I can't do therapy. There must be other people who can't do therapy. What do these people do, when they get together, to fix their problems? What DIY, collaborative options are on the table, and how do I find them? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 11, 2009 - 31 answers

Can I plant a cedar hedge -- with the cedars lying down? [more inside]
posted by liquado on Jul 8, 2009 - 4 answers

Thinking of putting our bedroom window air conditioner in the wall... bad idea? [more inside]
posted by ecorrocio on May 19, 2009 - 23 answers

Help me help him . . . be a better boyfriend. Specifically, looking for book recommendations to help him understand his 'role' as boyfriend. [more inside]
posted by lblair on Apr 12, 2009 - 59 answers

What are some cheap or easy things I can do to improve my crummy road bike? [more inside]
posted by one_bean on Mar 29, 2009 - 28 answers

Is 40% off a kitchen renovation to be used in training videos and advertisements too good to be true? I'm looking to the hive to help me ask smart questions that will suss out a scam. [more inside]
posted by butterstick on Mar 16, 2009 - 16 answers

Anyone found an energy efficient and cost effective CFL track lighting system? LED possibly? [more inside]
posted by jeffmac on Mar 15, 2009 - 5 answers

My apartment has a ceiling sprinkler system and one of the heads that has descended slightly from the ceiling. Should i worry that the sprinkler head will go off? [more inside]
posted by slhpatterson on Jan 29, 2009 - 9 answers

how do I become smarter in making the best decision when facing a new situation for the first time? [more inside]
posted by thomasck on Jan 4, 2009 - 17 answers

How can I improve the quality / listenability of my speaking voice? (for podcasts, namely, but in general works too) [more inside]
posted by NikitaNikita on Oct 10, 2008 - 7 answers

Mrs Baggers and I have just bought a house, and one of the rooms has walls covered with this ugly, bumpy stucco like stuff (photo here). What's the best option for getting rid of it? Should we sand it down or try and cover it over?
posted by baggers on Aug 19, 2008 - 20 answers

What's the best to mount a 3'x6' sheet of plexiglass to my wall? [more inside]
posted by Geppp on Aug 17, 2008 - 9 answers

I've been feeling slow lately. How can I sharpen my mental powers? [more inside]
posted by decoherence on Jul 30, 2008 - 19 answers

We are moving to Woburn, MA and need helping finding a variety of services there. [more inside]
posted by JonahBlack on Jun 30, 2008 - 5 answers

Can you recommend a wholesaler to buy laminate flooring from in Southern California? [more inside]
posted by KimikoPi on Jun 15, 2008 - 1 answer

What Would You Do With 120 Days? [more inside]
posted by chrisalbon on May 12, 2008 - 20 answers

What set of power tools can I assemble that will allow me to build things out of wood and will store in a closet? [more inside]
posted by Foam Pants on Jan 22, 2008 - 23 answers

Help me think up ways to soup up my tricycle riding experience. [more inside]
posted by actionpact on Jan 21, 2008 - 28 answers

What are the core tech support skills needed to work in a school district and how can I improve those skills this weekend? [more inside]
posted by fenriq on Oct 27, 2007 - 5 answers

I need help installing my 5LNB dish for DirecTV service. [more inside]
posted by nickerbocker on Oct 3, 2007 - 9 answers

I am interested in self-defense classes. There are lots of methods and places to do this. The options are a little overwhelming and I know very little about the topic. Can somebody break it down and make some suggestions and/or recommendations that might be best suited for me? [more inside]
posted by iamkimiam on Aug 29, 2007 - 22 answers

How do I bargain with my landlord? [more inside]
posted by backseatpilot on Mar 13, 2007 - 13 answers

This is not about me mistakingly thinking material possessions = happiness. (I don't.) And it's not about me running up credit card debt because of impulse shopping. (I haven't.) This is about my competing urges: materialism and minimalism. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Mar 6, 2007 - 44 answers

What color should I paint a yoga/exercise studio? [more inside]
posted by mad_little_monkey on Feb 8, 2007 - 16 answers

Getting better in bed - how? NSFW inside... [more inside]
posted by Ultimate Sockpuppet the Second on Dec 31, 2006 - 19 answers

My significant other and I are having an ongoing arguement about leveling our 80 year-old house. [more inside]
posted by thebrokedown on Nov 26, 2006 - 17 answers

How to remove paint from parquet floors? [more inside]
posted by huskerdont on Nov 8, 2006 - 9 answers

I know, I know, light bulbs seem to fail in clusters, but I don't think this is to do with putting a bunch of lights in at the same time. This week for instance, I got up and turned on my kitchen lights (8 x 50w small spots) and one blew and tripped my Ground Floor Light fuse. A day later and I get home and turn on the same lights, another goes and trips the lights circuit again. Later in the week, another goes in my study. I replaced all the bulbs today. I turn them on, everything is fine, I go outside and turn on the porch/side lights (3 x 60w) and two of them blow. I nearly always have an inop light or two. My question is this : Is there an electrical fault which might explain this pattern of failure ? Thanks
posted by matholio on Oct 7, 2006 - 11 answers

Questions about 2nd coats. 1) DECK: Just stained deck two days ago with a semi-transparent latex deck stain ("Weatherbeater" brand). Unfortunately it dried a little unevenly, showing brush marks, so there are lighter and darker patches. Can I apply a second coat, or will that peal once the rain comes? 2) TUB: re-caulked around tub yesterday. Aesthetically it might look better if I could apply another layer of caulk to smooth out edges and make a little thicker (used white silicone bathroom stuff), but will the fresh caulk adhere properly to the 24-hour cured caulk? I had to scrape the bejesus out of the gap to get the old caulk out, and I don't want to risk the new caulk job failing.
posted by _sirmissalot_ on Oct 2, 2006 - 3 answers

Are there any easy and inexpensive solar kits for your home? Someone preferably DIY installable. (in the 500-1k range?) [more inside]
posted by mphuie on Aug 28, 2006 - 4 answers

Home Improvement Filter: I'm trying to decide on a new floorcovering and I need creative ideas for wall paint as well. [more inside]
posted by mezzanayne on Aug 10, 2006 - 4 answers

HelpMyWritingFilter: Am I overthinking or do I actually need these extra words of clarification when it comes to writing fiction? [more inside]
posted by Chorus on Jun 29, 2006 - 41 answers

The things I own end up owning me. Should I become a luddite? [more inside]
posted by 4ster on Jun 23, 2006 - 43 answers

Building a home office, and need help with lighting. [more inside]
posted by wolftrouble on Mar 20, 2006 - 7 answers

Is there a way I can improve my voice ? [more inside]
posted by inquisitive on Mar 6, 2006 - 17 answers

How do I remove my window sash lock? [more inside]
posted by thewiseacre on Feb 17, 2006 - 9 answers

How thick would a carbon steel plate have to be to roughly approximate the bending & deflection characteristics of 5/8" to 3/4" plywood? [more inside]
posted by true on Jan 19, 2006 - 6 answers

What are some usual (or unusual) home maintenance things/tips/hints that you do/use/follow periodically? Anybody have a link to a good list of these? [more inside]
posted by gwenzel on Nov 11, 2005 - 11 answers

I was at Lowe's looking at a storm door for the front of my house. Pella has this thing called Express Install. It shows a woman installing a storm door all by herself. Anyone have any experience with these Pella storm doors? [more inside]
posted by clearlynuts on Nov 7, 2005 - 6 answers

least visible/ugly power extension cords? [more inside]
posted by grafholic on Oct 11, 2005 - 10 answers

I'm working on a patio project at home, and I'm trying to calculate the square footage of an area that's in the shape of an irregular pentagram. It's about 19ft 6 inches long at it's base, and then has measurements of 70", 93", 43", and 16ft (192in). Is there a utility online I can use to calculate this area, or possibly a feature in Visio that I can use to do this with? Many thanks in advance for any time you take to post.
posted by DCTapeworm on Sep 1, 2005 - 4 answers

HomeImprovementFilter: I'm planning on having a basement room finished, and before I put the contractors to the time and expense of coming out for estimates, I want to know if the project will be something I can afford to do right now. [more inside]
posted by gwenzel on Aug 18, 2005 - 2 answers

How can I reduce highway noise from a window? [more inside]
posted by sicem07 on Aug 17, 2005 - 11 answers

HomeImprovementFilter. Also, RiskOfBrainDamageFromPaintFumesFilter. I am purchasing two unfinished wood bookcases, and plan to paint them a glossy red. However, they are so heavy that once I get them delivered (4th floor walkup) I'll need to paint them in my apartment. I'm afraid that painting them in the apartment might be dangerous, fume-wise. [more inside]
posted by foxy_hedgehog on Aug 13, 2005 - 13 answers

This weekend my husband and I are planning on re-doing the guest bathroom. The house is run-of-the-mill American wood-construction, built in 1985. The shower fixtures seem to be "original equiptment," as it were, and look bad enough that I'd like to replace them. The shower is fiberglass and there is no "acecss panel" to get to the inner workings of the shower. How do we replace the knobs, spigot, drain, and shower head/neck with the least hoopla?
posted by Medieval Maven on May 27, 2005 - 6 answers

Looking for input on finishing new interior replacement windows. [more inside]
posted by jalexei on May 20, 2005 - 1 answer

Old house, new to me, lots of quirks we're trying to fix. The old owner put clear contact paper on the garage windows, then painted the contact paper. He's been dead for fifteen years so this is old, tough glue. [more inside]
posted by pomegranate on May 5, 2005 - 15 answers

I used to consider myself a decent writer. It was one of those things that I did well. Over the last few years though I can hardly seem to link two cohesive sentences together. Those last few years also seem to coincide with my entrance into working on the web. Does anyone have any tips for learning how to write again? [more inside]
posted by trbrts on Dec 6, 2004 - 14 answers