Homeowner Forum / Repair / April 2008

Anyone have experience or recommendations for changing the color? What
products did you use? How long did the finish last before peeling,
bubbling, getting dull looking, etc.?
A pro in central N.J. wants $395 to do it and only offers a 1-year warranty.

Greetings. I would like to refinish my  6 panel oak front door.  It
currently is stained and has polyurethane or varnish on top that has
faded. What would be the best way to strip it, chemicals or heat gun?

Re:  Area rugs on carpets keep moving
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When I lay area rugs  over carpets with kids around the area rugs move
around and turn  up at the corners and gets ruined.

I plan to use the sponge-on technique, with one or two coats over the
latex base coat. Almost everything I've read talks about using glazes
over the base coat, with glaze meaning a transparent "paint" that I
would tint to which ever color I choose, using separately bought

Hey Guys -
Long time no post (I mean REAL long time).
Got a pool question - of sorts.  Given the high cost of electricity here in
the northeast, I was thinking or running my pool filter motor at night to

Folks,
I am getting a new gas line in my house. So far everything is electric
(heat, water heater, cook range everything). You can understand my
aggression to go for Gas due to the electric bills.

I have heard that there are dimmers available that will work with
conventional CFLs and don't require the special dimmable CFLs, but I have yet
to find one that clearly states it will work this way.
Does anyone here know about such a dimmer?

Ok, how do others handle this?
I have about 1 cord in my backyard.  It's the season to have a bee problem
and they like that area.  Since I fully plan to burn this wood in the
fireplace next winter, I cant just spray it with pesticides.  I do not have

Remember when you were young and the rain used to wash your car? Now
after a rain you have to wash your car because it looks like somebody
threw mud all over it. The air must be filthy.

I am having a security system with smoke detectors installed.
The magnetic switches and infrareds are easy but, how do I test the smoke
detectors? (Without setting the house on fire.)
Thanks

My dad needs a GOOD indoor OR outdoor FM radio antenna to recieve the Gospel
station he likes. It comes in clear in the car even in the garage but no
luck in the house. Have tried the wire antenna,35 dollar radioshack indoor
antenna,rabbitears,rooftop TV antenna,ect. He is trying ...

    I thought I would post this here as most people would know what
washers have the most problems. I'm looking to replace our horrible
Maytag Atlantis Washer MAV7504EWW since it has torn through the
majority of our clothes and leaves a lot of lint on them coming out of

Have a fair amount of green moss on driveway and rocks that I would like
to kill.  Have scrapped a lot of it away, but the amount that seems to be
un-scrappable is still large.
Can I use Vinegar to kill the stuff ?

Any experience of the Arnold 16-in. "Power Rake" de-thatching blade that
is intended to replace the regular blade on a mower?
Perce

I have a couple of line powered (mains/AC powered) smoke
alarms.  Today one of them started beeping seemingly
randomly.  Not sure if that means something, or if I
should change it out.  It is between 9 and 16 years old.