Selecting Paint Brushes And Rollers
Brushes are available in two basic types: those made with natural bristles, and those with synthetic bristles. Natural-bristle brushes should be used only when applying alkyd or oil-based paints. (If you use a ... [... more]
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Garden Cress
Sow ten to fifteen (10-15) seeds per foot of row every two (2) weeks starting as soon as the ground can be worked. Plantings sown after May 31 usually bolt or produce a flower head quickly. However, additional plantings can resume after Labor Day ... [... more]
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Weather-Stripping
This works like the spring metal. It's installed flat and then bent to a 'V' shape, the open end of the 'V' to the outside of the doors which open inward. ... [... more]
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Triangular Treat
The wider open end of the triangle faces the formal dining room. The homeowners wanted to have the cabinets fairly close to each other at the wider end of the kitchen, so the designer pinched the open end with a ... [... more]
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A Glossary Of Home Inspection Terms
A type of foamedin-place insulation that releases formaldehyde gas. It was banned by the Consumer Public Safety Commission in 1982 from use in residences and schools. Holding that the risks had not been proven, a ... [... more]
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Repairing Historic Flat Plaster Walls And Ceilings (Part A)
Too much retardant. Retarding agents are added to slow down the rate at which plaster sets, and thus inhibit hardening. They have traditionally included ammonia, glue, gelatin, starch, molasses, or vegetable oil. If ... [... more]
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Inappropriate Rooftop Addition
The historicizing of the addition's detailing (jack-arch windows, corbelled beltcourse, pilasters, brackets, and wrought iron cresting) eliminated any visual distinction between the new addition and the historic ... [... more]
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Growing An Herb Garden
Herbs will grow well under a wide range of soil conditions, with the exception of extremely wet, poorly drained soil. Popular herbs such as sage, rosemary and thyme require a well-drained but moderately moist soil. ... [... more]
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Panoramic Maps
Every building in the area was drawn on the map, and 1,999 specific sites were identified by name. A note in the preface requests that any mistakes detected be looked upon with a lenient eye by an indulgent public ... [... more]
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Wild Mushrooms: Pickers Should Bring An Expert Along
Morechella esculenta. The morel, which resembles a pine cone or Christmas tree-shaped sponge on a stalk, is commonly found in the spring in wooded areas. Stewart credits the wild mushroom renaissance in part to ... [... more]
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Insulating An Attic Ceiling
We're researching the best way to insulate our circa 1900 home, which currently has no insulation except for a thin layer of blown-in cellulose between the second floor ceiling and the attic. There is also a crawl ... [... more]
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Ken & Deb's Victorian
Today were I to tackle a restoration project of this magnitude, I'd probably putter away on the house for years on my days off. But a decade ago, when I bought the house, I ran a company that did restoration and ... [... more]
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