03.18.2008 | 7:52 am | Plumbing
A frozen pipe isn’t itself a problem. After all, copper pipes can get to temperatures far below the freezing point of water without cracking. But too often it is accompanied by an ice blockage inside the pipe. That can lead to a pressure build up that ultimately bursts the pipe. Not only do you lose the ability to get water from the faucet, but now have the larger problem of clean up and repair.
In many homes, the odds of a burst pipe in winter from low temperatures are very low. But others have exposed pipes in crawlspaces or elsewhere. It takes only a modest opening around the base of the house to let in winds that can chill pipes to sub-freezing temperatures.
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03.18.2008 | 5:07 am | Bathrooms
Toilet repairs run the gamut. It can be as extensive as a complete replacement or as simple as replacing a broken flush handle. All of them are well within the ability of the average do-it-yourselfer.
Leaks around the base are usually a sign that the toilet will have to be replaced. In some cases, it’s a simple tear in the wax paper that was used to seal the hole in the floor. Sometimes a kind of grease is used instead and it can dry out or acquire a hole. In those cases, the old toilet can be re-used but the steps for repair are the same as installing a new toilet.
Other problems are much more common.
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03.17.2008 | 5:04 am | Lighting
Garage lighting often gets little attention. An incandescent bulb or two, maybe a fluorescent fixture and it’s considered finished. But a garage can have many uses and lighting is often poorly designed for most of them.
Even such a simple act as parking the car and walking into the house can be compromised by poor lighting design. Bumping into low shelves, tripping over toys and many other common garage accidents could be avoided with proper lighting.
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03.14.2008 | 5:01 am | Painting - Interior
A primer is a paint or coating applied directly to a surface to serve as an undercoat for other paints. In principle, any paint could be used as primer, but specially prepared compounds typically do the job much better.
Many surfaces aren’t quite ready to serve as the base for a single coat of oil-based or latex paint. They may soak up too much paint, or be uneven. They may be discolored. They may have chemical or physical properties that make applying a single, even coat nearly impossible.
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