Archive By Section - Your Home
Building your scream home
Big fun, big business or big hassle, there's no getting away from it. These days Halloween is big time. Though the haunted holiday is still five weeks away, it's already in the stores, and if you want to get the good stuff, decoration-wise, now is the time.
A treat for holiday decorators
Many Santa Clarita Valley residents may be celebrating a scaled-down holiday season this year, but creativity and vision can take holiday home decor to new heights.
Tree planting time
Boys, I have your Thanksgiving-Friday activity right here. While the ladies are battling crowds at the mall, and in between your leftover turkey munching and college football watching, you can plant a tree.
A sticky problem means starting over with tiles
Hi Mr. Lamoureux, Two years ago I had someone put self-stick linoleum tiles in my laundry/bath room. He thought it would stick better if he used mastic also. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Who knew? He did a wonderful job but shortly after the tiles seem to move a bit and also get some goop coming out between the seams. My question is: What can I do to correct this problem short of taking it all up ...
Sprucing up for fall
So, we've had a small break in the heat lately, and whether it was a result of the changing seasons or only a temporary invasion from the beach, there was a hint of cool fall in the air. With that as a nudge, and with the calendar indicating that autumn begins Monday, it's really time to think about your fall home chores. Those chores await inside and outside your home and include both maintenance and cleaning. Fall cleaning
Install GFI units in all areas that are near water
Hi Robert, We have got an outlet in the kitchen and whenever I use the blender, the plug is very hot when I put it away. Do you think installing a GFI would alleviate this problem? Josh S. Hi Josh, By code, you need GFI's, Ground Fault Interrupters, in all areas near water. For example, all above the counter kitchen receptacles have to be GFI protected having their own circuits and no other outlets. Same ...
Let there be light!
So you lost your job, the wife is touring Europe with your therapist, and your dog wants a trial separation. Your retirement account is a shadow of its former self, and your home is slipping toward foreclosure. Is that what's getting you down? Well, fight it, brother, fight it.
Home for the holidays
Light poles decorated like candy canes, flying reindeer, cotton batting as snow, lights and lights and lights ... there is nothing more glorious in the Santa Clarita Valley than the holidays. I've been fortunate to be a part of The Signal's Holiday Light Tour since 1999 and I've enjoyed every moment. It is wonderful to see how much time and effort people put into decorating their homes for the holidays and how much joy it brings to the rest of the SCV.
From bedroom to tasting room
The Schwartz family is pretty typical in size - two parents, three children, two dogs. But recently one of the five bedrooms in the family's Stevenson Ranch home has been given over to an additional family member - well, actually, about 2,200 of them.
Wood floors, retaining walls and strange goings-on
Hello Robert, I am installing wooden floors in my home. I have never attempted anything like this before and wanted to check was there any advice you could offer before getting started. Jason G. Hi Jason, Have you ever seen a wooden floor that has shrank and pulled away from the wall? It happens all of the time, even to some of the pros. To prevent it, pull all of the wood flooring out of ...
How to hire a landscape professional
With rising gas prices, many people are sticking close to home this summer. That means they will have more time to spruce up the yard. However, some yard projects may be too much for the average homeowner to tackle.
Driveway stains can be removed
Hello Mr. Lamoureux, I had my driveway redone with asphalt about three months ago, and I already have a rusty stain from the radiator. I've tried every cleaner out there and nothing is working. What can I do? Bryan B. Hi Bryan, Those kinds of stains always seem to happen on a new surface. Instead of cleaning, you can get a bucket of Black Night and go over that one spot. Mix it up really ...
Get it together
I still find things I engraved with my Dremel tool back in the day. I think it was around 1982, and it was the last time I tried to inventory and document my possessions. And I also remember scraping my Social Security number off some of those possessions as they went to the Goodwill years later.
Everything's coming up roses
Autumn begins in 16 days. And never mind that temperatures are still reaching into the 100s most afternoons here in Santa Clarita, it's time for you to start your fall flower care. With just a little effort you can have colorful blooms popping out from now until next summer. Two of the flower-care concerns for September are bulbs and roses. We'll get some advice on these from local experts.
How do you get a fire hydrant near your house?
Hey Robert, I live in a rural area. One of my neighbors had a small kitchen fire this weekend. We put it out very quickly and there was not a lot of damage done. I started looking and realized there are no fire hydrants located anywhere on our street. Would this be something that we would be charged for, or how much would it cost if we hired someone to install one? Brian C. Hello ...
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