One of those nagging issues I keep running into while remodeling my kitchen is whether or not I want to add some light under the
kitchen cabinets. Under-cabinet lighting can look great, and it can make food prep a little easier in a dark kitchen, but I still haven't decided if I'd use them enough to justify the cost.

While pondering the matter, I stumbled across a helpful video from Lowe's, How to Install Lighting Under Your Kitchen Cabinets. In a quick four and one-half minutes, Mike Kraft explains some of the types of under-counter lighting that are available. He also demonstrates the installation of a pretty simple set-up, with tips on how to route and hide the wires.

Mike didn't help me decide whether or not I want the extra lighting, but he did remind me of just how easy it can be to install some.

Photo courtesy flickr/Creative Commons

For many years now, one of the guiding principles of kitchen design has been to "tear down the walls" and create open spaces. The motive behind this trend is the need we allegedly possess to increase the perceived size of our kitchens while simultaneously allowing greater visibility and mobility.

I'll grant you that those wide-open kitchens look great in the stylized photos that appear in home magazines. I've confronted the issue in my last two houses, both of which were in dire need of kitchen remodels. Both times, however, I've decided to leave the walls in place. Why? Here's why:

Kitchens need storage--lots of storage--and every time you tear down a kitchen wall you loose cabinets and shelves, and often countertops as well. Now sometimes it is possible to create some new storage space, but more often this just isn't an option.

Also, serious cooks (of which I count myself as one) often want some enclosure and privacy while preparing a meal. Open kitchens can distract and disrupt. So, before you let some kitchen designer convince you that you should take down the walls, make sure you consider what you will be loosing in the process. What are those endangered walls giving you right now in terms of storage and isolation? Do you really want to give that up?

• Sources for RTA Kitchen Cabinets

President is spending the week in China, and finances, human rights and military matters are among the top subjects that will be discussed. But the administration confirmed last week that the issue of tainted Chinese drywall will also be on the agenda.

Drywall that was imported from China is being blamed for causing hundreds of cases of contaminated air in homes built in recent years, primarily in Florida. Corroded copper pipes and respiratory ailments have been some of the problems alleged to result from the drywall.

Many lawsuits have been filed by homeowners, and the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission is expected to release findings later this month on potential fire-safety and electrical problems related to the drywall. Florida Senator Bill Nelson has been pressuring the White House to discuss the matter on the president's visit to China. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, a National Security Council spokesman confirmed late last week that discussions would take place, though it's not clear at what level.

• How To Install Drywall Like a Pro

One problem with smoke alarms is that they can generate false alarms in places like garages, where smoke can be a by-product of normal, day-to-day activity. And smoke alarms that are prone to excessive false alarms often are disabled, which can cut the noise level in the house, but at the expense of fire protection.

In such situations, it may be best to avoid a smoke alarm altogether, and instead install a heat alarm. Heat alarms are not bothered by smoke; rather, they are activated when the temperature rises above 130 degrees F.

Heat alarms are not as widely available as other types of fire protection alarms, but you can find them online, generally for about $25 each. Some currently available choices are Kidde model HD135F, USI Electric model 2430 and BRK Electronics model HD6135F. All are hard-wired alarms with battery backups. Heat alarms are best thought of as additions to, not substitutes for, more traditional smoke alarms. For more information on alarms, see Shopping for a Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Detector.

Photo © Kidde