Q&A / 

Quick Column Summary: Is furnace smell dangerous Carbon monoxide is odorless/dangerous Dust accumulation causes smell Clean furnace and ductwork Jane, who lives with an old octopus gravity-feed (probably) furnace in Roseville, MI, has an odor issue. Let her describe it: "We moved into a home that has an old octopus furnace - it is labeled […]

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Quick Column Summary: How to paint over stain Painting Kitchen Cabinets ebook Video link Olivia Stewart wants to paint her stained-wood cabinets. She lives in Oakland, CA. "What kind of paint do you use to paint over stained cabinets? I do not want to use a stain paint.  My cabinets are wood and over 30 […]

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Quick Column Summary: How to clean teak Use an oxygen bleach Leslie Ann, who lives in the land of the Buckeyes in Columbus, OH, needs to clean a teak table that's had lots of stuff on it.  She wants the BEST product, but doesn't want to shop online. Hmmmmmmm "What is the best way to […]

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Quick Column Summary: Soundproofing windows High quality storm windows might help Sound leaks into any air gap in your home Link to sound control information Arlene Vargus, who lives on a race track street in Lynn, MA has a problem. "I live on  a noisy street and want to soundproof my three double-hung windows. Would […]

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Wireless Mailbox Alert Systems - Quite a Few Great Ones Wireless mailbox alert recommendation Many ways for a system to fail Check mail the old fashioned way CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local electronics experts who can install a  wireless mailbox alert. Paul Loudenslager, lives in Tifton, Georgia wrote to me. […]

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Quick Column Summary: Is dust in house coming from ductwork What is creating the dust Most dust gets in through air cracks near doors/windows Denis has a dusty house in California's Central Valley. He lives in Merced, CA. That's a clue by the way. Here's what Denis sent me: "Hey Tim, I have the dustiest […]

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Quick Column Summary: Keep grill away from house Doublecheck propane connections Call fire department first One of my ham radio friends almost burned his house down in the past two weeks. He had to switch out the four-gallon propane tank under his grill and somehow cross-threaded the hose connector. The leaking gas caught on fire […]

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Quick Column Summary: Home improvement endorsements Are they credible Did the endorsers test the product Did endorser get paid for this I'm pretty much just like you. I'm not immune from receiving advertisements in the mail. Earlier this week, I received a postcard from GutterBrush that was promoting a 20-percent-off offer. Here it is: On […]

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Quick Column Summary: Need spray painting tips Start with a great sprayer Use top quality paint Practice using the sprayer first DEAR TIM: I've got quite a bit of painting to do both inside and outside my home. I watched a neighbor use an airless paint sprayer and he made a mess of things. It […]

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