Q. I was told by my village that I need to have smoke detectors in my two-family house in order to renew my application. Even though I didn't have them before, I have to install them. One guy said they have to be hard-wired, but my electrician called and they said just battery-operated. Which is it? more

Q. We have a turn-of the-(last)-century front-porch colonial. It needs substantial modernization, and I've found that problems that seem unrelated in fact do contribute to one another, leading to bigger costs than expected. For example, we need new wiring. I've seen knob-and-tube in parts. What’s the best way to rewire, since we need new insulation, there’s some termite damage and the steam boiler needs an overhaul? more

Q. We have a turn-of-the-(last)-century front-porch colonial. It needs substantial modernization, and I've found that problems that seem unrelated in fact do contribute to one another, leading to bigger costs than expected. For example, we need a new boiler, new wiring, a rebuilt chimney and insulation in the walls. Further, the house has a lead water main and a sewer line that has been penetrated by tree roots. The boiler connects to the chimney, which has never been lined and doesn’t have a rain cap. To replace the boiler, we have to line the chimney with a liner that fits the new boiler, and we have to rebuild at least part of the chimney above the roof. more