Archive By Section - Your Home
Stainless steals hearts
My kitchen sink used to be nice and white, porcelain-coated cast iron. Now there's still some off-white, but there are also large black, rusting patches where the porcelain has been chipped away.
’Tis the season to bare it all
It wasn't long ago these pages extolled the virtues of planting fruit trees and roses that were already rooted, as opposed to true bare root planting. All of that still applies.
Big game, big screen
Tick-tock brother - as you read this you only have eight days to get your widescreen television installed in time for your Super Bowl party. That's right. You know you're going to buy it.
Robert Lamoureux: Broken snake needs to be pulled from plumbing
Hi Robert, I have a question for you. I was snaking out my line and ran into a problem. I pushed the cable in for about 50 feet but it would not come back out. Eventually it broke off in the pipe and it's still in there. The rental yard said it was my fault. The drains are better, but I don't want to leave it in but can't get it out. Do I have ...
Robert Lamoureux: Don’t take shortcuts with contractor’s insurance
Hello Robert, I represent an HOA and we have received a few bids from different contractors. The prices are night and day. One contractor is more along the lines of what we want to spend but does not have HOA insurance. Our question would be, is this something we should be concerned with? Thank you. Mary B. Hello Mary, Yes. This should be one of your primary concerns. When it comes to HOA properties, never ...
Better than bareroot
Sure it's gonna get cold again, but this recent warm spell probably has you thinking about tuning up your landscaping. It's not such a bad idea, either. Planting now gives things like trees and shrubs plenty of time to get established before the crazy-hot days of summer arrive. And if this line of thinking has taken hold of you, you're probably eyeing those plants-in-a-bag that are popping up at your local nursery. "Bare roots" they ...
Paper management tips
Piles of paper are often the toughest type of clutter. Paper accumulates so quickly and there is a never-ending stream arriving on our doorsteps from every area in our lives. Here are some handy tips from Bob Farkas, the Clutter Wizard, about how to keep your paperwork from getting out of control. The tips shown are for maintaining records and papers manually, not electronically by computer.
Robert Lamoureux: Pass on this 'injection' for waterproofing
Hello Mr. Lamoureux, We have planters that are leaking into units and the subterranean parking structure. We called a contractor and he recommended "injection." I wanted to get your opinion of this as we want to correct this problem. Silvia D. Hi Silvia, I don't believe in injections because they have a bad failure rate. In my experience, it becomes an ongoing maintenance issue as they are constantly coming back for more injections. Not that ...
Bust your clutter in 2009
Does your daughter make you close the garage door every time she is expecting company? Does she close all the bedroom doors before that company comes inside? Is your "filing" room or office both a fire and health hazard? Did you nearly sprain your ankle stepping on shoes overflowing from your closet? Has every horizontal space in your home become "temporary" storage for everything from old magazines to leftover screws?
Sweeping the chimineas
Chiminea - it sounds like a new Latin dance (hey, maybe we can start something) - but the chiminea (chim-ih-ney-ah) has actually been around a long time.
Home-buyer beware
"Don't let this happen to you," said the local man we'll call Mr. Broke.
Anything that got burned needs to go
Hello Mr. Lamoureux, I was working on my car to see if the fuel injectors were working right. I get them disconnected and turn the engine over and the fuel sprayed against the back wall of my garage which caught fire. By the time I got the fire out on my engine, I started to put the fire out in the garage but some damage had already been done. Some of the drywall was burned ...
Your Home Improvements: Noise from sink drives her crazy
Robert, Whenever I run some water in the kitchen sink, I hear a whistling sound. I'm not completely sure, but it sounds like it's coming from the drain. I know it's not a big emergency question like you're used to answering, but it is annoying nonetheless. It started about one month ago and it's driving me crazy. I would just like to know what it is. We have lived here many years and I have ...
A winter wonderland — of safety
I know. You shelled out good money for that fresh-cut Christmas tree only a week ago, and you'll be darned if you're going to take it down before Jan. 2.
Protect yourself from paint poison
Ahhh, the smell of fresh paint! I always loved it, didn't you? Taking a snootful of air in a freshly-painted room always seemed new-life-affirming.
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