Homeowner Forum / Repair / July 2008

Time to remove several different brackets, patch some holes and start
over.  I was considering blackout drapes on an ordinary traverse rod,
but a hotel I'd stayed in had a setup where not only could you pull
the drapes closed from cords like a traverse, but you could pull them

How do Fireflys light their LEDs?
Do they have batteries?
Fred

I am using 12" ceramic tiles in the laundry room and need to tile
around a floor drain. The floor slope into the drain is approx. 12"
diameter. How do I fit the tiles? do I cut them into 'pizza' slices
around the circumference? Hopefully there's an easier/better way.

Detached 2-car frame garage with only 2 tiny gable vents. Way too
hot in summer. I installed a 12" exhaust fan in a window frame
many years ago.
The thermostat is a series of metal blades (bi-metal) and a

I just bought a can of CoCo Lopez cream of coconut to make pina
coladas, and the stuff is globby, separated, and disgusting looking.
Is this how it's supposed to look?  I tasted it and it seemed to taste
OK.  Am I going to die now?  Need to know soon...the ice is melting.

I have a Pentair MiniMax pool heater. it's fairly new (5 years or
under) and been working well, but I just noticed that the temp. reads
"high", which according to the manual means that the pool is above 104
degrees, which the pool is no where close to, I've turned the whole

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What type of breathing protection device should one use when working
with wood. I'd like to get something that I could use for both sanding
and  routing type tasks as well as  when using stains and sealers.
Anything at harbor freight I can use that would be of any value or  is

My central A/C is not working as of today. We got up today Saturday
and went to the lake with our kid and dog, had a great time, came back
to an 86 degrees home.
The blower in the addict works we can hear it but the condenser

In this 18-year-old house, the A/C vent at the entrance to the master
bathroom sometimes gives out strong bad smell. We can't find a
pattern, whether it's related to weather, or we just used the toilet
or shower, etc. The smell is sometimes like urine, occasionally like

Last night I was picking my teeth with my last toothpick.  Since gas
prices are approaching $5 a gallon, I only go to the store once a
month now.  I always go on the first day of the month, unless it's a
Sunday or holiday, in which case I go on the next business day.  I

I have three bids on replacing my A/C unit.
The lowest price is for a 16 Seer Goodman.
My regular A/C repaig guy says Goodman is
cheap and unreliable.

The ceramic tiles surrounding our bathtub are clean, well grouted, and
  like new. BUT we don't like their color. Can they be painted over
successfully? It certainly would be the cheapest and fastest solution!
Thanks a bunch.

I just had AC service done last week and the technician said that
there were no freon in the system at all. As far as I know frean
doesn't just disapper and since it worked fine last summer there must
be a leak. So he added 8lb and the system works fine but I noticed

I have to replace a leaky 1/2 inch cold water valve in my basement (I know
how to sweat the pipe/valve), and was told that I have to drain down the
water in my house before doing it (I have a furnace & hot water heater in
the basement).