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.

August 10, 2019

     Dear Readers: We’re about halfway through the sprinkling season now, so it’s a good time to check the operation of your system. Most of us sprinkle early in the morning, so we never have a chance to it in action. Sprinkler heads get bumped and tweaked all season long as you mow the lawn—so you may be surprised to see that some heads are broken and produce a small geyser or are stuck and don’t pop up at all. And some might be pointing in the wrong direction--spraying against the deck, fence, siding, foundation or into a window well...

August 3, 2019

     Dear Readers: The spate of rainy weather over the past several weeks is a good time to remind you about mosquitoes--and the rare but worrisome potential for West Nile virus. These pesky critters breed in stale water, so here are a few tips to eliminating these areas around your house:

     * Remove any standing water collections--like in buckets, boats, wheel barrows and trash cans.

     * Wet, low spots in the lawn can be...

July 27, 2019

     Dear Ken: We just put up a new cedar fence and would like to preserve the natural color. Any ideas? Carol    

     Once you start, it will probably take annual applications of a linseed-oil-based exterior deck stain. Why? Because when you use a "natural" or "clear" product, the sun bleaches away the finish much more readily than it does to a product containing a colored pigment. Anyway, use a pump-up garden sprayer to apply a good brand...

July 20, 2019

     Dear Ken:  We have a home with older wiring. I have noticed that light bulbs burn out too often. Is there a problem with the wiring? Is there a test we can do?  Bill

     The utility company should come take a look to make sure they are delivering power at the correct voltage (somewhere around 117 volts, give or take) and that their connections to and from the meter are adequate to carry your home's load. Since you indicated that this is an everywhere problem...

July 13, 2019

     Dear Ken: We just bought a new house and car oil has stained the driveway. We have tried degreasers, but it is still stained. Any tips? Stan

     Grease and oil stains can be pretty tough to get out of these surfaces because the concrete itself is so porous. I've found that the following four basic steps can restore your driveway's surface to a reasonably like-new condition. First, scrape off any loose material with a putty knife, then sprinkle on a...

July 6, 2019

     Dear Ken: I would like to know if you recommend closing off unused rooms in an air conditioned house. Our contractor says it's not a good idea, but I don't understand why. 

Marie

June 29, 2019

     Dear Readers: If you're sleeping fitfully, it may be the heat leaking into the bedroom area that's bothering you. Even on what you consider moderate days, the attic space can get to 100 degrees or more, especially if you have a dark roof. Here are some ideas to keep you more comfortable.

     We usually think of attic insulation as a winter thing, but it also helps keep the house cooler in the summer. If you don't have at least 15 inches of blown insulation,...

June 22, 2019

     Dear Readers: You may have a vacation coming up this summer, so I'd like to share a few tips on some items to tend to before you go.

     This is a good time to check window locks which are below or near the ground. The old stand-by, a broom handle wedged into the frame, is OK, but a better idea is to install metal thumb screw clamps in the tracks of both slider and single-hung windows. Besides preventing unauthorized opening, they provide a secure way to...

June 15, 2019

     Dear Readers: It’s time to service the air conditioning system; this can be an every-other-year procedure at your house. Why? Our cooling season is so short here that our A/C systems aren’t especially overworked. Your furnace, however, is another story. If it goes bad, it can let dangerous fumes into your house, so it needs an annual check, clean and service. Incidentally, some HVAC companies will give you a special price—usually around $100 or so—if they can service both systems in one trip....

June 8, 2019

     Dear Ken:  Our 1916 house has 9" square floor tiles with 15% asbestos. How should we remove them to put in new flooring? We tried to pry one up and it broke. Dale

     Most everybody now agrees that it's a good idea to leave this material in place. Your breaking one probably released some asbestos fibers into the room air, so you can imagine how much contamination would result from tearing up the whole floor!  Removing it would require the services of an...