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Karen Youso

Columnist/Reporter  |  Fixit

Phone: 612-673-4407

E-mail: fixit@startribune.com

Karen Youso writes Fixit, a column that answers readers questions on any subject; and also writes feature stories on consumer issues, especially about the house and yard.

Recent content from Karen Youso

• Fixit: Fungus on maple tree a symptom of heart rot
  Q What would cause mushrooms to appear on the side of my mature maple tree?
  Nov 6, 2009
• Fixit: Dusty ducts and recycling rags
  Q How dirty do heating ducts get in a year? Is it necessary to clean them yearly as my wife insists?
  Oct 31, 2009
• Let's shed some light
  Sunday it's going to get dark earlier. Are you happy with your light? If you've got a brighter idea, it could be worth $10 million.
  Oct 30, 2009
• Must food workers at State Fair wear gloves?
  Q Our family enjoyed the State Fair this year, but we have a lingering question. Are the workers supposed to wear gloves when preparing and giving you food? Some did and some did not.
  Oct 24, 2009
• Fixit: Bedbugs, not spiders, are nighttime biters
  Q My wife and I are waking up with spider bites on our legs. My wife, who gets most of the bites, wants to spray for spiders around the house. Is this a good idea?
  Oct 23, 2009
• Treat and prevent bathroom mold
  Q Is there a way to keep mold from growing in our tiled bath and shower? We use the bathroom fan, but the mold just continues to grow. How do we remove it?
  Oct 21, 2009
• Larvae are making ceiling their hangout
  A reader writes: We had our ceiling sprayed more than a year ago and about two weeks later, we began seeing worms, like maggots, on our ceiling.
  Oct 20, 2009
• Fixit: Some lights aren't suited for CFL bulbs
  Q Can I put a CFL bulb in a totally enclosed fixture such as a ceiling light?
  Oct 19, 2009
• Squirrels between walls are hazardous
  A reader writes: I have something between the walls in my condo. It's very noisy at night. It sounds like horses are trotting.
  Oct 18, 2009
• Smoke can find its way to other apartments
  Q One of the residents in our apartment says that smoke is getting into his apartment from a neighbor who smokes in her own space. He claims it's coming through the walls and ceiling. Is that possible?
  Oct 17, 2009

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