Test windows before replacing; no guarantee on electric rates; low litter vine
Get tips on making fixes around the house.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a crack that runs all the way across my whole Saltillo tile patio. It’s been there for a long time, but now I’ve fixed some other things in the backyard and I’m ready to fix the crack. How do I do that? And could I pave over the tiles?
A: It’s going to be very difficult to simply fix that crack by itself because as soon as you repair it, you’ll develop another crack somewhere else on that patio. If it was just a crack in a concrete pad, you could fill it and cover the patio with concrete pavers. But in this case the Saltillo tiles are probably too thick to allow you to pave over them. You’re probably going to have to remove the tiles or skim off the top of the tiles, before you can use pavers.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: There are 20 windows in my house, but four of them are not dual-pane windows, and I’m now debating whether to replace the four or not. They’re all aluminum frame with single panes of glass; they don’t get direct sunlight so they don’t seem to heat up very much. How can I tell whether it would be economically efficient to replace them? Will installing dual-pane windows be worthwhile and save me money on my utility bill?
A: If you’re interested in checking this out yourself, you can buy a thermal imaging gun for about $40 at a hardware or auto parts store. Then, on a really hot day when the sun is shining on the house, aim your gun at one of your double-pane windows to measure its temperature. Then do the same test on the single-pane windows. If there’s not much difference in temperature, it might not be worthwhile replacing the windows. If the windows are not on the west side of the house and don’t get much direct sun, your home may not benefit that much.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: My electric company in Tucson is planning to raise the fees it charges to net metering customers, those of us who have solar electric panels and “sell” our surplus electricity to the utility. If I installed solar panels before they do this, will I be grandfathered in by the Arizona Corporation Commission or will I have to pay the new rates?
A: The commission has generally agreed to grandfather in solar-powered homes in the past so that they are not subject to the rate changes, but they can’t stop future commission members from raising the rates for you in future. You can’t be 100 percent sure what might happen later on.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a wrought iron view fence that gets full sun. I’d like to cover the iron slats with a flowering vine, but I don’t want a lot of litter from whatever I plant there. What would you suggest?
A: Tangerine beauty crossvine is one beautiful possibility that is reportedly low in litter. One vine we definitely would not plant is cat’s claw. We get many, many calls from homeowners who want to get rid of it and are very frustrated. Once you plant cat’s claw, you may have it forever. We had cat’s claw at our house, in fact, and I wanted to remove it because it kept us from checking for termites on our wall. It took years and years before we were rid of it. We kept tearing it out and tearing it out until it finally croaked.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a south-facing covered patio that I’m thinking of covering with screens. I’m wondering if that might improve the value of my house when I sell it. How much value would it add?
A: There’s no real formula for estimating what that might do to the sales price of your home. But generally speaking, it would seem that a home with a screened patio would be more desirable than an unscreened patio because it would keep out insects, snakes and lizards. You should check as well with a Realtor about the possibilities.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I’m interested in installing a water harvesting system in my yard. I’m going to have two 1,000-gallon tanks to hold water that I harvest off the roof of my house. But I’m trying to decide whether to place those tanks on top of a bed of pavers or a concrete pad. Would sand-set, interlocking concrete pavers be sufficiently strong to hold that weight? Or do I need something more substantial under the tanks.
A: Pavers should work just fine; after all they actually use them on the taxiways at large airports. You’ll need to do about 6 inches of excavation, of course, and then put down a two-inch layer of crushed rock on undisturbed soil to provide part of the foundation for the pavers (it’s called the ABC layer for aggregate base course) and then sand on top of that. But you don’t need to put down concrete at all. Talk to a paver manufacturer about the product you are going to use as well getting tips on construction. To have it done right, consider hiring a licensed paver installer. The advantage of pavers, of course, is that if some crack or break, you can replace them without redoing the entire paved area.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a traditional patio with a roof on it that has been on my house for about 35 years. Now two of the three supporting beams are getting rotten, and in one corner of the patio some of the concrete has cracked and broken off. Can I clean up that concrete and put a form in and then fill it with new concrete? My eventual plan is to replace the rotten beams as well. I have a screw jack to use for that job.
A: After you’ve cleaned up the old concrete, you can build a form and fill it with fresh concrete. You might want to put some rebar in it to connect the new area to the older concrete. Make sure the concrete has thoroughly dried before proceeding with the rest of the job. If you’re planning to remove the beams yourself, you need to support the roof, of course, when you take the old beams out and replace them. And if you have a screw jack to do it and know how to use it to lift moderately heavy weights, then that should work.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I just bought a house built in 1985 that needs painting. There’s also going to be termite treatment done on the house. Should I seal the stem wall below ground before the paint job?
A: Yes, that’s a great idea. Try to dig down at least a foot. Then buy a cement-based waterproof coating designed for exterior below-grade concrete or masonry. It’s going to come in a powdery form that you will mix with water. Coat the exposed stem wall to prevent intrusion of water into the foundation and to keep the paint from blistering. It can also be used as a base coat above-grade on concrete or masonry.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I’m looking for a fast-growing shrub that would grow to about 8- to 10-feet tall. I want something that would create total privacy for my yard because of a subdivision going in nearby. I live near Tucson, but my house is at about 3,500 feet in elevation. I can’t use oleanders, or some other poisonous plant, because I have a horse. What would you suggest?
A: One possibility would be the Arizona rosewood or Vauquelinia californica. It has a beautiful durable leaf and gets small white flowers in the spring. It generally does better in Tucson than in the Phoenix area because Tucson has higher elevations and a cooler climate. On the other hand, it might be a little slow-growing in the beginning. If you want other alternatives, check with a nursery in your area. The rosewood is native to Southern Arizona and Baja California.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a gas furnace as the heating system in my house, but I’m thinking of converting to a heat pump. Should I do that?
A: If you’re thinking about saving something on the cost of your utilities, it’s much cheaper to heat a house using a gas furnace than a heat pump that runs on electricity.
In addition, if you already have a gas furnace, you’re going to find out that it’s very hard to adjust to a heat pump during cold winter mornings in Tucson. You just won’t feel warm enough even though the air coming out of the heat pump is fairly warm. By comparison the air coming out of a gas furnace is dramatically warmer.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have been leasing a townhouse that I’m now thinking of buying, but I’m worried because the roof has been leaking. You can see dried water spots in the living room and also on the common wall in the garage. The homeowners association will fix the roof, but they won’t do anything about repairing the interior walls. What can I do about that?
A: That’s not an unusual situation in townhouses or condominiums. The HOA will repair the roof, but won’t do anything about the damage inside a house. You might check to see if there is some kind of insurance policy that will cover that type of repair, but if not, you would have to pay for it yourself. Make sure to have a qualified home inspection to check for any other possible resulting damage from leaks.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I had solar panels put on my 1,600-square-foot house in January 2015. But I’ve only seen a 10 percent reduction in my utility bill since then. Shouldn’t it be more than that? I’m also wondering if I’m still eligible for state and federal tax credits or is it too late to apply for them?
A: First of all, you need to call up the company that installed your panels and have them come back to see if repairs are needed. A 10 percent reduction does not seem like enough. And yes, you have a number of years in which to claim those credits; you’d better talk to your tax adviser about how you can do that and what the rules and regulations say.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a half–inch gap between the bottom of my front door and the threshold at the bottom and as a result we get some water coming into the house during monsoon season. How hard would it be for me to replace the front door myself?
A: It’s not that hard to do, but possibly, as long as there is no water draining down to your door off your lot, you probably only need to put in a door sweep at the bottom of the existing door to close the gap.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: In my garage I have a light fixture with a sensor in it that is supposed to turn on the lighting when someone comes out in the garage. I’ve always used incandescent lights in the fixture, but recently I put an LED bulb into it. So now the LED bulb blinks on and off and on again all the time until I turn off the sensor in the wall switch by hand. How can I fix this?
A: If you keep the fixture the same and change the type of bulb, the light won’t always operate the way that it’s supposed to. You’ll have to buy and install a fixture that’s compatible with LED bulbs. LED bulbs are electronic as opposed to the resistance nature of incandescent bulbs. So LEDs require a fixture designed for electronic devices.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: Wild bees have been making tiny holes in the stucco in my house. Then the woodpeckers come along and start pecking at the holes; I guess they’re looking for insects or honey. How can we get the woodpeckers to go away?
A: You probably need to have a bee expert treat the entire section of holes with some kind of foam to get rid of chemicals that bees leave behind to attract other bees. Bee experts call those chemicals pheromones. Once the bees stop making the holes, it’s likely the woodpeckers will stop their visits.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I had to have all the stucco around the edges of my windows replaced because of problems with leaks. Workers pulled the old stucco off to reflash the windows. Now I’m wondering how long I’ll have to wait before I can repaint the new bare stucco. I was told to wait four to six weeks, but does it have to be that long?
A: Four to six weeks is about right. But you can also buy a kit at the hardware store and test the moisture levels in the stucco to be sure it’s thoroughly dry. When you do paint, put a good primer on first; then apply the paint. That fresh paint will help your stucco shed water. After you paint the new areas, the fresh paint color will probably look very different from the paint already on the house. Eventually, you may want to repaint the entire house because it’s too easy to see where the new paint stops and the old begins.
Window flashing, of course, is material installed around the windows to keep water from entering gaps between adjoining surfaces. Wind-driven rainwater can find its way through even tiny spaces between the frame or casing of a window and the trim.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
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: 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
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.
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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: What’s the best kind of ductwork to do when building a new house? Should ducts be rigid metal or should you install flexible ducts?
A: Most of what’s being installed in new houses now is flexible ducts because they cost so much less than rigid, sheet-metal ductwork. The installation of hard ducts is also more difficult because they have to be wrapped in insulation and more transition points have to be made. Those transitions are where leaks tend to occur. The problem with flexible ducts is that installers have a tendency to make too many turns and bends as they run the ducts through the house. But both types of ductwork can work just fine if the ductwork is designed and installed correctly.
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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have granite countertops in my house, and in one area where a seam runs from front to back, the slab near the sink seems to have settled about a 16th of an inch lower than the slab on the other side of the seam. Can this be fixed?
A: That’s a very difficult situation. Someone might be able to fix it, but that repair person really has to be an expert or the countertop could break. Workers can’t grind it down; they probably have to push one side up instead. It would be easy to damage the slab, however, in trying that.
If the counters are fairly new, you need to get the original contractor in to look at it. Whoever works on it has to know what they’re doing.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a 5-ton, 6-year-old air conditioner compressor located right outside my master bedroom window. When it runs, it’s really loud. Can I move it about 10 to 15 feet away from the window? Right now itIt’s in a shady spot, but the new location would be a lot sunnier. Would that affect its performance?
A: It would probably cost about $1,500 to $2,000 to move it, partly because you have to pump it down to remove the refrigerant and move the copper lines. The amount of shade that the unit gets will not affect its cooling power. Newer air conditioners are getting quieter to operate all the time, so it may be time to consider a newer, quieter and more efficient unit.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I was told about a sealant that can be injected into air conditioners. Is that true? I have a small Freon leak in my AC so I’d like to know if a sealant will fix the leakage. I’ve been replacing about a pound of Freon every year.
A: Freon is a refrigerant that is no longer used in manufacturing air conditioners. Although you can still replace the refrigerant when it leaks out of an older unit, federal regulations say AC repair workers have to try to find the leak and fix it first. During these repairs, a dye is often injected into the coils though the process might not work that well. Eventually, you’ll probably find it might be more economical to buy a new air conditioner.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I own a rental home where the storage shed in the yard is completely filled up with my stuff. Now I’ve found out that there are a couple of pack rats living in the shed. I don’t want to set traps because I am not on the property often enough to monitor the traps. But if I clear out all the junk, how can I then keep the pack rats from coming back?
A: You can install a strobe light that will go on and off when the pack rats enter the shed. That might work. You can also install plug-in soundwave devices — the kind that some people use to keep rats and mice out of summer cabins. Another possibility is using hot pepper wax — a good animal repellent. In fact, you might use a few different methods at once — the smell plus the lights and the soundwave. But be advised that you must keep replacing the hot pepper smell, and you have to monitor the lights and soundwaves to ensure that they don’t break down.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: Two years ago, I bought a home where the previous owner enclosed a single-car garage to turn it into a fourth bedroom. He put drywall inside on the walls so that it looks just like a bedroom. However, they left the garage door on the front of the house. How can I find out if he did this legally or not?
A: Check the appraisal for your home to see if the additional square footage is listed in the size estimate for your home. If the appraisal uses language that says the square footage is “as-built,” then the previous owner clearly did the work without a permit. It would be good if you would get the home inspected now and apply for a permit to make everything legitimate. You might not even have to make improvements if there are no code violations with the seller’s workmanship. But if you’re planning to keep the bedroom, it would be nice if you’d remove the garage door. Be advised that your property taxes might go up if you increase the livable square footage. You can also check with your local building department to see whether any permits were issued for work done on the house.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: My one-story home was built in 1965; now my house’s cast-iron drain pipes are deteriorating and might need replacing. However, the plumber has recommended doing some e-piping to coat the interior of the pipes. Will that work?
A: E-piping was a process originally developed in California for storm sewers. An epoxy coating is pumped into the pipes to clean them up and seal them. It’s not a cure-all; sometimes you can use this coating and sometimes you can’t. Your plumber would be your best resource to know if e-piping will be effective with your pipes in their current condition. However, they’ve been using it for several years with considerable success so you might want to give it a try.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I need to replace all my windows in my stucco home. There are a number of different installation methods and I need help determining which are OK to use. Should it be “nail fin,” “flush fin,” or “Z bar frame?” There are also so many contractors doing window work. I am just not sure which construction method I need to stay away from.
A: There are several methods used by various window replacement companies and as long as their process guarantees a leak-free installation, you’ll probably be fine. But the process we recommend includes removing the stucco from around the perimeter of the window about 6 inches to 8 inches on all four sides.
This needs to be done rather surgically as we want to keep the chicken wire and building paper under the stucco as intact as possible for future stucco repair. The window flange of the old window will now be exposed and all the fasteners can be removed and the old window taken out.
The new window is now installed to the framing of the home via the attached flanges and properly flashed on both sides and across the top of the new flanges. We also recommend that an aluminum drip-flashing be installed across the top of the window to divert water away from the window itself. Then a qualified stucco company needs to come in and make sure the building paper is properly installed in the area where the stucco was removed, the chicken wire is put back in place and the repair area is re-stuccoed to blend with the existing stucco. You’ll want to wait about 30 days for the stucco repair to fully cure before you prime and apply 100 percent acrylic exterior house paint to the repaired area.
In case you’re wondering about the terminology, “nail fins” are strips of metal used to attach a window frame to a stud opening. “Flush fins” and “Z bar frames” are similar; they are vinyl fins surrounding the window frame that are flush with the exterior frame of the existing window.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: How often should I drain my water heater?
A: It’s good to drain your water heater once a year, but if you haven’t drained it in seven or eight years, don’t do it. Too much sediment will have built up in your water heater that the draining process might mean your water heater can spring a leak.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: Is there any way to keep sediment and calcium from building up in your water heater except for installing a water softener?
A: No there isn’t, especially not in the Tucson area. The problem is that Tucson is at the end of the supply line for Central Arizona Project water. So by the time that water reaches Tucson, there has been a lot of evaporation; that, of course, leaves the CAP water much harder. Then that water is mixed with ground water which is even harder. The only way to handle the problem is by installing a water softener. Water softening can benefit your water heater as well as other equipment and appliances in your home, like your dishwasher, clothes washer and faucets and fixtures.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have laminate counter tops in my kitchen that have a triple bullnose edge. They also stick out pretty far from the counter. Is it possible to cut the bullnose off and put a more modern straight edge on the countertops?
A: It might be possible to cut it off and grind it down, but it could be hard to do that and it could create quite a mess in the kitchen. It also depends to some extent on what kind of cabinet you have under the laminate. You would need to have someone who is an expert in laminate surfaces take a thorough look at the counter before you try doing anything like this, as this operation is not a good prospect for a successful DIY project.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I want to install laminate wood flooring over a concrete slab that has a 14-foot-long crack in it that is about 1/8-inch deep. What do I have to do before putting in the flooring?
A: You need to start by have a termite company treat that crack for possible termite infestation before laying the flooring. That’s because that crack could make it very easy for termites to attack your new flooring. You also need to determine whether the parts of the floor on both sides of the crack are level. If they are not, some grinding needs to be done on the concrete to make sure it’s flat. After that, you will need to seal the crack area with grout. These advance steps will ensure that you can put in a level floor.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
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Click the photo below to check out more home improvement tips. This includes “Strip roof to wood; building code violations; tile or laminate?
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- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a crack that runs all the way across my whole Saltillo tile patio. It’s been there for a long time, but now I’ve fixed some other things in the backyard and I’m ready to fix the crack. How do I do that? And could I pave over the tiles?
A: It’s going to be very difficult to simply fix that crack by itself because as soon as you repair it, you’ll develop another crack somewhere else on that patio. If it was just a crack in a concrete pad, you could fill it and cover the patio with concrete pavers. But in this case the Saltillo tiles are probably too thick to allow you to pave over them. You’re probably going to have to remove the tiles or skim off the top of the tiles, before you can use pavers.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: There are 20 windows in my house, but four of them are not dual-pane windows, and I’m now debating whether to replace the four or not. They’re all aluminum frame with single panes of glass; they don’t get direct sunlight so they don’t seem to heat up very much. How can I tell whether it would be economically efficient to replace them? Will installing dual-pane windows be worthwhile and save me money on my utility bill?
A: If you’re interested in checking this out yourself, you can buy a thermal imaging gun for about $40 at a hardware or auto parts store. Then, on a really hot day when the sun is shining on the house, aim your gun at one of your double-pane windows to measure its temperature. Then do the same test on the single-pane windows. If there’s not much difference in temperature, it might not be worthwhile replacing the windows. If the windows are not on the west side of the house and don’t get much direct sun, your home may not benefit that much.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: My electric company in Tucson is planning to raise the fees it charges to net metering customers, those of us who have solar electric panels and “sell” our surplus electricity to the utility. If I installed solar panels before they do this, will I be grandfathered in by the Arizona Corporation Commission or will I have to pay the new rates?
A: The commission has generally agreed to grandfather in solar-powered homes in the past so that they are not subject to the rate changes, but they can’t stop future commission members from raising the rates for you in future. You can’t be 100 percent sure what might happen later on.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a wrought iron view fence that gets full sun. I’d like to cover the iron slats with a flowering vine, but I don’t want a lot of litter from whatever I plant there. What would you suggest?
A: Tangerine beauty crossvine is one beautiful possibility that is reportedly low in litter. One vine we definitely would not plant is cat’s claw. We get many, many calls from homeowners who want to get rid of it and are very frustrated. Once you plant cat’s claw, you may have it forever. We had cat’s claw at our house, in fact, and I wanted to remove it because it kept us from checking for termites on our wall. It took years and years before we were rid of it. We kept tearing it out and tearing it out until it finally croaked.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a south-facing covered patio that I’m thinking of covering with screens. I’m wondering if that might improve the value of my house when I sell it. How much value would it add?
A: There’s no real formula for estimating what that might do to the sales price of your home. But generally speaking, it would seem that a home with a screened patio would be more desirable than an unscreened patio because it would keep out insects, snakes and lizards. You should check as well with a Realtor about the possibilities.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I’m interested in installing a water harvesting system in my yard. I’m going to have two 1,000-gallon tanks to hold water that I harvest off the roof of my house. But I’m trying to decide whether to place those tanks on top of a bed of pavers or a concrete pad. Would sand-set, interlocking concrete pavers be sufficiently strong to hold that weight? Or do I need something more substantial under the tanks.
A: Pavers should work just fine; after all they actually use them on the taxiways at large airports. You’ll need to do about 6 inches of excavation, of course, and then put down a two-inch layer of crushed rock on undisturbed soil to provide part of the foundation for the pavers (it’s called the ABC layer for aggregate base course) and then sand on top of that. But you don’t need to put down concrete at all. Talk to a paver manufacturer about the product you are going to use as well getting tips on construction. To have it done right, consider hiring a licensed paver installer. The advantage of pavers, of course, is that if some crack or break, you can replace them without redoing the entire paved area.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a traditional patio with a roof on it that has been on my house for about 35 years. Now two of the three supporting beams are getting rotten, and in one corner of the patio some of the concrete has cracked and broken off. Can I clean up that concrete and put a form in and then fill it with new concrete? My eventual plan is to replace the rotten beams as well. I have a screw jack to use for that job.
A: After you’ve cleaned up the old concrete, you can build a form and fill it with fresh concrete. You might want to put some rebar in it to connect the new area to the older concrete. Make sure the concrete has thoroughly dried before proceeding with the rest of the job. If you’re planning to remove the beams yourself, you need to support the roof, of course, when you take the old beams out and replace them. And if you have a screw jack to do it and know how to use it to lift moderately heavy weights, then that should work.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I just bought a house built in 1985 that needs painting. There’s also going to be termite treatment done on the house. Should I seal the stem wall below ground before the paint job?
A: Yes, that’s a great idea. Try to dig down at least a foot. Then buy a cement-based waterproof coating designed for exterior below-grade concrete or masonry. It’s going to come in a powdery form that you will mix with water. Coat the exposed stem wall to prevent intrusion of water into the foundation and to keep the paint from blistering. It can also be used as a base coat above-grade on concrete or masonry.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I’m looking for a fast-growing shrub that would grow to about 8- to 10-feet tall. I want something that would create total privacy for my yard because of a subdivision going in nearby. I live near Tucson, but my house is at about 3,500 feet in elevation. I can’t use oleanders, or some other poisonous plant, because I have a horse. What would you suggest?
A: One possibility would be the Arizona rosewood or Vauquelinia californica. It has a beautiful durable leaf and gets small white flowers in the spring. It generally does better in Tucson than in the Phoenix area because Tucson has higher elevations and a cooler climate. On the other hand, it might be a little slow-growing in the beginning. If you want other alternatives, check with a nursery in your area. The rosewood is native to Southern Arizona and Baja California.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a gas furnace as the heating system in my house, but I’m thinking of converting to a heat pump. Should I do that?
A: If you’re thinking about saving something on the cost of your utilities, it’s much cheaper to heat a house using a gas furnace than a heat pump that runs on electricity.
In addition, if you already have a gas furnace, you’re going to find out that it’s very hard to adjust to a heat pump during cold winter mornings in Tucson. You just won’t feel warm enough even though the air coming out of the heat pump is fairly warm. By comparison the air coming out of a gas furnace is dramatically warmer.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have been leasing a townhouse that I’m now thinking of buying, but I’m worried because the roof has been leaking. You can see dried water spots in the living room and also on the common wall in the garage. The homeowners association will fix the roof, but they won’t do anything about repairing the interior walls. What can I do about that?
A: That’s not an unusual situation in townhouses or condominiums. The HOA will repair the roof, but won’t do anything about the damage inside a house. You might check to see if there is some kind of insurance policy that will cover that type of repair, but if not, you would have to pay for it yourself. Make sure to have a qualified home inspection to check for any other possible resulting damage from leaks.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I had solar panels put on my 1,600-square-foot house in January 2015. But I’ve only seen a 10 percent reduction in my utility bill since then. Shouldn’t it be more than that? I’m also wondering if I’m still eligible for state and federal tax credits or is it too late to apply for them?
A: First of all, you need to call up the company that installed your panels and have them come back to see if repairs are needed. A 10 percent reduction does not seem like enough. And yes, you have a number of years in which to claim those credits; you’d better talk to your tax adviser about how you can do that and what the rules and regulations say.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a half–inch gap between the bottom of my front door and the threshold at the bottom and as a result we get some water coming into the house during monsoon season. How hard would it be for me to replace the front door myself?
A: It’s not that hard to do, but possibly, as long as there is no water draining down to your door off your lot, you probably only need to put in a door sweep at the bottom of the existing door to close the gap.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: In my garage I have a light fixture with a sensor in it that is supposed to turn on the lighting when someone comes out in the garage. I’ve always used incandescent lights in the fixture, but recently I put an LED bulb into it. So now the LED bulb blinks on and off and on again all the time until I turn off the sensor in the wall switch by hand. How can I fix this?
A: If you keep the fixture the same and change the type of bulb, the light won’t always operate the way that it’s supposed to. You’ll have to buy and install a fixture that’s compatible with LED bulbs. LED bulbs are electronic as opposed to the resistance nature of incandescent bulbs. So LEDs require a fixture designed for electronic devices.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: Wild bees have been making tiny holes in the stucco in my house. Then the woodpeckers come along and start pecking at the holes; I guess they’re looking for insects or honey. How can we get the woodpeckers to go away?
A: You probably need to have a bee expert treat the entire section of holes with some kind of foam to get rid of chemicals that bees leave behind to attract other bees. Bee experts call those chemicals pheromones. Once the bees stop making the holes, it’s likely the woodpeckers will stop their visits.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I had to have all the stucco around the edges of my windows replaced because of problems with leaks. Workers pulled the old stucco off to reflash the windows. Now I’m wondering how long I’ll have to wait before I can repaint the new bare stucco. I was told to wait four to six weeks, but does it have to be that long?
A: Four to six weeks is about right. But you can also buy a kit at the hardware store and test the moisture levels in the stucco to be sure it’s thoroughly dry. When you do paint, put a good primer on first; then apply the paint. That fresh paint will help your stucco shed water. After you paint the new areas, the fresh paint color will probably look very different from the paint already on the house. Eventually, you may want to repaint the entire house because it’s too easy to see where the new paint stops and the old begins.
Window flashing, of course, is material installed around the windows to keep water from entering gaps between adjoining surfaces. Wind-driven rainwater can find its way through even tiny spaces between the frame or casing of a window and the trim.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
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: 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
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.
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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: What’s the best kind of ductwork to do when building a new house? Should ducts be rigid metal or should you install flexible ducts?
A: Most of what’s being installed in new houses now is flexible ducts because they cost so much less than rigid, sheet-metal ductwork. The installation of hard ducts is also more difficult because they have to be wrapped in insulation and more transition points have to be made. Those transitions are where leaks tend to occur. The problem with flexible ducts is that installers have a tendency to make too many turns and bends as they run the ducts through the house. But both types of ductwork can work just fine if the ductwork is designed and installed correctly.
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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have granite countertops in my house, and in one area where a seam runs from front to back, the slab near the sink seems to have settled about a 16th of an inch lower than the slab on the other side of the seam. Can this be fixed?
A: That’s a very difficult situation. Someone might be able to fix it, but that repair person really has to be an expert or the countertop could break. Workers can’t grind it down; they probably have to push one side up instead. It would be easy to damage the slab, however, in trying that.
If the counters are fairly new, you need to get the original contractor in to look at it. Whoever works on it has to know what they’re doing.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I have a 5-ton, 6-year-old air conditioner compressor located right outside my master bedroom window. When it runs, it’s really loud. Can I move it about 10 to 15 feet away from the window? Right now itIt’s in a shady spot, but the new location would be a lot sunnier. Would that affect its performance?
A: It would probably cost about $1,500 to $2,000 to move it, partly because you have to pump it down to remove the refrigerant and move the copper lines. The amount of shade that the unit gets will not affect its cooling power. Newer air conditioners are getting quieter to operate all the time, so it may be time to consider a newer, quieter and more efficient unit.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I was told about a sealant that can be injected into air conditioners. Is that true? I have a small Freon leak in my AC so I’d like to know if a sealant will fix the leakage. I’ve been replacing about a pound of Freon every year.
A: Freon is a refrigerant that is no longer used in manufacturing air conditioners. Although you can still replace the refrigerant when it leaks out of an older unit, federal regulations say AC repair workers have to try to find the leak and fix it first. During these repairs, a dye is often injected into the coils though the process might not work that well. Eventually, you’ll probably find it might be more economical to buy a new air conditioner.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Q: I own a rental home where the storage shed in the yard is completely filled up with my stuff. Now I’ve found out that there are a couple of pack rats living in the shed. I don’t want to set traps because I am not on the property often enough to monitor the traps. But if I clear out all the junk, how can I then keep the pack rats from coming back?
A: You can install a strobe light that will go on and off when the pack rats enter the shed. That might work. You can also install plug-in soundwave devices — the kind that some people use to keep rats and mice out of summer cabins. Another possibility is using hot pepper wax — a good animal repellent. In fact, you might use a few different methods at once — the smell plus the lights and the soundwave. But be advised that you must keep replacing the hot pepper smell, and you have to monitor the lights and soundwaves to ensure that they don’t break down.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
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- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a crack that runs all the way across my whole Saltillo tile patio. It’s been there for a long time, but now I’ve fixed some other things in the backyard and I’m ready to fix the crack. How do I do that? And could I pave over the tiles?
A: It’s going to be very difficult to simply fix that crack by itself because as soon as you repair it, you’ll develop another crack somewhere else on that patio. If it was just a crack in a concrete pad, you could fill it and cover the patio with concrete pavers. But in this case the Saltillo tiles are probably too thick to allow you to pave over them. You’re probably going to have to remove the tiles or skim off the top of the tiles, before you can use pavers.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: There are 20 windows in my house, but four of them are not dual-pane windows, and I’m now debating whether to replace the four or not. They’re all aluminum frame with single panes of glass; they don’t get direct sunlight so they don’t seem to heat up very much. How can I tell whether it would be economically efficient to replace them? Will installing dual-pane windows be worthwhile and save me money on my utility bill?
A: If you’re interested in checking this out yourself, you can buy a thermal imaging gun for about $40 at a hardware or auto parts store. Then, on a really hot day when the sun is shining on the house, aim your gun at one of your double-pane windows to measure its temperature. Then do the same test on the single-pane windows. If there’s not much difference in temperature, it might not be worthwhile replacing the windows. If the windows are not on the west side of the house and don’t get much direct sun, your home may not benefit that much.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: My electric company in Tucson is planning to raise the fees it charges to net metering customers, those of us who have solar electric panels and “sell” our surplus electricity to the utility. If I installed solar panels before they do this, will I be grandfathered in by the Arizona Corporation Commission or will I have to pay the new rates?
A: The commission has generally agreed to grandfather in solar-powered homes in the past so that they are not subject to the rate changes, but they can’t stop future commission members from raising the rates for you in future. You can’t be 100 percent sure what might happen later on.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a wrought iron view fence that gets full sun. I’d like to cover the iron slats with a flowering vine, but I don’t want a lot of litter from whatever I plant there. What would you suggest?
A: Tangerine beauty crossvine is one beautiful possibility that is reportedly low in litter. One vine we definitely would not plant is cat’s claw. We get many, many calls from homeowners who want to get rid of it and are very frustrated. Once you plant cat’s claw, you may have it forever. We had cat’s claw at our house, in fact, and I wanted to remove it because it kept us from checking for termites on our wall. It took years and years before we were rid of it. We kept tearing it out and tearing it out until it finally croaked.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a south-facing covered patio that I’m thinking of covering with screens. I’m wondering if that might improve the value of my house when I sell it. How much value would it add?
A: There’s no real formula for estimating what that might do to the sales price of your home. But generally speaking, it would seem that a home with a screened patio would be more desirable than an unscreened patio because it would keep out insects, snakes and lizards. You should check as well with a Realtor about the possibilities.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I’m interested in installing a water harvesting system in my yard. I’m going to have two 1,000-gallon tanks to hold water that I harvest off the roof of my house. But I’m trying to decide whether to place those tanks on top of a bed of pavers or a concrete pad. Would sand-set, interlocking concrete pavers be sufficiently strong to hold that weight? Or do I need something more substantial under the tanks.
A: Pavers should work just fine; after all they actually use them on the taxiways at large airports. You’ll need to do about 6 inches of excavation, of course, and then put down a two-inch layer of crushed rock on undisturbed soil to provide part of the foundation for the pavers (it’s called the ABC layer for aggregate base course) and then sand on top of that. But you don’t need to put down concrete at all. Talk to a paver manufacturer about the product you are going to use as well getting tips on construction. To have it done right, consider hiring a licensed paver installer. The advantage of pavers, of course, is that if some crack or break, you can replace them without redoing the entire paved area.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a traditional patio with a roof on it that has been on my house for about 35 years. Now two of the three supporting beams are getting rotten, and in one corner of the patio some of the concrete has cracked and broken off. Can I clean up that concrete and put a form in and then fill it with new concrete? My eventual plan is to replace the rotten beams as well. I have a screw jack to use for that job.
A: After you’ve cleaned up the old concrete, you can build a form and fill it with fresh concrete. You might want to put some rebar in it to connect the new area to the older concrete. Make sure the concrete has thoroughly dried before proceeding with the rest of the job. If you’re planning to remove the beams yourself, you need to support the roof, of course, when you take the old beams out and replace them. And if you have a screw jack to do it and know how to use it to lift moderately heavy weights, then that should work.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I just bought a house built in 1985 that needs painting. There’s also going to be termite treatment done on the house. Should I seal the stem wall below ground before the paint job?
A: Yes, that’s a great idea. Try to dig down at least a foot. Then buy a cement-based waterproof coating designed for exterior below-grade concrete or masonry. It’s going to come in a powdery form that you will mix with water. Coat the exposed stem wall to prevent intrusion of water into the foundation and to keep the paint from blistering. It can also be used as a base coat above-grade on concrete or masonry.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I’m looking for a fast-growing shrub that would grow to about 8- to 10-feet tall. I want something that would create total privacy for my yard because of a subdivision going in nearby. I live near Tucson, but my house is at about 3,500 feet in elevation. I can’t use oleanders, or some other poisonous plant, because I have a horse. What would you suggest?
A: One possibility would be the Arizona rosewood or Vauquelinia californica. It has a beautiful durable leaf and gets small white flowers in the spring. It generally does better in Tucson than in the Phoenix area because Tucson has higher elevations and a cooler climate. On the other hand, it might be a little slow-growing in the beginning. If you want other alternatives, check with a nursery in your area. The rosewood is native to Southern Arizona and Baja California.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a gas furnace as the heating system in my house, but I’m thinking of converting to a heat pump. Should I do that?
A: If you’re thinking about saving something on the cost of your utilities, it’s much cheaper to heat a house using a gas furnace than a heat pump that runs on electricity.
In addition, if you already have a gas furnace, you’re going to find out that it’s very hard to adjust to a heat pump during cold winter mornings in Tucson. You just won’t feel warm enough even though the air coming out of the heat pump is fairly warm. By comparison the air coming out of a gas furnace is dramatically warmer.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have been leasing a townhouse that I’m now thinking of buying, but I’m worried because the roof has been leaking. You can see dried water spots in the living room and also on the common wall in the garage. The homeowners association will fix the roof, but they won’t do anything about repairing the interior walls. What can I do about that?
A: That’s not an unusual situation in townhouses or condominiums. The HOA will repair the roof, but won’t do anything about the damage inside a house. You might check to see if there is some kind of insurance policy that will cover that type of repair, but if not, you would have to pay for it yourself. Make sure to have a qualified home inspection to check for any other possible resulting damage from leaks.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I had solar panels put on my 1,600-square-foot house in January 2015. But I’ve only seen a 10 percent reduction in my utility bill since then. Shouldn’t it be more than that? I’m also wondering if I’m still eligible for state and federal tax credits or is it too late to apply for them?
A: First of all, you need to call up the company that installed your panels and have them come back to see if repairs are needed. A 10 percent reduction does not seem like enough. And yes, you have a number of years in which to claim those credits; you’d better talk to your tax adviser about how you can do that and what the rules and regulations say.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a half–inch gap between the bottom of my front door and the threshold at the bottom and as a result we get some water coming into the house during monsoon season. How hard would it be for me to replace the front door myself?
A: It’s not that hard to do, but possibly, as long as there is no water draining down to your door off your lot, you probably only need to put in a door sweep at the bottom of the existing door to close the gap.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: In my garage I have a light fixture with a sensor in it that is supposed to turn on the lighting when someone comes out in the garage. I’ve always used incandescent lights in the fixture, but recently I put an LED bulb into it. So now the LED bulb blinks on and off and on again all the time until I turn off the sensor in the wall switch by hand. How can I fix this?
A: If you keep the fixture the same and change the type of bulb, the light won’t always operate the way that it’s supposed to. You’ll have to buy and install a fixture that’s compatible with LED bulbs. LED bulbs are electronic as opposed to the resistance nature of incandescent bulbs. So LEDs require a fixture designed for electronic devices.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: Wild bees have been making tiny holes in the stucco in my house. Then the woodpeckers come along and start pecking at the holes; I guess they’re looking for insects or honey. How can we get the woodpeckers to go away?
A: You probably need to have a bee expert treat the entire section of holes with some kind of foam to get rid of chemicals that bees leave behind to attract other bees. Bee experts call those chemicals pheromones. Once the bees stop making the holes, it’s likely the woodpeckers will stop their visits.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I had to have all the stucco around the edges of my windows replaced because of problems with leaks. Workers pulled the old stucco off to reflash the windows. Now I’m wondering how long I’ll have to wait before I can repaint the new bare stucco. I was told to wait four to six weeks, but does it have to be that long?
A: Four to six weeks is about right. But you can also buy a kit at the hardware store and test the moisture levels in the stucco to be sure it’s thoroughly dry. When you do paint, put a good primer on first; then apply the paint. That fresh paint will help your stucco shed water. After you paint the new areas, the fresh paint color will probably look very different from the paint already on the house. Eventually, you may want to repaint the entire house because it’s too easy to see where the new paint stops and the old begins.
Window flashing, of course, is material installed around the windows to keep water from entering gaps between adjoining surfaces. Wind-driven rainwater can find its way through even tiny spaces between the frame or casing of a window and the trim.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
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: 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
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.
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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: What’s the best kind of ductwork to do when building a new house? Should ducts be rigid metal or should you install flexible ducts?
A: Most of what’s being installed in new houses now is flexible ducts because they cost so much less than rigid, sheet-metal ductwork. The installation of hard ducts is also more difficult because they have to be wrapped in insulation and more transition points have to be made. Those transitions are where leaks tend to occur. The problem with flexible ducts is that installers have a tendency to make too many turns and bends as they run the ducts through the house. But both types of ductwork can work just fine if the ductwork is designed and installed correctly.
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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have granite countertops in my house, and in one area where a seam runs from front to back, the slab near the sink seems to have settled about a 16th of an inch lower than the slab on the other side of the seam. Can this be fixed?
A: That’s a very difficult situation. Someone might be able to fix it, but that repair person really has to be an expert or the countertop could break. Workers can’t grind it down; they probably have to push one side up instead. It would be easy to damage the slab, however, in trying that.
If the counters are fairly new, you need to get the original contractor in to look at it. Whoever works on it has to know what they’re doing.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a 5-ton, 6-year-old air conditioner compressor located right outside my master bedroom window. When it runs, it’s really loud. Can I move it about 10 to 15 feet away from the window? Right now itIt’s in a shady spot, but the new location would be a lot sunnier. Would that affect its performance?
A: It would probably cost about $1,500 to $2,000 to move it, partly because you have to pump it down to remove the refrigerant and move the copper lines. The amount of shade that the unit gets will not affect its cooling power. Newer air conditioners are getting quieter to operate all the time, so it may be time to consider a newer, quieter and more efficient unit.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I was told about a sealant that can be injected into air conditioners. Is that true? I have a small Freon leak in my AC so I’d like to know if a sealant will fix the leakage. I’ve been replacing about a pound of Freon every year.
A: Freon is a refrigerant that is no longer used in manufacturing air conditioners. Although you can still replace the refrigerant when it leaks out of an older unit, federal regulations say AC repair workers have to try to find the leak and fix it first. During these repairs, a dye is often injected into the coils though the process might not work that well. Eventually, you’ll probably find it might be more economical to buy a new air conditioner.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I own a rental home where the storage shed in the yard is completely filled up with my stuff. Now I’ve found out that there are a couple of pack rats living in the shed. I don’t want to set traps because I am not on the property often enough to monitor the traps. But if I clear out all the junk, how can I then keep the pack rats from coming back?
A: You can install a strobe light that will go on and off when the pack rats enter the shed. That might work. You can also install plug-in soundwave devices — the kind that some people use to keep rats and mice out of summer cabins. Another possibility is using hot pepper wax — a good animal repellent. In fact, you might use a few different methods at once — the smell plus the lights and the soundwave. But be advised that you must keep replacing the hot pepper smell, and you have to monitor the lights and soundwaves to ensure that they don’t break down.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: Two years ago, I bought a home where the previous owner enclosed a single-car garage to turn it into a fourth bedroom. He put drywall inside on the walls so that it looks just like a bedroom. However, they left the garage door on the front of the house. How can I find out if he did this legally or not?
A: Check the appraisal for your home to see if the additional square footage is listed in the size estimate for your home. If the appraisal uses language that says the square footage is “as-built,” then the previous owner clearly did the work without a permit. It would be good if you would get the home inspected now and apply for a permit to make everything legitimate. You might not even have to make improvements if there are no code violations with the seller’s workmanship. But if you’re planning to keep the bedroom, it would be nice if you’d remove the garage door. Be advised that your property taxes might go up if you increase the livable square footage. You can also check with your local building department to see whether any permits were issued for work done on the house.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: My one-story home was built in 1965; now my house’s cast-iron drain pipes are deteriorating and might need replacing. However, the plumber has recommended doing some e-piping to coat the interior of the pipes. Will that work?
A: E-piping was a process originally developed in California for storm sewers. An epoxy coating is pumped into the pipes to clean them up and seal them. It’s not a cure-all; sometimes you can use this coating and sometimes you can’t. Your plumber would be your best resource to know if e-piping will be effective with your pipes in their current condition. However, they’ve been using it for several years with considerable success so you might want to give it a try.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I need to replace all my windows in my stucco home. There are a number of different installation methods and I need help determining which are OK to use. Should it be “nail fin,” “flush fin,” or “Z bar frame?” There are also so many contractors doing window work. I am just not sure which construction method I need to stay away from.
A: There are several methods used by various window replacement companies and as long as their process guarantees a leak-free installation, you’ll probably be fine. But the process we recommend includes removing the stucco from around the perimeter of the window about 6 inches to 8 inches on all four sides.
This needs to be done rather surgically as we want to keep the chicken wire and building paper under the stucco as intact as possible for future stucco repair. The window flange of the old window will now be exposed and all the fasteners can be removed and the old window taken out.
The new window is now installed to the framing of the home via the attached flanges and properly flashed on both sides and across the top of the new flanges. We also recommend that an aluminum drip-flashing be installed across the top of the window to divert water away from the window itself. Then a qualified stucco company needs to come in and make sure the building paper is properly installed in the area where the stucco was removed, the chicken wire is put back in place and the repair area is re-stuccoed to blend with the existing stucco. You’ll want to wait about 30 days for the stucco repair to fully cure before you prime and apply 100 percent acrylic exterior house paint to the repaired area.
In case you’re wondering about the terminology, “nail fins” are strips of metal used to attach a window frame to a stud opening. “Flush fins” and “Z bar frames” are similar; they are vinyl fins surrounding the window frame that are flush with the exterior frame of the existing window.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: How often should I drain my water heater?
A: It’s good to drain your water heater once a year, but if you haven’t drained it in seven or eight years, don’t do it. Too much sediment will have built up in your water heater that the draining process might mean your water heater can spring a leak.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: Is there any way to keep sediment and calcium from building up in your water heater except for installing a water softener?
A: No there isn’t, especially not in the Tucson area. The problem is that Tucson is at the end of the supply line for Central Arizona Project water. So by the time that water reaches Tucson, there has been a lot of evaporation; that, of course, leaves the CAP water much harder. Then that water is mixed with ground water which is even harder. The only way to handle the problem is by installing a water softener. Water softening can benefit your water heater as well as other equipment and appliances in your home, like your dishwasher, clothes washer and faucets and fixtures.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have laminate counter tops in my kitchen that have a triple bullnose edge. They also stick out pretty far from the counter. Is it possible to cut the bullnose off and put a more modern straight edge on the countertops?
A: It might be possible to cut it off and grind it down, but it could be hard to do that and it could create quite a mess in the kitchen. It also depends to some extent on what kind of cabinet you have under the laminate. You would need to have someone who is an expert in laminate surfaces take a thorough look at the counter before you try doing anything like this, as this operation is not a good prospect for a successful DIY project.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I want to install laminate wood flooring over a concrete slab that has a 14-foot-long crack in it that is about 1/8-inch deep. What do I have to do before putting in the flooring?
A: You need to start by have a termite company treat that crack for possible termite infestation before laying the flooring. That’s because that crack could make it very easy for termites to attack your new flooring. You also need to determine whether the parts of the floor on both sides of the crack are level. If they are not, some grinding needs to be done on the concrete to make sure it’s flat. After that, you will need to seal the crack area with grout. These advance steps will ensure that you can put in a level floor.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a crack that runs all the way across my whole Saltillo tile patio. It’s been there for a long time, but now I’ve fixed some other things in the backyard and I’m ready to fix the crack. How do I do that? And could I pave over the tiles?
A: It’s going to be very difficult to simply fix that crack by itself because as soon as you repair it, you’ll develop another crack somewhere else on that patio. If it was just a crack in a concrete pad, you could fill it and cover the patio with concrete pavers. But in this case the Saltillo tiles are probably too thick to allow you to pave over them. You’re probably going to have to remove the tiles or skim off the top of the tiles, before you can use pavers.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: There are 20 windows in my house, but four of them are not dual-pane windows, and I’m now debating whether to replace the four or not. They’re all aluminum frame with single panes of glass; they don’t get direct sunlight so they don’t seem to heat up very much. How can I tell whether it would be economically efficient to replace them? Will installing dual-pane windows be worthwhile and save me money on my utility bill?
A: If you’re interested in checking this out yourself, you can buy a thermal imaging gun for about $40 at a hardware or auto parts store. Then, on a really hot day when the sun is shining on the house, aim your gun at one of your double-pane windows to measure its temperature. Then do the same test on the single-pane windows. If there’s not much difference in temperature, it might not be worthwhile replacing the windows. If the windows are not on the west side of the house and don’t get much direct sun, your home may not benefit that much.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: My electric company in Tucson is planning to raise the fees it charges to net metering customers, those of us who have solar electric panels and “sell” our surplus electricity to the utility. If I installed solar panels before they do this, will I be grandfathered in by the Arizona Corporation Commission or will I have to pay the new rates?
A: The commission has generally agreed to grandfather in solar-powered homes in the past so that they are not subject to the rate changes, but they can’t stop future commission members from raising the rates for you in future. You can’t be 100 percent sure what might happen later on.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a wrought iron view fence that gets full sun. I’d like to cover the iron slats with a flowering vine, but I don’t want a lot of litter from whatever I plant there. What would you suggest?
A: Tangerine beauty crossvine is one beautiful possibility that is reportedly low in litter. One vine we definitely would not plant is cat’s claw. We get many, many calls from homeowners who want to get rid of it and are very frustrated. Once you plant cat’s claw, you may have it forever. We had cat’s claw at our house, in fact, and I wanted to remove it because it kept us from checking for termites on our wall. It took years and years before we were rid of it. We kept tearing it out and tearing it out until it finally croaked.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a south-facing covered patio that I’m thinking of covering with screens. I’m wondering if that might improve the value of my house when I sell it. How much value would it add?
A: There’s no real formula for estimating what that might do to the sales price of your home. But generally speaking, it would seem that a home with a screened patio would be more desirable than an unscreened patio because it would keep out insects, snakes and lizards. You should check as well with a Realtor about the possibilities.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I’m interested in installing a water harvesting system in my yard. I’m going to have two 1,000-gallon tanks to hold water that I harvest off the roof of my house. But I’m trying to decide whether to place those tanks on top of a bed of pavers or a concrete pad. Would sand-set, interlocking concrete pavers be sufficiently strong to hold that weight? Or do I need something more substantial under the tanks.
A: Pavers should work just fine; after all they actually use them on the taxiways at large airports. You’ll need to do about 6 inches of excavation, of course, and then put down a two-inch layer of crushed rock on undisturbed soil to provide part of the foundation for the pavers (it’s called the ABC layer for aggregate base course) and then sand on top of that. But you don’t need to put down concrete at all. Talk to a paver manufacturer about the product you are going to use as well getting tips on construction. To have it done right, consider hiring a licensed paver installer. The advantage of pavers, of course, is that if some crack or break, you can replace them without redoing the entire paved area.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a traditional patio with a roof on it that has been on my house for about 35 years. Now two of the three supporting beams are getting rotten, and in one corner of the patio some of the concrete has cracked and broken off. Can I clean up that concrete and put a form in and then fill it with new concrete? My eventual plan is to replace the rotten beams as well. I have a screw jack to use for that job.
A: After you’ve cleaned up the old concrete, you can build a form and fill it with fresh concrete. You might want to put some rebar in it to connect the new area to the older concrete. Make sure the concrete has thoroughly dried before proceeding with the rest of the job. If you’re planning to remove the beams yourself, you need to support the roof, of course, when you take the old beams out and replace them. And if you have a screw jack to do it and know how to use it to lift moderately heavy weights, then that should work.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I just bought a house built in 1985 that needs painting. There’s also going to be termite treatment done on the house. Should I seal the stem wall below ground before the paint job?
A: Yes, that’s a great idea. Try to dig down at least a foot. Then buy a cement-based waterproof coating designed for exterior below-grade concrete or masonry. It’s going to come in a powdery form that you will mix with water. Coat the exposed stem wall to prevent intrusion of water into the foundation and to keep the paint from blistering. It can also be used as a base coat above-grade on concrete or masonry.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I’m looking for a fast-growing shrub that would grow to about 8- to 10-feet tall. I want something that would create total privacy for my yard because of a subdivision going in nearby. I live near Tucson, but my house is at about 3,500 feet in elevation. I can’t use oleanders, or some other poisonous plant, because I have a horse. What would you suggest?
A: One possibility would be the Arizona rosewood or Vauquelinia californica. It has a beautiful durable leaf and gets small white flowers in the spring. It generally does better in Tucson than in the Phoenix area because Tucson has higher elevations and a cooler climate. On the other hand, it might be a little slow-growing in the beginning. If you want other alternatives, check with a nursery in your area. The rosewood is native to Southern Arizona and Baja California.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a gas furnace as the heating system in my house, but I’m thinking of converting to a heat pump. Should I do that?
A: If you’re thinking about saving something on the cost of your utilities, it’s much cheaper to heat a house using a gas furnace than a heat pump that runs on electricity.
In addition, if you already have a gas furnace, you’re going to find out that it’s very hard to adjust to a heat pump during cold winter mornings in Tucson. You just won’t feel warm enough even though the air coming out of the heat pump is fairly warm. By comparison the air coming out of a gas furnace is dramatically warmer.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have been leasing a townhouse that I’m now thinking of buying, but I’m worried because the roof has been leaking. You can see dried water spots in the living room and also on the common wall in the garage. The homeowners association will fix the roof, but they won’t do anything about repairing the interior walls. What can I do about that?
A: That’s not an unusual situation in townhouses or condominiums. The HOA will repair the roof, but won’t do anything about the damage inside a house. You might check to see if there is some kind of insurance policy that will cover that type of repair, but if not, you would have to pay for it yourself. Make sure to have a qualified home inspection to check for any other possible resulting damage from leaks.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I had solar panels put on my 1,600-square-foot house in January 2015. But I’ve only seen a 10 percent reduction in my utility bill since then. Shouldn’t it be more than that? I’m also wondering if I’m still eligible for state and federal tax credits or is it too late to apply for them?
A: First of all, you need to call up the company that installed your panels and have them come back to see if repairs are needed. A 10 percent reduction does not seem like enough. And yes, you have a number of years in which to claim those credits; you’d better talk to your tax adviser about how you can do that and what the rules and regulations say.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a half–inch gap between the bottom of my front door and the threshold at the bottom and as a result we get some water coming into the house during monsoon season. How hard would it be for me to replace the front door myself?
A: It’s not that hard to do, but possibly, as long as there is no water draining down to your door off your lot, you probably only need to put in a door sweep at the bottom of the existing door to close the gap.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: In my garage I have a light fixture with a sensor in it that is supposed to turn on the lighting when someone comes out in the garage. I’ve always used incandescent lights in the fixture, but recently I put an LED bulb into it. So now the LED bulb blinks on and off and on again all the time until I turn off the sensor in the wall switch by hand. How can I fix this?
A: If you keep the fixture the same and change the type of bulb, the light won’t always operate the way that it’s supposed to. You’ll have to buy and install a fixture that’s compatible with LED bulbs. LED bulbs are electronic as opposed to the resistance nature of incandescent bulbs. So LEDs require a fixture designed for electronic devices.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: Wild bees have been making tiny holes in the stucco in my house. Then the woodpeckers come along and start pecking at the holes; I guess they’re looking for insects or honey. How can we get the woodpeckers to go away?
A: You probably need to have a bee expert treat the entire section of holes with some kind of foam to get rid of chemicals that bees leave behind to attract other bees. Bee experts call those chemicals pheromones. Once the bees stop making the holes, it’s likely the woodpeckers will stop their visits.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I had to have all the stucco around the edges of my windows replaced because of problems with leaks. Workers pulled the old stucco off to reflash the windows. Now I’m wondering how long I’ll have to wait before I can repaint the new bare stucco. I was told to wait four to six weeks, but does it have to be that long?
A: Four to six weeks is about right. But you can also buy a kit at the hardware store and test the moisture levels in the stucco to be sure it’s thoroughly dry. When you do paint, put a good primer on first; then apply the paint. That fresh paint will help your stucco shed water. After you paint the new areas, the fresh paint color will probably look very different from the paint already on the house. Eventually, you may want to repaint the entire house because it’s too easy to see where the new paint stops and the old begins.
Window flashing, of course, is material installed around the windows to keep water from entering gaps between adjoining surfaces. Wind-driven rainwater can find its way through even tiny spaces between the frame or casing of a window and the trim.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
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: 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
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.
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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: What’s the best kind of ductwork to do when building a new house? Should ducts be rigid metal or should you install flexible ducts?
A: Most of what’s being installed in new houses now is flexible ducts because they cost so much less than rigid, sheet-metal ductwork. The installation of hard ducts is also more difficult because they have to be wrapped in insulation and more transition points have to be made. Those transitions are where leaks tend to occur. The problem with flexible ducts is that installers have a tendency to make too many turns and bends as they run the ducts through the house. But both types of ductwork can work just fine if the ductwork is designed and installed correctly.
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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have granite countertops in my house, and in one area where a seam runs from front to back, the slab near the sink seems to have settled about a 16th of an inch lower than the slab on the other side of the seam. Can this be fixed?
A: That’s a very difficult situation. Someone might be able to fix it, but that repair person really has to be an expert or the countertop could break. Workers can’t grind it down; they probably have to push one side up instead. It would be easy to damage the slab, however, in trying that.
If the counters are fairly new, you need to get the original contractor in to look at it. Whoever works on it has to know what they’re doing.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I have a 5-ton, 6-year-old air conditioner compressor located right outside my master bedroom window. When it runs, it’s really loud. Can I move it about 10 to 15 feet away from the window? Right now itIt’s in a shady spot, but the new location would be a lot sunnier. Would that affect its performance?
A: It would probably cost about $1,500 to $2,000 to move it, partly because you have to pump it down to remove the refrigerant and move the copper lines. The amount of shade that the unit gets will not affect its cooling power. Newer air conditioners are getting quieter to operate all the time, so it may be time to consider a newer, quieter and more efficient unit.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I was told about a sealant that can be injected into air conditioners. Is that true? I have a small Freon leak in my AC so I’d like to know if a sealant will fix the leakage. I’ve been replacing about a pound of Freon every year.
A: Freon is a refrigerant that is no longer used in manufacturing air conditioners. Although you can still replace the refrigerant when it leaks out of an older unit, federal regulations say AC repair workers have to try to find the leak and fix it first. During these repairs, a dye is often injected into the coils though the process might not work that well. Eventually, you’ll probably find it might be more economical to buy a new air conditioner.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to
An Arizona home building 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.
- By Rosie Romero Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Q: I own a rental home where the storage shed in the yard is completely filled up with my stuff. Now I’ve found out that there are a couple of pack rats living in the shed. I don’t want to set traps because I am not on the property often enough to monitor the traps. But if I clear out all the junk, how can I then keep the pack rats from coming back?
A: You can install a strobe light that will go on and off when the pack rats enter the shed. That might work. You can also install plug-in soundwave devices — the kind that some people use to keep rats and mice out of summer cabins. Another possibility is using hot pepper wax — a good animal repellent. In fact, you might use a few different methods at once — the smell plus the lights and the soundwave. But be advised that you must keep replacing the hot pepper smell, and you have to monitor the lights and soundwaves to ensure that they don’t break down.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building 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.
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