Q. My microwave is mounted above my stove on an outside wall. It is vented to the outside, which creates a draft. Does it need to be vented?

MARIANN ALFORD

A. Not all microwaves need to be vented. Mine isn’t. The fact that you feel a draft means that the hood damper may not be closing all the way. Have you inspected it for debris, bees, or bird nests? You may need to replace the hood.

Q. One of my kitchen cabinets is a slide-out that contains two trash containers. The thing will not stay all the way closed. It keeps sliding open 2 to 3 inches on its own. Is there any way for me to tighten the fit of the rails so they don’t slide so easily?

DANIEL J. WALSH

A. It’s tough for me to say without knowing the brand you have or fussing with it. I’d open the unit, remove the bins, and look for adjustment knobs or screws. Also, throw a level on the rails and see whether they pitch down toward the kitchen. If they do, the rails may be bent because someone pushed down on them or because the bins were overloaded with heavy trash. If the rails are bent, you may need to replace the unit.

Q. We have 2-year-old gutters that drip at the end caps when it rains or when snow or ice melts. It’s especially troubling at the end cap that drips onto a sloping roof in the winter. This adds to an ice layer from the drip to the bottom gutter. The installer said we live in a woody area with debris from pines, etc., that causes the sealer to leak, along with expanding and contracting. He said he would reapply sealer in the spring. What should we do?

DAWN, Boxford

A. Assuming you’re talking about aluminum gutters, and that the gutter end caps were installed correctly, then the good news is that they just need to be resealed. If you neglect cleaning your gutters, they will hold water and the end caps will leak. Hate cleaning them? Invest in a leaf guard system.

Rob Robillard is a general contractor, carpenter, editor of AConcordCarpenter.com, and principal of a carpentry and renovation business. Send your questions to homerepair@globe.com or tweet them to @robertrobillard.