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Construction & Contractors/Questions Answered by Expert Michael Hughes
| Subject | Date Asked |
| house location and its facing direction | 9/21/2011 |
| Q: Michael, I am wondering if a new construction has to face exactly its street address. Let's say ... A: Typically the house can face any direction. There could be HOA or local zoning requirements that ... | |
| Contractor obligations | 8/20/2011 |
| Q: Our home is being renovated after an electrical fire. Our homeowners is paying over $150k due to ... A: Monique, I am not sure where to start. Who is the contract with you, your insurance company or your ... | |
| drywalling over a door opening | 7/20/2011 |
| Q: My sons room use to be a den so it was a walk thru type room so it has a pocket door at one end and ... A: Your solution is correct. Use a razor knife to cut the mouldings loose from the existing drywall and ... | |
| board and batt caulking and painting | 4/25/2011 |
| Q: We had a fixed price contract with a line item for exterior painting and a line item for siding. At ... A: Kelly, Unfortunately, in most contracts the caulking is part of the painting phase. I would think ... | |
| 1" Gap Above Stepflashing Opens into Attic | 2/11/2011 |
| Q: Hughes, Here are pictures taken from both outside and inside the attic where a sloping roof meets a ... A: Katherine, Send the pictures to my e-mail address: mhughesconst@hotmail.com I am sure the black ... | |
| Subfascia & Shingles & Flashing at Eaves | 2/10/2011 |
| Q: Recently, we had installed on our house (built 1989) new Landmark shingles, Versatex PVC fascia, and ... A: Katherine, I personally like aluminum as I don't think it "wrinkles" as much on expansion. They are ... | |
| Subfascia & Shingles & Flashing at Eaves | 2/9/2011 |
| Q: Recently, we had installed on our house (built 1989) new Landmark shingles, Versatex PVC fascia, and ... A: I don't think trimming the shingle will affect the sealing but I always hesitate to do things ... | |
| Subfascia & Shingles & Flashing at Eaves | 2/7/2011 |
| Q: Recently, we had installed on our house (built 1989) new Landmark shingles, Versatex PVC fascia, and ... A: It sounds from your question that you received a poor quality installation. The fix on the long ... | |
| Water leaks in cold weather | 2/1/2011 |
| Q: Last year after a big snow storm, we had water dripping around a sliding door to our covered deck ... A: Water leaks are extremely hard to diagnose. Water will flow behind the wall or ceiling until it gets ... | |
| Ceiling cracks and lowering floor | 1/23/2011 |
| Q: In August last year we moved to a brand new home. We thought we would not need any repairs, but the ... A: Most homes have the majority of the settlement happen through the first couple heating seasons. I ... | |
| Ceiling cracks and lowering floor | 1/22/2011 |
| Q: In August last year we moved to a brand new home. We thought we would not need any repairs, but the ... A: The ceiling cracks are typical of the trusses drying out and can easily be repaired with joint ... | |
| finishing a basement | 12/9/2010 |
| Q: I am looking to finish my basement myself, but looking for some good advice on how to proceed. The ... A: The 2x6/8 acts as your top plate of the wall, the studs go to the outside edge of this oversized ... | |
| finishing a basement | 12/9/2010 |
| Q: I am looking to finish my basement myself, but looking for some good advice on how to proceed. The ... A: Chis, You can just frame next to the current insulation. The top of the wall will have to be blocked ... | |
| concrete | 7/8/2010 |
| Q: what is the proper slope for a garage apron? 18x32 A: I assume you are speaking about a driveway apron. The apron runs from street finished elevation to ... | |
| 4x4 | 5/1/2010 |
| Q: I need to build a box out of 4x4s. It needs to be about 3 feet high. My question is how do I fasten ... A: The best way to do it is to drill the 4x4s vertically at about 4 foot on center with a 3/8" bit ... | |
| basement sump pit | 11/12/2009 |
| Q: Michael, I was cleaning my grandmother's sump pit and discovered that it appears to have no bottom. ... A: The crock does not have to have a bottom. It may have been left this way if when built the home had ... | |
| Remodeling basement | 9/30/2009 |
| Q: Basement is concrete wall and floor, approx. 30' X 40' and 9' high. Would like to get a rough ... A: Don, I would think you can get this done for about $9,000. If you opt to do the work yourself you ... | |
| Single Family Dwellings | 9/10/2009 |
| Q: Percent wise what is the difference is s/f cost for first floor v.s second floor if the single story ... A: Bill, I find the second floor is about 70-75% of the first floor cost. This is based on the use of ... | |
| Driveway concrete prep | 8/7/2009 |
| Q: We live in Spokane WA and have had parts of our driveway repoured 3 times over the last 27 months. ... A: You should make sure the builder has at least 6" of stone under a 4" concrete slab. The wire is to ... | |
| Basement cracks | 4/24/2009 |
| Q: My home was built in 2003. In the basement (which is unfinished), I have a pretty fair sized crack ... A: This crack is not unusual. The slab is poured at a different time than the wall and the crack is to ... | |
| New Addition | 3/6/2009 |
| Q: We are having a second floor addition added to our house. This project began in November 2007 ... A: It is not unusual for contractors to under estimate the time it will take them to complete a project ... | |
| Question about the price of windows | 12/18/2008 |
| Q: I'm considering buying an older home (built in the '50s) in Madison, WI, but I'm concerned because I ... A: Eva, I think finding the right contractor is always tough job. In addition to using the methods you ... | |
| Question about the price of windows | 12/17/2008 |
| Q: I'm considering buying an older home (built in the '50s) in Madison, WI, but I'm concerned because I ... A: Windows in an older home are usually an issue. The older windows were not manufactured with the ... | |
| cracks around sink pipes in the new house floor | 12/17/2008 |
| Q: I have a question about cracks on the floor in my new house. The house is at the Central Florida ... A: It is not unusual for concrete to crack along a waste pipe in the floor. I would ask the builder to ... | |
| particle board cupboards | 11/2/2008 |
| Q: Our contractor recently put particle board cupboards in our unheated cottage. We thought we were ... A: I imagine the cabinets are MDF (medium density fiberboard). Most cabinets that are manufactured ( ... | |
| slab pitch | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: Our porch slab is not allowing rainwater to drain away from the house; the water congregates into a ... A: Sorry it took so long to answer this question it apparently did not hit my e-mail box. The pictures ... | |
| findng studs on outside house shingles | 8/10/2008 |
| Q: we want to mount a backboard/hoop onto the wall of our house above the garage. We are trying to ... A: Cary, Try locating the studs on the inside. You can then measure the thickness of your outside wall ... | |
| french drain | 7/25/2008 |
| Q: Michael, i have had several contractors come in and give a wide array of estimates and opinions. Im ... A: Drew, I of course can not see your problem so it is difficult to assess the issue completely. I ... | |
| Chimney on siding | 7/22/2008 |
| Q: siding we discovered that one of our chimneys was built over the existing siding. The chimney is ... A: Jessica, The correct procedure would be to remove the chimney. It is not apparent how much rot there ... | |
| ledger board | 7/17/2008 |
| Q: My neighbor has a stucco sided older house and wants to add a 12' wide by 14' deep covered deck. Can ... A: Brad, you can either make the deck "free standing" which basically means you build the part next to ... | |
| how to build a false wall to cover a window | 7/13/2008 |
| Q: We have a window in a very odd place in our bedroom. I would like to hide it by making a false wall ... A: Alok, You can build a false wall over the window. I would make it removable for resale reasons as ... | |
| Mold in new house | 6/30/2008 |
| Q: During the erection of our prefab house,before the roof went on, our house filled with ice & snow ... A: Susan, The smell you are experiencing is the insulation. I am not sure what ingredient causes the ... | |
| brick on new home | 6/13/2008 |
| Q: While investigating an ongoing leak in our new home, my husband discovered there is a good 2 inches ... A: Dawn, This is the normal installation of brick veneer. They call it a "hand space" and the brick is ... | |
| 2nd opinion | 6/5/2008 |
| Q: I purchased a two acre lot that has a mixed topography but the best suited homes site has about a ... A: Mark, I think his price on the wall is reasonable but I would tell him I would only go to $8K (the ... | |
| 2nd opinion | 6/5/2008 |
| Q: I purchased a two acre lot that has a mixed topography but the best suited homes site has about a ... A: Mark, I need a little more information. Is the home constructed on a slab or does it have a ... | |
| attached garage addition | 6/4/2008 |
| Q: Am a General Contractor registered with State of Florida for residential construction. After ... A: You should be able to collect overhead and profit on the entire job if the changes stand up. I would ... | |
| block wall | 5/25/2008 |
| Q: My wife and I purchased our first home together and have undertaken remodeling the finished ... A: Jerry, I would remove any drywall attached directly to the block and add a stud wall with ... | |
| My bathroom | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: I am up to doing my tub/shower area --only studs there now --I have bought a jet tub so #1 I was ... A: Sorry, i did not explain very well. You would route out the depth and width of the flange so you ... | |
| My bathroom | 5/12/2008 |
| Q: I am up to doing my tub/shower area --only studs there now --I have bought a jet tub so #1 I was ... A: Brett, 1. You can set it in either as long as it meets the manufacturer's requirements. 2. I always ... | |
| 2nd floor Addition over older addition over crawl space | 4/13/2008 |
| Q: I live in NJ. we have a small cape cod with basement and an addition that is 8'x12' which is over a ... A: I would think that while you were adding a second floor, building over the addition would be a wise ... | |
| New construction basement | 4/9/2008 |
| Q: We are having a new home built in Pennsylvania in a housing development. The builders excavated the ... A: Fawn, I think my answer depends on the engineers report. Although you did a great job explaining the ... | |
| Covered Concrete Patio | 4/7/2008 |
| Q: I am planning a concrete patio attached to the back of my house. I then want it covered with a ... A: Barry, You can cover the gas pipe but it is not the preferred solution. I would check with the gas ... | |
| water in sump area | 3/18/2008 |
| Q: I wasn't sure if this should go into the repair category, but here goes.. I had a new house built ... A: Jose, I am confused by your description. If this is a sump pit (some diligent builders install these ... | |
| Concrete & block footing in California | 3/6/2008 |
| Q: I am adding on to my raised foundation house, I would like to do a concrete & block footing, but I ... A: Typically you footing is 2x the width of your block so if it is 8" block your footing will be 16" ... | |
| insulation | 2/24/2008 |
| Q: We are building in SW Louisiana. I am considering poly urethene in the attic, our builder is against ... A: I prefer "insulsafe" blown insulation in the attic. The wall framing should not effect your attic ... | |
| attic insulation | 2/22/2008 |
| Q: We live in Michigan, had a new roof installed 21/2 yrs ago-additional roof vents and soffit vents ... A: Carol, You have two issues you require answers for. 1. I think if you install the insulation ... | |
| uneven floor in new construction | 2/12/2008 |
| Q: Our new construction home has a dip in the floor in my sons room and the family room below. This is ... A: Jessica, I am not sure I understand the problem completely but that is to be expected as without ... | |
| lanai screen porches for NJ Home | 2/11/2008 |
| Q: Is is possible to build a lanai on an existing home in South Jersey??? Do you know of any builders ... A: Betty It is possible, but it will be constructed differently in NJ. While in FL they are wide open ... | |
| floor load | 2/9/2008 |
| Q: I am wanting to put a hot tub on a pressure treated wood deck. The joists are 2x10x12' 16"oc with ... A: JD, Most decks are designed to carry 100 psf or more. Personally I would reinforce the area of the ... | |
| Hanging Drywall on Cinder Block | 1/11/2008 |
| Q: Mr. Hughes, My wife and I have recently purchased a home with a basement. The basement walls are ... A: You could use 2x2s or 2x3s depending on the insulation you decide on. As I do not know in what part ... | |
| Hanging Drywall on Cinder Block | 1/10/2008 |
| Q: Mr. Hughes, My wife and I have recently purchased a home with a basement. The basement walls are ... A: How is the paneling attached to the block walls? If these are exterior walls I would suggest framing ... | |
| Home building | 1/6/2008 |
| Q: What is the difference between; Stick build - Modular - Pre.Fab & Manufactured homes? I am aware of ... A: jack, Modular is when a home is manufactured in sections in a factory,trucked to and assembled on ... | |
| Disclosure of receipts and subcontractor costs | 1/4/2008 |
| Q: I am a general contractor and have never been asked this before...I have a fixed price contract with ... A: Gordon, I don't have a copy of your contract however if it is fixed price with no provision that the ... | |
| retrofitting a foundation | 12/23/2007 |
| Q: We have purchased a home that has been red flagged due to a previous owner doing a major renovation ... A: I think you have a good idea. The reason you need to get below the frost line is to protect the ... | |
| Rock removal | 12/13/2007 |
| Q: We are building a new home in central PA. Construction started around two weeks ago and they were ... A: Anzar, $5k for rock is a minimal and reasonable amount of money. I think your builder should honor ... | |
| Door Leak | 10/26/2007 |
| Q: I had my front storm door and exterior door recently replaced, and now I have air leaks and a water ... A: Barb, Sorry it took so long to answer. It appears the question did not come through when you first ... | |
| cracks in new home construction | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: We just bought a newly buiilt home about 6 months ago and we are noticing cracks in the ... A: The cracks you are seeing are most likely settlement cracks. You do not state what area of the ... | |
| Deck and Screen Porch Construction | 9/7/2007 |
| Q: Ive hired a contractor to build a new deck and screen porch. Im concerned that they did not put any ... A: I personally agree that there should be flashing at the connection with the house. On looking at the ... | |
| New Concrete Patio | 8/30/2007 |
| Q: I just had a new concrete patio poured. There are 3 rectangular sections, each bordered by aggregate ... A: I agree that patching is a bad option. I would have him use a wet stone to blend it. I think the ... | |
| Condensation in Vaulted Ceiling | 8/8/2007 |
| Q: Michael, Hopefully you can help We have a 1970's Contemporary with Vaulted ceilings and during the ... A: I am not an expert in this but have encountered it on a couple occasions. I have cured the problem ... | |
| Concrete patio | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: I got a concrete patio built. In the middle of the pour it started to rain heavily. They still ... A: Fiber mesh used to minimize shrinkage cracks shouldn't be in the finish or create lumps or bumps. ... | |
| Concrete patio | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: I got a concrete patio built. In the middle of the pour it started to rain heavily. They still ... A: Anju, I think your issue at this point is less construction and more legal. The mesh used in the ... | |
| building a home | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: Michael, Thank you for your time. My husband and I are comtemplating buying some land in the ... A: I would suggest that unless you are skilled in both writing scopes of work and contracting the ... | |
| Stamped Cement Patio Cracking | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: I had a stampted cement patio poured last summer (2006). The contractor did not put any saw marks ... A: Saw cuts in stamped concrete are unusual. I think it would dramatically change the look. I think ... | |
| concrete step | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: We live in a split level home and are putting a new patio 20 X 20 which is surrounded by a four feet ... A: Ena, I would just roll the mesh in the patio up into the step area. You should install an expansion ... | |
| Wood Flooring | 7/10/2007 |
| Q: I just had 3/4 wood flooring put in about 2 months ago and it is starting to buckle and cup. The ... A: The contractor should have taken moisture readings before installing the wood as well as should have ... | |
| Patio attached to house | 7/6/2007 |
| Q: My husband and I are trying to get someone to build a patio for us and the person who is going to do ... A: It sounds as if you are speaking of a deck that, if not constructed in a free standing condition, ... | |
| new sidewalk | 6/20/2007 |
| Q: I just had a new sidewalk poured today. I am wondering about curring. It has been in the 90's for ... A: Greg You do not state when the concrete was poured. It is best in the sun to keep it damp for at ... | |
| bathroom remodeling/despute with contractor | 6/16/2007 |
| Q: contractor filed lien against our home property. We signed a aprox. 24k contract to create a ... A: Betina, I think the best thing to do is hire an attorney and have him review your documents. It ... | |
| tyvek paper | 5/14/2007 |
| Q: My home builder is installing tyvek paper on my new house. Should he be using staples on this paper ... A: Staples are an acceptable method of installation. Below is a quote from their FAQ. 21. What type of ... | |
| pouring a larger concrete slab over a smaller one | 4/30/2007 |
| Q: I want to expand a room where I now have a patio slab about 4" thick. Should I completely remove ... A: If you are going to pour all new and not expand your current slab I would at least break it into ... | |
| concrete slab thickness | 4/17/2007 |
| Q: I had an RV garage designed and the designer specified a 4 inch, 2500 psi concrete slab. The RV ... A: I obviously don't have his calculations but it appears to be adequate. I personally like to use ... | |
| Incorrectly poured footing | 4/14/2007 |
| Q: When our contractor poured the footing for our new home w/ 2-car garage, he poured it for a ... A: A new footing being poured next to the other one should not effect the structural integrity of your ... | |
| insulation baffles | 4/5/2007 |
| Q: I had a second story added to a 1920's stone cottage and the builder used 2x12 rafters (it has ... A: Sandra, The airspace should solve the problem if you don't have gutters. If you are within your ... | |
| insulation baffles | 4/4/2007 |
| Q: I had a second story added to a 1920's stone cottage and the builder used 2x12 rafters (it has ... A: Sandra, I assumed you would use a rigid pole of sort to compress the insulation slightly to slide ... | |
| insulation baffles | 4/3/2007 |
| Q: I had a second story added to a 1920's stone cottage and the builder used 2x12 rafters (it has ... A: Sandra, I would suggest pulling the Facia board and trying to install the baffles from the outside. ... | |
| Adding storage room in basement under garage. | 4/1/2007 |
| Q: I have a 4 year old home that has a large 3-car garage and a walk out basement. The garage floor ... A: Travis, This would be a huge project, but anything is possible. You could have a door cut into the ... | |
| tyvek behind brick veneer | 4/1/2007 |
| Q: I am about to build a new home and want to know if I should put tyvek over the osb behind a brick ... A: Wesley, Most builders use black paper under brick veneer. I checked Tyvek's website and they say it ... | |
| foundation walls | 2/12/2007 |
| Q: I am going to be removing my lake home off its existing foundation and replacing it with a new one. ... A: David, This seems like a fairly large project. I am not sure why the county would care about the ... | |
| permit | 2/8/2007 |
| Q: In building a brand new house on a vacant lot of land can you give me some idea as to how much it ... A: I'm afraid I can not be much help as I know nothing about the status of the lot, your plans or the ... | |
| Contractor does not respond | 1/22/2007 |
| Q: We had a manufactured home set up in summer of 2005. We hired a contractor to do all the connecting ... A: Melissa, It sounds as if you are stuck with the paving repair. I think from a principle standpoint ... | |
| Square the Corners of a Foundation | 12/13/2006 |
| Q: How do you square the corners of a building foundation? A long time I remember using something like ... A: I think what you are talking about is checking square with a triangular measurement of 3' on one ... | |
| foundation in new home shifting | 11/12/2006 |
| Q: We built a new home in the country about 7 years ago. We had some cracks in our basement floor ... A: I do not know what the outcome of the Engineer's report was but their builder (Pulte I think) was ... | |
| Exterior Stucco Finish | 11/8/2006 |
| Q: I am building a home in Indiana and wanted to use stucco on the exterior, however, my contractor ... A: Sharon, In my opinion your contractor is correct. I personally would not finish a home with the ... | |
| Becoming a contractor | 9/26/2006 |
| Q: Hey Michael, I live in New York City and I would like to become a contractor. I do not know where ... A: Johnte, You first must decide what type of contractor you would like to be. I would then suggest you ... | |
| foundation to brand new home shifting | 9/8/2006 |
| Q: I moved into a brand new home in a new sub-division on 15 June 06. When I purchased the home and ... A: Susan, Since the builder has agreed to pay for an engineer to review the problem you are in a good ... | |
| Disputes with builder | 9/7/2006 |
| Q: We are building a home with a builder in a community development. We looked at two inventory/show ... A: Jim, I would recommend spending the money to speak with a real estate attorney. I suspect the ... | |
| Cracks in my foundation wall. | 9/6/2006 |
| Q: When is a crack in my foundation wall a structural concern? I have a crack in my wall that runs the ... A: Jared, A crack that is as large as you describe is a concern. I would ask the Home Inspector to come ... | |
| Drainage Pipe | 8/31/2006 |
| Q: I have heard that flex makes it harder to maintain the correct pitch, that the corrugations of flex ... A: Ben, All building materials have pluses and minus's. I agree with what you have heard. If installed ... | |
| Drainage Pipe | 8/25/2006 |
| Q: We are considering installing drainage pipe under our basement floor to solve our water problem. ... A: Ben, Sorry I took so long to answer, it obviously did not go through the first time. I typically use ... | |
| EXTERIOR DOOR & THRESHOLD INSTALLATION | 8/22/2006 |
| Q: MY CONTRACTOR RECENTLY BUILT A 16X20' STORAGE SHED FOR ME AND USED TWO STANDARD 3' DOORS TO CREATE A ... A: Rod, This is in fact industry standard. This insures water will not run back into the structure in a ... | |
| Builder Missing Contract Closing Date | 8/14/2006 |
| Q: My wife and I are in a contract with a builder. It will be our first home together and we entered ... A: Good evening, I thought I answered this last night but it obviously did not take as the question is ... | |
| Concrete slab | 8/12/2006 |
| Q: A heavy rain fell for about 10 or 15 minutes while the last cement truck was still pumping concrete ... A: Ginger, I think your contractor did the appropriate remediation given the details you have provided. ... | |
| !6 | 7/20/2006 |
| Q: My builder installed my through the wall microwave vent in the wrong location - Now they must repair ... A: Juice, I also would suggest adding a stud next to the one that is now in place. I would remove only ... | |
| Water Damage to new home | 7/12/2006 |
| Q: I moved into my new home located in Maryland in January 2006. On June 25, 2006 during a downpour of ... A: Pam, I would get an engineer with experience dealing with home builders. I also think you should ... | |
| load bearing walls | 5/31/2006 |
| Q: In order to open up a room, or join them together, can I remove a load bearing wall and replace it ... A: Rebecca, You can remove the bearing wall by installing a header over the area of wall removed. I can ... | |
| one bedroom home - definition | 5/29/2006 |
| Q: Quick response, thank you. And very informative!! So essentially, I could have a 2,000 sq ft home ... A: Robin, You can design the home with a den or an office (obviously with out a closet)but you should ... | |
| one bedroom home - definition | 5/28/2006 |
| Q: Happy Holiday!!! Situation: we just signed a contract for property in TN. It only tested out for ... A: Robin, I assume you are talking about your perk test for the septic system. One bedroom means just ... | |
| Dealing with contractor | 5/18/2006 |
| Q: I will apologize upfont for this long letter. There are several questions in here and we tried ... A: CK, You are the victim of a bad contractor. I would not pay him another penny. The proper solution ... | |
| Rust remover | 5/7/2006 |
| Q: I have 2 questions I recently (8 months) redid my driveway and cement in front of my house. i did ... A: Josh, Removing the rust is a tedious job that can be done with a wire brush. Re paint the prepared ... | |
| block house wood floors | 4/26/2006 |
| Q: I would like to build a block home but would rather have all wood floors instead of poured floors my ... A: Pollie, I would recommend a 20" wide footing using 12" block in the crawl area and transition to 8" ... | |
| Careers | 4/16/2006 |
| Q: My father has been in the residential construction industry for over 20 years. He is a foreman who ... A: Jessica, This is always a tough one. I will provide you with a list of firms I have dealt with over ... | |
| Boulders | 3/26/2006 |
| Q: We just moved into a new house and we have a few large rocks in the back yard. They are embedded in ... A: Scott, You can rent a bobcat that has a jackhammer on it. This would be much faster than a standard ... | |
| INSULATION | 3/10/2006 |
| Q: MY HOUSE IS 5 YEARS OLD WITH A POURED CONCRETE FOUNDATION AND NO SIGNS OF MOISTURE. IT IS A VERY DRY ... A: Carl, Fiberglass batt insulation is preferred to the blue foam. It will typically provide a higher R ... | |
| INSULATION | 3/7/2006 |
| Q: I KNOW WHEN YOU ARE INSULATING WITH BATT INSULATION BETWEEN WOOD STUDS YOU OPEN THE TWO FLAPS AND ... A: Carl, Typically it is just pressure fit. The following statement tells it best; Pressure Fit – No ... | |
| Remodeling | 2/24/2006 |
| Q: Will I get the money back that I would invest in a kitchen remodel if I were to sell in say about ... A: Andy, There are no guarantees. Kitchens and master baths have the best chance of increasing the ... | |
| Home Construction | 1/19/2006 |
| Q: I have a few lots of land in florida. I was looking to build on these lots then sell the homes. ... A: Miguel, Sorry about the slow answer, I was traveling and did not have internet access. There are a ... | |
| steps | 10/14/2005 |
| Q: I have a 90 year old house in Baltimore City and I need new front concrete steps. The area is like ... A: Al, There are many ways to secure the steps without drilling into the brick. A couple ways would be: ... | |
| Sealing new concrete slab | 10/8/2005 |
| Q: On Thursday 10/06/05 the concrete slab was poured for our new basement. My contractor used a 4000 ... A: Randy, Your contractor provided you with an excellent slab. I personally prefer to have the ... | |
| Garage Conversion | 9/11/2005 |
| Q: I have a 3 car garage. I want to convert 1/3 of it to a bedroom for my mom. It has a separate garage ... A: Chris, The cost will vary somewhat by area and exterior materials but you can figure between 12 and ... | |
| Grancrete | 8/26/2005 |
| Q: I wanted your opinion on whether a new “Grancrete” housing construction method could be used to ... A: Brison, I would think if you have approval for the product from testing agencies and it is accepted ... | |
| Basement waterproofing | 7/15/2005 |
| Q: I am in the process of building a new home that will have an underground basement. I have a great ... A: Randy, You are correct in your assumption that your basement is being damp proofed. I have used ... | |
| Bidding on painting jobs | 6/30/2005 |
| Q: I am the sole proprietor of a small painting co. Commercial/residential, interior/exterior, mostly ... A: William, Sorry it took so long to answer, I was traveling. I think there is always a market for a ... | |
| How to drywall over a door or window | 5/30/2005 |
| Q: Mr. Hughes, I have a bet with someone over how to hang Sheetrock over a working door or window. ... A: Johnny, Typically the hangers just hang as it falls, without much thought about where the break will ... | |
| Type of foundation for Log Home | 3/30/2005 |
| Q: Michael, Thanks for your time. I'm building a log home in Southern Colorado at elevation 8000 ft. ... A: Doug, You really require the help of a local Engineering firm to design a foundation that will be ... | |
| Foundations | 3/28/2005 |
| Q: I am doing a project on the advantages and disadvantages of different types of foundations and was ... A: Michael, As far as I am concerned a poured concrete foundation is far superior to masonry for many ... | |
| Panel Homes | 3/14/2005 |
| Q: Do you know about what percentage of cost I could save if I stick built my own house from scratch ... A: Brad, I think you will spend about 15-18% more however; when you factor in waste and pilferage you ... | |
| Zoning and Waste water question | 2/21/2005 |
| Q: I'd appreciate your advice. ZoningWhat are the normal zoning requirements to build condominiums, ... A: Brad, Most jurisdictions will zone property with a specific density allowance such as 4 unit per ... | |
| House estimate | 2/10/2005 |
| Q: I bought an RS Means Building Construction Cost data book to help me estimate housing construction ... A: Stewart, You can measure the length of all your walls and divide the total by 1 stud for every 1 ... | |
| Sound Dampening | 2/7/2005 |
| Q: I have a large enclosed courtyard at my home which is situated on a fairly busy street The entire ... A: Joel, This is not an issue I am well versed in but I will try to point you in the right direction. ... | |
| Attic Insulation | 1/26/2005 |
| Q: ------------------------- I have end vents, facia vents, and an exhaust fan. No ridge vents. The ... A: Richard, You are correct. Your venting system will negate doing the rafters. You could build a wall ... | |
| Attic Insulation | 1/26/2005 |
| Q: I live in Myrtle Beach, SC and have a question about adding insulation in my attic. I just finished ... A: Richard, More insulation always helps the utility bills. If you put plywood on top of the floor ... | |
| wood trim into concrete | 1/24/2005 |
| Q: I have a question about the wood piece that covers where the wood floor of one room and the carpet ... A: I think you can use the screws ,however, you should countersink them and cover them with wood ... | |
| bstewart@mail.com | 1/21/2005 |
| Q: Also do you know where I can find normal hourly rates for the various construction workers, ie ... A: You can figure it out from the Davis Bacon wage scale for your area. These wages are comparable to ... | |
| bstewart@mail.com | 1/21/2005 |
| Q: I am trying to write a paper about house construction. Could you please give me your estimate of the ... A: I think you would find that in most areas the breakdown would be: Land 25% Sticks and Bricks 50% ... | |
| Contractor Problems | 1/20/2005 |
| Q: We are currently in the process of having a new home built in Central Arkansas. We are having ... A: Billy, This is the kind of thing that gives home builders a bad name. I would contact an attorney ... | |
| careers | 1/18/2005 |
| Q: Good afternoon!! My name is Brady and I am a student in Michigan. We are researching careers and I ... A: Brady, Take as many math courses as you can in high school and get into a Construction Management ... | |
| Contract default? | 1/2/2005 |
| Q: ------------------------- Hi there and thank you for your response. We owe him WAY more than would ... A: Vivian, You have already done "the right thing" by being as patient as you have. You need to write ... | |
| Contract default? | 1/2/2005 |
| Q: and happy new year! We had an addition put on our home - construction began in June 2003. It was ... A: Do you owe him enough to finish the job? If you do I would suggest writing your contractor a letter ... | |
| Cheapest Construction Materials | 11/16/2004 |
| Q: We are trying to start a home builder's COOP where a group of local men get together on week ends to ... A: I have found that homes constructed with concrete walls cost more not less than conventional ... | |
| 4ft Crawl Space to full basement | 11/6/2004 |
| Q: we just bought our first house and hate that it only has a 4ft crawl space - how big and how ... A: Denise, You actually do have the choice to raise or excavate. I would think the price would be about ... | |
| 4ft Crawl Space to full basement | 11/5/2004 |
| Q: we just bought our first house and hate that it only has a 4ft crawl space - how big and how ... A: Denise, Wow, now there is a question that could vary by 10's of thousands of dollars. Before I ... | |
| Grading | 10/7/2004 |
| Q: Our home is in it's final phases of construction. Now they have began grading the land. What is ... A: The dirt should be at least 4" and preferably 8" below the window so you do not get water ... | |
| Flat roof products | 9/2/2004 |
| Q: I need a "permanent" flat roof product to replace some aging dormer windows, and have looked into a ... A: Either product is an acceptable solution. It is somewhat surprising that the fiberglass is less ... | |
| Basement Concrete & Water under windows | 8/30/2004 |
| Q: We are currently having a house built. We have noticed a few cracks already forming in our basement ... A: The cracks in the concrete slab are not significant unless there is displacement (one side of the ... | |
| Land build-up | 6/6/2004 |
| Q: Is it wise to build where the soil has been build up, or does this type of land tend to have ... A: I now clearly understand your situation.The filling of this area under the supervision of an ... | |
| Land build-up | 6/6/2004 |
| Q: We are interested in building a home but finding there isn't a whole lot of land for sale in our ... A: Building on fill lots is absolutely acceptable as long as the soil is placed under the supervision ... | |
| crack in foundation | 3/15/2004 |
| Q: We are adding onto our home by adding another garage and a sunroom over it. We just noticed that ... A: A crack in the foundtion as small as you describe is typically not a problem. If the wall is not ... | |
| What size lumber for wall studs | 3/13/2004 |
| Q: We're building a cottage in Michigan (SW corner, but gets cold and lots of snow off Lake Michigan in ... A: I would personally use 2x6 studs and R-19 insulation. I would also use no less than R-38 in the ... | |
| Flat roof | 1/27/2004 |
| Q: I plan to build a house in Southern Utah, elevation 5800 feet, and like the design of a flat roofed ... A: I can not help much on the cost as I have not done many flat roof homes and none in your area of the ... | |
| Building a house | 1/23/2004 |
| Q: We are planning on building a new house and right now we're getting prices back from builders. They ... A: The standard backup for a heat pump is electric resistance heat in the air handler. LP is a nice ... | |
Construction & Contractors
Answers by Expert:
Michael Hughes
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Any question involving home building.
Experience
I have been an executive in the homebuilding industry for 20+ years
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