DIY to the Rescue

I work the midnite to 8:00am shift and after that I take my mother to her therapy sessions 3 times a week and after that I clean houses 3 to 4 times a week and collect everything that is given to me which I usually give a way to neices and nephews or other people I know so most of the time I am so tired to clean or straighten my own home which is over 60 years old and I have no built in closets I have a few old/antique wardrobes which are full of stuff and clothes. My old house has just nickel and dimed me to death with all kinds of repairs. My real relaxation is working out in my yard so I usually do that instead of working to organize my home. I so much need a home makeover so I can get myself organized again like I used to be. I can't believe myself now...I really used to be so clean and organized that you could have eaten off my floors...I don't know what happened to me...Thank you..Dolorita Mackey

Hi Dolorita,

You qualify 100%

I know what happened to you. You were acting on your priorities. You are busy working and taking good care of your mum. Well how about you start off by patting yourself on the back for taking care of everything you have been doing! I’m a big family guy so mums always on the top of the priority list and I bet it’s the same with yours. After cleaning other homes the last thing you want to do is your own and with older homes it’s tough. There seems like there’s a lot of improvement areas that may be out of your control so for you to win this competition would make me a happy man. To enter just log onto diynetwork.com and click on "Americas Biggest Pack Rat" If you have any trouble with the application just drop me a line as I will be pleased to help out. I will also forward your comment to my senior producer of the show.
I know your relaxation is in the garden. However try to take small steps with getting your home organized: add some extra coat hooks and a shoe or storage bin near your front entry way for example. Coat hooks $2 shoe or storage bin is something you can purchase for under $5 or it may be something you have already collected and just need to decorate yourself. This is a simple example but it will make life so much easier and give you the desire to continue down the organization route.
Then you will have true relaxation in the garden and the pressure will be further away from you.
Best of luck to you and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.
Karl

I NEED HELP WITH EVERYTHING FROM REMODELING TO ALL THE CLUTTER THAT I INHERITED WHEN I WAS GIVEN MY GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE. I HAVE ROTTING FLOOR BOARDS IN CERTAIN ROOMS IN THE HOUSE. SOME I HAVE GOTTEN REPLACED AND THIS HOUSE NEEDS A LOT OF WORK, TIME AND MONEY. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I HAVE REPLACED SHEETROCK IN MY BATHROOM, AND THE FLOOR ALSO IN THERE. I HAVE A ROOM OR I SHOULD SAY ROOMS THAT ARE FULL OF MY FAMILIES THINGS. THEY ALWAYS PROMISE TO COME AND GET THIS STUFF, BUT THEY NEVER DO. MY HOUSE HAS BECOME THE JUNKYARD FOR THE FAMILIES THINGS THAT THEY DON'T WANT AT THEIR RESPECTED HOUSES. I NEED HELP SO BAD THAT I GET SO DISGUSTED AND DISCOURAGED SOMETIMES THAT I JUST CRY. WILL YOU PLEASE HELP ME. I REALLY MISS MY HUSBAND WHO DIED TWO YEARS AGO. IF HE WERE STILL ALIVE I WOULD NOT BE CONTACTING YOU AND BEGGING FOR HELP BECAUSE I AM A VERY PERSONAL AND PRIVATE PERSON BUT EVERYONE NEEDS HELP SOMETIME. I AM 45YEARS OLD AND A FULLTIME COLLEGE STUDENT. I ALSO WORK FULL TIME SO THE REST OF THE HOURS THAT I HAVE IS SPENT YOU GUESSED IT SLEEPING TO START THE NEXT DAY ALL OVER AGAIN. THAT'S MY LIFE IN A NUTSHELL. IF YOU PICK ME WHEN YOU WALK INTO MY HOUSE, YOU WILL SEE IMMEDIATELY AND UNDERSTAND WHY I DO NOT ENTERTAIN COMPANY. I LOVE THIS HOUSE BECAUSE IT BELONGS TO MY GRANDMOTHER AND I HAVE SOME WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF THIS HOUSE GROWING UP. I JUST PRAY THAT WHEN YOU SEE IT YOU CAN HELP. THANKS FOR LETTING ME VENT. HAVING A PITY PARTY WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN ME. BORETA

I belong to the Knights Of Columbus in Ocean Springs, Ms. We lost everything in our hall from the Hurricane. My question is how do you remove the black glue off the floor that held the Comercial tile down. I want to paint the floor with an epoxy paint instead of reinstalling the tile. I tried to sand it with 60 grit, but that did not work. I tried Minerial Spirits, and all it would would spread it.

Hi, I live on the Gulfcoast and lived thru Katrina, so I am in the process of re-doing my house but have a big problem for my fireplace wall from floor to ceiling. I would like to brighten/cover up the brick with something especially different (no paint), any suggestions?

We have a 2800 s.f home with a solid foundation. Stucco and brick--1968, large corner lot, enormous old trees, Upper Arlington, Ohio.
We want to do a kitchen/FR/bath-laundry remodel which would include taking some of the garage (which needs organized, by the way). Our project would include knocking out a section of the exterior on the back of the house. It's a big project! I have a design and am taking bids-trying to figure out how to start and how to be the general contractor.

I have been camping out on HGTV.com and DIY network. Love the practical help, links, product information, etc. Invaluable and addictive, not to mention inspiring.

We have an ordinary family--a handsome son, a beautiful daughter, a cat, a dog...and lots of friends we enjoy having over. Thanks for reading my post. Would love to hear from you!

I live at home &the whole house is over-cluttered,
messy,hazardous. The stairs & railing are piled
with things especially clothes-even the LR couch has winter jackets there, still. Most rooms LR, BR'S LOADED w/extra furniture, bags,newspapers in den, w/boxes of mail & papers galore. We still can't have visitors for 15 yrs. I sleep or don't
want to go to work, due to depression of the mess
I'm on medicine for epilepsy, depression. Mom is
75yrs. Tom has broken back - 47, retiring/diabetes
in legs, 53yrs. old (Jim)-DON'T DO THINGS.
WE REALLY NEED HELP! Can't sit @ kitchen table or
porch/leaks, broken ceiling, roof re-done wrong Theresa

Help! My husband is Junky George! He is the local housemover (whole buildings) not the contents. As he makes his rounds to do estimates he accumulates things. His side of our bedroom is filled with his junk. I keep my dish towels on the counter top because I have not one but 5 tool drawers in my kitchen. My laundry detergent sits on the floor because every cupboard and and shelf in my laundry room is full of his junk. We park our cars in the street because our carport and garage are full of his junk. Our 2 1/2 acre yard is impassable due to his his junk. He rents a yard to store his equipment in, but today I realized that there is a hay rake and plow in there. We do not own a tractor! We have an unuseable but functionable 1/2 bath I cannot go into because it is full of his junk.

I sew and knit but much of my fabric and yarn are stored in waterproof boxes on our front porch. The baby pictures of our children and granchildren are some place in an out building. I have lost track of where. There simply is no more space left. I surrender

Good Morn! We have a home built in 1874 and in need of desperate repair & reorganization in several rooms, but, most of all we need a handicap bathroom for my 82 year old mother in law. She shouldn't be living by herself! What is good is that we have a duplex and the apartment is empty. We live on the other side of
the duplex and she could have her own space & be taken care of by us. But, we need a handicap bathroom in the back of the apartment where's there's room, but no organization and desperate need of updating! It would be a real blessing if you're able to help us help our mother! Thanks for taking the time to read this! Good luck choosing a project!

We need help we bought this house in 2000. We still feel like we haven't orginized from moving in. The house was a HUD home and couldn't move in until 1/2001. We have had a lot of work done but the money has run out for anymore repairs or decorations. I did some decoritive painting. I have become disable from a car accident, so I am now limited to what I can do. Our house needs help from me. I am a creative person and I collect junk to use or make into something cool. I start things and run out of energy and don't finish it. My husband is a hard working wonderful man. He does what he can as well as working to pay the bills. He needs help, we need help and more important our house needs help!

We bought our HUD home in 8/2000. We dropped $20,000 into it just so we can move in by 1/2001. My husband has to work 6-7 days a week and sometimes he goes to others state to work. For the first 2 years we lived here my husband was working in other states. I am disabled due to a car accident. He does what he can but this is overwelming. We feel like we haven't got things putaway, like we had just moved in. I am a creative person and I have done some creative painting(walls, doors, ceilings).I collect junk to turn into cool stuff. Our house need more repairs and I need our porch/paito reconstructed for a therpy hottub. We have a lot more to do to this house to make it accomidate our needs.
My husband needs help in and outside the house. It has become a neverending chore. Please help my husband and our house as well as my needs.

I need some help with a lot of project at my bathroom, kitchern and basement.

im 100%disibility we bought this house in march it needs to be all redone in the bathroom and outside unility roo drain needs repir every time wash water go out it come back on the floor all of the house needs remodled but i have no money to get it done

I LIVE IN A 3 BEDROOM MOBILE HOME WITH MY HUSBAND, 3 KIDS[AGES 11,4,AND 3],AND MY 66 YR OLD FATHER IN LAW WHO IS PARTIALLY PARALIZED WITH EXTENSIVE MEDICAL NEEDS. I AM COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE HOUSEWORK, YARDWORK, PAPERWORK AND WHATEVER ELSE COMES ALONG.THIS HAS TURNED MY LIFE, AND HOME UPSIDE DOWN BECAUSE THERE WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH TIME OR MONEY TO SIMPLY PUT IT ALL BACK IN ORDER AGAIN. RIGHT NOW I CAN'T EVEN KEEP TRACK OF OUR SOCKS. PLEASE HELP A WOMAN WHO HAS LOST HER MIND IN THE CLUTTER.!!!

We contracted someone to redo our in ground pool in Oct 2005 to be finished by april 2006 for the bid of $16,000.00 (for shotcrete and flagstone deck) its now Sept 2006 pool is 3/4 done (poorly)at a cost of $38,000.00 out of 5 deck drains 2 work, one drain only works because they drilled a hole 10" away from the drain (where the water settles) and made a miniture canal under the grout to the drain under the flagstone, have low spots in deck, water drains to house, contractor obviously had laborers with no experience they actually sealed half the flagstone deck without cleaning it not just dirt or concrete residue but grey tape sealed in! how do we remove the sealer to try to salvage what little is left of a dream turned nightmare? Surface Guard was the sealer from home depot. P.S. contractor hasnt been back since August 15th and wont deliver lights, drains,or rest of equipment already paid for, also found out contractor picked up half the marble sand and white portland from the suppliet on the 16th of Aug. materal I already paid for, that never came to our house. wont return calls or respond to messages left (suggestions? legal or otherwise) Please help!!

Have a 42 foot long old 2" by 6" upper deck planking that lets water hit the lower main deck.Looking to split it in thirds with a 4/12 pitch roof in the center with the two outer area's 14" by 8' covered with some proper pitch for drainage.Cover those with a rubber membrane,floating deck and rail fencing in PVC etc.Would need teh best help possible for sizing the right way to do it.A project for my wife that i have put off for a good 12 years but my time is about up.What can your crew do to help me out.Done alot of projects myself but need some expert input now.Thank you

My Central air compressor is not working i a
house that I bougt in eden north carolina.The
electricity works but, the compressor don"t.What
should I do

Thank you
Benjamin Vasquez

Your best bet here is to contact the manufacturer as it could be a number of things? You may also have this covered on your insurance policy?
If you do have to pay to have it repaired. Make sure you obtain a few quotes. If it is a minor repair you maybe able to DIY.

Good luck

My Wife and I came across an old (metal) breadbox,which needed a paint job.So we cleaned it up,and gave it a new coat of paint.The only problem
is anything put inside(even after it has been allowed several days of drying time)picks up the paint smell. Is there anything I could do,maybe a laquer or something?
painted in a corner

i am applying for a kitchen&bath make-over

Good luck mate!

i am a daughter writing this in..me and mybrother have lived in this house ince we were born well my dad bought it when he was 20 something then he and my mother moved in and my brother is now 20 and i am 14 and our house its horible i really cant handle messes but idont have much time to do anything my homework has to be done and my mom has been so busy with work we cant do anything....i want to have a childhood to remember and that cant happen if i have to clean all the time our house is a three bedroom and our kitchen can barley fit two people inever have any friends over because i am scared of what they will say.. when my dad gets oe all he does is eat and turn on the TV he doesnt attempt to help clean((typical dad)) and like most dads he cant match..in our living room we have maroon armhairs and green couches..ughh...it really bothers me ALL the timei pray every day that it will get better..it doesnt idont know where else to go our house is a mess i NEED help please help