Ask A Home Inspector

How To Fix A Squeaky Door

Sunday, May 24th, 2009

One of the biggest questions that DIYer's ask is how to fix a squeaky door. A person could go down and buy a new door and/or hinges, but this could end up costing a lot of money. There are several methods to getting rid of those squeaks and ... Continue reading.

How To Fix A Crack In The Ceiling

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

When you live in a house for awhile, you may begin to notice cracks forming in your ceilings. These can happen for a number of reasons, from the fact that the house is settling and the frame has moved, to the types of materials used in the construction of ... Continue reading.

How To Replace A Broken Tile

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

You don't have to hire a contractor to repair or replace broken tiles in your home. It's actually very basic and something you can do on your own. Most of the tools required for the job are probably tools you already have around the house. Here are ... Continue reading.

De-Winterizing Question

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Chaney B says, I am about to head over to the home we are buying to clean. It has already been de-winterized once for the inspection, but was re-winterized to wait for closing. I was told and have read on your page online to just run the water and it ... Continue reading.

Mortar Joints Failing

Saturday, August 9th, 2008

Roberta H writes, I have been living in my new home for some time now & have been asking for the contractor to clean the brick because it is obvious that they never were. Well, last week they finally sent someone to clean the brick with a pressure washer & ... Continue reading.

Lukewarm Shower Water

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

Dan H writes: We recently moved into a new home & although the showers get warm enough for me to take a shower, my wife would like to be able to take a "hot" shower or bath. The water at the bathroom & kitchen faucets is considerably hotter, what would ... Continue reading.

Rusty Hot Water

Monday, May 19th, 2008

Ben D asks, We had a hot water recirculating system installed recently & now we are having rusty looking water on the hot side. Do you have any idea of what would be causing this? It sounds like someone installed a recirculating pump meant for a hydronic heating system instead of ... Continue reading.

“Crackly” Sound In Laminate Flooring

Sunday, May 18th, 2008

Rhonda L writes: My laminate floor suddenly started making a "crackly" sound when we walk on it. The only things we can think that caused it are using too much cleaner, (our housekeeper may have used something other than the made-for-laminate cleaner), the temperature got very hot outside (but our home inside is not ... Continue reading.

Bathtub Surround Preparation

Saturday, April 26th, 2008

Donnie J says, my bathroom is gutted to the studs, & I'll be tiling the bathtub surround. Should I drywall this area & then put up cement backer-board, or dose the backerboard go directly over the studs? Do I need felt paper? Don't put up drywall under the backerboard. I am ... Continue reading.

Polarity Matters

Thursday, April 10th, 2008

Mike L writes, On old fashioned lamp plugs, both prongs on the plug are the same size & the lamp works any way you plug it in. On new plugs the prongs are different sizes. I've been told this is to keep the polarity constant. What is polarity & why ... Continue reading.