Handy Ma'am Hotline

This week on the Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury helps callers with mismatched door frames, cement board in the bathroom, and window screen replacement, repair, and re-cat-proofing. Don't forget to call in or text with your questions for the next episode! 608-205-8768. Find some Mercury Stardust goodies here: Pre-Order her book Safe & Sound, A renter Friendly Guide to Home Repair: https://sites.prh.c...

This week on the Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury helps callers with a sink drain that just won't stop stinking up the place, a toilet not flushing and figuring out what can be done for a non-vented toilet, dogs peeing all over a metal frame to a screened in porch, a 120 year old house whose pipes aren't underground and freeze during the winter, and testing for lead paint when removing old trim in ano...

Welcome back to the Handy Ma'am Hotline! This week Mercury helps a listener with a leaky skylight. She also discusses broken ceiling joists, how to repair a bathroom hole, caulking tape, and the "farm girl" way to swivel a stuck faucet! Don't forget to call in or text with your questions for the next episode! 608-205-8768. iFixit is celebrating their 20th anniversary and 20 years of advocating for...

Mercury loves her history lessons! Learn about the history of the Phillips Head screwdriver, like who invented it (not who you think), why it was great for automobile assembly lines, and how it became the most popular screw in the world! She also answers questions about hanging LED lights without damaging walls, and removing paint after a landlord special. Be careful not to let your bits slip out,...

Did you know we have an After-Show Pre-Show on Patreon? Every week we before we record an episode, Mercury and Maggie chat about life, politics, the trans experience, mom-hood, and so much more. It's truly the unfiltered Mercury Half Hour! It plays each week after the full episode on Patreon. Hence, the After-Show Pre-Show! Due to the 'merican holiday falling on our recording day, Mercury gave eve...

Welcome back to the Handy Ma'am Hotline! This week Mercury helps a listener with one of her most famous fixes: the toothpick trick for loose hinges. She also discusses why someone may have put putty all around a window frame, how to keep a toilet seat tight when you're a little heaftier, what to do about a tub that likely needs to be replaced, and we get an update from a previous caller who shares...

This week on Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury helps answer questions about low water pressure after changing out a shower handle, layers and layers and layers of paint peeling off a bathroom wall, fixing a wonky front door that won't latch properly, landlords charging for fixes in the unit (should they or shouldn't they?), and fixing a toilet that is leaking but the caller can't get the nuts tightened...

This week on Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury discusses how to remove mold from a window AC unit, how to troubleshoot an issue with a gas stove (and make your landlord actually fix it), putting in a new faucet when you feel overwhelmed, what to do about a smelly toilet and how to change a wax ring, and how to get rid of candle soot from a caller who has a candle burning addiction! Don't forget to call...

This week on Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury tackles a stripped set screw on a tub handle, a mean maintenance tech who makes tenants feel uncomfortable, cat snot on the walls (meow!), how to hang something on a wall that has the electrical box on the other side, and what to do when a toilet refuses to flush. Don't forget to call in or text with your questions for the next episode! 608-205-8768. iFixi...

In this episode of Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury and Maggie debate on what a caller means by a "storm door", and Mercury works to solve the problem for both cases. Mercury also discusses the best way to get an accurate paint sample for matching, different ways to loosen a deadbolt that seems to not want to turn, a renter with a landlord that refuses to fix a cracked ceiling AND REMOVE BATS FROM THE...

This week on Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury talks about safely drilling into concrete walls, why she doesn't use chemicals to clear clogged sinks, cracks in the wall, installing rain barrels on old homes, and what to do with a funky sh*there, haha! Watch Mercury's full Drywall Repair YouTube video here for more tips and tricks: https://youtu.be/P8lMl98zj5I Find the tools recommended here: https://ww...

This week on the Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury tackles a bathroom reno that's outside of her comfort zone, replacing an exterior door handle (and garage door safety), shares an apartment maintenance checklist for long-term renters, removing tape off of a door, and fixing a hole in a wall. Find the tools recommended here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/mercurystardust Don't forget to call in or text wi...

This week on the Handy Ma'am Hotline Mercury tackles questions about repairing a wall after the curtain rod was used as a swing by a kiddo, how to get over the fear of ladders so you can do DIY projects up high, what to do when your plastic drain cleaner breaks in the pipe, how to fill nail holes in hardwood after removing carpet, and how to remove scuff marks off walls without repainting! Watch M...

This week on the Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury tackles how to finish an attic that has blown insulation, a wall that was painted with splatter like an art project, painting a cement floor in the basement, and fixing a cedar fence that is falling over. Don't forget to call in or text with your questions for the next episode! 608-205-8768. iFixit is celebrating their 20th anniversary and 20 years of...

This week on the Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury helps listeners fix a hot water stem that's not giving enough water pressure, tips on cleaning a bathroom and dryer vent for safety, fixing a wonky drawer, hanging a puzzle as a renter and not damaging the wall, and answers questions about spray painting vs using a roller. Don't forget to call in or text with your questions for the next episode! 608-20...

This week on the Handy Ma'am Hotline Mercury tackles how to repaint a wall that was previously painted poorly, going into great details to remove the lines you often get with a roller, and cutting in around trim, ceilings, etc. She also teaches how to fix a floor transition strip that's broken, troubleshooting a shower that won't get hot, how renter's can hang things without holes or peeling drywa...

Welcome to the Handy Ma'am Hotline! This week Mercury reflects on raising $2 million dollars for trans healthcare with Point of Pride. She also answers questions from a newbie DIYer who wonders if a bidet install is easy enough for them to do, she helps with a light that seemingly has no screws in order to replace the lightbulb, she helps a tenant who has a moldy smell coming from their vents and...

Did you know we have an After-Show Pre-Show on Patreon? Every week we before we record an episode, Mercury and Maggie chat about life, politics, the trans experience, mom-hood, and so much more. It's truly the unfiltered Mercury Half Hour! It plays each week after the full episode on Patreon. Hence, the After-Show Pre-Show! In honor of our $2 Million fundraiser, Mercury is taking this week off and...

This week Mercury got a call that she just had to help, so she got the caller on the phone directly to ask them questions and see if she could help them! She also covered feeling safe as a trans person in your home, what to do with a basement that keeps flooding, how to make your home more accessible, and how to care for yourself as a trans person in modern America. Don't forget to call in or text...

This week on the Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury tackles one of the most unusual questions she's gotten so far: a landlord who refuses to evict raccoons from the attic! She also talks about how to soundproof a townhome that is sandwiched in between two noisy neighbors, commiserates with a caller who has a bathroom that needs a total renovation due to improper installation and using the wrong material...

This week on the Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury talks all about caulk. You know, the silicone kind. That goes on your bathroom fixtures and tubs! Get your mind out of the gutter, haha! Learn how to remove caulking, apply it so it will actually stay on and look professional, and troubleshoot when your caulking cracks or gaps. You'll also learn about tips and tricks for hiring a contractor, as well as...

Here at the Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury takes your questions submitted to 608-205-8768 via voicemail and text messages. This week she answers questions about a sink backing up into a garbage disposal, fixing cracked ceilings in a condo, how to prioritize projects as a new homeowner, removing popcorn ceilings, and how to talk to your landlord about a damaged counter that can't be repaired. Want yo...

Welcome back to the Handy Ma'am Hotline! This week Mercury helps someone who's cats knocked down a fireplace mantel, a homeowner who wants to paint their kitchen cabinets, a first time renter who's on the hunt for an apartment, a brand new homeowner who's plumbing was done...a little wonky...and a tile renovation that is a bit outside of her wheelhouse! Don't forget to call in or text with your qu...

This week Mercury teaches how to find out what's behind a wall so you can hang a TV, covering up an exposed ceiling in the basement, fixing scratched hardwood floors so you can get your deposit back, remedying flooded carpets, and helping a mom keep her home safe for her and her son. Don't forget to call in or text with your questions for the next episode! 608-205-8768. It’s Fixit Feb! And iFixit...

This week on Handy Ma'am Hotline, Mercury tackles questions from renters and homeowners, and each of those have their own unique set of problems and solutions! She answers questions about cleaning a dryer vent that's on a second story, fixing old window cranks that's aren't opening windows anymore, safely removing mounting tape & fixing the drywall when it doesn't come off properly, remounting a l...