purchased this home, the kitchen color was still in the 70s. There was an olive green hood blaring at me. I took it outside and sanded the entire thing to the metal.
I was planning on repainting my balcony floor and expected to simply scrape away the old paint. However, what I found was that the concrete had a layer of rubber between it
I have Formica countertops in my kitchen and both bathrooms. I am going to paint them to look like granite (thanks to the advice given on here!).
I need help trouble shooting an electrical problem in an older model house trailer (early 1970). Part of one side of trailer has no power. I reset all breakers at the
The upper part of my metal exterior door is one largish window, having a vinyl/plastic/resin faux framework that creates a 9-pane look in it. I'm about to spray paint the door
I have an old double porcelain sink, that I love. It fits the decor of my "new-old" cabin. It's easily stained because it's so porous. Is there anything I can put
The shower head and faucet in my bathtub are almost coming out from the wall. Will it be worth getting a plumber to fix them and how much would it cost? Would I be
I have paint peeling on my bathroom ceiling next to the ceiling fan (no window). What do I use to seal the ceiling before repainting?
How do I loosen a tight screw?
My daughter heats her little trailer with a gas heater on the wall. This causes moisture to form on walls and windows and is causing mold or mildew. She can't
Help. We live in a doublewide mobile home. About 3 weeks ago, I noticed a funny smell coming from the master-bedroom's bathroom. We have not used it for a few years as it needs remodeling.
Rock Salt, used to melt ice on pavement, is very harsh to the skin. For an easy, and safe dispenser, I empty the bag of salt into a old laundry detergent bottle.
My bedroom windowsills have had nails driven into them, too flush with the wood to remove them with the hammer head thingy. It looks like the previous owners might have nailed heavy
I have cat claw damage to various items in my apartment, but the ones I really want to focus on are the claw marks on the moldings around the doors into my bathroom and bedroom.
Can burst radiators be repaired? We have an old building for sale along with a house it is attached to. In several of the rooms, the radiators or pipe attached to
My cultured marble bathroom sink and vanity is beginning to show some wear with it being very dull in some places. There are also a few small dents, but are not that obvious. What
There is a long narrow split in a wood stair that I am sanding and re-staining. Wood filler does not always stain, therefore could I mix sawdust with glue and fill it in
I have a Craftsman remote control garage door opener. I replaced the battery and when I try to program my remote controls I can only program one remote. Prior to changing
How do I fix squeaky steps?
How can I fix my sagging floors. Any experts out there? I have a basement below.
It seems as if my sky light is leaking occasionally. It only does it at certain times when it rains in different direction. I had it worked on one time, this resulted in messing
Our house which is only 4 years old, it has a solid mahogany double door and transom inset with leaded glass. The winds hit it directly from the ocean. I want to restore its
When polishing Avalon counter tops (like Corian, only 1/8 inch thinner) must you use an orbital buffer or will a standard car buffer work?
We have a double wide mobile home. In the living room, across the ceiling the board that covers the joint is not flush. On one end it's flush, but in the middle it starts
How can you prevent root growth in drain pipes?
How do you remove moss from patio blocks?
My heating and air conditioning unit, that blows the air to the house is very dirty. Can I clean it myself until I can afford to hire someone to do it?
Every year we have to power wash the siding on the north side of our home. We get a green/black mold that comes back every year. Is there anything that will stop this? The
For home repairs on wallboard done easily and inexpensively, you might want to try this technique as many of us have a block of scrap wood available to do this job.
Words of advice from my Service Tech husband; preventive maintenance is always the cheapest maintenance!
"An Ounce of Prevention": As trite as this old adage is, there is so much wisdom in it, as we learned from a "waterfall" which greeted us as we returned to our months old house,
To prevent refrigerator or freezer seals from sticking and cracking, wipe the seals with talcum powder on a rag every 12 months. This will also saves money on replacement.
First time home buyers are often surprised by the many expenses required for the maintenance of your home. Furnace and duct cleaning, yard work, carpet and floor care, cleaning
Snow was sticking to my snow shovel until I coated the blade with silicon. The silicon spray I used was for my knitting machine but I've seen cheaper silicon spray at the
Please check your appliance warranty before undertaking any repair of your appliance. Be sure to unplug any appliance before attempting any repairs!
Now that fall is upon us, this is a good time to check out your fireplace. If you need to call in a chimney sweep, do it now, before he is in big demand. In our area, we only
The back of our house is made of composite wood siding and has rotted out from flooding and carpenter ants. It is possible to replace part of the wall (only the bottom
When bothered by squeaky or rusty hinges, you probably have the quick cure right in your kitchen. Any cooking spray will work just fine, and most of us have a can of that
Save on heating/cooling costs by maintaining your air filter. A heating system repairman told me to use the cheapest, blue filter, and to change it at least monthly or when
My son dropped a hammer on our counter in the bathroom (new home). It chipped the counter top. Most places I called (home repair, hardware stores) said I would have to replace
You can unclog your sink, shower or tub with 3 antacid tablets and 1 cup of vinegar. Works wonders!
When using an extension ladder in cleaning gutters or going on the roof of the house, etc., your weight on the ladder can damage, crush, or even tear off your gutters when
If you are sandblasting your home's brick to remove paint, use a garden hose over the output to eliminate dust by 95%.
My furnace filter never gets dirty. I think it should. If anyone has any thoughts as to why it never does I sure would appreciate some comments.
My above ground pool was 'let go' last winter, it was green and slimy. I have been at it for months and am about half way there, should I persevere with chlorinating, scrubbing and
What is a good economical way to repair driveway cracks?
We have a 9' x 16' area on the back of our house -- 3 sides are vinyl siding and the other side was wood and screen. We replaced the wood and screen with windows and sliding
Next time you have a helper on hand, go around your home and turn all the valves under your sinks and toilets off and on several times. You may find that minerals
Instead of lifting snow, try to push it as much as possible. When you need to lift a shovel full of snow, be sure to bend your knees and keep your back straight.
It's not fun, but it's worth doing at least once a year. If your home has a crawl space, crawl around down there and look for bugs and moisture. Be sure to crawl under the
Check the grading around your house and make sure that the ground is sloping away from your house. Make sure that no plants or dirt comes into contact with the wood siding
Clean your chimney at least once a year so there's no build up which can cause a fire.
The above description generally describes the problem I am having with my garage door opener. However, I realized that if I unplug the opener power cord and replug it
The question is how to replace the "carriage", and how many of them shall I replace? I think I am able to identify the portion of door that is making the noise.
Sew tears in a screen with clear nylon thread or dental floss.
I encourage anyone who can to learn how to work on their own appliances. It cost us $40 just to have a repairman come out and tell us we had a kink in a drain hose on our washer.
Have your home inspected annually for pests such as termites, etc. Most insurance companies will not pay for damage to your home caused by pests so it is worth the money to have an
To keep snow off of your porch that isn't wet or packed down use your leaf blower.
I own a new condo, and have lost power at four outlets. Two of these are in the kitchen, the other two in the dining room. The outlets in the dining area have only been used
An easy way to clean your siding on your house is: Tape a garden hose to a wide push broom, using duct tape at 2 or 3 places along the handle. Position the nozzle near the
My ceiling fan was making a squeaking sound when turned on. My husband said we needed rubber bands that they sell to put around the base of the light fixture.
We have a lot of moss on our roof. Does anyone have some good ideas for killing it and keeping it from growing back?
Home Improvement