Henri de Marne
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Home repair: Larger water tank may settle marital spatFeb 04, 2012 11:00 pm - Q. I have the temperature on my water heater set to about 120 degrees so that when you have only the hot water on you will not get scalded. It is a 40-gallon tank, n...
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Home repair: Attack stubborn mold with homemade solutionJan 29, 2012 7:07 am - Q. You have responded recently to a number of letters regarding moss or mold on roofs. I have taken your advice by installing zinc strips on a roof this year to comb...
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Home repair: Be cautious when insulating basement wallsJan 21, 2012 11:00 pm - Q. I am about to finish my basement in a home built in the 1970s in the West Chicago suburbs. I have the following question about vapor barrier and insulation in the...
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Home repair: Insulation for a Chicago-area atticJan 14, 2012 11:00 pm - Q. I live in the Chicago suburbs, and I have read your column in the Daily Herald for many years. Although you have covered the subject of insulation many times over...
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Gadgets and gifts for handy peopleDec 18, 2011 11:00 pm - Following my annual practice, here are suggestions for stocking stuffers and holiday gifts for the handy men and women in your life. Ÿ The Gordon Wrench is a small, plas...
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Home repair: How to protect floors in high-traffic areaDec 10, 2011 10:00 pm - Q. I need help with advice on refinishing my oak hardwood floors. They were professionally redone eight years ago, and he applied two coats of polyurethane on them. ...
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Home repair: Moss loves a damp roofDec 03, 2011 11:00 pm - Q. A friend from Vermont suggested I write to you regarding a problem I am having with the shingles on my house roof, which has a number of annoying small clumps of ...
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Home repair: Rust around tub drain can be repairedNov 19, 2011 11:00 pm - Q. Is there any way to refinish or repair part of a bathtub? The enamel around the drain is starting to pit and rust. I have attached a picture. I gutted my bathroom...
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Home repair: Water causes problems in foundation cinder blocksNov 12, 2011 11:00 pm - Q. It’s no surprise, but after this past year of record snows and rain, we are having continuing moisture problems in the cinder-block partial basement of our 1970s-...
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Home repair: Fan may dry wet spots under basement furnitureNov 06, 2011 12:00 am - Q. Two years ago, we finished a room in our cellar and painted the floor with epoxy paint. We run a dehumidifier, but our area has a very high water table, and our s...