Home Repair
Why Won’t My Door Latch? How to Find the Cause and Fix It
A lipstick smudge on the latch bolt tells you whether the hinges, the strike plate or the season is to blame, and most fixes take one evening.
Blog
Home Repair
Is My Popcorn Ceiling Asbestos? How to Tell in a Chicago Home
A bumpy white ceiling won't tell you what's in it, so here's how the lab test works and what Chicago owners and renters do with the result.
Tips & Tricks
How to Drill Into Brick and Hang a TV on a Brick Wall
Exposed brick looks great behind a TV until the drill comes out, and the first choice is whether the hole goes into the brick or the mortar.
Tips & Tricks
How Much Does Christmas Light Installation Cost in Chicago?
Hanging the lights already sitting in your garage costs less than a rental package, and the house, the ladder and the calendar decide the rest.
Plumbing
Garbage Disposal Not Working? What to Check Before You Call
The hum, the silence and the drip under the sink each point to a different fix, and a few of them take five minutes and a hex key.
Home Repair
How to Fix a Hole in the Wall
A doorknob dent and a TV-mount crater need different fixes, and the first job is figuring out whether your wall is drywall or old plaster.
Home Repair
How to Fix Nail Holes Before You Move Out
Two weeks and one tub of spackle will keep most nail holes off a Chicago landlord's damage list. The plan below is timed to May 1 or October 1 and explains…
Home Repair
Why Is There a Water Stain on My Ceiling If Nothing Is Leaking?
A brown ring that shows up a few days after the snow, with no pipe above it, points at the roof edge first. We cover the pencil test for old stains and what…
Home Repair
How to Patch a Hole in Plaster and Lath (It’s Not Drywall)
A shelf came down and took the plaster with it. This is the plaster and lath repair order we'd follow, from the knock test to the last coat of primer.
Plumbing
Why Does My Bathroom Smell Like Sewage?
Sewer gas gets into a bathroom through one of five gaps, and you can check four of them with a flashlight and a glass of water.
Tips & Tricks
Chicago Weather Alerts: What Each One Means for Your Home
Six inches in twelve hours, a 105 heat index, minus thirty wind chill: the numbers NWS Chicago actually uses, and what each one breaks in a Chicago house.
Home Repair
Best Independent Handyman Services in Chicago (2026 Guide)
Seven ways to get a handyman in Chicago, what each one actually charges, and the ten-minute license check that saves you the expensive version of this story.