Maintenance & Repairs - February 2007

For the past two winters, I have noticed that mice are nesting in one of my return air vents. I don't have central air conditioning so I don't know where the vent goes out? The mice can be heard in the basement up to my 2nd floor bedroom return air vent. Apparently, they can't or don't come inside the house because I have never seen not one dropping inside my house and I have set traps but nothing. How can I find out how they are getting in? And why in this area? I have sealed up all noticeable holes around the inside and outside of the house and low and behold they come back to that same area. This puzzles me to no end, they are just in that one area. There must be a way they get in from the outside. My house is 78 years old and I don't even know where my return air vents goes out to. Help?

2007-02-20 06:08:57 · 4 answers · asked by Cookie 1

Don't know how else to phrase this... During the constructin of our log home, the builder assumed tile floor in the bathrooms and installed the toilet plumbing with the 'tall' floor in mind (tile is rather thick itself + cement board). Turns out tile puts us over-budget, and and we decided to go with linolium/vinyl instead. Vinyl which is much 'shorter'. Evidently, it's expensive to shorten the pipes, so we either go with tile or get an underlayment. Which options do you think exist for underlayment? We're talking about 3 bathrooms, total area of about 200 sq ft. Should be less than $1 per foot. Bathrooms currently don't have toilets or floors. Tubs and showers are installed. Thanks!

2007-02-20 05:59:57 · 7 answers · asked by curious1223 3

i only have duct tape and need to ship this box. seems like no one uses duct tape on cardboard, so is it a viable option?

2007-02-20 05:51:58 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous

WE CURRENTLY HAVE A CREDA WARM AIR HEATING SYSTEM. IT IS 30 YEARS OLD AND IS PROVING VERY EXPENSIVE TO RUN AND IS NOISY.

2007-02-20 05:47:12 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous

It keeps overflowing... the plumbers come and snake it but then w/in a few weeks it overflows again and I'm thinking there's something more to the prob. How do I know for sure that the water is off? Which direction is the knob supposed to point? I thought i had it turned off when the first plumber came to look at it but I don't remember seeing him turn it back on.

2007-02-20 05:41:36 · 7 answers · asked by Coloradogrl 1

2007-02-20 05:16:20 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous

I have older vinyl tubs in my house that have wear and tear including small nicks and cracks. I was woundering if there was a inexpenceive way to fill them. I DO NOT have the money to replace the tubs or to have a company like Bath Fitters to do it.

2007-02-20 05:02:10 · 1 answers · asked by court 2

2007-02-20 04:53:04 · 3 answers · asked by Sam 1

I sweep the snow away & try to eliminate all moisture, but it still happens. It's even pulling away the floor paint now.

2007-02-20 04:41:37 · 8 answers · asked by luvlabs 3

2007-02-20 04:38:08 · 13 answers · asked by Aquarius 1

My house is about 50 feet from train tracks & trains going by cause shaking (feels similar to a small earthquake). Could this cause structural damage to the house? If so how long could it take for damage to occur? *note: the house is 30 yrs old and the house inspector found nothing wrong with the foundation. Thank you in advance for your help!

2007-02-20 04:28:55 · 7 answers · asked by Bee 1

How do I get rid of it? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

2007-02-20 04:06:13 · 7 answers · asked by woman28 1

This room mate is banging the baby-sitter more times than a screen door in a hurricane. It is time to ask him to leave - or do I just replace the screen??

2007-02-20 04:05:09 · 2 answers · asked by free n' dating 2

On the top floor of my home, I have a window air conditioner. A few months ago when the weather turned cold, I noticed a squirrel began hanging around, but that was about it. Now he literally has collected tons of twigs, paper, tissues, and other junk which covers the entire space underneath my air conditioner on the window sill.

He has also began to leave little black droppings on TOP of the air conditioner(what nerve huh?) and around that twiggy nest thingy. Each time I pull back the curtains to make noises and run him off, he sits there looking at me, or comes up to the window as if he expects me to feed him or something which I've NEVER done.

If I slide back my window screen and physically remove and clean the area, will the squirrel attack if he sees me? What can I do to get rid of it? It's really starting to get on my nerve, and my window sill looks disgusting. Thanks

2007-02-20 03:53:45 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous

The west facing side of the house has huge icicles growing along the gutters. My neighbor's house doesn't have them. Is this a signal that I might need more insulation in the attic?

2007-02-20 03:40:49 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous

I purchased a new home in june 2005 . Yesterday I noticed water leaking from my kitchen cealing. I live in a 2 story cape code so I looked in my atic space above my kitchen on top of my blown in insulation there was a small pile of snow melting causing the leak what's the deal please help

2007-02-20 03:27:46 · 7 answers · asked by marty 2

For example if the house is 1500 sq ft...how many tons would the ac unit need to be?

2007-02-20 03:23:17 · 1 answers · asked by frozenfun 2

her the stupids person in the world?

2007-02-20 03:00:55 · 15 answers · asked by alan m 1

and reconnect it in the new house. This seems very expensive to me. Do you know any companies or aga technicians who supply this service at a more reasonable rate.

2007-02-20 03:00:09 · 4 answers · asked by jjs 1

My dog made her own back door on my high dollar tent. the hole is about 2 ft tall and 1 foot across on bottom at seam where it meets the plastic that sits under the tent. I'm not worried about how it's gonna look, just need the tent to do it's job by keeping water and bugs out. I was gonna use rubber cement and part of an old tent and just glue it shut. But if anyone has a better idea im all ears.
Thanks...

2007-02-20 03:00:05 · 4 answers · asked by highrange101 2

What can be done to make the water heater produce more hot water short of turning up the gas? It's not producing like it used to.
Do I need a new heater or does it need cleaned? If so How?

2007-02-20 02:51:56 · 4 answers · asked by j c 1

We're gutting a 3rd floor to make it a bedroom. We're down to studs and there's all that blown-in insulation that looks like someone sheared a dozen sheep. We're going to install new insulation behind the new drywall. Any harm in leaving the old stuff back in there? Any advantage to leaving it there? We're under a 2-week deadline and don't want to add work unless there's a safety/advantage issue. THANKS.

2007-02-20 02:42:19 · 7 answers · asked by Lisa B 1

I live in an apartment and I wanted to change the shower head because the showerhead is old. But when I took off the head there was a pipe with a ball at the end of it. So needless to say I was surprised to find this and couldnt change the head and had to return it. Is there something to convert the balled ended pipe into a regular one?

2007-02-20 02:33:41 · 4 answers · asked by fl_gurl2001 1

Ok I have two separate units in my basement. One feeds the downstairs, one feeds the upstairs. Both are pulling return air partially from the basement itself, as well as through some other return vents that feed into the basement. My problem is the fact that while the upstairs gets great airflow through the supply vents, I believe there is very little of the upstairs air actually getting to the heat/air unit (return). Maybe a little bit is being pulled downstairs and makes its way to the basement, but not near enough. Despite this, heating the upstairs is no problem whatsoever. I am concerned about humidity control upstairs during the summer with no direct return air coming from the upstairs. Any ideas? Should I just buy a dehumidifier and put it in the upstairs hallway? Would this help?

2007-02-20 02:15:59 · 4 answers · asked by TB28 2

The first few months I got my energy bill I was spending around 10 cubic feet of gas so my Gas Cost Adjustment was pretty low. Now the last last couple of months my cubic feet of gas has risen up to the two hundred mark. I have no idea what the problem could be since I have not added any new appliances and the weather has not changed too much. Also, is it true the gas company sends guys over every month to check the metered usage? Supposedly they come over equipped with binoculars to check that in your house. Is this true?

2007-02-20 01:56:51 · 1 answers · asked by Anonymous

Our bathroom water tap imits a very bad sulfur smell to it since yesterday whenever we turn it on. Does anyone know what it could be and what to do about it?

2007-02-20 01:52:33 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous

i live in minn.i recently asked my sister who pays 995 dollers a month for a dump that has mold growing every where...where her smoke detecters are..she says there ain't any i said what..got up and checked the whole place and sure enough not one...who can i contact about this..also the gas stove has a leak..can smell gas very strong at times..the landlords have been told but do nothing about thes problems

2007-02-20 01:47:46 · 16 answers · asked by poopsie 1

I rent an apartment that has 4-bulb I-shaped light fixtures with no coverings. I have found that only 2 bulbs provide adequate lighting for each room. Is there any danger in leaving 2 sockets empty?

2007-02-20 01:34:56 · 9 answers · asked by Anthony 1

i know a two stage compressor is more efficient than a 'single stage", but what does two stage mean and how does it work?

2007-02-20 01:06:21 · 6 answers · asked by vinchenzo_d_gymbag 1

If a house is not being kept to a reasonable state of repair, ie. broken windows, etc... does the homeowner have a responsibility to maintain its upkeep?

And if so, would you contact the council to set the wheels in motion, if you were unable to find out the homeowner in question?

Cheers for looking.

2007-02-20 00:59:23 · 14 answers · asked by jock_sbfc 1