Diana Strzalka

Q. We're not getting enough hot water to fill the tub for a warm bath. Should we replace our 50-gallon hot water heater? Danile Herold, Glen Ellyn A. A 40-...

Q. I used our turkey fryer on our cement sidewalk, and you probably can guess the rest. What a mess. Tried a couple of cleaners, but they didn't work. Any...

Q. An awful smell is coming from my wash machine after we wash clothes, but the clothes do not smell. What could be causing this? Scott Kravitz, Buffalo Grove A....

Q. I just moved into a house that was rehabbed about 15 years ago. At the time, all the windows were replaced with wooden-frame windows. Overall, the windows appear to...

Q. How can I temporarily remove the paneling off my basement walls without damaging them? The nails are in the vertical grooves of the panels. I can't find anything to...

Q. I live in a six-unit condo building. Three exterior sides are cinder block and the front exterior is brick. We had a contractor tuckpoint the entire building and he...

Q. I've had vinyl windows in my home since 1983. Three windows, however, have to be held open with wooden blocks because the device that replaces the old rope pulley...

Q. We need your advice on the repair of drywall cracks. We have cracks at the top corners of our bedroom/bathroom doorway. The cracks run upward toward the ceiling at...

Q. I want to install a tile backsplash behind my kitchen sink. The problem is, however, the laminate countertop seems to be separating from the wall. There is a tiny...

Q. I lit a candle that melted through the aluminum foil I placed under it, burning a 1/4-inch hole in the Formica countertop. It goes to the undersurface and the...