Roofers
Experience counts! With over 17,200 roofs installed in Southeast Michigan, Kearns Bros. has the knowledge, experience and roofing system you need for your best and safest roofing choice. Serving Michigan since 1986.
Hardware Stores
With 4,600 stores in all 50 states and 60 countries, ACE Hardware has been known as the helpful hardware store for more than eight decades. More information can be found at www.acehardware.com
Plumbing
Why settle for pictures when you can get a world of choice at Universal Plumbing? Choose from Michigan's largest selection of under mounted sinks, a display of 500 faucets and a huge collection of working toilets, vessles, tubs, spas & designer items.
Deck Care Fast & Easy book
Glenn Haege's Deck Care Fast & Easy explains what to do and what to buy for that four letter word that lives in your backyard; your deck! This book walks you though selecting between woods and man made decking, deck maintenance, brightening, stripping, sealing and staining. It’s free!
Repairing cracks which cause floods Dear Glenn: At the bottom step of my Bilco Scape Well door there is a hairline crack that runs the width of the step. Every time it rains I get a 1-by-2-foot puddle on the basement floor. Whom should I call to get this repaired? -- Greg, Ann Arbor Dear Greg: The Ann Arbor providers of Bilco Scape Well Doors are: Clark Bldg. Supply. Co., (734) 663-3372; Eighty Four Lumber Co., (734) 769-8417; and Fingerle Lumber Co., (734) 663-0581. Any one of them should be able to provide a repair contractor recommendation. You can also call Bilco from any part of the country at (800) 854-9724, or check out their Web site at www.bilco.com.
Keeping leafs out of your gutters Dear Glenn: I'm getting to the age where I have no business climbing up on a ladder to clean the leaves out of my gutters anymore and my kids have left the nest and live out of the community. I've used screens from the hardware store, but they don't work well.I've had proposals from both Gutter Helmet and Leaf Guard representatives. Do you prefer one over the other (cost is not a consideration), or is there another system you would recommend ? -- John, Waterford Township Dear John: Both the Gutter Helmet, (888) 4-HELMET, and Leaf Guard, (800)532-3482, systems are very good. My personal choice would be a system that did not attach into the roofline. For more information, go to my Internet Help Site, www.MasterHandyman.com , and type "gutter Protectors" in the search engine. My May 8, 2004, article "Gutter systems guard against leaves, but they'll also need cleaning" reviews 10 different systems.
Have your roof vents snaked out Dear Glenn: We just bought an older home. The inspector said we should go up on the roof and force water down the roof vent pipes because they were plugged. Some of the drains are slow. This is a two-story house. Should we pay someone to go up and put a hose down the pipes? -- Bob, Birmingham Dear Bob: You want to hire someone to get up on your roof, but leave the hose behind. Call a plumbing service and tell them that you need to have your roof vents snaked out. Not every plumber is willing to climb on the roof, so you may have to call several places. In the north Woodward Avenue area, try Nelson Brothers, (248) 541-0819, or Sumner Plumbing, (888) 844-7473.
Negative air from your furnace carries dirt Dear Glenn: I have noticed a lot of "soot" along the edges of my carpets and on the walls. Is this the sign of a dirty furnace? -- Molly, Trenton Dear Molly: The black lines are not signs of a dirty furnace but of negative air. Your house is expelling more air than is being replenished naturally through windows and doors. This causes a pressure imbalance that is pulling air through tiny cracks in the walls. The air carries a good deal of dust, which is "filtered" through the carpeting, depositing the line of dirt you see along the wall. One solution to the problem would be an EQUALIZ-AIR air makeup unit by Xavier, (734) 462-1033, www.equaliz-air.com. They are carried by Damman Hardware and www.wattbusters.com.
Open your door by remote Dear Glenn: I am trying to locate a remote-control lockset so that my wheelchair-bound mother will be able to lock and unlock her entry door from the living room. I haven't been successful in locating such a device. -- Ron, Clarkston Dear Ron: You don't want to open a door if you don't know who is on the other side. John at Smart Home.com, (866) 243-8020, suggested the company's Door Bell Front Door Answering System, item 5070. Mom can answer the door from her telephone (or cell phone) and open the door remotely. If you just want a remote opening door lock, www.keylesspro.com has a large number of remote locks. A1 Electric Automotive Accessories -- (888)838-0506,
Refrigerators could be destroyed by the cold Dear Glenn: We have a 16-cubic-foot refrigerator/freezer in our garage. We have it backed against the interior wall of the house. That wall plus the two side walls and the ceiling of the garage are all insulated. The garage door is metal without any insulation, but I suppose it could be insulated with those 1-inch sheets of foam-type insulation. Is it really harmful to leave that refrigerator in the garage during Detroit winters? If it would be easier on the refrigerator, I can empty it and shut it off during the winter. -- Charles, Brownstown Dear Charles: If the garage is not heated and kept at 60 degrees, the refrigerator/freezer's warranty is void and the unit will eventually be destroyed by the cold. Some manufacturers do make cold weather units that can be used in an unheated garage. These appliances cost 3 or 4 times as much as a regular refrigerators. Unfortunately, insulating a garage door is not a DIY project. If you want an insulated garage door, you have to buy one.
Basement bathroom's challenge: It will have to flush UP Dear Glenn: We are installing a bathroom in the basement and the sewer line is above the basement floor. How do I get the waste discharge to go up to the sewer line? -- Jon, Romeo Dear Jon: All you need to do is flush up hill. The Saniflo -- www.saniflo.com, (800) 363-5874 -- toilet uses a pump mechanism to transport the waste up to the sewer line. Note: This article was accurate at the date of publication. However, information contained in it may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility. |
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20 most recent Ask Glenn Columns PEX is an excellent choice for new water lines Lowering a thermostate can create heating bill savings Call your gas company if unpleasant smells arise from gas appliances Check the National Association of Home Inspectors website for licensed home inspectors Use infrared scans to be sure of leak origins Products are available just for suspended ceilings Get an infrared scan to show where insulation is needed Several different alarms exist for water backup systems Sound preparation is vital to prevent peeling bathroom paint Blower test can diagnose heat loss issues Independent Window Repair can fix broken seals Cellulous insulation can be blown in over fiberglass Remove old, damaged floor before installing a new one Avoid redirecting clothes dryer to heat home Always get multiple estimates for waterproofing basements Products can fix milky looking stamped concrete Best hardwood floor is one that is installed correctly Soluble salts from wet plaster are cause of peeling paint Doozy products clean and shine furniture Use manufacturers website to find reputable contractors For more articles: Browse-by-date Index |
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