Q. Is there a way to prevent weeds and grass from growing in the expansion joints in a concrete driveway?

A. You can try a weed preventer such as Preen, but a better solution might be to fill the joints with a driveway joint and crack filler. It's applied like caulk, and it's flexible, so it lets the concrete expand and contract. You may need to insert a backer rod first - a cylindrical foam filler material - if the gaps are wide.

A unified dining experience

You don't have to rely on your gut anymore to tell you whether a damask tablecloth goes with French Provincial furniture. Interior designer Lauren Smith can make the call for you.

Smith is the author of "What Goes With What: Dishes and Dining Areas," a decorating guide for the decorating-challenged. In the book, she helps readers determine their general decorating style - formal, semiformal or informal - and then choose dining-room elements that are right for the look.

The book assumes the typical person doesn't have $20,000 sitting in the bank, waiting to be dropped on the dining room, so it helps the reader estimate costs, set priorities and schedule improvements.

"Dishes and Dining Areas" is the third in Capital Books' "What Goes With What" series. It sells for $15.95 in paperback.

Glad gets tough

No more busted trash bags. That's Glad's goal with its new ForceFlex bags.

The bags are made of a plastic embossed with a diamond-pattern texture that gives it elasticity, allowing the plastic to stretch around objects without tearing. The technology originally was developed for use in diapers.

ForceFlex bags are available in 13- and 30-gallon sizes. Suggested retail prices for the smaller bags are $3.99 for a package of 20 and $5.99 for 38; for the larger bags, $3.99 for 13 and $5.99 for 24.

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