How should I choose a contractor to replace a residential heating boiler? The boiler in place is working fine, but it’s 60-years-old and not very efficient. Many homeowners assume that installing a more efficient furnace makes economic sense, but that’s not…
What kind of router should I buy? I’m a middle-aged woman, out on my own again, and I’d like to build the kind of basic furniture I need to set myself up in a mostly empty house. A router is…
Where can I buy creosote wood preservative? I used to find it on hardware store shelves, but not anymore. Creosote has been used to protect wood against rot since the 1800s, but it’s been phased out for use by consumers,…
Is it necessary to apply a vapour barrier to the 3”-thick foam installed on the insides of concrete basement walls? My step daughter and husband had a new house built, and are planning to finish the basement. The short answer…
What’s the best way to stop a small leak where the incoming water pipe connects to the water meter in my basement? My house is more than 30 years old, and the connections involve large hex nuts. I’m comfortable doing…
Will insulating my garage warm up the cold bathroom that’s above it? The garage doesn’t have any insulation now, just block walls and an open ceiling frame above. Should I be using spray foam? What kind? Insulating garage walls won’t…
Can you please direct me to a reliable source of information on the real cost of energy from wind and solar? It seems that these options requires constant government subsidy to remain viable. If nuclear energy is environmentally less friendly…
Do I need to anchor the new cultured marble vanity top I’ll be installing in my bathroom? One guy in the hardware store says to let only the plumbing hold it down, and other says to use “some kind of…
What’s the best way to insulate a 1906 farmhouse? My plan is to strip the interior, increase the depth of the existing 2×4 wall studs to 2×7, then install batt insulation in the deepened wall cavities after rewiring. What do…
What’s the most economical furnace to install in my Victorian farmhouse, oil or propane? I’d like to replace the 20-year-old furnace I have now. This is a good question because optimal energy decisions aren’t easy to make. Different measuring systems,…
I’m hearing more about EnerGuide for New Houses, but I don’t know what it means. Can you explain? EnerGuide for New Houses is a numerical system that rates the energy performance of new homes. It’s based on a scale from…
What’s the best type of blade for cutting 3/4″-thick OSB with a circular saw? The blades I’ve been using bind and cut poorly. I’m ready to snap! Any kind of general-purpose carbide-tooth blade will easily cut through the kind of…