Home Renovations, Remodeling, and Home Improvements - Tom Gocze

Becoming cranky about magic paint

I wonder whether there is a certain age when one becomes a contrarian. I wonder that because I have a lot of negative feelings about a lot of stuff that is sold these days. One thing is magic … more

By Tom Gocze
Special to the NEWS | 3/6/10 | 452 views

A lot of time spent thinking about sidewalks

I spend a lot of time thinking about sidewalks this time of year. That is because my sidewalk goes on a little trip up in the air a bit from frost heaving. When we bought this house, there was a … more

By Tom Gocze
Special to the NEWS | 2/13/10 | 396 views

Best friend in home heating choices: common sense

The other day my wife received a nice color brochure from a company that makes a heating device that is sold on TV infomercials. It is being sold by a famous TV home improvement guy — not … more

By Tom Gocze
Special to the NEWS | 1/30/10 | 1602 views

When it comes to weatherization, it’s really all relative

For too many years I have been talking about insulating buildings. Back when this first became an issue in my little world, the idea of building walls with two-by-sixes and filling them with R-19 … more

By Tom Gocze
Special to the NEWS | 1/23/10 | 694 views

Wood product fun experiment to burn

Now that we are into winter with both feet, I have become fully acclimated, although I do find myself about places that are warm and dry. Last June I bought a box of compressed wood. It is used in … more

By Tom Gocze
Special to the NEWS | 1/9/10 | 975 views

Hot-water heaters have come a long way

There are a lot of options when people want to have hot water in their home. more

By Tom Gocze
Special to the NEWS | 1/2/10 | 1200 views

Using a little paint and a lot of imagination

An acquaintance of mine once had some sage advice related to child rearing: You should not think twice about teenagers wanting outrageous hairstyles or colors, since hair grows out and can always be … more

By Tom Gocze
Special to the NEWS | 12/19/09 | 724 views

Tiling a worthwhile project for the winter months

As winter slowly starts to grasp us in its chilly hand, I quickly direct my activities to the interior of the house. One project that I have come to enjoy doing is tiling. About 35 years ago, I … more

By Tom Gocze
Special to the NEWS | 12/12/09 | 1132 views

The misadventures of a curious child

When I was a child, there was an attic hatch in our bathroom. Since I was a latchkey kid and someone (who did not know any better) left a stepladder in the house one day, it was a natural thing to go up in the attic. more

By Tom Gocze
Special to the NEWS | 11/28/09 | 986 views

Fixing drains can result in B-movie-style slime

Time for Saturday breakfast fun reading with Tom. Every so often, we all have sink drains slow down. As Mr. Fixit, I thought I had a firm grasp on the reality of keeping the drains moving … more

By Tom Gocze
Special to the NEWS | 11/7/09 | 1256 views