Home Improvement Tips & Ideas
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Our house was built in 1933. It is a wonderful old house and we are trying to restore it to its original beauty. The house is two stories and has some issues. One of them has to do with my air conditioning system. The first floor has central A/C but the top has window units …
We may have an active carbon monoxide problem in our home. What are possible sources of carbon monoxide in a house and how should they be vented?sulpolitix 10-31-06 7:12pm Carbon monoxide is the #1 cause of poisoning deaths in America and is very dangerous. I’m not sure why you think you have an active problem …
I have noticed these little mushroom type looking things growing in my attic where the water is seeping in. Fungus? Part of the mold family? Harmful? I have cleaned up the area with an antibacterial spray but how good is that and what is the proper thing to do to clean up mold? Thank You! …
I have lived in a 1960 single-family, split-home for about 5 years and during the fall/winter time, my house is extremely cold. The walls are cold and I have already replaced just about every window in the home except one! We recently made a hole in the wall to find out if it had insulation. …
I’m constantly feeling drafts around my windows. The drafts are particularly bad when I sit in one chair that is near an east window. I am not ready to go for new windows and am wondering what my alternatives might be. Meredith Drafty windows can be annoying but you don’t have to put up with …
My brother-in-law built a house that uses a tankless hot water system. The water takes 5-10 minutes to get hot. Is this normal, and if so is there a way to speed this warm-up period? Tankless water heaters are a great way to deliver cost-effective hot water to your home. They are energy efficient …
About two years ago, I had noticed there was a leak coming through the ceiling in my bathroom which is connected to my bedroom. My husband went up to the attic to see where the leak was coming from. While he was up there, he fell through the ceiling in our dining room! Undeterred, he …
I have to replace my natural gas water heater but am concerned about the cost of the fuel. Should I replace with another gas heater or electric? phillib In the 10 years I have been answering home improvement questions on the radio, I never had anyone ask if electricity would actually be cheaper than gas! …
My contractor recently installed insulation directly on the inside of my roof. Does this make good sense? Should have he installed the material on the floor of the attic?murc98 – 10/15/06 11:44 AM Well, that depends. If you are finishing your attic, then roof rafters is really the only place you can install insulation. If …
We have a Cape Cod styled home with attic vents on each end of the attic, along with a ridge vent. The attic is insulated. These vents are very helpful in the hot summer. However, in the winter the upstairs is very cold. I want to cover the vents in the winter when the air …
We bought a house with an attic fan that was improperly installed. During a pounding rain storm water poured thru holes around the fan, across the ceiling joists, thru a heat duct and stained the ceiling below. The blown-in insulation also got wet. We put fans in the attic, dried out the insulation and repainted …
Our shower upstairs is leaking down the wall to our basement. I’ve checked everywhere for leaks and it looks like it is in the plumbing somewhere between the shower and kitchen drain. I don’t know what to do next except to start tearing the shower out and seeing if I can find the leak. What …
The second floor of our home has some very loud squeaks that can wake the dead in the middle of the night. Besides the noise, I’m concerned that these might mean our floors are weak.Shirley N., Lincoln, NE Floor squeaks are annoying but rarely signal impending structural doom. However, you don’t have to put up …
We have an upstairs laundry room. The hose came out of the washer and flooded the entire laundry room and caused water to drip through the lights of our kitchen, which is just below the laundry room. To drain the water, we cut holes in the ceiling of the kitchen (a few small ones) and …
We have a 1960 plantation style home with crown molding under the flashing (no gutters). My lot is 1.5 acres and has an elevation change of 25 feet from the street (high point) to the river (low point). We are installing a French drain system to carry water away from the house, but should we …
My clothes take a long time to dry and I’m wondering if the vent could be blocked. I tried cleaning it with a vacuum but can’t get too far. Is there an easy way to clean a dryer duct yourself?Laurie in MI Yes, there is if you have a right tool. I use an inexpensive …
I have a question that could save my life. My husband insists on burning newspaper in the winter, one sheet at a time to get warm as he sits directly in front of it. Now, this winter, he is going to roll up papers, tie them like a log and then burn them for warmth. …
In our nine year old house, the spaces where the cabinets meet the drywall were caulked. After about three or four years the caulk began to crack leaving a space in this area. The space gets larger in winter – some as much as one eight of an inch – and in some places hardly …
I noticed some unsightly black stains on my shingles roof a few months ago. I’m guessing they are the fungus/moss that grows on the north side of buildings and spreads from rooftop to rooftop. What can I use to get rid of them? Robert G. The best thing to do is to clean the roof …
I have seen a tub made completely of tile. How does the tile hold water? I know that tile alone will hold water but grout won’t. I really want to make a tub like this but do you know how to make it waterproof?Sam T., Colorado Springs, CO You are correct that the grout will …
After steaming & scraping off three layers of wallpaper on this wall, here’s what I found: plaster unevenly meeting the wallboard where previous owners apparently covered a doorway. I’m not sure what to do. I found it nearly impossible to remover paper from the plaster without ruing the plaster!Rick J, Wilmington, DE What a …
We’ve had our dual chimneys inspected by 2 companies, and it appears that both have holes in the smoke chambers. One company wants to reline both flues with stainless steel linings and install top sealing damper systems. The estimate for this and a new crown is $4,000. The 2nd company wants to do the same …
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Did you know that the air in your home could be harmful to your health? Air pollution levels inside your home can be two to five times higher than o…
