February 2015 is almost in the record books. Time is flying. I went on a short hike two days ago on a snowmobile trail with a buddy of mine. It was a sunny day with the temperature about 32 F. When standing in direct sunlight, it felt like 65 F after the past month! Spring […]
The USA Federal Government has decided it needs to make residential water heaters more efficient and has put new water heater rules in force as of April 16, 2015. After you discover how it's going to impact your bank account, you may have to take an extra blood pressure pill. This message was so important, […]
Ada Wilhelm has a gorgeous rectangular tile floor in her house in Hernando, FL. She wrote to me with a very simple question: "How can we darken a grout that is too light?" Well Ada, I'm wondering why you want to lighten it after looking at the photo you sent below. The grout, to me, looks […]
I primarily build and repair houses, but I am a little bit of a shade tree mechanic. My wife's car is a wonderful Volvo XC90 that was made in Sweden in 2004. Do you want to know how to check the transmission fluid level on your XC90? Read on. The other day, I noticed a […]
Tim Carter tests out the Quiet Technology Craftsman Snowblower. This snow blower is equipped with a new quieter engine. The blower was tested after a 6 to 8-inch snowfall in central New Hampshire. It was a cold day with temperatures in the mid teens F. When you see a close up of the muffler, the […]
Mark has an ice buildup and ice leaking out of his soffit where his dryer vent exits his home. It's pretty severe. Here's his story: "I am getting icicles on the side of my house near the dryer vent. This happens in Nebraska sub-zero weather. This side of my house faces the northwest. I made sure […]
I was up 90 minutes before sunrise today. Ideas were bursting out of my head. It was minus 14 below ZERO, so I started a nice fire in my office fireplace. Spring is coming soon, and I've still got a boatload of wonderful seasoned oak firewood, so I figured I might as well enjoy it. […]
Last night, it was minus 14 F here at my house. I live in central NH and that's not unusual. My large deck started to make very LOUD cracking and pop sounds as the sun began to set yesterday. Others are experiencing this same condition. Read more about it and check out the photo in […]
An older woman who lives in Greenville, SC emailed me about a problem with a kitchen contractor in Greenville, SC. We went back and forth as I tried to offer some advice. I asked her permission if I could reprint the emails and she said, "You can use my location, might get people to check […]
Connie Ruffennach lives in Arlington, Texas. As we all know, Texas can have some wild weather. Guess what happened to her attic ventilator turbine vent? Let her give you the details: "We had a sleet storm this morning. My attic ventilator is spinning crazily and is making a knocking sound. What could be causing this?" Connie, […]
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