Wide Eye

A contractor came in and said our gas furnace is too old. He also said there's CO2 leaking issue.I noticed that the heater had to work extremely hard in the winter last year. Can anyone please recommend an energy efficient model eligible for tax credit? Or any reliable contractor to use? Or any website I can go read more on this topic? My house is a 4-bedroom one story built in the 60s. The furnace is in the attic. Thanks in advance.

The toilet is next door, next to the bath tub. Most 61-inch vanities have double sinks. I want one with 1 sink only since this is a guest bathroom. I like traditional or classic style. Any suggestions on where to buy? Thanks!

See the attached sketch. I've removed the 64-in old vanity and countertop so now it's empty.

My bathroom has a space of 64-inch long for bathroom vanity. The space is wall to wall and currently there's a built-in vanity. Most standard vanities are 61-inch or 48-inch including countertop. Does it look odd if I install a 48-inch one in the middle with an 8-inch gap at both sides? Or to install a 61-inch vanity with a customized 64-inch countertop? I don't plan on paying for a customized vanity which cost >>$1,000. Other than HD and Lowes, what other stores may carry standard vanities at around $500-600? I know there're a lot of remodeling pros here, so hopefully someone can give me some suggestions. Thanks.

Mr. B, may I ask you by which elementary school on S Fry will they build a new apartment complex? I noticed vacant lot on west side of Fry near Highland Knolls and also on both sides of Highland Knolls between S Fry and West Green. What's the plan for this area? I image someone will eventually want to build something over here?

I don't mind pulling the weeds or pruning once a quarter... but not anything has to be in a certain shape which requires trimming every week. Thanks!

I agree, we had to remove a dead Red Tip Photinias not long ago. What about a red maple? Maybe somewhere closer to the curb? I like colors all year long and hope a small ornamental tree can add color and also balance the view.

The front of the house faces north, so sunlight is Ok but not great. The two plants I currently have there in front of the side wall are Hibiscus. They don't do well in most time of the year due to the lack of sunlight. I'm thinking of replacing them with two camelias? I like your recommendation on the shape of the flower bed. I also agree that a small tree is needed at the right side to balance the view. Thanks a lot!

Thanks for sharing the ideas. I'd like to add some green and flowers. Can't decide on the shape of the flower bed in front of the house.

That's tough. I've seen some people put in windows in this type of structure and they look awkward. I want to add landscaping to make the front yard look more "finished". Thanks.

I've searched all over for some landscaping ideas for this spanish style front but found little information. I think maybe people here can help me. There're a lot of houses in this style in the Houston area, but I haven't seen anyone with an appealing front(of course I haven't been all of the neighbourhoods). I also need advice on the type of bushes I can use as a hedge that requres minimal maintenance. Thanks in advance!

Where to buy very firm mattress? Thanks!

Anything bad happened in Frostwood (the subdivision)? I thought it's a nice and safe neighbourhood. Would appreciate if you may share more details.

My fireplace is made of bricks. The color of the 30-yr bricks doesn't look good anymore. Other than completely changing the bricks to slates, what are some of the other ways to update it while not to spend a whole lot of money? Painting? What type of paint? I'm not sure I like the idea of simply painting the fireplace to white. Any ideas?

musicman, it's very nice of you to offer the help. We really appreciate that. Although we finally managed to fix the concrete by ourselves (filled the small holes and sealed the concrete floor), your friend's experience made me feel more confident that what we did was right. I think the white powder is some kind of salt. After we sealed the floor, as long as no moisture comes through, there shouldn't be more salt building-up. I just love this website as a lot of kind people like you always ready to help out

I actually noticed the same thing in my house. After we removed the carpet, we made small dents/holes on the concrete floor. After a few weeks, I saw white powder and cotton kind of things growing out of the holes. Bleach works for only 12 hours, maybe. Our house had foundation fixed about 10 years ago. I don't know whether that has anything to do with this. Any ideas?

Valid point. Appreciate. My concern is that if we buy real wood, we may have to hire professional to install it. I'd rather put more money in material than labor...

Where would you buy laminate floor (w/ wood texture) or blind? We'll install everything by ourselves so labor cost is not an issue. We looked at some Dupont laminate floor with padding attached. It seems easy to install, but I'm not sure of the quality of the padding. Anyone has experience on this? Do you think having laminate floor is a good idea for bedrooms? Good quality laminate costs close to solid wood. If I ever have to sell my house, I wonder whether laminate would add much value to the house. Any ideas? We need to remove the paint on a door (not cover it but remove it, because the paint was not evenly applied on the surface). Other than sanding, any other options? I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

May I ask how you get the $10/month deal? Per their website - "Get installation as low as $99 with monitoring as low as $27.95 per month! " ???

Good point! I love dogs, too. The only thing is that when you're out of town, you can't leave your dog at home alone

Hello everyone! Just wanted to hear you home owners' opinions -- what security system (what company) do you use? Does it really work (sorry, I've never had one)? Any tips on choosing a company? I may get one for my house... Thanks!

Are you sure that the buyers you talked about are not from California? Just curious.

Fonn Villas and Memorial Meadows are pretty close to the "strip malls". The community has retained its value well, hasn't it?

Beautiful large glass windows. But, does it make the house less energy efficient? I assume the glass is less insulated than a wall, no?

Memorial Hermann, the largest Houston-area hospital group, is working with a Houston-based real estate firm to build a new 35-story tower at the hospital's Memorial City campus. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/mem...ws/4052304.html I'm curious how this would impact the neighbourhood, specifically the houses nearby... (Sorry, I intended to post this under the "Memorial City Mall" topic. Don't know how to delete and re-post.)