Tip of the Week

Maintaining gutters and downspouts is one of the most often overlooked jobs around the house. It is also one of the most important, since clogged or leaking gutters can quickly lead to rotten fascia boards, peeling paint, or worse. Check out How to Clean and Repair Gutters for tips.

Hour 1

Geri in TX
I live in Texas our air conditioner unit is in the attic. The emergency runoff drips outside along an outside wall, but it runs constantly. How can I check the regular run off to make sure it’s not clogged and where is it?

Nelson in MO
My contractor told me he would fill 1/4-inch gaps between 3- to 7-inch patio pavers, but now he is using Portland cement and telling me he will put some Paver Link on top of that. In reality we know what he’s doing. I can actually live with this if it isn’t a problem. I do plan to use a power washer every few years. I would really appreciate some help here.

Judy in NM
It’s really dry here and I have a beautiful wood door that faces north. I’ve neglected it and now it has some cracks in it. Can I fill those? And what can I put on the door to protect it?

Trey in AL
I had a leak in my house and pulled up the carpet to let the floor dry out. Do I need to pull up my linoleum too?

Teresa in GA
We are in process of building shop and I wanted a foldaway attic ladder and it is the largest width we could find. Only problem with it now is that the shop has 10 ft ceiling and I can’t reach ladder to bring down and was wondering if you have any suggestions that I could put on it to have it automatically come down on its own with a button need to know we are in the stage of putting in wiring if we need to put in some wiring before insulation goes in.

Angela in AL
I have recently moved into my grandmother’s old house. It sat empty for about 10 years. The vinyl floor in the kitchen is rolling up around the edges, but it is glued down in the center pretty well. I would like to DIY a wood floor out of 1x4s. Can I lay the wood over the tile, and if not, why?

Stacey in OK
We have pulled tiles off of a wooden floor. Can you tell me how to get the sticky off the wood?

Sue in NY
When I turn on either hot or cold water faucet I hear a clunking noise. Only happens in the kitchen, not bathroom.

Hour 2

Ray in MI
I have a home about 50 years old, and I’m thinking of replacing the windows. We have companies wanting to sell vinyl or fiberglass. One outfit advertises you can stand on their fiberglass, unlike the vinyl, without causing them bend or break. My question is that I don’t plan on walking on my windows, so is the price (two to three times as much) worth the extra money?

Lynn in TX
My house was built in 1929 and it has all wood floors. My problem is that my floors are not solid, they move up and down when you walk over them. What do I need to do to stop this movement?

Joy in NC
I have installed a vinyl privacy fence on the side of my home. Now I am wanting to fence in the back of the lot for privacy as well. At the end of my lot is this big ugly green power box along with smaller boxes for phone company and internet purposes. I have checked with Lowes, and the fence can come all the way down but must stop so many feet within the power box. I understand. But this means my lot is not enclosed should I ever decide to sell. How do I solve this problem?

John in NH
I noticed there’s no caulking around my chimney. It’s a block chimney with vinyl siding. There seems to be no caulking in the j-channel or around the cement blocking. Why would this be?

Nancy in AL
Fridge water line leaked under wall and soaked wood floor slowly over long time before we noticed it. The floor is stained. How can we fix it?

Gayle Fowler in KY
How do we replace the foundation vents without going under the house?

Editorial Contributors
avatar for Danny Lipford

Danny Lipford

Founder

Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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