Homeowner Forum / Repair / September 2008

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During Hurricane Gustav we started experiencing puddles of water forming
under the carpet. This has happened before during a hurricane about 10
years ago.The water seemed to be coming out of nowhere. It wasnt starting

I discovered a nasty case of dry rot in the sill that rides on my
foundation.  Luckily, it looks like I caught it just in time, the floor
joists are still level and the sill isn't totally shot.
So, I thoroughly wet it down with a garden hose until I have most of the

Why am I posting this here (of all places)?
1: when I get real sick (someday), I might well be in
  final bed at home, and sorely needing some repairs.
  Maybe even "alternate" type repairs!

We have a Tappan gas range with self cleaning oven which works on a timed
cycle.  Having a wall clock, a clock on the
microwave, clock on the coffee pot, and wrist watches, we don't pay a lot of
attention to the stove clock.

Can anyone help with this. Water is seeping into the house we just
bought. There is no sign of visible water on the ceiling or wall area.
No window or door on the wall. It comes in on the floor area under the
base boards every time there is a hard rain. This is a wood frame

A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the
washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to
continuous pressure.
A. Is that true?

I found that for our main bedroom door, the problem is that the door
that the latch resides in, is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the
strike &
doorjamb. (not sure if the door shrunk over time or what). About an

I can't find any Kool Seal paint for my mobile home roof. No one will
even special order it for me in my small SW city, including Lowes. True
Value hardware, who used to carry it, told me to use Henry Solarflex 287
SF (which they, surprisingly, happened to have in stock). I've ...

I just spent quite a bit of time researching Pergo.
Many have commented that there is a clicking sound when walking on it,
and others have said it is too spongy.
Can anyone comment on this please?

I have chairs and table in the middle of my living room.  I want to
put a lamp on the table, but dont want a wire running across the
carpet to the nearest socket (and don't want to tear up the carpet
either).  Is there  a way to somehow plug in a lamp by remote wiring?

I just picked up a 10 foot length of 2 X 3 downspout, and a couple of "A" & "B"
90 degree elbows. I have to extend one of my downspouts away from the
house to eliminate water coming in under 1 of my garage doors. I need an angle
of about 120 degrees on one of the elbows. Can I sort ...

I would like to move my gas dryer about 20 feet. Is it OK to use a
longer flexible pipe? Or is there a limitation on how long the
flexible part is allowed to be?
Many thanks in advance,

Does anybody know of a good source for those ring type termite
barriers I have seen on TV?  Perhaps not the nationally
advertised(read expensive) devices but a comparable product. I have
heard that the advertised  brand is quite expensive($200-$300 ea.) and

I have a 30amp 240 volt circuit breaker for the heater in a hot tub.
With the circuit breaker off, the case temperature is 83 deg F (the
ambient temperature) measured with an IR temperature sensor.
I turn on the breaker and the hot tub. After about 10 minutes,

"[DELAWARE] In an effort to get homeowners to attend an annual meeting, a
Long Neck condominium association has threatened to fine homeowners $100 if
they don't attend..."
http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/200808/bayshore082208.html