When Mr. Fixit needs a hand

Yelinne and John Megally, newlyweds who live in Chantilly, knew they needed to make improvements on their home. Although they worked on some of the projects themselves, Mr. Megally sought advice from television’s home experts for the more daunting tasks — a squeaking kitchen floor and leaking dining room ceiling.

Thanks to “Finders Fixers,” a home improvement show that is to premiere this fall on the DIY Network, the Megallys have solved their dilemmas.

“I’m so excited, very excited,” Mrs. Megally says. “I’m going to enjoy my home a lot more.”

The show aims to solve typical and not-so-typical household mysteries. One of three certified home inspectors investigates homeowners’ complaints, repairs the problems and offers advice for preventing future troubles.

Homeowners who would like to be on the show can e-mail the producers directly at findersfixers@aol.com or go to the www.DIYnetwork.com and click the Be on DIY link.

Homeowners chosen for the show are visited by a home inspector and contractor before a 9- to 12-hour shoot day. They are expected to get their hands dirty in the fix-it process and wear clothing suitable for a professional setting. Though the program generally is unscripted, participants often are asked to repeat what they have said for the camera.

Depending on the complexity of the project, the show contributes a portion of the expenses. Otherwise, the homeowners pay the remaining bill. So far, advisers from “Finders Fixers” haven’t been stumped by any mysteries.

In the Megallys’ home, the kitchen floor had been installed incorrectly, says host Tim Hockenberry, a home inspector. He runs Home Facts, a home inspection firm in Vienna.

Though the Megallys suspected that water flowing under the floor was causing squeaking, poor installation and dirt and debris were the cause, Mr. Hockenberry says. The underlayment was inadequate, and it did not help that the floor was laid parallel with the floor framing joists. Mr. Hockenberry assisted in removing the old floor and correctly installing a new one.

The water stains on the dining room ceiling came from an old overflow gasket in the bathtub. Water also was leaking through the seal around the bottom of the toilet.

“Any mystery is a process of deduction,” Mr. Hockenberry says. “You look for clues of what’s going on. If you have a mystery in the house that you can’t solve, we’ll help you figure it out and show you how to fix it.”

Everybody who owns a home has at least one mystery, says Ross Babbit, director of programming at the DIY Network in Knoxville, Tenn. If people glean advice from the television program, they can visit the show Web site for more detailed instructions, he says.

The popularity of home improvement shows originates from people’s desire to have a safe place to call their own, Mr. Babbit says.

“There has been a return to comfort, a return to home,” he says. “A lot of times, people like to go to DIY and leave it on as background music and get tips, tricks and techniques to improve their home life. It becomes a one-stop shop for all your home needs.”

After being visited by “Finders Fixers,” Joel Ranck of Northeast says he has regained the use of his fireplace. Every time Mr. Ranck used his fireplace, smoke would come into the house through a nearby window.

Story Continues →