Quick Column Summary: Drain tailpiece does not line up Flexible tailpiece barely fits Find the right fitting Jesse Shumate, who decided she wanted to be a master plumber like me, wrote: "I installed new cabinet and counter top in my bathroom. Now the drain tailpiece does not line up with the p-trap. I'm using a Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Tiling on stained concrete Clean floor with oxygen bleach Test thinset for bonding to concrete Teresa Norrell, from Moyock, NC, has a pretty simple question. "Can I install tile directly to a previously stained concrete floor? I fear the thinset mortar will not adhere to the stained concrete." Here's my answer: Teresa, Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Painting tiles to hide grout lines Grout lines may not fill thick enough Easier to replace tile with drywall Stefania, who lives in the wonderful city of Johannesburg, Africa, has a fascinating question: "Hi there! I would like to paint over my bathroom tiles, however I don't want to see the lines Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Toilet will not flush solids Test for clogged drain line Problem might be toilet design Or it might be hard water deposits Carlton, who live in the epicenter of delicious, juicy peaches in Peachtree City, Georgia, has a nasty problem with his toilet that won't flush properly. Let him describe his distress: Read More »
Quick Column Summary: How to remove adhesive/thinset from brick fireplace Try adhesive removers Thinset must be chiseled off Danielle Torkensen is a new homeowner in Bloomington, California. She inherited a mess where the previous homeowner, well let her tell you: "I am a recent new homeowner & the previous owners messed up our brick fireplace. Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Sewage smell in yard Plumbing was cleaned out City sewers are clear Find problem with peppermint oil test Deb Schwartz, who runs a restaurant in Eagle Rock, CA, has a perplexing problem with a sewage odor in here Craftsman house that's now a restaurant. Let her tell you all about it: "We Read More »
Quick Column Summary: How to prevent pot filler pipe from freezing Insulate the wall cavity Caulk all the gaps Keep pipe on warm side of insulation Tom Chan wants to install a new pot filler faucet in an outside wall. But he's got a problem. "I want to install a pot filler faucet. How do Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Sewer smell from vents after master sink used Probably biofilm Clean with a bottle brush Use Stain Solver, oxygen bleach J. A. Coffey, Jr. has a stinky problem when he runs water in his master bath sinks. His problem was featured in the July 16, 2014 AsktheBuilder Newsletter. Heck, let him tell Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Rotten egg smell in plumbing Is it in all the faucets Is it the municipal water supply An anonymous person named Free who lives in Lancaster, CA moved into a new mobile home park. He or she's got a problem with water odor: "My toilet smells like rotten eggs. The shower water Read More »
Here are two pipe wrenches representing Ridgid's 75 years. One's a 10-inch and the other is a 14-inch wrench. They're in mint condition and have NEVER been out of the foam casing. They've never kissed a pipe. The plumber in your life will love these. Or maybe you're simply a tool collector. I have no Read More »
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