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In This Issue:

1) When good websites go bad… a message from the Natural Handyman

2) Back at ya’… in appreciation for media citations or web links!

3) Sweepstakes Central... win great home repair stuff!!

4) News from the Basement Annex!!

5) Q&A with our readers

6) Linkmaster’s Corner

7) Pass the hammer, would ya?"... NH's readers speak out!

8) Featured in the Natural Handyman Bookshop...
“Installing And Hanging Doors” by Gary Katz

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To have a copy delivered FREE to your home with no obligation of any kind...
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/rocklercatalog

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1) When good websites go bad… a message from the Natural Handyman

The one thing I’ve learned from my 30+ years in the home repair biz, is “measure twice… cut once”. Another favorite motivator is “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”

Who would think these two reliable tomes would come into conflict? Well, let me tell you from firsthand experience… sometimes, an ounce of prevention can lead to more pain than gain! Apparently, computers have not evolved enough to fall under these human, tried-and-true safeguards.

In order to handle the rising volume of visitors to our website (thank you!), we had been preparing to move some of the load to a larger, faster server… our website’s home-sweet-home. There were no serious problems yet, but they were looming on the horizon… hence my reference to the “ounce of prevention”.

We not only “measured twice” but innumerable times using test websites and other tricks for a clean-cut transition.

Famous last words. When we attempted to move our main website to that server, including our mail and our handyman network, a 5 day horror story unfolded that would make “28 Days Later” look like Sesame Street. The debacle continued… we were totally offline for more than two days and partially offline for another two days, and much of our correspondence was delivered to E-mail hell.

Being the brave webmaster I am, I tucked my tail up between my legs and told our IT guys to move everything back… PRONTO!! Thankfully, within 24 hours all services were restored and the sun again rose over Natural Handyman’s Basement Annex!

So my apologies to any of you who may have had difficulty contacting our site, or sending us a comment, or entering a contest. And, of course, that this newsletter is about a week late.

Hopefully the next time I attempt a “pound of cure”, it won’t turn into a Shakespearian “pound of flesh”. See you in a short month!

NH

==== Find a QUALITY HANDYMAN Of Your Very Own… With No Fees!! ===

Our nationwide NATURAL HANDYMAN NETWORK reaches thousands of cities and towns from sea to shining sea… even Hawaii. Just think of it! You own devoted and skilled handyman… ready, willing and able to help you with those pesky home repair chores!

Our network does not charge a fee to our handymen… or to you! Our only goal is to help you find the home repair assistance you need!

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/network

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2) BACK AT YA’.. in appreciation for media citations or reciprocal links…

PAINT REMOVAL features the most innovative peel away paint removal products for home or business. Over 5 million paint removal gallons sold worldwide! Uses include graffiti removal, marine refinishing, industrial paint removal, furniture refinishing, lead abatement, and other household uses.
http://www.paintremoval.com

SHUTTERS R US, an Australian owned and operated business, manufactures a comprehensive range of custom designed shutters including Western Red Cedar, aluminum, fixed-louver and privacy screens. They have an easy measuring tutorial and online quotes.
http://www.shuttersrus.com.au

Adding a CRISTALIER small crystal chandelier to your home decor lighting is an economical alternative to larger, more expensive lighting fixtures. Designed to compliment any furniture style, their decorative chandelier brings your home decor an interior designer look at a fraction of the cost and is the perfect chandelier custom pot light for your next extreme home makeover.
http://www.cristalier.com/category_s/58.htm

Want to “LINK UP” with the NATURAL HANDYMAN?
We REALLY appreciate links to our site… you might even get your site mentioned here! Click below for more information…
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/linkmeister.html

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3) SWEEPSTAKES Central

CONTEST CLOSED… On August 1, our giveaway of two electrical manuals from Park Publishing! Good luck to all who entered this contest! Winners to be announced in a future newsletter.

FEATURED OFF-SITE CONTESTS… Here are two contests, featured at other websites that we think may be of interest to you:

1) Do You Have “AMERICA’S TACKIEST ROOM”? If the best looking legs in your house are found on the lamp on your living room end table, you just might have what it takes to win a $10,000 complete room makeover. Click on the link below to see if your room has what it takes to be named "America's Tackiest Room"!
We mentioned this contest in last months newsletter. Ends August 20, 2004… so if you are putting together your “tacky package” you better hurry!!
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/contest/tackiestroom.html

2) Enter the Heavy-Duty OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Sweepstakes from Milwaukee Tools! Here’s your chance to go after the “Big One”! Enter for your chance to win a hunting or fishing trip of a lifetime, Lund fishing boat package, heavy-duty Milwaukee tools or great Milwaukee merchandise.
Ends September 30, 2004
http://www.milwaukeetool.com/us/en/sweepstakes.nsf/frmHDOA?OpenForm

Other CURRENT CONTESTS…

(1) Win a $50.00 gift certificate from LAMPS-LIGHTING.COM (ends 1/1/05)
(2) Win a copy of the popular do-it yourself guide “DARE TO REPAIR” by Julie Sussman and Stephanie Glakas-Tenet (ends 10/1/2004)
(3) Win a “CLEAN-UP CREW” from GEL GLOSS (ends 12/1/2004)
(4) Win a “BAR KEEPERS FRIEND TOTE”, an in-the-cabinet storage basket filled with Bar Keepers’ most popular products (ends 9/1/2004)
(5) Win a copy of the 2-CD set HANDYMAN BUSINESS (ends 1/1/2005)
(6) Win the 2-CD set “How To Build Your Own Custom Spa or Hot Tub” from “CUSTOM BUILT SPAS” (ends 2/1/2005)

TO ENTER CONTESTS on our site, follow this link:
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/contest 

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4) News From The BASEMENT ANNEX

PAINTING 101: Selecting the right sheen for your paint project can balance beauty and cleanability!
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infdecorating/pqi-july04.html
 

COLOR AND LIGHT for HOME DECORATING… The sun and the orientation of your home affects how colors look in your rooms… read more!
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infdecorating/colorandlight-cn.html

HAVE A NOISY CONDO? Or apartment? Though your choices are not as wide as a private home, you can quiet things down a bit. Read more…
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infsoundproofingapts.html 

TELL A FRIEND about our newsletter! They’ll appreciate it!
http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/rec.html?ez=handym
 

VOTE FOR OUR EZINE at Cumuli.com… Your vote will help us reach more home repair enthusiasts… like you!
http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/vte.html?ez=handym

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5) Q&A with our readers...

Dear NH,

I have a finished basement. I noticed in my furnace room and my laundry room which have open ceilings that there is lots of condensation on the pipes (even small puddles). What if anything can I do about it now? I do have a humidifier that was installed with my air conditioner. It is already on the low setting. I am very worried about my home (basement) as it is still very new. What can I do? What can you suggest that I do?
Thank you for your time.

JK from Bradford, Ontario, Canada

JK,

Your forced-air system has a humidifier? The first thing is to turn it off for the summer. Even if it doesn’t turn on, it is still adding humidity to the air, which is unnecessary in the warmer months. Turning it off is more than just lowering the humidity control… the “humidistat”. You should also turn off the water supply to the humidifier, for a few reasons. First, the small saddle valves that typically feed humidifiers become inoperable after years of non-use. Turning them on and off twice a year can actually extend their useful life! Also, this would be a good time to clean the inside of the humidifier’s water tank and element, which will add to it’s useful life and decrease the potential for dangerous bacterial growth.

Though a freestanding dehumidifier is the most thorough choice for drying out the basement, if the pipes are your immediate concern simply wrap them with foam pipe insulation. The insulation will keep the moisture from condensing on the pipes and totally eliminate the dripping. Be sure to use duct tape on all loose-fitting butt-joints and seams to give the most protection.

If your home is very new, chances are your foundation and basement slab are still loaded with moisture. This will evaporate over time and, provided your foundation and slab have been installed properly, you'll find your dehumidifier will do a better job and work less.
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Dear NH,

All the bathroom fan motors I buy to replace the simple 50 cfm bath fan blows the air in, not out. Seems they rotate the wrong way. Where can I find fan motors that blow the other way?

BS from Anchorage, AK

BS,

Most vent fan motors turn CCW (counterclockwise) but a few turn CW (clockwise). All motors are designated either CCW or CW. Determine the rotation you need by looking at the vent fan enclosure. The fan blades should turn so they are pushing the air towards the exhaust hose opening. Visualize the fan enclosure as a small roulette wheel. The direction that would cause the ball to roll straight out the vent is the direction of rotation.

If you have had bad luck purchasing “generic” motors, perhaps you should find an authorized dealer for your brand of fan (either online or in your area) to get the correct motor. Most of the major brands (for example Nutone or Broan) have websites that can direct you to a local dealer in AK.

Before you rush out to buy another motor, though, there is another possibility. Maybe the vent is blocked or the vent flap is stuck closed! This could be at the fan itself or, in the case of an external vent, the flap outside the house. This would result in the same effect... the air would not blow out and the fault could be incorrectly blamed on the fan. Check it out!

NH

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6) LINKMEISTER’S Corner

WALLPAPER BORDERS… The online child of “Wallpaper Gallery”, a full-service wallpaper store in Pensacola, FL, WallpaperBorders.com has a great selection of borders and murals with good information on measuring and installing their paper products!
http://www.wallpaperborders.com

DOORSAVER is a unique new twist on doorstops. The first new patented doorstop in 40 years, the DoorSaver mounts on the hinge and protects the door from damage through a unique design… especially important with today’s common hollow-core doors! Available in many hardware stores and also available online from the manufacturer. Very reasonable!
http://www.doorsaver.com

We REALLY appreciate links to our site. We also accept suggestions of quality websites we may have missed! Click below to suggest a link or for more information…
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/linkmeister.html 

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7) PASS THE HAMMER, WOULD YA? ... NH’S readers speak out!

Dear NH,

You goofed in the July newsletter. The links to the light bulb articles were incorrect.

BB from Boston, MA

BB,

Muchas gracias, BB! (And everyone else who took the time to drop me a line.) You’re correct… I was a little over-enthusiastic and typed a few extra letters into the url for the pages. Many of our readers tried to reach the pages and received the dreaded “404 Page Not Found” error. Sorry about that. The correct links are:

The History of the Light Bulb
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infelectrical/lightbulbhistory.html

How Light Bulbs Work
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infelectrical/howlightbulbswork.html

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Dear NH,

I found your information on Armstrong Vinyl Flooring very helpful. The one thing I did not find is if you can use any of the products like a wet Swiffer pad on this type of flooring. I have purchased "once and done" and sprayed the floor and then mopped it up with a wet mop. Also --- is the product "once and done" safe for pets? Thanks for your assistance.

PP from New Castle, DE

PP,

According to Procter and Gamble,

"Swiffer Wet is safe to use on linoleum, vinyl, finished wood floors, and laminate floors (Formica and Pergo). It's also safe for ceramic floors with sealed grout, and some natural stone floors like granite, terrazzo, and travertine, as long as they're sealed. If you still have concerns, you may want to test in a hidden area of the floor first. And, be sure to check your warranty. Using something other than the recommended cleaner could void all guarantees."

P&G also does not consider the cleaning liquid in Swiffer to be dangerous to pets, though the perfumes in it don't taste very good and large amounts might cause stomach upset in some animals.

Regarding Armstrong's "Once N' Done" no rinse floor cleaner, they didn’t have anything specific to pets on their site, so I sent them a note. Here’s their prompt reply:

“Dear Natural Handyman,

Thank you for contacting Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
If the Once 'n Done is wet, it could be an irritant, but it is not harmful. If Once 'n Done is dry, there is no problem. “

Hope this helps!

NH
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Dear NH,

I've noticed that you're missing (#7) “Pass The Hammer” section in your last newsletter. Is this a test?

J

J,

No, but if it a test was you passed with flying colors! Yep… #7 somehow ended up on the cutting room floor. Even my lovely editor missed this one… overworked and underpaid is an acceptable excuse for most anything around here!

If I ever need a replacement copy editor I’ll give you a buzz!

NH

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8) Featured in the NATURAL HANDYMAN BOOKSHOP...

“INSTALLING AND HANGING DOORS” by Gary Katz

“Installing and Hanging Doors” gives carpenters and do-it-yourselfers of all levels the information they need to get a perfect fit every time. This book covers how to select the best doors, and how to choose hardware and jambs for any installation--from a grand front entrance to simple bi-fold closet doors.

It also provides professional techniques for installing all kinds of doors, including simple hinged doors to French doors, arched doors and double-acting doors. A final chapter explains several professional techniques for making doors weather-tight.

See this and other fine books in our BOOKSHOP at:
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/bookshop

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                    COPYRIGHT 2004 G. George Ventures, Inc., All rights reserved.

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