| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| stairwell door | 1/2/2009 |
Q: Mr. Major, I've searched for months trying to find a way to close our 2nd story staircase. We ...
A: Karen, You are dealing with a number of design issues here. Without seeing your site I can't say ...
|
| 1920's basement | 9/26/2007 |
Q: I am looking to purchase a home that was originally built in the 1920's. the entire house was ...
A: Rebecca, The best and most sound option is to pour a concrete floor in the basement, then proceed ...
|
| basement insulation | 9/9/2007 |
Q: 1) I only have one wall the faces the exterior. The other walls are all interior (i am in interior ...
A: John, 1) You will get little benefit from insulating solid concrete interior walls. I would skip ...
|
| Water Treatment | 9/8/2007 |
Q: Major, I live in a suburb in NY state. I have a 1.5 bath home with 2 people residing. I have hard ...
A: John, A pH (acidity) of 6.5 is not a real worry.It's only 0.5 less than 7 (neutral). However, ...
|
| tension beam | 9/6/2007 |
Q: I have a house built in 1900 and has one entrance to the second floor bedrooms and it is like 5'1'' ...
A: Alex, Unfortunately this is a difficult question to answer without seeing the site or at least ...
|
| Angle cuts for rafters | 9/5/2007 |
Q: I need to make an angle cut on rafters for a wood shed. The front 2x6 in which I will be nailing the ...
A: Chris, I believe that this is an easy cut, but unfortunately I can't envision the layout from your ...
|
| removing old tile off drywall above bathroom vanity counter | 8/31/2007 |
Q: I am replacing the vanity top in my bathroom. On the wall there is 8'' x 4'' tiles which are ...
A: Jeff, You would be quite lucky to remove the tiles without damaging the drywall. The tiles could ...
|
| venetian plaster | 8/29/2007 |
Q: I work as a homeowner adjuster for an insurance company. I have a claim right now where the customer ...
A: Peter, I believe that the removal by scraping may be very difficult. However, every job is ...
|
| venetian plaster | 8/28/2007 |
Q: I work as a homeowner adjuster for an insurance company. I have a claim right now where the customer ...
A: Peter, True Venetian plaster is applied by skilled tradespeople. It is possible that you can find ...
|
| Pier and Beam | 8/25/2007 |
Q: I am thinking of building a 48 by 36 pier and beam wood framed house. My question is how many piers ...
A: Mark, The number (and spacing) of piers is completely dependent on the size and material of the ...
|
| Load bearing wall in bi-level house | 8/21/2007 |
Q: I would like to remove the load bearing wall in a typical 1970s bi-level house ino order to open up ...
A: Tiffany, First of all, be sure that the wall is load bearing. If there is only a roof above and ...
|
| split level or two-story | 8/19/2007 |
Q: I recently bought a house that needs a lot of fix-up to flip it and make some money. It was ...
A: Shawn, You don't explain why the house is non conforming. Are you referring to building codes? ...
|
| insulation problems associated with plaster & lathe | 8/17/2007 |
Q: I'm considering buying an 1870's built home with plaster & lathe walls. I live in upstate ny, where ...
A: Roberta, Proper insulation is important, but keep in mind that the house has stood and has been ...
|
| Insulating old attic | 8/16/2007 |
Q: We bought a 90 year old house a year ago and have been making improvements since. We are ready to ...
A: David, I would increase the rafter depth by installing 2x2 furring along each one. This will make ...
|
| removing wallpaper from drywall | 8/12/2007 |
Q: I am in the process of remodeling a small bathroom, and to begin with I am trying to remove the ...
A: Angela, I recommend taht you stop what you are doing and obtain proper stripping equipment. You ...
|
| Siding | 8/7/2007 |
Q: I live in Buffalo, NY. My house has old MBF (that pressed cardboard stuff) on it right now. It's ...
A: Kris, Installing vinyl siding over Masonite-type siding is VERY commonplace. This fibrous material ...
|
| Hollow column | 8/1/2007 |
Q: I recently moved into a townhouse and when installing hardwood flooring, one of the columns was ...
A: Tom, Many load bearing columns are hollow, of wood, metal, polymer, and other materials. With ...
|
| Window above tub/shower | 7/31/2007 |
Q: We recently added a shower and surround to the existing tub but what do we do with the existing ...
A: Shane, We normally replace wood windows and wood window components with all-vinyl windows ...
|
| hardwood floors | 7/31/2007 |
Q: When I start laying hardwood flooring do I have to face nail the first strip of flooring? Can I ...
A: Bob, It is commonplace to face-nail the first strip at/near the groove edge. The nails are ...
|
| broken shower downspout | 7/16/2007 |
Q: The downspout for my showerhead broke inside the wall, leaving a 1/2 (approx) piece of pipe stuck in ...
A: Les, This is a tough job. I have done this by using a narrow hacksaw-type blade and cutting a ...
|
| Slow leak from upstairs sink damaging basement ceiling, also previous smoker in house.. | 7/14/2007 |
Q: but we're far in over our head (in western Canada) and I'm very much hoping you can help or point me ...
A: Nick, For the leak, If the water is coming from above then you may have mold inside of the ceiling ...
|
| Ceiling HELP | 7/14/2007 |
Q: Okay here is the issue. I just purchased a home. It was started in 1989. It a three story home, ...
A: Terry, I can't really say from your description what the material is that you want to remove. Have ...
|
| installation of viking disposer on 18 gauge stainless steel sink | 7/10/2007 |
Q: I am replacing our double kitchen sink with a Kohler 18 gauge stainless steel kitchen sink. I need ...
A: David, This is a very high quality sink; we typically recommend 18 ga for heavy duty disposal use. ...
|
| Changing the texture on my drywall | 7/10/2007 |
Q: I currently have a knockdown finish on my drywall throughout my house. I would like to change this ...
A: Charlie, If the knock-down is painted, which is almost certainly is, it is very difficult to sand ...
|
| Replacing wood | 7/9/2007 |
Q: I have seen a show about Azek which is a fake wood that performs like wood. I want to know if there ...
A: Diana, The choice of a wood substitute depends on where and how the wood will be used. There are ...
|
| Garage Shelves | 7/8/2007 |
Q: I would like to build shelves in my finished garage that hang on the wall starting above the hood ...
A: Brad, I recommend two methods, your choice. You can construct a plywood case (basically a large ...
|
| Brick mortar Repair | 7/8/2007 |
Q: How do I replace missing mortar between bricks, without getting mortar on the bricks?
A: Patrick, This is called re-pointing, and is a pretty common task in brick construction. The real ...
|
| Ceramic Floor Tiling | 7/7/2007 |
Q: I am tiling the floor of a newly built sunroom for a friend. I have tiled before also on new room or ...
A: Kristin, For floor applications it is pretty much essential to bond the cement board to the ...
|
| Exterior slate application on concrete block | 7/7/2007 |
Q: I live in a Brooklyn rowhouse on the basement & parlor floor levels. My backyard has been ...
A: Jim, Please send along photos to info@majordesigngroup.com A couple of things: A wet saw is ...
|
| ceramic tile | 7/7/2007 |
Q: I am redoing my bathroom. It is small 6x5. It has linoleum over a base board. Must I remove it ...
A: Laura, You don't need to remove it, but you do need to install a cementitious tile backer board ...
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| Basement bathroom installation | 7/7/2007 |
Q: We have a three year old house with a builder installed rough-in for a full bath in our daylight ...
A: Being so close to Cincinnati (a metropolitan area) your local municipality may require licensed ...
|
| Vinyl Siding | 7/6/2007 |
Q: About 2 years ago I put in steps leading to my back door. I did not realize they stripped off the ...
A: Josh, You should cover the exposed area with a fitted board (cedar or pressure-treated) or with ...
|
| screen pool enclosure | 7/6/2007 |
Q: I have a typical aluminum screen pool enclosure in Florida. I hate the look and would like to redo ...
A: Nita, You may be talking about a different product. Trex is a composite decking and railing ...
|
| Basement bathroom installation | 7/6/2007 |
Q: We have a three year old house with a builder installed rough-in for a full bath in our daylight ...
A: Brad, Unfortunately I can't give you a full lesson in basement finishing in this forum, but I'll ...
|
| siding | 7/4/2007 |
Q: I have a garage with vinyl siding being applied. The first course was begun a few inches higher ...
A: Jay, You will likely never be able to install a corner post correctly with the siding in place, ...
|
| remodel-lath and plaster | 7/4/2007 |
Q: my husband and I have put an offer on a 1935 1 and a half story craftsman style house. it has lath ...
A: Kelli, If you are going to live in the house for a while and want to enjoy it, then it is best to ...
|
| ceiling -nails coming through drywall | 7/3/2007 |
Q: We have a 7 year old home and in some of the rooms the nails are popping through the drywall. The ...
A: Tammy, Cracks and nail pops always occur in newer houses, once they go through a couple of ...
|
| mobile home I want to tape and tecture | 7/2/2007 |
Q: Want to remove strips and tecture walls...can you tell me how?
A: Donna, You don't say what your walls are made of or if they are covered with any type of finish ...
|
| Removing a Jalousie Window | 7/2/2007 |
Q: I have a Jalousie window in a steel frame. The exterior wall is Block w/stucco. And the wall has ...
A: Richard, You need to remove the capping in order to remove the window. I assume the capping is ...
|
| wet crawl space | 6/30/2007 |
Q: For the first time in our lives we live in a house that has a crawl space instead of a basement. We ...
A: Grace, Crawl spaces do well in some locations and climates, but not so well in others. Southern DE ...
|
| Poppimg Noise In Ceilings | 6/30/2007 |
Q: It seems I have been blessed with a “popping” sound coming from the ceilings in our home in the ...
A: John, If you have access to a framing nail gun, then this is the easiest method: two coated 12d ...
|
| Wainscoting vs. tile in bathroom | 6/29/2007 |
Q: We just bought a house built in 1958, recently "updated" by the owner to include unpainted (it seems ...
A: Chris, You will end up with a much better looking wall if you skim coat all damaged portions prior ...
|
| brick wall opening | 6/28/2007 |
Q: I cut the opening in the basement wall to install windows.The windows size is 74" wide x 65"high.I ...
A: Tony, If the beam is supporting one floor and a roof, the triple 2x8 may be enough. It all depends ...
|
| Poppimg Noise In Ceilings | 6/28/2007 |
Q: It seems I have been blessed with a “popping” sound coming from the ceilings in our home in the ...
A: John, One more thing: If you haven't already done this, you should go in the attic with a ...
|
| Replace Brick Wall with beam | 6/28/2007 |
Q: Good Morning, I am removing a brick wall on the first floor of a two story rowhome and spanning the ...
A: Mike, I can't fully envision the situation without seeing photos, but you are on the right track ...
|
| sun damage to pine panneling | 6/28/2007 |
Q: I am getting ready to sell my home, which has beautiful natural pine panneling. I have been taking ...
A: Jennifer, Unfortunately this can only be remedied by time. Short of painting or some kind of ...
|
| Entrance Door modification | 6/27/2007 |
Q: I have double entrance doors that are solid wood which allows no light into the foyer. I would like ...
A: Donna, Most door distributors sell glass kits that are made to be installed into solid doors. They ...
|
| Second story addition | 6/27/2007 |
Q: Will a 1928 wood one story bungalow style house with a pitched roof built over a crawl space ...
A: Cindy, In general, most foundations will easily support the load from another floor being added. ...
|
| Tiling | 6/26/2007 |
Q: I'm tiling my shower surround. I was wondering if you can tile right over sheetrock or do I need to ...
A: Jeff, Tile-over-drywall showers will generally fail because of water infiltration. You are much ...
|
| hardwood floors | 6/23/2007 |
Q: If I run my boards in one direction then stop with my vertical boards and run horizonal, how do I ...
A: Bob, I assume that you are describing standard strip flooring, joined by tongue and groove. If ...
|
| Shower enclosures | 6/22/2007 |
Q: I am in process of remodeling my bathroom and intend to install a frameless shower door. The shower ...
A: Judi, We typically install shower heads at 6'-4" to the discharge point. This is much more ...
|
| Flooring | 6/20/2007 |
Q: When installing hardwood flooring, what do I do when I come close to my stairs going down to the ...
A: Bob, If you are installing new stairs, then it is generally easier to install the flooring first, ...
|
| Painting wood paneling | 6/20/2007 |
Q: I am anxious to sell my house and move and the wood paneling is so ugly and outdated so I decided to ...
A: Regina, I recommend that you use two rollers. Get a 3" roller (professional type) with a 1/2" or ...
|
| joint compound cracks | 6/19/2007 |
Q: To give you a little more info on my project for any possible future questions, I am in the process ...
A: Chad, Corner bead is one of the most difficult skills to master, in the drywall world. First, it ...
|
| wood deck material | 6/19/2007 |
Q: I am going to replace an old deck and I had a deck builder tell me he only would use cedar ...
A: Keith, At a minimum you should use pressure-treated (PT) for any material that will be in contact ...
|
| Brick Repair | 6/13/2007 |
Q: My Son just bought a 120 year old home. In the 50's the original owners wanted a new look, so they ...
A: Margie, That depends on what is making it dirty. In most cases, pressure washing is very ...
|
| ugly wood paneling | 6/13/2007 |
Q: We bought our 1970's house a few years ago and it has hideous wood paneling throughout. We painted ...
A: Leslie, The mud method will probably not work over the long term, since the paneling will expand ...
|
| Brick Repair | 6/13/2007 |
Q: My Son just bought a 120 year old home. In the 50's the original owners wanted a new look, so they ...
A: Margie, If the nails are in the mortar, then you can either pull them or cut them off, then repoint ...
|
| Leaking basment | 6/13/2007 |
Q: My house is 8 years old and my basment was finished two years ago. My husband noticed the tile was ...
A: Lisa, Your basement has serious water problems. Don't make the mistake of trying to fix it with as ...
|
| Gas line for natural gas grill | 6/12/2007 |
Q: What type of gas line should be used for underground natural gas applications? I installed the black ...
A: Marc, There are very specific types of natural gas piping for use underground or in concrete. ...
|
| Window sash stop (?) repair | 6/12/2007 |
Q: Some of these windows do not stay open since the plastic stop on both sides of the vinyl single hung ...
A: Cyndi, If an integral part of the window unit is breaking, then repair may be difficult. I can't ...
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| Gas Line for Gas Grill | 6/12/2007 |
Q: Am in process of rebuilding outdoor kitchen, and came across this which got me to questioning. I ...
A: Marc, Visit this site. They give instructions for making a simple and inexpensive manometer. ...
|
| I-Beam Support Posts | 6/11/2007 |
Q: Question - I have a colonial style home with an I-Beam (30 ft. no breaks) running down the center of ...
A: Tony, Your plan should work. An issue would be if the post you are moving is purposely located ...
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| installing vinyl windows | 6/11/2007 |
Q: I live in Louisiana and was affected by Hurricane Katrina.I was able to purchase a home that ...
A: Stacey, Replacing windows is all about fit, correct measuring, and knowing exactly how the window ...
|
| steamroom | 6/10/2007 |
Q: do I need to install vapor barrier to walls and ceiling to a steamroom. Also can you double up on ...
A: Andrew, Removing grout is a difficult and tedious job. It is typically done by hand with a ...
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| steamroom | 6/10/2007 |
Q: do I need to install vapor barrier to walls and ceiling to a steamroom. Also can you double up on ...
A: Andrew, You can get whole house boosters or point-of-use booster pumps. Grundfos is the ...
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| steamroom | 6/9/2007 |
Q: do I need to install vapor barrier to walls and ceiling to a steamroom. Also can you double up on ...
A: Andrew, Nearly all commonly sold thinset is modified today. All this means is that is contains a ...
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| installing a drop ceiling with brick fireplace on outside wall | 6/9/2007 |
Q: I am installing a drop ceiling and I am putting the wall angles on the outside walls. The problem ...
A: Chad, Unless the ceiling layout logically dictates that a main tee fall right at the fireplace, you ...
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| steamroom | 6/9/2007 |
Q: do I need to install vapor barrier to walls and ceiling to a steamroom. Also can you double up on ...
A: Andrew, I would install 30 pound felt paper over the studs as a vapor barrier. Lap the horizontal ...
|
| insulation | 6/8/2007 |
Q: I am closing in a porch. I want to use ceramic tile for the floor. The existing floor is a concrete ...
A: Connie, A concrete slab (if in good condition) is a very good base for ceramic tile. It is very ...
|
| tub surround | 6/8/2007 |
Q: We moved a wall in our bathroom and putting in a new tub with an attached surround. Do we need to ...
A: Lisa, If the surround is attached to the tub, then is is structural and does not need drywall ...
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| Replace Garage door with double walk through door | 6/6/2007 |
Q: I have a free standing 20 by 40 foot workshop with unfinished interior. It has a single car garage ...
A: Bob, If you plan to use a manufactured pre-hung atrium door, then it will come with a ...
|
| new roof/vinyl siding | 6/5/2007 |
Q: I am building a roof over my front concrete porch, and after completion will have vinyl siding ...
A: Steve, You don't need to hang the plywood over at all, or at most 1/8". I assume that you will be ...
|
| exterior door replace in basement | 6/5/2007 |
Q: I am in the process of re-finishing my basement. The previous dry-wall and framing had to be ...
A: Jack, From your description, the thickness of the concrete wall will have no bearing on the door ...
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| exterior door replace in basement | 6/5/2007 |
Q: I am in the process of re-finishing my basement. The previous dry-wall and framing had to be ...
A: Jack, You should purchase a standard inswing pre-hung insulated steel exterior door unit for this. ...
|
| faux exterior window | 6/5/2007 |
Q: We are in the process of buying a new house that has a rather plain exterior, especially the large ...
A: Erin, You can surface-mount a vinyl storm window in this application. They are quite thin (1.5") ...
|
| Bathroom exhaust vent | 6/4/2007 |
Q: I'm putting in a fan to finish off the basement bathroom. There are limited places to run the ...
A: Pat, You need to determine what that ledger is really supporting. An 8" (assumed round) hole seems ...
|
| Leaking Window Vs. Child with Leukemia | 6/3/2007 |
Q: We have a badly constructed wall that leaks water into the house when it rains. My guess is that ...
A: Avi, Your best solution is to call the contractor who did the stucco and window work and ask if ...
|
| Sump pump and block windows | 6/2/2007 |
Q: I have a sump pump below a block window in my basement. Are you aware of any product that would fit ...
A: Rob, I picked up this question from the question pool. It's unclear - are you referring to a glass ...
|
| creosote | 5/31/2007 |
Q: I read a responce of yours dealing with a guy who wanted alternatives to creosote. I don't have ...
A: Aaron, I'm under the impression that creosote is a regulated product and not available to the ...
|
| vinyl siding | 5/30/2007 |
Q: We have vinyl siding on our house and have had some electricl box moved and updated. Anyway when ...
A: Lisa, The best way to do this is to patch in with long pieces of siding (6'plus). You will need to ...
|
| Remove Z-Brick from Plaster Walls | 5/30/2007 |
Q: I understand the best way to remove z-brick and mortar from plaster wall is with a 2-3 inch steel ...
A: Jed, I assume that you have tried the hammer and chisel technique. It is the most reliable method. ...
|
| Repair drywall vs. replace | 5/27/2007 |
Q: We recently purchased an older home (c. 1925) in Northern New Jersey and have spent the last month ...
A: Terri, I've done this both ways. The problem with skim-coating over defaced drywall is that you ...
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| renovation - dyrwall around rock fireplace | 5/27/2007 |
Q: We have removed old wood finished walls and are replacing with drywall. We have a rock fireplace ...
A: Linda, Not a problem. I've done this quite a number of times. The procedure is difficult to ...
|
| flat roof balcony | 5/25/2007 |
Q: I have a structure where the front porch roof also serves as the second story railed flat roofed ...
A: Lisa, This does sound high for a simple rubber roof. You should call around and get another price. ...
|
| PATIO REMOVAL | 5/25/2007 |
Q: I have a 5x10 cement paio im wanting to remove as cheap as possible. It is 6inches thick and poured ...
A: Rob, A sledge hammer can work, but if the concrete is of good quality and/or reinforced, you are ...
|
| curved coving | 5/25/2007 |
Q: do you know where I can buy a curved coving kit ( a rubber mould where I cna pour plaster into ) or ...
A: Steve, I prefer to use a product called "FlexTrim" when installing curved moldings. Their website ...
|
| Replaement windows | 5/24/2007 |
Q: We want to install replacement windows in our home. We have a 1950 Cape with the original sash ...
A: Rocky, There are several types of replacement windows on the market. I need a little more ...
|
| Installing a new banister | 5/20/2007 |
Q: My wife and I are tired of our old metal banister so we are wanting to replace it with a new wooden ...
A: Levi, Thanks for sending the photos. Installing a wooden stair balustrade is a fairly advanced ...
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| Putting drywall over a Lathe & Plater Ceiling | 5/20/2007 |
Q: We have a 1890 house and the lathe and plaster ceiling in the living room is starting to pull away ...
A: Dave, In fact, you can go either way. Removing the plaster and possibly the lath (if needed) is ...
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| flat roof balcony | 5/20/2007 |
Q: I have a structure where the front porch roof also serves as the second story railed flat roofed ...
A: Lisa, I would use a standard roofing product called EPDM rubber. A local roofing contractor can ...
|
| broken stairs | 5/18/2007 |
Q: I am currently in a rental house while my new house is being completed. The rental house was built ...
A: Marsha, Quite a coincidence that "Marsha" is back living in the Brady Bunch house. I really need ...
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| mosaic tile over faux brick? | 5/18/2007 |
Q: We are remodeling our 1970s kitchen and want to install 1" mosaic tiles for the backsplash. The ...
A: David, From your description you have uncovered a layer of black mastic, a troweled adhesive for ...
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| mosaic tile over faux brick? | 5/17/2007 |
Q: We are remodeling our 1970s kitchen and want to install 1" mosaic tiles for the backsplash. The ...
A: David, I think you should first find out what you have, for sure. Bricks formed as part of the ...
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| roofing and vinyl siding | 5/16/2007 |
Q: We recently had a new roof put on our house as well as vinyl siding. However, there are two large ...
A: Sandy, This comes down to a matter of how your contract was written. If the contractor spelled out ...
|
| fume-proofing a garage | 5/15/2007 |
Q: I have an in-house garage. This garage will be semi-heated but during the winter may be 6-10 degrees ...
A: Ken, Tyvek is an acceptable air-infiltration barrier on the walls in this type of situation ...
|
| insulation | 5/15/2007 |
Q: I have a 2 story home. My roof suffers from rapid snow melt and ice jams. There are 2 uninsulated ...
A: Earl, You need to accomplish two things to solve this problem: (1) stop excess heat from moving ...
|
| piece of gutter/downspout stuck in pipe-hole | 5/14/2007 |
Q: I was working on my gutters and downspouts when a 2 ft section fell down into the plactic pipe that ...
A: Greg, Great idea, with the wavy cut. Wish I had thought of it. Glad to hear that you were able to ...
|
| Window screens to reduce heating inside of home. | 5/12/2007 |
Q: My question is about the approaching summer heat here in Atlanta and ways to keep my house cool. Is ...
A: Chip, How you deal with this problem depends on your budget and how much you are willing to change ...
|
| Creosote | 5/10/2007 |
Q: What modern substance can be used to protect wood like good old Creosote? The 100 year old 5x5 porch ...
A: Ed, There are modern alternatives to creosote. A good paint store will sell penetrating wood ...
|
| putting up trim | 5/10/2007 |
Q: I'm putting up interior trim around doors, but the frames of the doors are not flush with the ...
A: Valerie, In this case you will probably want to scribe the casing. It is very time consuming, ...
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| putting up trim | 5/10/2007 |
Q: I'm putting up interior trim around doors, but the frames of the doors are not flush with the ...
A: Valerie, This is a common problem especially when the doubled studs around the door's rough opening ...
|
| window glazing | 5/9/2007 |
Q: My husband and I are reglazing the exterior of wooden windows at our home. We have primed, glazed, ...
A: Follow up, I realized after answering this that I didn't address your actual question - what to do. ...
|
| stress crack in brick above crawlspace | 5/9/2007 |
Q: I just purchased a 50 yr old brick 1 story in Boise, Idaho. There is a stress crack in the brick on ...
A: Kathy, The best way to support that opening is with a steel lintel. A lintel is length of angle ...
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| Double Gate for a Driveway | 5/8/2007 |
Q: Major. I'm in the process of building a double gate for my driveway. Each gate measures ...
A: ALSO, if you want you can send along some photos of your completed project to my e-mail ...
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| Double Gate for a Driveway | 5/8/2007 |
Q: Major. I'm in the process of building a double gate for my driveway. Each gate measures ...
A: Shawn, The gates you describe will exert considerable force on the posts and on their own ...
|
| Siding over foundation? | 5/7/2007 |
Q: I'm located in Cincinnati, Ohio. I recently had a walk-out basement installed on my house. The lot ...
A: Andrew, I answered this question just a minute ago. You might have submitted you question in ...
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| Using a roller or brush to "fog coat" Stucco | 5/5/2007 |
Q: I would like to recoat my stucco home. It has never been painted. I have heard of "fog coating" ...
A: Roy, Fog coating can be applied with a roller, and I suppose a brush if you really need to. ...
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| Bath tub in a mobile home | 5/5/2007 |
Q: Is there anything I can do with my bathtub walls? Could I tile it or do anything to it? ANSWER: ...
A: Donna, If your walls are part of a one-piece tub unit, you could contact a company that provides ...
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| size of HVAC system | 5/3/2007 |
Q: Our HVAC system went out last summer and in a rush we had a new one put in without shopping around. ...
A: Kristi, This is a fairly straightforward engineering problem. I will need a few critical pieces of ...
|
| Fence stain | 5/2/2007 |
Q: I live in central OK I recently had a new cedar fence installed. A painter offered to seal the ...
A: Jo, There are a variety of finish removers for outdoor wood, but if the fence is of any size at all ...
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| Removing or deactivating live wires | 4/30/2007 |
Q: At my house we recently removed our door bell ringer, but now we are left with the two wires just ...
A: Conor, Door bell circuits are almost always low voltage (6-12 volts) thus are not a safety hazard. ...
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| Reinforcing Wobbly Newel Posts | 4/27/2007 |
Q: I need advise on Reinforcing Wobbly Newel Posts at my new home. The bottom post appears to be hollow ...
A: James, Toe-nailed newel posts can be a nuisance. You don't say whether the post rests on the 1st ...
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| Garage Light | 4/26/2007 |
Q: My garage door light no longer comes on when the garage opens or when I push the garage door light. ...
A: Tina, Regular light bulbs often fail in garage door openers because of vibration caused by the ...
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| timber floor renovation | 4/25/2007 |
Q: We have moved into a 1950s wood siding house and are in the process of removing a 20 year old ...
A: Judy, Unfortunately, the tannins in oak are highly reactive with urine, etc., and these stains can ...
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| Grout on shower floor | 4/21/2007 |
Q: I have a problem with grout stains on my shower floor. It was a new bathroom when I bought the house ...
A: Francis, Have you tried a strong Clorox solution? Try half water, half Clorox bleach. Be careful ...
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| newly poured garage floor cracking | 4/20/2007 |
Q: We had a detached garage (24x30) built last November in Springfield, Illinois. Ther eis already a ...
A: Mary, I don't know what type of foundation your new garage has. Since it is detached, it is ...
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| Grout on shower floor | 4/20/2007 |
Q: I have a problem with grout stains on my shower floor. It was a new bathroom when I bought the house ...
A: Francis, Can you tell me the color of the staining? This will help in choosing the proper cleaner. ...
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| Outdoor Grill Island | 4/18/2007 |
Q: I need some opinions on countertops for my grill island - I have a few choices, but am not sure of ...
A: Marc, A few thoughts: Slate can certainly be sealed against water and grease absorption. There ...
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| First time homeowner, many questions | 4/17/2007 |
Q: My husband and I are in the process of purchasing a 1916 ranch home (with unfinished attic and ...
A: Pamela, I know what you are going through and I sympathize. I would like to give you some advice, ...
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| Residential HVAC | 4/17/2007 |
Q: "I am in the process of getting bids for a residential central A/C system. Currently leaning toward ...
A: Bev, I assume that this is a new home under construction and you are installing new ductwork. In ...
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| Water in basement | 4/16/2007 |
Q: What is available to remove about 1/4" or 3/16" of water from my basement? Someone suggested a ...
A: Ted, Use a wet-dry vac with a squeegee head in combination with a dehumidifier. The vac will get ...
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| masonary screws | 4/15/2007 |
Q: I'm attaching drywall to a brick wall.Do I need to predrill the holes before screwing in the ...
A: Todd, Use Tapcon screws, or equal. These come with a precision-sized carbide-tipped drill bit for ...
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| Knotty Pine Paneling | 4/15/2007 |
Q: My home is 50+ years old. The walls in the living room, hallway and den are knotty pine tongue and ...
A: Rose, Great question. There's a lot of square feet of that stuff installed all over the country. ...
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| vinyl floor removal from concrete | 4/15/2007 |
Q: i am trying to remove vinyl from a concrete floor. i have already removed most of the covering with ...
A: ew, This type of work is rarely easy. Asbestos removal contractors who do this work routinely use ...
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| Nails | 4/14/2007 |
Q: Carl; I was wondering if you may know how to remove nails from cement? They are in the floor of a ...
A: Sherry, This can be difficult, especially if the nails were driven with a powder-actuated tool. ...
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| repair of board and batten siding | 4/12/2007 |
Q: We have a small amount of wood rot that affects quite a few of the panels of our siding, and I'm ...
A: Linda, One method is to cut off the rotted siding and replace it with the same new material. The ...
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| bathroom | 4/10/2007 |
Q: I`ve started putting another shower base I`m having trouble getting it level in the front. I`ve ...
A: John, Mix up a stiff batch of thinset mortar (latex fortified) avialiable from tile dealers. Embed ...
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| chair rail height | 3/25/2007 |
Q: I'm planning on installing a chair rail in my son's room. is there a specific height for this or is ...
A: Jack, If the rail is decorative only (i.e. chairs won't be sliding into it) then the height is at ...
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| adhesives | 3/24/2007 |
Q: Mr. Moore, I am attempting to replace the ceiling in a pop-up camper, I have removed the old ceiling ...
A: Frank, The easiest method is PL-300, a foam-compatible adhesive in caulk-gun form. You will need ...
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