Dear Ken: Several years ago, you highlighted steps toward a healthy lawn. Could you repeat those? – Mary

Answer: Sure. It’s important to sprinkle at least twice on a given watering day. That allows water to soak in slowly and ensures a deeper, healthier root system. Water early in the morning just before sunrise and then again at the end of the afternoon when the wind has died down.

– Raise the mower a notch or two higher than it was last year. Longer grass shades the root system and keeps the underlying soil cooler.

– Sharpen the blades on a rotary mower at least twice this summer. It results in a cleaner cut; that makes grass less susceptible to disease.

– It’s a good idea to let the clippings remain on the lawn. They are about two-thirds moisture and contain a store of delicious nitrogen. A side benefit: no sour, rotting clippings stinking up the garage.

– Fertilizing every five or six weeks is vital. My preference is a good organic formation, such as dried chicken waste; choose a brand that contains 2 percent to 4 percent iron. Fertilize just before the sprinklers activate.

– When to fertilize? My friend and gardening author, John Cretti, recommends using holidays as convenient reminders to feed the lawn. Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Halloween work out nicely to provide evenly spaced applications over six months.

Dear Ken: You wrote about a low-e metallic coating applied to one side of a window pane. Is this something you can apply yourself? – Ed

Answer: I was suggesting an option you can order on vinyl windows. A thin (usually zinc compound) metal layer is coated on the inside of one of the two panes. This helps reflect heat back inside the house to help save energy in cold weather. There’s a summertime benefit too, as extra heat and glare from the outside is pushed away. It can add 20 percent to 30 percent to the energy efficiency of a window while it adds about 15 percent to its cost.

In your case – with older windows – you can add low-e by applying a thin film of a special plastic sheeting on the inside. It’s available at hardware stores and home centers in rolls. If you have assistance, it’s pretty easy to apply once you get the hang of it. There are several levels of reflectivity available; spend the extra money for the highest-rated material.

Dear Ken: I have a problem with my furnace filter. It’s an older furnace with that fabric-type material you cut down yourself and lay inside. Any ideas on how to convert this to a normal, high-efficiency-filter situation? – Paul

Answer: When you make the appointment to have the furnace serviced this fall, mention that you’d like some filter rails installed. Two pieces of Z-shaped metal can be fabricated for each opening in the furnace cabinet, precisely spaced to receive a slide-in, modern filter. That way you can exchange them for a “normal” one anytime.

Dear Ken: Our water pressure cuts back to half of normal almost overnight. How do we fix this? – Brandon

Answer: It sounds like a pressure regulator problem. That’s the brass gizmo – about the size of a soda can – that sits in the water line where it comes in from the street. It cuts the pressure from the high water main level to a manageable level (about 55 pounds per square inch) for inside house piping.

Try turning the screw on top of the regulator clockwise several turns and then the other way a like number. That might free up contaminants – such as sand – that are trapped inside and gumming up the works. If that fails, replace the regulator (about $65 plus labor).

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Moon is a home inspector in the Pikes Peak region. His radio show airs at 9 a.m. Saturday on KRDO, AM 1240 and FM 105.5. Contact him at aroundthehouse.com.