Question: My kitchen is almost done; it was totally remodeled. Now that the refrigerator is in, the door does not open all the way. It hits the wall, and the drawers only open about 50 percent of the way. I feel that the designer messed up and should somehow fix the problem. If she fixed it, it would be a big, big deal. The whole kitchen would have to be redone.

I owe them about $10,000. ... Should I hold some money back? How much? Also (you're not going to believe this), the kitchen designer ordered the wrong color cabinets. The contractor set up a temporary kitchen for me, and the correct cabinets were rushed to me. They are semi-custom and were done in about five weeks. That has nothing to do with the refrigerator, but is just another thing that went wrong.

Answer: I'm hoping that you signed a contract for this, and that things such as cabinet styles, colors and costs were specified. Unless everything is spelled out and both sides sign off on it, you don't have any recourse because it's your word against the designer's.

Let me ask this: Have you actually talked with the designer about the fridge door? In a showhouse at the International Builders Show in Orlando in February, every refrigerator door was too big, and the manufacturer came in and changed them. Maybe that's all that's needed. But I wouldn't pay in full until you're satisfied. It's your kitchen, and your money.

Q: I have a bedroom set from the late 1930s-'40s that belonged to my parents. It is mahogany with what used to be gold gilding and very decorative hardware. It needs to be refinished/restored. It also looks like it may have some ebony inlay around the feet of each piece. Can you steer me in the right direction on reputable craftsmen that would be able to do this kind of restoration? The set is very dear to me, as my parents died when I was a teenager.

A: I would start by having the pieces appraised by an expert who might know exactly what they are and what they're worth. Then I would have the expert recommend someone to refinish them. What you end up with will honor your parents' memory and provide something you, too, can hand down.

Q: A neighbor of our son's sister-in-law recently had a lightning strike that caused a damaging fire. This has prompted our son to question whether he should get a lightning rod for his house. Where do you go to get one and have it installed? What are the pros and cons?

A: Lightning is the leading cause of fires in suburban and rural areas. More people are killed by lightning than by tornadoes, hurricanes and floods combined. On the average, lightning will strike more than 60 times per year within a quarter-mile of your front door.

Lightning-protection systems, properly installed according to the latest codes and standards, are more than 99 percent effective in preventing any damage. They are recommended by insurance companies, architects and engineers, and safety consultants. A system with secondary surge suppression will eliminate nuisance damage to sensitive electronic TV, stereo, surveillance and alarm equipment inside a house.

Residential lightning protection can either be semi-concealed on the exterior of a house or concealed inside during construction. All homeowners' insurance policies now include a deductible, paid by the owner, on first dollar losses. Nuisance claims and lightning losses invoking the deductible can virtually be eliminated by installing a protection system.

Not only will the structure be protected from lightning damage, but your valuable possessions, heirlooms and furnishings will be safe during storms. For sources of lightning-rod systems, I'd look on the Internet.