Homeowner Forum / General / September 2004

We live in a 2 bedroom apartment, probably 800 ft2. We need a new A/C
because the central one in ours just doesn't work good. The landlord has
tweaked it numerous times but it just doesn't work worth a flip. So we've
been considering other ways to fix this.

Just a thought, I would like to better insulate my attic in a 1970s
home.  It currently has 3.5" fiberglass there now.  I want to add an
attic blanket type to make the house more comfortable this winter.  In
looking at the home improvement stores here, the best I can find is

Hey All,
I used plywood to protect my home during the last few hurricanes we have
had here in Tampa, Fl.  This works well enough.  I'm considering installing
some hurricane shutters.  I want them to protect my house and look good.

I'm looking into getting some light switches with passive infared (PIR)
sensors and adjustable timer to automatically turn off lights that my
kids seem to leave on all the time (wife too...but she usually blames
the kids).  Of course *I* never leave lights on :-)

I have been looking around on the WEB  at various methods and products
for cleaning mold . Although household chlorine bleach is cheap and
effective , it is pretty nasty in an enclosed space like crawl space
or attic . I have seen a lot of info on Microban (tm)  quaternary

Has anyone had any experiences with their SureStart, SureStart PLUS,  
Integrity Roof, etc warranties.  Interest in value, claims experience, etc.

Is it ok to lay sodded grass over some weeds that have grown in the
new home or do i really need to have them pulled? If so, what tools
can make it easier to pull the weeds out because i don't want to pull
it with my bare hands. Thanks.

I have a rental townhome I need to recarpet.  I received advice from my
father-in-law not to use berber as when it snags the vacuum will grab a thread
and pull out a noticeable piece of carpet, plus it doesn't lay well on stairs.
The carpet place is recommend a cut-pile berber ...

We looked at a old stone house, built in 1920s, in Bergen county, NJ,
and fell in love with it. It's just beautiful! Huge family room with a
fireplace, dining room, beautiful breakfast nook, kitchen, sun room
and a library on lower level. 3 BRs on top, and a large (for this

I recently purchased a house that has two stories and a basement.  The
top story, which is 1700 sq/ft has an entirely seperate AC/Furnace
that services this level and it is fine.  However, the unit that
services the main level (1300 sq/ft) and the basement (also 1300

Did you know that your mortgage company is allowed to confiscate an
additional two months of escrow if you account came up short?  This applies
even if the mortgage lender screwed up the initial escrow estimate.
That means they get to increase your monthly payment to cover the ...

I remember a bunch of complaints here a little while back, involving wax
motors and circuit boards and things.  
I just received a mailing this morning about a class action settlement
involving Maytag and the machine purchasers, so maybe relief is at hand.

   I am about to do the epoxy finish on my garage floor, and I have a
question about the acid used during the etching process.  Basically, my
dilemma is this:  About 15-20 feet from the bottom of my driveway, there is
a 8-12ft diameter perpetual puddle that is consistenly fed by ...

I was wondering if you know of a site where they have some recommendation or tips
in regard to how to paint walls ? If say use two colors , which wall or what color will
make impression that the room is smaller or longer. I also have two huge beams on the ceiling.
Pretty large one. ...

I just bought a house with marble windows sills, some of which don't
look like they've been cleaned in quite some time.  Can anyone suggest
some good marble cleaner and polish to restore the finish?
Thanks,