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October 5, 2007
If the slot of a roundhead screw or a bolt is chewed up beyond hope of gripping it with a screwdriver, file two flat edges on it. Then turn the head with an adjustable wrench or better yet, a pipe wrench.

Another option is to use a hacksaw to cut a new slot at a right angle to the old one. For large screws, put two blades in your hacksaw, right next to each other, and cut a wider slot so you can use a bigger screwdriver. This is also a great way to get a grip on the head of a stuck carriage bolt, which doesn't have a slot. Try spraying the frozen nuts or bolts with a bit of WD-40 and tapping them before attempting to loosen them.

October 12, 2007
Give a sense of height with the use indirect lighting to illuminate the ceiling. (A light- colored ceiling reflects light better.) Torchères and lamps with heads that can be aimed upward will allow light to hit the ceiling and bounce off, bathing the rest of the room in soft light. This creates an illusion of height, making your room seem bigger.

To make the ceiling seem even a bit higher, raise the curtains. Instead of placing curtain rods at the level of the window frame, install them up against the ceiling (or at the crown molding, if you have it). Then hang long curtains that reach the floor. This super vertical treatment will add a sense of height to the room. Drape the curtains to hide the wall above the window or put a scrim under the curtain to hide the wall.

October 19, 2007
You know that little button on the side of your ceiling fan? It's supposed to control the direction of the blades. One direction is for the summer, the other for winter, right? Just can't remember which is which! Here's the theory: In the winter, you want the blades to spin counterclockwise, to draw the warm air up from the floor and then circulate it back down to the room. In the summertime, you want the blades to circulate clockwise, so that you're creating a breeze. Now's the time to make the switch - just make sure the fan is off when you do it (Duh).

A 1/8-inch opening around two exterior doorframes can let in as much cold air as a basketball-sized hole in the wall! Wow - that should convince you to use weatherstripping.

October 26, 2007
Before it starts to get cold, now is the time to take stock around the outside of your home:
Walk around the exterior of your home, take notice of gaps or openings - anywhere, around, doors, windows, utility pipes and wires. These areas should be sealed with appropriate material. You would be shocked to know how much heat loss/gain occurs at these openings.

As you start to relocate your barbecue grill for fewer steps outside when it is cold and miserable, be sure to keep a safe distance from the house. Yes, we have seen melted vinyl siding because a grill was placed to close to the house - not pretty.

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