Keith D asks? I bought new doorknobs to install in my older home, but the existing holes are too small for the new locks & there is no wood to engage the pilot bit of my hole saw. How do I enlarge the holes? Keith, there are 2 ways you can ... [Read More]

George B asks, Last year I poured an 8 inch thick concrete retaining wall on thick footings at the frost line with plenty of rebar. We poured the wall in a single pour & used a vibrator to settle it, the temperature that day was around 100 degrees F. Now ... [Read More]

Charles T asks, I am going to make custom casing for a traditional wood front door & do not want to use synthetic material. I can use more expensive material in this small area, but don't want to use teak. Which wood resists rot & holds paint well. Teak doesn't paint ... [Read More]

Billy S says,  We were originally going to have a vinyl floor in our addition, but have decided to go with 3/4" hardwood, the stairs have already been installed & the change in flooring means that the first step will now be 3/4" shorter than the rest of the steps. ... [Read More]

Joyce M asks, How often should I change my air conditioners filter?   Are the return air vents in your house covered with dirt? If so, you’re not cleaning or replacing your filter often enough! You should replace or clean the filter once a month. With forced air furnace systems, air recycling ... [Read More]

Richard Tramill wrote: I bought a new house in 2004 and have had trouble with the floors creaking and popping. The builder came no less than 4 times during the 1st year to make repairs. 4yrs later i'm still having the same trouble only worse. I know this can't be normal. What do I ... [Read More]

Mike S says, I just moved into a house & one outlet didn't work. I used my tester & none of the lights came on. It's not a switched outlet & it looks like it is hooked up right (black & white wires going to the right places) So everyone knows what ... [Read More]

Dean S asks, I have R-19 batt insulation between the floor joists in my crawlspace. Is there anything else I can do, like installing rigid foam over tha batts, to keep out the cold?  It is usually better to spend your money insulating the crawlspace walls, sills, & rim joist. You can ... [Read More]

John L asks, "Is there any benefit to installing a GFCI outlet to an older circuit that has no ground wire?"  A GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) reduces the risk of electrocution by constantly measuring & comparing the current coming in on the hot wire with the current going out on the neutral. ... [Read More]

K-IntheHouse Says: February 4th, 2008 at 2:09 pm Welcome to blogging! I am a fairly new home owner (<1 year) and have bookmarked your site as I often have questions circling my head about various things in my home and now I have a place to air those! At the moment though, ... [Read More]