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The Gurus of How-To

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

The gurus of how-to, Al and Larry Ubell, answer your home repair questions! Call us at 212-433-9692 (212-433-WNYC) or leave a comment below.


Comments

  • [1] stu in nyc from take a guess October 08, 2008 - 12:04PM

    please ask their opinion on how to repair the US economy, the losses on Wall Street, and how to secure windows so we don't jump out of them. thanks.


  • [2] Andy from Bkln October 08, 2008 - 12:24PM

    why do light fixtures on a dimmer buzz and what can I do to stop it?


  • [3] jason from Brooklyn October 08, 2008 - 12:29PM

    I live in a condo in a brick row house in Crown Heights. My apartment is a duplex and has access to the air shaft between the buildings. Every time there's a heavy rain the water backs up and nearly floods my basement unless the water is pumped out. Is there anything I can do--short of calling a plumber to come check the drain--to find the problem and fix it?


  • [4] kenneth from NYC October 08, 2008 - 12:40PM

    I have a leak coming in from the roof somewhere but have not been able to pinpoint it even after sealing areas in the roof I taught where the leak is from. Why is it so difficult to know where the water is getting in through the roof without ripping out a barely 3 years old new roof.


  • [5] paul from nyc October 08, 2008 - 12:41PM

    Low Flow Toilet

    my flush toilet does not always empty the bowl, paper is a particular problem.

    Can this be repaired or does it have to be replaced?


  • [6] Joel from Edgewater, NJ October 08, 2008 - 01:11PM

    We have a black slimy build up in our water. The toilet bowls show it the worst, a black ring at the water level and trails coming down from under the rim. The shower head is clogged with it and the taps all have a layer in the screens. We clean it and it comes back in less than two weeks. What is in our water that is causing this? We are getting concerned for our health.


  • [7] fred from ridgewood queens October 08, 2008 - 01:34PM

    Where can learn about rules and regulations concerning installing a wood burning stove.

    ps. I purchased a bunch of surge protectors and plug most everything that trickles electric into those and then flip the switch at night. We saved 50.00 bucks last month


  • [8] Mike from Brooklyn October 08, 2008 - 01:35PM

    Hey, is the answer to Al and Larry's "fireproof" question in a beam or whatever, a plenum? I know that cabling in tall building that passes through this type of space has to be 'plenum' cable, meaning that it's fire resistent.


  • [9] Tisha from Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ October 08, 2008 - 01:42PM

    Hate to say it, but seems plain that possibly ONLY the Ubells actually knowthe answer. Please. Take us out of our state of suspense, tell the answer, and maybe start a new quiz.

    (I see plenum above and feel that answer has been sent already.)


  • [10] Ana from Summit October 08, 2008 - 01:43PM

    How do you prevent peeling paint on the bathroom walls. It starts with a cracking then it starts peeling. The bathroom does have a fan.


  • [11] pam from nj October 08, 2008 - 01:46PM

    money saving tip -

    use cold water to rinse off your dishes and pots - soap is made with an enzyme that causes it to bubble/react with warm and hot water.

    To stop the reaction and rinse your dishes/pots faster, use cold water. You'll use less hot water and lower the bills on that end as well.

    PLUS it'll keep your hands/skin from drying out as much, and you won't have to buy as much handcream. As for a cold shower, you're on your own.


  • [12] paul from boonton, nj October 08, 2008 - 01:50PM

    Fire rated enclosure is called an "assembly" or sometines a "housing".


  • [13] Joque from long island October 08, 2008 - 01:54PM

    I live in Long Island, we moved in a year and 3 months ago.

    We have an unfinished basement and there is dehumidifier that the previous owner left and we were told we should have it running all the time, all year round..

    If we stop the dehumidifier for a couple of days, you can see the paper gettin a bit "humid" and what we do now is run it during the day and stop it at night.

    Do we really need to leave it running all day? or is there something we can we do like painting the walls with a specific paint to stop humidity coming in? or is there any other product you can recommend we could use?

    Thanks


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