Weekly Columns

Both current and archived weekly newspaper columns. The date of the column and a teaser of the column appears below. Click on the date to see the entire column.

January 21, 2019

 

     Dear Ken: I have a musty smell in the basement, even after sealing the concrete floor with KILZ and re-carpeting. Should I try a dehumidifier? Gene

     Unless the humidly level is extraordinarily high--which may indicate a drainage or ground water problem--you may simply need to provide more air exchanges, either from the great outdoors or the upper level of the house. Concrete floors always exude a little water vapor from the underlying...

January 14, 2019

     Dear Ken: Six years ago we had a shower door put in. He used some sort of sealant that is dirty and needs to be replaced. How can we get it off? Julie

     I'll bet he used rubber silicone. Sometimes with age, it will discolor and collect all sorts of filmy dirt. Silicone is hard to remove once it's cured. Lift it with a putty knife and try peeling off all that will come; sometimes it will release in long strings. For whatever residue remains, try some mineral...

January 7, 2019

     Dear Ken: Is it OK to close off heat registers in the winter?  If so, how many?  What about in the summer when we air condition? Also, we were advised that it's OK to block the cold air return in the basement. What's your opinion on all of this?  Brenda

     You need to be careful. If in the winter you starve the furnace of its required air, you risk overheating it and shortening its life. In the summer, the result can be a freeze-up of the evaporator coils (the ones on top of the furnace...

December 31, 2018

     Dear Ken: I have mostly oak floors in my home. During the winter, I hear a lot of creaking sounds. Could it be the floors? Would a humidifier help? Donna

     Houses make lots of odd noises in cold weather as wood components expand and contract with temperature changes. Wood floors are particularly susceptible because they are also affected by lower wintertime humidity. As the boards react by shrinking ever so slowly, they can indeed creak and pop. Bottom line: I think a...

December 24, 2018

     Dear Ken: I had my basement finished recently, and I have just become aware that no permits we're obtained. I can't find the guy who did it. What do I do now? John  

     You may be stuck, unless the city or county building authority in your area will do after-the-fact-inspections. If you can talk then into it, you'll probably be charged a penalty fee--like double or triple the normal inspection tariff. Then they may ask you to tear into walls so they...

December 17, 2018

Dear Readers:  This is a reprise of a column I first published in 1996. I hope it will help remind you of your favorite Christmas past.

____________________________________________

 

December 10, 2018

     Dear Ken: Do you recommend those foam type filters in the heat vents in the winter? Also, what about those curved plastic gadgets that I’ve heard heat up the room faster?  Tom

December 3, 2018

     Dear Ken: We bought new windows this year. We get what I think is excessive condensation on them when it's cold outside. Can you comment? Josh

November 26, 2018

     Dear Ken:  We're going away for about three months this winter. What recommendations do you have to protect the house? Jerry

     The main concern, of course, is freezing pipes. Even if you were to drain the piping system, there may be pockets of water remaining in unseen pipes inside the walls. So, never turn the heat totally off. Some folks have asked about blowing the system out with compressed air--like a sprinkler system--and then turning off the furnace. I don't like the idea, because below-...

November 19, 2018

     Dear Ken:  I have a gap between my basement sheet rock wall and the foundation.  Recently the outside faucet froze up.  How can I keep this from happening? Gene              

     You need to get some warm air to the house side of the faucet. I doubt your void space behind the wall is the culprit. Usually, you will need to cut a hole in the...