QUESTION: We just had a beautiful backsplash of 2-by-6-inch white iridescent glass tile installed. Our contractor began using white grout, which really takes away from the beauty of the glass tiles, so we have postponed completion.Do you know if or where we can purchase clear grout or substitute with another material that is clear? Considering demolition of the old kitchen began in January and the renovation is almost double the intended budget, we don't want to cut any corners now.ANSWER: At a mosaic-tile Web site, www.mosaicartsupply.com, the clear-grout question also was asked. The answer: "Obviously, you saw some other product, probably silicon sealant. Grout is concrete."In situations similar to yours, I've seen recommendations for clear silicone glue, used in the manufacture of aquariums, or clear epoxy. A clear silicone glue, Permatex Clear Silicone Adhesive Sealant, is available in auto-parts stores. It's designed to seal seams, and expands and contracts.KlearKoat is a clear epoxy that's used as a permanent coating for bartops and tabletops. It cures to a clear, high-build, glasslike finish that resists scratching and yellowing and will not distort with age.Ask your contractor to look into these, and do a couple of small sample boards before you start on the backsplash. Good luck. Readers, please send in any suggestions you have.

QUESTION: My house was built in 1924, and my old green shutters need repainting. The paint is dried and flaking in large pieces. Several years ago, I attended a home show; one of the exhibitors had a method of placing shutters into a horizontal steam container. The paint removal was impressive. I would like to find out who the exhibitor was.ANSWER: I don't know anything about this particular stripping method. I contacted a couple of my sources in the restoration and painting industry, and they didn't recognize the process either. But don't despair: There are restoration firms dotting the region that will pick up, strip and return your shutters. Professional painters could take care of this, too.

QUESTION: We bought new construction a couple of years back and are having trouble getting the builder to come to repair things. For example, screws in the drywall keep protruding from the wall, so many that my wife suggested we use them as coat hooks. There are other issues, but the popped screws are the biggest

pain. What should we do?ANSWER: The likely reason drywall screws are popping is the age of the lumber used to frame your walls.I heard many a popped-screw complaint during the building boom a few years back. Because quality lumber cost so much and was often unavailable to builders facing contractual deadlines, a lot of "green" — that is, uncured — framing lumber was used, and drywall was attached to it in the usual manner.As the lumber dried, it contracted, and the drywall began separating from the studs, causing screws to pop through the joint compound used to fill screw holes.By now, the lumber in your house should be dry enough for a lasting fix, so here is what to do: Remove the loosened joint compound that covered each screw head, then tighten the screw to the stud with a drill/driver or screwdriver.Do this very carefully — you don't want to cause further damage and you don't want the screw to break all the way through the drywall and bury itself in the stud.Sometimes, screws a drywaller uses aren't long enough, and you might need longer ones to replace the originals.After you've filled the depression created in the surface by the screw — use a filler that doesn't contract as it dries, so you won't have to keep adding to it — sand the surface of the wall when it dries and touch up the paint.Pros suggest using a small amount of paint on a foam brush, so it blends in better.It usually takes time for the new paint to age to look like the original, however.

QUESTION: I have an oil-fired boiler. Now that heating-oil prices are rising, should I convert to natural gas?I already have a gas line for my stove coming in from the street.ANSWER: I get this question often during times of high energy prices.My answer: You need to ask yourself a few important questions, remembering that while natural gas appears to be less expensive and in greater potential supply than fuel oil now, it also might begin replacing oil as a major source of generating electricity, and thus become more expensive.How old and how efficient is your oil-fired boiler?If it's just a few years old and has been maintained so that it is as efficient as newer models, I wouldn't replace it just yet.If the boiler is old and needs replacing, how easy will it be to increase the size of the gas line to accommodate a gas furnace?Finally, how efficient is your house?Is it air-sealed, insulated and ventilated?If not, no matter how efficient your furnace is, you'll waste energy and money.I recommend a whole-house approach to energy efficiency — always.E-mail Alan J. Heavens at aheavensphillynews.com or write to him at The Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia 19101.