Home | Thursday, August 17,2006

Restore your floor

If you use the right sander, it’s not a chore

Dear Gene: We have older wood parquet floors that look shabby and need treatment. We have been told that we can “screen sand” them and refinish them easily. I have always heard that it is

Home | Thursday, August 10,2006

Removing algae from decks

Use a bleach-type cleaner

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: Our deck is shaded and regularly turns green with algae. We have pressure-washed the wood twice in three years to remove the stuff. Is there a better way? You should be able to remove the

Home | Wednesday, August 2,2006

Venting a range hood

Using your attic is a very bad idea

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: I plan to vent my range hood into the attic. Is this a good idea, or is there a better way? It is definitely not a good idea. Ideally the range hood should be vented to the outside, usuall

Home | Wednesday, July 26,2006

Rule No. 1: Avoid cheap paint

High-quality paint can last up to a decade with proper care

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: If we paint our siding, how long can we expect the paint job to last? It is impossible to say how long a given paint job will last, because so many variables are involved, but the question

Home | Wednesday, July 19,2006

In a jam with a door

There’s a simple way to keep it from slamming shut

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: Our front door won’t stay open. It keeps swinging shut on its own. What’s wrong, and how can we fix it? The door or its frame is slightly out of plumb (not perfectly vertical),

Home | Thursday, July 13,2006

Repainting aluminum siding

Don't live with a fading, deteriorating exterior

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: My house has aluminum siding. The finish is faded and deteriorated. Can I successfully repaint the siding? — M.K. Aluminum siding can be successfully repainte

Home | Wednesday, July 5,2006

Keep it cool upstairs

The belief that attic fans will help is widespread

By Gene Austin

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