My guess is it's in your home. Not one place, but several. The first place I'd look if I was a guest is behind your shower curtain. Then maybe I'd look over your shoulder as you open your refrigerator. If I was an appliance repairman, I'll bet you've got it in your washing machine too. […]
DEAR TIM: My relatives want to repair failing decorative iron columns and short stubby brick pillars that are part of a front porch on a home that's about 100 years old. A giant section of the house overhangs the front porch and I'm certain the decorative ironwork is helping to hold up the second story. […]
Garage Door Insulation | Get It Done At The Factory DEAR TIM: I live in a condo with an attached garage. The current garage door insulation is rated at R-4. Even with that it's cold in the winter and hot as Hades in the summer. Local companies have given me estimates to increase the insulation […]
Kathy Burke now lives in a noisy house in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. She caused the problem, but didn't mean to. A cold-air return vent makes noise. Here's her full report: "We have a small 950 sq. ft home with two return vents. We have never covered this one vent since living here as it was behind […]
Gordon Doughman is a subscriber to my FREE newsletter. He was kind enough to share a fascinating discovery he made. Allow him to share the story: "Tim, I know in several of your recent newsletters you discussed galvanized nails and the performance difference between hot dipped versus electroplated nails. I recently rebuilt my deck (capped […]
DEAR TIM: I would like to remove the two corner walls in my kitchen that are common with my living and dining room. This will allow me to install more cabinets and a countertop with a bar to eat at. The entire house will seem more open. Can the walls be removed? What's involved? Who […]
DEAR TIM: My garage is at the bottom of a hill and is tucked into the soil on three sides. I do get some water leakage through the concrete block walls in the spring and during heavy rains. The asphalt floor is always damp despite running a dehumidifier all summer. Do you have any solution […]
DEAR TIM: My wife and I moved into a new condominium building in March 2009. When it rains and there's heavy wind, we get water leaking through the brick. A gentle rain shower with the rain falling straight down causes no problems. What is causing the problem? There are many older brick buildings on the […]
Mike Flannery is in Denver, CO. But he's perplexed about caulking the trim in a staircase. Here's his full report, albeit abbreviated: "Crack between moulding and top of stair risers indoors. Original caulk cracked. Looked sloppy. Removed caulk. 1/8 in gap. Idea is to put spline in gap as backing prior to re-caulk and then painting. […]
Door Rough Opening Not Square Don Sanders is pulling out his hair in Peculiar, MO. It seems he installed a door in his shed and the rough opening wasn't square. Here's what he sent to me: "I installed an entry door in my shed. The floor was level and the jack and king studs were level. […]
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