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When drainage problems are noted at several or all fixtures in the house, the obstruction is most likely a clogged sewer, rather than at individual fixtures. Blockage in a sewer line may be caused by collected waste or foreign matter at some point in the underground pipe or by surrounding tree roots that have taken over. Roots will enter fine cracks in certain pipe materials and continue to grow inside the pipe until they form an almost solid mass. This can take place at a single point, or along a great length of an older pipe. Read the rest of this entry »

Floorboards become cracked or split  for a variety of reasons, the most common of which are shrinkage and expansion because of exposure to water. When wet, the boards expand against their joints. As they dry, they return to their former size, causing cracks to appear either between the joints or along the grain of the board. New floors laid with green or wet wood also produce cracks.

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Why live with a floor that complains all the time? Elimination of squeaky floors and creaks can be managed with relatively little effort, the means depending on the floor’s construction and whether the subflooring is accessible from below.

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With gate valves and globe plumbing valves, the most common problem is leakage around the stem. To repair, first shut off the water at another valve between the leaking unit and the water source, or at the main house intake. With an adjustable or open-end wrench, loosen the packing nut. Hold a bucket beneath the valve to catch the water remaining in the line, then remove the packing nut. Remove the old packing and wrap new packing around the stem, then replace the packing nut.

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