Lifestyle Columns
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It's best to close off an unused chimneyFeb 28, 2009 10:00 pm - Q. I am having cellar and chimney problems with my approximately 60-year-old house. We have no water problems in the cellar. First, since installing natural gas many yea...
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Negligent home inspector must be notified before repair is doneFeb 28, 2009 10:00 pm - Q. When we bought our house, our home inspector said that everything was in good condition. Since then, our basement has leaked, some of our circuit breakers became so h...
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When refinancing, don't confuse no-cost and no-cash mortgagesFeb 28, 2009 10:00 pm - The current refinance boom has focused attention on no-cost mortgages - henceforth NCMs - which have attractive features to refinancing borrowers. NCMs help borrowers av...
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A son appears stuck in a mortgage with ex-girlfriendFeb 28, 2009 10:00 pm - Q. My son and his girlfriend bought a home together two years ago. It cost $240,000 with no money down and an adjustable-rate mortgage. They have since split up. The gir...
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Despite security, don't look for 'bare in the air' to catch onFeb 28, 2009 10:00 pm - Recently, an agent at London City Airport's security checkpoint asked a Swiss International Airway pilot to remove his shoes and belt. He took it up a notch and removed ...
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Entrance hall in need of makeover is an opportunity to have funFeb 27, 2009 10:00 pm - Most of the decisions involved in designing an interior - choosing colors and textures, for example - are based on established principles for achieving balance and contr...
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Is your deck ready for the in-laws?Feb 27, 2009 10:00 pm - Summer will come. We promise. And when it does, the word is we'll be spending more time at home because entertaining family and friends here costs less than going out. F...
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Steel Beam's 'Greater Tuna' tasty, but without biteFeb 27, 2009 10:00 pm - Don't be fooled by the "Greater Tuna" catchphrase describing the play as a "comedy about Texas' third smallest town - where the Lions Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline...
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Here are a few options to get fresh air in airtight homesFeb 26, 2009 10:00 pm - Q. I have an energy efficient house that is fairly airtight. I installed new windows and doors. Now the indoor air does not seem as fresh as it used to and odors lin...
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'Drive' cruises with right mix of raunch, sweetnessFeb 26, 2009 10:00 pm - "Sex Drive" (Unrated and Cream-Filled Edition) Surprise, surprise! Given the speed with which this flick entered and then vanished from theaters, I expected the wor...