Expert Advice on Home Improvement

Bitsy asks, “What can I do to relieve allergies and keep the dust and pollen out of my house?“

A good quality air filter on your HVAC heating/cooling system is the first line of defense against dust, dirt, and airborne allergens in your home. Watch this video to find out more. Watch this video.

High winds from hurricanes and severe storms can cause broken windows, allowing extensive damage to the interior of your home. While covering windows with plywood is the least expensive option, polypropylene plastic storm panels weigh much less and allow light into the home. Watch this video to learn more about how plastic storm panels can protect your home. Watch this video.

Garage doors can be easily damaged by high winds during a hurricane or severe storm. Metal reinforcement kits are available that attach to the concrete slab and framing above the door to provide two additional points of support, or you can make your own garage door reinforcement from 2×4s. Watch this video to find out how to go about it. Watch this video.

Portable generators are a great way to provide power during outages, but there are some important safety considerations, including carbon monoxide poisoning and electrical overloads that can damage appliances. Watch this video.

Installing a whole house backup generator on your home is a great way to power appliances in the case of a power outage due to severe weather. Watch this video to find out more about whole house generators. Watch this video.

Watch this video to find out how to protect your windows from high winds and flying debris during storms and hurricanes by covering them with special fabric storm panels or plywood panels. Watch this video.

Watch this video to find out how you can reduce the chance of scalding in the bathroom by lowering the temperature of your water heater. Watch this video.

From padding a raised brick hearth to installing special rotating plug covers on electrical outlets, watch this video to find out what you need to know about childproofing your living room. Watch this video.

Watch this video to find out how to childproof your kitchen to make it safe for children using cabinet and refrigerator latches and an anti-tip bracket for your stove. Watch this video.

Excess moisture in the crawlspace under your home can make it a breeding ground for mold, rot, and termites. Watch this video to find out what you can do to prevent it. Watch this video.

Lead based paint was used in many homes built before 1978 and can cause a number of health problems. An inexpensive, do-it-yourself test can be preformed to find out if your house is contaminated. Watch this video to find out how. Watch this video.

Drinking water can become contaminated with lead from the solder that was used in the copper pipes in many older homes. Find out how to test your water and remove lead and other harmful chemicals by installing a water filter. Watch this video.

Radon is an invisible radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the environment and can seep up from the ground into your home. Exposure to radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. Watch this video to see how to find out if your home is at risk for radon gas and what to do about it. Watch this video.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly odorless, colorless gas that is a byproduct of combustion from gas or wood burning appliances and motors. Watch this video to find out the facts about carbon monoxide and how to install CO detectors in your home. Watch this video.

If you live in a two-story house, it’s important to keep an escape ladder handy in case of a fire or other emergencies. Watch this video to see a demonstration of how easy it is to set up and use an escape ladder in your home. Watch this video.

If you have a pool, make sure it’s fenced, has a gate that locks, and has a pool alarm. Pool alarms detect when a child has fallen in the water and then send a signal to a remote alarm located inside the house. Watch this video.

Smoke alarms are your first line of defense against a fire in your home. Here’s what you need to know about smoke alarms, including which type to choose and how to install and maintain them in your house. Watch this video.

While there is disagreement about the danger posed by mold in the home, it has been known to cause allergic reactions in certain people, especially children. On the other hand, we all breathe in millions of mold spores every year with no real ill health effects. To be on the safe side, eliminate any leaks in kitchens and baths that can lead to mold growth and use vent fans to provide adequate ventilation. Watch this video.

Accidental falls are the number one cause of death and injury in the home. To reduce the chance of falling, make sure all rugs on a hard surface are nonslip. While you could use double stick carpet tape or a nonslip rug pad to keep them from sliding, a simpler solution is to apply a bead of 100% silicone caulking to the bottom of the rug. Watch this video.

Mold in your home can cause serious health problems, but the toxic chemicals used to combat it are often just as harmful. Concrobium Mold Control kills and prevents mold without dangerous chemicals. It’s odorless and contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Concrobium Mold Control is available at The Home Depot. Watch this video.

To make it easy to find your safety equipment—such as earplugs, dust masks, and safety glasses—store it in a gallon size resealable plastic bag clipped to the pegboard in your workshop. Not only will it be easier to find, but the bag will keep the items clean and protect the glasses from scratching. Watch this video.

It’s important to install safeguards on electrical outlets to keep inquisitive children from shocking themselves. While the most inexpensive method is to cover the outlet with plastic plug covers, they can be hard to remove. A more costly, but easier to use, alternative is to install these Tamper Resistant Outlets from Leviton. Watch this video.

The presence of mold in your home needs to be addressed as it can cause serious health problems, such as asthma and allergy attacks. However, many the harsh chemicals used to kill mold have health risks as well and require adequate ventilation when used. For a greener option, look for products that kill mold without using bleach, ammonia, or volatile organic compounds. Watch this video.

April Asks: “Why does it take so long to dry my clothes?”

When a dryer takes a long time to dry your clothes, often the problem is due to a buildup of lint in the dryer lint screen or vent pipe. This not only reduces the efficiency of your dryer but can be a major fire hazard as well. Watch this video.

There’s no way around it, if you’re remolding the inside of your home, you’re going to create dust. The secret is to contain the dust in the room you’re working on and keep it out of the rest of the house. Watch this video.

Moving heavy boxes can be hard work, but there are some simple tricks that will save your back and make the job go much easier. When moving a box on carpet, put a piece of heavy (6 mil) plastic sheeting under it. Watch this video.

Amy from Ohio asks, “I’d like to add some extra smoke detectors to my home, but I want to make sure they’re reliable. Do I need to have them hardwired?”

Smoke alarms are one of the best safety features you can buy for your home. While smoke detectors are hardwired into houses in new construction, battery powered unit are best for existing homes. Watch this video.

Home automation systems can be used to control everything from heating and cooling to lighting and music. Z-Wave technology uses a two-way wireless system to reliably transmit signals from a controller to the device. Watch this video.

When traditional drywall gets wet, mold spores feed on the paper facing. New paperless wallboard resists mold growth. It’s held together with fiberglass mesh, allowing it to be cut and finished like standard wallboard. Watch this video.

To reduce wind damage from a hurricane or tornado, joints connecting the framing of a house are tied together from the roof down to the sill using metal straps and hardware. Watch this video.

Before renovation can begin on a house that’s been flooded, the drywall, insulation, and furnishings have to be removed. Then any residual mold is treated with chemicals and the framing is cleaned. Watch this video.

To give a deck that perfect finishing touch, as well as to address safety concerns, it needs to have a handrail around it. Here Danny shows how to construct the railings and spindles from pressure treated wood. The top rail is made from a horizontal 2×4 while the bottom rail is secured vertically with a beveled cut to shed water. Watch this video.

Danny takes a look at a high-tech home automation system that uses a touch screen with programmable timers to control everything from lighting and temperature to the security system and audio/video components. Watch this video.

The elderly often require modifications to their existing homes in order to make them safer and easier to use. Danny explores some innovative ideas to make homes more accessible, such as hinges that provide additional clearance for wheelchairs and the removal of thresholds from exterior doors. In the bathroom he examines the importance of ADA compliant faucets, as well as grab bars and adjustable shower heads. The need for increased lighting is addressed by the installation of remote controlled skylights. Watch this video.

Danny talks to an automated lighting expert about wireless remote controlled lighting. These systems can let you set lighting to time, mood, or control it from the car. Watch this video.

Danny demonstrates a video door answering system from Nutone that has a simple install and is packed with features. The Nutone device will let you see the person who rings your doorbell and talk back with them. The unit will also let you watch TV, listen to the AM/FM radio, and place phone calls. Watch this video.

In the event of a fire, a smoke alarm can save your life and those of your loved ones. They are the single most important means of preventing fire fatalities by providing an early warning signal — so you and your family can escape. Watch this video.

Even though the EPA banned the use of lead-based paints in 1978, there are still potential hazards of lead poisoning around your home that you should be aware of. Any older home has the possibility of containing lead paint. Watch this video.

Carbon monoxide has been called the “invisible” killer. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, every year more than 100 people die from unintentional exposure to carbon monoxide produced from using a charcoal grill, exhaust from an automobile, portable generators and various gas appliances. Watch this video.

Homeowners are often puzzled about why their clothes dryer takes longer to finish a load than it used to. The answer is usually a simple one, but it has some pretty serious implications. A build-up of lint in the dryer or its vent pipe can not only reduce the efficiency of the dryer but it can also be a fire hazard. Watch this video.

Protect a pair of safety glasses or eye goggles from scratches and smudges by storing them in an old cotton sock. This will prove most effective if you store your glasses in a toolbox. Also, outfit your safety glasses with an inexpensive nylon cord (sold in most hardware stores and home centers). The cord will allow you to hang the glasses from around your neck and keep you from losing them, but more importantly, they’ll always be close at hand so there will never be a reason not to use them. Watch this video.