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That's a hard argument to break...getting to rent a jackhammer.

I have a standard 10 x 10 concrete slab patio. It's settled, the concrete step has majorly sloped, and the wooden steps leading to the sun porch are about to fall apart. I want to cover it over with a nice deck that expands the total porch area of my back yard, wraps around my sun porch, and...

What about refurbished drills? Any reason to stay away from them?

That's what I did. You COULD just wrap them in tape, but then you're counting on the tape to stay on over time and that's a risk I wouldn't take compared to a $.05 wire nut. Twist a small one on each wire, then wrap it in electrical tape so it's secure. Then still move them far apart. In can...

Not really as JUST a screwdriver. I do a lot of projects. The Craftsman just doesn't have the torque I want, the speed I want, or the battery life. The battery takes a while to charge (2-3 hours) and dies quickly if left in the drill. It doesn't perform well in cold weather. I plan on doing a...

Be careful! The warm air from the basement will cause significant condensation when it hits our lovely -20º January days. There's probably a reason it wasn't vented. A can of air-freshener is a much cheaper option.

A good friend of mine once told me to wait a year before making any changes to your house. I've followed that advice twice and was glad I did. This gives you a chance to get a feel for your lighting, your reflections, and your problem areas. It also allows all the problems your seller covered up...

Cap them and then put electrical tape around the cap. Those things can pop off over time, leaving you with an exposed live wire.

Funny...I watched a lot of those shows on the DIY channel where they expect us to believe that a buyer will pay $10k more for a house with a fresh coat of paint. In my experience, your buyers will probably re-paint in a year to make the house theirs. What they want to see is a house that is...

I'm in the market for a new one. I currently use a Craftsman 18v but it's a few years old and the batteries aren't holding their charge as long as they used to. I'm also noticing that I'm losing the torque I need. I would say that I'm becoming a mid-level skilled DIY guy. My recent project is...

I have a duplex switch (that I just replaced) with a 3-way on one side and a single on the other. For some reason, since the replacement the 3 way isn't turning off. Is it more likely that the Commun (hot) is on the wrong side? Looking for a good answer before I keep trying new wiring patterns.

OK, so I'm going to quickly prove that I'm not an electrician. I was told that the Leviton switch for my light / disposal was obsolete and finding a plate would be difficult, so I opted to replace it. I turned off the power, put in the toggle, then turned the power back on and flipped the...

I have a 30 year old house that was never wired for TV so my dish has cables running along the sides of my house and in through holes drilled through the house. I'm interested in finding out how much I could expect to pay to have a 2 story, 4 bedroom house wired for TV and internet. Anyone...

I'm no expert, but unless you're screwing directly into a stud you're going to have problems and may ruin your wall. Also, the door most likely won't fit the port so you'll end up with an ugly entrance. Have you thought about a curtain? Saloon doors?

The batteries for my Craftsman tools seem to be losing their power and not holding a charge. Do I need to buy new Craftsman brand batteries or is there a cheaper generic that I can use?

+1 on calling an electrician. While single-phase is generally pretty harmful, 50 amp 2 phase will kill you and possibly start a fire on your corpse. By simply posting this question you've already pre-qualified yourself as "not an electrician".

So as I'm working on my bathroom I've noticed something: places that sell fixtures all seemed fixed on the concept of the 200-300 square foot bathroom. Try to find any place showcasing a small half-bath idea. I can show you several bathroom showcases with a fireplace, claw-foot tub in the center...

What kind of store doesn't know the price their neighbor is selling the same product?

No thanks. Why hide your joints? Just smoke them in the garage like everyone else.

I can't imagine anyone caring about a car alarm. However, if it could be programmed to shreik the F word loudly, someone would at least call and complain thus sending the cops over.