I don’t have room to put a freezer there… can I leave it outside on my back porch, in an unheated garage, the basement, laundry room??? What happens if it isn’t in the house & temperatures soar or dip below zero, will I have any issues? Convenience First: One of the first considerations is not only where will one fit […]
FAQ: Why are my windows / walls wet or have ice on them?
It seems like every winter the question pops up – why are my windows sweating / have so much condensation on them. It seems invariably that someone pops up with change out your single pane windows with double or triple paned windows… which in many cases turns into “sounds good but I already have them and it […]
FAQ: Ceiling fan direction – summer & winter
One of the biggest questions out there is which direction should my fan be running and how can I tell. You look at the switch and realize it isn’t any help as they don’t even have an arrow saying which way the fan is blowing or even a simple pictograph showing the sun or a […]
FAQ: Should I insulate my Water Heater?
So there you are walking through your favorite home improvement store and there is an insulation blanket or kit for water heaters. Hmm, does that really work? Maybe you pull your smartphone out & it brings you to a piece like this one from EPA’s Earth Month where it states “Improve your water heater’s insulation by wrapping […]
FAQ: Who reigns supreme? Codes Vs. Manufacturers Vs….
If you have been in the building industry any length of time, you know how confusing things can get with manufacturers stating you need to do X, which might be opposite of what the codes state, or figuring out which code applies. Recently, I got the following note regarding our article on attic hatches: Corning […]
FAQ: What decking material should I use
You can say one nice thing about lawsuits, they tend to grab ones attention & ask questions that they probably had never even considered before. For example after being quoted in a recent article saying “In some cases decking is installed in places where it wouldn’t be recommend…” I received the following email; I am trying […]
FAQ: How often should I replace my smoke detector?
This is the final piece on Daylight Savings Time & Smoke Detectors. In this one we ask the final question, just how long is the unit good for aka when should I replace it? While many manufacturers state 10 years (and for newer units a “replace by date” is listed) we recommend every 5 years […]
FAQ: Do I really need to test smoke detector monthly?
Yes, for a few reasons. The primary reason for a stand-alone system is to make sure the battery is still alive & the unit is working properly. For interconnected units which will set every unit off, this is to ensure that a mouse or other critter hasn’t done any damage. Most have a simple “test” […]
FAQ: Smoke Detectors, Batteries, & DST?
I am not sure you have caught it yet on the news or around the water cooler, but this Sunday marks the start of Daylight Savings Time (DST.) You can almost be guaranteed a piece on a clock shop & a reminder to change out your smoke detectors batteries. Amazingly most forget to mention your carbon monoxide batteries. When […]
FAQ: Dear Abby… Valentines Renovation Edition
Growing up one basically started the day with the newspaper. One guilty pleasure section for some guys (yeah I read one or two… occasionally) was Dear Abby, where one would write in about an issue they were having – personal, financial, how to handle whatever. They would then generally end it with a playful name […]