Chimney Fire Danger - No Flue Liner Each week, I receive quite a few emails from readers of this column. I treasure each one because they provide a window to view the real problems and challenges you face with your home. Some messages are small, some are medium, and others are extra-large. One reader sent […]
Clinker Brick Wall - Stunning and Unique My guess is that most of the bricks you’ve seen in your lifetime have been very uniform in shape. Each brick is rectangular. This is by design in almost all cases. The length of a brick plus one mortar joint in the USA is supposed to equal 8 […]
DIY Boiler Service - Easy if You Have the Tools Several days ago, I found myself without heat and hot water at 6 PM just as I was washing dinner dishes. My propane-fired modulating combi boiler, which does double duty, heating the house and my hot water, decided to stop working. It’s still chilly in […]
Why is My House So Cold? Tell the truth. Are there days in the winter when your heating system can’t provide the heat you need to keep you comfortable? What about your AC system? Are there blistering, hot summer days when you feel like a simmering sausage in a skillet? You may not want to […]
A Mystery Beam From the Annie Hodges Schooner? Publisher Note: The following content was generated and contributed by Ms. Margaret Acquarulo and her son. Margaret reached out to me after reading a column I wrote. The column topic dealt with old tradesmen who were so proud of their work that they signed it. CLICK HERE […]
Drone Home Inspection Thirteen months ago, my very good friends Steve and Karin were going about their daily lives in their wonderful home in Altadena, California. Several years before, I had visited for a week. Steve and I plowed through a long honey-do list. I donated my time to Steve to help pay back all […]
DIY Staircase - Use My Ebook You may be like most folks. I’m guessing you give very little thought to the stairs you go up and down on a regular basis. They might be constructed from wood, steel, or concrete. The vast majority of stairs in residential homes are made from wood. One of the […]
Garage Design Ideas - Always Go Bigger Eighteen months ago, I recorded a thirty-second video that went viral on YouTube. It’s received hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of comments. Well over ninety-eight percent of the comments said I had no idea what I was talking about. I never expected this negative outpouring of […]
Zip System Leaking - The Weak-Link Tape You prefer hearing stories rather than being subjected to a lecture, don’t you? The most popular person at a holiday party is often telling stories to a small throng of people gathered around her or him. Allow me to take you on a psychic journey over the past […]
Architect Fee for Renovation - How to Pay the Minimum I was on the phone for an hour a few days ago with a young man who lives about 15 miles north of downtown Chicago. He’s used my affordable phone coaching service in the past to solve a complex heating and air conditioning problem with […]
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