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Plumbing has always been one of the most frequently house problems. Naturally, if the sink is stopped up or the commode's kaput, you want it fixed, and fast.

That's why I advise homeowners to establish - before an emergency - a connection with a highly rated local plumber.

I also urge you to find your home's main water shutoff valve (it's usually near the water meter, by the way).

Quickly turning off water to your home could ...

All too often these days, if we want to fix a problem in the garden, we reach for something in a bag or bottle. I realize we're all in a hurry, we want a quick fix, and we don't want to overthink the options.

But these solutions are often only temporary, and they can lead to greater problems.

Because we're only addressing the obvious problem, without consideration to the potential consequences, we fail to realize the greater damage over ...

What's involved in maintaining the cedar shakes that cover my home's exterior?

If you want your cedar to live up to its reputation for longevity and decay resistance, make sure it's treated or stained properly and checked periodically.

Left untreated, cedar shakes - individual planks of one of several varieties of cedar - will discolor and begin to soften, with a possibility of rot after about five years, depending on your climate. ...

Now is a good time to winterize your home. Work outside first, because changes in the weather can force you indoors at any time.

1. Clean the exterior glass. As the weather cools it becomes more difficult to dry the windows because cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air and the glass will streak. You can clean the inside any time of the year.

2. Make sure gutters and downspouts are clean and that runoff water drains at least ...

This time of year, your home heating system may be going through the occasional warm-up lap or it could be in full-blown workout mode already.

Hopefully, your system is fit for winter duty.

But if you have doubts, here's advice from HVAC pros:

- To assess your current system, ask your HVAC contractor to provide a written efficiency analysis and summary of any recommended repairs. Your contractor can do this during an annual tune-up. ...

Advice about saving money on home heating costs abounds this time of year, but some of it is oversimplified, marketing hype or just plain wrong, while some long-standing myths persist about keeping warm on the cheap.

For example, programmable thermostats are not the holy grail of home heating, cranking up the furnace does nothing to heat a chilly house faster and fireplaces used as heating sources literally suck - suck paid-for warm air up the chimney. ...