Simple fixes for an older home

Plain-language guides for the small jobs that keep a house comfortable: drafts, drips, squeaks and stubborn doors.

Sealing window drafts

Find leaks with a candle, then choose between foam tape, rope caulk and V-strip.

Quieting a running toilet

Nine times out of ten it is the flapper. How to check, and which replacement to buy.

Doors that stick in summer

Tighten hinge screws before you reach for the plane. A ten-minute fix.

Bleeding radiators

Cold at the top, warm at the bottom? You need a key, a cloth and five minutes.