What treatments, if any, are available to a homeowner whose basement has been flooded with sewage? [more inside]
posted by Clambone on Nov 17, 2009 - 10 answers

Why is my sump pump bone dry? [more inside]
posted by Waldo Jeffers on Nov 13, 2009 - 5 answers

Got home from work, found my fridge is not working. Any troubleshooting I can do while waiting for the landlord? [more inside]
posted by lholladay on Nov 10, 2009 - 9 answers

I have a cast iron valve on a basement water (cold supply) line that is leaking. It's an antique so there is no repacking it and in a fairly inaccessible location so cutting it out and replacing it is bound to be an expensive nightmare involving a real. This valve is redundant and does not need to be functional. I was wondering if there is a product (I'm thinking a gooey oakum type thing) that I can wrap around the valve stem to form a seal? This will have to work in a wet environment as there is no way to turn the water off before the leaky valve.
posted by cedar on Oct 6, 2009 - 13 answers

How should I fix this Towel Bar that's coming off the wall in my bathroom? [more inside]
posted by Bokononist on Aug 5, 2009 - 13 answers

House help! What kind of metal; and how do I stop it from rusting? [more inside]
posted by SirStan on Aug 2, 2009 - 10 answers

I need some plumbing help with regards to a slow faucet. [more inside]
posted by backseatpilot on Jul 23, 2009 - 13 answers

Plumbing filter: When I'm running the shower, the cold water handle creeps up by itself until the water is tepid. How do I fix it? [more inside]
posted by cgs on Jun 25, 2009 - 4 answers

Leaking something in an upstairs bathroom leads to ceiling falling in. Now what? [more inside]
posted by anti social order on Jun 9, 2009 - 12 answers

Will our high water pressure work well with a low-flow shower head? [more inside]
posted by WowLookStars on Apr 18, 2009 - 6 answers

What can I use to intentionally stain a dark cultured marble countertop? [more inside]
posted by kgn2507 on Apr 8, 2009 - 4 answers

My hot water heater is leaking a very small amount of water. It looks like it only happens when hot water is used. Who do I call about this and how serious is this? [more inside]
posted by hazyspring on Apr 6, 2009 - 25 answers

No power to a specific receptacle in the house. Changing the receptacle doesn't work. Now what? [more inside]
posted by bitteroldman on Feb 21, 2009 - 12 answers

lI have a through-the-wal air conditioning unit. How do I stop the cold air outside from coming in through the cracks? [more inside]
posted by kmtiszen on Jan 27, 2009 - 8 answers

What can I do about my doorbell? [more inside]
posted by gleuschk on Oct 11, 2008 - 9 answers

Appliance Repair For Dummies Filter: Is there anything we can do to get our fridge to, y'know, refrigerate things? [more inside]
posted by grapefruitmoon on Sep 1, 2008 - 9 answers

What can we do to get out from under a lemon of a house? About 10 years ago, we bought a house that was a DIY fixer-upper with some serious issues. 10 years of graduate school poverty coupled with a couple of major illnesses that limited physical activity hindered our ability to make more than just the basic repairs. Now the house is even worse, and a new job has forced us to make an out-of-state move. [more inside]
posted by KirkJobSluder on Aug 25, 2008 - 12 answers

Green Construction Filter: What's the best way to fix my lead painted siding? [more inside]
posted by gofargogo on Jul 14, 2008 - 9 answers

The phone jack of myth and legend: I'm looking for "A 4-conductor jack with Type 43A mounting bracket attached." In white, not hideous horrible old school beige. [more inside]
posted by Teira on Jun 30, 2008 - 9 answers

Home Repair Filter: Does anyone know of a window repair contractor in Baltimore who'll do spiral sash balance repair? [more inside]
posted by kalessin on May 11, 2008 - 9 answers

What's the best home-repair / fixit manual for someone with little-to-no experience in such matters? Also, web sites and / or blogs in the same vein? [more inside]
posted by dersins on Apr 25, 2008 - 19 answers

Looks like leaking around the chimney - roofer says it is the chimney itself, what to do? [more inside]
posted by Salvatorparadise on Mar 6, 2008 - 6 answers

Best way to remove year old masking tape from plastic and glass? [more inside]
posted by bda1972 on Feb 9, 2008 - 13 answers

What electrical event killed my wife's laptop and printer? We connected the printer to the laptop and...fireworks! [more inside]
posted by ransom on Jan 24, 2008 - 7 answers

anyone have experience dealing with basement cracks? [more inside]
posted by Salvatorparadise on Jan 18, 2008 - 8 answers

Diplomacy Filter: How can I tell my aquaintence/contractor/fellow club member that he overcharged me for some home repairs. [more inside]
posted by Xurando on Sep 29, 2007 - 16 answers

So our garage door opener was randomly opening and I think I've solved it, but the real question is, how do I test it without leaving ourselves open to the world? [more inside]
posted by advicepig on Sep 5, 2007 - 13 answers

Please recommend a Seattle roofing company that would do a good job inspecting our residential roof and making minor repairs (cleaning off moss, adding zinc strip, etc).
posted by reeddavid on Aug 30, 2007 - 1 answer

The movers put a big gouge in my living room ceiling. This is sad and annoying, but leads to a burning question: what the hell kind of ceiling do I have? [more inside]
posted by gleuschk on Aug 24, 2007 - 4 answers

How bad is my roof? [more inside]
posted by Salvatorparadise on Aug 20, 2007 - 15 answers

How should I treat burn marks in a bathroom laminate counter top so that my corporate landlord doesn't ding me? Any advice before I start into it with sandpaper, chisels and paint? [more inside]
posted by GPF on Aug 8, 2007 - 15 answers

How to fix acoustic ceiling panels and their light fixtures. Our low basement ceiling (maybe 6' high) is a frequent casualty of college parties and the drunken men that attend them. Panels are knocked out and two fixtures have fallen. What to do? [more inside]
posted by schroedinger on May 15, 2007 - 2 answers

Noob house owner: The water heater is now only putting out lukewarm water, not hot. [more inside]
posted by The Behatted Wild Man of Greenfield on Apr 19, 2007 - 19 answers

My wife and I put in an offer on a house for $187,000, which was accepted by the sellers. However, the inspector found a major problem that will cost about $22,000 to fix. What's a fair counter-offer given this problem? [more inside]
posted by jay_wiese on Feb 14, 2007 - 30 answers

So, I just skewered my refrigerator. The buildup of ice in the freezer was so awful I had to use something sharp to chip it away. Imagine my surprise when a small eruption sprays white, chemical-smelling gas at me! [more inside]
posted by conch soup on Jan 1, 2007 - 26 answers

Is this house worth pursuing? [more inside]
posted by COBRA! on Sep 20, 2006 - 24 answers

Homerepairfilter: a light bulb blows out. The glass and metal part separate. How do I get the metal part out so I can replace the bulb? [more inside]
posted by Famous on Jun 6, 2006 - 21 answers

How do I dry hardwood flooring? [more inside]
posted by phyrewerx on May 22, 2006 - 4 answers

If I wanted to hang something heavy from a rafter, how should I do it? [more inside]
posted by spacewrench on May 22, 2006 - 14 answers

General home painting. Best website for how-to? [more inside]
posted by Dennis Murphy on Apr 17, 2006 - 4 answers

Can I plug my dryer into this outlet meant for an electric range? [images inside] [more inside]
posted by FearTormento on Dec 7, 2005 - 22 answers

Something has been nibbling on the window sashes in my attic. Do you know what it is?
posted by alms on Oct 29, 2005 - 16 answers

Building a stone wall: crushed stone foundation necessary? [more inside]
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Oct 17, 2005 - 12 answers

Why don't string trimmers use wire instead of plastic? My guess is that with wire in there, it's like a surburban guy in shorts and flipflops walking around the yard waving around a little tablesaw, but is it really that much more dangerous than plastic if it should strike flesh? You're pretty much flayed either way, right? Is it a safety issue or something else?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Aug 27, 2005 - 11 answers

Question on dehumidifying your basement, actually my basement, specifically re: getting rid of the water. [more inside]
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Aug 13, 2005 - 13 answers

Restaining a wooden fence... [more inside]
posted by entropy on Aug 11, 2005 - 5 answers

Where can I find good electricians, plumbers, handymen, and whatnot in Baltimore? Is there a centralized resource where people can find out who's good, who's cheap, whose repair work is going to need repairing by another contractor, etc etc? Must one rely on word-of-mouth or blindly picking a name from the phonebook?
posted by schroedinger on Aug 8, 2005 - 4 answers

Currently in the middle of a major deck renovation and a question occurs to me: is there a better way to remove the old joist brackets? [more inside]
posted by yerfatma on Jun 13, 2005 - 8 answers

RenovationFilter: We just bought an old library out on the great plains. Yes, library. But that's not the point. It's a wonderful, hundred-year-old brick building. The floors are beautiful, straight-grained, old-growth fir. Unfortunately.... [more inside]
posted by dersins on Jun 10, 2005 - 27 answers

My tub was/is moldy. Out of frustration over smell and look, I decided tonight to take care of it and destroy the offending mold for the 90th time. I've had really bad luck with caulk in the past and I don't think I'm up to spending another 6 hours thoroughly cleaning it when the caulk I've been using fails again. What are your recommendations? Both for caulk types and caulking tips? [more inside]
posted by tozturk on May 24, 2005 - 10 answers