Through the years I have harped at homeowners about routinely sealing the grout in their tile showers. Not because I enjoy nagging, but because it is important to the health of the shower, the house ...

Q. I am using your column titled “Recaulking Is Dull Work but Worth It” as a guide to recaulking my tub. I have never caulked before, but your column went into such detail, I thought I’d give it a try ...

Q: Our home, built in 2001, had what appeared to be “settling cracks” in the drywall — one on the main floor and the other in an upstairs bathroom. The first one runs at an angle from the corner of a ...

Q: I have a big problem. A section of ceramic tile near the base of one of the walls in my shower looked like it was pregnant. What’s worse, when I applied pressure on it, the wall would move in and ...

Q: Our 1920 house has semi-textured lath-and-plaster walls. In one room we used a steamer to remove wallpaper but damaged the thin layer of drywall compound that had been applied to smooth out the ...

Q: Our house walls need more insulation and they should be more soundproof. We are also planning to add on a bedroom. Will insulation make the existing rooms quieter and the new room more soundproof?

If you have a DIY project on the to-do list that involves some kind of sealant, the seemingly endless options available in the hardware store aisle or online can feel overwhelming when it comes to ...