Q. How do I calculate the pitch of a roof? A. Roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof. The roof’s
Q. I have a couple of minor leaks in my roof where sheathing nails have popped up through the asphalt shingles. How do I repair
Q. The nails that hold the gutter on my house are pulling away from the fascia. What’s the easiest way to fix this? A. The
Q: Does adding glue inside a screw hole strengthen the connection of a wood screw? A: For outdoor applications that are exposed to a
Q: How do I know what viscosity grade of motor oil is appropriate for my vehicle? A: Always refer to your vehicle owner’s manual.
Q: What is involved with dry-stack cinder block construction? A: Dry-stacked block home construction uses concrete masonry units (blocks) to erect walls without mortar.
Q: I’d like to paint a basement floor, but the concrete is too rough. Is there an easy way to smooth it out? A:
Q: I have a new pre-primed steel door I plan on painting. What is the best way to apply the paint? A: For steel
Q: How long should I cover a new concrete slab for it to cure properly? A: The longer concrete stays damp after it’s poured,
Q: I’m refurbishing a maple bookcase. What is the right approach to filling in nail holes? A: If you’re painting the shelves, use a
Q: I understand the value of getting a home inspection when buying a house, but I’m selling a house. Is there any advantage to paying
Q: How Do I Paint a Faux Wood Finish over Paint-grade Trim? A: Mask off the trim and apply primer if it’s not already
Q: What type of wood do you suggest for building outdoor projects? A: Whether you’re building a deck, gazebo, raised garden bed or front porch,
Q: A friend is having his home renovated because of defective Chinese drywall. What harm does the defective drywall cause to the home or occupants?
EHT Tip: How to Calculate Concrete Coverage by Bag Size To calculate concrete coverage, record your measurements in feet and decimal equivalents of inches
Q: I’d like to extend an existing concrete patio. What is the minimum thickness for concrete? A: Concrete is typically applied at a thickness
Q: What is sinker cypress? How is it different from standard cypress lumber? A: Sinker cypress, as the name implies, is cypress that was sunk
Q: Our lawn is infested with weeds. I’m planning on killing it all and starting with new grass seed, but I’m wary of the chemicals
Q: When hanging drywall, do the panels install lengthwise or across the studs? A: On walls, installing the panels horizontally reduces the overall linear
Q: I have a toilet that flushes slowly. I’ve tried plungers, chemicals and a plumbing snake, and nothing worked. My neighbor suggested using something called
Q: This summer I’m planning to update my landscape by planting a few trees. What are the pros and cons of buying a young potted
Q: Why are nails designated in “penny” sizes? A: “Penny” sizes originally referred to the price for a hundred nails in England in the
Q: I’ve seen lots of painted synthetic trim, but will wood stain work with the woodgrain-style of synthetic products? A: Check the trim manufacturer’s
Q: How often should I have my septic tank inspected? A: Septic systems should be inspected and pumped every three to four years. You
Q: I’m planning to install ceramic floor tiles in my bathroom. The tiles are glazed, so I wasn’t planning to use a sealer. However, my
Q: Our local home store has stick-down vinyl tiles that have a beveled edge. When you butt the tiles together they create a V-joint between
Q: A fallen tree limb has punched a hole in our aluminum siding about the size of a baseball. The damage appears to be limited
Q: How do I cut small mosaic tiles? I’m installing a backsplash and can’t fit whole tiles around the electrical outlets and switches. A:
Q: Now that spring is coming around the corner, when should I start feeding my lawn? A: Winter is like a long slumber for
Q: The contractors who re-shingled my neighbor’s roof were working on what looked like lumber platforms to have a flat place to kneel or store
Q: We purchased a foreclosure to remodel, and most of
Q: I’m painting a steel door and want to avoid bristle marks on the paint surface. Is using a foam brush the best
Q: I need to patch a hole in the wall plaster caused by a doorknob.
Q: I relocated my computer to a lower level of my house. My internet runs over a phone line, and although there’s already a phone
Q: I had an electrician install 22 recessed remodel-style can lights in our basement ceiling. A lot of holes had to be cut for running
Q: We have roll roofing on a garden shed. During a storm a tree branch fell and stabbed a hole in the roofing material. What’s
Q: I installed a 2-by-2-foot drywall patch into a ceiling, but it turns out the piece is too thin and has a “pushed in” look,
Q: When hanging drywall, how far apart should I space the drywall fasteners? A: Fastener spacing for installing gypsum panels depends on the particular
Q: What’s a strong finish sealer to use on outdoor furniture? A: For an exceptionally weather-protective finish, use a multi-phase process that’s commonly used
Q: Our upstairs level is always hotter than the first floor of our home. What’s the easiest way to regulate this? A: You have a
Q: I’d like to add more insulation to the attic but I’m concerned about the installation cost. Is blowing fiberglass or cellulose insulation into an
Q: What’s an effective method to kill clover on my lawn? I don’t like the little white flowers that attract insects. A: Clover is
Q: How do I drill through tile without breaking it? My wife wants me to hang a knife rack on our kitchen backsplash. A:
Q: I’d like to refinish a cast iron clawfoot tub, but the prices I’ve been quoted are outrageous. Is this something I can do myself?
Q: Our dog has brought fleas into the house. How do I get rid of them? A: You need to apply insecticide products that
Q: My wife drove the car into the garage wall and did a lot of damage. She managed not to completely drive through the wall,
Q: I need to install fiberglass insulation batts in the drafty crawlspace of the “fix’er upper” house I recently purchased. How do I do this?
Q: I’d like to finish my basement, which currently has bare concrete block walls, but I’d prefer to avoid drywall because of all the mudding
Q: Is there any way to stop condensation of a toilet tank? Water beads up on the tank and drips onto the bathroom floor, and
Q: How do I repair a deck joist that is starting to rot? A: The easiest way is to repair a joist is to
Q: We have a flagstone patio with the stones mortared in place. The mortar is crumbling, leaving the stones loose and making a couple of
Q: Is it possible to smooth out the relief on interior textured walls? A: You have three options. The first is to sand the
Q: I’ve heard that the new CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs are incompatible with dimmer switches. Is that true? A: The problem with most
Q: I’d like to purchase an HDMI cable for my new HDTV, but the 6-foot cables at the electronics store are $50 each. I’ve found
Q. I varnished a table with a satin-finish polyurethane product. After it dried, some areas were glossy while other areas were nearly matte flat. What
Q: What is Cat 6 wiring? A: Whereas you’re probably familiar with Cat-5 wiring, which is used for cable television among many other things,
Q: Our concrete driveway has an old piece of lumber used to form an expansion joint. The lumber has rotted away. What’s the best way to
Q: Is there any difference in procedure between installing a picture rail and a chair rail? A: Installing a picture rail is basically the same
Q: Can you explain hard water? I see tons of commercials for products to get rid of it. Why should I worry about it?
Q. What causes corrosion of car battery terminals, and what’s the best way to deal with it? A. The sulfuric acid used in car
Q: I am trying to remove my old laminate countertops. After popping loose a couple of screws, the countertop tilts up easily, but the backsplash
Q. The drain pump on my air conditioner condenser is leaking onto the floor. Is there any way to fix this without replacing the pump?
Q. How do I fix a flickering lamp? A. First, make sure the bulb is tightly screwed down into the socket so there’s no
Q. How do I repair cracked, damaged stucco from around a window? A. Home-improvement stores sell premixed dry stucco in bags just like concrete.
Q. The basement of our home has rough block walls with some very sloppy mortar joints. I’d like to paint the wall, but how should
Q. Why does my hot water heater run cold so quickly? A. If you’re running out of hot water too quickly, there may be
Q. I am working on a new deck and would like to cover up a 6-by-6 post with cedar. What is the best way to
Q. We’ve used an exterminator to kill cockroaches inside our house, and the service seems to have worked inside. The problem is all the cockroaches
Q. We’d like to replace an old vinyl floor with tile. The flooring currently has a vinyl base strip that is firmly attached to the
Q. How do I remove a mirror that is glued to the drywall? A. The staff asked three different contractors this question and got
Q. I purchased a new refrigerator and need to install a water line to the ice maker. How do I connect to the existing supply
Q. How do I know when it’s time for new roof shingles? A. Most shingled roofs have a maximum life span of around 20
Q. My house has aluminum siding with aluminum window shutters. I plan to repaint the siding and was hoping to remove the shutters permanently. If
Q. How do I repair a sagging floor? A. Sagging or sloping floors are often due to support beams that are deflecting or failing.
Simonton Windows offers helpful information on how homeowners can take advantage of the Federal tax credit when purchasing energy-efficient replacement windows.
Q. What is an incinerating toilet? A. Designed for use where no drain lines or septic/sewer system exists, an incinerating toilet is a waterless toilet
Q. Can I paint asphalt roof shingles? A. It is possible to paint asphalt shingles, but many professionals recommend against it. The roof is
Q. We received a copper fire pit as a Christmas gift. What kind of product can I put on the copper to prevent it from
Q. I just repaired a concrete wall. How long should I wait before painting it? A. Typically most paint manufacturers will allow a latex based
Q. I’d like to refinish a cast iron clawfoot tub, but the prices I’ve been quoted are outrageous. Is this something I can do myself?
Q. What is the best way to paint baseboard heater covers? A. First, thoroughly clean the surface and sand away any rust. For iron
Q. What types of wood are best suited for firewood? A. There are significant differences in the burning qualities of various types of wood.
Q. How does a heat pump work? A. In the simplest sense, a heat pump takes heat from one place and moves it to
Q: We installed a new carpet with a thicker pile than the old. Now we have a bi-fold door that sticks against the carpet. What’s
Q: Is there any special wiring required to replace a regular electrical switch with a dimmer switch? A: Typical residential dimmer switch needs no
Q. My house has a cement block foundation, and I’d like to dress up the painted block with a stucco-like product. Any advice on what
Q. I’d like to paint some old cabinets in the garage. I’d like to use latex but don’t want to prime unnecessarily. How do I
Q. Our household plumbing is having drainage problems, and I’m not sure why. How do you determine if the problem is the septic tank and
Q. My ceiling fan is only 3 months old but has developed a constant rattle. I think the problem is with screws that wiggle loose
Q. We have an expensive lawn chair that my son managed to break. It’s a cast metal chair, and the hand rest is broken away
Q. We bought a house with an automatic garage door opener. But the door never opens far enough. Is it broken, or can I adjust
Q. I noticed only three of the six screws that hold my kitchen cabinets on the wall are anchored in a stud. The other three
Q. I’ve heard of using an ultraviolet light to keep the air clean in my HVAC system. How does this work? A. Ultraviolet rays are
Q. What’s wrong with my garage door opener? The automatic opener was installed by the previous owner. It worked fine for a couple of weeks,
Q. The caulk in my bathroom keeps developing black mold. I keep bleaching it, but the mold comes back. Is there any better way to
Q. A few mice have found their way into my house, and they’re freaking out my wife. How can I keep them out? A.
Q. I’m tiling a countertop backsplash, but once the tile is in place the electrical outlets will be too far recessed to replace the switchplates.
Q. How do laminated or “architectural” roof shingles differ from standard three-tab asphalt shingles? A. Laminated asphalt shingles, also called three-dimensional shingles or architectural
Q: I have a plywood subfloor with a few high/low spots. I’ve read that laminate flooring can only be installed over flat subfloors. Is there
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