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    Garage door opener replacement issues

    My 25 year old chain drive unit died. A gear inside completely sheared in half so without an unavailable 25 year old replacement part, it's a write-off. I was hoping to re-use the existing mounting brackets, and even the existing rail if possible. The existing rail is a single metal "T"...
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    Applying silicone - how I should do it better next time.

    Ok, on my "Where is my Leak" thread I eventually determined that the leak in my shower was the grab bar, which had cracks in the weld. However, if my silicone application had been right, it never would have been a problem. So I figured a separate thread about how to get a good seal with...
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    Toilet tank bolts (getting them watertight)

    I've got toilets that have 3 bolts for the tank. I think this is an older design. The bolts don't have a washer or nut between the tank and the base. There is only the one nut, so the base and the tank are squeezed together by the same force holding the bolt against the rubber washer inside...
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    How to fasten plywood underlayment, where it goes under the toe kick of an existing cabinet?

    I'm fastening down a good quality (solid core) plywood underlayment for linoleum. I'm using nails along joists and mostly screws otherwise. I'm probably using more fasteners than strictly necessary, and it feels really solid. But I can't get fasteners closer than about 4.25 inches to the edge...
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    Where is my leak?

    I've got a new shower. It's a solid surface (so, like Corian, half an inch thick). The solid surface walls come down inside a flange on the solid pan (and then it's sealed there with silicone). I'm getting a small amount of leakage that seems to be coming from the back of that flange. I...
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    Removing silicon caulk?

    Not sure if this is a plumbing question, a flooring question or what, but it's definitely a bathroom question. I've torn out the old vinyl on particle board floor in a bathroom and am laying a plywood underlayment for Marmoleum. Some of the old silicon caulk is still adhering to the side of...
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    Best adhesive for mirror to plain hollow core door?

    I just picked up a full length mirror suitable for mounting on a door. Plain glass, beveled edge, no frame. It *feels* like 40 pounds but maybe it's just awkward and really only weighs 25. I could check if it matters. It came with clips that could be mounted in hollow door anchors, but it...
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    What tool should I buy?

    I need to make a "toe kick cut", actually a few of them. I'm not going to buy a dedicated toe kick saw though. (I'm cutting half-inch particle board underlayment away from cabinets that also sit on the underlayment.) I understand the sensible purchase is an oscillating multitool with a flush...
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    Mansfield toilet mechanism leaks, but new seal doesn't fix

    My house has toilets with a common Mansfield mechanism. There's a white plastic tower that is lifted by a lever from the handle, that dumps water into the bowl, then the moving part of the tower falls back down to the circular seal and the flow stops. I've had (many, over the years) seals...
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    Replace smoke detectors - same model or something new?

    We have six smoke detectors in our house - all Kidde Lifesaver 1275 (ionization). Those have a connector to a hardwire power source, and a 9V battery backup. Over the years, the batteries went on all of them and I just never put new batteries in, or put them back on the ceiling. (Usually...
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    Sump (Waste) Pit cover replacement

    I've got a waste ejection pump that serves the bathroom in my basement. The concept is pretty much identical to a sump pump, except for the possibility of excrement. This means that the lid should be sealed and connected to the vent stack (which it is/was). Ok, so what happened is the pump...
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    HVAC installer never connected the condensate pump's safety/overflow switch to the AC unit.

    So, my understanding is that if the condensate pump fails and fills up, this switch should tell the AC to stop running. How critical is this? It seems like all that would happen is the pump reservoir would overflow, but it's possible that water could get into something important. There is a...
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    What preparation is needed for a solid surface (e.g. Corian) shower?

    This guy https://extremehowto.com/install-a-solid-surface-shower-pan/ shows a solid surface shower pan going into a space straight onto the subfloor, and bare studs. But I was talking to a design consultant with DIY experience who strongly suggested cement board or greenboard over the studs...
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    Clothes Dryer (electric) stopped running/turning

    Ok, got a nearly 20y old GE dryer here. Worked fine for a long time. I replaced the heating element once. Today it started making weird noises like it was running fast and then it stopped. Trying to start it makes that noise that electric motors make when they don't have enough juice to turn...
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    Used tools - how to evaluate?

    I'm going to be tiling my bathroom floor. The two power tools I'll need that I don't have are a (wet) tile saw and whatever is the right kind of nail gun to put the floor molding back - so something that shoots drywall nails. Lots of people buy tools for a job or two and then sell them -...
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    CFLs affect each other on same circuit?

    Modern compact flourescents seem pretty good about getting to full brightness fast. The 100w and 60w (equivalent) spiral ones I've bought this year seem to be pretty much instant on. But I also bought a bunch of 65w equivalent spotlights for recessed lighting and put those in for all 5 of...
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    Drywall repair questions

    This is sortof a sequel to my "Drill up inside wall" question from a few days back. I got the cable pulled, but it was a difficult job due to the owner-unfriendly way the attic was constructed. We had to make three 4" diameter hole-saw holes in the ceiling to fish the cables where they had to...
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    Cable TV wall jacks. Termination required?

    I got my cable pulled, so I've got RG6 for cable and Cat5e for internet. The Cat5e is already outfitted with RJ-45 jacks (to fit Keystone wall plates) but the RG6 has ordinary "male" fittings, so I need to get Keystone F Inserts for those, then I'm all set to snap them into wallplates. My...
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    Do I need a new tool?

    I need to cut a rectangle out of chipboard that's in a very awkward location. A total of maybe 4 feet of linear cutting. Would the standard spiral cutting bit on a Dremel do the job, or is chipboard too heavy? I'd rather not have to buy a jigsaw and work with it in this awkward location.
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    Drill up, inside wall with least damage to wall?

    I'm trying to run some coax cable from a splitter in the attic (accessible) to a room on the other side of the house. Normally one would just worm over to the top of the appropriate wall, drill a hold in that 2x4, drop the cable down and be all ready to hook it up to a wall plate. But in my...
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