When and how to replace wax ring on commode
Whether your plumbing system is copper or plastic, the parts are connected with rigid fittings that prevent leaks — except where you'd least expect it. At the base of a...
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Cutting through
It has no power cord, no battery, no charger, and you just push it back and forth by yourself? It may seem radical, or maybe primitive, with so many power...
Ready to ride out the next storm?
What do you miss most when a big storm all but paralyzes the area? Electricity has to be number one because so many parts of the home come to a...
Clamp down on wobbly chairs
Sit on them, tilt them, rock them and even if they're well-built, the legs on chairs and sometimes tables, too, get the wobbles. The shakiness is helped along as wood...
When your flue has the flu
Chimneys exhaust lethal combustion gases from household appliances like gas-fired water heaters, and from woodstoves and fireplaces. That's why chimneys are built with double walls, typically, an inner flue of...
When trickle-down economics just won’t do
One of the most therapeutic pleasures after a difficult day is a long, hot shower — what some conservationists might refer to as the water-wasting human car wash. You may...
The key to changing your door locks
A good door lock is an unusual combination of technology designed to make it difficult for anyone to get in — but easy for you. The mechanism must be complex...
A window into energy ratings
Whether you're buying windows for a new house or to replace some leaking clunkers past their prime, look beyond extravagant sales claims to a small label in the corner. It...
Squeezing the best results out of caulking projects
For most sealing and energy-efficiency projects around the house there are two basic kinds of caulk: silicone and latex. Both come in various types of containers, from toothpaste-size squeeze tubes...
Better lighting, no trouble
The dripping pipe or loose wire you need to fix might be out in the open with plenty of working room and plenty of light. Too often, though, it's in...