Q: I returned home from a business trip last week and, walking up the stairs, one of the steps actually lifted up from the back as I put my foot on it, then flopped back into place as I continued up.

Q.The stairs in my home are in sad shape. One stair tread is cracked and others are scratched from years of abuse. I know I can hide the problem with carpeting, but that's not really my style. What's ...

Q: I have two steps on my first-floor stairs that squeak loudly when anyone walks on them. How do I stop this? — Jay L., Burlington, Vt. A: Squeaks in stairs (or any wooden surface) are caused by two ...

Q: My puppy chewed through the wood on a stair tread. My husband put in some wood filler as a temporary fix, but it's white and looks awful. Then the puppy chewed the wood filler, so some of it is now ...