Home fix-up

Q Our house has forced-hot-air heating, which we do not like. While we have used a wood-burning stove to meet our needs for several years, the heat doesn't reach all areas of the house. Any suggestions? Bob and Nancy Higham Santa Rosa, Calif. Generally, the most economical system for heating a house is a gas-fired, forced-air type. I suggest you take a hard look at your current system and try to discover just what it is that you don't like about it. It could be that the system is improperly sized for your house or that the ducts are not correctly laid out.

Often a forced-air system can be augmented with small wall or baseboard electric heaters, which give localized heat sources in areas of special need.

You might also look into a passive-solar conversion if your house readily adapts to it. This is the most environmentally sound method of all, but it is not for everyone or every circumstance. Q I saw an ad for Total Finish, which claims that nothing sticks to it. We would like to use it on some high outside windows. Have you had any experience with the product? Mrs. Jerome R. Hurd Clintondale, N.Y.

I have had no experience with Total Finish, so I suggest you write to the supplier and ask if your intended use is appropriate and what type of performance you can expect from it.

Can any of our readers help us out?

If you have a question about designing, improving, or maintaining your home, send it to the real estate editor, The Christian Science Monitor, One Norway Street, Boston, Mass. 02115. Richard A. Kent is a practicing architect and general contractor in southern California.