Archive

July 22, 2008

• Sinking porch?
  Dear Kaile, Since purchasing a 120-year-old house, I had windows installed on the sun porch, about eight years ago. Since then, one corner of the…

July 8, 2008

• Landscape looks
  Investing in quality landscaping is considered important for many reasons, from creating a personal space we enjoy, to providing resale value, to…

June 26, 2008

• Benefit or burden?
  I have a love/hate relationship with the trees in my yard. Let’s just say, I know why our section of Scarborough is called Pine Point!…

June 25, 2008

• Kaile's Korner - A little hole?
  Dear, Kaile I have a hole in one of my sheetrocked walls, which was caused by a doorknob hitting it. The hole is about three inches in diameter and…

June 10, 2008

• Kids in trees
  Remember the lazy summer afternoons you spent as a kid in that rickety treehouse your dad helped you build? Did you always wish you could grow up and…
• Hardy may be different in Maine
  There are many considerations to ponder in choosing plants for a Maine garden. While flower or foliage color may have the most impact, size, rate of…

May 28, 2008

• Weekend project
  Hi Kaile After last weekend, my wife and I are now looking to build a small brick patio off the front of our house (12 feet x 12 feet). Could you…

May 14, 2008

• Kermit’s famous words
  While Kermit was looking for love when he made the title quote famous, it appears he was more right than he could possibly fathom. In today’s…

April 30, 2008

• The 3 C’s
  Kaile, What advice do you have for doing renovations in an old house without stirring up any lingering lead paint? Adam, in Portland Hi…

April 23, 2008

• Tools 101
  Dear Kaile, I have had a series of hand tools for a while now and would like to graduate to hand power tools. How would you suggest I…

April 16, 2008

• Kaile's Korner - Opt for Comfort
  Your lender has just approved a $250,000 home mortgage limit for you. The “investment” options you now need to consider are: •…

April 9, 2008

• Down & dirty
  Dear Kaile, Help! I’m looking for a solution to my dirty grout. When my tile was installed, my white grout was not sealed properly…

April 2, 2008

• Spring clean up
  Kaile, I need help… I have cabin fever with a house full of stuff and a yard full of junk. This winter brought the pack rat out in me…

March 26, 2008

• Staying dry
  Kaile, Now that the snow is melting outside, I’m concerned about flooding in my basement. I know it’s a good idea to have a sump pump…

March 19, 2008

• Know the codes
  Kaile, I’ve noticed that most of your columns refer to consulting with code enforcement officials and getting building permits when…

March 12, 2008

• Make it metal
  Dear Kaile, I’ve been watching the news and seen roofs collapsing all over the place, due to snow and ice accumulation. It’s kind of…

March 5, 2008

• Shedding some light
  Dear Kaile, Once the snow stops and spring arrives, I plan to add a storage shed to my backyard. I don’t need anything huge, just something…

February 27, 2008

• Pet project
  Hi Kaile, My husband and I have a beautiful home with a basement that is three-quarters finished. The utility room, as we call it, is where the…

February 20, 2008

• All hands on deck
  Dear Kaile, I know the snow is still falling, but I’m hoping to start making plans to add a deck this spring for barbecuing and…

February 7, 2008

• Kaile's Korner - DIY worries
  I recently had a Rent-A-Husband questionnaire sent out that asked people what scares them about doing home improvement projects. The answers I…

January 30, 2008

• Groovy décor
  Hi Kaile, Could you give me some help with how best to install tongue and groove boards in a horizontal manner on an interior…

January 23, 2008

• Open and shut case
  Hi Kaile, I am looking at replacing my master bedroom door. I have been looking at various styles and materials for the past couple of months. Well…

January 16, 2008

• When things go to pot ...
  Instead of answering a write-in question this week, I thought I would share a recent experience I had with a wall mounted waterfall. I recently…

January 10, 2008

• Chalk it up to ...
  Hi Kaile, I saw you give a demonstration once at the Cumberland County Civic Center in regards to creative ways to protect your walls from small…

January 4, 2008

• Resolve to ...
  Is becoming a handy homeowner a worthy New Year’s resolution? I have always thought that keeping a New Year’s resolution would be so easy…

December 26, 2007

• Icy up top
  Q: Dear Kaile, I had a new roof put on my house a little more than a year ago but I’m concerned because of the amount of icicles I have…

December 20, 2007

• Kaile's Korner - Hardwood help
  Hi Kaile, I would like to have a new hardwood floor in my bedroom. I am considering trying to install the wood floor by myself. I intend to buy…

December 4, 2007

• Kaile's Korner
  Hi Kaile, I recently had a most embarrassing, and frankly potentially damaging experience, when one of my kitchen chairs collapsed during a party…

November 27, 2007

• Home helpers: NOV 29
  THURSDAY NOV 29 How to Install a Front Door, Home Depot in Portland, SoPo, North Windham, Biddeford, Topsham, 7-8 pm, www.homedepot.com Learn the…
• Do it yourself: NOV 29
  It’s time. The first snow stuck to the ground last week and much more is on the way. Better get your snowblower ready for action now so you…
• Looking ahead
  The University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s “North Country Garden Calendar” is always a popular item for holiday gift giving…
• Garage guru
  Hi Kaile, My husband and I have this continuing discussion as to whether or not a garage needs to be maintained on a regular basis. I tell him…

November 20, 2007

• Home helpers: NOV 22
  THURSDAY NOV 22 How to Install a Front Door, Home Depot in Portland, SoPo, North Windham, Biddeford, Topsham, 7-8 pm, www.homedepot.com Learn the…
• Quick fixes for NOV 22
  There’s nothing worse than a wobbly table or chair leg when holiday guests cozy up for a big meal. If you’ve got a chair that tips from…
• Before the fill
  “Ouch!” You’ve just filled up your home heating oil tank as you get ready for winter, and your wallet is talking to you. How…
• DIY: NOV 22
  Home heating oil prices won’t be coming down anytime soon, so take steps now to be more efficient every time you turn up the thermostat. There…
• Going up with a jack
  Hi Kaile, I currently own an old farm house, and while I find its character charming, I also find its sloping floors far from functional. I…

November 13, 2007

• Home helpers: NOV 15
  THURSDAY, NOV 15 Ecomaine’s Green Expo, USM Gymnasium, Portland, 11 am-7 pm, www.greentreeevents.com Maine’s first…
• Quick fixes
  Just the thought of red wine on your cream colored carpet is enough to make your stomach churn, but there is a way to salvage the rug when the hubby…
• Winter warmup
  Fiberglass insulation’s what most people have between the two-by-fours and drywall in their homes. Whether you’re adding to your current…
• DIY: NOV 15
  The frost has already arrived and the snow will surely be falling soon. So, don’t waste any more time getting your yard plants warm and cozy…
• Look up!
  Q: Hi Kaile, I own a late 1800s colonial home and I am in the process of installing a new ceiling in the pantry. My issue is that I have removed…

November 6, 2007

• Home helpers: Week of NOV 8
  THURSDAY NOV 8 Zero Energy Homes, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods, Brunswick, 7 pm, www.fwhorch.com Speaker Mike White offers insight and inspiration…
• DIY
  After using the outdoor fire pit all summer and fall, it’s time to get your indoor fireplace ready to fend off the cold of the winter months to…
• Whoooosh!
  Europeans seem to have a knack for signing onto the best food and clothing trends well before they make their way across the pond. Now the foreigners…
• Clear out the chems
  Ever notice those cans and bottles in the back corner of the cabinet under the kitchen sink? Or the jars on a basement shelf, so high up and so far…
• To finish or not to finish