Judy Lazo has basement walls that are flaking away in Haddon Township, NJ. She can tell the story better than me; "I own a home that my ex and I bought in 1997. There was never a problem with water in the basement and still isn't. There is a french drain and sump pump. Around 1999, […]
Brenda Steele is getting ready to move into a new house in Bentonville, AR. But before the closing, there was a water leak in the kitchen. Here's her story: "We are under contract to buy a new home and are waiting for loan approval. We received a call saying someone left the kitchen sink on and […]
Ken Williams has a very slippery shower floor in his Mooresville, NC home. Let him describe it: "The water in my house is very soft and so it is very slippery and the soap never seems to be rinsed off and as a result the shower floor which is 6X6 tiles is dangerously slippery. The […]
Sharon's bathroom floor tile grout is cracking in her Anchorage, AK home. You're not going to believe the photos. Here's her story: "My master bath floor has cracked and chipping grout in more than 50 percent of the tiled area. Some tiles sound hollow underneath. The sub-flooring is 3/4 in OSB with 3/8 inch interior plywood […]
Door Knob Air Leak - Look Above At Giant Gaps! Eric Shimomura lives in Clayton, DE and has a door knob air leak on an exterior door. Here's his question: "How do I prevent air leaks through the door knob? It's not the door itself, just the door knob and dead bolt assemblies." Here's my […]
DEAR TIM: Our house has an usual chimney made with irregular stones. The existing cap is in poor shape and I'm worried about damage. Each contractor I talk with has a different solution and none of them are even similar. What's the best way to install a cap on a masonry chimney, no matter if […]
There seems to be some confusion about the new water heater rules. It pertains to both electric and gas heaters. It depends on the size of the heater. After April 16, 2015, manufacturers can no longer make the old style heaters. They can sell all the OLDER technology ones until they run out. The new […]
Andy Shogren's sliding door out to his deck is leaking water and rotting his subfloor in Bakersfield, CA. Let him tell you what's going on. "I've subscribed for a long time to your FREE newsletter and have found some helpful hints over the years. I have a two-story house and the master bedroom has a sliding […]
Jim Carter, no relation to me, lives about an hour's drive north of Sacramento, CA. He thinks he wants to replace the wood siding on his house because it looks bad. But he's worried about the cost and his tight budget. Here's his story: "Hi Tim, When we moved into our house, it needed the […]
Karen Bloom is a subscriber to my newsletter and lives in Austin, TX. However, she and her husband also own a home in Memphis, TN that's having major issues with ice dams around her dormers. Here's her full report: "Hi Tim, I get your newsletter and really enjoy it. We have a house in Memphis, TN in […]
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