Homeowner Forum / Repair / October 2008

  I have a deadbolt, which is opened by a key, on the front door.
Today, it stopped working. You can turn the key clockwise and
counterclockwise without much resistance, though there is some grab,
which moves the deadbolt just a hair, and that's it.

Having successfully grown a few horse (non-edible) chestnut (and oaks
and other varieties) trees over the last 40 years or so I was happy on
one occasion to find a few edible chestnuts in a local s.market that
had begun to sprout. Bought them and was able to get two or three

I need to run some wiring from my attic to the basement.  Is it ok to run it
down the cold air return?

We have a fairly new, but out of warranty, bathtub that has one of those
stoppers which are operated by the press of the foot.
Engaging the stopper is easy enough, but disengaging is all but impossible.
We now have to manually pull the stopper up, then wedge a blade into it to

I have one of the digital meters outside that the electric company
reads while driving by.
Is there any way I can read it from inside my house?
I've been tempted to go old school and just mount a couple mirrors so

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We are doing a deck and we spec'ed the boards to run out from the house,
rather than perpendicular like a regular deck.  This was setup as they
have a pool in the backyard and we wanted to deck to flow towards the

I have a shop - 24x36 that has a simple gable roof of low slope.
It's finished and insulated.
There is a small built in AC unit in one corner of the wall towards towards
the top.  A custom opening has been created for this AC unit (it's window

AMERICO ELECTRIC>>>>BAD CONTRACTOR
Be careful not to hire this contractor
Business and Licensing Information https://fortress.wa.gov/lni/bbip/Detail.aspx?License=AMERIE*951JR
Name AMERICO ELECTRIC UBI No. 601794242

I have been putting a laptop on a wooden desk countertop in the kitchen.
Now there is some heat spots (milky looking) under the laptop.
What is a good way to take the spots out without having to redo the whole
surface?

This photo shows the black very thin plastic type filter that sits facing
the fan on a household Hitachi CV-SF8 vacuum cleaner.
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=11rxdm0&s=4
Immediately behind this sits a plastic frame with a nylon fine mesh filter

Recently, I was replacing a light fixture in my home.  When I
attempted to cut the breaker to that fixture, I discovered that I had
to turn off two breakers to kill the circuit that includes the light
fixture.  My assumption then, is that the two circuits (one for each

Who makes a backstab outlet/switch that the wire is tightened in with
a screw. After a couple of problems in my home I want to change them
all out and I prefer not to haveto restrip and bend all those
connections. One manufacturer had an industrial quality connector but

I was considering replacing my decrepit rugs with hardwood flooring,
but now I am considering rugs instead.
I don't like the way my present rugs have always retained
terrible-looking pock marks from chair and table legs, when the latter

This past weekend the oven heating element and stove top burners on
our Kenmore electric range stopped working.
I did some quick online research and learned that the problem was most
likely due to a faulty 220V power connection. The appliance was still

Had a new deck installed, pressure treated lumber, coastal SC, mostly
in a shaded area. I need to stain it a dark green (condo rules). Not
sure if I should use latex or oil based stain. Web research seems to
indicate either is good choice. Does it need any prep before staining?