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I met with a gutter specialist to repair my copper gutters. He showed me his liability insurance, but he doesn’t have workmen’s comp. Should I definitely not hire him because of this?

The frame on one of my exterior doors has rotted in two corners. The door is fine. Is it always necessary to replace the door and frame together? Would doing so be less labor than just the frame? Also, any suggestions for a replacement door and needed? Anything decent under $500? Thank you for...

My house has a few corners where I need to fix rotten clapboards and trim. Whatever qualities a skilled carpenter has, I am the exact opposite. How do I saw and remove these boards with some precision? I’ve tried a reciprocating saw and a keyhole saw. Neither worked well. Would an oscillating...

My two story Colonial needs a new roof. Asphalt shingles. I don’t know anyone who can recommend a roofer. What should I look for and what questions should I ask? Since I don’t plan to stay in the house more than another 20 years if that, what’s good, better and best in terms of cost and...

Our kitchen sink stopped draining. No amount of lye, Draino, etc. helped. When we unhooked things underneath, we saw nothing so followed the line to the basement. I unscrewed a small round plug on the side of the pvc pipe and a gusher of dirty water fell out. After reconnecting it and replacing...

Getting ready to finally paint the north side of my house. I’m only spot priming bad areas and top coating everything. What’s the consensus on the best primer to use for rough, uneven surfaces that are prone to mildew? I’m thinking of California Paint’s Trouble Shooter or Zinsser Bulls Eye...

Are the paints that are supposedly combined with primer a joke, or do they really work? To me, applying a separate coat of primer is necessary before the topcoat. I can’t see how a combined product would work. Do professional painters use these types of paints? It just seems like a gimmick...

The north side of my house has quite a few spots that need repainting. But overall, it looks pretty good. I really don't want to take every inch of clapboard down to bare wood. This is my plan: - Scrape and wire brush off only areas with loose or peeling paint. - Sand entire surface enough so...

I have a used Ridgid power drill and the chuck barely turns. The spindles that hold and release the drill bits are wide open and don’t budge. I’ve tried unscrewing the chuck from the drill, but it was impossible. Suggestions greatly appreciated.

I need to cut some sections of door and window frames that have rotted. I’m definitely not a carpenter or even very handy. I’m looking for a good oscillating tool under $150. “Good” includes accepts universal blades, easy to change accessories, low to reasonable noise/vibration, adequate power...

I need to replace a leaky silcock, but it doesn’t come out when I unscrewed it. Looking in from the outside wall I see a copper pipe the silcock is attached to. What do I need to do to remove it? I am completely un handy. Is cutting and soldering pipe pretty easy? Thank you.

It’s time once again to repaint one or more sides of my house. I’ve done it before and know that if you don’t go through living h*ll of good prep, you may as well burn your money. In the past I’ve used a Makita disc sander to strip the clapboards to bare wood. But I’m no expert and I leave...

I’m certain that the vent in my dryer desperately needs cleaning, but I think I can only approach it from the dryer side in the house. What’s the best apparatus or tool to use? Thanks.

I need a dehumidifier in my basement asap, along with a condensate pump. Outlets are scarce and I’d have to connect via an extension cord, 15 or 25 feet. I know that manufacturers say don’t hook dehumidifiers to an extension cord, but I have no choice. The unit draws about 4.8 amps. Would a 12...

Part of the wood that frames my side door is rotten. The rotted section is small; about four inches wide, five high and half inch thick. It's part of one vertical piece. I'm experienced at removing, treating and repairing rotten wood, but for this I'd like to remove and replace the affected...

One of our doors has a significant amount of wood rot on the outside lower panel (about seven or eight inches high). I first want to try removing the rot, stabilizing the rotted area and filling it in with wood epoxy. If it looks awful, then I'll think about buying a new door. I'm almost...

I've busted my butt scraping a side of my house down to the wood, sprayed it for mildew and am ready to prime and paint. I have always used a top quality primer as a base, but I know that Sherwin Williams' Duration and Valspar Duramax claim to be able to prime the wood. I would dearly love to...