Maintenance and Repair - Page 24 of 42

Q: The toilet in the bathroom on the second floor of our new home frequently surges, and the tank refills without being flushed. We’ve replaced the float mechanism twice already but…

I think the best ideas are discovered by accident. I was removing an organizer insert inside a drawer recently with my cordless drill. The drill was just small enough to…

An earthy alternative to the cold, austere look of marble, limestone is easy to work with and maintain.

Homeowners rarely see their chimney caps, and few people have ever called me to repair them. But when I'm asked to inspect a roof or an attic, I generally find myself looking down at the top of the chimney.

Steel bracing and improved drainage give new life to cracked and wet walls.

Q: I’d just done my first plastic-laminate countertop. When I thought I’d finished, someone pointed out that there was an air pocket under the laminate. Why do these air pockets…

My local auto-parts store sells a 6-in. dia. metal dish that has become part of my carpentry-tool library. Its distinguishing feature is a magnetic base, thoughtfully coated with a nonmarring…

I own a Victorian house that needed some exterior trim repaired. One detail that was in an especially sad state was the 12-in. wide fascia that runs under the roof…

Q: A lot of homes in the coastal area of Cape Cod Bay were built with strange, inadequate roof systems. The steeply pitched roofs are insulated only with 1-in. foam over…

During the winter months, I usually renovate basements. When I'm drywalling and painting, I can't wash my tools and brushes with the garden hose because it's so cold outside. If…