The moment remodeling contractors, company owners and others get certified under the EPA’s new Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (also known as RRP), a new problem arises: How do they teach on-the-job workers to handle lead-tainted dust in the manner they just learned about in an intensive 8-hour class? A new video training program by…
Name of Product: Maytag Dishwashers Units: About 1.7 million in the United States Manufacturer: Maytag Corp. of Newton, Iowa or Maytag Corp. of Benton Harbor, Mich. Hazard: An electrical failure in the dishwasher’s heating element can pose a serious fire hazard. Incidents/Injuries: Maytag has received 12 reports of dishwasher heating element failures that resulted in fires and dishwasher damage, including one…
Q: What’s even better than blocking stains with KILZ primer-sealer? A: Doing so without poisoning yourself. I’ve been a fan of KILZ stain-blocking primer for years. It’s one of those rare products that lives up to its hype. And now it come in a formulation with no volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. That word “organic”…
Here’s a photo from the quirky former website Burbia.com. This fellow found a unique solution to that pesky hedge-trimming job. This beats the heck out of standing on a tall ladder and leaning over with a hedge trimmer in your hands. Hey, if this is safe and you’ve got the right equipment, why not?
Own an older home? Beginning April 22, only contractors who have been trained in safe handling of lead-contaminated paint dust can legally work on your home. And that’s a good thing for you. If you’ve been keeping up with contractor-type news, you know that contractors are not happy at all with a soon-to-be enforced EPA…
Planning to remodel? Unless your home is fairly new, only renovators certified to handle lead will soon be legally allowed to do the work. The problem: Many are not yet ready. The EPA is slated to enact a rule April 22 that will require remodelers who work on homes built before 1978, when lead paint…
From the New York Times: Steven Derse, the owner of a corporate travel business in Nashville, cannot feel his house move, but he can hear it. “It’s an eerie creaking sound,” he said, and it echoes throughout his two-story Georgian-style house. It started two years ago when a severe drought contracted the soil beneath the…
The latest recall from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Name of Product: Discovery Kids™ Animated Marine and Safari Lamps Units: About 360,000 Importer: Innovage LLC, of Foothill Ranch, Calif. Hazard: A defect in the lamp’s printed circuit board can cause an electrical short, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: Innovage has…
In the middle of a home remodel this Valentine’s Day? No doubt it can be stressful. But instead of bickering and lashing out at the one you love, how about making this a time of sweetness? Here are some ideas to ensure a romantic weekend, despite all the dust and rubble: 1. If the kitchen…
From the Contra Costa Times: Q I’m pregnant and will be remodeling my home soon. Is there anything I should be aware of (off-gassing, asbestos, glues, etc.) that could hurt my unborn baby or me? A There are two points during a remodeling project that are critical times at which to consider the impact of…