Dear Monty: We are nearing retirement age and thinking of changing our housing situation. We see people we know or hear about making choices that surprise us. There seem to be many more living options today. There also appear to be more paths to get there. Selling a home, ownership choices, renting and where to…
How to Plant a Pet-Safe Garden
Q: I live in the country, and my cat sometimes ventures off my deck on nice days. I am planning a garden and want to choose plants that won’t poison my cat if he nibbles them. What do you suggest? A: I’m sure your cat will thank you if you plant some catnip, cat mint,…
It’s Maple Syrup Season! How to Tap and Boil Your Own
A sure sign of spring is the sight of maple syrup buckets on the sides of sugar maple trees. Early settlers found that Native Americans slashed trees to collect the sap. The sap was gathered into hollowed-out logs. Freezing temperatures caused ice to form, which was removed as pure water, thus concentrating the sap. Hot…
Install a Backup Sump Pump
A flooded basement or crawl space because of a power failure is something homeowners dread, but an ounce of prevention like a backup sump pump is the solution. The pump operates on batteries and does not rely on the local electric utility company for power like a pedestal or submersible pump. A backup pump uses…
Ask the Builder: Building a Stone Wall and Arch
My grandfather was a baker in Cincinnati in the very early 1900s. He and my grandmother owned and operated a neighborhood bakery in the Clifton Heights neighborhood, just 400 feet from where I was born. When he retired, he decided to build an eight-unit apartment building just down the street from the bakery. He named…
Hang a Flat Panel TV
Today’s new streamline flat panel TVs are designed to be suspended from a wall with a mounting device attached to a wall. The mounting device makes the TV screen a part of the wall, eliminating the need for a piece of furniture to hold it. The mounting device is a permanent installation on the wall;…
Troubleshooting Failing Floor Tile Grout
A few days ago, I was singing “Happy Birthday” for the third time to my granddaughter in the kitchen of her parent’s newer home. It was a festive morning, and cake was served before lunch. After taking the first bite of the delicious cake my daughter had made, I was thinking this is a brilliant…
Make a Temporary Repair to a Leaking Sink Drain
Dear James: I noticed a damp spot from an extremely slow leak under my kitchen sink. I cannot afford to call a plumber right now. Is there some method to temporarily repair it? — David J. Dear David: A plumber would rightly recommend that the drain should be replaced, and it will eventually need replacement….
9 Must-Have Tips for Remodeling Your Kitchen
Remodeling a kitchen requires a lot of effort (and cash). Avoid making costly mistakes with these expert tips for every aspect of your design — from islands to floor plans and everything in between. 1. Plan the space. Even in big kitchens, you’ll want to create a compact step-saving work core. You don’t want to…
What’s the Best Heating System?
You might overhear several pickup truck owners bragging about how their Ford or Chevy truck is better than all the rest. It might even be a Ram or Toyota owner. The odds that any of them will convince the other to change brands are remote. The same sort of debate has raged for years with…
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