January 25, 2010

             Dear Ken:  A contractor tried to sell us a surge protector to be mounted on the electric panel.  He said it would protect us from power company surges and lightning.  Do you think it's worth $10 a month?     Doug

            Power company surges are not very common these days, but lightning, at least in the summertime, is.  All bets are off if you get a direct strike, but nearby lightning bolts can send static-like electricity scooting sideways across the ground, where it can get into your home's electric system.   If you have, say, a home office with thousands of dollars of  computers, or maybe a  fabulously expensive home audio setup, you may want to purchase the surge protector, but make sure it will protect the phone lines and cable TV or satellite systems, as well as the electric panel.   Otherwise, if you have a good grounding system in your home, you're probably OK without it.  It also would be a good idea to run this by your homeowner's insurance agent to see if you have full  coverage for these contingencies.

             Dear Ken:   You had a great article about protecting your home when you're away as a "snowbird".  I'd like to recommend a product that I think is quite useful (I have no connection to them, and you can find other versions of this).  It's a freeze-up alarm.  You plug it in (it also has a battery back up), and hook it into the phone line jack.  It can then be programmed with high and low temperature set points, say 40 degrees at the bottom end.  If it detects that low a temperature, it can be set to call you on your cell phone, or perhaps a friend, neighbor or a plumber.  Could save a lot of headaches.  I found mine at www.protectedhome.com .      Steve.

            Thanks, Steve-great tip.  My column about winterizing a home for a snowbird can be found at the web site, www.aroundthehouse. com, dated  December 21, 2009.

             Dear Ken:   We are trying to buy a foreclosed home that reeks of cat urine.   The agent says apply KILZ, but is there something else we can do to neutralize the smell first, before we seal it?         Joyce

            You can apply one of the pet odor eaters, like Nature's Miracle, Unique, a 50-50 mixture of white vinegar and water, or 3% hydrogen peroxide and water.  The vinegar will neutralize the ammonia in the urine;  the hydrogen peroxide will oxidize it.  Use one or the other,  but not both.  Follow that with a good scrubbing with dishwashing soap and water, followed by a rinse.  When it's all good and dry, then apply a couple of coats of the KILZ primer/sealer.  On concrete, try the neutralization or oxidation treatments first, before you apply the paint.  If the smell is gone, wonderful--if not, you'll have to use the KILZ, followed by a good concrete deck enamel to hide the primer.

             Dear Ken:  Parts of my kitchen vinyl floor are coming apart at the seams.  Can I use an electric iron or some other heat source to fix it?     Ray

            When the folks first laid the floor, they rolled the seams back and forth with a set of heavy roller weights attached to a handle.  For minor repairs, get some vinyl mastic at the hardware store and replicate their installation method.  Fold the seams backs to apply the glue with a putty knife.  Not too far, though!  You risk ripping or permanently crimping the vinyl surface.  Once the seam is back together, you can weight it down with bricks or stones-or even free weights.  This recommendation is for short, isolated seam lifts.  For more extensive repairs, say an entire seam across the width of the kitchen, its best to hire a professional.