Tips for solving noise, breeze, timing issues
Steamy showers are great for your body but bad for your bathroom — and any surface nearby where condensation settles after you open the door. The downside is mold. It...
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Improving hot water circulation with loops
Technology in houses allows nearly instant control of its systems. Remote sensors and chips built into appliances even permit off-on control from a distance — with one exception: hot water....
The dirt on preserving your retaining walls
On one of the real estate TV programs about flipping houses, misinformed fixer-uppers discover a tilting retaining wall. They erroneously explain that a high bank of dirt is pushing it...
Single-ply rules the low-slung roof
Covering low-slope and flat roofs used to be one of stinkiest procedures in all of construction. That's stinkiest literally, as in steaming buckets of hot tar with an odor something...
Touch-up time
In bad weather it's easy to put off exterior home repairs. But when spring arrives it's hard to procrastinate any longer. That's when a tour around the house often reveals...
Carpet cleaning, removing stains without a pro
With carpeting on the floors you should "vacuum daily in high-traffic or pet areas," according to the Carpet and Rug Institute, which adds that you will "feel better for it."...
Carpet cleaning, removing stains without a pro
With carpeting on the floors you should "vacuum daily in high-traffic or pet areas," according to the Carpet and Rug Institute, which adds that you will "feel better for it."...
DIY fixes screen out bugs
When screens are torn, loose or punctured, insects zoom through, making for a miserable household, instead of a home swept by summer breezes. Most small holes are easy to fix....
Open to the possibilities
Breaking through a wall to create a wide opening between two rooms can make most houses seem more spacious. It's not a radical alteration that converts a center-hall Colonial to...
Build a repair kit for plumbing emergencies
When you call the plumber to fix a leaking pipe, it may be surprising that only a few hardware-store basics are needed. Watching the contractor work — at umpteen dollars...