Andrew in Toronto has solved the problem of laundry lint blocking his laundry tub and causing it to overflow. He simply clamps a nylon stocking onto the end of the drain pipe leading from the washing machine. The stocking collects the lint so that it can't block the drain and it is easy to clea...
Letter: I have a ceramic shower, that is leaking, I do not know how it was built or what is underneath.In the last week +- have noticed about an ounce or 2 of water in the garage,I have a small openeing in the ceiling directly under due to the drain pipe, the drain pipe and feed lines are dry. Bu...
Ed writes from Ajax, Ontario : All 3 walls of my bathroom shower stall are finished with 4" ceramic tiles and are in good shape. When I had to remove one of them, I discovered that the drywall was behind it was so wet that I had to put a fan on it over night to dry it out before I could glue...
Jeff in Ottawa, Ontario wanted to put a toilet in his basement but was worried about the slope required from the toilet exit to the floor drain. He was even looking at an expensive toilet pump.One easy solution for basement toilets is often overlooked. Drilling through a concrete floor is never...
Gary from Hamilton, Ontario writes :I know that brick veneer homes have vent holes in the lower rows to allow air to equalize the pressure and help keep water out. We have just bought a 50 year old solid brick (two layers of brick) house. I notice there are no vent holes and it doesn't appear t...
When a driveway slopes down into the house, you need to intercept any and all water flow and carry it away before it gets to the garage. If you don't do this, you will find the concrete pad in the driveway getting into moisture and frost problems, the door freezing to the floor, and the like.You...
Don't you just hate trying to line up all the PVC pieces in a sink drain? Wouldn't it be so nice if there was just a little bit of flexibility someplace in the drain line? After all, we did finally elminate the rigid speedways to get those great flexible ones that don't collapse.Well the compan...
Therisa Timan from Pittmetals B.C. wants to know what to do with her old paint cans. How do you handle paint waste responsibly?If you dump solvent wastes like paint and paint thinners down the street drains, they usually go straight into the lake or rivers. If you dump it down the household dra...
Stephanie from Kitchener, Ontario wants to know how to cap off a toilet drain once you have removed the toilet. Well Stephanie, it all depends on what the drain pipe is made of, and do you want to temporarily or permanently close it off.The first photo shows a temporary rubber cap with metal str...
A viewer wrote in complaining about soap suds backing up in her sink, another complained about the suds backing up in the basement floor drain.Suds are something that drains have trouble flushing out, because they float on top of the water and tend to pile up in the pipes. First you should try t...