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Found 24 results for the keyword ‘Common Questions’

  • How do I get oil off my driveway?

    There are many products on the market designed to remove oil stains from driveways. Some of them actually work. The primary problem with them is that they basically dissolve the oil, much of it soaking even deeper into the concrete. That means you have to soak it up and attempt to not worsen ...
  • Where can I get training in home improvements or woodworking?

    On this TV show I asked on one show for people who offer training to send me their co-ordinates and I will list them on the web, so here they are. If you offer training of some kind, send me a letter and I will add you to the list. I am not able to verify the quality of all of this training so ...
  • What does 'spillage susceptible' mean?

    Although most people, even contractors, may have a hard time defining the new building code term 'spillage susceptible', it is a term that is critically important for the everyone's health.An appliance, be it gas, oil, propane or wood, is spillage susceptible if it is possible for negative pre...
  • Getting grease off of carpets

    When the valiant handyperson manages to get machine grease on the rug while fixing the clothes dryer, like I did today, the immediate solution is to dampen a clean rag with hot water, put some concentrated liquid laundry detergent directly on the rag and work it into the grease. Clean the rag and...
  • Legality of DIY electrical and plumbing work

    NEW CONSTRUCTION In the interests of health and safety a number of trades are controlled by law, most particularly plumbing and electricity. The degree to which plumbing and electrical work are actually regulated varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For instance almost all work performed in...
  • Gumbo Clay and what it does to your house.

    For those of you who have move into the area spreading roughly from Winnipeg to Regina, but you have not grown up in this area, the living nature of the soil itself may surprise you. Clay soil under and around a house can cause problems anywhere in Canada, but in this region there is a special cl...
  • Saw Blades -- How many teeth?

    It may surprise you to find out, but for an optimum cut in wood, you should have fewer teeth on your saw blade when the wood is thicker. We know that you want fewer, even different types of teeth, for ripping than for cross cutting. But both when ripping or cross cutting, as the material gets thi...
  • Saw blade safe rotational speeds

    Different saws turn at different speeds. That is because for each material there is an ideal speed of contact between the cutting edge and the material. In general woodworking and renovation we don't pay too much attention to saw speed changes for changes in material, like we must do in drilling ...
  • How To Remove the Drain Valve from the Hot Water Tank

    How do you remove the special hose bib valve that is on the bottom of the hot water tank? First I should answer the question as to whether it will fall out if it is unscrewed too far. The answer is NO. After 4 turns to open it, it will just spin around without moving further out while the "O" ri...
  • What is Radon and should I be worried?

    The basic message to remember is that Radon is a dangerous cancer causing gas and if found to exist in high concentrations in your house the problem can be solved permenantly and at a reasonable cost.  So we don't want to ignore the possibility, we need to test every house in Canada. 7% of homes...