If you own your own home, you understand the advantages of do-it-yourself projects. You can do things your way, on your schedule, with the materials you select. You have the sense of pride that comes with completing a project with your own two hands. And of course, you can save some money at the same time.

But doing it yourself isn't always an option. Some projects are too big, too time-consuming or simply beyond your comfort level. When that happens, it's time to hire a contractor to get the job done. Which leads to one of the most common questions I get from readers:

"What's the secret to dealing with a contractor?"

Know what you want before you start
Before you ever start thinking about calling a contractor, you need to know what you want. That sounds pretty obvious, but surprisingly enough, most people simply don't have a very good grasp of what they want to have done. And if you don't know what you want, then the contractor certainly won't. That will lead to misunderstandings, disagreements, and ultimately to disappointment.

Determine as much as you can about your project. Look through magazines, take a home tour, go to the library, and walk through a home center. The more details you have ready for the contractor, from the sizes of rooms and their intended use to the types of windows and appliances and trim you want, the better the contractors will understand your vision. That will greatly improve communication, as well as your chances of getting the finished product you're hoping for.

Who does that type of work
Different contractors have different specialties. You can save yourself some time and ultimately some money if you understand the type of contractor you're looking for. If you want a contractor to repair your fire-damaged home, look for someone who specializes in fire damage, not a firm that only builds new houses.

There are also times when you need a general contractor, and times when you need a specialty contractor. A general contractor oversees several trades on a project. For example, if you want to have a room addition built, you would use a general contractor, rather than hiring five or 10 individual specialty contractors and trying to coordinate each one. On the other hand, if you want to have a new heating system installed, you'd typically hire a heating and air conditioning contractor to handle that.

Referrals
Now that you know what you want to have done and who you need to do it, you need to find the right company. The single best way to do that is through a personal referral from someone you know and trust.

If you know anyone who's had work done on their home that they were happy with, that's usually the ideal place to begin. Talk to them, and get some feedback about the contractor's skills, pricing, on-time performance, crew and subcontractor performance, general cooperation, and anything else you can learn.

There are other sources of referrals as well. Maybe you've seen a plumber's van or an electrician's truck at your neighbor's house. Perhaps you drive by a room addition every day on your way to work. Stop and introduce yourself, and talk to the homeowner. As long as you're not asking a lot of personal questions, especially financial ones, most people are more than willing to share their experiences. You'll usually get some great first-hand information about the contractor, both good and bad.

Material suppliers are also great sources. Ask the people where you buy your lumber or your plumbing supplies if they know of anyone who's particularly good at the type of project you have in mind. Like contractors, retailers have a reputation to protect. They want to keep you happy and coming back as a customer, so they'll typically refer only those contractors they know are honest and will do a good job.

The initial call
Except for small projects, I always encourage people to talk to at least two different contractors. It gives them a comparison of different perspectives, different personalities, and different price structures. When you have your names, call the contractors. But before setting up an appointment for a site visit, ask the following four questions:

1. Do they do the specific type of work you're looking for? It could be they no longer do kitchens or room additions, or they now do fire damage work and have stopped doing remodeling. Clarify that up front.

2. What's their schedule like? If you have a project that has to be done within the next month and the contractor can't even start until then, there's no point in wasting your time or theirs.

3. Can they provide you with referrals? Most companies are more than willing to provide you with names and phone numbers of past clients. If they can't or won't provide you with referrals, don't hire them! Between the time you call the contractor and the time they come out to your home, be sure to follow up on a couple of the referrals and get some feedback from the homeowners. For larger projects, ask if you can come out and view the contractor's work.

4. What is their business name and license number? Get the contractor's full business name, address and business phone number, as well as their contractor's license number. Immediately call the proper state or local licensing agency to verify the status of the license and that any required bonds and insurance policies are in place. If there are any problems with the contractor's license, bond, or insurance, do not deal with that contractor!

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com. All product reviews are based on the author's actual testing of free review samples provided by the manufacturers.

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Q: I found a house I would love to buy, but the problem is it has a pool. I would love to get rid of the pool and just plant trees in the back, but friends tell me the value of the house would fall.

I don't care; I had a pool once and it took too much effort to take care of -- and nobody used it. My husband says it is so easy -- he would just put dirt in the huge hole. Is it that easy? --Zein G.

A: You certainly can fill in the pool, but it's a little more involved than just filling it with dirt. First, you need to disconnect all of the plumbing and electrical wiring associated with the pool and its support equipment. This is something that should be done by licensed professionals -- especially the electrical wiring.

From there, you would want to break off the upper portion of the pool itself -- the tile, concrete, etc. -- down a couple of feet. That will get any of the hard surface around the top and upper edge of the pool out of the way so that it doesn't eventually begin to show above ground again. Now you can proceed with filling in the pool itself.

To prevent dangerous settling, filling in the pool needs to be done in a succession of layers, known as "lifts." Dirt and rock would be placed in a layer on the bottom of the pool, then compacted. Another lift of dirt and rock would be added and compacted, etc. The final lift would be all topsoil, allowing for the placement of new landscaping.

You will definitely want to talk with an experienced, licensed excavator about the exact steps required for your particular situation, and also get a bid for the cost of the work -- preferably before you make your final purchase decision. You'll also need to check with your local city building department to determine what permits might be required.

As to the purchase and the value of the house, you stand to take a hit in three different areas. You'll be buying the house based on its value with a pool, a value that will then typically decrease when the pool is removed.

And, you have the expense of the removal and the new landscaping. I would discuss this with a real estate professional who's experienced with your area, and make sure this makes financial sense.

Finally, be aware that the removal and filling of the pool is something that will need to be disclosed to a future buyer when you go to sell the home, and could have a potential impact on a future sale.

Q: Any suggestions on cleaning a composite deck material? I have two decks finished with composite decking and I have notice black dots forming after only one year. Also, can composite decks be sealed or need to be sealed? --John M.

A: For routine cleaning of a composite deck, just use soap and water. I would suggest a powdered detergent with a degreaser, such as Spic and Span, mixed with warm water, and applied with a nylon scrub brush or push broom. Rinse with cold water. You can also apply the soap and then do the rinsing with a pressure washer set on a wide fan spray. Stubborn spots should come clean by mixing up a paste of water and detergent and scrubbing with a nylon brush.

The tiny black dots you are seeing are probably mildew, which is not uncommon. There are now several deck cleaners formulated specifically for use on composite decks, and many of them say that they'll take care of mildew problems.

Before doing that, however, if you know the manufacturer of the decking material I would either check out their website or give them a call and ask for their specific recommendations for dealing with mildew.

And no, composite decks should not be sealed.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com. All product reviews are based on the author's actual testing of free review samples provided by the manufacturers.

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Everyone loves having an outdoor deck to relax on during the summer months. But if your deck is just a little bit on the boring side, there's a wide variety of deck helpers available for turning "ho-hum" into "wow"!

Deck balusters: Instead of standard wooden pickets on your deck railing, how about something really eye-catching? There are a variety of extruded aluminum balusters to select from that combine beautifully with wood to create a sturdy deck railing that's also weather-resistant. Aluminum balusters are available in lots of different baked-on enamel colors, such as black, white, green, bronze, silver and others.

Balusters don't need to be straight up and down either. You can choose from ones that are twisted in classic Colonial shapes, or ones that are arced out in smooth curves or angular bends to suit your particular tastes and style. All of them are pre-shaped, and simple to install.

Deck rail panels: How about something even more dramatic to set off your deck rail. There are laser-cut steel panels available with the silhouettes of trees, wildlife and other outdoor scenes. The panels fit into grooves in wooden supports to make up a sturdy deck railing that will really become a unique feature in your yard. You can ring the entire deck with them, or use just one or two panels as a focal point.

Solar post lights: Here's a quick and easy deck upgrade that looks great and is also a nice safety feature. Solar post lights attach to the top of any standard 4-by-4 posts. A small solar panel on top of the light uses sunlight during the day to recharge batteries inside the fixture, which powers LED lights at night. Solar post lights are available in several different styles and colors, and are easy to install with no electrical wiring required.

Rail-top planters: You can dress up the look of your deck without utilizing any valuable deck space by incorporating some rail-top planters. These attractive planters are made from vinyl, cedar, or other materials, and are designed with a groove in the bottom that fits over standard 2-by-4 or 2-by-6 lumber. Available in both round pot and rectangular box designs, the planters fit over the top cap of the deck's railing. They're easy to install wherever you want to add the beauty and color of fresh flowers on your deck, or even to create a quick herb garden.

Patio misters: If you have a deck that's a little too hot to handle some afternoons, consider the addition of some patio misters. A patio mister is simply a series of micro-nozzles, pre-installed in a length of hose. The hose is attached to the edge of your deck railing, the underside of a patio cover or pergola, or any other convenient location, then attached to an outdoor hose bib.

The nozzles deliver a continuous, very fine mist of water, which in turn will cool down the ambient temperatures and make your deck and your outdoor environment much more enjoyable.

Patio misters are available in different lengths and nozzle configurations, and there are also accessories such as booster pumps, splitters and even in-line filters to help you customize your installation.

Rope lights: For some fun and some added safety, consider adding some rope lights to your deck. Rope lights are tiny bulbs encased in clear or colored flexible plastic tubing, and they can be installed outdoors in a wide variety of locations.

They add a festive atmosphere to any deck or patio cover, and provide additional subtle, non-glare lighting for steps, railings and other areas. Look for lighting that's UL-approved (by Underwriters Laboratories Inc.) for exterior use.

Plan sets: Feeling ambitious? If you'd like to tackle an outdoor project that will improve your yard and give you a tremendous feeling of accomplishment, but you're at a loss as to where to begin, consider buying a set of pre-drawn plans. There are plan sets available for a wide variety of projects, from simple barbecue carts and picnic tables to Adirondack chairs and deck gliders.

You'll find plans for interesting deck railings, pergolas and deck covers, and even for the deck itself. The typical plan set comes with drawings, material lists and assembly instructions, and some are even available with DVDs.

You can find these and other accessories for your deck at your local home center, hardware store and lumberyard, as well as at some larger department stores and warehouse stores. And as always, a search of the Internet will yield a wealth of products and ideas.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com. All product reviews are based on the author's actual testing of free review samples provided by the manufacturers.

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Sanding is part of many home improvement projects, from woodworking to paint preparation. But if you've ever looked through the sandpaper section at the home center or the paint store, you might be confused about all the different grits, abrasives and other terminology you've run into. Here are a few tips to help clear up some of the mystery.

Abrasives
The material that does the actual sanding work is what's known as an abrasive. The abrasive is bonded to a backing, typically paper. So when we think of sandpaper, we typically think of tiny particles of sand that are adhered to a paper backing, which is obviously where it gets its name. But there are actually thousands of different combinations of abrasive materials, backing materials, and bonding materials to hold the two together. Luckily, for home improvement use, you'll need to concern yourself only with a couple of them: aluminum oxide, garnet, silicon carbide and ceramic.

Aluminum Oxide: Aluminum oxide is one of the most common abrasives, and works well for sanding both wood and metal. As you sand, the aluminum oxide particles crack and break off, which means that sharp new points are constantly being exposed. This helps the aluminum oxide sandpaper to last longer than other types of sandpaper.

Garnet: Garnet sandpaper is a good choice for woodworking. The particles don't crack off the way the aluminum oxide does, which means that the sandpaper dulls as you use it. So while garnet paper wears out faster, it tends to create a smoother surface on wood than aluminum oxide paper of the same grit. This can be a definite advantage for the final finishing of woodworking projects.

Silicon Carbide: Sandpaper with a silicone carbide abrasive is very hard, harder than either aluminum oxide or garnet. This hardness makes it a great choice for sanding metal, for paint removal, and for use on plastic and fiberglass. Usually not the best choice for wood.

Ceramic: Ceramic particles are very hard but not overly sharp, and are also on the expensive side. They work especially well for the fast removal of material, particularly in woodworking. They're most commonly found on the belts used for belt and drum sanders, and some types of disk sanders.

Grit
Besides the type of abrasive material you'll be using, the next thing to concern yourself with is the grit. The grit of the sandpaper refers to how fine or how coarse it is. And in one of those oddities of construction, the lower the grit's number is, the rougher the sandpaper is, and the higher the number is, the finer the sandpaper is.

Coarse: Coarse paper is generally considered to be in the 40- to 60-grit range. This grit would be used for the initial surfacing of rough wood, for rough shaping and for paint removal.

Medium: Medium sandpapers fall within the 80- to 120-grit range. They're typically used for the next step in smoothing wood surfaces.

Fine: Fine sandpapers have grits of 150 to 200, and are usually the final paper used before painting or staining.

Very Fine: Very fine sandpaper is usually in the 220- to 240-grit range. This is commonly used to remove imperfections, or to roughen a surface between coats of finish.

You always want to begin with a grit that's just coarse enough to begin removing material from the surface you're sanding. In other words, don't use a paper that's any coarser than it needs to be, since you'll be introducing additional grooves into the surface that you'll just have to sand out later. On the other hand, using 150-grit paper to try to remove paint will be a waste of time, since the paper will clog almost immediately.

Work your way up through progressively finer and finer papers until you achieve a surface that's smooth enough for what you need. You might need to use just two different grits, or you might have to work through four or even five.

Open-coat and closed-coat sandpaper
These are a couple of other terms you might run into at the home center. Closed-coat sandpaper has abrasive that covers the entire surface of the paper. That additional abrasive means that you'll be able to remove material faster, but it also means that the paper will tend to clog more quickly.

With open-coat sandpaper, the abrasive covers about 60 percent to 70 percent of the surface of the paper, with more open space in between the particles. This makes the paper less aggressive to sand with, but also makes it more flexible and less likely to clog up. Open-coat sandpapers are a good choice for sanding wood, and especially for paint removal.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com. All product reviews are based on the author's actual testing of free review samples provided by the manufacturers.

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It's an all too common situation. You find a perfect home for sale in an ideal neighborhood. It's been beautifully remodeled, and it has everything you've been searching for. Even the price is right. Something tells you it might be too good to be true, but you put in an offer anyway, and it's accepted.

You start doing all the paperwork, and sure enough you discover the catch that you always somehow suspected was there. The sellers did all of that remodeling work without any building permits.

So now you're faced with a dilemma. You really want this house. The sellers insist that all the work was done by licensed contractors, and that they have full documentation and photographs of all the work as it was being done.

The sellers also tell you that they're willing to allow any type of inspection on the home that you'd like -- except for one by the city.

They explain that they had a bad experience with a building inspector on a previous home, or that they have an ongoing feud with the city over their water bill, or they're protesting the fact that the city hasn't fixed the pothole on Main Street yet, or some other reason that they refuse to become involved with the local municipality.

Through all this, you still want the house. Red flags are waving, but you're trying to ignore them. After all, the remodeling really does look like it was done well, and you can certainly understand why the sellers would be protesting that big pothole, rather than trying to cover up bad workmanship on their own remodeling.

Perhaps you decide to go one step further and pay for inspections on the home, in the hope that someone is going to tell you that all is well, despite the lack of permits. You may even think that you can write some provisions into your sales contract that will offer some future protection for yourself.

Unfortunately, it's probably time to walk away from this "too good to be true deal."

A few hard realities

If the sellers are telling the truth about all of the work having been done by "licensed contractors," then they should be willing to provide you with a list of all of their names, so that's one of the first things you should ask for. It's doubtful you'll get it, because in most states those contractors are risking hefty fines and even the loss of their licenses for doing remodeling work without a permit.

If the sellers are "open to any type of inspection," ask if they're willing to have all the walls opened up at their expense so your electrician and your plumber can thoroughly inspect the condition of the wiring and the pipes inside all of the concealed spaces.

This is what the city building inspectors that they were so anxious to avoid would have done. And this is what you, as the buyer, now have no access to. That's one of the big problems here: If you decide to buy this house, you have no idea what's hiding inside those walls.

If, at a later date, you have a fire or a water loss that's related to some defect that's been hidden somewhere by the seller or one of his contractors as part of this unpermitted work, your insurance company could deny all or part of your claim as a result.

I've personally been on jobs where that's happened. Can you even imagine having a loss in your home that runs into the tens or even the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and then finding out it's not covered because the previous owner didn't like city building inspectors?

Still can't live without that particular house? Then here's what you need to do to protect yourself:

• The sellers need to provide all necessary building permits for the remodeling work.
• If they can't do that, then they need to pay for a licensed structural engineer, a licensed electrician, a licensed plumber, and any other necessary professionals to inspect the work and issue letters stating that the structure currently meets or exceeds all current building codes. Using those letters, the sellers then need to contact the city building officials and obtain whatever the equivalent would be to a completed building permit.
• Once you have that paperwork, show it to your attorney and your homeowners insurance company to be certain it's sufficient protection, and be sure that a copy of it is recorded with the escrow company.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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When you're looking for a way to keep just part of your house cool this summer, you might want to consider a mini split air conditioning system. These systems strike a happy medium between individual window or wall air conditioners and central air conditioning, in terms of size, installation cost and operating cost.

All air conditioners work the same way, whether they're self-contained in a small window unit or set up in a larger split system. There are three basic components to the system: a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator.

A refrigerant material enters the compressor as a cool, low-pressure gas. In the compressor it is compressed, changing it to a hot, high-pressure gas. It then enters the condenser, where the heat dissipates and the gas changes to a cooler, high-pressure fluid.

It then passes into the evaporator through a tiny hole, causing the liquid's pressure to drop. The liquid changes back into a gas, and as it does so it absorbs heat from the air around it. Now a low-pressure gas again, it returns to the compressor and the cycle is repeated.

How a mini split system works

Unlike central air conditioning, mini split systems don't have any duct work. Systems such as these have been very popular in Europe, Japan and other parts of the world for a long time, and are just starting to gain popularity here in the U.S. They can cool one or more interior spaces without the cost of cooling the entire house.

They're perfect for keeping the bedrooms cool at night without spending energy dollars to cool the rest of the house, or for cooling just the family room, living room, man cave or other areas of the house where a lot of activity takes place.

There are three basic components to the mini split system. An outdoor unit houses the condenser and compressor. It sits on a small poured or prefabricated pad, alongside the house in a location that's convenient to the location of the interior unit(s). This is also one of the big advantages over window or in-wall air conditions, since it isolates all the noise outside of the house.

Inside the house, there's an evaporator unit that gets mounted on the wall. Since cool air naturally falls, the evaporator unit is typically mounted fairly high on the wall, usually just a short distance down from the ceiling, so it doesn't disrupt furniture placement. And unlike window air conditioners, it doesn't disrupt natural ventilation or views, or create potentially dangerous obstacles to egress in an emergency.

Depending on the size and design of the system, two or more interior evaporator units can be connected to a single exterior condenser unit, and some systems can handle up to four.

For example, in a three-bedroom house you could install one in each of the bedrooms, operated off a single exterior unit. The interior units are whisper-quiet, so they're ideal in a bedroom environment. And the other big advantage is that the occupant of each bedroom can set his or her own temperature, regardless of the settings of the other units.

The third component of the system is the line set that connects the interior and exterior units. For each indoor unit there are two pipes -- one for the liquid refrigerant and one for the gas -- plus a condensate drain line, an electrical line and a thermostat line.

All of these are usually bunched together in one 3-inch or larger flexible conduit, which simplifies the installation.

What are the disadvantages?

Nothing's ever perfect. With the mini split system, the primary downside is the cost. If you already have a central heating system, you'll probably find that it's actually less expensive to simply add central air conditioning to your existing system. However, if you're starting from scratch, these systems should prove less expensive than central air when you factor in all the duct work.

If you're an avid do-it-yourselfer, you may find this to be another disadvantage. These aren't really designed with the home handyman in mind. In fact, in some cases doing the installation yourself may adversely affect your warranty.

However, running the line set between the interior and exterior locations can often require drilling, removal of drywall, patching and painting, and other tasks that you might want to undertake yourself to save money. Same with trimming landscaping and pouring the pad for the exterior unit.

Talk with the contractor and see what tasks you can handle on your own, and how much the savings might be.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com. All product reviews are based on author's actual testing of free review samples provided by the manufacturers.

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Q: I have a 1950s home. Last year I remodeled, but did not change out the windows. I got an estimate yesterday (for new windows) at $8,200. Would that be a good investment? --Gayle H.

A: The answer to that question depends on exactly what you mean by it being a good investment.

First of all, I'm a big fan of changing out older, single-pane windows for new energy-efficient ones. They save on utility costs; they help conserve energy for all of us; and they'll make your home quieter and more comfortable. So from the standpoint of comfort and reduced utility bills, it's definitely a good investment.

Most of today's buyers are looking for energy efficiency when they shop for a home, and many probably would rather not have to tackle a remodeling project as extensive as changing out a house full of windows. So as a selling feature to make a home more attractive to a buyer, again it's definitely a good investment.

Finally, we would need to look at it from a strictly financial perspective, and that's a much harder one to answer. If you're going to stay in the home for awhile, you would need to look at what the monthly energy savings would be, then divide that number into $8,200 to determine how many months it would take to pay back the initial investment.

If you're planning on selling soon, you should talk to your real estate agent and see what homes like yours are selling for with and without upgraded windows.

The difference in sales prices will be a pretty good indicator as to whether or not you'll recover the full $8,200. It's doubtful that you'll recoup the entire investment, but the home should be easier and faster to sell with the new windows, so you'll have to factor those savings into the financial mix as well.

Q: I live in a building that is 80 years old and has 90 apartments. The wastewater drain lines are now clogged up but not corroded as could be expected. The lines are of cast iron. The actual diameter is about an inch or a little more but the problem is they are now so badly clogged that the inner diameter is about half an inch or less.

The stuff that is clogging the pipes is probably organic matter that now appears to be hardened. It is now not possible to install garbage disposers because of the clogging, as they will only make things worse. Strangely enough, the drains from the toilets seem to be OK, but only the lines from the washbasins seem to be clogged.

The question I have is whether it is possible to clean out this stuff with a reamer or snake or some other means without actually replacing all the pipes, which is obviously going to cost a great deal? If so, what is the best method? --Sepala A.

A: The cast iron pipes in your building are very resistant to corrosion, so unless they are damaged or leaking there would be no real reason to have to replace them. What you are seeing in the sink drains is typically a sticky mixture of grease, soap, hair and food, which is a combination that tends to really congeal and stick to itself and the inside of the pipes.

This mix of organic material, combined with the relatively small diameter of the sink drain lines, is why you have a bigger problem at the sinks then you do at the larger diameter, grease-free toilet lines.

The solution is to have the drains professionally cleaned. The cleaning company uses a powered, rotating auger on a long line to remove and flush away the buildup of material inside the pipes and restore much of the original inside diameter.

The cleaning company can also assess the condition of the pipes, the relative amount of buildup and other conditions present in your building, and can give you advice on what steps to take to prevent the buildup from occurring again in the future. They can also advise you on whether or not the addition of a garbage disposal would be possible.

Q: I have a deck that needs replacement of some boards. This deck is about 10 years old and the boards are fastened to the joists using small steel "devices" or "set-ups" (I do not know another word for it) that hold the boards in place, keep them from touching the joists directly and eliminating the nail heads to be seen. I have been asking around, but nobody seems to know what I am talking about. When I show them an example of such a device, they tell me that they have never seen such a thing. Can you help me? --Pieter T.

A: There are actually a number of different types of concealed fasteners such as the ones you describe. Some types are football-shaped and fit into a recess that is cut into the sides of the boards, while others have pins that go into the sides of the boards and then a screw that goes down into the joist. There are other styles as well.

With just about all of the concealed fasteners, they are installed individually as each board is placed down. As you say, they prevent the screw heads from being visible, but they also make it more difficult to remove individual boards.

With all the ones I'm familiar with, in order to remove the decking you will need to start at one end of the deck and take up the first board at the edge, then remove the concealed fasteners, then take up the next board in line, etc.

If you need to replace individual boards in the middle of the deck, the only other option is to cut out the board from above, remove it and the concealed fastener, then install a new board and fasten it from the top with screws.

This will leave the screw heads exposed, or you can countersink the screws and then cover them with matching wood plugs, which will help blend the new board in with the existing boards that don't have exposed fasteners.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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As summer comes on, wildfires can strike anywhere, anytime. They move fast, and often with little warning. You can do a lot to minimize the risk that your home will become a tragic statistic should a wildfire ever come through your area.

Here are six steps you can take this year to help protect your home against wildfires:

1. Create a fire break
The first and perhaps most important step is to create a noncombustible fire break around your home. If you have noncombustible roofing material, the fire break should extend out for 30 feet in all directions. If you have cedar shake roofing, then extend the fire break to 50 feet.

To determine the layout of the fire break area, simply measure out from the edge of the footprint of your home's combustible materials. That might be the edge of the roof overhang, or it might be the edge of a wooden deck that's attached to the house.

Within that fire break zone, create a well-planned and well-maintained area that's as free as possible of combustible vegetation that could support the spread of a wildfire. For example, use fire-resistant landscaping such as lawns, moist ground-cover plantings, and low shrubbery, or hardscaping such as gravel, pavers or other noncombustible materials.

Any trees within the zone should be thinned so that they're no less than 10 feet apart, which helps prevent the spread of a fire from tree to tree, and dead trees should be removed as well. All remaining trees need to be limbed to a height of at least 6 feet, which helps prevent a ground fire from spreading up into them.

Dry grass should be cut to less than 4 inches high, and dead material should be removed or broken up so that a fuel bed isn't created.

2. Clear your driveway
If you have a long driveway that's more than 150 feet, you want to be sure that any overhanging trees are limbed up and back. There needs to be at least 13 1/2 feet of vertical clearance and 12 feet of horizontal clearance to ensure that fire trucks and other emergency vehicles are not impeded in any way.

You also want to make sure that vegetation is cleared back from the driveway for a total distance of 10 feet from the driveway's centerline on each side, creating a 20-foot wide total fuel break area.

3. Clear around the chimney
Sparks from a chimney that's connected to a fireplace or a wood stove are a real fire hazard if they get into tree branches. To keep that from happening, trim overhanging tree branches back a minimum of 10 from the chimney in all directions.

4. Clean up the roof
While you're at it, remove dead branches that overhang any portion of your roof. Not only are they a fire hazard, they're also very dangerous during a wind storm. If you're not comfortable with any of this type of limbing, hire an experienced, licensed tree-trimming company to handle it for you.

In addition to the trimming, remove dead leaves and pine needles from the roof and gutters. That also includes patio covers and similar areas. These leaf and needle buildups are extremely flammable, and a single spark or ember can quickly spread.

5. Move firewood piles
A pile of firewood or lumber that's stacked alongside the house can be a source of sustained heat during a wildfire. Firewood and lumber should be moved at least 20 feet away from the house during fire season. An even better solution is to build a separate enclosed shed for wood storage.

6. Don't use the area under decks for storage
That big open area under your deck or outside stairs is a very inviting place to store lumber, firewood, paint, gasoline and lots of other things you use outside. But fires can draft under those areas very easily, and having a stockpile of flammable materials there can quickly feed a fire.

Clear combustible materials -- including buildups of dead leaves and weeds -- from under decks and stairs, then enclose the area.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Q: I have two questions about fix-and-flip remodels. On a 1963, 1,300-square-foot tri-level brick home, is it worth it to build a carport? Some homes in the neighborhood have carports and others have garages or nothing at all. This home also has no appliances. Is it best to buy appliances so it shows better? --Susan

A: Two good questions, although both are a little hard to answer because they depend so much on the specifics of your exact neighborhood location.

As to the carport, my suspicion is that you might not recover your entire investment on that one. I would ask your real estate agent for sales figures of comparable houses in your area (or go online and get them). Look at the selling price (not the original listing price), and compare what homes with carports sold for compared to ones without carports. You can also do the same for ones with garages.

This should give you a pretty good idea of what the difference is in selling prices (assuming the homes are comparable in size, etc.) You can then look at the cost of the carport or garage and hopefully get a better idea as to whether or not it will be worth it.

In my own opinion, I'm not the biggest fan of carports in general. Unless they are very well designed and constructed, I think they detract from the overall look of the home rather than add to it. I much prefer the appearance and functionality of a garage, but of course that's a more expensive undertaking.

As far as the appliances go, my opinion would be to put them in. I think they add greatly to a home's appeal, and they make it easier for a potential buyer to visualize living there. It's the same reason that I'm a fan of staging homes with furniture to make them more appealing.

If you decide to go with appliances, make sure that they are of a style and value that's consistent with the house. New appliances are definitely preferable to used ones, and don't go overly cheap or overly extravagant -- again, match them to the house. I also don't personally think that you need to invest in a refrigerator, since many people have their own.

Q: I read your article on deck railings and I could not agree more that tempered glass mixed with wood is an attractive option.

I recently contacted my zoning officer here in eastern Pennsylvania and he said we would have to use glass embedded with wire. I think we should be able to use tempered glass, at least that's what everyone else seems to say (I spoke with a glass company employee who said wired glass was typically for fire hazards and not really used anymore).

Do you know a building code that would support the use of glass deck railings? I did not see anything in the International Residential Code 2006. My permit officer cited Uniform Construction Codes (but I am not sure his opinion was based on this code). I would like to help my permit officer find the most correct and relevant information.

We just want a nice looking deck (that is safe too). --Deb D.

A: Wired glass is used in certain situations, primarily for security reasons. I would agree with the glass company that wired glass is definitely a specialty item with limited applications, and wouldn't really be appropriate for use in a railing.

I would suggest you call the building official and ask if he could tell you the name and edition of the building code that your city is currently using, and ask if he could refer you to the particular code section he is basing his decision on. You can then go to the library and see if the reference department has a copy of the code book so you can read the applicable section.

It could be that your local code has some type of special provision that covers deck construction, or it could be that the building official misunderstood what you wanted to do, or is not familiar with specific materials -- or is simply in error.

If the code does not specifically require wired glass, then you should be able to work with a local glass company to get specifications for tempered or laminated glass that meets the codes, and attach a copy of the specifications when you apply for your building permit.

If the code does require wired glass, or if the glass company can't help you out with the necessary specifications, then the next step is a little more involved. You'll need to consult with an architect or a structural engineer to have them do the necessary calculations to document that a particular tempered glass will meet or exceed the code requirements, and attach those calculations with your permit application.

In most cases, the building department needs to have documentation from a registered engineer or a licensed architect that a particular material or installation procedure is safe and meets the intent of the code. As long as they have that, it removes the liability from the building department and they'll typically be willing to issue the permits.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Many houses, apartments and other buildings that were built prior to 1978 may have paint in them that contains lead. Lead-based paint can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of properly, especially for children and pregnant women. If you live in a home that was built prior to 1978, or if you're thinking of buying or renovating one, this is certainly an issue that you need to be aware of.

On April 22, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put a new rule into effect that's designed to help focus the efforts of consumers and contractors to protect against the potential health hazards of lead-based paint. Called the Lead Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP), the new rule affects contractors and subcontractors who work on older homes.

Under the RRP rule, all renovation and repair contractors working in pre-1978 homes, schools, and day care centers who disrupt more than 6 square feet of lead paint are required to become EPA-certified in lead-safe work practices. Contractors are required to take a one-day training course, and firms must send in an application to the EPA. If not, they could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines in the future.

According to the EPA, many contractors think the issue of lead-paint poisoning went away years ago. But lead-paint poisoning isn't just about eating paint chips, and even contractors who think they're doing a good job may not be working in a lead-safe manner.

In fact, new research shows that contractors such as plumbers, electricians, painters and window replacement experts can inadvertently expose children to harmful levels of lead from invisible dust disturbed during jobs they perform every day.

Of particular concern to the EPA is the safety of young children who are living in the home during renovation work. The EPA quotes one study where it was found that children were 30 percent more likely to have unsafe levels of lead in their blood than those in homes where renovations were not occurring.

Contractors who work on pre-1978 homes, apartments, schools, day care centers and other places where children spend time -- from large and small contractors to building services professionals -- will have to take the necessary steps to become lead-safe certified. EPA certification is good for five years.

Where is lead a hazard?

Typically, the older your home is, the more potential there is that lead paint will be present. It may be buried under several other layers of non-lead-based paint, and as long as those upper layers are not disturbed the health hazard remains relatively low.

But as soon as the paint begins to chip or peel, or if any sanding, cutting, or other renovation or repair work is done, the lead-based paint can be released.

Here are some of the potential hazard areas, based on suggestions from the EPA:

• Lead from paint chips, which you can see, and lead dust, which you can't always see, can be serious hazards.
• Peeling, chipping, chalking, or cracking lead-based paint is a hazard and needs immediate attention.
• Lead-based paint may also be a hazard when found on surfaces that children can chew or that get a lot of wear and tear. These areas include windows and window sills; doors and door frames; stairs, railings, and banisters; and porches and fences.
• Lead dust can form when lead-based paint is dry scraped, dry sanded or heated. Dust also forms when painted surfaces bump or rub together. Lead chips and dust can get on surfaces and objects that people touch. Settled lead dust can re-enter the air when people vacuum, sweep or walk through it.
• Lead in soil can be a hazard when children play in bare soil or when people bring soil into the house on their shoes.

To find out more about lead-paint hazards, lead-paint testing, and the new lead-safe certification program for contractors, visit the EPA's website at www.epa.gov/lead, or contact the National Lead Information Center (NLIC) at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Father's Day is here again, and you're probably wondering what kind of a great do-it-yourself gift dear old Dad would love to get this year. Here are a few cool new tools and accessories, listed in order of price, that are worth considering.

1. Final Cut 7 1/4-inch Saw Blade ($19.95, www.finalcutblade.com): It seems like there's nothing that gives you a greater feeling of pride than having the joint between two boards fit together perfectly. One way to help get that perfect fit is with the Final Cut line of saw blades, which uses a patented design that combines a top-quality, carbide-tipped blade with a disk of sandpaper on each side. As the blade makes the cut, the sandpaper finishes off the edges to almost jointer-like smoothness.

Previously available only in 10-inch and 12-inch sizes for table saws and miter saws, the Final Cut blade is now available in a 7 1/4-inch version that will fit most popular models of circular saws, including saws with diamond knockout arbors. The pressure-sensitive sandpaper is also precut and easily replaceable.

2. Craftsman Cordless Pruner (Model 74431, $49.99, www.craftsman.com): If Dad loves to garden, or if he's facing a lot of yard cleanup work after last winter's storms, this handy 4V lithium-ion cordless pruner might be just what he needs.

It's compact and lightweight, and cuts through branches up to 1/2 inch thick with the push of a button. There are no handles to open and close, so the pruner fits easily into tight spots, and is especially good for anyone with limited hand strength. The pruner features a safety switch that prevents unintentional blade operation, and offers up to 500 cuts per charge. Charger is included.

3. Ryobi Tek4 Audio Plus Noise Suppression Headphones (Model RP4530, $69.99, www.ryobitools.com): Here's something you can do for Dad that's not only a very cool tool, it's also a serious investment in his health. Ryobi's Noise Suppression Headphones are part of their line of Tek4 4V lithium-ion battery technology.

The comfortable padded headphones can be used alone to help reduce the loud noises associated with power tools and outdoor equipment. Or you can switch on the electronic suppression circuits to reduce harmful background noise while enhancing the sound of nearby speech. There's also an auxiliary input for iPod and MP3 players.

So now you can protect your hearing while still carrying on a conversation or listening to music. And the headphones are impact-, dust- and water-resistant, so they're designed for use in shop and outdoor environments. Offers up to 24 hours of use on a charge, and includes the headphones, battery and charger.

4. Dremel 8200 Cordless Rotary Tool (Model 8200, $99, www.dremel.com): Rotary tools have always had a place in the workshop, toolbox and hobby room, but it seems like it's always had to be a choice between corded power or cordless convenience. Now Dremel has brought the two together with the cordless Model 8200, their newest and perhaps one of their best rotary tools yet. The 8200 uses a 12-Volt Max lithium-Ion battery, and a convenient "fuel gauge" lets you keep track of the remaining battery life. When it gets low, the newly designed charger will recharge the battery in just one hour. The 8200 has a variable speed range of 5,000 to 30,000 RPM, which is easily adjustable from a convenient slide switch on the top of the tool. It fits all Dremel accessories and attachments, including their new saws and planers. Includes the rotary tool, battery, charger, case and an assortment of accessories.

5. Black & Decker 24 Volt Cordless String Trimmer/Edger (Model NST1024, $139.99, www.blackanddecker.com): Black & Decker's done a very nice job with its new 24-volt string trimmer/edger. One innovation over past models is the PowerCommand, which lets you choose between Normal cutting to extend battery life, or "Boost" mode, which delivers twice the cutting power of most 18-volt string trimmers when you need to tackle tall weeds and other tough conditions. And it does it without the hassle of gas and oil, or any fumes or emissions. The trimmer now has an adjustable aluminum shaft, along with a non-slip auxiliary handle. The 9,000-RPM cutter head rotates down at the touch of a button to become an edger as well. It includes the trimmer, one 24-volt battery and a battery charger. (If you're replacing an older 18-volt model, you can use those batteries with this trimmer as well.)

6. Bosch Pocket Driver (Model PS21-2A, $149.99, www.boschtools.com): Pockets drivers are great little tools for a variety of applications. They're small, light and compact, so they can fit into lots of tight spaces for a variety of fastening applications. But for all those advantages, they often lack the necessary power to tackle the tough jobs. Bosch, a leader in the cordless pocket driver technology, has really taken care of that with its new generation PS21. This driver uses a 12-volt lithium ion battery to achieve 265 inch-pounds of torque, which is pretty substantial for one of these little guys.

In fact, it's more than double that of the PS20 pocket driver that came before it. It has a 2-speed gear train for both driving and drilling, a 21-position clutch, and a bright LED light for those dark spots. It's very comfortable in your hand, weighs just 1.8 pounds, and is only a little over 5 1/2 inches in length. Takes standard 1/4-inch hex drive bits. Includes the pocket driver, two batteries, a 30-minute charger and a carrying case.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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If you're happy with your home and your neighborhood but are craving a little more space, maybe adding on is a better alternative to moving out. Room additions can be a terrific alternative for many homes, adding space for a growing family and adding resale value at the same time.

But be forewarned. A good room addition involves a whole lot more than just slapping on some additional square footage. Here are some important rules to keep in mind as your planning gets under way:

1. Know why you're adding on: This is the first rule, and it happens before you lift a hammer. Why do you need to add on? And no fair cheating and saying, "I need more space!"

Do you need another bathroom? Bedroom space? A laundry room or mud room? An improved kitchen flow? More space to entertain? Better accessibility due to health issues? More storage? A larger garage or hobby area? The only way the addition will meet your needs is to know what those needs are in the first place.

2. Good additions never look like additions: This is the other top rule of room-addition planning. When you're done, the addition -- no matter what its size or where it's located -- should never look like an addition. The architectural styles of new and existing need to blend.

The exterior materials need to blend as well, or at least complement each other. To the extent possible, use the same type of windows, roofing, doors, siding and other materials. If the original home has wood windows, using new vinyl windows in the addition screams "add-on" and lowers the appeal and the value. Don't overlook the need to blend landscaping and hardscaping as well.

3. Out, up, down, or a combination: The how and the where of a room addition is always a fun and exciting challenge for everyone involved. Some homes are situated on larger lots and lend themselves very nicely to adding out. Others seem best suited to adding up by building on a second or even a partial third floor.

Some houses are even laid out in such a way that it's possible to excavate under them and add new living space in the form of a daylight basement. Or it could be that a combination of two or even all three of these options makes the most sense for your particular home.

Keep your mind open to the possibilities. Work with a good contractor and a good designer and you'll be amazed at what you can come up with.

4. Don't let the interior become an afterthought: I've seen a surprising number of additions that look great from the outside but seem to have no thought put into them on the inside. Flooring doesn't match. Trim doesn't match. Sometimes even the interior floor heights don't match. Remember that how the interior of your addition looks and flows on the inside is just as important as how it looks and flows on the outside.

Use the same materials or the same style of materials. Match up ceiling, floor, and wall levels. Here again, no matter how you view the addition, inside or out, it should never look like an addition.

5. Create convenient access: This is another afterthought in a lot of additions. Let's say you have a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house, and you want to add a second bathroom. Typically, that's an addition that's going to have a good payback.

But then you build the addition so that the only access to the second bathroom is through the kitchen. You now have a three-bedroom, two-bath house, but since the layout is lousy, you've actually gone backwards in terms of desirability and resale value.

Are you going to create a beautiful second-floor master suite that can be accessed only by a tiny spiral staircase from the family room? Is the only way into your great new kitchen via a convoluted hallway that leads through the laundry room?

When planning your addition, never lose sight of how you're going to access the new spaces, and make sure that access is both convenient and inviting.

6. Don't overwhelm your lot: Granted, room additions are expensive. So when you're doing one, and all those workers are onsite, there's a temptation to get as much square footage as you can. But don't cram your lot full of house. Remember that open space is important as well, both to you and your family, and, later on, to potential buyers.

This is a good time to go back to Rule No. 1 and reconsider the "why" part of your room addition. Don't add space just to add it -- stay focused on your overall goals.

7. Understand the legalities: There are lots of rules and regulations that come into play regarding room additions. These include property line setbacks, zoning restrictions, and restrictions imposed by homeowner associations and architectural review committees.

In some historic areas, your addition may have to comply with certain historic guidelines. In other areas, there may even be solar shading restrictions that limit the height or the orientation of your roof line. Be sure you check into all of this before you get too far along with your planning.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Q: I am removing 20-year-old pressure-treated decking and would like to replace it with something else. I see where Home Depot is selling out all their Trex decking at a great price. After reading on the Internet about the red flags and lawsuits against the company that makes it, I am kind of leery of using it, with the mold and the black spots. What's your opinion on it?

A: As I understand it, a homeowner who had problems with his decking filed suit against the manufacturer after the manufacturer provided only replacement material as part of the warranty claim, but no replacement labor. I have no way of knowing whether or not that's true, so I can't comment on that specific case.

(Editor's note: Trex Co. Inc. announced on July 31 that it had settled a class-action lawsuit filed in California, in which two customers claimed their decks suffered from surface flaking and that Trex failed to provide adequate remedies. Trex said a manufacturing problem affected "a small percentage of product" manufactured in its Fernley, Nev., plant beginning in 2003 and that the issue had been remediated. Under the terms of the settlement, Trex said it would fully honor its warranty by replacing product, and provide partial reimbursement of labor expenses to affected consumers.)

I will say, however, that this has been an issue that I've had with many manufacturers for a long time. I feel that if a manufacturer is going to produce a product and sell it to a consumer, and that the product fails even if the consumer can prove that he installed it according to the manufacturer's specific instructions, then the manufacturers shouldn't hide behind fine print in their warranties. They should stand behind their product 100 percent.

At one point, I was a definite proponent of synthetic decking. Now, while I would never recommend against it, I'm no longer quite as sold on it. My best advice would be to have a long talk with the dealer and the manufacturer. Be sure you fully understand the warranty, and what it does and doesn't cover. Ask to see installations in your area that have been in place for several years, and talk to the homeowners who own them. Decks are a huge investment, so you really need to do your homework, and don't rely just on an attractive price.

Q: The wood-burning fireplace in my condo unit that I have not used in the six years I've lived there is in a room being used as a dining room. The firebox appears to be crooked, out of alignment with the actual interior wall, and I have had the interior opening covered with a piece of plywood and sealed with duct tape. (This is all hidden behind a dining room buffet.) I will be selling my unit in the next two years. Should I go ahead and have the thing inspected and repaired now, even though I am not going to use it?

A: I would definitely recommend that you do exactly that. Have a licensed fireplace technician, mason, chimney sweep, or other qualified professional do a thorough inspection of the fireplace and make any repairs necessary to ensure that the unit is fully functional and up to current code. Fireplaces are a very popular selling feature, so I would also have everything cleaned and the duct tape residue removed so that the fireplace is as attractive as possible, and move your buffet to another location during the selling process.

Hang onto any reports, building permits and receipts that you acquire along the way, and have them ready for potential buyers. All of this will help you in selling your condo, and keep you from having to deal with any liability issues down the road.

Q: I have a 4-year-old cedar deck, and only Behr products have been used. To date, the deck has continued to display many areas where the Behr preservative does not adhere to the cedar boards so the deck looks old and worn. My contractor has used the Behr products to clean the boards each year before reapplying the deck preservative, but within six months, the old, worn, "stripped" pattern returns. Wherever the deck boards have been under cover such as under the barbecue or the table and chairs with their winter cover, the stain is fine, but wherever the boards have been exposed to the elements, the old, worn look appears.

I should mention that the railings are redwood and they do not display this same worn look, nor have they been re-stained each time the deck boards were redone. Do I need to replace the cedar boards or do you have any other suggestions?

A: It sounds like what's happening could be the result of mill glaze. When the boards are run through the planer at the mill to smooth and size them, the pressure of the equipment rollers can compress the wood fibers, making the top of the board smooth and shiny -- that's the "mill glaze" -- which makes it harder for them to accept stain. For that reason, it's always a good practice to sand the new decking boards after they're installed, prior to applying any finish. The redwood boards on the railing would have come from a different mill than the cedar and would have been milled with different equipment, so it's possible that they did not have the mill glaze to begin with.

There is no reason to replace the boards. There's a product made by Wolman called Deck & Fence Brightener that works well on mill glaze, and might do the trick for you. The other option would be to simply sand the boards to remove both the mill glaze and the old finish, and then refinish them with an oil-based deck stain that has UV (ultraviolet) protection. Talk with the folks at your local paint store, explain your project to them, and go with their product recommendation.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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With nicer weather coming on, you no doubt have a long list of outdoor projects you're hoping to tackle. One tool that can really help with all of those projects -- and a wide variety of indoor tasks as well -- is a laser level.

Granted, this isn't really an entry-level tool, and it might not be one of the first things on your shopping list. But prices for professional-quality lasers have come way down in recent years, so having one of these handy helpers at your side might not be as out of reach as you may have thought.

And the time savings and increased level of accuracy that they bring to your projects may have you wondering how you ever got along without one!

I recently had a chance to take a look at two different types of laser levels from two different manufacturers. Both performed great, and since each one brings a little something different to the job site, they're both definitely worth your consideration. (Prices are approximate retail, and can vary widely.)

Bosch Dual Plane Leveling and Alignment Laser (Model GLL2-80, $269): The Bosch laser is actually two lasers in one. One laser on top projects a continuous horizontal line, and another laser on the front projects a continuous vertical line. The two beams can be used together or independently of each other.

There are also several ways of mounting the laser level, which is handy. There's a 5/8-inch female thread for attaching it to a standard construction-style tripod, as well as a 1/4-inch female thread for attaching it to a camera-style tripod. An additional attachment bracket is included that allows you to hang the unit on the wall, or attach it magnetically to metal studs or other metal surfaces. This mounting bracket is also designed to attach to Bosch's optional telescoping pole bracket.

The Bosch laser level is small and lightweight, operating off of four AA batteries. It's self-leveling in both modes, as long as you're within 4 degrees (plus or minus) of level. The level is waterproof for outdoor use, and has a range of up to 65 feet.

The level is very easy to use. Simply mount as desired, turn it on, and then set which of the laser lines you want activated (or both). As long as you're within the 4-degree range, the unit will self-level and you're ready to go.

The level projects a continuous line, as opposed to many types of construction lasers, which rotate. However, if you want to use an optional remote laser line receiver, that won't read a continuous line. So there's also a "pulse" setting, which causes the line to pulsate and allows it to be read by the remote receiver.

The GLL2-80 kit includes the laser, mounting bracket, a laser target card, four AA batteries, and a hard-shell, padded carrying case.

DeWalt Heavy-Duty Self Leveling Interior/Exterior Rotary Laser (Model DW074KD $449): The DeWalt DW074 is a more typical style of rotating-head laser level. It's also very much in keeping with the type of professional-grade tools that DeWalt offers for contractors and advanced do-it-yourselfers.

It features a heavy-duty, weather-resistant housing, and it's obviously designed with job-site conditions in mind. The laser head is protected by a roll-cage type of construction that uses several thin struts to protect the head assembly while not creating any blind spots for the laser itself.

The DeWalt level has a standard 5/8-inch female socket for mounting to a construction tripod. It also has a secondary mounting bracket that allows the unit to easily be mounted to a wall, or clipped to an L-bracket for the installation of suspended ceilings. The broad base and rubber feet also make it very stable for use on the floor.

The DeWalt laser operates on two D-cell batteries. It's self-leveling in the horizontal mode, and will level itself as long as it's within 5 degrees of being level when it's first set up. It has a bright and sharp beam that can be seen up to 100 feet indoors. Accuracy is plus or minus 1/4 inch per 100 feet.

Like the Bosch, the DeWalt laser is very easy to set up and operate. Once you have it mounted where you want it, simply turn it on. It will self-level in the horizontal mode in just a few seconds, and you're ready to go. You then have a choice of three modes for the rotating head.

You can choose fast rotation, which creates the appearance of an almost solid red line; slow rotation, which conserves battery power; or no rotation, which simply projects a red dot that you can manually point wherever you want for specific marking and measuring tasks.

You can also rotate the level into vertical mode. A built-in vial level and a set of simple up and down arrow buttons allow you to very quickly and easily adjust the laser to project a perfectly vertical line as well, for setting posts, trim, siding, cabinets and other projects.

What I found particularly useful was the remote laser beam detector. Operating on a 9-volt battery, the detector reads the laser beam within a 1,000-foot diameter of the laser.

Visual up-and-down arrow readings on the detector allow you to raise or lower the detector until you have an exact level reading, even if you can't see the laser line! It's incredibly handy for decks, fences, wall framing, landscaping and a wide variety of other uses.

The complete DW074KD kit comes with the laser level, the secondary mounting bracket, the remote laser beam detector, an auxiliary clamp for the detector, a laser target card, two D batteries, one 9-volt battery, and a soft-sided, padded carrying bag.

All product reviews are based on author’s actual testing of free review samples provided by the manufacturers. Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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In many ways, this is a tough time to be a homeowner. Finances might be tight, but that doesn't stop the roof from wearing out, or the plumbing from starting to drip.

Or perhaps you're thinking of selling your home, and you need to add a deck or replace some windows or siding in order to be competitive in a tough real estate market. But you can't really afford to hire a pro.

That may have left you giving some serious thought to undertaking some do-it-yourself projects that in the past you might not have considering tackling. There are some pros and cons to that. Doing things yourself saves money and adds value to your home. It can also bring a lot of personal pleasure, and a definite sense of pride.

But there are risks. A poor job can actually detract from the value of your home. In some cases, you can even end up paying more for wasted materials and correcting mistakes than you would have paid to have a contractor do it right in the first place. So before you break out your tools and head to the home center for a stack of lumber and paint, take a moment for some honest assessment.

Do you know how to do the work?

This is the obvious first thing to ask yourself. Do you know what steps are involved in the project? All of the steps? There are lots of great columns (you're here, right?), books, videos, TV shows and other sources of information that will help tell you how to get from point A to point Z in a project.

Take the time to check out a few of those sources. Understand what's involved. Then ask yourself if you know how to do those things. If you don't, can you learn them?

Do you have the right skills and abilities?

OK, you figured out the steps involved. Now, do you have the skills and the physical abilities to accomplish those steps? Remember, they're two different things. You might easily read about how to re-roof a house, and fully understand all of the steps involved in doing it.

But if you're not able to handle the rigors of working for hours at a time on a steep roof, then understanding the theory of how to do it won't be enough.

Can you commit the necessary time?

This is a tough one for a lot of homeowners. For one thing, it's really hard to understand just how long some of these projects are going to take -- especially if you've never done them before. For another, the time commitment to the project means time that's going to be taken away from something else.

It may be that re-siding the house takes the entire summer, simply because you can do it only on the weekends. Will that work for you? Will that work for your family? If the purpose of doing the re-siding work is to sell the house, will you end up missing the prime selling season?

Time creates other risks, as well. Take re-roofing, for example. If you can commit only small chucks of time to the project, you may be leaving your home vulnerable to sudden rain storms if the roof isn't adequately protected. Or your home may not be secure if you're taking windows or doors out, but temporarily replacing them with plywood or, worse yet, sheets of plastic.

Have you thought about the physical side?

Most building projects, even the simple ones, require some amount of physical labor. Are you up for that? Climbing, crawling, lifting, carrying and all the other things that go along with getting the work done? Then there'll be those times when, despite your own willingness to do the work, another set of hands is going to be necessary. Do you have a helper you can call on?

What about getting the materials? Can you pick them up at the home center or the lumber yard by yourself? Can you get them delivered? Once they get to the house, can you get them where they need to go: onto the roof, into the house, or into the basement, attic or crawl space?

And don't forget that once things get under way, there's the obvious need for tools and equipment, which you'll need to buy, rent or borrow.

You might want to go back to the first question, and look at all of the steps involved in the project. That might help you better understand the physical side of things, as well as those times when a helper might be needed as well.

Do you want to do it?

Be honest here. Your real estate agent may have said that your house will show better with a fresh coat of paint. You can't really afford to hire a painter, so you decide to do it yourself. Unfortunately, you hate painting more than root canals, and the only thing you want to do is hurry up and get it over with.

Do you really think that the appearance of the finished product is going to help you sell your house?

None of this is meant to dissuade you from tackling a do-it-yourself project. Just the opposite. Taking responsibility for their own homes is something I encourage people to do every day.

But so is honest assessment. So just take a moment before you start, and make sure your eyes are open before you get started. You'll end up with a better finished project as a result.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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As winter's harsh weather fades and we start looking forward to enjoying the outdoors again, one thing that's sure to be on everyone's to-do list is sprucing up those exterior decks. This is the ideal time to take a look at how your deck made it through the winter, and to do a little cleaning and maintenance to get things ready for an enjoyable summer season.

The first job is an inspection. If you haven't already done so as part of your annual spring checklist, you need to take the time to really give your deck a thorough checkup. Look for loose or missing screws and nails. Tighten loose nuts and bolts in railings and stairs.

Examine the condition of all the wood, looking for cracks, splinters, dry rot and other signs of structural problems. If you discover anything of concern, those things need to be dealt with prior to doing any cleaning work.

General cleaning

Start with a general cleaning, to get rid of the obvious stuff. The safest and easiest thing to do at this point is just a good sweeping. Remove leaves, pine needles, dirt, and other loose debris that can get ground into the wood.

Next, you want to remove all of the gunk that gets wedged in between the boards. Dirt and other debris between the boards prevent drainage, encourage mildew and rot, and can lead to premature failure of the boards.

Use a simple tool such as a plastic putty knife to push the debris through, or scrape it up. Do another sweeping to remove anything you've brought up onto the deck.

At this point, you can wash the deck. Here's where a bit of controversy comes in. A lot of people like to use a pressure washer for this task, because it gets the work done quickly with a minimal amount of labor. However, done incorrectly, it can also do a lot of damage by breaking apart the cells and fibers in the wood, leaving the wood with a rough and fuzzy appearance.

If you want to use a pressure washer, make sure to use low pressure and a wide fan-type nozzle so as not to concentrate the pressure into a damaging stream. For deck cleaning, an equally effective method is to use a garden hose with a wide spray nozzle combined with a medium bristle push broom or a nylon scrub brush on a long handle.

Deck cleaners

Another thing you don't want to do to your nice wood deck is break out that bottle of regular household bleach. Chlorine bleach, of the type used in the laundry room, isn't going to help you get the dirt off your deck. But what it will do is bleach out some of the wood's natural coloring, taking the attractive original browns and yellows in the wood and turning them to unnatural whites and grays.

Another side effect of regular chlorine bleach is that it breaks down the fibers in the wood, similar to the effects of excessive pressure washing. Here again, that can create the same type of fuzzy appearance in the wood. It also defeats the whole purpose of doing the cleaning, because it opens the wood fibers up for more dirt and water to enter.

Fortunately, you have other options. Several companies now make non-chlorine bleach products that are specifically formulated for cleaning wood decks. These products are safe and easy to use, and do an excellent job of cleaning decks without damaging them.

These deck-cleaning compounds contain what is typically known as "oxygen-based bleach." They're a dry powder containing a material called sodium percarbonate, which is also found in many color-safe laundry bleaches. When dissolved in water, it releases safe hydrogen peroxide and soda ash. Oxygen-based deck cleaning solutions, properly applied, can be very effective at getting rid of your deck's gray, weathered discoloration, as well as dirt and mildew.

If you have a deck made from cedar, redwood or certain other materials, you may be dealing with problems caused by a natural resin in the wood called tannin. Tannins are reddish-brown in color and can work their way to the surface of the wood, leaving discolorations. They can also react with certain metals in deck fasteners and other hardware. For that problem, try an oxalic acid-based cleaner after you've done your other cleaning.

Take the proper precautions

Most of these products are very safe to use, both for yourself and for the environment. But that doesn't mean you should take them lightly!

When you buy your products, be sure that you get an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) from the retailer. Carefully read and follow all of the precautions on the MSDS and the manufacturer's product label for ventilation, protective clothing and equipment, proper application procedures, protection for surrounding surfaces, and other safety issues.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Q: Our house is a nondescript 1950s ranch tract home with a light-gray composition shingle roof. It's currently a dated white with blue trim, and we'd like to update the paint job. We're also re-landscaping with drought-tolerant tropical and contemporary plants, and not much grass -- mostly bark and flagstone walkways. Is there somewhere where I can see other updated tract homes? Do you have any color suggestions?

A: I would begin in your own neighborhood, and just start driving. Wander different streets around where you live, and then slowly branch out from there. Keep a local map handy, and whenever you find an area of homes that looks interesting, highlight it on your map for future exploration.

If you know a real estate agent, you can ask him or her for exploration suggestions, as well as others you come into contact with, such as the landscaper.

While it's nice to look at homes that are similar to your own, you don't need to be limited to just those either. I would suggest going through new housing tracts of starter-level homes, and see what is currently being done in the way of colors and exterior amenities.

As to color choices, there are three simple things I can suggest. First of all, make a visit to your local paint store or home center and pick up some brochures on exterior paint colors. Many of these brochures offer suggestions of colors that work well together, and you might see some combinations that appeal to you that you wouldn't have otherwise thought of.

Some paint stores have computers with paint-scheme programs that are free for customers to play with. You can browse through a library of common house styles until you find one that looks similar to yours, add a roof color that looks like yours, and then use the computer to add different body and trim color combinations to see what they look like.

If your local paint store doesn't have one, you can also find places online that do the same thing -- there may be a small charge, but it's well worth it.

My third suggestion is to take a digital photo of the outside of your home, then print it out on your computer in black and white, making several copies. Using colored pencils, color in the roof in a shade that's as close to yours as possible, then, referring to some of the color combinations you liked from the paint store brochures, color in the front of the house and see what you think.

You can also do this more accurately with programs such as Photoshop, but that might be more time-consuming and involved than you would like to get.

Final suggestion: Don't limit yourself to just paint. There are any number of ways that you can really dress up the outside of a plain tract house and set it apart from the others in the neighborhood, without spending a fortune.

You can add some different trim treatments around the windows, change the front door, add some shutters, and add some door trim, just to name a few. Home shows, decorating shows on TV, magazines and your neighborhood wanderings should all be sources of inspiration.

Q: I would like to use the cable railings (on my deck railing) except for the high price. Do you think it would be possible to substitute a thick, strong wire instead of the cable? These wires keep in huge farm animals ... so their strength is comparable to cable ... well over 1,000 pounds in breaking strength. I would appreciate your thoughts.

A: You can actually construct a deck railing out of any materials that comply with the requirements of whatever building codes are in effect in your area. I have seen some very nice railings made from square-grid and rectangular-grid wire livestock fencing set into wood frames, as well as wood dowels, metal conduit and other materials.

Whatever you choose needs to be strong enough and secured tightly enough to meet the building codes, and also has to be spaced closely enough together -- most codes require a spacing of no greater than 4 inches.

You also want to avoid materials with sharp edges or ends, as well as materials that won't weather well. Finally, you want to select a material and an installation method that is safe, pleasing to your eye, coordinates well with your home's style, and maintains your resale value.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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CORRECTION: This article has been updated to correct erroneous references to a specific type of exterior coating.

Q: We are considering listing our vacation home, and I have a question for you on whether it would be worth it to invest the money putting siding on it or selling it as is? The home is located on (a) golf course and has a magnificent view of the first hole and surrounding lakes and mountains.

We had the house exterior coated ... about six years ago and it was supposed to offer lifetime protection from the elements (at a cost of $6,000). Unfortunately it did not. We had some bad spots patched and repainted but now they look bad again and we are not sure what would be best.

We could do a better patch job and have the exterior primed and painted (hopefully the paint will "stick" to the exterior coating), or we could have vinyl siding put up, or we could sell the house "as is." The interior of the house is in good shape; we just had new Pella windows and doors installed within the past year. What do you think?

A: In general, in a down real estate market such as we now have, I think the more a seller can do to make their home attractive the better their chances are of finding a buyer. It's also important that the house shows that it has been well maintained, which is another reason to make whatever repairs are necessary before listing. In my personal opinion, selling a house "as is" should always be the last option, unless personal finances make that the only option.

That being said, it's difficult to advise you on whether to repair and paint the existing siding or have the house completely re-sided. This is where your own research and the assistance of an experienced real estate agent come into play.

You need to take a walk or a drive around your immediate area, and see what comparable houses right on the golf course look like -- especially any that are up for sale. This will give you a good indication of what buyers will expect to see in the neighborhood. Your real estate agent can call up comparable listings and sales for the area, so you can better understand what a realistic sales price will be.

If it costs a certain amount to have the house re-sided, and if you can realistically expect to recoup that investment in a higher sales price and a faster sale, then that's the way to go. If you can patch and paint for a lot less money, and that's what all the other homes in the area have done, then that might be the better option. All in all, I would probably lean toward painting, but be sure to verify that the exterior coating can be painted over.

You also mention using vinyl siding, which appeals to some people and doesn't appeal to others. So before taking that route be sure that a vinyl-sided house is in keeping with what others in the area have done. Also, make sure that it's allowed by your homeowners association.

One final thing, and this is directed at other readers, not at you (since I suspect you've already learned your lesson). Please don't fall for "miracle" products! Stick with reputable, proven products from reputable, proven suppliers and installers.

Q: My bathroom is very small but does have one west-facing window that allows in natural light. Any ideas to make this room appear larger?

A: There are a few tricks you can utilize to your advantage to make a small room seem larger:

• First of all, stick with light colors on the walls and ceilings. That doesn't mean you need to be limited to just white, but stay light and neutral.

• Paint the trim a lighter color than the walls. This is a visual trick that makes the walls appear to recede somewhat.

• The use of mirrors is always a good idea to make a room look larger. If possible, position the mirror so that it reflects the light coming from the window. If you can't do that because of where the mirror needs to be positioned in relation to the sink, then instead of a mirror you might consider some sort of shallow wall hanging that is bright enough to reflect light.

• Avoid window coverings that extend into the room. If you need a window covering for privacy, use a thin, light-colored blind or shade that mounts inside the window surround.

• Add a light tube. This is an acrylic dome mounted on the roof, along with a tube that extends down to the ceiling. The dome lets in natural light, and the tube directs it to the room.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

***

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Q: We are considering listing our vacation home, and I have a question for you on whether it would be worth it to invest the money putting siding on it or selling it as is? The home is located on (a) golf course and has a magnificent view of the first hole and surrounding lakes and mountains.

We had the house exterior coated in "liquid siding" about six years ago and it was supposed to offer lifetime protection from the elements (at a cost of $6,000). Unfortunately it did not and the company has gone bankrupt. We had some bad spots patched and repainted but now they look bad again and we are not sure what would be best.

We could do a better patch job and have the exterior primed and painted (hopefully the paint will "stick" to the liquid siding), or we could have vinyl siding put up, or we could sell the house "as is." The interior of the house is in good shape; we just had new Pella windows and doors installed within the past year. What do you think?

A: In general, in a down real estate market such as we now have, I think the more a seller can do to make their home attractive the better their chances are of finding a buyer. It's also important that the house shows that it has been well maintained, which is another reason to make whatever repairs are necessary before listing. In my personal opinion, selling a house "as is" should always be the last option, unless personal finances make that the only option.

That being said, it's difficult to advise you on whether to repair and paint the existing siding or have the house completely re-sided. This is where your own research and the assistance of an experienced real estate agent come into play.

You need to take a walk or a drive around your immediate area, and see what comparable houses right on the golf course look like -- especially any that are up for sale. This will give you a good indication of what buyers will expect to see in the neighborhood. Your real estate agent can call up comparable listings and sales for the area, so you can better understand what a realistic sales price will be.

If it costs a certain amount to have the house re-sided, and if you can realistically expect to recoup that investment in a higher sales price and a faster sale, then that's the way to go. If you can patch and paint for a lot less money, and that's what all the other homes in the area have done, then that might be the better option. All in all, I would probably lean toward painting, but be sure to verify that the "liquid siding" can be painted over.

You also mention using vinyl siding, which appeals to some people and doesn't appeal to others. So before taking that route be sure that a vinyl-sided house is in keeping with what others in the area have done. Also, make sure that it's allowed by your homeowners association.

One final thing, and this is directed at other readers, not at you (since I suspect you've already learned your lesson). Please don't fall for these miracle products such as "liquid siding"! Stick with reputable, proven products from reputable, proven suppliers and installers.

Q: My bathroom is very small but does have one west-facing window that allows in natural light. Any ideas to make this room appear larger?

A: There are a few tricks you can utilize to your advantage to make a small room seem larger:

• First of all, stick with light colors on the walls and ceilings. That doesn't mean you need to be limited to just white, but stay light and neutral.

• Paint the trim a lighter color than the walls. This is a visual trick that makes the walls appear to recede somewhat.

• The use of mirrors is always a good idea to make a room look larger. If possible, position the mirror so that it reflects the light coming from the window. If you can't do that because of where the mirror needs to be positioned in relation to the sink, then instead of a mirror you might consider some sort of shallow wall hanging that is bright enough to reflect light.

• Avoid window coverings that extend into the room. If you need a window covering for privacy, use a thin, light-colored blind or shade that mounts inside the window surround.

• Add a light tube. This is an acrylic dome mounted on the roof, along with a tube that extends down to the ceiling. The dome lets in natural light, and the tube directs it to the room.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

***

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When it comes to drilling holes in concrete, concrete blocks, stone and other masonry, using a standard drill can be a real exercise in futility. The rotary motion of the drill bit -- even a carbide-tipped masonry bit -- is simply not sufficient to power through tough masonry surfaces.

Instead, you need a drill that combines rotation with an in-and-out hammering motion. This combined action helps to break down the masonry as the bit advances, making for much faster drilling without burning the bit. There are two basic types of drills that offer this rotational and hammering combination: the hammer drill and the rotary hammer. The two tools are often confused, but there is a definite difference between them.

Hammer drills

A hammer drill looks very much like a standard drill, and is available in both corded and cordless versions. Hammer drills have a heavy-duty keyed or keyless chuck, and will accept standard drill bits and screwdriver bits in addition to carbide-tipped masonry bits. They tend to be a little less powerful than a dedicated rotary hammer, but since they can be used for both hammer drilling and conventional drilling and driving, they are more versatile.

Like everything else in the tool world, you get what you pay for. Some lower-end hammer drills, especially cordless ones, are frustratingly short on hammering power, and their inexpensive construction makes for a short life span. So if you're considering investing in a hammer-drill/drill/driver combination, look for one with the quality, durability and features that will allow it to do all three tasks well.

One example of a high-end cordless hammer drill/drill/driver is the DeWalt DC927KL ($349). DeWalt is well known for high-quality tools that are designed with the needs of professional contractors in mind, so this is definitely a drill that will meet and exceed everything that the home handyman is looking for.

The DeWalt Hammer Drill uses their new 18-volt nanophosphate lithium ion batteries for more durability and longer life. To handle the stress of the hammering action it's a little heavier and more ruggedly built than a conventional cordless drill, but DeWalt has added a rubberized, non-slip grip for comfort.

The DC927 also has an all-metal, 3-speed transmission that lets you match the speed of the drill to the type of work you're doing. By turning a simple mode selector collar, you can choose the appropriate speed for hammer-drilling, conventional drilling or driving fasteners.

The heavy-duty all-metal chuck is 1/2 inch, and when you combine that with the auxiliary side handle you have a tool that will easily handle larger wood-boring bits and hole saws in addition to hammer-drilling concrete. The drill's variable speed is controlled by the trigger, and there's an adjustable clutch as well.

The complete kit includes a one-hour charger, two batteries, an adjustable and removable side handle, and a case.

Rotary hammers

Rotary hammers are more powerful than hammer drills, and while they'll also do some standard drilling, their real purpose is drilling in masonry. Rotary hammers deliver heavier hammering action than the typical hammer drill, and some models also have a hammer-only setting, which allows them to be used with a chisel bit for light- to medium-duty chipping.

True rotary hammers also use a different type of chuck and drill bits, known as SDS (slotted drive shaft). This type of keyless chuck slides back and forth to install the bits, rather than rotating. SDS chucks provide a non-slip grip on the bits that better withstands the hammering motion, but they will not work with conventional drill bits.

If you have or anticipate a fairly regular need for drilling in concrete and masonry surfaces, a rotary hammer is probably a better choice than a combination hammer drill. An excellent example of a professional-quality corded rotary hammer that would also be suitable for homeowners is the 11258VSR from Bosch ($159), another company that manufactures excellent tools.

Faster than a conventional hammer drill, the Bosch Rotary Hammer is also very comfortable to use, and the SDS chuck is easy to operate and grabs the bits securely. Bosch has designed this drill to be quieter and produce less vibration than comparable rotary hammers, so you can use it for longer periods without fatigue. And because this tool is built specifically with hammer-drilling in mind, you can count on durability and long life.

The drill can be operated in hammer-drill or drill-only modes, and is switched with a simple dial on the side of the tool. The handle is comfortably padded, and the variable speed is trigger-controlled and reversible. Bosch also offers an optional snap-in three-jaw chuck adapter, which allows you to use the tool with conventional drill bits.

The 11258VSR comes with a comfortable and adjustable side handle, an adjustable depth gauge to help you drill holes to specific depths, a selection of three different SDS carbide-tipped masonry bits, and a carrying case.

All product reviews are based on the author's actual testing of free review samples provided by the manufacturers.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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For just about anyone, a home is the single most expensive and single most complex thing that you'll ever own. So when making that purchase, you certainly want to do everything possible to be an informed buyer, and to protect yourself and your investment.

One of the ways to do that is to have a home inspection prior to closing the deal on the purchase. A home inspection will give you a lot of information about the physical condition of the home you're considering buying, and should alert you to any potentially serious problems that you need to be aware of.

But as a potential homebuyer, it's important that you understand what a home inspection is, and what it isn't. There are certain things that you can legitimately expect your inspection to provide for you, and certain things that it won't. And you also need to understand that the more you participate in the inspection process, the more you'll get out of it in return.

Finally, understand that just like there are good and bad contractors and real estate agents, there are also good and bad home inspectors. Expect to have to do a little homework to find one of the good ones.

What is a home inspection?

A home inspection is a visual inspection of the home you're thinking of purchasing, performed by an objective third-party inspector. The inspector will examine the physical structure of the home from top to bottom, as well as the home's operating systems. Typically, a home inspector will look at the following things:

• Outside: the exterior home site; general condition of the foundation and basement walls; condition of the exterior walls, including the siding, exterior trim, windows, exterior doors and exterior paint; type and condition of the roofing; condition of gutters, downspouts, flashings and vents.

• Inside: the condition of the attic, roof support structure, attic insulation and attic moisture issues; condition of the basement and crawl space, including insulation and moisture issues; garage and carport; electrical system; visible plumbing system; heating, cooling and ventilation system; general interior condition of the home.

A short time after the end of the inspection you'll receive a written report detailing the inspector's findings. Any defects the inspector identified will be noted. Inspectors should never attempt to sell you anything, such as their services to come in and fix anything that was identified in the report. To do so would be a clear conflict of interest.

It's important to understand that inspectors do not do what is known as "destructive testing." In other words: they don't cut holes in walls or otherwise open up inaccessible areas in order to look inside. Everything is based on their visual inspection of whatever they have access to. They're also not there to comment on anything that's readily apparent from a cosmetic standpoint, such as a sloppy paint job.

What types of things does the inspection not cover?

It's equally important to understand what a home inspection doesn't cover, because this is where you need to be sure that you continue with your due diligence when you're buying your home. For example, your home inspector will point out any obvious signs of visible mold or mildew in the home. However, he will not be performing any type of actual mold inspection. If you suspect a mold infestation in the home, you need to have testing done by a trained hygienist.

Home inspectors will point out structural problems that have been caused by insect damage. But they're not there to perform a complete termite inspection. They also don't do inspections for the condition of the well, septic tank, or any type of soil contaminants.

You also need to be very aware of the fact that a home inspection has nothing to do with code violations or zoning issues. You need to check those things out for yourself with the local building and planning offices. It's up to you to assure yourself that any prior work on the house was done with the necessary building permits.

It's also up to you to check that there are not any issues when it comes to how the house is currently zoned, or how the current zoning might affect your use of the property in the future.

What do you need to do?

You have a couple of other responsibilities in this process as well. First of all, know who your inspector is, and what's required of him. Different states have different regulations pertaining to how home inspectors are regulated, so find out what's required.

Interview the inspector before you hire him. Be sure he complies with all those requirements, including whatever license, insurance and bond is needed. Ask for and verify references. Ask for and read a sample report. Be sure it gives you the type of information you need, in a format you can understand. Find out if the inspector belongs to any professional trade organizations, and what their standards and codes of ethics are.

The other important thing is that you need to attend the inspection. Follow the inspector around, even up into the attic and into the crawlspace if you're physically able to do so. See what he's looking at. Understand the potential problems. Ask questions and take notes. When you get your report, read it over from cover to cover at least twice, and be sure you understand it.

You paid for it, and it's one of the most important documents you'll ever have. So if you don't understand any of it, be sure someone explains it to you.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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It's starting to warm up a bit and your home is coming out of its winter hibernation. Winter plays havoc on houses, and spring should be a time to toss on some shorts and take a walk around your house to get that spring chore list in order. Here are few additional areas to pay attention to:

Decks

Wood decks can take a real beating during the winter. Make a slow and thorough examination of deck boards, railings, posts, stairs and other structural members. Look for loose fasteners, cracks, dry rot, or other damage. Tighten or replace the bolts that hold the railings in place to ensure a sturdy railing system. Remove loose nails from decking boards -- hammering them back in won't do any good -- and replace them with weather-resistant decking screws that are made for that purpose. Use a screw that's longer than the original nail.

Sprinklers

Permanent, in-ground sprinklers are great, as long as they're properly adjusted. Run each set of sprinklers through a cycle, and watch how and where the water is hitting. Adjust or replace any sprinklers that are hitting your siding, washing out loose soil areas, spraying over foundation vents, or in any other way wetting areas on and around your house that shouldn't be getting wet.

Fans and air conditioners

Spring is a great time to check all of your exhaust fans, cooling fans and air conditioners. Check dampers for smooth operation. Remove interior fan covers, and wash in mild soapy water. Clean dust and debris from inside the fan unit using a shop vacuum -- do not operate the fan with the cover removed.

Check the roof or wall caps where the fan ducts terminate to make sure they are undamaged and well sealed. Check the dryer vent hose and cap for damage or loose connections, and clean out lint buildup. Check outdoor central-air-conditioning units for damage or debris buildup. Clean and check window or wall air conditioners, especially the filters.

Vent blocks and outdoor faucets

As soon as you're comfortable that the danger of winter freezing is over, remove foundation vent blocks or open vent covers to allow air circulation in the crawlspace. While removing the vent covers, check the grade level around the foundation vents. Winter weather can move soil and create buildups or grade problems that will allow ground water to drain through the vents into the crawlspace, so re-grade as necessary. Remove outdoor faucet covers. Turn on the water supply to outdoor faucets if it's been shut off.

Fences and gates

Fence posts are especially susceptible to ground water saturation, and will loosen up and tilt if the soil around them gets soaked too deeply. Check fence posts in various areas by wiggling them to see how solidly embedded they are. If any are loose, wait until the surrounding soil has dried out from winter's rains, then excavate around the bottom of the posts and pour additional concrete to stabilize them.

House numbers

Can someone find your house easily, especially in the dark? Spring is a great time to check that your house numbers are clearly visible from the street, that they are painted a contrasting color from whatever surface they are mounted on, that they are somehow hit by exterior lighting at night, and that they are not obscured by overgrown foliage.

Smoke detectors

As always when it's time to change the clocks, you want to check your smoke detectors. Replace the batteries, clean the covers, and test the detector's operation before it's too late. If you have gas-fired appliances in the house, including a water heater, now is also a great time to consider adding a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide detectors are inexpensive and easy to install, and are available at most home centers and other retailers of electrical parts and supplies.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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If you have problems with a wet basement or crawl space, you need to take care of all that water before it has a chance to cause structural damage, mold or any number of other nasty problems. For most situations, the best solution is the installation of a sump pump.

A sump pump is a special type of automatic, float-activated submersible pump, designed for this specific purpose. They are relatively inexpensive and fairly easy for the do-it-yourselfer to install.

Pick the right location

The first consideration for the successful operation of a sump pump is selecting and preparing the right location. Since the purpose of the pump is to remove accumulated water, it makes sense that it should be located at the lowest level of the basement or crawlspace.

This is usually easy to determine, as it's the area where the water naturally accumulates. You can look for either puddles of water or water stains on the dirt, concrete floor or stem walls, or on wood framing members. If none are visible, you may need to lay a level on a long board to check for natural slope, or, in the case of a large basement, even use a tripod-mounted transit or laser level. Either of these instruments can be rented from local rental yards.

Once the low spot has been determined, you need to create a hole for the water to accumulate. This hole -- called, not surprisingly, a sump -- is where the pump will sit. It needs to be large enough and deep enough to accommodate the pump, usually at least 2 feet in diameter and 1 to 2 feet deep. A concrete block or a couple of bricks are typically positioned at the bottom of the hole, which will give the pump a stable surface to rest on.

Provide a power source

The sump pump comes with an attached, grounded cord, and you need to provide an electrical outlet nearby for power. The outlet should be as close to the pump's location as possible, but high enough that it will not be affected by the ground water. All components, including the outlet and any metal electrical boxes or covers, must be properly grounded.

If you intend to use an existing outlet that is farther away from the pump than can be accommodated by the cord, only use an extension cord that is grounded and rated for outdoor use, and make sure it's the proper wire size to handle the amperage of the pump.

Specific extension cord gauges and maximum lengths will be provided in the instructions that accompany the specific pump. Do not use any cord that is not approved by the pump's manufacturer.

If you have any questions or doubts about the how to wire a new outlet or whether an existing outlet is safe for this use, be sure to consult with a qualified electrician.

Discharge and automatic operation

Next, you will need to run a pipe from the pump to a location that's suitable for disposing of the water. Somewhere on the pump will be a threaded outlet, designed for attaching the pipe. PVC is commonly used for this application, since it's inexpensive and easy to work with. However, copper or galvanized pipe is fine as well.

The size of the pipe is governed by the capacity of the pump, as well as the distance the water has to travel to its disposal point. Again, refer to the instructions for specific details.

There are a number of things to evaluate and consider when deciding where to route the discharge from the pump. The disposal site has to be outside of the basement or crawl space, or it obviously defeats the purpose of the pump. It also needs to be far enough away from the wall of the foundation to prevent it from seeping back under the house.

On the other hand, it cannot be located in such a way that the discharge water is directed onto any adjoining property.

For most situations, the best solution is a drywell -- a fairly deep, gravel-filled hole in the ground that will accept the discharge water and filter it safely down into the ground. In some areas, you may also be able to direct the water into a sewer or septic system for disposal. However, before setting up any disposal site for the water coming from your sump pump, you need to check with your city or county building or environmental health department for suggestions and restrictions.

Once the pump is installed in the sump hole and plumbed to the disposal location, it's simply a matter of plugging it in. The float on the side of the pump automatically controls the operation from there. As water accumulates in the sump, the float will rise. When it reaches a pre-set level, it activates the pump motor, which in turn pumps the water out through the discharge pipe. As the water level drops in the sump, the float lowers until it shuts the pump off again.

Very little maintenance is required, but on the other hand, don't forget that the pump is down there. You need to periodically clean debris out of the sump to keep the pump from being clogged, and it's a good idea to fill the sump with water every once in a while and watch that the float turns the pump on and off at the proper water levels. Also, inspect the discharge pipe periodically to be sure that the discharged water is not draining back toward the house or onto an adjacent property.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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With spring approaching, many people are considering dipping their toes back into the housing market. There's a lot of houses out there to choose from at the moment, and it seems like I've been getting a lot of questions recently about heating systems: What are the different kinds? What's the best one? How do I compare them?

So for all of you house hunters, here's an overview of some of the most common types of heating systems, along with a few of the pros and cons.

Zonal heating

Zonal heating systems are set up to heat specific zones of the house, as opposed to the entire house at once. A zone may be an individual room, or it may be a group of rooms. Thermostats control only the heater or heaters that make up each individual zone.

Common types of zonal heating systems include electric wall heaters, electric baseboard heaters, electric or gas fireplaces, ceiling cable heat, and radiant floor heat.

Electric wall heaters and baseboard heaters are less expensive to install than a central heating system, and don't have a duct system to maintain. On the downside, they limit furniture placement in the room. Also, they tend to burn dust on the elements inside the heaters, creating dirty spots on the wall around them over time.

Radiant ceiling cable is an outdated and inefficient system, with a lot of heat loss into the attic.

Radiant floor heat creates a very nice warm floor underfoot, and does a nice job of maintaining an even temperature in the room. Radiant floor heat can be expensive to install, and works best with floor coverings such as tile.

If you tend to stay in only one part of the house at a time, zonal heating allows you to maintain different temperature settings in different areas. Done right, and for the right type of person, this can result in some energy savings. But if you move around the house a lot, or if you forget to set back the different zones to different temperatures at different times of the day, you'll quickly lose those savings.

Two other potential downsides to zonal heating systems are that they do not have the ability to add air conditioning, and, depending on the market you're in, they may detract from resale value.

Central heating

A central heating system utilizes both a single furnace that creates heated air and a fan and duct system to distribute that heated air throughout the house.

Depending on the type of furnace, the heat is created through the burning of natural gas, propane, fuel oil or wood, or by passing an electrical current through a series of elements. Some types of radiant floor systems would be considered central heating systems as well.

A single thermostat controls the heating demand for the entire house. This adds convenience, but it also means that you're heating rooms that may not be in use during certain parts of the day. You can close off the registers to unused rooms, but when you do that, you unbalance the heating demands for the entire system.

For that reason, you should never close off registers without the help of a trained heating contractor.

Central heating systems lend themselves to other convenience factors. You can install a clock thermostat, also called a setback thermostat. This allows you to set specific times when a clock in the thermostat will raise and lower the thermostat automatically, such as when you go to bed, or when you're at work.

You can also add a central electronic air filter to help keep the house cleaner, as well as a central humidifier. Finally, most central heating systems can be adapted to add central air conditioning as well.

All that being said, a central heating system is not always the most efficient way to heat a home. You need to look at the condition of the furnace, and especially the condition of the duct system. Many older systems, and even some newer ones, have loose joints and poor insulation that lose a lot of heat.

Heat pumps

Heat pumps are another form of central heating system that offers greater energy efficiency and also offers cooling. It consists of an interior heating unit and an outdoor compressor unit. Through a system that works similar to your refrigerator, heat is drawn from the outside air and transferred to the house through a series of refrigerant-filled coils.

In the summer, the process can be reversed, removing heat from the house and transferring it outside in order to cool the house.

There are different types of heat pumps available, depending on where they draw their outside heat from. The most common is the air-source heat pump, which gets its heat from the air. Heat pumps work best in relatively mild climates; as temperatures begin to drop, conventional backup electric heating elements come on in stages to provide supplemental heat as needed. A central thermostat controls the entire system.

On the downside, heat pumps have a higher initial installed cost than conventional central heating systems. They also typically deliver air through the ducts at a little lower overall temperature, which some people don't like when comparing it to conventional furnaces.

Because they offer greater energy efficiency and also offer cooling capabilities, heat pumps tend to have a higher resale value than other types of heating systems.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Q: We are planning to sell our home next year. We tried the easiest route to brighten up the kitchen: painting the dark wood cabinets a lighter color, as we have a faux wood laminate countertop. We went with a two-toned effect, with the cabinets done in white and the doors and drawers done in a semigloss beige. It does not look all that great and the doors stick: What would you suggest?

Also, the drawers are an odd rail system with a wheel on an arm at the back of the drawer that hooks into the rail above the drawer -- they always come off and stick horribly. Any advice would be wonderful and highly appreciated, as we are on a very tight budget.

A: When remodeling to sell, always stick with colors and materials that are as universally appealing as possible. In the kitchen, I would go with all white on the cabinets, since the two-tone look is not something that will appeal to most people.

It's hard to say why the cabinet doors stick. If they didn't stick before the paint job, my suspicion would be that you got paint on the hinges, or you built up too much paint in the area of the hinges that is binding the door, or you closed and/or reinstalled the doors before the paint was completely dry.

If you are going to repaint the doors, I would suggest sanding them down to bare wood before you repaint -- putting another coat on at this point is probably asking for trouble. I would also replace the hinges.

The old-style drawer slides you mention have always been a problem. I'm not sure those things worked right even when they were brand new! I would start by removing each drawer, then checking to be sure that the wheel, track and other components are well secured.

They were often held in place by a staple or a single screw, so they work loose and drop out of alignment quite easily. Install more screws as needed to keep them in place.

Over time, the plastic front wheels wear out as well, which also messes with the alignment and operation. You can order new wheels and also complete replacement slides from Rockler Woodworking and Hardware at www.rockler.com.

Finally, make sure you clean everything thoroughly with a degreaser.

Q: (We have problems) with our contractor not doing his job; can we fire him and hire someone who will do the job? He is threatening to sue us. We contracted him to do the work, but there have been many problems and there is not a written contact.

A: You say that you contracted with him, but later you say you have no written contract. Not having a written contract can make things considerably messier. You apparently have no written specifications, no start and completion dates, no agreed-upon price, nothing. Instead you have some type of oral contract, which makes it very difficult to determine whether a breach has occurred, and if so, by whom.

All of that is what affects your question about whether or not you can fire him. With no written record for the courts to fall back on, it becomes a matter of who said what to whom -- in other words, it's going to be your word against his.

Here are my suggestions:

• Sit down with the contractor and discuss the problems. See if you can reach a compromise of some sort. It is very much in everyone's best interests to calm down, take a deep breath and try to work something out. He may want out of this job just as much as you want him gone.

• If that doesn't work, then consult with an attorney to see what your exact legal status is, especially since he's threatened a lawsuit (although my gut feeling is that this is just a scare tactic). Since a licensed contractor is forbidden in most states from doing work without a written contract, the person you hired may have a problem on his hands as well, so you will also want to clarify that.

• Please learn from this mistake. In the future, never undertake construction work of any kind without a written contract.

Q: I am installing an electric oven/microwave combo into my new cherry cabinet. The oven instructions suggest to slide it in and screw in the mount brackets. My question is: The oven weighs 230 pounds and I do not see the "face" of the cabinet supporting the entire oven, (no bottom support). Now, the oven manufacturer also recommends at least 4 inches from the bottom of the oven to the bottom of cabinet -- thus not being able to put a shelf in for support. What do you recommend?

A: Typically, what the oven manufacturer is referring to is clearance between the bottom of the oven door and anything below it, such as the top of a drawer. However, the oven manufacturers understand that the oven needs a lot more support than just the cabinet face frame, and there will be a specific set of instructions packaged with the oven that shows where the supports should go.

What I have seen over the years is either a plywood bottom in the cabinet that the oven slides directly onto, or a plywood panel with "2-by" lumber pieces on top that are installed in a particular spot so that they support the oven's feet.

In addition, the oven is typically screwed to the face or inside edge of the face frame (or both) to provide additional resistance against tipping when the oven door is opened. With cherry or any hardwood, be sure you predrill the cabinets.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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When it comes to shingles, there are choices galore. But one of the most attractive from a number of standpoints is the laminated composition shingle. Durable, reasonably priced and compatible with a wide range of architectural styles, laminated shingles have long ago destroyed the notion that composition shingles are suitable only for lower-end housing.

"Composition" refers to the fact that the shingle is made up from a composite of different materials. Most are made up of a flexible and durable fiberglass matt that's blended with asphalt. The fiberglass and asphalt layers are then topped with mineral granules, which give the shingle its durability, weather resistance and color. Virtually all composition shingles carry an Underwriter's Laboratories Class A fire rating, which is the highest available. This makes them a great choice for fire-prone areas as well.

The term "laminated" comes from the way that the shingles are layered. Originally, composition or the older plain asphalt shingles were a single, flat layer. Laminated shingles stack two or three layers together on the same shingle, sometimes uniformly, sometimes randomly. The result is a shingle with more shadow lines and more three-dimensional depth, which is considerably more attractive.

The extra lamination also makes the shingle heavier and denser. This keeps the shingle flatter on the roof, reducing its tendency to curl and making it less likely to be affected by high winds. Each shingle has a strip of adhesive on the back, which is softened by the heat of the sun after installation. This allows the upper shingle to bond to the one below it, sealing it down for additional resistance to wind lifting and ice damming.

The combination of heavier weight, fiberglass matting and thicker granule layers also adds to the shingle's life span and to the length of the warranties offered by the manufacturers. Laminated composition shingles typically offer 30- or 40-year warranties, and some are even higher.

Installation

Laminated composition shingles are installed over a base of plywood or OSB sheathing. A base layer of 15-pound felt is laid over the roof sheathing first. In ice-prone areas, an additional ice protection sheet is installed, extending from the eaves to a point past where the unheated eaves cross over the exterior walls of the house.

A starter course is laid first at the edge of the eaves. The first course of laminated shingles is then installed over the top of the starter course. Each subsequent course is staggered over the preceding course, in a pattern that's set by the manufacturer. This staggering -- called "stair-stepping" -- ensures that the butt joints in the shingles will not fall directly over the butt joints in the course below.

The shingles are fastened with standard roofing nails, or, more commonly, with wide-crown roofing staples shot from a pneumatic staple gun. Full installation instructions, including instructions for valleys, are included with each package.

Accessories and availability

For covering a roof's hips and ridges, most manufacturers offer matching ridge shingles. These shingles are the same style and color as the regular shingles, but are precut shorter for fast installation over ridge areas. Ridge shingles can also be cut onsite from regular shingles.

Special ridge vents that match the shingles are also available, or there are universal ridge vent materials that can be installed for ventilation and then covered with ridge shingles that match the roofing.

To complete the installation, some manufacturers offer accessory paint, which is formulated in colors to match the various shingle colors. The paint can be used for vents, flashings and other rooftop areas to help blend them in with the surrounding shingles.

Laminated composition shingles are manufactured by several different companies. You can see samples at roofing material suppliers, home centers, most lumberyards and some discount outlets. Many of the more popular colors and styles are kept in stock, and others are available through special order.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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If you're thinking of listing your home this spring, now is the time to be thinking about one of the most important elements of real estate marketing: curb appeal. It's your one and only chance to make a first impression on a potential buyer, so make it a good one! Here are some suggestions to make your home stand out from the rest:

1. Get some new eyes: The thing about curb appeal is that you need to look at your house through a stranger's eyes, not through your own. You don't even notice the faded paint on the trim or the missing house numbers, but other people do. So if you can't be honest and objective about the overall condition of the exterior of your home, find someone who can.

If you have a friend, relative, or neighbor who you trust to be honest with you (and that you have a good enough relationship with that it will survive their bluntness), then ask them). Ask your real estate agent. If necessary, hire a landscaper or a contractor to act as a consultant.

The main thing is to get a comprehensive, written list put together of what needs to be done to the outside of your home to improve the first impression it makes. Concentrate on the front, but don't overlook the sides and back either.

2. Start with basic repairs: The very first thing on your curb appeal list should be basic repairs. Is there a broken window? A torn screen? A loose gutter or downspout? A sagging screen door? It doesn't matter what it is or how small it is, fix it.

They may seem like little things, but making sure that everything is in proper working order can make a huge difference in how people perceive your house and the care you have taken with it as a homeowner. Make sure you have big, bright, easily visible house numbers. Oh yeah -- and don't forget to squirt a little oil on those squeaky door and gate hinges.

3. Next, do some cleaning: Break out the broom and clean the outside of your house better than it's ever been cleaned before. Rent a pressure washer, and clean the driveway, walkways and patio. Clean your decks and your siding (a scrub brush is a better choice in these areas than a pressure washer, to avoid damage to the wood). If your wood deck is badly weathered, consider a deck cleaner and brightener made specifically for that purpose -- available at paint stores. Wash all your windows, inside and out, including the window screens.

4. Declutter: Just as you would with the interior, you want to declutter the outside of your house as well. Pick up the kids' toys, and put away the garden tools and hoses (remember, you're going to have people visiting the house, so this is also a liability issue). Remove all that accumulated junk from the sides and back of the house, and haul it to the landfill.

5. Next, tackle the landscaping: As part of the decluttering and general cleaning, do the landscaping areas as well. Prune overgrown plants and trim back overhanging tree limbs. Pull out anything that's dead. Rake up leaves and needles, and pull weeds. If you have an underground sprinkler system, make sure everything is working properly. If you have a lawn, fertilize and water it regularly to green it up, and run an edger along sidewalks and driveway edges.

In your planter areas, you can make a huge difference in how your house looks with the simple addition of some fresh bark and colorful flowers. And if you don't have any planter areas, create a few, or add some simple planter boxes to do the same thing. There's nothing like color to really catch the eye and give your home a bright, fresh appeal.

6. Consider a trip to the paint store: Few things help your home show better than a fresh coat of paint. If it's been awhile since the outside of your home's been painted, this might be a worthwhile investment, especially in a tough seller's market. If you're handy with a brush and an airless sprayer, you might just want to undertake the project yourself. A long weekend and a few hundred dollars in paint can make a world of difference in how well the home shows and how quickly it sells. Otherwise, talk with a licensed painting contractor for an estimate.

Maybe painting the entire house isn't really necessary. Sometimes just a fresh coat of paint or maybe a new color on the trim, exterior doors, garage door or window shutters can make a big difference as well.

A word of caution about paint colors: When painting the house for resale, select colors that complement the house and the neighborhood and that will appeal to the greatest number of buyers, whether they happen to be your favorites or not. You may have really been itching to paint the house purple with black trim, but save that for another day.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Q: My wife and I are looking at buying a home that was built in 1955. Some of the wiring is paper wrap. We aren't sure how much. I was wondering if any of the paper wrap was ever made with a ground wire. Also I was wondering about the safety of paper wrap. We have to travel about 750 miles to look at this home and would like to know if it should be a big concern.

A: There's no easy answer to this one. Some of the cable you refer to did not have a ground wire, and some of it did. Also, older wiring such as this was not as heat resistant as the jackets used today, and it's not unusual to find wiring that has heat damage to it, especially behind light fixtures.

Finally, a house that is more than 50 years old is almost certainly going to have had some remodeling work done, and it's impossible to know what different homeowners, contractors and electricians may have done with the wiring.

If you are seriously considering buying the house, you need to have a qualified electrician examine the wiring and determine its condition, as well as determining whether subsequent repairs and remodeling were done correctly. The electrician can also determine if the house is safe and up to current code and, if not, what would be required to get it there. Incidentally, I would suggest the services of a licensed electrician for this -- not a home inspector.

Because the house is so far away, if you are working with a real estate agent in that city perhaps he or she could arrange to have the electrical evaluation done for you and save you a trip. That way, if the work is too extensive you can have the opportunity to reevaluate your purchase plans, or perhaps talk with the sellers about a price reduction.

Q: We remodeled our kitchen a few years ago. We replaced the recirculating stove hood and installed a better system that vents to the roof. I don't recall if they used 6- or 8-inch piping but it was the size recommended by the manufacturer. The total amount of piping is probably about 12-15 feet from fan to roof vent. I think the bigger problem is that this ventilation piping takes a few turns via a few 45-degree turns before it exits the roof.

The fan mounted in the stove hood was very powerful (based on the manufactures specs), but I think the turns and pipe lengths are impeding the airflow and it's an inefficient system. The amount of air that leaves the stove vs. the noise it produces makes it easier to tolerate the smoke.

Reconfiguring the vent piping is nearly impossible, although access to the attic is very possible. I was considering a rooftop ventilator. Instead of attempting to push out the air through a fan, this device works more like a vacuum and pulls the air out from the roof. A little extra power and noise would not be a problem because it would be mounted outside on the roof and the existing vent pipe would remain. The old fan would come out and the metal filters would remain. Any recommendations or am I wasting my time?

A: First, let's look at the situation with the existing range hood. Contained within the instructions and specifications that came with the hood will be a chart of some sort that lists the maximum length of duct that is allowable for that particular unit. The chart will also tell you how much equivalent length is taken up by a fitting -- for example, it may say that an elbow is the equivalent of 4 additional feet of duct.

So if you add up the actual number of feet of duct and then factor in the number of feet that's added by the fittings, you can determine if what you have exceeds what the manufacturer recommends.

You mentioned "they used," so I assume you had this done by a contractor. If the contractor did not install the hood to the manufacturer's specifications, you may have some recourse there for getting them to make some repairs or adjustments. All that being said, however, you may still not get the type of exhaust results you're hoping for with the existing hood, even if the duct is redone to fall within the manufacturer's specs.

This leads us to your idea of an exterior vent motor, which I think is a great idea. (I've had one for years with very good results). Exterior vent motors that pull instead of push work very well, for the two reasons that you mention. Because they're outside, the motors can be considerably larger than what's possible inside a range hood. And the exterior mounting means that the noise the larger motor generates is not nearly as much of an issue. It's why you almost always see restaurants and other commercial applications utilizing exterior vent motors.

The downside is typically one of cost. The exhaust motor is more expensive, and it requires more labor to cut and flash it into the roof, and to run the necessary ducting and wiring. If an exterior vent motor fits into your budget, then I would certainly recommend making the change.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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If you live where it snows, moving that white stuff off the driveway or the front walk is not exactly the most enviable of tasks. But it has to be done, both for safety and accessibility.

In many areas of the country, snow removal is even necessary in order to comply with local laws and ordinances. So your choices are a back-breaking shovel, an expensive snow-removal service, or some mechanized help in the way of a snow blower.

If you're like most do-it-yourselfers, you probably hate hiring things out. But if the alternative is a snow shovel, what you're asking for is a sore back -- or perhaps a lot worse. So maybe it's time to consider a snow blower.

Snow blowers may seem like an expensive investment, but there are a lot of nice ones on the market at very reasonable prices. Snow blowers also save money in the long run over the ongoing cost of a snow removal service. They also offer the convenience of being able to clear your driveway as soon you need it cleared, without waiting.

Gas-powered snow blowers

Gas-powered snow blowers vary widely in price, depending on the size of the engine, the amount of snow it can handle, and whether it's a single-stage or a two-stage model. Single-stage models have fast-moving augers that contact the ground and scoop up the snow. They usually have two-stroke engines, less power, and are less expensive. Prices for singe-stage blowers are typically in the $350 to $650 range or higher.

Two-stage models have a slower moving auger and an impeller, which lift the snow and discharge it through a chute. Guide plates hold the auger slightly above the ground, and as long as the guide plates are correctly set, a two-stage snow blower can be used on gravel driveways as well as over concrete or asphalt. Two-stage snow blowers utilize a more powerful four-stroke engine, and can clear a path up to about 30 inches in width. Prices for these types of machines are usually around $700 to $1,300 or more.

A good example of a heavy-duty, two-stage snow blower for home use is the Snow Joe Pro, ($899). This happens to be the one I use at home, and it's actually turned what used to be a very tough task into something approaching enjoyable.

The Snow Joe Pro has a four-stroke, overhead-valve gas engine, and will cut a path 26 inches wide through snow up to 20 inches deep. It has both an electric and a recoil (pull-cord) start. The electric start utilizes a power cord, which connects between the engine and an electrical outlet, so there's no on-board battery to worry about; once the engine is started, the power cord is removed and the choke and throttle are set back to the run positions.

Two-stage snow blowers are self-propelled. You simply walk behind it, and guide it where you want it to go -- although some strength and effort is still required. The Snow Joe Pro has six forward speeds and two reverse speeds, allowing you to set it to whatever the snow conditions are. Like all newer snow blowers, there are manual safety interlocks on the handles that have to be depressed before the machine will move, so it can't go anywhere on its own.

The snow is discharged through a top-mounted chute, located behind the auger. The chute can be rotated to the left or right and angled up or down, allowing you to control where the snow is thrown. Different snow blowers utilize different types of controls for rotating and angling the chute. The Snow Joe uses a simple up-front control lever, while others utilize a hand crank or other mechanism.

In addition to Snow Joe, other top manufacturers of two-stage snow blowers include Ariens, Craftsman, John Deere, Toro and Troy-Bilt.

Electric snow throwers

It used to be that if you had a walkway or a set of steps to clear, a snow shovel was your only alternative. Regular gas or electric snow blowers were simply too big and too cumbersome to maneuver into these tighter spaces. But there are a couple of alternatives out there that are well worth considering. They're called electric snow throwers, and you can think of them as kind of an "electric snow shovel."

Electric snow throwers look sort of like a cross between a vacuum cleaner and a push broom, with an upright handle and a wide head at the bottom that's in contact with the ground. A small, powerful electric motor turns an auger in the head, which breaks up the snow and throws it out and away from you. You use the snow thrower like a vacuum cleaner, back and forth in short strokes. As you push it into the snow, it clears whatever's in its path, right down to the pavement.

Two examples of electric snow throwers are the Snow Joe Plus and the Toro Power Shovel. Both weigh just 12 1/2 pounds, have 7.5-amp motors and will cut a path 12 inches wide. Amazingly, these lightweight machines are capable of throwing snow up to 20 feet.

The Snow Joe has a curved handle with a nice ergonomic feel, and an adjustable auxiliary side handle. Retail price is $99. The Toro has a straight handle and also has an adjustable side handle, with a retail price of around $120. Both machines offer a very affordable alternative to shoveling your walkway!

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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The Internet has certainly revolutionized the way we gather information. From remodeling our homes to protecting ourselves from fraud, there's an incredible wealth of product and technical information that's just a mouse-click away.

As you've no doubt already learned in your wanderings about the Web, some of what's out there is extremely useful, and some of it's not. In fact, some of it borders on the downright dangerous. So when you're surfing, know your sources. As you find sites that you know have practical and reliable content, bookmark them for use in the future. Beware of sites that are obviously just passing along information from other sites, often word for word and without regard for copyrights.

Here's a random sampling of interesting Web sites that are full of useable information you can rely on. Some of these are government sites, some are nonprofit organizations, and some are commercial sites. But even the commercial sites are ones that have reputable products:

APA --The Engineered Wood Association: Formerly the American Plywood Association, this group now oversees just about anything having to do with engineered lumber and sheet goods. There's a wealth of information here about plywood, OSB, engineered beams, you name it -- and lots of free publications available for download or by mail.

National Wood Flooring Association: This is a very nice site on wood flooring. It offers a lot of information about different types of wood floors, wood floor maintenance and repair, wood floor design, and even reclaiming and recycling wood flooring materials. It's designed to promote wood flooring, so it's slanted in that direction, but it's still a good source of information.

Building Online: This is a big commercial site that's been around for quite some time. It's basically a search engine, which connects you to just about any type of home improvement material or information source that you're likely to need. It's a great place to find the names, addresses, phone numbers and Web sites of companies and organizations for a wide variety of different building materials.

Federal Citizen Information Center: This is a very large site, full of an amazing array of information published by the federal government. At the left of the opening page, there's a menu of choices. Click on "Housing," then "Home Maintenance" to get to an area full of brochures and other information. The 36-page booklet called Energy Savers, about weatherization and other energy-saving tips, is one good example that's free for downloading.

Quikrete: Walk into any home improvement store or lumberyard and you're almost sure to see sacks of Quikrete cement, concrete, sand, asphalt and other products. Their Web site has a lot of good information about what the different products are used for, how to work with them, and how to calculate the quantities that you'll need.

Wolman Products: There's always a lot of confusion about deck-cleaning products, and I always get a lot of questions about this subject. In my opinion, Wolman has some of the most reliable deck-cleaning products available. And their Web site has a wealth of information about selecting the best products for different decks and different applications.

U.S. Green Building Council: The Green Building Council is a nonprofit organization that has established the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program to help train builders in green design and construction practices. They've also devolved a Green Building Rating System. If you're interested in green building, this is a good site to visit for more information.

Purdy Paint Brushes: If you need advice on selecting or using paint brushes, in my opinion this is a site with some worthwhile information. These are some of the finest paint brushes out there, and this commercial site is a good place to learn about brushes and get some great painting tips as well.

State Contractor's Boards: You'll need to search for this one on your own. In Google or whatever search engine you prefer, just type in "(your state name) contractors board" and it'll take you where you need to go. I can't emphasize strongly enough how important this is. If you're having any kind of work done on your home, you need to find out the contractor's laws for your state, then verify that the person working on your home is properly licensed, bonded and insured!

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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If you look closely at homes with beautiful windows, you'll typically find one thing in common: wood trim. No matter what the style of the window is or what material it's made out of, a painted or stained wood surround enhances the beauty of the window far more than the inexpensive "drywall wrap" that's common on a lot of today's homes.

Creating wooden surrounds for your windows is enjoyable, fairly inexpensive, and can be done by anyone with a few finish carpentry skills. And you can do one or two windows at a time, which is a lot less invasive to your home life than a lot of remodeling projects.

First, a couple of definitions

In the world of finish carpentry, there are a couple of terms that are helpful to know:

• Window surround: A window surround consists of the four pieces that wrap the inside of the window frame, between the face of the window and the face of the wall.

• Stool and apron: A window stool is the same as a window sill. It's the horizontal board at the bottom of the window surround. The trim board beneath the stool, which covers the joint between the bottom of the stool and the face of the wall, is the apron.

• Drywall wrap: A type of surround in which all four sides of the surround are done with drywall instead of wood.

Three ways to trim the window

There are basically three options for how you can trim out a window with wood. The simplest is to wrap the two sides and top of the window surround with drywall, and then install a stool and apron at the bottom. The drywall pieces are installed first and finished, prior to installation of the stool. If you already have drywall-wrapped windows, all you need to do is remove the bottom piece of drywall from the surround, to expose the rough framing underneath.

The stool is cut from finish-grade lumber. You can use oak, maple, fir or other clear grades of wood if the wood is to be stained. If you'll be painting the stool, consider poplar or medium-density fiberboard (MDF), both of which paint out very nicely. The stool is typically ripped to a width that's 1 inch wider than the distance from the face of the window to the face of the wall, and 1 inch longer than the distance between the two side pieces of the surround.

The stool is then simply notched on each end to fit into the opening in the window surround. It will overlap the wall face by an inch, and there will be two "ears" that extend past the edge of the surround by 1/2 inch on each side. The apron, which is a piece of trim of any desired size and style, is cut 1/2 inch shorter than the overall length of the stool, and is installed below the stool to finish things off.

Method No. 2 is to make a wooden surround with no stool, which is done by building a box. You need four pieces of lumber ripped to the same width as the distance from the face of the window to the face of the wall, then cut and assembled into a simple box that's slightly smaller than the inside dimensions of the window frame opening. Slip the box into the opening, shim it until it's centered, then nail it in place. The installation is completed by installing four pieces of matching trim on face of the wall, sized so as to cover most of the edge of the wooden box and mitered at the four corners.

The third method is a combination of the first two. In this case, you would construct a three-sided box -- two sides and a top -- then cut a stool as described above and use it as the fourth side (the bottom) of the wooden box.

Install the box in the opening and shim it into place. Now install three pieces of trim on the face of the wall -- a top piece and two sides. The trim is mitered at the two top corners, and extends down on the two sides to rest on top of the stool. An apron, installed below the stool as described above, completes the installation.

There are dozens upon dozens of variations on these three basic themes. Before you get started, take some time to peruse a few architectural and carpentry magazines and books and you're sure to find a look that's perfect for your home.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Q: In your opinion, what home improvements (kitchen remodel, new front door, or wood floors) offer the best payback on investment when you are trying to sell?

A: It really depends on the condition of the house, what existing problems it might have, what your competition is in the neighborhood, what the price range is, and several other factors.

First and foremost, I always recommend that people fix what's broken. Today's buyers are very savvy about maintenance issues, and anything that obviously needs repair is going to jump out at most people. Also, when a potential buyer sees the first defect, he or she tends to start being more aware of others. So take care of all those loose screws and broken window screens and sticking doors and towel bars that are hanging on by a thread.

Kitchens are always one of the primary selling features for a home in just about any price range. If you have an outdated kitchen with dark wood cabinets, outdated appliances, older counters, a poor work flow, or other problems that could be solved by a partial or complete remodeling, you will generally see more of a return on the home's selling price than the amount of money you invested in the remodel.

Bathrooms are another area of the house that returns well on selling. If the home has only one bathroom, the addition of a second one is generally a huge return. Adding a bathroom to a master bedroom to create a master suite is typically another good return, as is remodeling outdated bathrooms.

You also want to take a good look at your home from a curb appeal standpoint. Updating old, single-pane windows is a big feature, as is a new roof if your old one is on its last legs. You will probably see only an even-money return or even a slight negative on these big expenditures, but in my opinion they make the home easier to sell.

A new front door might be a good investment if the other one is damaged or worn out. Also look at exterior paint, landscaping, fences, walkways and other outside areas -- especially in the front -- that could use repair, replacement or just a sprucing up.

Another big thing is interior paint, which is a fairly minimal investment if you do the work yourself. Paint that is old, faded, dirty, or otherwise doesn't show well is another one of the maintenance things that make a positive or negative impression on people. I would also suggest painting over walls that are red, hot pink, bright yellow, or other colors that might have a limited appeal -- you don't need to paint everything white (in fact, I'd recommend against it), but go with colors that are more neutral.

As to wood floors, they are definitely a hot feature at the moment. Replacing old flooring with new hardwood is a selling feature, but I couldn't say how much of a payback you would see on the investment, other than making the home easier to sell. Also, in my experience true hardwood flooring -- either prefinished or finish-in-place -- is a better selling feature than laminate flooring.

Finally, be sure you don't overbuild for your neighborhood. Sinking $40,000 into a major kitchen remodel in an area of starter homes is not going to pay back very well, so keep the general price range of homes in your area in mind as you do your planning. An experienced real estate agent can help you in that regard as well.

Q: Our home is about 45 years old and was built as an "all electric home." The heating is supplied by heating tapes that are integrated into the ceilings. I have a few questions:

1. Is the efficiency of this type of heat still valid after 45 years?

2. How can I determine where the heating wires are (my wife wants a ceiling light fixture mounted in one of the rooms)?

3. I am thinking that it might be better to abandon the ceiling elements and have baseboard heaters installed. Would you suggest that option?

A: Unfortunately, this is not a very efficient heating system, and never really was. For one thing, heat rises. So by putting all of the heat at the highest point in the room, you've already started out at a disadvantage. And because that heat wants to rise, the second problem is the ceiling insulation. At the time that ceiling cables were popular, high levels of attic insulation were not yet recognized as being particularly important.

So now you've compounded the problem by creating heat up at the ceiling, and then not doing much to stop it from just disappearing up into the attic. It was often easy to see which houses had ceiling heat and skimpy attic insulation, because those were the ones with no snow on the roof in the winter!

I would abandon the ceiling cable and switch to something else. Before you opt for baseboards, talk with a heating contractor about forced air as well, which is a more efficient and more comfortable system. A heat pump, which is energy efficient and also gives you air conditioning, is also an option.

Also, talk with your local electric utility. Many of them have programs designed to help people get rid of older, less efficient systems, since they're hard on the utility company power grids as well. There are often free energy audits and weatherization consultations available, as well as low-cost financial assistance for upgrades. There may be some energy tax credits available as well.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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With winter's storms comes the problem of ice buildup on the roof. No one relishes the thought of dragging out a ladder and trying to get all that ice out of the gutter. But if you allow it to build up in there, you are essentially forming the foundation that an ice dam will start building on, and once the ice dam takes hold it's a lot harder to get rid of.

The best solution is to be proactive and attack the ice before it actually becomes ice. That means taking some precautions to keep all that water from freezing in the first place.

There are several steps you'll need to take, starting in the fall with cleaning out the gutters. Keeping your gutters and downspouts free of leaves and pine needles should already be an essential part of your fall chores, and it's also an essential part of keeping that ice from building up.

Anything designed to catch the leaves and needles and keep them from getting into the gutters can also be a problem when it comes to ice buildup. Those barriers can create a number of small crevices that trap ice and snow, making it difficult to keep them clear and the water running through them freely during the winter. If you live in a cold climate, any type of leaf barrier on your gutters is probably not a great idea.

Heat tape in gutters and downspouts

Once the gutters are clean and barrier free, heat tape is the easiest way to keep them free of ice. Heat tape is simply a long strip of electrically heated, rubberized cable, available in different lengths. It has a grounded (three-prong) plug at one end, and is plugged into a properly grounded, GFCI-protected electrical outlet (GFCI is an acronym for ground-fault circuit interrupter).

The tape is laid in the bottom of the gutter, or it can be clipped so that is hangs along the sides of the gutter, near the bottom. A strip of heat cable is also extended down the inside of each downspout. Most heat cables are safe for use with both metal and plastic gutters.

There are different types of controls available for activating the heat tape. The best is a thermostat control, which will activate the tape when the outside air temperature falls to a certain level, typically around 35 to 40 degrees. This will allow the tape sufficient opportunity to prevent the ice from forming as the temperatures continue to drop.

And since the operation is automatic, it eliminates the worry of you having to activate anything. Remember that the tape is designed to prevent the ice from forming -- it's not there to melt the ice after it's already in place.

Heat tape on the roof not as effective

You will also sometimes see heat tape recommended for use on the roof itself, installed in a zigzag pattern along the eaves, on top of the roofing. The theory is simple. The electrically heated cables melt the snow as it falls, creating channels around the cables that allow for drainage, keeping the roof clear.

No snow buildup means no ice, which means no ice damming. But there are some mixed opinions on just how effective this method actually is.

For one thing, there is the initial cost of all that cable, and the cost to operate it. Heat cable uses about 5 watts of electricity per foot, so a 100-foot cable is the same as having five 100-watt light bulbs burning. A typical house can require several hundred feet of heat cable on the roof, so that's a lot of additional utility bills.

In areas with a lot of snow, there's also evidence that the snow buildup is simply too great around the cables to make the cleared paths very effective. Freezing happens a short distance away from the cables, and the ice dams occur anyway.

Perhaps of greatest concern is the potential for fire danger. I personally have seen several roof fires over the years that have been started by heat cables on the roof that that have malfunctioned, that have been damaged somehow, or that have simply worn out.

All in all, using the heat tape to keep your gutters and downspouts free of ice and snow, then taking other precautions such as good insulation and ventilation in the attic, will be better long-term solutions to ice damming than the installation of heat tape on the roof.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Q: My husband and I are currently shopping for our first home and have found a couple that we really like. However, one of these houses is listed as using "Cadet" heat. I have looked at several articles but would like to know what the benefits and disadvantages are in regards to this type of heating system? Also, is this something that will need to be replaced? If it is replaced, will we be able to do this ourselves (my husband is an electrical engineer) or is this a professional job? If we choose to leave this type of heating in the house, will it harm its resale value in the future?

A: As you may know already, Cadet heaters are simply the name of a popular brand of electric wall heater. In real estate listings, "Cadet heat" is sometimes incorrectly used generically to refer to any type of wall heater, even those not made by Cadet.

In 2000, Cadet and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled approximately 1.9 million Cadet heaters due to reported problems with the heaters that could be related to overheating and fires. For more information about the recall, you can visit the CPSC Web site.

As part of any home purchase you're considering, you'll want to have the home inspected by a qualified home inspector before you close the purchase. As part of that inspection, the inspector should definitely check the Cadet heaters, and include in his or her report what their condition is, and if they are part of the recall or not (they may not be affected, or they may already have been replaced).

If the Cadet heaters in the home you're thinking of buying are part of the recall and need to be replaced, it's a fairly simple do-it-yourself project, or you can hire a licensed electrician to do it. The cans that are in the wall remain in place and only the internal part of the heating mechanism is replaced, so there is no drywall to replace or repair.

Quite honestly, zonal heating systems such as wall heaters and baseboard heaters are typically not as desirable from a resale standpoint. A lot depends on the other homes that you'll be competing against for sale, but if everything else is equal, central heating can be a big selling point over zonal heating.

Q: We recently built a new home and moved in. The concrete basement floors have all been sealed. The electrical inspector would not pass our exercise room outlets unless the floors were "finished." So we put a primer coat of white latex on them. Now we want to put on epoxy. Can you tell me what we have to do to get the floors ready?

A: It's really important that the floors be correctly prepared before applying an epoxy coating. That includes making sure that the concrete is fully cured, and that there not be any other coating that will interfere with the adhesion of the epoxy.

The concrete needs to be a minimum of 60 days old, and it needs to be dry. To check this, begin by taping a 2-foot square piece of plastic, such as a garbage sack, over the floor. Make sure all four sides are sealed with tape. Let it sit for a minimum of 48 hours, then peel it up. If there is moisture under the plastic, the concrete is too wet to paint.

Next, you need to check that the concrete will accept the paint. You mentioned that the concrete has been sealed, and also that it has a primer on it. Pour a small amount of water on the floor. If the water beads up, then the concrete sealer or primer is preventing absorption. Your epoxy kit should come with an etching solution, but you may need to do the etching process more than once. You will probably also need to sand off the existing primer, which will roughen the surface and help the epoxy take hold. After that, the concrete needs to be thoroughly cleaned and dried, then the epoxy can be mixed and applied.

In my experience, the main cause of failure of an epoxy floor coating is improper preparation, so be sure you don't skimp on any of these preliminary steps. Complete instructions are provided with the product, and most of the floor-painting kits also contain an instructional video that you really should watch.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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As winter temperatures go down, the risk of a frozen pipe goes up. Pipes can freeze in homes of any age and condition, and no matter what type of material your pipes are made from. So don't make the mistake of thinking that because your house is new it's safe, or because your house is older the materials are somehow stronger. The only way to prevent a frozen pipe is to keep it warm, and luckily that's not too hard to do.

Pipes are vulnerable any time they're in a location where they're exposed to low-enough temperatures for long-enough periods that the water inside them can freeze. Once the freezing occurs, the water expands, rupturing the pipe, splitting the seam between the pipe and a fitting, or damaging components such as cartridges inside faucets. Once the pipes warm up and the ice melts again, the damage becomes evident -- often in the form of a flood inside the house!

Although a frozen pipe can occur just about anywhere, pipes in unheated attics and underfloor basements and crawl spaces are at the most risk. And ironically, the better you insulate the ceiling and the floor, the more you put pipes in those areas at risk. Heat that had been escaping from the house into those areas used to be keeping the pipes warm, so when you add insulation and stop heat loss from the house, the attic, basement and crawl space become colder, and pipes are more vulnerable.

Keep the water pipes insulated

Any water pipes that are not buried in your underfloor, wall or attic insulation need to be insulated. The easiest method for the do-it-yourselfer is to use a foam sleeve, which is pretty much like slipping a bun over a hot dog. The sleeves are actually long foam tubes, and are available with different interior diameters to fit different pipe sizes. The tubes are slit along one side, so installation is simply a matter of opening up the slit and fitting the tube over the pipe.

At each elbow or other fitting in the pipe, cut out a wedge from one side of the tube so that it will bend around the joint in the pipe. Cutting can be done with scissors or a sharp utility knife. After you bend the tube around the fitting and snap it over the next pipe, it should stay in place on its own, and the seams and elbows don't require any sealing. If you do need to seal any odd joints or patch in any small pieces, you can hold things together with utility tape from the home center or hardware store where you purchased the foam sleeves.

The pipes can also be wrapped using scraps of fiberglass insulation. This is less expensive than the foam sleeves, but a little more time consuming if you're not used to the process. Typically, fiberglass batt insulation is cut into strips. It's then wrapped around the pipes, either in a spiral fashion or by folding it lengthwise over the pipe. As the insulation is installed, it's held in place with a spiral wrapping of very fine copper wire, which is available on spools from any hardware store or home center.

Close foundation vents and look for air leaks

Now for a small bit of controversy, which is almost sure to generate a letter or two: Close off your foundation vents! Use foam blocks or other insulation, and seal the vents to prevent cold air from entering. The vents are there to allow air to circulate under the house and remove unwanted moisture, and they should remain open during whatever part of the year that temperatures remain above freezing. But during the winter, when humidity levels are low and the risk of a frozen pipe outweighs the need for ventilation, be sure they get closed off.

Attic vents are a different story. Due to their location and the year-round need for attic ventilation to prevent ice damming, they should not be closed off. You should, however, carefully examine the area around each vent to be certain that no pipes are exposed to the air coming in from the vent.

If you find a pipe that is adjacent to a vent, double up the amount of insulation that's on the pipe, and permanently close off that portion of the vent that's directly exposed to the pipe.

Another thing that can greatly increase the chance of a pipe freezing is to expose it to outside air. This often happens when the pipe is installed near a foundation vent or an attic vent, or in an exterior wall in which holes were drilled for plumbing or wiring.

In any open walls, use expandable foam sealant to close off any holes and gaps in the framing. In colder climates, pipes should never be installed in exterior walls, and pipes should never be run in exposed soffits or other uninsulated framing areas.

Exterior faucets are another potential freeze problem. When installing a new exterior faucet, your best bet is to use a freeze-proof type (freeze-proof faucets are required by code in some areas), which has a long stem that extends back into the insulated portion of the house, so it shuts the water off at a spot where it's not exposed to freezing outside air.

If your house is not equipped with freeze-proof faucets, you can insulate them quickly and easily by installing an insulated dome over them. The dome is simply a large foam shell that fits over the faucet, and is held in place with a strap or a long hook.

All of the materials you need for pipe insulation, including faucet domes, pipe wraps, wire and other material, can be found at any home center or plumbing supply retailer, as well as hardware stores, discount stores and most lumber yards.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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We all love those great holiday decorations that brighten our homes and neighborhoods. And while exterior lighting is safe and easy to work with, you still need to follow a few common-sense safety precautions.

Watch those ladders: All step ladders and extension ladders have weight ratings and maximum height ratings, so don't exceed either. Set them up on solid ground, and don't overreach. When working on wet, icy or frozen ground, be extra cautious about where and how you set up your ladders.

Read the labels: When selecting lights, extension cords or outside decorations, check the packaging or read the instructions carefully. Be sure that the manufacturer has labeled the item as approved for use in exterior locations. If an item says that it's for indoor use only, don't use it outside, even temporarily.

Also, some items are labeled for exterior use, but not for wet locations. In other words, you can use them outdoors, but only if they're protected, such as under the eaves or under a patio cover. If that's the case, be sure it's not a place where it's directly exposed to rain or snow.

Visually inspect everything: When you get your lights ready to hang, take a moment to check the bulbs, sockets, light cords and extension cords for nicks, cuts, broken insulation or exposed wires. Discard damaged lights and cords.

Grounded means grounded: If you have an extension cord or a decoration with a three-prong plug, that means it's intended to be plugged into a grounded outlet. Don't use any cord if the grounding leg has been removed or damaged. Never try to force a three-prong male plug into a two-prong cord or outlet.

To properly adapt a three-prong cord to a two-prong outlet, use a UL-approved adapter plug with an attached ground wire. Be sure that the ground wire is connected to a proper ground source, such as a cold water pipe or a grounding rod driven into the ground.

Spot the right holder: Want to use some outdoor spot lights? Use an approved lamp holder to hold the bulb. Most types have a gasket for sealing the bulb in the socket, and some types have a metal or plastic spike attached to simplify staking the light securely to the ground.

The fuse is there for a reason: Most of today's exterior light sets use a male plug with a tiny fuse inside, located in the plug behind a small hinged or sliding cover. If a fuse burns out, replacements are included with the light set, or may be purchased where you bought the light set. Don't attempt to bypass the fuse with a wire or a piece of metal, and if the fuse burns out repeatedly, discard the set of lights.

Consider LEDs: LED exterior lights use less energy and generate less heat than traditional bulbs, so they're a good alternative. They're also typically not as bright, so take that into consideration as well. If you're going to stick with conventional lights, remember that miniatures use less energy and create less heat than the larger bulbs, but you always want to be careful around combustibles.

Use a little tape: When connecting two or more strings of lights together, wrap a strip of electrical tape around the plug connections. This prevents the strings from being disconnected, and also protects the connection from the elements. You should also tape the unused female plug at the end of the light run.

Timers save energy: You can save some energy and have the added bonus of safe and convenient operation of exterior lights and decorations by adding a timer. Some timers operate on a time dial, turning the lights on and off at preselected times of the day. Other light-control timers operate on a photocell, which turns the lights on when the photocell senses that it's dark enough outside.

A switch on the photocell allows you to select "dusk to dawn" operation, or intervals ranging from two to eight hours before the lights shut off. Whatever style you choose, be sure it's rated for exterior use.

Skip the staples: For safety and convenience, buy some hooks for hanging exterior lights and decorations, rather than nailing or stapling them up. Staples can easily damage the insulation jacket on the outside of the wire and create corrosion in the wire or a short circuit against the staple.

UL ratings: Always look for lights, cords and decorations that carry the Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) stamp of approval, which indicates that the product has been rigorously tested and is safe when used as advertised.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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If you live in a cold climate, chances are good that at some point your home may be affected by an ice dam. Ice dams can do quite a bit of damage, but if you're aware of the situation, you can take some proactive steps to minimize or even prevent ice dams from forming.

Why ice dams occur

During the winter, snow builds up on the roof. If the winter temperatures are cold enough, the sun's heat is insufficient to melt off much of the snow layer, so it remains in place, and even continues to grow.

In the meantime, you're using the furnace or the fireplace to keep the house warm, and some of that heat is lost into the attic. With the snow on the roof acting as an insulator, the heat from the attic begins to work on the underside of the snow layer. Soon, a thin film of melted snow -- liquid water -- appears on the underside of the snow layer, between the top of the roofing and the underside of the snow. This water runs down the top of the roof, beneath the snow, until it reaches the eaves.

Once at the eaves, the water is past the end of the attic. Now there is no more heat being lost from the house to keep the water warm enough to remain a liquid. The water freezes, forming a dam. The cycle repeats itself, the dam grows, and the water backs up farther and farther. Once it backs up to the heated part of the attic again, it no longer freezes. Remaining as liquid water instead of ice, it works under the shingles and gets into the house.

Warning signs

The first sign of potential trouble is a layer of ice forming along the eaves of the house, right at the very edge of the roof. You may also see that ice has been accumulating inside the gutters and has finally grown high enough to be visible from the ground. At this point, you can carefully try to remove the snow layer from the eaves of the roof. The idea is to remove the insulating ability of the snow, so that when temperatures come up a little, the ice will melt. But DO NOT give in to the temptation to use a pick, sledgehammers, ax, blow torch, or other drastic measures!

Icicles are the next warning sign. They're actually part of the ice dam, occurring as some of the dam melts, flows over the edge of the roof, and refreezes. As with the ice dam, as the cycle repeats itself, the icicles simply keep getting larger. Icicles warn you that the dam is getting worse. If the ice is sufficient to be dripping over the edge of the roof, it's also moving farther up the roof. You might still be able to have a small amount of impact on the problem if you remove the snow at the eaves, but again, how much good it does seems to be totally weather-dependent.

The third warning sign can take a couple of different forms, but they all relate back to water having gotten into places where you really don't want it to be. One of the ones that people seem to notice first is a discoloration appearing inside the house, in the corner where the ceiling meets the exterior wall. This is caused when water backs far enough up the roof to get into the attic. It drips down and wets the insulation, then pools in the corner along the exterior walls. If enough gets in there, it will eventually wet the drywall to the point where water stains appear. Left unchecked, it will eventually cause the drywall joint tape to peel, and the drywall itself to deteriorate.

In some instances, the water will run down inside the wall instead. You may begin to see water stains appearing on the drywall at the bottom of the wall, or above or alongside windows and exterior doors where the dripping water encounters the horizontal structural headers that span those openings. In some extreme cases, you may even see puddles of water coming out onto the floor at the bottom of an exterior wall.

Another unwelcome sign is the appearance of ice behind or between siding boards, or coming out of soffit vents, or showing up in other exterior areas where ice has no reason to be. That's an indicator that the water has gotten into the walls or into the soffits, and being outside the layer of wall insulation, it is freezing there. As temperatures warm, that ice will melt and potentially damage the insulation.

Preventing ice dams

To prevent the ice dam from forming, your best bet is to keep the roof cold. That might sound counterintuitive, but the theory is that if you can keep heat from reaching the underside of the roof, you'll keep the bottom of the snow from melting. That keeps the water off the roof, which is what forms the dam in the first place.

There are two things to keep in mind when considering how to keep your roof cool. First, increase your insulation levels. By improving the amount of insulation you have in the attic, you decrease the amount of heat being lost from the house into the attic. The same goes for any ducts you have in the attic, which need to be very well insulated against heat loss. This is a win-win situation for you, because improving insulation levels not only helps with ice damming, it also saves on your utility bills, it improves your home's comfort levels, and it's good for the environment.

The other thing you want to do it be sure that your attic has good ventilation. You have to assume that no matter how good your insulation is, some lost heat is still going to reach the attic. When it does, you want to get rid if it in a controlled manner -- in other words, not through the underside of the roof sheathing. The best way to do that is through good passive ventilation, which is an adequate number of low vents in the eaves or soffits, and high vents in the gable ends or along the ridge.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Q: We are currently having fiberglass insulation blown into our 1850s house. So far they have completed the attic and the second floor. They have drilled the holes in the first floor. Now they are telling us that they cannot find the rubber hose they need to complete the project and it is too cold for them to complete the project and we need to wait until spring. I would like to know if the cold weather is a factor and if you know what the rubber hose is called, which they claim they cannot find.

A: It depends somewhat on exactly what they are blowing into the cavities. Some wall-cavity insulation has a binder or an adhesive additive that might be affected by cold weather, but in my opinion that would be only during prolonged periods of extreme cold. As to the rubber hose they're referring to, I would have no idea what that could be. Even the most specialized parts for insulation-blowing equipment should be readily available from the manufacturer, and I could see no reason why it should delay a project by several months.

It sounds to me like the contractor (I assume you are dealing with a licensed contractor!!) is stalling you, and it could be for any number of reasons. My suggestion would be to first find out what material they're using, and then contact the manufacturer to confirm that there are no specific cold-weather restrictions on the application of their product.

After that, I would talk to the contractor and insist that the job be completed by or very close to whatever date is specified in your contract. I would then withhold any payment to the contractor until the job is completed to your satisfaction. If you have doubts about the quality of workmanship, or if you're unsure if the job has been completed to industry standards, you can also talk with the manufacturer of the insulation products -- the same one you contact about the cold-weather issues -- and ask them to send a product representative out to inspect.

Q: I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. We had a new furnace and central air installed three years ago. The house is cooler now than it was with the old furnace and costs us more on our gas bill. The furnace company installed our heat vents on inside walls and our cold-air returns near the ceiling. Should we move these? Web sites that I see say to place heat registers on outside walls and cold-air returns near the floor to pull cold -- not hot -- air near the ceiling.

A: Here's the general rule of thumb for the placement of heating registers and cold-air returns, and why it's done that way:

Heat registers are typically placed on exterior walls, below windows. That's the point in any given room where the greatest amount of cold air will be present, so that's also the point where you want the heated air from the duct to be, in order to be the most effective at keeping the room comfortable. When registers are placed on inside walls, the heating system has to work harder to circulate the heated air and counteract the cold air coming off the windows.

The purpose of the return-air duct is to gather air from the house and return it to the furnace, hence its name. That returning air is then reheated by the furnace and recirculated back into the duct system and back into the house. Whenever possible, return-air ducts are typically placed high on a wall, or in a ceiling, simply because that's where the air in the room is the warmest. By gathering warm air instead of cold air, the furnace doesn't have to work as hard to reheat the air before recirculating it.

Q: I have two bow windows, each with four windows in each bow. I have a problem though. The wood piece below the windows I think is rotted. Do I need to replace both bows? That's kind of expensive. Can the bows come out and be replaced and the rotted wood be replaced with something that doesn't rot, or is it not worth it? The windows are nearly 35 years old. I can't ask a window guy that sells windows and don't know who else to call to figure it out.

A: A wooden bow window such as the one you describe is basically four individual windows attached to a wide top board called a headboard and a matching bottom board called a foot board. Various pieces of trim finish off the assembly. The entire window is factory assembled, and is installed into the wall opening as one piece. After that, the installation is completed by putting trim between the window and the siding.

If what you are describing are the exterior trim pieces, those can be replaced relatively easily in most cases. If, on the other hand, you are talking about the footboard itself, that's more difficult. In the bow windows I've worked with, the way all the parts are connected means that the entire window unit would need to come out in order to remove the footboard and install a new one. If that's the case, it will probably be more cost effective to install a complete new unit than to try and repair one that is 35 years old. You will also end up with a much more energy-efficient window.

That's about all I can tell you without actually seeing the window. You mentioned that you can't ask a window guy -- I assume that's because you're afraid he's going to sell you a new window no matter what. So I would suggest that you call a local glass company, explain the situation, and see if they have a carpenter they can recommend. He or she can come out, take a look at the actual problem, and make some repair or replacement recommendations from there.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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It's time once again to be thinking about what to get for the avid do-it-yourselfer on your holiday shopping list. Here's a collection of some interesting tools worth considering this year, listed in order of the manufacturer's suggested retail price. And a big thanks to all of the manufacturers who are getting rid of those irritating and dangerous blister packs in favor of more user-friendly packaging!

Black & Decker ReadyWrench (Model MSW100, $29.99, www.blackanddecker.com): Tired of fumbling for the right socket? The clever and versatile ReadyWrench gives you 16 sockets (eight U.S. standard and eight metric) all in one tool. This sturdy wrench has a comfortable rubber-coated handle and two rotating heads with sockets on each end, allowing you to quickly find just the right size, from 5/16 (9 mm) to 3/4 (19mm).

Craftsman Evolv 24-piece Homeowners Tool Set (Model 10202, $39.99, www.craftsman.com): Here's a great little tool set that's ideal for around the house, apartment or dorm room. The set includes a hammer, 16-foot tape measure, utility knife, standard and needle-nose pliers, adjustable wrench, five precision screwdrivers, and a bit driver with an assortment of bits. But what sets it apart is its compact, open-mouth tool bag with lots of convenient storage compartments, including a center compartment that fits a divided, clear plastic storage tray (included) for screws, nails, picture hangers, and all those other little parts that you always need but can never seem to find.

Black & Decker Linefinder Orbital Jigsaw (Model JS680V, $59.99, www.blackanddecker.com): The new corded Linefinder Orbital jigsaw helps you easily find the ideal setting for whatever material you're working with. Simply set the Smart Select dial to one of seven material settings, and the saw adjusts both the orbital action and the cutting speed for you. Another unique feature is the Linefinder system. Draw your cutting line with the special marking pen (included), and the saw's ultraviolet light illuminates the line for better cutting.

Dremel 4000 Rotary Tool Kit (Model 4000-2/31, $79, www.dremel.com): This is the latest offering from the great line of Dremel rotary tools. It's a tough and powerful model, perfect for anyone from the professional to the serious do-it-yourselfer or hobbyist. It's capable of speeds ranging from 5,000 to 35,000 RPM, and the speed setting dial is separate from the on/off switch, so you can maintain whatever speed you want each time you turn the tool off. The new 4000 uses all the standard Dremel attachments. This particular model comes with a cutting guide, a sanding and grinding guide, a case and 31 attachments.

Wagner Control Spray Double Duty (Model 518050, $89.99, www.wagnerspraytech.com): If you like to do woodworking, this new sprayer from Wagner is a good way to finish up your projects. It uses HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) technology to spray thin materials such as stains, sealers, urethanes, varnishes and lacquers. It sprays a continuous flow of material and air, so you get a nice finish whether you're doing indoor projects like kitchen cabinets or outdoor projects like staining a new deck. It features a three-position spray pattern (vertical fan, horizontal fan or round pattern) and includes both a 1-quart and a 1 1/2-quart cup.

Craftsman 12-Volt Hammerhead Auto-Hammer (Model 11818, $99.99, www.craftsman.com): The cordless Auto-Hammer gets into those tight spots and hidden corners where you just can't seem to get your hammer. The compact head hammers nails in with 3,600 impacts per minute, and drives the nails flush with the surface. The Auto-Hammer can handle nails from 2d to 16d size (1 inch to 3 1/2 inches in length). It has a comfortable, non-slip handle, a built-in LED work light, and a magnetic tip. Includes a 12-volt lithium-ion battery with a 30-minute recharge time, battery charger, nail-pulling pry bar, and a soft carrying case.

Bosch Airhammer 18-Gauge Narrow Crown Stapler (Model STN150-18, $119.99, www.boschtools.com): Air staplers are a great time and work saver, and they're also an awesome gift. But not all staplers are created equal, and Bosch has done an outstanding job with their new line of Full Force Technology nailers and staplers. These tools utilize some of the first real advances in air chamber design since air nailers were introduced several decades ago. The new design delivers more power with less weight, so the stapler is about 20 percent lighter but drives the fasteners with about 10 percent more power. Staples drive easier, and set flush even in the toughest hardwoods and composites. The 18-gauge Narrow Crown Stapler drives staples with an easily concealed 1/4-inch crown, in a size range of 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. It includes a nice hard-shell carrying case, plus a pair of safety glasses.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Q: My husband and I have a fairly new home (built in 2001). The problem we have had since day one is that the closets are like refrigerators and so are a couple of the back rooms. I climbed up into the attics above these rooms and closet and there appears to be ample insulation blown in. Yet you can actually feel a "breeze" coming from wherever. Who can I contact to help fix this?

A: Since you mention that the back rooms are cold in addition to the closets, there could be a problem with the heating ducts. They may not be properly connected, or they could be undersized. A problem with the duct connection at the fittings that come though the floor could also account for the draft. So, one of the first things I would do is contact a heating contractor and have the ducts checked to see if that could be the problem.

While the heating contractor is there, ask him to check around and see if he can determine other sources of air leakage. He may not be able to fix it, but if he sees anything wrong it will be a big help. From there, you would probably want to contact an insulation and weatherization contractor help plug up whatever leaks were discovered.

If you can get the bedrooms warmed up but the closets are still cold, you might want to consider removing the solid closet doors and replacing them with louvered doors. This will allow warm air to circulate into the closets and help keep them from being so cold, and is also good for bringing fresh air into those spaces.

Q: I have a leaking chimney problem. I have had the flashing checked, and some additional coating put down by chimney cleaners. I have had many people trying to correct this problem, but it works for a while, and then we have a heavy blowing rain storm and it leaks again. I have had the chimney coated in concrete mix, and that even worked for a while, then a big heavy rain and it leaks again. The chimney sits at the corner of the roof.

A: You've had lots of people actually look at this onsite, so I'm not sure if I can add much. However, since you mention wind-driven rain, my inclination is still the flashings.

Flashings can be odd things. They can look fine and perform well under normal conditions, but sometimes can lift or shift in the wind and create an opening that allows rain in. Also, I'm assuming that you discovered this problem when you saw water leaks or water stains inside the house. However, water can often travel from a leak somewhere else. So it may show up around the chimney, but be coming from a different part of the roof or even the siding.

I would begin by carefully examining the attic around the chimney. Look for water stains on the framing, and in the insulation. See if you can track the leak to be certain where it's coming from. That should give you some additional clues about what's going on.

If it still appears to be around the chimney, have an experienced mason or roofer examine the flashings again. Inform the contractor that the leak occurs with wind-driven rain. The flashing may need to be refastened and resealed, or they may need to be replaced altogether.

Q: Will the town give me the permits to have my friends do work on my house -- and then have the town inspect it before closing up the walls? I am not planning to sell it at all. I plan to live there.

A: The way most jurisdictions work is that you can take out the permits on your own for work you are doing on your own house, or a licensed contractor can take them out for you. Some building departments will also allow others to get permits on your behalf if they are acting as your agent.

Whoever is doing the actual work will have to comply with all the applicable building codes, and be bound by the results of the inspections. Your friends can certainly help you do the work, but if they are not licensed contractors then you will ultimately be responsible to the city for the permits and the condition of their work.

The best thing to do is have a talk with your local permit department first. Figure out which permits you need and what is required to get them, and then ask who can obtain them. You may be able to sign something that allows your friend to act as your agent.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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One of the most interesting tools currently on the market is what's known generically as an "oscillating tool." The first, and for a long time the only one on the market, was the Fein MultiMaster. As its patent expired, other companies have introduced competing tools with different pros, cons and prices.

A tool for all reasons

So what exactly is an oscillating tool, and how does it differ from other cutting and sanding tools on the market? As the name implies, these tools utilize cutting attachments that oscillate rapidly from side to side, as opposed to rotating like a circular saw, or moving out and back like a jig saw or reciprocating saw. It's this oscillation that sets the tool apart. And while it won't replace your circular saw or your favorite pad sander, it's a unique tool that's extremely handy for a number of do-it-yourself projects all around the house.

The tool itself looks something like an angle grinder, long and roughly cylindrical. The screw fitting for connecting attachments turns down at 90 degrees at one end, and the on/off switch is located on top of the handle. Both corded and cordless versions are available.

There are three basic types of attachments used with an oscillating tool: cutting, sanding and scraping. With one of the different types of cutting blades attached, the oscillating tool can undertake a number of different cutting jobs that would be difficult if not impossible for most other types of saws. The blades can be mounted at any of several different offsets in relation to the handle, to suit whatever cutting task you have.

With a cutting blade installed, you can undercut door casings and jambs for fitting flooring. You can cut out a section of baseboard right in the middle, without having to remove it from the wall. Slip the thin blade between a molding and the wall and cut off the nails. Make accurate plunge or pocket cuts without predrilling, and without danger of damaging the surfaces behind the cutout. You can cut off pipes, nails, dowels and other materials anywhere, even flush with a surface. The cutting uses go on and on, and best of all, you can make any of these cuts without damaging the adjacent surfaces.

Change attachments, and you have a sander that can reach right into the tightest corners. The sanding pads are triangular, and have a hook and loop surface for quick and easy sanding pad changes. Add diamond paper, and you can grind off thinset mortar and cement. Switch to a grout blade for easy and fast removal of grout without damaging the tiles, even in corners. Then change to a rigid scraper blade for removing paint or flooring, or a flexible blade for scraping up soft materials such as caulk and adhesive.

Dremel Multi-Max

One of the new oscillating tools now on the market is from Dremel, called the Multi-Max (Model 6300-01, $99.99). As with all of the great Dremel tools, the Multi-Max is powerful and easy to operate. This is a corded tool, with a nice rubberized handle for a comfortable, non-slip grip. It has a speed dial that's located on the back of the tool, allowing you to adjust it from 10,000 to 21,000 oscillations per minute.

The accessories attach with a simple hex screw and washer assembly. Dremel's blades have a notch at one end, which allows you to change blades without completely removing the screw assembly.

The complete Dremel Multi-Max kit includes the tool, a flexible scraping blade, a 3/4-inch flush-cutting wood blade, a 3-inch blade for cutting wood or drywall, a sanding pad, and three sanding sheets in different grits, all in a fitted plastic case. Other accessories that are available for the Multi-Max include sandpaper for paint removal, diamond paper, 3/4-inch flush-cutting blade for metal, 3/8-inch flush-cutting blade for wood, a rigid scraper blade, and blades for grout removal.

Bosch 12-volt Max Multi-X (Model PS50-2B, $218)

The Bosch Multi-X is a professional grade cordless tool, giving you lots of power with the convenience of cordless operation. The 12-volt lithium ion batteries are compact and lightweight, and are interchangeable with other Bosch 12-volt tools. With a tool length of under 11 inches and a weight of just over two pounds, the Bosch is light and easy to work with. The rounded handle is very comfortable, and the rubber overmolding gives you a tight, non-slip grip. Even the nose of the tool is encased in rubber, to prevent marring or other damage to adjacent materials while cutting.

The Bosch has speed adjustments from 5,000 to 20,000 oscillations per minute, so you have a lot of control for different materials. There is also a "fuel gauge" on the side of the tool, which tells you the battery's charge condition.

The blades and other accessories attach with a simple hex screw and washer combination. Indexing pins on the head allow you to attach the blades at a variety of angles within a range of 240 degrees.

The complete PS50-2B Carpenter Kit includes the tool, two 12-volt lithium ion batteries, a 30-minute charger, a sanding plate, an assortment of sandpaper, one 1 5/8-inch plunge cutting blade, three 3/8-inch plunge cutting blades, one flush-cutting blade, and an adaptor plate that allows accessories from other manufacturers to be used with the Bosch Multi-X. Everything comes in a fitted plastic case, and there's another, smaller case inside that holds all the blades and accessories. As with the Dremel, Bosch has a variety of optional attachments available.

More Information

You can learn more about these innovative and incredibly handy tools at the Bosch Web site, www.boschtools.com, and at the Dremel Web site, www.dremel.com.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Lots of people are concerned about how much it costs to heat and power their homes, and the impact they have on the environment. So it's always interesting when some new products come along that can help us better understand how our homes work, and what changes we can make to improve things.

Monitoring power usage

As part of their Energy Series, Black & Decker has developed the Power Monitor (Model EM100B, $99.99). This unique and easy-to-use device allows you to monitor power usage anywhere in the house, so you can truly see the cost of running an appliance, or see how much replacing standard light bulbs with more energy-efficient ones will offer in energy savings.

The Power Monitor consists of an indoor digital display and an outdoor sensor unit. Each one operates on two AA batteries (not included). The outside sensor unit attaches to your electric meter with a simple band clamp. No electrical wiring is required, and there's even a little information tag on the unit to let your meter reader know what it is and what it's doing there. The interior display unit is freestanding, and there's no wiring required between the two units.

The instructions are quite good, with clearly illustrated setup and adjustment details. They've also included three separate booklets, each in a different language, rather than making you wade through confusing instructions where all the languages are mixed in together -- a feature I would really like to see more manufacturers adopt!

The outdoor unit has an LED sensor arm that "reads" changes in the meter. This information is then relayed to the interior display, and instantly shows you changes in electrical usage. For example, with the indoor display unit in hand, you can turn on your oven or your microwave and see the increase in power usage relayed directly from the electric meter. You can turn the lights on or off in a room, or turn a hair dryer or a television set on, and see how much power it consumes. The display reads in either dollars or kilowatts, and you can switch easily back and forth between the two.

According to the manufacturer, the sensor unit is compatible with approximately 90 percent of the electric meters currently in use. On their Web site, www.blackanddecker.com, there's a handy electric meter compatibility guide that lets you check your particular type of meter before you decide to buy the monitor.

Find those energy leaks

Also from Black & Decker is the Thermal Leak Detector (Model TLD100, $49.99). This instrument is both easy and fun to use, and it can provide you with a lot of important information about how to make your home warmer and more comfortable this winter.

The digital, pistol-grip Thermal Leak Detector operates on one 9-volt battery (not included). Simply install the battery and the unit is ready to go, without any additional setup or calibrations.

To use the Thermal Leak Detector, simply aim the unit at a reference point that you think has a fairly constant temperature, such as a wall. Press the "On" button, and the screen lights up and the detector projects a green spot at your reference point. On the digital readout screen, you'll see two temperature readings -- "reference" and "scan." Now move the detector over the surfaces you want to check for leaks. The reference temperature, which is the temperature of the surface you initially pointed the detector at, will remain constant. The scan temperature will change to reflect the temperatures of the surfaces that you're checking.

The detector continues to project a green light to show you exactly where the unit is reading. When the temperature of the surface drops in relation to the reference temperature, the light changes to blue. When the temperature increases, the light changes to red. The sensitivity of the reference light can be changed using a simple slide switch on the back of the detector. You can set it to read small changes of 1 degree, moderate changes of 5 degrees, or more substantial changes of 10 degrees or more.

Within minutes, you can get some very accurate readings of where air leaks might be located, or where hot and cold spots might be. You can see if your weatherstripping needs to be repaired, or if some areas need caulking. You can also really see just how much heat those old single-pane windows are leaking. And to help you tighten things up again, there's also a handy little Home Energy Repair Guide booklet included with the detector.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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As winter approaches, one of the things to look forward to is the cozy heat and intimate glow that can come only from a wood fire. But burning wood can create some definite safety hazards if you don't keep up with regular fireplace and wood-stove maintenance.

The real culprits are soot and creosote. Creosote is a thick, oily material that results from the distillation of wood smoke, which then solidifies as it cools. Soot is basically particles of partially burnt material, which builds up in masonry chimneys and metal flue pipes alike, as well as in the flue cap.

The build-up of soot and solidified creosote will eventually clog the interior of the flue or chimney, creating a very serious fire hazard. If the temperature in the flue reaches a high enough level, the creosote will ignite, causing a flue or chimney fire. The fire can break through any weakened masonry or loose flue pipe joints, and from there enter the house or the attic. Sparks and flames can also easily get outside of the flue cap, where they can ignite wood roofing materials as well as dry leaves or needles on the roof or on the ground around the house.

The solution is regular chimney cleaning. You can do this yourself by simply removing the flue cap and cleaning the interior of the flue or the chimney with a wire or nylon brush made for this purpose. The loose soot is quickly knocked down into the fireplace, and the stiff bristles of the brush will remove the creosote buildup.

In addition to the cleaning, you want to do a thorough inspection of your fireplace or woodstove, as well as all its components. Check that the flue cap is solidly in place, and that the spark arrestor screen is in place and undamaged. Check the masonry and grout for cracks or other damage. Examine the joints between the flue pipe sections to see if any are loose or are showing evidence of smoke leakage. Check all the flashings between the chimney or flue and the roofing. Also, go ahead and remove any buildups of leaves or needles off the roof, and trim back any dangerous overhanging branches.

If you have airtight doors on your fireplace or woodstove, be sure to examine those as well. Check the condition of any glass and gaskets, and replace anything that is damaged or shows signs of leakage.

If you're not partial to being up on the roof, you might consider hiring a professional chimney cleaner, known as a chimney sweep. Chimney sweeps are licensed contractors who not only clean your chimney, they are also knowledgeable about checking the entire system and making any necessary repairs.

Check with local fireplace shops for recommendations of a qualified chimney sweep, and also verify his or her contractor's license and insurance with your state contractor's board.

To minimize creosote buildup between cleanings, you need to burn dry wood and a hot fire. When you burn wet wood, part of the heat energy from the fire goes toward evaporating moisture contained in the log. You get a cooler fire, less heat in the room, and an increase in unburned particulates.

It's also time to get out of the habit of trying to damp the fire way down to make it last all night. Slow burning fires that are partially deprived of oxygen produce considerably more smoke that is both cooler and contains more soot -- a bad combination for any flue, since the soot buildup occurs much faster and the cooler temperatures allow the creosote a much greater chance to solidify inside the pipe rather than burn off. The heavy increase in smoke is also extremely bad for air-quality levels, which is prompting some communities to allow wood burning only on certain days, or to eliminate it altogether.

Plan on doing a complete examination of your fireplace or wood stove once a year, before the start of the burning season. Cleaning is dependent on how hot your fires are and how much soot and creosote buildup there is; if you burn a hot fire, cleaning every other year is usually sufficient.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Q: I'm currently in contract to buy a townhouse. The broker and my attorney are encouraging us to have the seller purchase a home warranty (through Coldwell Banker). What is your opinion of these programs? There seems to be many complaints about them online.

A: First, I need to give you a couple of disclaimers: I have only limited experience with home warranties, and I don't know anything about Coldwell Banker's specific program. So this is only my general and limited opinion.

From what I have seen and heard, home warranties suffer from a "fine print" problem. Homes and their systems are very complex, and there are so many variables that affect them, from the weather to do-it-yourself repairs. For that reason, there are a number of things that are either not covered or have only limited coverage under a lot of the warranties.

Also, there can be a number of factors that determine the inclusion or exclusion of a listed repair, such as age, condition, who's worked on it in the past, even its location in the house. Finally, depending on where you live, actually getting repair people out to your house in a timely manner may be an issue as well.

First of all, you need to carefully go over all the details and all the restrictions of the proposed policy. You obviously have an attorney involved, so he or she should be able to help you understand it. See what the deductibles are, and when they come into play. Find out what the exact procedures are for calling in a warranty claim, how long the processing takes, and how long it takes to get a service person out to the house.

If possible, ask for some local references of other buyers who have this service. Give a few of them a call, and see what their experiences have been.

Q: I recently bought a house built in 1927. It's a two-story with a finished attic (total of three floors of living space). It appears to have no insulation whatsoever. The third floor has access to the tops of the exterior walls, all of the roof rafters, and the tops of the second-floor ceilings. What would you recommend for insulation? Should I blow cellulose insulation down the exterior walls from the attic space?

A: Unfortunately, you're going to get a lot of conflicting opinions on whether blowing insulation into the exterior cavities of an older home is a good idea or not.

With a home as old as yours, you have the possibility that the weight and pressure of the blown insulation can damage wiring in the walls, crack plaster, and even possibly damage old water pipes. Also, older homes tend to leak a lot of air through the walls. That means that moisture is being drawn into the walls as well, which can dampen the cellulose and cause all sorts of additional moisture problems to the structure.

The best thing I can suggest is that you have two experienced, licensed insulation contractors come out and inspect the house and make specific suggestions as to what you can do to insulate it. Compare their suggestions and their cost estimates, and see if there is a consensus of opinion on how best to proceed.

Another option is to contact your local utility company and see if they have a weatherization consultant available that can come out and check the house. This should be a free service from the utility, and in addition to making specific suggestions about how to insulate and weatherize the house, they may have grant money or low-interest loans available to help you with the work.

Q: Is it possible to install a towel rack on glass block shower tile? Would it work by using epoxy with a regular towel rack, or would it not be strong enough to hold a wet bath towel?

A: It's difficult and even potentially dangerous to attach anything to glass block. I would be leery of even gluing something to the block, as the weight of a wet towel could eventually cause some structural problems if the blocks are not well installed. Above all, don't drill into the block for any reason.

My suggestion would be to look for alternative places to mount the towel bar. If there are no convenient walls to mount it on, you might want to consider a freestanding towel rack instead, or attach a hook to the back of the door.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Q: Is a high-efficiency furnace more likely to break down compared to a mid- or low-efficiency one?

A: High-efficiency furnaces, those with a rating of 82 percent to more than 96 percent efficiency, are designed to extract and utilize some of the waste heat that would otherwise be exhausted out through the flue.

Accomplishing this task requires additional fans, valves and electronic controls within the furnace, and with more moving parts you have more things that can go wrong and therefore additional potential for breakdowns. However, I'm not aware of any substantial reliability issues that would cause me to shy away from purchasing a high-efficiency unit.

I would get at least two bids from licensed, experienced HVAC contractors, and have each contractor bid both a mid- and a high-efficiency furnace that is correctly sized to your home. Look at the cost difference between the two efficiencies, and ask each contractor to calculate how long it will take for the energy savings from the more expensive high-efficiency unit to pay back its higher cost. You may find that the investment doesn't make financial sense for you.

You also want to ask each contractor for reliability data for the brands of furnaces they carry, and also look at what the warranty is on the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is the most expensive part of the furnace, and a long warranty -- say 20 years or more -- is often also a good indicator of how reliable the manufacturer feels the furnace is in general.

Q: We have a two-story house that is about 12 years old that has had squeaky floors for nearly the whole time we've owned it. We are considering selling and would like to correct this problem before we start go to market. It seems that the two general contractors that we have talked to didn't sound confident they could correct the problem. I am sure the carpeting would have to come up. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Floor squeaks, as you might imagine, are caused by two pieces of wood rubbing against each other, or by the wood rubbing against a fastener. The noise can actually come from a number of different sources, but since you mention that your house is fairly new and has carpeted floors, I'll stick with that scenario.

First of all, you need to do a little more research. Walk around on the floor, locate as many of the squeaks as possible, and mark them on the floor with pieces of masking tape.

If the squeaks are all occurring near walls, it is probably due to lumber shrinkage around the nails that hold the wall to the floor. This can usually be fixed by simply driving wooden shims between the top of the subfloor and the underside of the wall plate, which can be done without disturbing the floor covering or the trim.

If the squeaks are not near walls, they are probably coming from movement between the subfloor and the floor joists below, which could come from inadequate nailing or insufficient or improperly applied adhesive.

If the floor of the house was framed with solid lumber as opposed to I-joists, the noise can also be coming from wood that has dried out and twisted or pulled away from the wood or supports adjacent to it, causing movement -- and noise -- between the two pieces.

For these squeaks, one of you will need to go under the house with a strong light and tape measure while the other one stays up top. Using measurements and pressure on the floor from walking, try to locate from underneath where the squeaks are coming from, and what -- if anything -- is going on in those areas.

You may see the floor joists deflecting up and down; you may see them rubbing against other wood, or against ducts or pipes; or you may see that some of the supports under the joists are not fully touching one another.

In the event of gaps between pieces of wood, you may be able to solve the problem by taking wooden shims, coating them with woodworker's glue, and driving them into the gaps with a hammer. If the wood is moving against a pipe or duct, you can correct that through the use of additional strapping to stop the movement.

If you find a lot of areas where the subfloor seems to be moving up and down on the joists -- as opposed to them moving up and down together -- then the answer is probably going to be to drive screws down through the subfloor (from above) and into the joists. The best way to do this is to roll back the carpet and pad to access the subfloor underneath.

There are also some products on the market that allow you to drive the screws down through the carpet itself and then snap them off below the carpet, but these are only effective if you have one or two squeaks in a confined area. Be aware also that driving anything down through the carpet may void the carpet manufacturer's warranty.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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Hard to believe it's that time again! Fall is here, and you need to start getting your home ready for the winter months to come. To help get you started, here's a checklist of some of the projects that you need to consider:

Indoors

__ Check the fireplace: It's about time to get those logs burning, so get the fireplace ready! Clean the fireplace chimney or wood stove flue using brushes approved for the size and type of flue you have. If you're not partial to ladders, roofs and soot, this is a good project to leave to an experienced chimney sweep company. A good chimney sweep will also inspect the fireplace from top to bottom, and talk to you about any repairs that need doing. Clean out the firebox, making sure you place the ashes in a fireproof container with a tight lid for proper disposal. If you have an airtight wood stove or fireplace insert, check the door-seal gasket, and clean the glass on the door.

__ Change your furnace filters: Replace your old furnace filter with a new one. While you're at it, check the furnace for worn belts, lubrication needs or other servicing that might be required; refer to your owner's manual for specific suggestions, and follow any manufacturer safety instructions for shutting the power and fuel to the furnace before servicing.

__ Change smoke detector batteries: Replace the batteries in each of your smoke detectors with a fresh one. When you're done, take a moment to test each detector and make sure it's operating correctly.

__ Install a carbon monoxide detector: As houses get closed up for winter, the chances of carbon monoxide poisoning from malfunctioning gas appliances increases substantially. If you have a furnace, fireplace, water heater or other appliance that is fueled by propane or natural gas, now is the ideal time to install a carbon monoxide detector. They're available inexpensively from many home centers and retailers of heating system supplies.

Outdoors

__ Check the gutters: Fall is the ideal time to check your gutter and downspout systems. Clear the gutters of leaf and pine needle debris, and check that the opening between the gutter and the downspout is unobstructed. Look for loose joints or other structural problems with the system, and repair them as needed using pop rivets. Use a gutter sealant to seal any connections where leaks may be occurring.

__ Drain sprinkler systems: In colder areas, now is the time to be thinking about having your sprinkler and irrigation systems blown out. You can rent a compressor and do this yourself, or contact a landscape or irrigation system installer and them handle this for you. This is also the time to shut off outdoor faucets and install freeze-proof faucet covers as needed.

__ Handle those yard chores: Many plants require pruning this time of year, and lawns should be fertilized with a fall/winter fertilizer to feed them through the winter and get them ready for a fast green-up when spring returns. Clean up all your yard tools and put them away for the season.

__ Close off foundation vents: Depending on the winter climate in your area, you'll want to be thinking about closing off your foundation vents to help prevent pipe freezes. You can leave the foundation open for as many months as the weather remains mild, but close them off when the local forecasts begin calling for freezing temperatures. Once closed, you can leave them that way until it warms up again in the spring.

__ Pack up the patio: Check and clean patio furniture and put them away for the winter. Clean and cover removable furniture cushions to protect them from dust and dirt, but be sure the cushions are dry before storing in order to prevent mildew growth.

__ Check weatherstripping: Air leaks around doors and windows can rob your home of expensive heated air and create uncomfortable drafts that keep you feeling chilly. Check the weatherstripping around doors and windows, and replace any that are worn -- retailers who specialize in doors and windows can fix you up with the proper replacement type for your situation. Now is also a good time to close up a few more air leaks by checking the condition of caulking around exterior door and window frames.

__ Change light timers: If you have exterior lights that are controlled by timers, including low-voltage ones, check the timer settings. Change the "on" times to an earlier hour to reflect the earlier winter darkness, so that you always have adequate outside light available.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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If you're the type of person who substitutes a pair of pliers for an entire set of wrenches, you may want to consider adding a few of the proper wrenches to your toolbox. Wrenches are relatively inexpensive and the good ones last a lifetime -- and you'll probably be surprised at how much the proper tool can simplify your project.

Here are a few wrenches to consider:

Open- and box-end wrenches: Open-end wrenches have an opening on one end to allow them to be placed on a nut or bolt head from the side. Box-end wrenches are open on the top and bottom but not on the side, and while they grip more securely than an open-end wrench, they also require enough access to slip over the bolt from above. Open-end and box-end wrenches are rated by size, and are available in both SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers, which are the standard bolt sizes in the United States) and metric dimensions.

Adjustable wrench: As the name implies, an adjustable wrench will open and close to accommodate various sizes of nuts and bolt heads. Also commonly called a Crescent wrench after the name of one of the better manufacturers of these tools, adjustable wrenches are sized by their overall length, such as 10-inch, 14-inch, etc. Adjustable wrenches have basically the same applications as open-end wrenches, but the disadvantage is that they do not grip the bolt head as securely. A set of three is perfect for the average toolbox, and allows you a lot of versatility.

Socket wrench set: A socket wrench set typically consists of a ratchet handle and several sockets, sometimes with other accessories such as extensions and adapters. The ratchet handle has a square drive fitting on one end that's at right angles to the handle itself, and the interchangeable sockets have a matching square hole that snaps onto the drive fitting. Sockets are rated by size in both SAE and metric dimensions.

Sockets and ratchets are also known by the drive size, which is the size of the square drive fitting. Common sizes include 1/4-inch drive, for small sockets; 3/8-inch drive, the most common for everyday use; and 1/2-inch drive for larger sockets and heavier applications. Some sets include a 3/8-inch-by-1/4-inch adapter, which allows you to use 1/4-inch sockets with a 3/8-inch ratchet.

Nut driver: A nut driver looks like a socket that's been attached to the end of a handle, and is used very much like a screwdriver to rotate small nuts and bolts on and off. Nut drivers are available in SAE and metric sizes, and are sold individually or in sets.

Pipe wrench: A pipe wrench, sometimes called a Stillson wrench, is used specifically for gripping cylindrical objects such as pipe, conduit, etc. The wrench has an adjustable head that opens and closes to accommodate pipes of different diameters, and contains two serrated jaws -- one fixed, the other pivoting. In use, the pivoting jaw rocks open to allow the wrench to slip over the pipe, then closes as you apply pressure. The more pressure applied to the handle of the wrench, the tighter the jaws grip the pipe. Unlike other types of wrenches, a pipe wrench needs to be positioned on one side of the pipe to rotate it in one direction, and reversed to rotate it in the other direction.

As with adjustable wrenches, pipe wrenches come in different sizes, which are designated by the overall length of the handle. Each size of wrench will accommodate a range of pipe sizes, and a set of two or three is all you'll need for virtually any type of plumbing task.

Basin wrench: This is one of those odd tools that you may only use once, but if you need one, there's really no substitute for it. Used to tighten and loosen the nuts that hold a faucet to a sink, a basin wrench has a long slender handle with a curved, pivoting jaw at one end, set perpendicular to the handle. The wrench is snaked up behind the bowl of the sink to the faucet nut, and set so that the curved jaw is in contact with the side of the nut. As you apply pressure to the handle, the jaw tightens onto the nut and allows you to rotate it. There is a sliding bar at the other end of the handle to allow for additional leverage. To change which direction you rotate the nut, simply reverse and reposition the wrench so that the jaw grabs the opposite side of the nut.

All of these wrenches are available at home centers, hardware stores and other tool retailers. And as with other types of tools, you get what you pay for. An adjustable wrench that's $2.99 in the bargain tool bin may look tempting, but for $9.99 you can get one that works better, is more accurate, is safer, and will probably outlive you and your kids. Always look for easy and smooth adjustments, well-finished metal and a good guarantee.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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With winter on its way, you may be thinking about some different options for warming up those cold rooms. If you don't like the idea of moving portable heaters around and you're looking for something permanent, an electric heater might be just the solution you need.

There are several types of electric heaters available, but the two most common styles are probably the wall-mounted can style, and the baseboard style.

An electric wall-mounted can heater has three basic components. A metal can is installed in the wall first, usually attached to the side of a stud. Inside the can is the heating unit, which includes the heating elements and a small fan. To finish things off, a decorative safety cover is installed over the can and the heating unit. The cover prevents direct contact with the heating elements and includes louvers to help direct the heated air.

An electric baseboard heater attaches directly to the face of the wall. It mounts right where the wall and floor meet, hence its name. Baseboard heaters have an electric element inside, and the element is covered by a series of metal fins. Baseboard heaters are typically fully assembled, and require only screwing to the wall.

Both types of heaters work on electrical resistance. Electricity flows through the heating elements, which are designed to resist the electricity. That creates friction, which in turn produces heat. The primary difference between the two is in how that heat is delivered to the room.

The can heater has a small fan in it. The fan blows across the heated elements, forcing the heat through the grill and into the room. With a baseboard heater, heat from the elements warms up all the thin metal fins on the cover. The fins then radiate that heat into the room, without the use of a fan.

With both styles of heaters, the demand for heat is controlled by a thermostat. The thermostat may be mounted on the heater itself, which is less expensive but, since it's affected by the warmth of the heater, is also less accurate. The other method is to mount the thermostat on a wall, which increases the accuracy but requires additional wiring. In larger rooms, one thermostat may be used to control more than one wall heater.

Sizing the heater

Electric heaters are sized according to their electrical usage, measured in watts. When choosing one, you want to match the heat output of the heater to the type of room the heater will be used in. To properly size a wall heater for efficient operation, you need to consider both the size of the room and the amount of heat loss that you'll have to compensate for in order to keep the room comfortably warm.

First, determine the square footage of the room. Simply measure the length and width of the room, and multiply the two numbers. For example, if your room is 12-by-14, it would be 168 square feet.

A typical rule of thumb is to allow 10 watts of heat per square foot if the room is well insulated and has generally good energy efficiency. For rooms with less insulation or more moderate energy efficiency, figure 12 watts per square foot. In an older home with no insulation, poor windows and overall low energy efficiency, you may want to increase the allowance to 15 watts per square foot.

So, for a 168 square foot room with good energy efficiency, you would want a heater that's rated for at least 1,680 watts (168 square feet times 10 watts per square foot). Chances are you won't find a heater with exactly that wattage, so always choose the next highest one -- in this case, it would probably be either 1,750 or 2,000 watts.

Here are a few additional tips when sizing electric room heaters:

• Increase the wattage of the heater by 25 percent for every 2 feet of ceiling height over 8 feet;
• If your room has a large amount of glass in it, increase the wattage by 25 to 50 percent to compensate for heat loss through the glass;
• If your room requires more than 2,000 watts, divide the required wattage in half and utilize two heaters. For example, a room needing 3,000 watts should have two 1,500-watt heaters rather than one of 3,000 watts;
• Because of the demand for faster heating and the amount of humidity present, bathrooms typically should have a minimum of 1,000 watts of heat.

These are just some general guidelines -- for more specific information on sizing a wall heater to meet your specific needs, talk to your heating retailer, your electric utility company or your electrician. Also, remember that adding a wall heater requires a separate electrical circuit, and in most jurisdictions it also requires an electrical permit. Always consult with a licensed electrician if you have any questions about safe and proper installation.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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One of the advantages to having a central heating system is that you can add to the system to service new or expanded areas. For example, if you add a room or enlarge a kitchen, providing the necessary heat for the additional space can often be accomplished by adding an additional duct run to the existing system.

When considering the addition of a new duct run, there are two things to keep in mind: furnace size, and the size and layout of the duct system. For all but the very simplest of small duct extensions, you'll need the help of an experienced heating contractor to make all of the complex calculations required to size and balance the system.

First, you need to evaluate the size and condition of the existing furnace to determine whether it has sufficient capacity to handle the additional load. For example, if you've added 100 square feet to your kitchen by bumping it out into the garage and your existing furnace has always been able to heat your home without effort, chances are that adding a duct can be done without any additional strain on the system. On the other hand, doing a 600-square-foot addition and hoping to heat it by adding duct runs onto a system that was barely able to heat the original home isn't going to work. You're probably looking at a new system for the entire house, or at least for the addition.

The second consideration is where you'll tap into the duct system for the new duct. Duct systems are carefully sized to provide adequate airflow from the furnace to each of the ducts in the system. A duct run may start at the furnace with a 10-inch-diameter duct, then step down to 8 inches and then to 6 inches as the duct run branches off and gets further away from the furnace itself. Depending on the size of the area you're trying to heat and the distance away from the furnace, you may be able to extend right off the end of the 6-inch duct, or you may need to go further back and tap into the 8-inch or even the 10-inch duct.

For long duct runs or runs that will serve a large area, such as handling that 600-square-foot room addition, you'll usually need to go all the way back to the furnace itself to begin the new run. In that situation, the new duct will be tapped into the furnace plenum -- a large box attached directly to the furnace that distributes air into the different duct runs -- to ensure that the maximum amount of air volume is available for the new ducts.

Directing all that heated air into a new duct run will obviously rob air volume from the other runs, and here's where you can run into some problems. A single small duct run won't have a huge effect on the system, but several larger ones will. As the airflow is redirected, those rooms farthest from the furnace will suffer the most, and in some cases the airflow will be reduced to the point of being ineffective for heating that space.

Adjusting all of these airflows to all of these different spaces is called balancing the system, and it's often a tricky undertaking. Setting up and balancing a duct system is a matter of knowing the amount of airflow being produced at the furnace, as well as the size of the spaces being heated, the diameter of all the ducts in the system, and the total length of each of the duct runs. Under- or oversizing the duct runs can result in poor performance throughout the entire system.

Another factor that your heating contractor will take into consideration is the energy efficiency of the original house, as well as the addition. Homes with good insulation, good windows and doors, and a low amount of air infiltration are simply easier to heat. As a result, the ducts serving each space can be smaller.

Remember that energy efficiency is always part of the calculations for a new or extended heating system. So if you're considering adding on to your home, now is also the perfect time to make some weatherization upgrades as well.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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If you need to drill a hole, it seems like a simple matter to grab a drill and a drill bit and go to work. But if you ever check out the aisles of a hardware store you'll find quite a variety of bits for different applications. Knowing the right one for a specific job will help you get the project done faster, safer, and with better results.

Twist drill bits: These are the bits that do-it-yourselfers are typically the most familiar with. Twist drill bits are usually made of high-speed steel (HSS) and have a flute -- a recess in the side of the bit -- that spirals up from the point of the bit toward to the top. The flute allows for chip removal as the hole is being drilled. Twist drill bits have a shallow point and are used primarily for drilling metal. They will also work fine for smaller holes in wood and plastic, but their shallow point can cause them to chip the material when drilling larger holes.

Sizes, which refer to the diameter of the bit, commonly range from tiny No. 1 up to 1/2 inch, and larger sizes are also available for some machine shop applications. Sizes above 3/8 inch typically have a shank that is stepped down to 3/8 inch, allowing them to be used in a drill with a 3/8-inch chuck. Twist drill bits are also available with a titanium coating for more abrasion resistance and longer life in metal-drilling applications.

Brad-point bits: Brad-point bits, which look similar to twist drill bits, have a sharp point at the end that makes it easier to align the bit for more precise drilling. Brad-point bits are intended only for wood and have a special cutting edge around the end of the bit called a spur. The spur scribes and cuts the outside diameter of the hole as the bit enters it, greatly reducing splintering and tearing of wood grain and veneer. Brad-point bits are available in both HSS and carbide tips. The carbide-tipped version is more expensive but it will hold its edge quite a bit longer between sharpenings. Brad-point bits are commonly available in sizes ranging from 1/8 inch to 1/2 inch.

Wood-boring bits: For larger holes in wood, drywall and other soft materials, wood-boring bits -- also called spade bits -- are an economical choice for a good all-purpose bit. Wood-boring bits have a flat cutting head with a point in the center, two angled cutting edges and two cutting tips.

The point centers the bit in the hole, the cutting tips cut the outer diameter, and the cutting edges shear off the rest of the wood. These bits will cut a flat-bottomed hole but have a tendency to tear the wood if used too aggressively. They are available in HSS, carbide-tipped and cobalt-coated, in sizes from 1/4 inch to 2 inches.

Forstner and spur bits: Forstner bits are also intended only for wood, and have a number of uses in woodworking and finish carpentry. A Forstner bit has a round cutting head with a brad point and a cutting spur around the outside edge, attached to a smooth, nonfluted shaft.

The design of the head allows for the cutting of flat-bottomed holes with very smooth sides, and creates and expels "curls" of wood as it drills, somewhat similar to a plane. Since the cutting action occurs around the outer edge of the bit, Forstner bits can be used to drill partial arcs as opposed to complete circles, and also work very well for drilling pocket holes at an angle.

Spur bits work on the same principle but have multiple cutting teeth on the outer edge for faster cutting with less heat buildup, especially in larger sizes. Forstner and spur bits are available in HSS, carbide-tipped and titanium-coated, in sizes ranging from 1/4 inch to 4 inches in diameter.

Auger bits: Auger bits are used for fast, aggressive drilling in wood, most commonly in applications such as plumbing, electrical wiring, timber framing and boat building. Auger bits have a sharp screw point that draws the bit into the wood, and twin cutting flutes at the outer edge that cut quickly but with more splintering than some other types of bits. Deep flutes draw chips out quickly for cooler, faster cutting. Auger bits are commonly available in sizes from 1/4 inch up to 1 1/2 inches.

Masonry bits: As the name implies, masonry bits are used for drilling into concrete, stone, stucco, bricks, and other masonry. They look somewhat like a standard twist drill bit but have a fairly blunt, carbide-tipped end that withstands the abrasion and high friction associated with drilling masonry. Common sizes range from 1/8 inch to around 1 1/2 inches.

Deep-drilling bits: Many of the bits described above also come in long versions for drilling deep holes. Brad-point bits, for example, are commonly available in 10-inch lengths, and auger bits can be found in lengths up to 17 inches. For really deep holes -- such as for running wires and other similar applications, you can find twist drill bits in lengths of up to 36 inches. There are also extensions available for most types of drill bits, allowing you to extend the length of the bit for deeper drilling.

Drill bits are commonly found in home centers, hardware stores, lumber yards and a wide variety of other retailers. Pay attention to the quality of the bit and the price. Stay away from the imported, bargain bits, which dull easily and are dangerously prone to snapping.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com.

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