Hour 1
Thermostat Troubles
A listener with an out-of-control power bill wants to know if the location of his thermostat might be the culprit. The thermostat is in the entry hall, a few feet from an exterior door, and the air conditioner runs constantly without thoroughly cooling.
The location of the thermostat is key to proper operation of a heating and cooling system. Ideally, it should be near the center of the house, so it samples air equally from around the house. If moving the thermostat wires is prohibitive, there are remote wireless options available.
A Sticky Situation
Elizabeth is trying to remove a decal from her new porcelain tub so she can install a safety mat. She is afraid she can’t remove it without scratching the tub and wants to know if there’s an easy, safe way to do that.
Removing stickers from finished surfaces is always easier if the sticker and its adhesive are softened first. You can do this by heating a pan of vinegar and pouring it over the sticker, or by spraying it with some WD-40*. In either case, both the sticker and the adhesive are softened so you can gently scrape it off.
Hour 2
Uninvited Guests
A listener says a groundhog has taken up residence under her kitchen. She’s tried traps without any success but doesn’t want to poison it. She wants to know how to get rid of her uninvited guest.
The best solution for a situation like this is some form of repellant. There are several pre-mixed store-bought solutions available like Critter Ridder*. Or, you can make your own repellant with Epsom salt or castor oil.
Ventilation for Historic Homes
Nancy lives in a 112-year-old house no eaves or soffits. She realizes she needs attic ventilation, so she is adding ridge venting when she re-roofs the house, but she isn’t sure how or where to put in-take vents.
It is difficult to introduce cooler, in-take air to the attic of this style home, but it can be done by moving the location a few feet up onto the roof. The roofer installs a Shingle Over Intake Vent* near the bottom edge of the roof and covers it with shingles. This vent draws cool air into the attic as the hot attic air rises and escapes through the ridge vent.
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Simple Solutions
Easy-Off Painted Moldings—Before prying painted wood moldings off the wall, take a sharp utility knife and cut along the top edge of the molding to slice through the paint and caulk seal. That will prevent the paint from peeling off the paper face from the drywall.
Sawdust Collection Tip—Sweeping is the easiest way to keep a workshop floor clean. But a wet/dry vacuum can make the job easier. Buy an extra extension wand and floor nozzle for your vacuum and secure the wand vertically to a wall using two perforated metal straps.
Be sure that the nozzle attached to the bottom of the wand is about 1-inch above the floor. When it’s time to sweep the floor, attach your wet/dry vacuum to the wall-mounted wand, and sweep the dust and dirt up to the floor nozzle, where it’ll be sucked into the vacuum.
