Home Improvement
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Company attempts to make a better smoke detectorOct 26, 2013 1:00 am - SAN FRANCISCO — Smoke detectors frequently produce more headaches than useful warnings. The devices have an irritating habit of shrieking when there’s no cause for alarm...
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Seller suspects home inspector collusionOct 24, 2013 3:56 pm - Q. The people who are buying our home just had a home inspection. After the inspection, I heard the inspector tell the buyer’s agent that he would change the report to w...
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Adding light therapy to whirlpool can be a bright ideaOct 20, 2013 1:02 am - Q. I am looking to install a new whirlpool tub with my bathroom renovation, and the salespeople I’m working with have been going over options that can be added to the wh...
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A hose-spigot dilemmaOct 19, 2013 12:00 am - Q. My hose spigot is inside my attached garage. I attach the hose to water my lawn or flowers, and when I am done I turn the water off and detach the hose. I then have t...
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Faulty Masonite siding is known to be defectiveOct 18, 2013 12:52 am - Q. When I bought my home, my home inspector said nothing about the exterior siding. Months later, a contractor pointed out that the siding boards have swelled, buckled a...
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New medicine cabinet can cure bathroom bluesOct 13, 2013 1:02 am - Q. I get depressed every time I shave in the morning because I don’t like my present medicine cabinet. Unfortunately, it came with the house, so I’ve been stuck with it....
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You can preserve an aging, leaning garageOct 12, 2013 12:00 am - Q. My home is from the 1930s and has a detached garage. At some time the garage was extended for more room for a larger car. Now the whole garage is leaning to one side ...
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Plastic dryer vents pose several potential problemsOct 11, 2013 12:41 am - Q. My handyman did some repair work under the house, and he said I have the wrong kind of exhaust duct for my clothes dryer. It’s made of white plastic and looks like a ...
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Couple torn between two kitchen-faucet stylesOct 06, 2013 12:02 am - Q. My wife and I enjoy reading your column, and we both agree you can help us. We’re installing a new kitchen faucet and narrowed the choices down to a “pull out” or a “...
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How to rid your home of draftsOct 04, 2013 10:23 am - Think about what it might be like if you turned up the heat and then opened all of the windows in your home. All of that warm air would rush right out, and you would be ...