Tag: Home Repair
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Around the House: If garage door spring breaks, it’s best to spring for a professional
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: One of the springs on my garage door is broken. Is this something I can fix? — Mitch Answer: I wouldn’t. Those springs are wound to a high degree of tension so they…
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Around the House: Sump pump a good idea for all finished basements
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: The builder put in a sump pump pit in the basement, but there isn’t a pump inside. Do you think I need one? It’s about a third full now. — Frank Answer: Generally,…
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Around the House: Pesky pigeon problem not easy to solve
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: I have pigeons nesting under my porch roof overhang. Help! How can I send them someplace else? — Debbie Answer: It’s a mystery why pigeons pick out one house in a neighborhood and ignore the others. But, once they do, they are very…
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At Home: Build-your-own furniture shakes its bad rap
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The pair of side chairs arrived in boxes so flat I thought I had gotten the wrong items. Then again, I usually order furniture that comes assembled. I had ordered the matching set of midcentury, azure-blue accent armchairs for our upstairs TV room. I found…
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Around the House: Turn to attic fan to cool off overly hot attic
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save I’ve been conducting an experiment over the last couple of weeks at my house to see how hot the attic gets in the daytime. I was somewhat surprised to see temperatures routinely in the 120s and 130s during the middle part of the day. And,…
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Around the House: Solving one stinky situation in the bathroom
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: We can’t get our bathroom lavatories to stop smelling. We’ve tried Liquid-Plumr, baking soda and vinegar, even bleach. Can you help? — Roger Answer: Did you remember the overflow? That’s the hole in the front of the sink that drains water if you…
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Around the House: Opt for clear stain to let redwood deck shine
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: I love my new deck, and I want to keep that pretty redwood color. Can I use a clear stain? — Brad Answer: The reddish-blond color of new redwood is gorgeous. The color components in most tinted deck stains help to reflect UV…
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At Home: What moms really want for Mother’s Day (hint: it’s complicated)
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save “When your mother asks, ‘Do you want a piece of advice?’ it’s a mere formality. It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no. You’re going to get it anyway.” — Erma Bombeck I have had a mother, been a mother, been a stepmother and…
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Good-bye city life: As cities lose luster, residents flee to suburbs
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save From their two-bedroom condo in a high-rise tower in San Francisco, Kristina and Grayson Dove enjoyed all downtown had to offer. Great restaurants, nightlife and theater lay just outside the door. Then came March 2020. The pandemic sent employees home to work remotely. The city…
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At Home: When replacing light fixtures, replace bulbs too
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The day had finally come, well, actually the night, when I got to see my home in a new light — LED light to be exact. I had been waiting impatiently for the eight light fixtures I had ordered two months ago to arrive. Now…