Readers' spring letters about paint and heating

Too bad human evolution is so slow or we'd all have nice furry backs and bellies by now, and February would seem less harsh. But no. We stand furless and shivering in the driving sleet, trying to stand in just the right position so that none of our leg skin touches the inside of our pants.

But I know spring is coming because my hopper is bulging and I'm not talking about the meal I just ate. People are feeling the stirrings of household ambition, and that means I'm getting tons of mail from readers. Their questions are a glimmer of hope for those of us with freeze-dried imaginations and cranky little winter scowls. So thanks for writing. Let's all join hands and sing Kum Ba Ya until we can wear tank tops again.

In the meantime, here are a couple of questions that may immerse you in rejuvenating waves of spring hope.

Hi Mag,

A while back you mentioned in an article a particular brand of paint. I believe that you could buy small pouches of it to try first. I am planning on painting the front hallway of my newly built home a chocolate brown. The walls are always marked up by wear and tear. I would like a paint that hides surface imperfections (the builders did a poor job with the first paint job) and is washable. Could you please provide me with the name of the brand that you had mentioned, or would you recommend another brand of paint?

Thanks in advance,
Karen Bucys

Hi Karen. The paint I swear by is Devine Color Delicate Wall Finish (about $50/4 litres). It's gloriously thick, covers in two low-odour, non-spattering coats, and hides imperfections in the planes of walls. The sample pouches ($5) save you storing gallons of rejected paint in the garage. Devine Color is extremely washable and durable, and only has 115 artist-designed colours so you don't kill brain cells trying to choose an attractive shade. For browns, check out the Devine selection of coffee-inspired hues. Devine Color is available only at selected paint stores, so check out their site for the location nearest you. If you need an emergency scuff repair in the meantime, you can remove almost any mark from a wall using Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, which are made of expanded melamine. Using only water as a solvent, Magic Erasers scrub off microscopic particles on the surface of existing paint; the result is breath-taking. There may be a slight melamine residue left on the walls after using Magic Erasers, so wipe the scrubbed surface down with a damp towel following treatment.

Dear Mag,

I remember watching an episode of your show about using the popular outdoor chiminea indoors, by burning some kind of wood pellets that are clean burning. I wonder if I may have more information about it. I have a very cold guest room above the garage and would like to warm it up.

Thank you,
Lydia Davis

Hi Lydia. There are two ways you can go with a cold guest room. I used a chiminea and installed the InFlame chiminea kit (about $120), which uses clean-burning SunJel fuel (12 cans for $60) to heat up a room very quickly. The by-product of the burn is carbon dioxide and water, so you can use SunJel in any room of the house without the expense of installing an exhaust pipe. The moisture created by the combustion will also humidify the room. If you want something more formal than a chiminea, InFlame also carries beautiful fireplaces that use SunJel fuel. The fireplace can move with you to your next house, because it's entirely portable.

Another option for heating a cold space is a pellet stove. This is an environmentally friendly device that burns waste products from the lumber industry (compressed sawdust). I have two pellet stoves - one in the basement, and one in the garage - to keep the spaces warm and cozy through winter. Pellet stoves generate very little smoke and burn efficiently for 12 - 36 hours on one hopper full of hardwood pellets, depending upon the burn rate (i.e. whether you jam it up to maximum heat, or keep it on minimum flame). Pellet stoves start easily with the touch of a button. They require little maintenance, requiring a quick cleaning after about 3 days of round-the-clock use. Fuel costs are $4.50 per 20 kilogram bag. The only downside to a pellet stove is the hum of the two fans (one ignites and sustains the fire, the other pulls exhaust outdoors). A pellet stove is also somewhat pricey (starting at about $1800), plus you'll need to account for delivery and installation, and a place to store fuel bags.