Home | Wednesday, December 6,2006

Paint your cracks

Ways to camouflage defects in a plaster walls

Our house has plaster walls with many minor cracks. Is there a special paint that will camouflage these cracks? I can’t afford to replace the walls. Texture paint, a heavy-bodied paint that lea

Home | Thursday, November 16,2006

More cricket-catching ideas

Readers suggest cats, duct tape, and glue traps

By Gene Austin

Untitled Document A recent item on dealing with an infestation of crickets in a basement brought so many ingenious tips from readers that the subject seems worth a follow-up.

Home | Wednesday, November 8,2006

How to improve ventilation

When windows aren’t enough, try fans, air exchangers, or “fresheners”

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: My townhouse sometimes has a stale odor. I can’t open the windows for ventilation because they have no screens. What do you suggest? I would certainly take steps to install screens i

Home | Thursday, November 2,2006

Pile on the insulation

A few inches isn’t enough to keep you warm and tingly

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: Our house, built in the 1960s, has several inches of insulation in the attic. The upstairs rooms get warm in summer and cold in winter. Should we add new insulation to improve the comfort?

Home | Wednesday, October 25,2006

Drive away crickets

Ultrasonic alternative to poison sprays

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: Our basement is infested with crickets, and for years they have resisted our efforts to control them with sprays. We are considering trying an ultrasonic device because we do not like to us

Home | Wednesday, October 18,2006

Insulating basement walls

You can’t go wrong with polyisocyanurate foam

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: I want to insulate a cinderblock basement wall. I want to avoid any moisture problems in the insulation and thought of using foam panels, but I’d like the highest possible R-value. Ca

Home | Wednesday, October 11,2006

Keeping mold off the roof

How to use and install zinc strips

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: I have heard that zinc strips can keep mold from forming on asphalt-shingled roofs, but how are the strips installed and where can I get them? Zinc strips are available in 3-foot lengths a

Home | Wednesday, October 4,2006

Hitting the bricks

How to tuckpoint your home

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: I live in a 50-year-old brick house. The material surrounding some of the bricks has disintegrated, and the surface of some bricks also shows damage. How can this be fixed without replacing

Home | Wednesday, September 27,2006

Patch driveway cracks

Dozens of special products are made for this purpose

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: Is it really impossible to patch a concrete driveway? A couple of contractors want to replace the entire driveway, at high cost. The largest crack is about 8 inches long and 1 inch wide. I

Home | Wednesday, September 20,2006

Water, water everywhere

When the regulator valve fails, it’s time to adjust the pressure

By Gene Austin

Dear Gene: A few years ago the pressure-regulator valve on our main water line failed and some water pipes in our home burst, causing considerable damage. We have a new valve, but I worry that it will