Dear Ken: I have a couple of doors that just won’t stay put. They swing open by themselves, so we have to use a doorstop. Do we have to call a carpenter?
Scott

Try this trick: Take out the middle door hinge pin — or the lower one if there are only two hinges. Lay it on the concrete floor in the garage. Then give it a smart smack in the middle with a hammer — not too hard, or you’ll never get it back into the hinge. This deforms the pin a little into a microscopic curve so that there is additional friction inside the hinge. It may take  two or three tries before you get the pin deformation you need to keep the door open.


Dear Ken: This past week, I slipped on the ice on my front walk. What can I use instead of regular salt on the sidewalk.
Lisa

You could use some generic kitty litter, but that requires clean-up after the ice and snow are gone.