March 8, 2010
Dear Ken: You recommended using satin or semi-gloss paint on a popcorn ceiling. I'm getting conflicting advice. Lots of folks say "no", use flat. What do you think? Barbara
The reason you paint a popcorn ceiling in the first place is to cover up that dingy look of accumulated dust and smoke. Those particles have a static-cling property that affixes them to the little hills and valleys on the ceiling. A coat of semi-gloss or satin will help diminish that "magnetic" propensity.
It will also produce a slight reflective sheen that I like: It looks cleaner and brighter that plain old flat paint. You may notice that new home builders also use satin paint on their ceilings and wall for the same effect.
As I've said before, I would leave popcorns ceilings intact. They are extremely messy to remove plus there are asbestos implications that I don't want to mess with. Besides, once you get their finish off, you usually have to retexture anyway.
Dear Ken: Do we need to use special detergent in our new front loading washer? Bill
The manufacturers of this newer style of washer want you to use the "HE" (high efficiency) designated laundry detergent. It, like its cousins used in dishwashers, is a lower-sudsing product. Some folks report good results by using ¼ to ½ of the normal dose of their old detergent. Try both if you like, but be careful. You don't want to end up like Lucille Ball did in that old episode of I Love Lucy: a kitchen full of suds up to your eyebrows.
Dear Ken: What should the temperature of my attic be? It was 45 outside the other day, but the attic was 70 degrees. Is that too warm? Terry
It depends on when you were up there. If it was during the day, you may have been sampling solar gain. In the winter when the trees are bare, the sun heats up the shingles, which in turn heat up the attic space. This "free" heat means that the furnace won't run as much because the new temperature is closer to the room temperature, and so less heat escapes through the insulation.
If it's that warm first thing in the morning, you may have work to do. Your attic insulation should be at least 12 to 14 inches high. And also make sure that there are no other significant heat transfer areas. Wrap those tall skylight tunnels with 6 inch solid fiberglass batts. Also, if you have a whole house vent fan in your bedroom hallway, cover it with 2 inches of Styrofoam during the cold months.
Dear Ken: I've got a gas log in an older wood-burning fireplace. The box has a fresh air intake. My question is: Should I run it with the glass doors open or closed? Frank
Closed is good. Otherwise, the chimney will steal large amounts of your expensively-heated room air and shove it up the chimney.
In most building department jurisdictions, it's a requirement to add glass doors to a retrofitted gas log setup anyway. Why? The damper has a little clamp that prevents its total closure, so the pilot light fumes can escape. Without the glass doors in place, that same house air escapes 24/7.
Dear Readers: Tom Clayton from the Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association wants me to remind you of a potential scam that rears its head each spring: paving sold door-to-door. Here are the hallmarks of these (usually) itinerant companies:
- We have "leftover" asphalt from another job. Leftover material would be too cool to place on your driveway.
- The deal seems too good to be true.
- They want cash only. Reputable paving companies are happy to take a check or a credit card.
- Door to door sales: Again, reliable, local paving companies don't do business this way.
