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I live in an apartment building in East Harlem and our super recently changed out the electrical outlet plate in the bathroom. Does it need to be an outlet plate with a built in breaker since it is less than 6 feet from a water source?

Thank you!

I have an exterior cornice that has separated from the facade and has tilted at one end. I need to find a contractor that specializes in this type of work. I know that bridge scaffolding will be required since the cornice is above the 4th floor of my brownstone in Carroll Gardens. Do you know of a restoration contractor who might do this sort of work?
Thank you,
Alan Lantz 718-596-2488

You said re tub caulk silicone no, acrylic yes. What about vinyl caulk?

cedar spray isn't OK?

We are redoing our kitchen & were told not to use natural stone for the flooring because the hardness can be painful for the back. I didn't want wood because we have a lot of traffic in the kitchen. We are thinking of installing Duraceramic. How does this product rate? (Do you comment on name brand products?)
Thanks!

I have heard that bay leaves work (on ants, cucarachas etc) or a tea made from tehm sprayed...

and what about cedar against moths?

What if ants DO gather near the cat food dish?

Recently renovated my Kitchen, wondering if can I exhaust/hood above range to the outside wall/break wall to exterior in a NYC Condo Bldg.?

Here is a link to where you may find the answers to the question:

http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:iX97i_aIGpMJ:www.keidel.com/mech/pvf/valve-h20.htm+water+main+valve&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a

I have double paned windows with some kind of condensation betweens the panes. The windows are about 15 years old. The condensation affects all the windows in my apartment building.

Is there anything I can do to remove the condensation so I can see clearly out my windows?

Thanks.
Rose

What's the best way to repair peeling paint on my popcorn ceiling? About a year ago, we painted over a water stain caused by our leaking water heater but now there's about a square-foot patch of paint that's hanging off. Can it be glued back to the ceiling or should I cut it away? How can I repair so it blends in with the rest of the popcorn ceiling? Thanks!

I had water in my basement once, last year after a rain. It left white mold along edge of wall paneling in one corner of basement. Who do I call to inspect? Is it safe for my grandchildren to play? A contractor wanted to rip out all paneling. Is this really necessary?
thanks-
lilly

The ice in my refrigerator freezer smells bad.. My husband says everything in there smells. I have emptied it and can't find any reason why the ice tastes bad. Could it possibly be the pipe from the water to the fre freezer is bad?Thank you Miriam

Why do the air vent valves on my radiators fail rapidly - in less than a month? These (Hoffman) are not cheap valves. Should I assume that my super is installing faulty ones?

My landlord painted over exposed brick with paint that is flaking and cracking. I want to remove it entirely down to the exposed brick and seal it somehow while keeping the brick visible.

What is the best way to strip the old white paint off and what should I use to prepare and seal the exposed brick?

I have the situation that I have a problem witha a small shower, but it seems that it is too much of a small job for a plumber to take it on unless I do a total renovatiob in the thousands of dollars!
here it is. After unclogging this shower the drain mechanism came off. i can see the pipe but I am not sure how to reconnect the drain to the pipe since different people tell me diferent things. also the floor is tiles. How can I seal the floor so that water will not leak. the bathroom is in the second floor
HELP!!!!

we have a not so interesting old building in brooklyn that has crooked stairs and floors. seems we need to shore-up the building. do you have and tips on the best way to proceed? thanks, andrea

I emailed the Ubells a few months ago with a simple question and never received answer. Would appreciate knowing if there's a way to remove mildew from the bathtub caulking without replacing the caulking. And, is there a way to prevent this from happening. (My bathroom has no window for ventilation.)
Thank you.
Nancy Tuck