How can I boost the energy efficiency of the floor-to-ceiling windows in my high-rise condo? Heating costs are very high here, and I’m thinking of trying window blankets this winter. Any coverings I choose will also need to keep early…
What can I do to protect a laminate floor in case of a water heater leak? It’s in our cottage, and at times no one’s around to deal with trouble, should it arise. Everything is located on the same level,…
How can we stop water from seeping through the walls of the cold room built in a basement underneath our front steps? We’ve parged and painted inside several times with concrete oil-based paint, but nothing works. The room has become…
We’re having problems with the hardwood floor in our house and I hope you can help. Our place was built last summer, and the floor was site-finished with three coats of varnish after sanding. For the first two months the…
How can I tell if the central air conditioner in our new house is working properly? On hot days this past summer it would take three hours to go from 25C to 22C. I’ve never lived with an air conditioner…
Is foam injection insulation a good way to boost the energy efficiency of my brick house? It’s about 60 years old, and the outer walls are double brick with nothing but an open air space between them. A lot of…
The first step is to get some loose-fill insulation blown into your attic. This is the easiest and least expensive initial option. There are two choices: cellulose or fiberglass, with a slight quality advantage going to the fiberglass, according to…
About 5 years ago I installed two posts under a porch and now one seems to be rising out of the ground. I set the bottoms 50 inches below the surface, in bell-shaped holes, to prevent heaving. I also put…
How can I get rid of the smell of smoke on a century-old oak buffet? I recently bought the piece of furniture at an auction and didn’t notice that it reeks of tobacco. I’ve tried many applications of Orange Glo…
My kitchen will be renovated soon and I’d like to expose the bricks on one interior wall. The kitchen has a breakfast room adjoining it, with its own separate roof and lower walls — sort of like a shed tacked…
Can I salvage my leaky ceramic shower stall? Water’s coming through the floor and appearing on the ceiling below. Should I patch it or completely replace the bathroom shower floor with new concrete? It sounds to me like you need…
How can I ensure that a new ceramic tile job won’t crack again? I’m removing tiles installed poorly 15 years ago, and I plan to install a layer of cement board on top of the existing subfloor. Is there anything…