Home | Wednesday, July 5,2006

Keep it cool upstairs

The belief that attic fans will help is widespread

Dear Gene: We live in a two-level house with most of the living space on the upper floor. The air-conditioner thermostat is on the upper floor, which gets very warm in hot weather. We are th

Home | Thursday, June 29,2006

The great debate

Whether to pick vinyl or wood

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: We live in a condominium with a deck that has wood railings that are in need of replacement or repair. The condo association wants us to replace the wood railings with vinyl, which is suppo

Home | Thursday, June 22,2006

Solving a noise problem

Get sound-control windows, build an earth berm, or move

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: My home is close to a busy highway, and there is a lot of road noise. Are there special windows I can install to solve the noise problem? — M.M. Some windows

Home | Thursday, June 15,2006

Removing yellow stains

When grout gets gross, you’ve got several options

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: Some of the grout in my two-year-old ceramic-tile bathroom floor has acquired yellow stains. I haven’t been able to remove the stains with various household cleaners. Can yo

Home | Thursday, June 8,2006

Getting rid of odors

The first thing to do: get a moisture meter

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: I own a condominium that has a musty mold or mildew odor and also gets sticky residue on some surfaces. What can I do about this? — N.M. These symptoms, which

Home | Thursday, June 1,2006

Fixing squeaky floors

If you can get underneath, you have an advantage

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: Our house has beat-up hardwood floors covered by wall-to-wall carpet. The floors squeak badly. Is there any way to fix this problem from the basement, without removing the carpeti

Home | Thursday, May 25,2006

Painting vinyl siding

Some basic rules for freshening up the surface of your home

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: Is it possible to paint vinyl siding? Will the paint eventually wash off? — A.L. Vinyl siding can be successfully painted if some basic rules are followed. An

Home | Thursday, May 18,2006

Repairing plaster walls

Nobody should have too many cracks

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: How can we make lasting repairs to cracks in our plaster walls? Also, should plaster be primed before it is painted, and what primer should be used? — K.L.