Home Maintenance & Repair

How to Stop Ice Dams from the Attic

If you live where winter actually means business, you have probably seen the classic ice dam setup: a nice little ridge of ice along the roof edge, then icicles that look pretty until they find a way into your walls. Here’s the good news. Ice dams are often an attic problem, not automatically a...

How to Add Insulation Over Existing Attic Insulation

The first time I topped off attic insulation in my own 1970s Michigan fixer upper, I expected it to be a simple “add more fluffy stuff” situation. Then I pulled back a corner and found a mix of old batts, some loose fill, a few mystery air leaks, and a couple of light fixtures that absolutely did...

Can You Lay Plywood Over Attic Insulation?

I get why you want to do it. The attic feels like “free” square footage, and a couple sheets of plywood sounds like the quickest way to turn a dusty obstacle course into decent storage. But here’s the straight answer from a guy who has hauled a lot of plywood into a lot of attics: you can lay...

How to Air Seal an Attic Before Adding Insulation

The biggest attic insulation mistake I see homeowners make is skipping the boring part: air sealing first. Insulation slows heat transfer, but it does not stop air movement. If your ceiling has little gaps and bypasses, your heated (or cooled) air will still sneak into the attic, and your...

Can You Put Attic Insulation Over Recessed Lights?

The fastest way to turn a money-saving attic insulation project into a scary one is to bury a non-IC recessed can light under loose insulation . Those older cans were designed to shed heat into open attic air. Cover them up and you can trap enough heat to damage wiring, cook the fixture, or in...

Blown-In vs. Batt Insulation for an Attic

The first attic I insulated on my own was in a 1970s house a lot like mine now. Low roofline, small hatch, and enough mystery wiring to make you move slow. I remember sitting on a joist, looking down at those open bays, and thinking: Do I really want to wrestle batts up here, or should I rent the...

How to Install Attic Insulation Baffles

The first time I crawled into the attic of my 1970s Michigan fixer-upper, I found the classic “mystery draft” combo: skimpy insulation and a whole bunch of soffit vents that were basically suffocated by fiberglass. The fix is not glamorous, but it is one of the best bang-for-your-buck attic...

How Much Attic Insulation Do You Need?

When I’m helping a neighbor figure out why their house feels drafty in winter, the conversation usually ends up in the attic. Not because attics are fun places to hang out (they are not), but because an under-insulated attic is one of the most common, fixable causes of high heating and cooling...

How to Cover a Whole-House Fan for Winter

When I bought my 1970s fixer-upper here in Michigan, the whole-house fan was one of those features I loved in July and hated in January. On a hot night, it is magic. In heating season, it is basically a big, leaky ceiling opening straight into the attic. You can feel it with your hand. Your furnace...

How to Insulate Attic Pull-Down Stairs

One of the coldest spots in a lot of houses is the hallway under the attic pull-down stairs. I have one in my own 1970s Michigan fixer-upper, and the first winter I owned the place it felt like the attic was politely exhaling into the living space. The good news is you do not have to replace the...

Things That Clog Drains

If you have ever stood over a sink that is taking its sweet time, you already know the truth: drains do not “randomly” clog. They clog because we feed them the same usual suspects over and over. The good news is that most clogs are preventable, and many are fixable with basic tools and a calm,...

How to Insulate an Attic Hatch Door

If your house feels drafty in winter (or your AC seems to vanish in summer), the attic hatch is a sneaky culprit. It is basically a removable lid to the biggest temperature swing in your home. The good news: you can fix it in an afternoon with a tape measure, a little foam, and a seal that actually...

How to Install a Bathroom Exhaust Fan Timer Switch

If your bathroom mirror looks like a foggy crime scene after every shower, a timer switch is one of the simplest upgrades you can make. You hit the button, the fan runs long enough to pull out moisture, and you do not have to remember to come back and shut it off later. This is a very doable DIY...

Stop Drafts Around Outlets and Switches

If you have a room that never feels quite as warm as the thermostat says it should, I have a sneaky suspect for you: electrical outlets and switch plates on exterior walls. Those little plastic covers can act like tiny wind tunnels if there is an unsealed gap behind them. The good news is this is...

Squeaky Floorboards: Causes and Easy Fixes

If your floor has started talking back every time someone walks to the kitchen, you are not alone. Squeaks are usually a small problem with a very loud personality. The good news is most squeaks come from wood moving against wood or nails, and you can often fix them in an hour with basic tools....

Garage Door Won’t Close? 8 Checks to Try First

A garage door that starts to close then pops back up is one of those home problems that feels dramatic, like your house is saying, “Nope, not today.” The good news is many “won’t close” issues come down to a few common safety triggers and small obstructions you can spot in minutes. Work through...

Garage Door Opener Not Responding? 7 Checks to Try First

When your garage door opener suddenly stops responding, it can feel like your whole day is stuck in the driveway. The good news is that many “dead opener” situations are simple fixes you can safely check in a few minutes. Start with the quick stuff first, then work your way down the list. This...

Bathroom Fan Runs but Still Steamy? Fix the Airflow

A bathroom exhaust fan can sound like it’s working while your mirror says otherwise. If the room stays steamy long after a shower, you usually have one of two problems: not enough airflow (CFM) or airflow that is getting blocked somewhere between the grille and the outdoors. The good news is you...

Seal Drafty Windows and Doors Before Winter

Once the first real cold snap hits, your house has a way of pointing out every little gap you ignored all summer. You feel it on your ankles by the back door. You hear it whistling at a window corner. And your heating bill? It notices too. The good news: you do not need new windows or a contractor...

Bathroom Fan Not Removing Steam? 7 Fixes to Try First

If your bathroom exhaust fan sounds like it is doing its job but your mirror still looks like a ghost is writing messages on it, you are not alone. Most of the time the fan is not “broken” so much as it is blocked , leaking , or asked to do more than it can . Below is the order I use when I am...