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.

June 18, 2018

     If your house is more than a few years old, chances are there's been some concrete movement, settling or cracking. Here are some answers to the most common problems...

Exterior.

June 11, 2018

     Dear Ken: Which do you prefer for decks? Real wood or composite materials? Mitch

June 4, 2018

     Dear Ken: The sink drains in our master bedroom emit an odor every summer, which smells sour. I have tried mixtures of bleach and powered detergent with no success. Do we just have to live with it? Kirsten                                                           ...

May 28, 2018

     Dear Readers:

     The weather over the past winter months has probably been a little rough on your deck---so now's a good give it a "tune up“ for the outdoor season ahead.

 

May 21, 2018

 

     Dear Ken: We have a cedar fence and want to protect it. Would you put varnish on it or some other clear coat? Ed

May 14, 2018

     Dear Ken: Our older toilet doesn't always empty itself. None of the other drains are slow. What could be the problem? Jonathan

     You may need to clean out the holes under the rim. Use an L-shaped Allen wrench in a diameter that will just slip into the holes to remove scale and rust which may have accumulated over the years. Also, if your toilet is a style with an inlet hole in the bottom of the bowl (a so-called siphon jet) you should clean it out, too. That flow is what starts the siphoning action to...

May 7, 2018

     Dear Ken: You mentioned on your show a way to bring cool air from your basement to the main floor during the summer. I missed some of it. Could you elaborate? Sam             

April 30, 2018

     Dear Ken: Our home is 30 years old, and the plywood floors are squeaky.  We can get to them from underneath and want to fix the problem. Please give us all the options.     Rick

     For minor squeaks, dip a small wood wedge in brown carpenter's glue (Elmer’s makes a good one) and drive it between the plywood and the offending floor joist. Be careful, though, because if you run the wedge in too far, you may transfer the noise to another...

April 23, 2018

     Dear Ken: I have a skylight in my kitchen. Now that the sun is moving north, it shines on the counters and cabinets and heats the work space up. Outside of blocking it off, how can I cut down on the intensity of the sun's rays? Gerry

     Two fixes for you to consider. You could apply some DIY, low-e, plastic tinting film to the inside of the skylight. It's a pretty tricky job trying to manipulate the sticky material into the narrow confines of the skylight cavity...

April 16, 2018

     Dear Ken: I've noticed that some people in my neighborhood have been painting their decks. What do you think of this idea? Would paint do a better job of protecting the wood than stain? Peggy

     I'm not a big fan of painting decks. It clings to the surface of the wood--rather than soaking in--and weathers poorly. Eventually, moisture creeps in between the paint layer and the wood; that leads to blistering and sloughing paint. Also, snow shoveling is brutal on the...