Q: What’s the best way to shorten two wooden doors as part of a laminate floor job I’m planning? I need advice for marking and cutting the bottom of these doors accurately. A: This job is actually trickier than it […]
Continue ReadingHOW TO FIX YOUR OWN BACKED-UP SEPTIC SYSTEM
UPDATED 12Jul2019: If you rely on a septic system, or if your septic system is currently showing signs of failure, you’ve come to the right place. You don’t necessarily need a whole new system. In fact, you probably don’t. This post […]
Continue ReadingLAMINATE FLOORING GAPS: A Simple Way to Fix Them
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, makes a suggestion for how homeowners can make DIY repairs to gaps in their laminate flooring.
Continue ReadingNEW WINDOWS: Will They Reduce Street Noise & Condensation?
Q: We bought our home in 1995, when it was 2 1/2 years old, and the windows have not been changed since then. The original crank-style wood-frame windows seem to be letting more street noise into the house than before. […]
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Q&A: How Can I Fix the Cracked Parging on My Foundation Wall?
Q: What’s the best way to fix the cracked parging on my house foundation? I live in a 13-year-old brick bungalow, with about 6 feet of parged concrete block foundation visible above ground. Over the years this parging has become […]
Continue ReadingHOW TO BUY A HOUSE: Four Simple But Important Tech Issues to Look At
What makes a good house to buy? It’s a question that not enough people ask themselves properly, especially as they’re dealing with the fact that buying a house is usually a lot of work. You’ll often have to wade through […]
Continue ReadingVIDEO Q&A: How Do I Insulate a Cathedral Ceiling?
One of my readers, a man named Donald from southern Quebec, emailed me about his plans for solving an ongoing problem with poor cathedral ceiling performance. Cathedral ceilings are often insulated poorly, resulting in energy loss, condensation in winter, and ice […]
Continue ReadingQ&A: What’s the Best Way to Paint My Rusty Metal Railing?
Q: How can I paint the rusty steel railing that goes across the front of my property? I want the results to lasts. A: If the rust is just cosmetic (and it almost always is with outdoor iron or steel […]
Continue ReadingQ&A of the Week: How’s SeptiCleanse septic system treatment working out for you?
Q: I’m writing to ask for the follow-up to a Toronto Star column you wrote a number of years ago regarding a septic system product called SeptiCleanse. Does this product continue to work well for you? I’ve got a septic system […]
Continue ReadingQ&A: How Can I Make 30-Year Old Aluminum Siding Look Better?
Q: The aluminum siding on my house has growths on it and the paint seems to be rubbing off. Other than this the siding is in good shape. What can I do to make it look better? A: Painting is […]
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