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Kid-proofing your home

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Thursday, January 8, 2009.

Q: My daughter is 21 months old. We need to install fasteners in plaster walls to secure the furniture. Is there an easy way to accomplish this? The house was built in 1910, so we assume it has wood lath under the plaster. Can we find studs in this type of wall?

A: Ah yes, the terrible twos. Kevin remembers them well. Daughter Katie spent most of her time exploring, trying stuff out and pulling it down. There was an occasional mess on the floor when Katie zigged when an older child would have zagged. No major mishaps though. more...

The roof that lasted 10 years

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Q: I got a 25-year warranty on my roof when it was installed in 1995, then with all the rain in 2005 my insurance company inspected the roof and advised I needed a replacement. When I called the roofing company that had installed the roof, it had gone out of business, and the referral phone number went to another company.

When I showed the new roofer my warranty, he said it could be honored only by the installer. He would give me a new warranty with the installation of a new roof. I said OK. more...

Telltale signs water heater, furnace will soon die

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, December 24, 2008.

Q: After reading your column on noisy water heaters I was left with a question that has been worrying me since I was widowed and no longer able to depend on my husband to know such things. The issue that sparked my attention was your estimated life span of water heaters as determined by their warranties. more...

Weatherstripping offers best bang for buck

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, December 17, 2008.

Q: My home was built in 1960 and it's not insulated. It is in Alameda, Calif., near San Francisco. It's one story, has stucco on three sides and has an unusual wood front. Is there any insulating material available that can be applied to the exterior of a house and is not too expensive? What is the best type of insulation for the attic? more...

Don't rush to rehab shake roof

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, December 10, 2008.

Q: I have a question related to an earlier column you wrote about composition roofs. I am trying to decide whether to rehab my cedar shake roof or replace it with a composition roof. more...

Get the squeal out of bathroom faucet

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, December 3, 2008.

Q: I was hoping you could help me with some plumbing problems. In my downstairs bathroom, which doesn't get much use, the hot-water faucets on both sinks squeal when they are being turned off. The cold faucet doesn't squeal. It doesn't happen in the other bathroom, which is in the master suite. My neighbor in the attached townhouse has the same problem. more...

Better roof longevity: composition or concrete?

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, November 26, 2008.

Q: My husband and I are having a new home built in the California foothills. I resisted suggestions to go with vinyl windows to save on cost. The latest struggle is the roof. The architect designed the house with a concrete tile roof to go with the English Tudor style. My husband and the general contractor have been encouraging me to consider a composition roof to save money, and I suspect, make the process easier for the contractor. more...

Fixes for a noisy water heater

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, November 19, 2008.

Q: I read with interest your articles on water hammer, and have a question. I have an older gas water heater. It works fine, heats well and has no leaks, but as of late, makes the most horrible grinding and gurgling noises as it fills and heats after hot water use. It sounds something like the boilers of a ship sinking at sea. Any clues?

A: Oh yeah. We've got more than a clue -- we're confident we know the problem. Better yet, we may have a fix. more...

Easier ways to kill water hammer?

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, November 12, 2008.

A previous column on "water hammers" struck a chord with two of our readers.

One accused us of being "on the take" for suggesting that our homeowner might have to open a wall or call a plumber. Another offered another avenue to explore if there is noise in the pipes. Both suggestions bear repeating.

Our first reader wrote:

"How much did the plumbers pay you to give that answer to the question about hammering pipes? more...

Residents endure water hammer wrath

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, November 5, 2008.

Q: We live in a duplex that was converted from a 1912 single-family house. The upstairs flat had a kitchen added, and doors were installed for each unit. This house is built right up against houses on either side, a typical but stripped-down Victorian. more...

Chimney works best with flue liner

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Tuesday, October 28, 2008.

Q: We bought a Queen Anne Victorian 10 years ago, but have never used the chimneys because the chimney sweep said pigeons had been pecking at the mortar. There is no chimney liner. I have been up on the roof and see where some of the mortar is missing, and think I could easily fix that. I tore out the plaster on the first floor covering the chimney, thinking I might just be able to repair it from the outside, but it all looks pretty good. more...

Should I buy earthquake insurance?

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Tuesday, October 21, 2008.

Q: I read your column on earthquake preparedness. And although I don't think our 11-year-old house needs structural changes, I was wondering if you have any advice on whether to buy earthquake insurance. We are new to the area, so we have no experience or feel for it.

A: Your question is a little far afield for our do-it-yourself column. But it's a subject we've had to consider over the years, and, as you mention, we have addressed earthquake preparedness from a structural perspective. more...

Best plan for insulating garage

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Tuesday, October 14, 2008.

Q: I have an open ceiling in my garage that is insulated with paper-backed R-13 batts with the fiberglass exposed and held in place by metal strips. The ceiling has a lot of pipes and wires running over the ceiling joists. more...

Glass painting tips from the pros

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Tuesday, October 7, 2008.

Q: Sometime in the past 50 or so years, someone thought it would be nice to remodel my entire entrance hall with glass blocks. And since it was never maintained, I am sure the wall below will have some water damage.

Anyway, because of the glass, the hall is always cold in the winter and hot during the summer. And it just looks bad and worn out. I would like to paint it over on the inside. Can it be done? I'm looking for a cosmetic fix until the day comes when I can get that entire side of the hall rebuilt. more...

Termite damage a nightmare to fix

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Tuesday, September 30, 2008.

Q: I had a termite inspection done on my home. Now I must find a reputable contractor to do the work. The work to be done is extensive, and I feel it will be costly. The termites have damaged the rim joist, mudsill and subfloor in the subarea. Termite evidence was also noted in the subarea that appears to extend into inaccessible areas and should be treated.

I would appreciate any help that you can give me, as I have no idea where to start. more...

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