There is nothing more satisfying than not having to call a plumber. Doubly so when you have completed a task yourself for which most mortals would call a plumber. It is a feeling of joy from both having completed a home repair task and saved $75 bucks for a house call!

Case in point: Our upstairs sink faucet’s hot water valve had been leaking for months. Maybe even more than year. In addition, the rod that controls the sink stopper had rusted away. While having the water heater replaced recently (for which I did call a plumber!), I had the plumber look at the sink. He didn’t have the parts (the valve or the rod) and couldn’t identify the brand of sink. I watched carefully as he disassembled the various components, though…

There are certain home maintenance jobs I do not particularly enjoy. Re-caulking the bathtub is one of them. I especially dislike this job when I have to do it twice in a 2 week period!

I had the perfect scenario a few weeks ago: The family was away, and I would be joining them for a few days, leaving the house empty, and more importantly the tub and shower unused, for several days. A perfect chance to recaulk the tub and have it perfectly cured when we all returned. Or so I thought.