The question: I'm interested in redoing my carpeted stairs with one of those oak tread/riser kits available at home-supply stores. Are they a good option? I can't afford to have hardwood installed.

Q.The stairs in my home are in sad shape. One stair tread is cracked and others are scratched from years of abuse. I know I can hide the problem with carpeting, but that's not really my style. What's ...

No doubt about it, paint is definitely a pesky substance. We get more letters about paint than about any other subject. Most of them are questions about how to keep paint on; but recently a reader in ...