Q: I had an energy audit done on my house and then had some work done on my air ducts. Ever since then, my house has been a whole lot dustier, and I’ve noticed more dust on the air filters when I change them. What could be causing this problem?
A: It’s possible that the air ducts weren’t reconnected properly when they did the duct work in your house. Then the air conditioner could be sucking in a lot of dust in the attic, for example, and blowing it back into the house. You need to have another blower door test and duct blast test done on your house – the kinds of things that they did during the energy audit – to find out where the problem is.
Q: What kind of vegetables can you plant in a container garden?
A:Â Just about any kind of vegetable can be grown in containers, but you have to use a large enough pot or container. The biggest mistake that home gardeners make is using a container that is way too small.
Q: I have a leaky window on the second story of my house. Water seems to be leaking through the stucco. I’ve tried many possible solutions, but they just don’t work. When it rains, I run through four or five beach towels soaking up water. Three or four years ago, I had a contractor replace the flashing and stucco around the window, but he wouldn’t guarantee that it would stop the leak. Can’t I just buy some kind of sealer to put over the stucco to make this stop?
A: You’re looking for some kind of miracle top coat that just doesn’t exist. The best solution is to find a different, more dependable contractor to redo the flashing. The problem with sealing the stucco is that you will end up with moisture soaking into the walls of your house. The water can’t escape, and it can cause an even bigger mess inside.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona homebuilding and remodeling industry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning “Rosie on the House” radio program, heard locally from 8-11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.
