Q. I am installing flagstone and some paving brick on top of a concrete patio. A book I read suggests mixing sand, cement and hydrated lime in different proportions to make the mortar mix. What is ...

A reader recently emailed me, seeking advice on whether to take on a do-it-yourself repair of the mortar around her brick masonry. She regularly performs hands-on maintenance around her home, she said ...

Many old-school kitchen gadgets and tools have been replaced with electric tools, such as swapping a whisk for a hand mixer or a chef's knife for a food chopper. While that makes sense in a modern ...