House Renovation Tips

Wearing gloves, pull out the glass shards. Remove the old glazing compound (soft, putty-like material that seals glass to window sash and sometimes to doors) one of these ways:
Rolling: Ease the corner of a scraper between the putty and the sash. Gradually roll the blade deeper till the putty gives way.
Scoring: Run a utility knife [...]

These heating systems use pipes to distribute hot water to radiators located in various rooms of the house. Modern hot water systems use an electric pump to circulate the water. Valves control the amount of heat that is distributed to each zone. The heating cycle is completed as the water gives up its heat in [...]

Basic warm-ups
Maximize the effect of passive solar heat in winter. Keep all the curtains and shades open during the day on the side of the house where the sun comes in. (This is all day on the south side, morning on the east and afternoon on the west.) The warmth from the sun warms the [...]

 
If your wood stove is close to a wall, here’s an easy way to protect the wall from catching on fire. Attach a sheet of 1/4″-thick masonry board to the wall behind the stove. A 4′ x 4′ sheet will be adequate for any of the common wood stoves. Leave a 2″ air space between [...]

Even if you use your chimney only for a central heating system, be sure to clean it. Soot can build up in the chimney, and birds may nest in it during the summer.
Clean your chimney prior to each heating season and when inspection reveals a buildup of Va” or more of creosote. A chimney positioned [...]

Old chimneys were built without flue liners. The mason simply applied a layer of plaster to the inside of the chimney as he built it. If you have an old chimney that’s in need of repair, consider adding a flue liner instead of rebuilding the chimney. The former approach is much less expensive than the [...]

A local store was having its fur vault fumigated, as it did every year after all the furs had been moved into storage for the summer. Something went wrong during the process, and the vault was overloaded with fumes. No one knew what to do to clear out the room. There were no windows, and [...]

Patience, not force, is the key to breaking a paint bond cleanly. A sharp blow is likely to mess up the paint job. Instead, use a utility knife to score the joints between the sash and the vertical channels it rides in. Also score the horizontal joints between the sash, the sill (outside), and the [...]

Unless you have x-ray vision, it’s hard to know exactly what’s inside wall and ceiling cavities. That’s why fishing a cable, like any fishing expedition, takes time, patience and a certain amount of trial and error. Keep in mind that studs and joists are typically spaced with 14½ or 22½ inches between them. Taking time [...]

Retaining walls of wood (shown in cross section, right) are probably the least expensive and easiest to build. Because the wood contacts the soil directly, you’ll need a rot-resistant type such as redwood, cypress or pressure-treated wood rated for ground contact (the longest lasting of the three).
Most walls have posts made from 4-by-4s, 4-by-6s or [...]