Mike Klimek

Q: We just moved into our house and have no idea what shape the water heater is in. I’ve been told it’s a good idea to drain it periodically, but what steps do I need to take to flush it?

Q: I have door problems. One of my doors closes by itself, and it isn’t supposed to. The other door doesn’t latch correctly. How can I fix these?

Q: Whenever I run my dishwasher, water runs out onto the top of the sink. Is the problem my dishwasher or something else?

Q: My toilet does not flush correctly. The bowl will fill with water, then slowly drain down, or the waste just doesn’t go down at all. I have tried chemicals, but they haven’t worked. What else can I do?

Q: I recently moved into a new house and would like to get the locks changed, as I don’t know how many people have keys to my home. Rather than pay a locksmith, I saw a do-it-yourself kit that I would like to try. Are these kits any good?

Q: I’m going to replace my countertop with ceramic tile and so I have removed my old laminate one leaving nothing but the cabinets below. I have done some small floor tiling projects but never a countertop. I’m going to reuse my drop-in sink and faucet, but how do I go about building the base that the tiles will sit on?

Q: During a home inspection, the inspector discovered that my water heater needed a new vent connected to the ceiling. He said it is an easy and inexpensive repair. Just how easy and inexpensive is it?

Q: As I was changing the fluorescent light tube in my ceiling fixture, I rotated the bulb to get it out and I heard a “snap” and saw things falling from the fixture. I cringed and waited for the pain. When I opened my eyes and realized I wasn’t hurt, I noticed that the end clips of the fixture (where the pins of the fluorescent tube go) were broken. Should I replace the fixture or can it be repaired?

Q: I have a door that divides a dining room and family room. I removed the door and jambs and want to finish the wall as a pass-through opening. My problem is that I want to finish the opening with an arch. I have done some drywall work but have not done any arches. How hard is this to do?

Q: My bathtub is old and abused, and I am tired of listening to my wife complain about it. I would like to replace the tub, but I am a little nervous about taking on a job of this size. The walls of the tub area are ceramic tile and the tub faucet comes out of the wall instead of sitting on the tub. What is the most difficult part of this job?

Q: One of my neighbors recently moved, and as a parting gift, he gave me an airless paint sprayer. I want to paint my living room. I have never used a paint sprayer before, but he did give me the manual. Is spraying paint easier than using a brush and roller?

Q: We are from California and just moved into a new house. The problem is that the water in Southern Nevada is different. My skin is dry and itchy right after a shower. I understand that a water softener is in order, so I bought one that uses salt at a home center and am ready to install it. Fortunately, we have a loop in the garage, and I have sweated copper a few times before. Is there anything to look out for?

Q: We are remodeling our bathroom and would like to install a new countertop on our vanity. We are buying a new drop-in sink and would like to buy a laminate countertop to go with it. We need a simple rectangular top with no cuts for a small vanity. We have seen these in home centers and were wondering how difficult it would be to install.

Q: We have several squeaky floors throughout our house, along with a stair step that squeaks. Anyway, we are getting new carpet and thought that now is the time to get rid of the noise. How should we approach this job?

Q: I have vinyl flooring in my kitchen. Around the perimeter of the room, I would like to install some vinyl base molding so that the entire thing is washable. Is this any different from installing wood molding?