House & Home

Everything filed under house & home, listed in full rather than as a feed.

Articles

Two Fogged Panels in Year Seven, and the Installer Is Gone. What Still Pays

When a storefront's insulated glass fails years after the installer dissolves, the manufacturer's unit warranty usually survives. Here is how to find it and use it.

·Wesley Tarbox·1,078 words

Two Identical Houses a Decade Apart in Upkeep: What the Difference Actually Bought

Same builder, same year, same street. One was maintained on a schedule and one was not, and after a decade the gap is far larger than the maintenance cost.

·Junko Halloran·1,276 words

Most Maintenance Schedules Fail Because They Are Too Long and Attached to Nothing

Maintenance schedules fail for the same reason every time: too long, too detailed, and attached to nothing that already happens in the year.

·Junko Halloran·978 words

One Deep Clean a Year or Somebody Every Other Week, and What Does Each Actually Buy?

The two options are priced very differently and they solve different problems. One resets a house; the other stops it ever needing a reset.

·Junko Halloran·1,021 words

Cold and Damp at the Same Time? Why a House Feels Clammy With the Cooling On

An air conditioner removes humidity as a side effect of cooling. When those two jobs come apart, a house ends up cold and damp simultaneously.

·Corinne Adeyemi·802 words

Why Do the First Two Days After a Leak Decide Whether This Is a Rebuild?

What happens in forty-eight hours determines whether this is a drying job or a rebuilding job. The sequence is not obvious and the expensive mistakes happen early.

·Corinne Adeyemi·1,168 words

Dwell Time Cleans a House in Spring and Pressure Mostly Just Removes the Paint

A pressure washer will clean siding and it will also drive water behind it, cut into soft wood, and take a coat of paint with it. Pressure is the smallest part.

·Wesley Tarbox·907 words

Changing the Filter and Nothing Else? The Cleaning That Decides How Long Equipment Lasts

Filters and lint screens are the visible half. The parts that actually foul sit one panel further in, and they are why equipment gets replaced early.

·Wesley Tarbox·888 words

What Does a Clogged Dryer Vent Actually Cost a Household Over Four Years?

The dryer took two cycles instead of one. That was the only symptom, it was easy to live with, and it was the house saying something for four years.

·Corinne Adeyemi·1,214 words

From the Roof Edge to Six Feet Out: The Drainage Path That Keeps a Basement Dry

Interior water problems are traced back to roof drainage far more often than to foundations, and the fix is usually cheap, outdoors, and takes a Saturday.

·Corinne Adeyemi·879 words