Fixing something after it gets damaged or broken.
0
votes
0answers
115 views
How can I patch a large hole in a metal bathtub?
My tub is rotting from the top and I'm not yet ready to replace it. Water collects along one of the short sides of the tub (not the end with the faucet, the opposite end) and that is rotting and now ...
2
votes
2answers
302 views
How do I repair a wooden door's hinge binding?
In a rented flat, I saw the that a door wasn't closing properly, and noticed that the hinge screws were loose and not centered.
So I decided to unscrew them, and set them back in properly.
Sadly, by ...
2
votes
1answer
153 views
How can I repair my bathroom cabinet?
I've got a Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) sink cabinet that is at least 30, if not 50 years old. The bottom has gotten wet a few hundred times from a shower that was near it, and it is flaking apart ...
1
vote
0answers
157 views
How do I repair cracks in the concrete pillars supporting my patio roof?
I have two round concrete pillars that support my patio roof. I have noticed that they have cracks even though they are new. I suspect the filling of mortar and bricks inside those pillars was not ...
1
vote
0answers
136 views
What dangers are associated with changing the pilot light assembly on a gas water heater?
My A O Smith ProMax gas water heater started going out at various intervals. I would re-light it and it might stay lit for a few minutes, few hours, or even a day or so. I figured it was the ...
2
votes
2answers
154 views
How can I prevent the hose in the toilet tank from popping out of the tubing?
Unfortunately, I do not know the appropriate terminology but, there is a small hose that fits into a tube within a cylindrical container in the toilet tank. When this occurs, I can see initially hear ...
1
vote
1answer
186 views
How can I straighten bent refrigerator radiator fins?
I'm a little worried about the reduction in airflow... should I be? And if so, how should I straighten the fins?
1
vote
2answers
133 views
How can I fix a big crack on an old hutch?
A full wood side of an older hutch has cracked, probably along the grain. It seems gluing was attempted (there was some dried glue or silicon-like substance in the crack) unsuccessfully.
Can I fix ...
2
votes
1answer
211 views
How can I replace a Delta 1400 shower valve cartridge?
I have a delta 1400 shower valve that I had to replace. The existing one was full of sediment. When I put everything back together water just comes out the tub spout as if the valve wasn't there. When ...
0
votes
0answers
53 views
How can I repair a gash in a downpipe?
I have noticed a 3 inch gash in an otherwise serviceable downpipe which takes water from the roof of our house. Other than taping it, is there a more professional solution?
1
vote
1answer
110 views
What is involved in fixing a break in a frost-free faucet?
I have an exterior frost-free faucet that has sprung a leak. You can see the hole on the bottom side of the copper pipe in the image below.
I am trying to determine if this is a job I want to take on ...
0
votes
1answer
540 views
What type of glue sticks to tiles?
I have some hooks that has a glued surfaced attached to it. They look like this,
Image Courtesy: www.dhgate.com
I bought a lot of them. Like 50-60. I used them almost everywhere. Mostly in ...
4
votes
1answer
293 views
What should be on my pre-purchase house self-inspection checklist?
I’m looking at several homes and may purchase one, but realized that I’m probably missing important details when trying to identify potential money-pits. I have a simple checklist so I can save the ...
1
vote
1answer
117 views
Why won't my washer spin even though it still agitates?
I have a Kenmore 80 series washer and it recently stopped spinning and agitating and I found out it was the coupler. So I changed that and it start to work again, normally. After a week or two it ...
1
vote
1answer
163 views
How can I fix a small puncture hole in vinyl flooring?
When I was installing mini blinds in my new house, a pair of needle nose pliers fell out of my tool belt and landed nose first into the vinyl floor below. It left a very small pin sized hole in the ...
2
votes
0answers
122 views
How can I fix a table top that I spilled air freshener on?
I spilled air freshener on the top my dining table. It is a veneer top with urethane finish. The area is sticky to touch. How can I fix this?
2
votes
1answer
407 views
How can I repair water-damaged hardwood countertops?
Me and my housemate are complete novices when it comes to home improvement/DIY/etc. so when we moved into a recently renovated house with solid wood worktops, we were oblivious to what care they might ...
1
vote
1answer
137 views
Why isn't my garage door opener button working on new installation?
I recently installed a garage door opener in my new home, it is wired as such per the installation instructions.
The garage was prewired with 20AWG, insulated and drywalled, and I identified which ...
1
vote
2answers
407 views
How can I figure out why my light won't turn on?
My home electrical system is single phase, two wire (live + neutral; grounding is short-circuited to the neutral). I have no schematics as to how it is connected. However, there is a separate circuit ...
1
vote
0answers
66 views
Why won't the lower agitator on my washing machine spin?
I have a Whirlpool top load washing machine. I recently replaced the dogs on the agitator which was very easy. The top agitator works like it is supposed to, but the bottom doesn't move. It's like ...
1
vote
2answers
116 views
How to fix a loud, vibrating Maytag top loading washer?
I have an older Maytag top loading washer that sits on a concrete floor. It has never vibrated in all these years, except when it contained an unbalanced load---easy fix. Now it vibrates and moves ...
3
votes
2answers
264 views
Can I use a spray sealant to seal a leak in my radiator?
one of my steam radiators has a leak on the bottom, away from the valve (has been checked, my husband has changed out the valve). can I use a spray sealant to seal this leak? (like FlexSeal)
1
vote
0answers
208 views
Is there something wrong with this 3-way lamp switch?
We have a floor lamp with a three-way combined switch and socket. I noticed arcing sounds when rotating the switch, so I disconnected it. Later I found that the "low" and "high" settings worked fine, ...
2
votes
1answer
549 views
How can I replace failing ballasts in recessed CFL housings if I don't have access to the attic?
I have a set of recessed CFL (4-pin) lights and a few of the ballasts are failing (CFLs fail to start randomly, even after replacing them with new sets).
They are NHPSIC-626ELAT, CFL (4-pin) ...
13
votes
5answers
529 views
How can I fill a screw hole so it can be used again?
My dishwasher attaches to the cabinets on the side via a screw. This hole has become a little stripped, is there a way to fill it in and then screw in to it again? I can't change the location of ...
0
votes
2answers
483 views
What, if anything, do I do to repair notched floor joists?
I have been building for a long time, so I know where floor joists can be bored or notched without compromising their strength. Unfortunately, I have a client whose floor joists were hacked at by ...
1
vote
2answers
218 views
How to repair this metal corner siding?
My dog run attaches to the back side of my house, and every time my dog sees or hears something in the front lawn worth chasing after, she goes tearing after it around the side of the house. When she ...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
How do I change the element and fuse in my heavy duty gas dryer?
I have a gas heavy duty cap Inglis dryer, it has stopped heating up, how do I change the element or fuse or both while I'm at it.
0
votes
2answers
625 views
What could cause my washing machine to stop before the rinse cycle?
My washing machine will get stuck right before the rinse cycle. The washing machine will be full of water. The way to "fix it" is to twist the knob right after the "rinse" line, find the sweet spot, ...
1
vote
1answer
102 views
How can I mend my metal tables broken arm?
Hi I have a Metal table with two Arms that protrude outwards and Up of which you can place a cup and small plate on or Similar (Great for keeping the main table clear) but one of the Kids fell and ...
1
vote
1answer
238 views
How do I repair wood that's been damaged with mold and bleach
My kitchen tap is set into the wooden counter instead of the metal sink, so water has dripped into the wood around the tap and made it moldy.
I put some bleach on it and it did remove the mold in one ...
2
votes
1answer
107 views
How do I repair a burner on an electric stove that is on all the time even if turned off?
I have a free standing range electrical stove and one of the burners stays on all the time even if I turn it off.
Can someone give me some ideas on how to fix this?
3
votes
2answers
223 views
What type of wood should I use to resurface my table?
A club at uni has this great big old table. (about 1220mm by 2420mm).
The club in question is the gaming club, so pen and paper RPGs, card games, boardgames, warhammer. fairly rarely models are ...
1
vote
1answer
148 views
What is the life expectancy of a ratchet strap?
During my house move I used ratchet straps to secure a book-shelf on a roof of my car. That was well secured and worked out perfect. But the second time I have tried using the same straps, they did ...
2
votes
0answers
112 views
Why does my fluorescent lighting only work when it's not hot outside?
We have fluorescent lights in our kitchen and when it's over 75°F outside the lights turn on real dim like there might be a problem with the ballasts, but when the outside temperature drops the ...
5
votes
3answers
3k views
How can I repair a towel rack that was ripped out of the wall?
The towel rod has been ripped out of the wall. It looks like it was attached to the wall by two dry wall anchors which were not attached to the stud. Basically a very junky installation in my ...
1
vote
1answer
109 views
How do I repair my porcelain floor?
How can I repair chips in a white porcelain floor? The chips came from dropping heavy cans, and they are small, less than pencil eraser size.
2
votes
2answers
330 views
How can I repair scratches on door molding?
I live in an apartment with my cat. Through the use of a water bottle, I've gotten him to stop, but he's left quite a few deep scratches and gouges in the molding around some of the internal doors. ...
6
votes
1answer
412 views
Can I install drywall on the ceiling, without removing crown molding?
I'm in the process of replacing a failing plaster ceiling in my finished basement with drywall. I originally had intended only to scrape down the popcorn finish and have it skim coated, so I did not ...
3
votes
3answers
667 views
What do I need to do to fix my door hinge?
The door to my basement broke. The bottom hinge has three screws; the top and bottom one turn endlessly. You can see the pictures here.
I understand that there's a matchstick/toothpick trick, where ...
2
votes
4answers
550 views
Door replacement - will door still be solid after cutting?
I need to replace/repair a door in my rented apartment. During a rather rowdy party one of my guests managed to put a hole in my bathroom door.
I don't think that there is probably anyway to ...
0
votes
0answers
115 views
How to repair an exterior crack around a window in a concrete block house?
How do I repair a crack around my casement window in my Concrete Block Structure (CBS) home?
1
vote
3answers
143 views
Can I shave the bottom of a metal casement window to get it to close fully?
I have a Casement Window installed that, as the new building has begun to settle, now has to be forced closed. It is on the verge of breaking the crank off now because it is so difficult. While wood ...
1
vote
3answers
208 views
Should I be worried about this gap in electrical conduit?
Background
My project this weekend is to get my garage repowered so my tenant will be able to plug his car in during the winter months. When I bought my house it was recently renovated by house ...
6
votes
1answer
202 views
What is a quick and temporary fix for a cracked toilet waste pipe?
Somehow the porcelain waste pipe of the toilet has cracked and has started leaking. We're about to replace the whole bathroom so I just need a quick fix. Will wrapping the crack in duck tape work?
2
votes
2answers
470 views
Scratched the paint off the wall. How to proceed?
I accidentally scratched the paint from the wall, chipping it and exposing the white paint below. The wall is slightly yellow and "bumpy", so to say. The scratched area is the size of a coin. I have ...
2
votes
2answers
265 views
How can I repair peeling finish on a faucet handle?
I've got a faucet in my bathroom that has a bit of the finish peeling off after what appears to be some kind of oxidation has built up underneath it. I'd like some suggestions as to how to repair this ...
4
votes
5answers
678 views
How do I repair laminate damage on a kitchen cabinet?
We have a kitchen cabinet that we accidentally attached a calendar to using tape. When removing the tape the surface came right off with it. My question is how to best repair this damage? It ...
2
votes
2answers
491 views
How to repair latex paint on drywall in bathroom?
Within the two years we've lived in our house, the paint in our master bathroom has gone from glossy white to cracked and peeling in several spots. In addition to this, staple-shaped rust spots are ...
4
votes
2answers
611 views
How do I repair a broken wooden door jamb?
Is there a cheap and simple way to repair this damaged bedroom door jamb? The result should look nice, but need not be very strong.
Click any image for full size
