Do You Need an Energy-Waste Sleuth? Robert Whale knew his 1920s Sears Roebuck bungalow wasn't exactly airtight, but he didn't know just how drafty it was until an energy auditor flipped on the switch to a large fan he had placed in the doorway.

Replenish and Recycle: Principles to Grow By Throughout the New Year. New Year's resolutions are opportunities to do something you have always wanted to do, often for self-improvement. In the spirit of the season, here are some that will help you improve the environment, too.

Crafting a Workable Workbench at Little or No Cost. Q DEAR TIM: I need a workbench. After reviewing many plans, I am a little confused. Is there a difference between a garage workbench and a workbench stand? Is there an advantage to making a metal workbench instead of a wooden one? What would you use for the workbench legs?.

A Primer on Primers. Q: DEAR TIM: The instructions on the can of paint I am getting ready to use say to use primer on bare wood. Is that necessary? It seems like a waste of time. What are the benefits? I think the paint company just wants another sale.

Stores, Catalogues, Fellow Hobbyists: A Guide to Where to Find Plants. Winter is a great time to get to know the many places where you can acquire plants.

GREEN SCENE QUIZ ANSWERS. RATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE: If you had all correct, you could host your own garden show. One to three wrong makes you the neighborhood horticultural guru. Four to six incorrect answers, and you just need more gardening experience. More than six wrong: Call an expert.

Temperature Of Water Is Key To Child Safety. It was days before the baby girl would turn a year old, and her grandmother was giving her a bath. The phone rang. Grandma took but a minute to answer the call.

A Garden of Blooms You Can Set Your Clock By. Most floral clocks are simply outdoor motorized timepieces with ornamental flowers in the shape of a clock. But what if you could coordinate the blooming so that the flowers would open and close at set times of the day? Now that would be an innovative way to tell time.

In Every House, Keys to Fight Climate Change. I have devoted many columns to sustainability issues in terms of a single house. But every so often I like to pull back for the truly wide shot. From a global perspective, what is the state of our planet, and how might this affect our housing choices?.

An Escape Ladder. WHAT IT IS: A portable ladder that hooks over a window sill, providing a safer means of escape from a fire in a multistory home. Such ladders store under a bed or near a window, and are designed to be quick and easy to use.

Get It or Gimmick? ORLANDO Faster. Better. Easier. It's a mantra of the American consumer. With that in mind, many builders at the International Builders' Show in Orlando last week wandered the jammed convention center in search of products that pamper people or simplify life, hoping to get a competitive edge in on..

The Anxiety and Mystery Of Architect Fees. Most people have no clue how much it costs to hire an architect, and with good reason. The way most architects charge for their services is confusing.

Help for Homeowners Hangs in the Balance. Congress left town for the July 4 recess with a half-baked cake in its legislative oven -- one that has huge potential significance for the housing and mortgage markets. The relief package left unfinished is designed to help hundreds of thousands of homeowners heading for foreclosure, pull buyers..

The DTV Transition: Connecting a VCR, DVD Recorder, and Analog Television Using One DTV Converter Box. The countdown to the end of analog television broadcasts marches on. However, along with analog televisions, your VCR or DVD recorder may also be affected.

Onkyo Blu-ray Player Coming. It took them a bit, but Onkyo just announced that its first Blu-ray player will be coming soon.

Mitsubishi's New Ultra-Thin LCD Delivers Surround Sound. This Integrated Sound Projector reproduces 5.1-like surround sound from a single speaker cabinet.

DIY Home Theater When the Home Theater Room is Too Small. Font Well kiddo, it's like this.. What do you mean it won't fit? Why'd you buy that 120" screen home theater with those extra-tall monster size chrome speakers if they won't fit into your media room? Sigh....

WS Atkins engineers a steady course through the slowdown. That shares in WS Atkins have traded sideways over the past 12 months enabling them to outperform the FTSE all-share index by 12 per cent is adequate testimony to its status as one of Britain's more defensive..

HDR Gets Ballpark Recommendation. The City of Omaha Architecture/Engineer Selection Committee has recommended that a team led by Omaha based HDR, Inc.

Earth Tech wins state award. Earth Tech Inc., a global provider of consulting, engineering and construction services, has been awarded a Best of State Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies.