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Spring decor — puttin’ on the pastel
In the last week or so we've all been reminded of how good it can be in the SCV. The hills are green, the wild flowers are starting to bloom and the weather has warmed up significantly. Blossom scents are wafting through our open windows and it just kind of feels like a great winter weight has been lifted.

	Robert Lamoureux: Make sure you call Dig Alert before you move earth We have designed a custom, full color Signal/Your Home Improvements T-shirt that we will send to you, with our compliments, if we answer your question in our column. Mr. Lamoureux,
	How to avoid a plumbing nightmare It started with a small, rusty stain on my garage floor. It kind of looked like someone had dripped some coffee there - although, thinking back now, that was a self-deceiving analysis. Coffee would never look like that. But I went with it, for a while, until I found the stain freshly wet one day. Then I looked up to the white-painted wallboard on the ceiling and saw the rusty wet spot. D'oh!
	Robert Lamoureux: Solid core wooden doors reduce noise We have designed a custom, full-color The Signal/Your Home Improvements T-shirt that we will send to you, with our compliments, if we answer your question in our column. Thank you, Robert Lamoureux Hello Robert,
	Welcome to home selling season So, your garage door has collapsed onto the jalopy you park in there, your pink house paint is peeling and your lawn looks like a drying cow pasture. But you'll start a new job soon and have to move. You need to shed your homestead, Ned. But short of calling in an air strike, you really don't know how to make it presentable for sale. Tick-tock, and your throat tightens when you realize that, with ...
	What you can do to sell your home * Surfaces should be clean and clutter-free. What is clutter? Clutter is anything that is not decorative. Remove bills/paper piles, medicines, collections, family photos, cleaning aids, toothpaste and the like, toys, gaming equipment, CD towers, garbage cans, dirty laundry, excess furniture, items or boxes on the floor - "negative energy items," etc.
	Snuff out indoor air pollution Whether it's Grandma sparking one up on the sly in the guest room, Sweetie Pie burning popcorn in the microwave, pollen from the neighbor's tree wafting through the front door, Fido's dander flying when he flaps or any of a host of toxic fumes you may not even be aware you are generating (and don't blame Fido), indoor air pollution can be a problem. This is especially true during cold weather, when you have your ...
	Robert Lamoureux: Many reasons can exist for a loose toilet We have designed a custom, full color The Signal/Your Home Improvements T-shirt that we will send to you, with our compliments, if we answer your question in our column. Thank you, Robert Lamoureux Robert,
	In the SCV we’re stuck on stucco So, like dude, I grew up in SoCal. And it, like, for-sure blew my mind - and it also goofed me with a gnarly concept of home siding.
	Robert Lamoureux: Buyer beware of unpermitted additions We have designed a custom, full color Signal / Your Home Improvements T-shirt that we will send to you, with our compliments, if we answer your question in our column. Thank you, Robert Lamoureux Robert,
	Robert Lamoureux: Flat roofs bring pain in the rain We have designed a custom, full-color The Signal/Your Home Improvements T-shirt that we will send to you, with our compliments, if we answer your question in our column. Thank you, Robert Lamoureux Hello Mr. Lamoureux,
	DIY solar and get off ‘The Grid’ Somehow or another, when people talk about "The Grid," my addled brain conjures up "The Matrix." But it's kind of the same thing, really. In both, everything is all connected-up via a grid of wires that transmit energy. However, unlike "The Matrix," "The Grid" is mostly a good thing. It's the power grid that brings electricity to your home. It gives you energy.
	Robert Lamoureux: Be careful of deadly sewer gases We have designed a custom, full color Signal / Your Home Improvements T-shirt that we will send to you, with our compliments, if we answer your question in our column. Thank you, Robert Lamoureux
	Small projects, big results When it comes to home repair/improvement projects, I have quite a list. Well, that’s not exactly true. Actually, I have several short lists, and each of them is lost in a different place. It’s part of my whole keeping-sane program. If I don’t see the lists, I don’t have any to-dos nagging me. I am under no pressure and my weekends are free. It’s only when I accidentally come across one of those yellowing pages that the anxiety sets in.
	Color Marketing Group decrees trend Fashion is a fickle thing, and, unless you follow trends closely, you get left behind in the “that was so last week” heap. I should know, I usually catch onto a style just before it goes out of style. However, occasionally this works in my favor, as I am so late to pick up a fashion it’s actually coming back into fashion.
	Robert Lamoureux: Mystery of the ‘fluffy white snow’ is solved We have designed a limited edition, custom made, full color The Signal/Your Home Improvements T-shirt that we will send to you, with our compliments, if we answer your question in our column. Thank you, Robert Lamoureux
	Robert Lamoureux: How to finish a concrete block garage Your Home Improvements, I have a question for Robert. I’m looking for a more finished look in my garage which is currently exposed concrete block. Can you drywall over concrete? Since there are no studs there, do you just glue it on? Thank you very much, Stanley S. Hi Stanley There are a few different options for precision block garages — the most popular being either paint or drywall. It is possible to ...
	Before you light that cozy fire ... Considering the weather we’ve had lately, no doubt you’ve thought about firing up your fireplace. Maybe you already have. If you haven’t used it since last season, you might want to give it a checkup before you do. And, even if you have used it once or twice, there might be some issues you aren’t aware of that could cause you problems.