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.

March 25, 2019

     Dear Ken: The rubber triangle pieces on our garbage disposer look awful and disgusting. How do you clean them? Joanne

     Take an old toothbrush or a round toilet bowl brush, saturate it in liquid, full strength ammonia and scrub the splash guard--top and bottom. This is an area of the disposal most often neglected--and the one that produces that bad breath" smell in the summertime. 

March 18, 2019

     Dear Ken: About 10 years ago, I replaced my washer hoses with the stainless steel braided type. Will they last forever or should I replace them? Audrey

     You did well. Failure of these hoses is one of the most common causes of household flooding. Since there is constant pressure in them (no one I know shuts off the water to the washing machine each time--even your humble, handyman correspondent!) So, the braided style is a great choice to prevent bursting. Your hoses...

March 11, 2019

     Dear Ken: If you had to do one thing to save energy, which it be? A new furnace or new windows? Dennis

March 4, 2019

 

     Dear Ken: I just purchased a 25 year old home that has a strong musty odor in the garage. Is there a drywall sealer for this? Ted.

     I'd attack this problem on multiple fronts. Make sure outside water can’t get under the building. Check the outside drainage; are the downspouts extended, and soil sloped away? Also, siding should be at least 6 inches above the dirt. If not, regrade or install a small retaining wall to hold the dirt...

February 25, 2019

     Dear Ken: I have a new home, and the stairs squeak a lot. I've tried pounding in those little wooden wedges from underneath, but that doesn't help. Any ideas? Jake

     Try dipping your wedges in glue first. That may help tighten up the treads. Otherwise, you need to treat this as you would a regular floor squeak. Snug down the offending treads with several well-placed, two-inch drywall screws.

February 18, 2019

    Dear Ken: I what an icemaker, but there's no way to get at it from below, since the basement is finished. Got any ideas? Like through the cabinets? Julie

     I have such a configuration in my home. We ran a 1/4-inch copper line through the back of about 20 feet of cabinets--even behind the stove! Make sure that the line hugs the back of each cabinet box and isn't impacted by drawers opening and closing.

February 11, 2019

     Dear Ken:  We're about to buy a 1971 house. The current owners thought they saw termites, so they had a pest control company put in a perimeter bait system. Do you think I really need it? Chris

February 4, 2019

     Dear Ken: I have a new garage door which I like, but the problem is there is a gap at one side and I can see daylight. Do I have to live with it? Gary

January 28, 2019

 

     Dear Ken: Should I do anything with my central air conditioner over the winter? Chris

     I would shroud the condensing unit to protect it from winter weather. Theoretically, it will be OK regardless, but if you cover it for the several months when it's not in use, it will probably last an extra year or two on the other end. Most hardware stores sell a kit consisting of a plastic shroud and a bungee strap.    

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...