Home Maintenance and Repair (Questions)

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Changing a Light Bulb in a High Ceiling?How do I change a light bulb in a 20 feet ceiling? It has a cover over the bulb that needs to be removed first. Any suggestions?

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Sealing Driveway Pavers?How can I find out if the previously coated pavers in my driveway were coated with an oil base sealer. I want to re-coat them with a clear water based sealer.

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Air Conditioner Maintenance?Do I need to flush my air conditioner by Trane in the spring or fall? and with what?

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Cleaning House Siding?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 isn't ideal.

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Sump Pump Breaker is Tripping?My sump pump breaker keeps tripping. How can I fix it?

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Repairing Sagging Floors?How can I fix my sagging floors. Any experts out there? I have a basement below.

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Inexpensive Air Conditioner Maintenance?I am on disability and need freon in my outside AC unit. Does anyone know where to get this done as inexpensively as possible?

2 Answers Answer

Help with Rebuild After Fire?I need help rebuilding my house, after we lost everything. My fiancee and I have three kids. We have been together for ten years. We have a two, three, and eight year old. We have no money or material. Looking for help. I have no clue where to start or where to find the right help.

2 Answers Answer

Bad Odor Coming from Bathroom Plumbing?I had a problem with the sink and bath, where when you turn the taps on water comes through the bath and there is a smell. I had someone out and they changed my pipes under the bath, but when the working man came and changed the pipes he said the pipes are backwards.

2 Answers Answer

Help with House Repairs?My mom has entered a nursing home in Glenora, California and she left me her house. I'm not working at the moment. This house is very old, and needs a lot of repairs.

4 Answers Answer

Cleaning Old Aluminum Siding?How you can clean aluminum siding that is over 50 years old? It's in good condition, but dirty.

2 Answers Answer

Using Homemade Deck Cleaner Near Plants?Is this solution safe for plants around the deck?

1 Answer Answer

Caring for a Water Heater When Not in Use?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 from making it smell like "rotten eggs"?

2 Answers Answer

Removing Creosote from Vinyl Siding?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. Does anyone have a solution or product that will work on this?

1 Answer Answer

Porch Paint is Peeling?My porch gets dew on it at night which wets the porch. What should I do? The paint is peeling.

2 Answers Answer

Repainting Hard Textured Ceilings?How is the best way to paint hard textured ceilings?

1 Answer Answer

Chirping Smoke Detector?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 took the batteries out and it still chirps. Do you know what's up?

4 Answers Answer

Dye from Silk Flowers Stained House Siding?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 the outdoor surface of my house?

1 Answer Answer

Repairing a Mobile Home Cheaply?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 know where to start or how to do much of the repair. I can't afford to pay someone else to do it.

4 Answers Answer

Prepping Older Kitchen Cabinets for Painting?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. What would be the best way to fill these damaged areas prior to priming and painting?

3 Answers Answer

Old House Problems: How to Keep Windows from Sticking?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?

1 Answer Answer

Chirping Smoke Detector System?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?

4 Answers Answer

Removing Oil Paint from a Wall?How do I remove oil paint from a wall?

1 Answer Answer

How Do I Change a Furnace Filter?I don't know how to change my furnace filter. What do I do?

2 Answers Answer

Why Would Rain Get Into My Window?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 house may need to be cleaned. However, the front windows never had any rain problems. Please help.

2 Answers Answer

Cleaning Aluminum Siding?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 white?

2 Answers Answer

Dampness and Mildew in a Closet?How do I get rid of mildew in closets?

1 Answer Answer

Paint Recommendations for a Range Hood?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 primed and spray painted it inside and out with Krylon, "stone".

4 Answers Answer

Removing a Layer of Rubber Between Paint and Concrete on Balcony?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 and the paint. What is this stuff? How can I remove it?

1 Answer Answer

Recontouring Countertops Before Painting?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!).

6 Answers Answer

Testing Circuit Breakers?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 panel, none appeared to be tripped. How do I test the breakers?

3 Answers Answer

Removing Faux Ninelite Plastic Grid on Door Window?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 with Rustoleum and would like to remove this grid, perhaps leaving it off entirely afterwards.

1 Answer Answer

Can You Seal an Old Porcelain Sink?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 on it to keep juices and such from staining it so easily?

2 Answers Answer

Replace or Repair Plumbing Fixtures?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 better off buying new fixtures?

2 Answers Answer

Repainting a Ceiling?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?

1 Answer Answer

Loosening a Tight Screw?How do I loosen a tight screw?

3 Answers Answer

Unidentified Smell Coming From Bathroom?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.

3 Answers Answer

Difficulty Removing Nails from Wood?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 plastic on the inside windows, with remnants of plastic left around some of the nails.

8 Answers Answer

Repairing Cat Scratches on Door Molding?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. They are pretty deep gauges and about three feet from the floor.

2 Answers Answer

Repairing a Home Radiator?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 radiator burst, due to freezing. Can these be fixed or replaced, and if so what would be approximate cost?

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Repairing a Split in Wood Before Staining?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? Or is there something someone can recommend?

3 Answers Answer

Refurbishing a Cultured Marble Sink?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 type of renovation can be done without spending a lot of money?

1 Answer Answer

Trouble Reprogramming Craftsman Garage Door Remotes?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 the battery both remote controls worked.

4 Answers Answer

Fixing Squeaky Stairs?How do I fix squeaky steps?

4 Answers Answer

Skylight Leaks?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 up slanted ceiling, now other side doing it.

2 Answers Answer

Salt Air Damage to Exterior Door?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 original rich shine. I can't find any good products. Please help.

3 Answers Answer

Polishing Solid Surface Counter Tops?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?

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Ceiling Joint in Mobile Home Needs Repair?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 to separate. I can't stand this open hole in my house.

2 Answers Answer

Preventing Root Growth in Drain Pipes?How can you prevent root growth in drain pipes?

4 Answers Answer

Removing Moss from Patio Pavers?How do you remove moss from patio blocks?

1 Answer Answer

Cleaning an HVAC System ?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?

2 Answers Answer

Keeping Mold from Growing on House Siding?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?

10 Answers Answer

Rotten Wood Siding?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 is rotted). Can anyone out there give us any suggestions?

2 Answers Answer

Furnace Filter Doesn't Get Dirty?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.

8 Answers Answer

Cleaning vs New Liner for Pool?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 vacuuming or get a new liner? Has anyone got any better cleaning tips?

5 Answers Answer

Repairing Driveway Cracks?What is a good economical way to repair driveway cracks?

2 Answers Answer

What Is Behind Vinyl Siding?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 door. This goes out to our deck.

4 Answers Answer

Garage Door Not Opening With Remote Control or Mounted Button?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 to the power outlet in the ceiling, the opener would respond again. But it would fail again later on, i.e a few days later. Any clue for the real issue? If indeed it is the circuit board at fault, how do I replace or trouble shoot the circuit board? I don't have owner's manual, but I believe it is Sears.

15 Answers Answer

Replacing a Carriage On a Garage Door?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.

1 Answer Answer

Solutions for a Mossy Roof?We have a lot of moss on our roof. Does anyone have some good ideas for killing it and keeping it from growing back?

3 Answers Answer

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