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Home Improvement--General/Questions Answered by Expert Steve Young
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Hardwood floor meet exterior door | 2/1/2012 |
| Q: Steve, I'm preparing to install a hardwood floor and have a patio door that has one hinged door ... A: You have a very unusual setup at that door. I have never seen it. I would think that you need to ... | |
| Hardwood Floor | 2/1/2012 |
| Q: I am preparing to install a maple hardwood floor that will cover several rooms without any breaks, ... A: OK, but I would still staple the parquet if it was my floor. As far as where to start that's a ... | |
| Hardwood floor meet exterior door | 2/1/2012 |
| Q: Steve, I'm preparing to install a hardwood floor and have a patio door that has one hinged door ... A: Is this the same Ron that I am answering a hardwood floor question floor? If so, it's OK but we ... | |
| Shower Leak | 2/1/2012 |
| Q: A water pipe leading to my shower is leaking, and this pipe is behind a plaster wall. I've removed ... A: I can't finish your answer until tomorrow (Wed) night or Thursday, depending on how things go ... | |
| Hardwood Floor | 1/31/2012 |
| Q: I am preparing to install a maple hardwood floor that will cover several rooms without any breaks, ... A: How are you going to secure your floor? Nail, float or glue? The reason I am asking is that I would ... | |
| windows | 1/31/2012 |
| Q: We are remodeling the bathroom in our 110 year old row house in the Capitol Hill area of Washington ... A: I would, and have done, the glass block many times and I have found ways to control the problems ... | |
| Showe Leak | 1/30/2012 |
| Q: A water pipe leading to my shower is leaking, and this pipe is behind a plaster wall. I've removed ... A: Your question was in our answer pool - this usually means the expert either doesn't have an answer ... | |
| Bathroom Remodel | 1/29/2012 |
| Q: I'm currently in the middle of a complete gut/bathroom remodel with a contractor/friend doing the ... A: Your question was in our question pool which means whoever you originally sent it to couldn't answer ... | |
| Best gluing method | 1/29/2012 |
| Q: I have a minimalist plastic hand shower head that rests on a vertical plastic peg attached to the ... A: You seem to know more about this kind of a repair than I do. My experience with is with home ... | |
| Metal taste/smell in water | 11/25/2011 |
| Q: I have a 5 year old gas water heater. Well water, very hard with iron. We installed the proper ... A: I just wanted to let you know that I won't be home from Thanksgiving holiday until tomorrow. I will ... | |
| warped railing | 11/24/2011 |
| Q: Steve I have a railing in my home between the front room and the entrance, I guess as a safety and ... A: I just wanted to let you know that I won't be home from Thanksgiving holiday until tomorrow. I will ... | |
| Metal taste/smell in water | 11/22/2011 |
| Q: I have a 5 year old gas water heater. Well water, very hard with iron. We installed the proper ... A: Boy you know how to ruin a guys Thanksgiving! I was hoping that I would never hear from you again ... | |
| Basement sump pump & dehumidifier | 11/21/2011 |
| Q: My husband and I recently bought a 1939 house where we thought the basement was dry. 2 wks after ... A: Your question was in our question pool - don't know why Gordon didn't answer it but I'll give you my ... | |
| Leaking window | 11/20/2011 |
| Q: Our house was built in 03, I have a double window with an arch window above it. I have two of these ... A: Your question was in our question pool which means whoever you originally sent it to couldn't answer ... | |
| foundation/sheetrock | 11/16/2011 |
| Q: My house is 5yrs old. I discovered a sprig of grass coming up through my bedroom carpet at the ... A: Your question was in our question pool which means whoever you originally sent it to couldn't answer ... | |
| Pot rack | 11/10/2011 |
| Q: I want to hang a 36" pot rack from my kitchen ceiling to hold about 35 lbs. I live in a NYC ... A: Your question was in our question pool which means whoever you sent it to originally couldn't answer ... | |
| Leaking garage floor | 11/8/2011 |
| Q: I have a garage floor that leaks into my bottom garage. It mainly happens during the winter time ... A: The water is more than likely leaking through the cracks. I doubt very seriously if it is "weeping" ... | |
| Reverse Osmosis | 10/26/2011 |
| Q: We have a well system and I have been told that a reverse osmosis system would be a good idea for ... A: I think it's a great idea. I personally use one for my drinking water. I will add that I recommend ... | |
| vinyl windows | 10/13/2011 |
| Q: Hope you have some ideas. I have new Pella Windows installed and a couple of them are really hard ... A: Tell Pella to get their butts out there and do it themselves!! That is ridiculous for them to tell ... | |
| ro system | 10/6/2011 |
| Q: question 1 iam using indian make eureka forbes aquaguard ro thats using csm 100 gpd membrane ... A: I'm sorry but I won't be able to help you without more information. I can't tell you what to clean ... | |
| Frameless sliding shower leaks | 10/5/2011 |
| Q: I liked some of your answers regarding frameless shower doors so here we go! We have a new shower ... A: Boy, sounds like you have had some headaches with your new shower! There's not much you can do ... | |
| ro system | 10/5/2011 |
| Q: question 1 iam using indian make eureka forbes aquaguard ro thats using csm 100 gpd membrane ... A: Before we get into your actual question it would be very helpful for me to look at the make-up water ... | |
| Leaks under Garage Door | 10/2/2011 |
| Q: After HEAVY rains, water runs down the driveway and under the garage doors. This creates large ... A: This is what I have used on my own garage doors and it has worked very well. Here is the website: ... | |
| Overloaded shelves in two side-by-side closets | 10/1/2011 |
| Q: I have four 12 foot wide by 15 in deep shelf inside two side-by-side closets. The shelves are ... A: I agree with you. And if you wanted to be really sure you could put the higher load rated triangle ... | |
| loft bed | 9/23/2011 |
| Q: how do i go about attaching a home made loft bed/platform to a solid wall? have seen some answers ... A: OK Debs, You will need to use wedge anchors. Here is what I am talking about: ... | |
| baseboards | 8/31/2011 |
| Q: Hey Steve, Off the wall question here. I was looking at the different expert profiles, ... A: You could probably buy the quarter round (of course depending on exact size but this will be close) ... | |
| damp walls when raining | 7/23/2011 |
| Q: When it rains, I can see the interior walls of my garage become damp. This probably means all my ... A: You definitely need to have an expert come and assess your home to see what's causing the problems. ... | |
| Patio Cover/Sunroom Addition | 7/20/2011 |
| Q: Steve, Sorry for the long post, but sometimes the more info you have, the more you can help with ... A: This is one of those situations where I would really need to be able to look at the whole picture in ... | |
| Shed Floor | 7/16/2011 |
| Q: I have a shed that is relatively new (3 years), and I'd like to apply something to the floor to ... A: So, I assume that you didn't put a vapor barrier between the ground and the bottom of the floor? ... | |
| Outdoors concrete floor | 7/14/2011 |
| Q: I have a concrete floor in the back yard. When it rains, the water kind of stays in scattered pools ... A: The only one that I have actually used is the concrete sealer I mentioned in my original answer. ... | |
| Outdoors concrete floor | 7/7/2011 |
| Q: I have a concrete floor in the back yard. When it rains, the water kind of stays in scattered pools ... A: You have 2 choices (other than tile or jack hammering it up and redoing it :-) ) that I am aware of. ... | |
| Door alignment & seal | 7/6/2011 |
| Q: I have an eight foot door with for hinges that don't seat properly at the top. The weater stripping ... A: The only way, to adjust the door at the top, opposite the hinges is to take the bottom hinge loose ... | |
| Replacing Kitchen Faucet with existing RO system | 7/4/2011 |
| Q: I am in the process of replacing my kitchen faucet. I have a reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration ... A: I didn't receive an image, but even if I did, I wouldn't be able to tell whether the washers were ... | |
| Replacing Kitchen Faucet with existing RO system | 7/4/2011 |
| Q: I am in the process of replacing my kitchen faucet. I have a reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration ... A: It's hard for me to answer this without knowing the kind of RO system you have - the answer should ... | |
| stairs | 7/2/2011 |
| Q: but I want a steel, metal look, not black iron, which is what I am finding. Can you know of any ... A: Are you looking for a "stainless steel" or "aluminum" kind of look? If so, here are a couple of ... | |
| plumbing | 6/23/2011 |
| Q: I have slow draining water in every drain in the house. We can still flush once in awhile and do ... A: You need to have the anti-siphon pipes cleaned out. These are the pipes that usually go up to the ... | |
| Winterized home | 6/17/2011 |
| Q: my husband and I just made and offer on a home which was built in 1913. The house has been ... A: Your question was in the "question pool" so I thought I would try to help you. Do you know if this ... | |
| Water damage | 3/4/2011 |
| Q: Due to an ice dam, we had a leak in our 1st floor bath/laundry room. Its pretty significant with ... A: Good idea! If they want to do ANY work be sure to get a second opinion before proceeding. I ... | |
| Water damage | 3/3/2011 |
| Q: Due to an ice dam, we had a leak in our 1st floor bath/laundry room. Its pretty significant with ... A: Are you confident that you have found the exact problem and that it will not happen again? If so, ... | |
| Installed bathtub with motar w/o a subfloor CONT. | 2/22/2011 |
| Q: I had to create a new question to continue our previous thread. I include your last email to us so ... A: If you take the tub out, and since the tub only sits on one of the joists, I would go ahead and ... | |
| Installed bathtub with motar w/o a subfloor | 2/16/2011 |
| Q: We are replacing the bathtub. When we removed the old steel bathtub it was installed without a ... A: Boy, I wish that tub would have caught another joist! I wouldn't proceed the way it is now. The ... | |
| Installed bathtub with motar w/o a subfloor | 2/15/2011 |
| Q: We are replacing the bathtub. When we removed the old steel bathtub it was installed without a ... A: OK, I have a couple more questions - I didn't anticipate the 1x6's would be installed that way. ... | |
| Installed bathtub with motar w/o a subfloor | 2/13/2011 |
| Q: We are replacing the bathtub. When we removed the old steel bathtub it was installed without a ... A: I have a few questions first. When you say that "the floor joists have 'pieces of wood' going ... | |
| aluminum siding on garage fascia | 2/12/2011 |
| Q: My townhouse is 2 years old and the aluminum siding over the fascia on the garage came loose and is ... A: I would have suggested the duct tape - I'm surprised that doesn't hold! You can always just nail it ... | |
| metal door | 2/4/2011 |
| Q: Steve, I am refinishing my basement and in doing so, am putting in wood laminate flooring. The ... A: For an interior door I would recommend cutting it with a circular saw with a metal cutting blade. ... | |
| Weak Bathroom Floor | 2/2/2011 |
| Q: While remodeling a bathroom I had to cut out part of the floor. The part of the floor I cut out is ... A: Can you send me some digital pictures of this? It would really help. Also, what is the distance ... | |
| Shutters | 1/28/2011 |
| Q: I am making shutters for my brick home. Should they be attached to the brick, or to the morter ... A: You sound very handy - good for you in making your own shutters! Since you are the one designing ... | |
| answered question | 1/24/2011 |
| Q: I'm the one who asked about hanging a cabinet in the bathroom, you responded with which screws to ... A: I was kind of joking about "Central Control." What happens, though, if we don't answer a question ... | |
| shelves | 1/23/2011 |
| Q: looks like you're the one to ask...excuse and forgive my ingnorance, I do the painting not ... A: Ok, I would use what's called a E-Z anchor. These are very simple to use and will hold the cabinet ... | |
| Walls | 1/19/2011 |
| Q: I have discoloration on my walls. They are painted, the nail heads seem to have darkened and we ... A: This is common when nails are used for securing the sheetrock. That is why I always use screws. ... | |
| Microwave leaking water... | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: We live in Wisconsin (harsh winters). Yesterday evening and this morning, I noticed water on the ... A: It's very hard to answer this question without looking at the situation. I would suggest that you ... | |
| How to attach cement board to concrete and plaster wall | 1/10/2011 |
| Q: The load-bearing walls are solid concrete, and the other walls are a metal mesh and mortar stucco, ... A: OK - you have obviously done your homework in checking with other people who have tackled this ... | |
| How to attach cement board to concrete and plaster wall | 1/9/2011 |
| Q: The load-bearing walls are solid concrete, and the other walls are a metal mesh and mortar stucco, ... A: Let me ask you awhen you say that the old mud is "apparently" very difficult to remove do you mean ... | |
| Wood frame rotten | 1/8/2011 |
| Q: An entry door located at the side of my home has about 6 inches rotten wood in the frame. As this is ... A: Without actually looking at your situation it's hard to be sure but, from what you have described, ... | |
| Moisture on the wall | 11/24/2010 |
| Q: A few days back I moved into my new apartment. Everything was ok in the first two days. Recently we ... A: I am really glad you found the leak. Had I known that you were on the bottom floor of a 7 story ... | |
| Bouncy/Squeky floor. | 11/23/2010 |
| Q: I have a open floor-plan ranch with a great room style LR/FR/DR/Kit all over a basement. The home ... A: I would need way more information, including pictures, etc. to answer this question. You should ... | |
| Short shower curtain rod | 11/21/2010 |
| Q: my shower curtain road is about half an inch too short of meeting the opposite wall. Unfortunately ... A: I don't know what could be much easier than getting a new rod that is the correct length. But, if ... | |
| Moisture on the wall | 11/20/2010 |
| Q: A few days back I moved into my new apartment. Everything was ok in the first two days. Recently we ... A: I really doubt if it's a water leak - it sounds to me more like a humidity change where the water ... | |
| granite island too heavy? | 11/17/2010 |
| Q: Our home was built in the mid 1950s and we are remodeling our kitchen. I want to put a granite ... A: I can't answer this question without a whole lot more information. In reality, it would be much ... | |
| unlevel entry door | 11/14/2010 |
| Q: Our front door at the top you can see that it is unlevel. It starts out tight at the hinges then ... A: It involves removing the door. After the door is taken off you need to remove screws from bottom ... | |
| reinforce garage ceiling | 11/9/2010 |
| Q: Greetings: I want to reinforce a 24'x24' drywalled garage ceiling to spread the load & minimize ... A: I stay away from these kinds of questions because of liability issues. I would suggest that if you ... | |
| GLASS BLOCK WALK IN SHOWER | 11/5/2010 |
| Q: We are in the process of having a walk in shower installed. We have look at several and they all ... A: Either Home Depot or Lowes has many different colors of grout. Doesn't require mixing with the ... | |
| door hinges | 11/1/2010 |
| Q: Good morning, I have a door that the hinge screws keep coming out of the wood in the wall. I think ... A: Here's what you do: Go to Lowes or Home Depot or any hardware store and get a 3/8" dowel - 2' is ... | |
| Doors | 10/30/2010 |
| Q: 1. What can be done to make a hollow core entrance door more secure? 2. Steel, wood, of fiberglass ... A: Rather than repeat what I think is an excellent article on doors, I will just give you the website ... | |
| Attic help | 10/28/2010 |
| Q: My husband is contemplating installing reflective foil himself in our attic. We've read about ... A: My friend Tim Carter wrote a nice article about using foil insulation that I think will answer your ... | |
| Ringing in house resolved!! | 10/18/2010 |
| Q: Woke up this morning and thought the ringing was less intense, but still put in my ear plugs. I was ... A: Excellent!! I had a feeling that it was something battery powered or battery related after that ... | |
| Sunspace- rotted wood, code rebuild | 10/17/2010 |
| Q: Our sunspace has 8 large panes of glass. The 2' high wall below them has thoroughly rotted. I ... A: Using Bluwood is a great idea. Here is some excellent information on it's uses: ... | |
| Ringing in one room of house | 10/17/2010 |
| Q: Our home is 5 years old. Insulated concrete home with radiant (plastic tubes)heat concrete floor. ... A: No I don't know of any device that would locate the sound. That's a little out of my areas of ... | |
| Ringing in one room of house | 10/15/2010 |
| Q: Our home is 5 years old. Insulated concrete home with radiant (plastic tubes)heat concrete floor. ... A: I have had something very similar happen at my house. I found it was a smoke/carbon monoxide alarm ... | |
| Wood floor in bathroom | 10/15/2010 |
| Q: I am getting ready to do major bathroom renovations and I want a wood floor. Everyone seems to ... A: Add me to the list of people who think your making a mistake. There are just too many things that ... | |
| Attic floor / structure | 10/2/2010 |
| Q: Mine are questions about attic flooring for storage / insulation / home energy though basic. The ... A: I'm sorry but I must be out to lunch because I just don't understand your question. Perhaps you ... | |
| Attic floor / structure | 10/2/2010 |
| Q: Mine are questions about attic flooring for storage / insulation / home energy though basic. The ... A: I'm having a little trouble understanding your question. If I'm reading it right you are asking me ... | |
| refinish cabinets | 9/26/2010 |
| Q: Several yrs. ago I restained by kitchen cab. with a stain-poly combo....looks awful....how do I ... A: Yep! If you want to do it right this time, and I assume that's why you are writing, you need to ... | |
| Use of carpet pad under bamboo | 9/19/2010 |
| Q: We've just had bamboo flooring (solid wood - floating) installed in our bedroom. When the installer ... A: I would never have floated a bamboo floor over a carpet pad. I'm not sure about the splitting, ... | |
| Removal of old marble vanity tops | 9/15/2010 |
| Q: I am replacing marble vanity tops in three bathrooms with new granite tops. I am having the ... A: This is a very difficult job! The only way I have been able to pull this one off w/o damaging the ... | |
| Ghost Town Wood | 9/14/2010 |
| Q: Greetings Mr. Young, First off, thank you for taking my question. I will keep this short ... A: What an interesting question and what a great idea! I don't know anything about the best woods for ... | |
| Preparing grayed wood deck for stain and sealant | 9/9/2010 |
| Q: Mr Young: I have a wood deck (36 X 12 ft) that has grayed due to weathering. What is the best way ... A: Everybody and their brother has an opinion on this one! I have found that it just depends on your ... | |
| Driveway Sealer | 9/8/2010 |
| Q: I just paid a young guy that stopped by my house, $288 to 'seal' my asphalt driveway. He said he ... A: You just fell for one of the oldest scams in the book. Many variations of this scam have been used ... | |
| Re: Carrying up hillside: | 9/5/2010 |
| Q: Re: Carrying up hillside: Dear Steve, I live on a hill without vehicle access. Now I need to bring ... A: Boy do you have your work cut out for you! That will get you in shape. If it were me I would rent ... | |
| Buckling in solid oak wood flooring | 9/2/2010 |
| Q: This is not a question, but a remedy for buckling. After laying such a floor to a floor 26sq mt. I ... A: Wow! Talk about using the old noggin - good for you! Your ideas may very well help some people and ... | |
| shower tiles | 8/1/2010 |
| Q: I am repairing an old shower with several loose tiles and cracked grouting. It is so old that I need ... A: Rather than have me write all of this down, here are some really good sites that feature tile work. ... | |
| driveway sealing | 7/20/2010 |
| Q: i sealed my driveway completly a few hours it started raining.will the sealer wash off or will it be ... A: I don't know. Depends on the kind of sealer you used. I would suggest reading the label carefully ... | |
| Grout | 7/19/2010 |
| Q: I have a "newly" tiled shower. The remodel was actually done a couple of years ago, but the shower ... A: You are on the right track. You just need to remove the cracked grout and regrout. They make a ... | |
| siding on the wood of the home | 5/30/2010 |
| Q: Would you suggest siding of the part of the home that is not brick, say the wood parts( the top of ... A: You are bound and determined to get some siding on your house aren't you! :-) I think the answer ... | |
| siding | 5/29/2010 |
| Q: I own a brick veneer home and love the look of siding that gives it a older home aspect. My husband ... A: While adding siding to a brick house would probably save some energy due to the added insulation, I ... | |
| siding | 5/28/2010 |
| Q: I own a brick veneer home and love the look of siding that gives it a older home aspect. My husband ... A: I think I know what you are asking now. In your original question you said you had a brick "veneer" ... | |
| siding | 5/27/2010 |
| Q: I own a brick veneer home and love the look of siding that gives it a older home aspect. My husband ... A: Boy, you are trying to get me in trouble aren't you! I am always hesitant to answer questions like ... | |
| walls sweating | 5/25/2010 |
| Q: I've recently moved into my new home. It's a split level, so there is not any plumbing or air ducts ... A: It's hard for me to say without actually looking at the structure but it sounds to me like you have ... | |
| Shower remodel | 5/13/2010 |
| Q: We live in a rented home with a shower stall that is buckling and falling apart. Currently, it is a ... A: I have not done many bathroom remodels so I'm not as up to date on the new products. However, here ... | |
| Matching the texture of 50 year old knotty pine | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: I have a old house that was built in the 50's. The Florida room has knotty pine paneling that we ... A: Other than trying to find some of the old knotty pine paneling I have no idea. And that stuff is ... | |
| water seeping into basement | 5/7/2010 |
| Q: I have a house that is at least 75 years old or so. The basement gets several inches of water in it ... A: Are you saying that all of the water is due to water seeping through the walls? What are the walls ... | |
| Sofffit Covering | 4/26/2010 |
| Q: I'm pretty handy and wanted to install aluminum soffit covering to cover exposed eaves in my homes. ... A: I agree - although even with aluminum I like to see a center support. Check out this article - it ... | |
| Should I insulate my garage? | 4/9/2010 |
| Q: I have an attached 20x20 garage and the adjoining wall is properly insulated and sheetrocked. I ... A: I have no idea about trapping exhaust - never checked it. I would think that it would though. As ... | |
| Should I insulate my garage? | 4/9/2010 |
| Q: I have an attached 20x20 garage and the adjoining wall is properly insulated and sheetrocked. I ... A: I see absolutely no reason to insulate the attached garage, given the conditions you have outlined. ... | |
| Concrete backer board | 4/7/2010 |
| Q: When installing concrete backer board around a tub, is there anything that has to go on first at the ... A: Rather than have me repeat what Tim says, here is a really good video on installing the backer ... | |
| Old fashion well | 4/3/2010 |
| Q: I just uncovered an old well in my yard. It is approximately twenty foot deep with about 11 foot of ... A: Yes, but it's really beyond the scope of this column. You should probably consult a local well ... | |
| interior door that is out of level and won't close | 3/30/2010 |
| Q: I live in a Mobile Home. I recently did some remodeling to my bathroom. I took the door down and ... A: Sounds to me like you put the door back on upside down. This would cause what you are describing. ... | |
| Tile over hardwood? | 3/28/2010 |
| Q: I have a home built in the 1950s and there are hardwoods throughout, except in the bathrooms and ... A: It could still be hardwood - just a different kind. There are definitely hardwood strips that are 3 ... | |
| Tile over hardwood? | 3/28/2010 |
| Q: I have a home built in the 1950s and there are hardwoods throughout, except in the bathrooms and ... A: I would doubt very seriously if there is hardwood flooring in the kitchen. That wasn't done as a ... | |
| remove vinyl siding inside corner | 3/26/2010 |
| Q: Hopefully this question would fall within your area of expertise. I need to remove some of this ... A: OK, I'm with you. I don't see any reason why you would need to take any of that corner piece off. ... | |
| remove vinyl siding inside corner | 3/25/2010 |
| Q: Hopefully this question would fall within your area of expertise. I need to remove some of this ... A: I don't do vinyl siding but I have removed a little. I'm pretty sure you will need to remove all of ... | |
| attic insulation | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: Our 16 year old home has blown in attic insulation and it now appears to have sunken a couple of ... A: I'm not sure about whether it reduces the R factor. You may want to contact the insulation ... | |
| Cement Asbestos Siding on Porch | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: I am considering purchase of a home with cement asbestos siding that has not been painted. Although ... A: In my opinion it is impossible to be too paranoid or too careful when it comes to asbestos. It is ... | |
| Bellawood Cracking | 3/22/2010 |
| Q: I had professionally installed 900 sf of Bellawood Austrailian Cypress to Bellawoods standards. All ... A: Boy, that's a bummer! Because it appears the installation was done completely correctly and the ... | |
| how do I know if sheetrock and/ or insulation need to be replaced? | 3/19/2010 |
| Q: Our sump pump jammed in our finished basement. We woke up to about 1/4 inch of water all over our ... A: You definitely will need to cut the sheetrock out - your 16" sounds like a good number to me. I ... | |
| how do I know if sheetrock and/ or insulation need to be replaced? | 3/19/2010 |
| Q: Our sump pump jammed in our finished basement. We woke up to about 1/4 inch of water all over our ... A: What a bummer! You need to put an alarm on that pump if you haven't already. Most people don't ... | |
| Old Utility Poles | 3/15/2010 |
| Q: I am building a vintage cabin in Texas and my builder wants to create an old log house look using ... A: Boy, I don't know about using those old poles. I would be very, very, concerned. Of course it ... | |
| Trim framing for doorway | 3/13/2010 |
| Q: I am in the middle of a remodel project in my home (1971 colonial, 2x4 construction, 2x8 joists). ... A: That sounds like a good plan to me. I think a 1x4 will give you a nice reveal too. I don't know ... | |
| Trim framing for doorway | 3/11/2010 |
| Q: I am in the middle of a remodel project in my home (1971 colonial, 2x4 construction, 2x8 joists). ... A: Unless I am missing something or don't understand your question, I don't see any reason that you ... | |
| Trim framing for doorway | 3/10/2010 |
| Q: I am in the middle of a remodel project in my home (1971 colonial, 2x4 construction, 2x8 joists). ... A: This will be fairly easy. Here is a great "How To" video from Bob Villa that will show you exactly ... | |
| Caulking Question | 3/6/2010 |
| Q: I need to apply caulk outside where a metal roof meets wood, to keep wasps and other bugs out. The ... A: Yes, I think you are fine. One product that I have used to do what you are doing is that foam ... | |
| Is new plywood siding over wet redwood ok? | 3/3/2010 |
| Q: Carpenters installed new thin plywood siding over 50 year old thick solid redwood siding that was ... A: I certainly would! I don't understand their cavalier attitude at all! Did you speak with their ... | |
| door closer to a metal frame | 2/28/2010 |
| Q: I need to attach some kind of door closer to a shop door which is a metal door with a metal frame. ... A: I would recommend something like this: ... | |
| Exterior wall garage insolation | 2/28/2010 |
| Q: Should the exterior wall of my garage be insolated? I'm worried about condensation when I put ... A: If your garage is not heated you won't have to worry about condensation at all. Especially if you ... | |
| Exterior wall garage insolation | 2/27/2010 |
| Q: Should the exterior wall of my garage be insolated? I'm worried about condensation when I put ... A: I don't understand your question. What do you mean by isolated? Also, when you say "chalkboard" do ... | |
| Ceramic tile flooring | 2/21/2010 |
| Q: I'm tiling the basement floor. I have support post to tile around some of these do not fall at the ... A: You will just have to notch the tile, or in some cases where the post falls directly in the middle ... | |
| reply | 1/25/2010 |
| Q: I think my walls are plaster. They are not sheet rock for sure. When I expanded the hall closet to ... A: Ok, sounds like plaster to me. You want to get some decorators caulk ( ... | |
| Frameless showers | 1/24/2010 |
| Q: Can you install a glass shower panel with just silicone adhesive on the bottom and one wall edge? ... A: That is about as much help as I am going to be able to be. I have never installed panels in a ... | |
| plaster wall | 1/24/2010 |
| Q: My house was built in the early 1960's with plaster walls. I like and use the picture molding as I ... A: Before we go any further, are you sure the walls are plaster? In most cases plaster was not used ... | |
| Frameless showers | 1/23/2010 |
| Q: Can you install a glass shower panel with just silicone adhesive on the bottom and one wall edge? ... A: I think I may have misread your question the first time. So you are talking about a glass panel ... | |
| Frameless showers | 1/23/2010 |
| Q: Can you install a glass shower panel with just silicone adhesive on the bottom and one wall edge? ... A: You could but I wouldn't! I would want at least 2-3 screws on both sides to make sure that I had a ... | |
| Water softener maintenance | 1/21/2010 |
| Q: I had my raynee water softener RG1250 for three years without any maintenance only salt regularly ... A: If your system is only 3 years old you shouldn't need to replace your resin at this point. The only ... | |
| gfi | 1/3/2010 |
| Q: does it do any good to install gfi outlets in a house that only has two wire outlets? thanks. A: Please refer to the answer by our Master Electrician in ... | |
| BBQ finish | 1/3/2010 |
| Q: I am hoping you can give me some help in a question. I have a stainless steel BBQ which I think ... A: Here is a really good article on the care of stainless steel. Most people think that stainless ... | |
| well water pressure | 12/29/2009 |
| Q: I own a submersible well, and I replaced every part on it including the pressure switch. I have ... A: Russ, This could be several things: 1. Do you have a softener or an inline filter? If so, try ... | |
| Cabinets | 12/28/2009 |
| Q: We live in Eastern NC and painted our cabinets when we purchased our home a few years ago. However, ... A: I think your mistake was not necessarily painting with latex over oil - that can be done. It is ... | |
| Drywall | 11/30/2009 |
| Q: I am currently working on a commercial building. I hired a contractor to sheetrock and tape the ... A: This could be a number of things. Assuming that you checked the joints and nail spots to be sure ... | |
| pocket door binding | 11/28/2009 |
| Q: I can see that my pocket door is binding at the base of the door jamb, where two plastic guides are ... A: If you can't fix whatever is causing the door to bind to the guides I say yank the darn things out! ... | |
| REMOVING A WEIGHT BEARING WALL | 11/27/2009 |
| Q: first thing, I'll let you know This is a single level home build in the 70's I have a weight bearing ... A: For liability reasons I cannot answer this kind of a question in this forum. I will tell you that ... | |
| Kitchen cabinets | 11/24/2009 |
| Q: We are in desperate need to replace the hinges on our cabinets that were built in 1985. We found ... A: Wow! That's more than I thought. I was hoping that you could just sand it door lip but that's too ... | |
| plans to put a face on my fuondation | 11/23/2009 |
| Q: I'm looking for a gadget that I saw my neighbor using and can't seem to find it anywhere. It's made ... A: I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Here is a product for stenciling concrete: ... | |
| Ethics in building contracting | 11/22/2009 |
| Q: Is there a generally accepted code of ethical behavior, or even better, a written one, for licensed ... A: Unfortunately, most state governments do not have an enforceable code of ethics for contractors. ... | |
| LCD TV ceiling mount | 11/22/2009 |
| Q: I used to have a cathode TV hanging from the ceiling in my bedroom. It was positioned on a TV ... A: Sounds good to me. I would test it with the exact weight of the TV before I actually put the new TV ... | |
| proper attic venting | 11/21/2009 |
| Q: i found a new product to install under my eaves,it is a hardie name product with alot of small holes ... A: As long as you have adequate insulation in the attic the answer is no - you can't have too much ... | |
| OAK FLOORS STAIN/POLY | 11/20/2009 |
| Q: SANDED THE PINK OAK FLOORS, VACUUMED, TACK CLOTH, PUT ON THE CABOT STAIN/POLY FINISH... I AM ABOUT ... A: That's great! I was going to suggest a second coat. Red Oak is a beautiful wood and I'm glad that ... | |
| garage insulation/baseboard questions | 10/26/2009 |
| Q: I saw an older post here that you responded to with a similar situation as we have, and I have some ... A: Your situation is really best dealt with "on site." I understand the need to save money - especially ... | |
| Water Proofing Cement floor edges | 10/21/2009 |
| Q: We have a small wood cottage built on the Terrace of our building, after building the wood house we ... A: I would use a product called Hydrostop. Here is the information: ... | |
| renovating bathroom | 10/20/2009 |
| Q: We live in a house that was built cheaply in the 70s and are upgrading and renovating little by ... A: 1. I'm pretty sure it is a rust stain. Do you have well water or are you on city water? The only ... | |
| Water Proofing Cement floor edges | 10/19/2009 |
| Q: We have a small wood cottage built on the Terrace of our building, after building the wood house we ... A: First of all, I love Greece!! We spent our honeymoon on the island of Patmos and it is one of the ... | |
| walkway | 10/18/2009 |
| Q: I have a concrete walkway that slants down from our front stairs to the sidewalk. In the winter it ... A: The only other way that I know of is to install a radiant heat system under the walkway - obviously ... | |
| bathroom exhaust fan | 10/17/2009 |
| Q: This question may seem involved, but is mostly backgroun info. home is about 50 years old with ... A: I have considered everything and I really think that you need a larger (CFM) fan. The opening size ... | |
| bathroom exhaust fan | 10/16/2009 |
| Q: This question may seem involved, but is mostly backgroun info. home is about 50 years old with ... A: Are you sure about the bathroom square footage of 495? That seems really high to me and if it's ... | |
| bathroom exhaust fan | 10/15/2009 |
| Q: This question may seem involved, but is mostly backgroun info. home is about 50 years old with ... A: What is the square footage of your bathroom? Is the vent insulated as it goes out to the outside? ... | |
| Mounting of Chin-up Bar | 10/14/2009 |
| Q: I would like to install a chin-up bar that was given to me but came without instructions. It is ... A: You're right - I didn't think about the head smashing into the bottom of the floor problem! Let's ... | |
| Mounting of Chin-up Bar | 10/14/2009 |
| Q: I would like to install a chin-up bar that was given to me but came without instructions. It is ... A: Getting in shape are you? What I would do is just drill round holes in the joists and put the bar ... | |
| Flooring | 9/21/2009 |
| Q: We have just received four estimates from contractors for flooring (hard wood, tile, and carpet). ... A: The only time moisture control is normally an issue is when the hardwood flooring is laid over ... | |
| Cutting particle board... | 9/8/2009 |
| Q: Mr. Young, I want to use particle board (with a white veneer) for a shelf, but I need to trim it up ... A: Here is a really good article on cutting particle board (melamine). He's talking about a table saw ... | |
| countertop | 9/7/2009 |
| Q: I am going to change my countertop, there are sooo many choices, frankly, I am confused...I now have ... A: Here is a good article on the 10 best types of counter tops and the pros and cons of each. ... | |
| tongue and groove pine ceiling | 9/6/2009 |
| Q: I have a cabin in the NC mountains that was built in the mid-60s. The ceiling and all the walls are ... A: Unfortunately the answer is no - or I don't know of anything you can use to restore the original ... | |
| Base moulding | 8/30/2009 |
| Q: i am going to replace my base moulding and i wanted to know what type of nail gun to get to attach ... A: You may want to look at renting a nail gun rather than purchasing one, unless you plan on doing a ... | |
| gutters | 8/29/2009 |
| Q: I have 5 inch gutters on my roof. The gutters are in good/fair condition and are doing an adequate ... A: If the overflow does not happen immediately after having the gutters cleaned - the first thing I ... | |
| water softener | 8/28/2009 |
| Q: Steve, We live in the county and have a well/septic system. My water is incredibly hard. It leaves ... A: What I would do if I were you is to contact several water treatment companies in your area and get ... | |
| LP Siding repair | 8/27/2009 |
| Q: we own a home with Lp siding. It has some areas that are chipping off on the bottom of the panel. ... A: I am not that familiar with the LP siding but after reading the information on their website I see ... | |
| Change orders | 8/24/2009 |
| Q: In construction, is a "change order" a formal written and signed document, or can it be merely a ... A: It can actually be done either way - depending on the relationship between the client and the ... | |
| Bathtub caulking and then some | 8/23/2009 |
| Q: I have a very standard fiberglass bathtub with ceramic tile surround. The problem I have is the ... A: Without actually seeing the situation I can't really recommend any way to divert the water into the ... | |
| teleposts | 8/23/2009 |
| Q: should i extend or raise my telepost as i notice my roof joists rise up in the winter as a crack ... A: I have no way of answering your question with any degree of certainty with this limited information. ... | |
| Under house screen | 8/22/2009 |
| Q: I live and Australia and since my retirement I have undertaken a few DIY jobs around my house. My ... A: After giving it some thought I think a wedge anchor would actually work better for ease of removing ... | |
| Air in all lines of home | 8/20/2009 |
| Q: I've read all the answers about this problem and I have done all that has been asked. I still have ... A: You should absolutely call someone else out - this shouldn't be all that difficult to figure out! ... | |
| Under house screen | 8/20/2009 |
| Q: I live and Australia and since my retirement I have undertaken a few DIY jobs around my house. My ... A: I would fashion some wooden screens - made with 1x2's or 2x3's where the screen is attached to the ... | |
| Bathtub/Grouting | 8/19/2009 |
| Q: We just had our bathroom remodeled (gutted and flooring, tub, etc replaced). The replacement tub is ... A: That's one of the craziest things I've ever heard. No way is this normal!! I can't believe he said ... | |
| Basement arches | 8/10/2009 |
| Q: My basement has LLLLOOOONNNGGGG 'arch supports' (for lack of a better word) which span the width of ... A: I am not that familiar with the engineered floor joists - have never used them. Here are a couple ... | |
| Sill Rot | 8/10/2009 |
| Q: I am getting ready to put up drywall in my lake house basement. I removed the existing paneling and ... A: Have you, or are you able to, deal with the source of the problem, i.e. controlling the storm water ... | |
| windows | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: We have a modular home and 4 different window have had the the pulley systems break and either have ... A: Yes, they can be repaired and if you are handy around the house it's a repair that you can do. Here ... | |
| tile replacement | 8/4/2009 |
| Q: I am attempting to replace broken/cracked tiles on my swimming pool edging. This pool was built in ... A: If none of the tiles have been coming off and the adhesive appears to be in fairly good condition ... | |
| old bathtub | 8/3/2009 |
| Q: we're moving into our new home that has an old pink bathtub. We saw self-leveling paint kits at ... A: I honestly don't know for sure. I have never used one of these kits so I cannot answer this ... | |
| hard wood flooring | 8/2/2009 |
| Q: Redoing a bedroom and will be installing hardwood flooring. Looking for a rustic look and may try to ... A: I wouldn't do it Darryl unless you can find some good hardwood t/g siding. Most of the t/g siding ... | |
| Repairing hole in hollow door | 6/3/2009 |
| Q: My son put his hand through the middle of a hollow door. Don't ask why, its too complicated. The ... A: Hollow core doors are fairly cheap so I wouldn't invest too much time and money into a repair. Here ... | |
| water-treating new decking | 6/3/2009 |
| Q: I live in the mountains of Virginia. I have some new decking (installed last fall) and some old ... A: Sorry you're having so much trouble. Here is a place you can order it from: ... | |
| water-treating new decking | 6/1/2009 |
| Q: I live in the mountains of Virginia. I have some new decking (installed last fall) and some old ... A: To answer your questions: 1. I'm pretty sure that the products are available at either Lowes or Home ... | |
| Bathtub apron | 5/31/2009 |
| Q: I need to build an apron wall on my whirlpool tub. The top of the apron wall will extend from the ... A: No, I don't think it's a stupid idea at all! I would recommend using any hardwood. If you can find ... | |
| water-treating new decking | 5/29/2009 |
| Q: I live in the mountains of Virginia. I have some new decking (installed last fall) and some old ... A: Here is the best article that I have seen that will answer your questions. It says exactly what I ... | |
| Drop Ceilings at an angle | 5/28/2009 |
| Q: I was just curious to know whether one could install drop ceiling at an angle - has this been done, ... A: Unless I do not understand your question you would install a suspended ceiling with a pitch to it ... | |
| Expansion Gap for Hardwood Floor | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: Hey Steve, I am about to install oak floor, but I keep reading online that I must leave 3/8" ... A: You are not going to like my answer but, in my opinion, you should leave at least the 3/8th of an ... | |
| door jams | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: The bottom 12 inches of 2 door jams are all banged up. There are some deep gouges caused from a ... A: Well, if the jambs are beyond sanding and repainting, then the only thing that I know of that's left ... | |
| house siding | 4/29/2009 |
| Q: I have 12' masonite siding on house that is very expensive to replace whole boards, so my ? is, How ... A: You will want to use a product called Bondo. It's the same product that has been used for years for ... | |
| Splintered wood deck | 4/24/2009 |
| Q: Steve, First off, thank you for the availabilty of your expertise. I recently finished Pressure ... A: + You violated one of the major rules regarding decks. NEVER pressure wash a deck with high ... | |
| remodeling? | 4/11/2009 |
| Q: We bought a house that has a grandmothers cottage, 1955, 500sqft, detached from the main house. The ... A: I'm very surprised that none of this was uncovered during the pre-purchase home inspection! The ... | |
| Temporary wall | 4/10/2009 |
| Q: I would like to separate our bedroom into 2. There are 2 windows on each side, and the room is about ... A: "Relatively easily removed" is the key to your question. It would be very simple to frame a wall ... | |
| Buckling prefinished tongue and groove oak flooring-3/4"x2 1/2" | 4/7/2009 |
| Q: I have read some of your answers on this problem, but am still wondering about pulling up the ... A: Sounds to me like the flooring was not acclimated in the room prior to installation. Was the ... | |
| Internal doors | 4/7/2009 |
| Q: Please can you advise what would be recommended, one of our internal doors architrave has split ... A: I would recommend getting some wood putty/epoxy and stuffing the holes with it. Allow it to dry ... | |
| Nailing base and crown molding | 3/28/2009 |
| Q: Steve, I am working on renovating a couple of rooms and need to replace the base molding and ... A: I would recommend a 16 gauge nail. An 18 gauge is OK but I prefer a 16. I have a lot of experience ... | |
| water softeners | 3/27/2009 |
| Q: Is it ok to put salt softener in old house? 1971 house has copper pipes but sewage lines still ... A: I'm not real crazy about a softener with copper piping. The chloride ions tend to attack the ... | |
| Old house/ Bathroom caulk | 3/25/2009 |
| Q: Steve! We bought an older home this past October (1937) and it is actually in pretty good shape. ... A: Rather than simply repeat all of this information I am giving you several websites. They are ... | |
| dropped ceiling | 3/21/2009 |
| Q: I am installing a drop ceiling. I have installed the wall angles on all 4 walls, what I would like ... A: If I understand your question correctly you lay the Tees right on top of the wall angle. However, ... | |
| Covering brick wall | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a porch that is covered with brick (not all the way to the top, just the bottom area) and it ... A: That must be a bad picture because I think it looks really nice! I suspect the "green stuff" you ... | |
| caulking | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: We just bought house and it has wood floors and there are pretty nice gaps between baseboard and ... A: No it is not usually done, mainly because there usually isn't that much of a gap between the bottom ... | |
| PEEL AND STICK TILE | 3/14/2009 |
| Q: WE ARE TRYING TO SAVE MONEY AND ARE THINKING ABOUT COVERING OUR WHITE VINYL KITCHEN FLOORING WITH ... A: The only real reason, other than pattern matching, to start in the middle is that it's easier to ... | |
| PEEL AND STICK TILE | 3/14/2009 |
| Q: WE ARE TRYING TO SAVE MONEY AND ARE THINKING ABOUT COVERING OUR WHITE VINYL KITCHEN FLOORING WITH ... A: I think it's a great idea! One thing you need to make sure of is that you have stripped all wax, ... | |
| Regrouting Shower Wall Tile | 3/13/2009 |
| Q: I hired a man to fill in the missing grout between the wall tiles in my shower. This is grout that ... A: We can try. Send me some pictures to SAYoungWS@gmail.com. Get the pictures as close to the grout ... | |
| Regrouting Shower Wall Tile | 3/13/2009 |
| Q: I hired a man to fill in the missing grout between the wall tiles in my shower. This is grout that ... A: It's hard for me to say without actually seeing it. Normally it is good practice to replace all of ... | |
| Drop Ceiling | 3/10/2009 |
| Q: I am installing a drop ceiling in my basement, what's the best way to support fixtures? I will have ... A: Sorry, you are outside my areas of expertise. I leave that stuff to the heating and air experts. ... | |
| An Alternative Insulation? | 3/10/2009 |
| Q: I am giving a few cracked plaster walls a face-lift with quarter inch drywall. I would really like ... A: Sure! I don't see any reason why not to do it. I'm not sure how you planned to attach it to the ... | |
| Drop Ceiling | 3/9/2009 |
| Q: I am installing a drop ceiling in my basement, what's the best way to support fixtures? I will have ... A: OK, if you are attaching to floor joists then you need to simply attach the fixtures using either ... | |
| Drop Ceiling | 3/9/2009 |
| Q: I am installing a drop ceiling in my basement, what's the best way to support fixtures? I will have ... A: It is really dependent on what you have above the drop ceiling to attach to. Most of the time you ... | |
| Home heating tank | 3/5/2009 |
| Q: I would like to know how to get the screw fill pipe opened on my fuel tank, so I can add some fuel ... A: You need to get more of a fulcrum. Take a 4-5 foot length of pipe and put one end over the pipe ... | |
| water pressure | 3/5/2009 |
| Q: I have what appears to be surges of air when the hot water is running. It makes like a gushing ... A: I would suggest that you try the hot water procedure a couple more times. Are you making sure that ... | |
| water pressure | 3/3/2009 |
| Q: I have what appears to be surges of air when the hot water is running. It makes like a gushing ... A: You probably have air trapped in the hot water system somewhere. And I would guess you probably ... | |
| laminate flooring hot water baseboard heat | 2/25/2009 |
| Q: I have hot water baseboard heat that surrounds the perimeter of my house. I would like to install ... A: This is difficult to answer without seeing how the baseboard meets the floor and the entire setup. ... | |
| adjecent wood flooring question | 2/24/2009 |
| Q: I have an existing wood floor in my kitchen which is installed perpendicular to the floor joists. I ... A: Yes, you will be fine with a 3/4" underlayment thickness. As far as the transition piece goes that ... | |
| Corners | 2/18/2009 |
| Q: Hey Steve, I'm about to start taping and spackling a room. I have a inside corner trowel/knife, ... A: I prefer to put the mud on the wall and then use the corner tool. Here is a great demonstration on ... | |
| water softner leak | 2/12/2009 |
| Q: sometime during one of our last freezes the drain on our softener came off at the connection-all of ... A: I am sorry to hear of your situation. I have had water pipes freeze and break and I know what it's ... | |
| Perfect Ceiling crack | 2/12/2009 |
| Q: My 1979 single story ranch house living room ceiling has a perfect crack, which never been there ... A: Without knowing any more, I would guess that it is a ceiling sheetrock separation. In other words, ... | |
| Window in bathroom - rotted wall | 2/3/2009 |
| Q: I have an 80 yr old Colonial home. My full bath has a window in the shower stall. It is completely ... A: As you may or may not know, we are all volunteers and do not get compensated in any way for our ... | |
| Window in bathroom - rotted wall | 2/3/2009 |
| Q: I have an 80 yr old Colonial home. My full bath has a window in the shower stall. It is completely ... A: I would definitely recommend fixing the wall before proceeding. There is a fair chance that mold ... | |
| damp crawl space | 1/29/2009 |
| Q: Home is five years old. Damp crawl space from day one. No water or mud. Floor is always damp and ... A: I think a vapor barrier and vent fan should be sufficient. The house is naturally going to settle - ... | |
| Drop in Water Pressure | 1/28/2009 |
| Q: Steve, I hope this question is in your line of knowledge. I am on a well with an above grade pump ... A: Go to this website: http://www.inspect-ny.com/water/Water_Information.htm It is an excellent site on ... | |
| Drop in Water Pressure | 1/28/2009 |
| Q: Steve, I hope this question is in your line of knowledge. I am on a well with an above grade pump ... A: My guess is one of the bladder tanks. The seal may have frozen and now it's not holding pressure or ... | |
| shower remodel | 1/27/2009 |
| Q: i had a old plastic shower removed from my master bath and a new tile shower with glass accents ... A: Thinset use is OK and a sanded grout is OK if the space between the tiles is over 1/8". I would say ... | |
| Drafty Interior Door | 1/25/2009 |
| Q: I have a friend in NJ with a door that appears to be non insulated that opens into the den from a ... A: Yes, the strikeplate (or threshold) could very well be the problem, especially if the insulation on ... | |
| modern bathroom remodel | 1/24/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to attach 4 aluminum sheets in a block design inside my newly remodeled bathroom shower ... A: Very interesting!! I would recommend Gorilla Glue. Here is their website: ... | |
| 83 " sagging shelf in passthrough | 1/24/2009 |
| Q: I have a passthrough between kitchen and living room. I want to keep area open as much as possible ... A: I can see why you have a sagging issue if you have spanned 83" with a 1x10. Other than a center leg ... | |
| Drop ceiling | 1/20/2009 |
| Q: The ceiling in my kitchen is tile,a composite with a creamy slick overlay. It is on rails that have ... A: You are somewhat limited because of the presence and location of the plumbing. It's really hard for ... | |
| shower remodel | 1/20/2009 |
| Q: i had a old plastic shower removed from my master bath and a new tile shower with glass accents ... A: Something is wrong. After the grout is applied a sealer is applied after the grout is given 48 ... | |
| over ceramic shower wall | 1/17/2009 |
| Q: Can I put something directly over a ceramic shower wall, without removing the ceramic tile. I don't ... A: I'm sorry but I don't know of anything. I have never heard of doing this. I would suggest tearing ... | |
| "marriage walls" | 1/13/2009 |
| Q: I'm trying to fish coax cable in a wall the owners refer to as a "marriage" wall. What I do know is ... A: I'm afraid I cannot say definitively what this could be. Those kinds of walls are usually not built ... | |
| Interior walls | 1/12/2009 |
| Q: I want to tear two walls out in my house to make a big bedroom appox. 15x15 How can I tell if these ... A: You need to have an architect, engineer or a really good general contractor come out and take a look ... | |
| Noise from neighbors | 1/12/2009 |
| Q: have a problem with my neighbor in the appartment adjesent to my bedroom wall. Too mich noise coming ... A: This is really a difficult problem because you really have no control over the walls themselves and ... | |
| wall sweating | 1/12/2009 |
| Q: My interior walls sweat in the winter, and causes mold to grow. I own a 14x72 foot mobile home. We ... A: I know you didn't address your question to me but I saw your question in our Question Pool so that ... | |
| compensation for your time | 1/10/2009 |
| Q: I noticed the site limits you to a fixed number of questions. Is this part of an "apprenticeship" ... A: We, personally, decide on how many questions that we will accept in a 24 hour period. No, we are not ... | |
| water softner | 1/9/2009 |
| Q: I was searching online and came across a response you had to a question about a water softner and ... A: Why not just replace the resin in the Marlo tank? All tanks are pretty much the same. Here is a ... | |
| flooring underlay | 1/7/2009 |
| Q: What is the best way for soundproofing underlay - under bamboo flooring..We are trying to cut out ... A: Certainly I've heard of and used cork underlayment. It's every bit as good as the soundstopper for ... | |
| flooring underlay | 1/7/2009 |
| Q: What is the best way for soundproofing underlay - under bamboo flooring..We are trying to cut out ... A: Ok, I'm with you now. I would recommend a product called "SoundStop Underlayment." Here is ... | |
| window replacement | 1/5/2009 |
| Q: I would like to replace my basement windows. The windows are single pane sliders set in a steel ... A: I found your answer in the question pool. The answer to your question is yes, the steel sleeve ... | |
| Repair of outdoor fountain | 1/3/2009 |
| Q: Happy New Year Thomas..well, you do say in your profile you are an expert in things that "leak" so ... A: I saw your question in our Question Pool so I will try to help you with your problem. I am one of ... | |
| missing subfloor under bathtub | 12/18/2008 |
| Q: We recently remodeled the bathroom in a house that is 60 years old, one-story, wood frmaing with ... A: It's hard for me to answer this question without actually seeing the whole picture. Why didn't the ... | |
| Wood Interior Railing | 12/3/2008 |
| Q: We contracted to have a maple railing with iron spindles installed on our stairs. Attached are ... A: I have seen maple like this and it was called "Curly Maple" and I have also seen maple that has ... | |
| Circular Saw | 11/30/2008 |
| Q: I am searching for a circular saw and see models with the blade left or right of the motor. Any ... A: It is really a preference, although most right handed carpenters will use saws with the blade on the ... | |
| staircase reversal | 11/29/2008 |
| Q: We want to reverse our staircase exactly backwards (if possible) because our front door opens up too ... A: Oh, I definitely think it's doable and I do not think it would ruin the stairs. The problem I ... | |
| staircase reversal | 11/28/2008 |
| Q: We want to reverse our staircase exactly backwards (if possible) because our front door opens up too ... A: Please send me some more pics. Send them to my personal email address @ SAYoungWS@gmail.com Looks ... | |
| something oozing from nail hole | 11/24/2008 |
| Q: I am working on my daughters house. I found the strangest thing. I removed the molding from around a ... A: Wow! You've got me. That's pretty weird. The only things I can think of are sap from the wood or ... | |
| Crown moulding cracked | 11/23/2008 |
| Q: We bought a 50 year old home this past summer. We painted the rooms and never noticed much cracking ... A: Are you sure that it is actually splitting the crown molding or is the molding made of two pieces ... | |
| Laminate Flooring | 11/20/2008 |
| Q: I am fitting the scotia trim and have no problems mitreing the corners but cannot get the angle ... A: I'm not sure what kind of scotia trim molding you are using but I have a feeling you are dealing ... | |
| An oak stair railing | 11/17/2008 |
| Q: I am attempting to install an oak stair railing where the is currently a wrought iron railing. I ... A: I'm sorry but I can't follow your question. Can you take a picture of it and send it to me? You ... | |
| removing linoleum | 11/15/2008 |
| Q: We just purchased our first house. It has very nice hardwood floors throught out most of it except ... A: First of all PLEASE don't use a belt sander on a hardwood floor!! A belt sander is extremely ... | |
| nailer recommendation | 11/13/2008 |
| Q: I was just wanting to see what recommendations you might have for nailers to install both hardwood ... A: I have found that the cordless nailers are just as good and in most cases better than the corded ... | |
| carpentry | 11/11/2008 |
| Q: I just bought a new whirlpool tub (Oval 72X42) how should I frame it up? A: Go to this site and it will show you much better than I can describe it to you. Be sure to note the ... | |
| engineered hardwood on stairs | 11/9/2008 |
| Q: I need to know how you would proceed in putting engineered hardwood on stairs, specifically, I am ... A: I am having a problem following this one. When you say the bullnose has a groove, what do you mean? ... | |
| Drywall and Mold | 11/5/2008 |
| Q: I had a roof leak, but the water entered behind the kitchen wall so I didn't see it. My cabinets ... A: It's kind of hard for me to answer this without actually seeing the situation. However, I would ... | |
| silicone caulk | 10/29/2008 |
| Q: the caulk around my tub/shower area was old and nasty so i removed it and used kitchen & bath ... A: It's probably one of two things. Either you didn't remove all of the moisture before you caulked and ... | |
| Indoor/Outdoor carpet removal | 10/29/2008 |
| Q: We have the indoor/outdoor carpet glued on cement on the outside landing. How can we remove the ... A: We have had success with an adhesive Remover from Klean-Strip. You can find it at Lowes or Home ... | |
| OSB flooring | 10/25/2008 |
| Q: I am laying 3/4 inch T&G OSB on joists spaced 16 in. O.C. The OSB is quite smooth on one side and ... A: Kyle, The lines are there so when you lay the sheet down with one edge centered on a floor joist, ... | |
| TSP stains on ceramic tile | 10/23/2008 |
| Q: My daughter almost set the house on fire, and we were lucky. The kitchen was covered in a layer of ... A: I have some bad news - there is no way (that I know of) to remove these stains and I have had some ... | |
| well water | 10/22/2008 |
| Q: I'm a homeowner of 4 yrs now and we had some problems at first. Our water was staining blue green in ... A: I understand your issue now. I knew that the potential casing leak wasn't related to the corrosion ... | |
| well water | 10/22/2008 |
| Q: I'm a homeowner of 4 yrs now and we had some problems at first. Our water was staining blue green in ... A: What the well drillers said about the reason for the new well is correct - if it was indeed leaking ... | |
| hardwood floors buckling | 10/17/2008 |
| Q: This summer we had hardwood floors intstalled from Lowes(purchased and their contractor). The ... A: First of all I would contact Lowes. And not just someone in their customer service. You want to go ... | |
| pier and beam homes and tile bathroom | 10/16/2008 |
| Q: We are remodeling a 75 year old home to accommodate a disabled uncle. The bathroom needs a complete ... A: I don't have any way of knowing the answer to your question without a whole lot more information. I ... | |
| pressure tank problems | 10/16/2008 |
| Q: Here's the story. A couple of months ago our pressure was very low. I ended up making an adjustment ... A: Re: filter - not necessarily. Changes in pressure can greatly affect filters and if it's partially ... | |
| bathroom remodelling | 10/15/2008 |
| Q: how do I repair/replace broken/cracked bathroom tiles. Whats involved in painting them A: Are you talking about the bathroom wall tiles or floor tiles? Also, when you say "painting" them ... | |
| pressure tank problems | 10/14/2008 |
| Q: Here's the story. A couple of months ago our pressure was very low. I ended up making an adjustment ... A: It's almost certainly the switch. Sounds like the contacts are shot and the fact that you have to ... | |
| Porch ceiling tongue and groove install | 10/7/2008 |
| Q: We're putting 1 x 6 spruce tongue and groove on our covered porch ceiling. The current ceiling is a ... A: Here is a great website that outlines your choices. I totally agree with the section on varnishes. ... | |
| Flooring | 10/7/2008 |
| Q: We live in an older house(30 +yrs)and we want to redo our living room/den floor.It is a carport ... A: Sounds like you are on the right track to me. Before you put the plywood down it is imperative that ... | |
| cold bedroom | 10/6/2008 |
| Q: I have a cold bedroom (12 mth old sons). It has blown in insulation in the walls, no vapor barrier. ... A: Any additional insulation will help. Just how much is difficult to tell from the information you ... | |
| Flooring | 10/5/2008 |
| Q: We live in an older house(30 +yrs)and we want to redo our living room/den floor.It is a carport ... A: Putting down a plywood base is a good idea - the one problem you may have is the height it will make ... | |
| Re: fibreglass tub repairs | 10/5/2008 |
| Q: Do you know of a way that this could be repaired or will we have to replace the whole thing? (There ... A: My opinion on this problem is that the tub wasn't set properly to begin with so the support base has ... | |
| Hardwood floor buckling | 10/4/2008 |
| Q: Steve, we had a new house built on a river here in Montana. 8 months later now the floor which is ... A: Is this an engineered hardwood flooring product? I hope you are taking all the legal actions that ... | |
| What is the proper order for house improvements | 9/30/2008 |
| Q: we have a lot of projects to do on our house and wondering what the proper order is. We have ... A: You will probably get different opinions on this question but my order would be: First: Flooring ... | |
| unconventional wall construction | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: The load-bearing walls are cinder blocks with wire metal lath and plaster. The non-load-bearing ... A: There are several ways of attaching the cabinets One way is to anchor 2 x material with lags, ... | |
| Diagonal Hardwood Floors | 9/24/2008 |
| Q: Experts, I have a question for you concerning hardwood installation. We have a large space that ... A: Rather than just my opinion, here's some great suggestions on cutting tongue and grooves with a ... | |
| Diagonal Hardwood Floors | 9/24/2008 |
| Q: Experts, I have a question for you concerning hardwood installation. We have a large space that ... A: I hear you about the torture of home improvement. It is a blast and I love it so much I quit my ... | |
| Diagonal Hardwood Floors | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: Experts, I have a question for you concerning hardwood installation. We have a large space that ... A: I personally like the look of a transition board. You can do it without the transition - its a ... | |
| Sub - Floor | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: I was thinking about putting dricore down in my basement for a sub floor, this is on top of my ... A: I have no experience with the Dricore system. I have seen it at trade shows and it appears to me to ... | |
| Bathroom - tile or fiberglass? | 9/22/2008 |
| Q: We have tile problems in our 18 year old bathroom surrond (water has gotten into the greenboard). ... A: The water being softened really has no bearing on whether you go with tile or fiberglass. I would ... | |
| insulating a wood subfloor on top of a concrete slab | 9/22/2008 |
| Q: I recently purchased a home in N.J. The house had a carport that was converted into a living space. ... A: My partner suggested that you look at the Icynene spray foam insulation system for your application. ... | |
| renovators | 9/20/2008 |
| Q: Question for you all: Question #1 - a renovator say's he can do a job in about a month...and 6 ... A: One very important thing you forgot to mention is the quality of his work and what kind of overall ... | |
| Pressure Tank | 9/19/2008 |
| Q: Over the past winter we had to replace our old water pressure tank because the bladder failed. We ... A: OK - that low pressure reading is definitely the problem! I'm glad you noticed that because we ... | |
| garage door/opener | 9/17/2008 |
| Q: I have a garage door that creaks very badly when it is opening. In addition, it stops at about a ... A: I'm sorry - I wasn't very clear about the springs. I think you should replace everything, springs ... | |
| garage door/opener | 9/17/2008 |
| Q: I have a garage door that creaks very badly when it is opening. In addition, it stops at about a ... A: It's doubtful that the springs are the problem. They may be responsible for the creaking but that's ... | |
| water treatment | 9/15/2008 |
| Q: I have a well with an acid neutralizer system. The media is 80% calcite and 20% magnesium dioxide (I ... A: I definitely would NOT add acid to the tank!! That could get out of hand real fast and create a ... | |
| Pressure Tank | 9/15/2008 |
| Q: Over the past winter we had to replace our old water pressure tank because the bladder failed. We ... A: This is very unusual. The unequal pressure is not due to the new bladder tank. That is, unless the ... | |
| From slide in oven to freestanding | 9/14/2008 |
| Q: What steps do i need to take in removing a slide in oven to installing a freestanding oven? Will i ... A: I have no way of knowing without seeing the current installation and knowing the dimensions of both ... | |
| Plumbing-Well | 9/13/2008 |
| Q: My well pump will not kick on. I have replaced the pressure gauge, pressure switch, and verified the ... A: Have you verified that there is power actually going to the pump? If so, and it still wont kick on, ... | |
| insulating a wood subfloor on top of a concrete slab | 9/12/2008 |
| Q: I recently purchased a home in N.J. The house had a carport that was converted into a living space. ... A: I would be tempted to tear everything out and start over. Start with 2 sheets of plastic followed ... | |
| oil-based painting | 9/10/2008 |
| Q: my husband and I are flipping his grandfather's house and because he was a smoker,we were told to ... A: I would recommend that you pose this question to the experts at Behr. I am not sure about the ... | |
| problem with bathroom doors | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: We can't open/close bathroom doors if bath mats are on the way. we need reduce length of the door at ... A: You need to remove the door, lay it on a couple of saw horses and cut the bottom of the door so that ... | |
| Drywalling over a brick fireplace | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: I have a brick fireplace in the center of my Levitt home with doors on both the east and west ... A: Yes, you can attach the drywall directly to the brick with a general construction adhesive (like PL ... | |
| crown moulding | 9/7/2008 |
| Q: We have bought 3/4 x 5 5/16 crown moulding. Is there a way to tell which is the top part to go ... A: Boy, you are in for some fun if you are doing this yourself for the first time! Crown molding is ... | |
| floor | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: I am replacing a floor in a mobile home with plywood. How do I cut out vent wholes? What tool will I ... A: I assume you mean the heating system vent holes that have the register cover over them. They can be ... | |
| floating flooring | 8/26/2008 |
| Q: We just finished laying down a laminate floating floor throughout 3 small rooms. After completion ... A: The answer is yes it can be repaired but it's not an easy fix. You have to cut a strip from another ... | |
| Stain exterior wood door | 8/17/2008 |
| Q: Steve- My wife has asked me to stain a door that we will use to replace an existing door. The door ... A: You have heard correctly. The best product, in my opinion, is the Minwax product called Polyshades. ... | |
| painting osb board | 8/15/2008 |
| Q: I have a loft area over my garage that I am finishing. I was not to careful about gettting mud and ... A: I've been there! You sure can paint it. Just make sure that you use a really good primer first. ... | |
| Owens Cornin Basement Finishing System | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: We just purchased a home in Connecticut. The house was built in 1966 and the property tends to be ... A: I am not that familiar with the OC system. I have seen it in several houses but have not worked with ... | |
| Filling a hole in the wall | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: I am ENTIRELY new to DIY. I've just moved into a new house and has some lights taken off a wall. ... A: So you are saying the holes are about 6"? Is the hole round or what is the shape. When you say ... | |
| baseboard flat, wall isn't | 8/13/2008 |
| Q: we built a modular home last year, I am finally finished with all the baseboard finishing. We were ... A: This is a very difficult question to answer without actually seeing what's going on. From reading ... | |
| Sound Proofing a Basement Ceiling | 8/11/2008 |
| Q: I have a finished basement room with a dry wall ceiling. Lights in the ceiling are can lights (IC ... A: I found your question in the question pool. I will try to give you a potential solution. Owens ... | |
| Tile over Cement Substrate | 8/11/2008 |
| Q: I am finishing my basement in my new home, the floor is a slab below grade. I do not have any ... A: We have some really good flooring experts that are better qualified to answer this particular ... | |
| Bathroom vanity replacement | 8/8/2008 |
| Q: This may be a stupid question, but here it is... We currently have a bathroom vanity that we wish ... A: OK, I am with you now. I am not normally this slow, however, I just got home from vacation and my ... | |
| Bathroom vanity replacement | 8/8/2008 |
| Q: This may be a stupid question, but here it is... We currently have a bathroom vanity that we wish ... A: Sorry for the mixup. There were duplicate questions and for some reason you didn't receive my ... | |
| bathroom wall | 7/30/2008 |
| Q: I am gutting a bathroom. Once I tore out all the existing wall cover I discovered that the wall the ... A: No problem! The way I see it you have three choices. One is to scrape and chip and break all of ... | |
| bathroom wall | 7/29/2008 |
| Q: I am gutting a bathroom. Once I tore out all the existing wall cover I discovered that the wall the ... A: I am confused. Are you saying that this is a cinder block wall with plaster attached to the cinder ... | |
| how to repair a hump in linoleum | 7/28/2008 |
| Q: Shortly after having our house built we noticed a hump in the kitchen linoleum. Of course getting ... A: We have a bunch of really good experts in the flooring section. I would run this by one of them ... | |
| interior painting | 7/27/2008 |
| Q: Am repainting windows in my living room. Am stuck with painting latex enamel over what I'm quite ... A: You are a very careful and conscientious painter and that is very good! I would be willing to bet ... | |
| Finding oak flooring supplier | 7/25/2008 |
| Q: I am remodeling a portion of my 60's ranch house. It has oak wood flooring installed, and I need ... A: I would try Lumber Liquidators. Here is their web address: ... | |
| Help! | 7/23/2008 |
| Q: My father is wanting to attempt to repair one of the outer walls to the house. It is buckling due ... A: This is not only an unwise decision to try this type of a repair with no construction knowledge, but ... | |
| Iron balusters | 7/23/2008 |
| Q: We are installing iron balusters on our entryway staircase. They were originally wood, so we cut out ... A: This is a difficult question since I have no idea what your particular baluster looks like. Since ... | |
| flooring | 7/22/2008 |
| Q: I am installing wood grain strips in my basement. They are 4" x 36". The room is 13 ft. by 36 ft. ... A: Normally you would install them perpendicular to the floor joists, however, since this is the ... | |
| Floor tile | 7/21/2008 |
| Q: Can you lay ceramic tile directly over vinyl on a bathroom floor? A: It can be done but I don't recommend it. Rather than repeating what they have already said, here ... | |
| basement problem??? | 7/12/2008 |
| Q: We live in our house since 1974. It was built in 1929 and is an all brick colonail,2 story home. ... A: Well I would say it's either water that has seeped up through gypsum or white clay and has some ... | |
| drywall | 7/11/2008 |
| Q: I am currently remodeling a bathroom that had tile as wainscoting. I am tearing out the drywall with ... A: I would take out the vanity, top and all, and make the repairs and put it back if there is room to ... | |
| Metal Door | 7/11/2008 |
| Q: I have to cut the bottom of a metal exterior door off, can this be done? I can't raise the jam, I ... A: Yes it can be done. It is imperative that you get a good abrasive metal cutting blade for the ... | |
| painting storage shed | 7/10/2008 |
| Q: we have an old storage shed that has redwood oil base paint. It is plywood T1-11 and has had the ... A: I have done something very similar to your project with a Cabot acrylic based stain and it worked ... | |
| Shoddy tilework - what to do? | 7/10/2008 |
| Q: I hope you can help me. We're currently having our hall bathroom renovated -- not a big bathroom, ... A: It's difficult for me to answer this question without actually seeing the tile work because there ... | |
| Fix or Replace fan/light fixtures | 7/9/2008 |
| Q: Young, Thanks for volunteering. I am a do it yourselfer working on my house. I have installed ... A: I have found it easier and more cost effective just to replace the old worn out light sockets and ... | |
| Wallpaper residue | 7/8/2008 |
| Q: Using spray-on DIF I removed the vinyl and paper layers of some wallpaper that has been up for +40 ... A: Normally I would tell you that this is the bottom layer of the wallpaper but since your wallpaper is ... | |
| basement problem??? | 7/7/2008 |
| Q: We live in our house since 1974. It was built in 1929 and is an all brick colonail,2 story home. ... A: I need a little more information: 1. What is the floor composition (cement, wood, etc.) 2. When you ... | |
| plaster on wall below window is chalking | 7/6/2008 |
| Q: I plan on painting a room but the wall below the window is chalking or flaking and the surface needs ... A: First make sure that the chalking and flaking is not the result of a water leak. If water is ... | |
| french door | 7/4/2008 |
| Q: I have put door sweeps on french doors,I cut them at a 10% angle so the active door will close ... A: Without actually looking at this I it's hard for me to recommend a correction. Can you send me some ... | |
| CARPENTRY | 7/4/2008 |
| Q: I need to hang sheet rock on the ceiling, it currently has acoustical tiles stapled to the rafters. ... A: I just noticed the followup question - sorry for the delay. I would just put blocking between the ... | |
| CARPENTRY | 7/3/2008 |
| Q: I need to hang sheet rock on the ceiling, it currently has acoustical tiles stapled to the rafters. ... A: I would be surprised if the ceiling tiles were really stapled directly to the rafters. It would be ... | |
| hardwood flooring | 7/2/2008 |
| Q: I laid hardwood flooring on my entire floor, including the kitchen (which over looks the family ... A: This can actually be caused by several factors. One is water seepage. Another possibility is that ... | |
| plaster walls | 7/1/2008 |
| Q: I am currently stripping wallpaper on plaster walls. There are 2 layers and it is coming off fine ... A: Unfortunately, this is part of the wallpaper and needs to come off as well. If you try soaking this ... | |
| soft sheetrock by baseboards | 6/29/2008 |
| Q: My wife and I recently puchased our first home. When prepping our house for painting, carpet, and ... A: Your question was sent to the Question Pool so I will give you my two cents. The short answer is no ... | |
| Removing a wall, installing header | 6/25/2008 |
| Q: I have a living room that takes up about half it's sie of the house. It's on the bottom of a two ... A: Brett, Saw your question in the question pool. Here's how to hold up the house while you put in ... | |
| Big mirror | 6/25/2008 |
| Q: I like to dance in my room, and because of this, I would like to install a large mirror in my room, ... A: What I would do is to get two mirrors with a wooden frame that encircles the mirrors. I would get ... | |
| Big mirror | 6/24/2008 |
| Q: I like to dance in my room, and because of this, I would like to install a large mirror in my room, ... A: Sounds like a good idea! I am a little confused though. Are you actually talking about 2 separate ... | |
| flooring/demolition | 6/24/2008 |
| Q: I had new hardwood floors installed yesterday. I paid the store for materials, installation, and ... A: I have never charged extra for hauling off the materials from a job. This is very unprofessional in ... | |
| house in a hurricane | 6/23/2008 |
| Q: If a house with a normal peaked roof had no overhangs, (gutters ect.) that the wind could not get ... A: Your question was relegated to the question pool. I will give you my 2 cents. I say no, it would ... | |
| Reverse osmosis | 6/23/2008 |
| Q: My husband hooked up a reverse osmosis system that was under our sink when we bought this house 6 ... A: I ran across your question in the question pool - I don't know if you got an answer or not. I am one ... | |
| insulation between walls and baseboard heating | 6/22/2008 |
| Q: We are remodeling the basement and have our baseboard heating directly placed against the block ... A: I am not following your question and I can't visualize what you are saying as far as coming out of ... | |
| insulation between walls and baseboard heating | 6/21/2008 |
| Q: We are remodeling the basement and have our baseboard heating directly placed against the block ... A: Absolutely! Putting insulation between the block wall and the baseboard heater is critical for the ... | |
| floor support of fireplace | 6/15/2008 |
| Q: I am installing an insert (375lbs) into existing fireplace ther are already jacks under neath in ... A: It's hard for me to answer this question without knowing a little more, like what is the ... | |
| chain link fencing | 6/15/2008 |
| Q: I am installing a new chain link fence. I can not get close enough to the house because of a buried ... A: I don't understand part of your question. I would attach the fence to the house in the following ... | |
| grout sealer | 6/13/2008 |
| Q: We had ceramic tile with beige grout installed a week ago. I usually buy Aqua Mix Sealers Choice ... A: You certainly sound like you know what you are doing! This is one of those questions that if you ... | |
| 100 amp line outages | 6/13/2008 |
| Q: Originally I was going to ask you about going from a 60amp to a 100 amp line. Upon inspection, I ... A: This question is really outside my area of expertise. I know enough about electricity to be really ... | |
| Sprinkler System Question | 6/12/2008 |
| Q: I'd like to know the lifespan of a Nelson irrigation system, namely the pipes. I have a young man ... A: Your question is outside my area of expertise. I know enough about sprinkler systems to be ... | |
| re-stain wood paneling? | 6/11/2008 |
| Q: We just bought a wonderful home, but the living room has ugly floor-to-ceiling wood paneling. It's ... A: This is a new one to me as well. I would recommend getting a small can of Minwax ... | |
| how to affix a tabletop extension to dishwasher? | 6/11/2008 |
| Q: I have a portable dishwasher with some kind of synthetic top that looks like fake wood but the ... A: I would use a "Liquid Nails" product to attach it to the top of the dishwasher. However, I should ... | |
| Buckled wood floor | 6/10/2008 |
| Q: I have hard wood floors (installed in 94) and had a crack in my kitchen sink pipe that leaked from ... A: Yes, you are right about what tongue and groove is. Do you have any extra planks? If you don't you ... | |
| Buckled wood floor | 6/9/2008 |
| Q: I have hard wood floors (installed in 94) and had a crack in my kitchen sink pipe that leaked from ... A: It is not that difficult to fix this problem. The hardest part will be finding the wood planks to ... | |
| exterior painting | 6/4/2008 |
| Q: my house has grooved cedar siding that is painted green. We are trying to scrape and repaint... How ... A: You are doing one of the hardest, most time consuming jobs in "do it yourself" home repair. There ... | |
| Clawfoot tub: showerguard ideas | 6/1/2008 |
| Q: I have a beautiful clawfoot tub in my bathroom, and a detachable hose showerhead installed on a ... A: If I understand your setup correctly it seems like the mail problem would be the shower head. I ... | |
| Exhause Fan Bathroom | 5/31/2008 |
| Q: I am planning on purchasing and having an exhaust fan installed in the bathroom of my home. The ... A: Based on the information you gave me I would recommend you purchase a fan with the following specs: ... | |
| Water seeping under garage wall - Additional Slab added | 5/29/2008 |
| Q: We just purchased a 22 year old home in Northern Alabama. Originally the garage was separate and ... A: It's amazing what some well meaning DIY'ers can construct! If I were you I would definitely let the ... | |
| door leak under sill | 5/27/2008 |
| Q: What is the proper way to flash an exterior door on a new home in which the door sill is being ... A: Watch the video on the site I have listed below and if Tim doesn't answer your question let me know ... | |
| Bathtub Overflow / Ridiculous Management Company | 5/23/2008 |
| Q: I am renting a house in Moreno Valley, CA and I reported a second level bathtub leak to my managment ... A: Because each state and municipality has their own building codes I would have no way of knowing the ... | |
| Adding 2 bedrooms and bathroom to 2nd story | 5/21/2008 |
| Q: My question is, do I need to reinforce the current ceiling joists before I lay a floor? Right now, ... A: I found your question in the General Question Pool and I wasn't sure if you had received an answer ... | |
| INSULATION MATERIAL | 5/20/2008 |
| Q: WE HAVE A HOUSE THAT WAS BUILT IN 1952. THE INSULATION IN THE ATTIC IS ABOUT 2 INCHES THICK AND ... A: I found your question in the General Question Pool and I wasn't sure if you had received an answer ... | |
| water diversion | 5/16/2008 |
| Q: Not wanting to install gutters, but wanting to divert rainwater from the entranceway to my house, ... A: You haven't given me too much to work with here. Based on what you have said there is no way that I ... | |
| rehanging a closet door | 5/15/2008 |
| Q: I have door to a walk-in closet that opens in. I would like to increase the amount of storage ... A: Yes it is. Follow the instructions for marking where to cut out the hinge placements on the other ... | |
| rehanging a closet door | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: I have door to a walk-in closet that opens in. I would like to increase the amount of storage ... A: Rather than writing all the steps in this space, I would suggest that you go to this site: ... | |
| smoothing out concrete walls | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: I am renovating a small apartment, however, the painted concrete walls are anything but smooth. ... A: If you want a really smooth wall I would consider putting up drywall (sheetrock). It could be ... | |
| uncaulking | 5/12/2008 |
| Q: I have to correct a big mistake. I caulked doors and baseboard with a silicon based caulking. It ... A: Unfortunately there is no real easy way to remove a silicone caulking. You just have to physically ... | |
| Problem with Wall after Wallpaper Removal | 5/11/2008 |
| Q: I have removed most of the wall paper off one wall (the only one covered) in my house. Underneath ... A: This is a tough question to answer without actually seeing the situation. It sounds to me like you ... | |
| Water Leak on Apt Ceiling | 5/10/2008 |
| Q: Upon returning home from a 2 week trip to my NYC apt (25 floor), I found that my living room ceiling ... A: Wow! That's a huge area. You said in the initial question that the entire area was wet. If that's ... | |
| Water Leak on Apt Ceiling | 5/10/2008 |
| Q: Upon returning home from a 2 week trip to my NYC apt (25 floor), I found that my living room ceiling ... A: I need to know how big of an area we are talking about, in square feet. Measure it or guess as ... | |
| Deck Supports | 5/7/2008 |
| Q: I want to know your opinion on decking spikes. Are they a good way to support a 6' x 10' x 2' high ... A: I'm not sure what kind of deck spike you are referring to. I will assume that you are talking about ... | |
| spray foam insulation on rim joist | 5/7/2008 |
| Q: I am finishing a basement in my home in northeast Kansas. It's in very good condition for as far as ... A: I have one suggestion - you really need a vapor barrier, even though you don't anticipate any ... | |
| outdoor water pipe problem | 5/6/2008 |
| Q: I live in Wisconsin, so cold weather is a problem for me. I have a long copper pipe (12'-15') that ... A: I would use electrical heat tape/cable. This type of product is commonly used in all types of ... | |
| new pillers have hair line cracks | 5/6/2008 |
| Q: Just had my pillers in front of my home replaced and they painted them yesterday and the hair line ... A: Yes! Get whoever did it out there and tell them to fix it!! That is totally unacceptable. They ... | |
| Creaky Stairs | 5/4/2008 |
| Q: I am wondering if there is anything I can do about very creaky stairs, aside from replacing them. ... A: Good morning Titus, This is a very annoying problem. Fortunately it's one that, most times, is ... | |
| basement room | 5/2/2008 |
| Q: Steve, Understand you are slammed with questions so appreciate you taking another one. My question ... A: It's a little more reasonable since they will prime and paint. For a room that size that's a fair ... | |
| basement room | 5/2/2008 |
| Q: Steve, Understand you are slammed with questions so appreciate you taking another one. My question ... A: I don't know where you live but this price seems really high to me. Does this include drywalling the ... | |
| stain on fence to dark | 4/30/2008 |
| Q: i am painting a treated fence I had already painted the front and then realized I had not mixed the ... A: Realistically the only thing I know of you can do is go to a solid color stain (as opposed to a ... | |
| twofold | 4/29/2008 |
| Q: 1) how can I remove all the excess caulking my husband leaves everywhere when he tries to caulk. ... A: I suspect the reason he put the hose down there was to test whether the sump pump would work or not. ... | |
| refrigerator ice maker | 4/27/2008 |
| Q: We just bought a house and it came with a refrigerator that has an ice maker. The ice maker isn’t ... A: I prefer to use the braided hose when possible. However, it doesn't come in 16' lengths so I would ... | |
| dual-flush toilet kit | 4/21/2008 |
| Q: I'd like to put a dual-flush kit on my toilets (they're old) to reduce water usage. James Dulley, ... A: I know what you are talking about - a two flush system that flushes differently depending on the ... | |
| Basement wall | 4/21/2008 |
| Q: My husband started to put mud on our brick basement walls. We have been trying to wait for it to ... A: I have never heard of doing this but it sounds like an interesting idea and I will be curious how it ... | |
| bad drywall seams / nails | 4/16/2008 |
| Q: The people who did the drywall an painted my house did not sand down the seams and nail spots on the ... A: Ok, I think I understand what you have now. Basically, I think you will be able to sand down the ... | |
| bad drywall seams / nails | 4/16/2008 |
| Q: The people who did the drywall an painted my house did not sand down the seams and nail spots on the ... A: I'm sorry to hear about your drywall job and I will try to help you work through a fix on it. ... | |
| garage loft floor | 4/14/2008 |
| Q: I have a garage that is double height. I want to put an open front loft floor inside the garage so I ... A: I would do 2 x 8's and space them 16"o.c. You could actually do 24" o.c. with a 10' span but I ... | |
| new floor turning up at ends | 4/13/2008 |
| Q: We recently had an addition added to our home. It is on a cement slab. We had 6inch x 3/4 inch ... A: Ok - I'm with you now. I wanted to make sure what I was dealing with before I told you anything. ... | |
| new floor turning up at ends | 4/13/2008 |
| Q: We recently had an addition added to our home. It is on a cement slab. We had 6inch x 3/4 inch ... A: Let me make sure I understand this correctly. The new addition where the planks are turning up the ... | |
| ceiling fan | 4/11/2008 |
| Q: can I swap out a light fixture for the light kit currently in my fan. It is a pendant type dual ... A: I don't see any problem with that. However, I am NOT an electrician and I would consider shooting ... | |
| Baseboards and Hardwood Floor | 4/6/2008 |
| Q: I'm a beginner when it comes to home improvements but I'm trying to fix this problem myself so I ... A: From your picture it looks to me like the hardwood floor is fine. That appears to be a normal space ... | |
| Redoing bathrooms | 4/5/2008 |
| Q: We are down-sizing and moving into an older condo. Both bathrooms need to be done – one has a ... A: First of all in regards to the shower question. I personally prefer the tile type of a shower but ... | |
| Shower installation | 4/4/2008 |
| Q: I'm installing a Sterling shower kit in my basement. What should the enclosure be installed over & ... A: The enclosure can be installed over drywall, plaster, painted walls, plywood, and ceramic tile. If ... | |
| drywall/concrete wall repair | 4/3/2008 |
| Q: My house was built in 1960. I plan on painting but need to repair some holes in the walls. Small ... A: I have never repaired wall holes that way - it may very well work but I have no experience with it. ... | |
| baseboard heat | 4/2/2008 |
| Q: Is there an easy way to replace the baseboard heater covers? It’s not electric, it recircling hot ... A: That's more of a plumbing issue and I'm not familiar with cover replacement. Here ae a couple of ... | |
| Wall mounted mailbox issues | 4/1/2008 |
| Q: Steve, I have a wall mounted mailbox installed on my brick home. The screws and anchors were ... A: I would repair the existing hole. You can purchase a tube of mortar repair. Here is the website of ... | |
| Installing Dryer vent | 3/31/2008 |
| Q: I'm looking to buy a house that has the proper setup for a washer, but not for a dryer. About how ... A: There is no way I can give you a good answer to your question. It all depends on where the dryer has ... | |
| wainscoting in bathroom | 3/30/2008 |
| Q: We are planning on redoing our bathroom with wainscoting going half way up the wall. Is it ok to ... A: Sure. If you are going to have a natural look wood finish to the wainscoting you can use a ... | |
| staircase | 3/28/2008 |
| Q: Good morning!! I would like to pull up my carpeting on my stairs and paint the steps.I peeked under ... A: I'm not sure what you mean by "cheap" wood. Does it look like particleboard? Or some other kind of ... | |
| Pergola | 3/27/2008 |
| Q: I am assembling a typical attached pergola. A ledger board is attached to the house. About 16 feet ... A: I didn't think you were referring to Homer! I would notch the rafters (you refer to them as joists) ... | |
| dry wall tape repair | 3/25/2008 |
| Q: We put in new sheet rock 16 yrs ago. I am planning to repaint, but need to do some repairs first. My ... A: It's best if you retape and mud. If you skip the tape a lot of times it will crack pretty quickly. ... | |
| leaking water softener | 3/20/2008 |
| Q: I just notice my water softener is leaking today. It looks like water drop is coming out on top, ... A: I have no way of knowing what is causing this leak since I don't have access to any of the Alamo ... | |
| cork flooring | 3/20/2008 |
| Q: We would like to install a cork floor in out entry hallway. Currently, it has slate which is ... A: Yes, you can lay a sub floor on top of the slate. I would recommend a product called Dricore. Here ... | |
| Water Softener | 3/19/2008 |
| Q: I have a water softener that we used in our old house for about a year. We had spent a significant ... A: Unfortunately you did exactly what you shouldn't have. The softener resin inside the tank should ... | |
| P trap for new tub | 3/18/2008 |
| Q: Part way through replacing the bath tub. Old tub & tile & toilet & sink cabinet is out. The new tub ... A: We are now getting into an area that I'm not very knowledgeable on - plumbing. I think you can do ... | |
| floor strength | 3/17/2008 |
| Q: my name is Brian. I have run into a problem. I have plans on setting up a fish tank in my living ... A: That is an odd size for a floor joist. You are saying it is 3" thick and 7 1/2" wide? What is the ... | |
| P trap for new tub | 3/17/2008 |
| Q: Part way through replacing the bath tub. Old tub & tile & toilet & sink cabinet is out. The new tub ... A: The code says that you cannot cut more than 1/3 of the width of the joist, so in this case no more ... | |
| Basement; floor leaks | 3/15/2008 |
| Q: I recently purchased a house which was built in 1920. I discovered, after the last rainfall (rain ... A: Would it be possible, by removing some of the concrete floor to make what you refer to as ... | |
| installing a new bathroom | 3/14/2008 |
| Q: We are wanting to install a new bathroom in our existing dining room. One wall would be shared with ... A: Your question is more involved than what we do here at All Experts. would need a lot more ... | |
| Why are my wood floors buckling??? | 3/13/2008 |
| Q: My wood floors have been buckling!! First the details: There is no cupping or crowning, just ... A: I'm very sorry to hear about that. Brazilian Redwood (BR) is one of my favorite woods and it makes ... | |
| well pump | 3/11/2008 |
| Q: i have a well pump issue!! i replaced a shallow well pump and my water pressure is great in the ... A: This question is really outside my area of expertise and is more of a plumbing issue. However, I do ... | |
| Staining a pattern in a Hardwood Floor | 3/11/2008 |
| Q: I am a mural artist. I am trying to figure out what type of stain product to use to paint a pattern ... A: I have never done this but have several associates who have done this very successfully. I think ... | |
| newly renovated upstairs bathroom leaking to downstairs ceiling | 3/10/2008 |
| Q: I live in New Orleans, a victim of Hurricane Katrina, and my downstairs flooded, so I had to deal ... A: First of all you need to do whatever is necessary to keep the water from splashing on the floor as ... | |
| Walls and wood | 3/10/2008 |
| Q: I am going to use 1 / 8 tongue and groove pine on one of my walls. How is the best way to attach it ... A: You are going to want to blind nail it directly to the stud. If you are not familiar with that term ... | |
| Walls and wood | 3/9/2008 |
| Q: I am going to use 1 / 8 tongue and groove pine on one of my walls. How is the best way to attach it ... A: Before I answer I need to know what the wall construction is - in other words are you going to be ... | |
| storm windows | 3/7/2008 |
| Q: I have an older home in Washington and it doesn't have storm windows. Is it more econmical to ... A: It depends on many factors. Some of these factors are the number of windows, the accessibility of ... | |
| Bathroom remodeling | 2/13/2008 |
| Q: Before I ask you about bathroom remodeling, I would like to know your experience and expertise in ... A: You can see all of the volunteers experience at the beginning of each section. I do this as a ... | |
| sticky door | 2/12/2008 |
| Q: The situation is we went to visit our friends in USA-PA (We are from USA-MA) who just had a house ... A: Pretty bizarre isn't it? What was the result of your "tape test?" I would be really curious how ... | |
| plumbing, toilet repair | 2/11/2008 |
| Q: Lately when someone is taking a shower in our upstairs bathroom, the water in our downstairs toilet ... A: This is really a plumbing issue and outside my area of expertise. However, I'm almost positive that ... | |
| home repairs | 2/9/2008 |
| Q: I want to buy a two-story house that is 2740 sq.ft. It does not have the bathrooms, kitchen, or ... A: I can't possibly answer this question without actually seeing the house. I don't give out this kind ... | |
| steam bath ceiling | 2/8/2008 |
| Q: I have a ceramic-tiled steam bath with a pitched ceiling, but nonetheless the ceiling drips: ... A: The grout has been treated with a sealer that makes it repel the water. You can remove the sealer ... | |
| new water heater install | 2/8/2008 |
| Q: I'm getting ready to install a new tank-type water-heater. I want to install this with di-lectric ... A: I don't think you need to install the dielectric breaks if you are using the Pex tubing. Since ... | |
| coloring putty in finish holes | 2/7/2008 |
| Q: our house was built 5 years ago. All woodwork is pine, unstained and finished in 2 coats of an ... A: What you are experiencing is the reason that most people stain the wood - especially pine, because ... | |
| Baseboards or not? | 2/7/2008 |
| Q: When you pull a stove or dishwasher out away from the base cabinets, would you expect to see base ... A: It just depends - I have seen it both ways, and then some! There really is no "norm" or if there ... | |
| saving a bad drywall job | 2/6/2008 |
| Q: Is there a way to repair a bad drywall job? The seams and tape of the drywall were not done ... A: I'm not sure what you mean by they installed drywall over plaster. Do you know what the plaster is ... | |
| removing brickface | 2/3/2008 |
| Q: Greetings Steve, I am looking to purchase a house in Portland, Oregon. The home I'm currently ... A: I have very limited experience with that kind of "faux" product. I do not like it, never use it, ... | |
| how to deal with wet/damp crawl space | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: We have a crawlspace with a cement floor. After a heavy rain, we have water in the space. Depending ... A: OK, I will try to go through the questions in order: 1. I would remove the current vent and replace ... | |
| Venetian Texture style in a bathroom | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: I'm currently remodeling one of my bathrooms and my wife and I are have an argument wether or not ... A: I did one of my bathrooms a couple of years ago in a Venetian texture and it's holding up fine. I ... | |
| Hardwood Floor | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: I plan on installing a solid hardwood floor in a room 10 by 10. When I put a 7 ft straight edge on ... A: It won't be noticeable either way so the question is more a mechanical one. As long as the gap is ... | |
| air in water line | 2/1/2008 |
| Q: I have a well system for my house. The trouble is that lots of air has been getting the line. I have ... A: It sounds to me like there is a leak in your holding tank bladder. Most well water systems have a ... | |
| Wood Floor | 2/1/2008 |
| Q: We moved in a rented house and have been here for about 1 year the whole house is wood floor i wish ... A: It's hard for me to give you a solution without knowing what is on the floor. You need to ask ... | |
| Painting over drywall | 1/30/2008 |
| Q: I just had a drywall repair done. The wall was textured with a hopper then somewhat smoothed out ... A: Yes you should definitely wash and clean the walls prior to painting. Get some TSP (Trisodium ... | |
| Painting over drywall | 1/30/2008 |
| Q: I just had a drywall repair done. The wall was textured with a hopper then somewhat smoothed out ... A: Yes you definitely want to use primer. If you will be painting with a dark color ask the paint ... | |
| tub surround | 1/29/2008 |
| Q: My tub surround is one piece and is 12 years old. It is in great shape, but is coming loose from ... A: I would try your idea about dribbling the glue down from the top first. The problem is going to be ... | |
| RO System is conatantly gurgling in the drain | 1/16/2008 |
| Q: I have a Watts 5 stage RO system under the sink with air gap in the tap; The problem is that we ... A: You are correct about the no air gap set up. As far as why it is running continuously, are you ... | |
| RO System is conatantly gurgling in the drain | 1/16/2008 |
| Q: I have a Watts 5 stage RO system under the sink with air gap in the tap; The problem is that we ... A: Unfortunately that is a common problem with the air gap design. The only way I know of to reduce ... | |
| Well Water tank winter maintenance | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: We have a Berkeley Diaphragm well water tank. The people who installed it gave us no instructions ... A: I take it you don't use this tank in the winter? I am a little confused because I didn't think ... | |
| Main vent pipe | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: Steve, Remodeling our master bath. The main vent pipe goes straight up thru an interior wall ... A: I don't see a problem with that but you should really run this one by one of our plumbing experts. ... | |
| corner tape peeling | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: My husband and I are looking at a potential house to buy in North Georgia. We noticed that in ... A: This is normally caused by the sheetrock seams coming apart where they are taped together. It ... | |
| Reverse Osmosis cartridge replacement process | 1/14/2008 |
| Q: Steve, On Nov. 5, 2007 you started telling a woman named Sydney how to replace the 3 cartridges for ... A: I couldn't ever find the specific information she wanted and also she didn't email me back?? AMTROL ... | |
| tile woes | 1/14/2008 |
| Q: plumber was attaching fixture to newly glass tiled walls, and a couple of the 1x1 tiles popped off. ... A: The only solution I know if is to rip all the tile out. You can wait until they start to fall out ... | |
| An unusual question | 1/12/2008 |
| Q: You sound like an all-around knowledgeable guy, so you might be able to answer this. How does ... A: I don't know about "all-around" knowledgeable but I'll give it a shot. RTV and other kinds of ... | |
| 'painted' wood trim | 1/12/2008 |
| Q: I've recently moved into a house where the previous owners did something I really don't understand: ... A: Boy, it's amazing what some people can do when left to their own devices (or lack of). I'm all for ... | |
| Scratches in Hardwood floor | 1/11/2008 |
| Q: I have a question about the easiest way to fix scratches in a hardwood floor - it is Bruce hardwood ... A: As long as the scratches aren't too deep you can get a product from Minwax called a "Blend-Fil ... | |
| pluming | 1/10/2008 |
| Q: the waist pipes for the bath and sink run along the wall in the bathroom to a soil pipe . the soil ... A: I'm sorry you felt it necessary to give me such a low and negative rating for trying to help you. ... | |
| water well & Bladder tank | 1/9/2008 |
| Q: I just replaced my well pump, which is 25 years old, and and had good water pressure in my house for ... A: It sounds to me like your bladder tank depressurized when you changed the well pump. Check the ... | |
| Hardwood Flooring | 1/8/2008 |
| Q: I'm refinishing my hardwood floor and attempting to do it myself. I have successfully sanded the ... A: Boy is that frustrating - I know exactly what you are talking about! First of all I would encourage ... | |
| Paint coming off in the basement | 1/6/2008 |
| Q: We have recently moved into a new home (it's our first winter in this house) and we have realized ... A: This problem is called efflorescence and it's caused by water passing through the bricks from the ... | |
| pluming | 1/6/2008 |
| Q: the waist pipes for the bath and sink run along the wall in the bathroom to a soil pipe . the soil ... A: I'm not sure I understand your question. By soil pipe are you referring to the line that goes to ... | |
| front porch railings | 1/5/2008 |
| Q: Some of the railings are leaking resin every year. Every year I scrape it off, use an excellent ... A: Since you are already using a top quality primer and paint I don't know of anything else to do. The ... | |
| Knotty pine | 1/4/2008 |
| Q: I have knotty pine on my basement walls that were treated with clear varnish. The pine behind any ... A: In my opinion the only way to do it with any degree of color accuracy is to completely strip the ... | |
| drinking water reverse osmosis | 12/17/2007 |
| Q: Can the "gray water" be used to water herbs outside the kitchen door? I just had a new system ... A: Are you referring to a Reverse Osmosis system? Normally a RO unit, depending on the quality of ... | |
| icy walkways | 12/16/2007 |
| Q: We just bought a home that has a brick walkway and concrete (I think!) step. I was told not to use ... A: There are plenty of non-salt ice treatment products. You can get them at Home Depot or Lowes or any ... | |
| liquid nails | 12/15/2007 |
| Q: How well do liquid nails hold. for example: fastening 2x4 to a panel wall,or a brick wall,putting up ... A: I love liquid nails! Are you aware that they have many different products for different ... | |
| matching baseboard trims | 12/12/2007 |
| Q: We have paintgrade trim in kitchen which meets up with staingrade in dining room (via an opening). ... A: What do you mean the kitchen tile floor is about 1/2 higher? Do you mean 1/2 a inch, 1/2 of a tile ... | |
| Drywall | 12/11/2007 |
| Q: I dry removed the wall paper in my hall. This left some tears but I have floated them out. I have ... A: The only way we have ever textured walls was to use the premixed drywall compound that you buy at ... | |
| engineered wood floors | 12/11/2007 |
| Q: I have a air pocket in my engineered wood floors. I layed them myself and had a change in floor ... A: How big of an area are you talking about? What do you mean when you say you had a change in floor ... | |
| electrical outlet | 12/10/2007 |
| Q: How difficult is it to install a standard electrical outlet? My bathroom has none. Thank you. A: It is not a DIY job. It requires running a line from a power source to the bathroom wall. Depending ... | |
| hole in front door | 12/10/2007 |
| Q: we just purchased a door handle for our front door and the holes dont match up. What should we do ... A: I am totally stumped! The holes on doors are standard and any new door handle should fit. Are you ... | |
| Drywall over a Plaster Ceiling | 12/8/2007 |
| Q: Steve, I am in the beginning stages of remodeling our kitchen. We removed a suspended ceiling and ... A: The answers are yes and yes but 1/2" would probably be better. Here are 2 great articles for you ... | |
| Crack in Vaulted Ceiling | 12/8/2007 |
| Q: We have a fairly large crack, the length of our two story vaulted ceiling where the two surfaces ... A: This can be a very difficult repair. If done correctly the joint should not fail and produce the ... | |
| stalling wood floors on stairs | 12/8/2007 |
| Q: Steve, I have installed engineered wood floors downstairs in my home, the kind you glue. I would ... A: Unfortunately this space is too small for me to go into how to install hardwood floors - ... | |
| Low output from RO system | 12/4/2007 |
| Q: I am experiencing low volume of out put from my RO system. I replaced the 2 filters and the membrane ... A: OK, now that we've determined you have changed all the filters and the membrane correctly, I think ... | |
| Low output from RO system | 12/3/2007 |
| Q: I am experiencing low volume of out put from my RO system. I replaced the 2 filters and the membrane ... A: Without knowing what kind of system you have it's difficult for me to help. Could you see if you ... | |
| subfloor | 12/3/2007 |
| Q: Steve, I am repairing an addition to a house that was built by NON-professionals. I have 2x8 joists ... A: I would use the 3/8" b/c plywood. If floor height is an issue you could actually use 1/4" b/c ... | |
| Replacing bathroom vanity/sink/cabinet | 12/2/2007 |
| Q: I may possibly be replacing a friends vanity/sink/and cabinet in his bathroom. I should be able to ... A: It would be fine to install the vanity right on top of the existing tile. As long as you are ... | |
| flooring | 11/30/2007 |
| Q: Somehow I lost contact when I filled out survey. In my survey I thanked you for your excellent ... A: Boy that is puzzling. You could be right but I can't visualize exactly what you talking about. ... | |
| buckling hardwood floor | 11/30/2007 |
| Q: I am having a problem with our manufactured hardwood flooring. Our home is 22yrs old and is concrete ... A: It sounds like you have a very beautiful floor. I love Brazilian Cherry and normally this is a very ... | |
| putting a wooden suround around a fireplace | 11/28/2007 |
| Q: My husband is installing a new fireplace into a chimney peice, which at the moment currently looks ... A: I really can't answer this question without actually seeing the chimney. I would hate to give you ... | |
| Cutting baseboard for vanity installation | 11/27/2007 |
| Q: I'm installing a bathroom vanity. This one has actual legs, so that it looks like a free-standing ... A: OK - I misunderstood what you meant. Cutting the baseboard at a 45 is a fine idea. I thought you ... | |
| Cutting baseboard for vanity installation | 11/27/2007 |
| Q: I'm installing a bathroom vanity. This one has actual legs, so that it looks like a free-standing ... A: Boy do I wish there was a way to cut those moldings without taking them off! The problem is that ... | |
| floor insulation | 11/25/2007 |
| Q: I bought a 107 year old home and we needed to do some foundation work. Most of the old floor ... A: Unfortunately, I see no way around cutting the rolls to get the 18" width. You might check with the ... | |
| circular saw function | 11/24/2007 |
| Q: ..I know this is going to sound like the dumbest question,but Iam not familiar with power equipment. ... A: First of all there are no dumb questions when it comes to power tool safety. I'd much rather you ... | |
| making a half wall | 11/19/2007 |
| Q: I want to cut my kitchen/dining room wall in half. I live in a 3rd floor condo.I want to keep the ... A: I guess my first question is this: do you plan on removing the wall studs? I'm sure you have done ... | |
| Replace sheetrock? | 11/19/2007 |
| Q: My wife was doing some kitchen cleaning and bumped the water line behind the refrigerator causing a ... A: I see no reason to replace the sheetrock. There are two main reasons to replace sheetrock after it ... | |
| gap behind baseboard | 11/18/2007 |
| Q: I'm replacing baseboards in a room with a beveled corner -- there's a ~18" piece of drywall which ... A: No, that is way to large to fill in with drywall compound. I had hoped that it was a smaller area. ... | |
| leaking water softener | 11/15/2007 |
| Q: My water softener is a Radiant CF 520, not sure of age but there are not directions. Now it is ... A: I finally found Radiant Water conditioning and I contacted them regarding your softener. Here is ... | |
| leaking water softener | 11/15/2007 |
| Q: My water softener is a Radiant CF 520, not sure of age but there are not directions. Now it is ... A: I have 2 questions: First, are you sure that's it's called a Radiant? I cannot find that brand ... | |
| damp crawl space | 11/15/2007 |
| Q: To prevent dampness in a crawl space caused probably by ground water in the area,I was suggested 2 ... A: I, too, live in North Carolina so I am familiar with some of the problems with crawl spaces here. ... | |
| Studor Vent | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: We have a new construction home in the state of North Carolina. We have three studor vents - one in ... A: The purpose of a studor vent is to allow air to enter the plumbing drainage waste and vent system ... | |
| basement ceiling problems | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: I would like to finish my basement but we have a major problem, the builders left all the pipes, and ... A: Boy that's a shame that the house was designed like that! Unfortunately it doesn't leave you with ... | |
| Subfloor of rolled asphalt tar paper | 11/13/2007 |
| Q: We are building a house on top of a basement we have lived in for five years. On that basement, we ... A: Boy, I have never heard of this one before! The self-leveling compound is out. It would take way ... | |
| black residue | 11/13/2007 |
| Q: We have electric radiant heat - in our ceilings. the house was built in the 60's. my mom owned the ... A: Boy, that's a tough one. I have no idea, although I suspect it is related to the roofing job. I ... | |
| which random orbit sander? | 11/11/2007 |
| Q: I own a 1/4 sheet sander(1 speed) and a belt sander(variable speed) I am interested in purchasing a ... A: This is the VS random orbit sander I use: ... | |
| Entry Wooden door has hair line cracks | 11/10/2007 |
| Q: I have a 35 year old oak main entry front door. When I am inside today with sun outside & looking ... A: OK, I got you now. I think I would not use any glue at this point. If you use the Sikkens, you can ... | |
| Entry Wooden door has hair line cracks | 11/9/2007 |
| Q: I have a 35 year old oak main entry front door. When I am inside today with sun outside & looking ... A: Actually you want the wood panels to have some movement. That is what prevents the wood from ... | |
| covering a 12' brick wall | 11/9/2007 |
| Q: I have a brick wall that was originally an exterior wall, but I enclosed my patio to make a Sunroom ... A: Depending on how narrow the room is I would recommend that you consider sheetrock/drywall. This ... | |
| Reverse Osmosis System | 11/5/2007 |
| Q: I have a reverse osmosis system in my kitchen under the sink. I had a friend replace the kitchen ... A: Please let me have your email address and I will send you a drawing of how to hook up your system. ... | |
| Reverse Osmosis System | 11/4/2007 |
| Q: I have a reverse osmosis system in my kitchen under the sink. I had a friend replace the kitchen ... A: You got everything but the model and serial number. The Amtrol is the manufacturer of the tank ... | |
| plastering | 11/4/2007 |
| Q: can i use finish plaster over rough walls that are painted with flat paint A: Yes, you can. You have to use a bonding agent, though, to make sure you get good adhesion. We use ... | |
| Reverse Osmosis System | 11/4/2007 |
| Q: I have a reverse osmosis system in my kitchen under the sink. I had a friend replace the kitchen ... A: It's too bad your friend wont hook up the RO unit as well. First of all I need to know what kind of ... | |
| hanging paintings | 11/3/2007 |
| Q: I’m trying to hang three large, but not heavy, oil canvases on my wall. The problem is, I can't ... A: Did you get a chance to try the Velcro? Let me know if you still need ideas - I can give you a few ... | |
| "blind door" installation | 10/31/2007 |
| Q: I am not familiar with this technique. In a 40 foot long hallway with 5 doors going to bedrooms and ... A: I am going to be no help on this one. I haven't even heard of this type of architecture - I live in ... | |
| from chrome to brushed nickel | 10/30/2007 |
| Q: i am wondering if there is any possible way to make a shiny chrome tap and tub spout appear as ... A: There is nothing that I am aware of that you could do in your home. Chrome and nickel finishes are ... | |
| Gas line routing for portable fireplace | 10/29/2007 |
| Q: I hope there is a simple answer to this. I am running a gas line from an existing line beneath my ... A: I hope there is a simple answer to your question too! I don't know of a specific part but I can ... | |
| anderson window screen replacement | 10/27/2007 |
| Q: I was all set to replace my Anderson window screen, when i discovered that it didn't have rubber ... A: Unfortunately I have no idea without knowing which Anderson window it is. Go to: ... | |
| Window glazing | 10/27/2007 |
| Q: Steve, I live in an old farm house in TN and the guest house still has old wooden single pane ... A: That would work fine. I would use the DAP caulking that has silicone in it but is also paintable. ... | |
| Laminate countertop | 10/26/2007 |
| Q: Steve, When my husband installed our laminate countertop, he used glue to join the mitred corners ... A: This is a tough one. The only thing I know of to do is to try and sand it down. You have to ... | |
| covering a 1850 hardwood floor | 10/25/2007 |
| Q: as the subject states, that's what i have and i want to put a laminate floor in. the floor isn't ... A: Let me make sure we are talking apples to apples. I don't want to steer you down the wrong road. ... | |
| Wood Putty on Pine | 10/24/2007 |
| Q: I am having a new house built. I stained window trim, door trim and doors. They are made of Pine. ... A: I have found that it is impossible to predict how any fillers or putties will accept stain without ... | |
| Damp Crawlspace | 10/23/2007 |
| Q: How can I dry out a damp 30' x 30' x 4' high crawl space. The floor has a base of very large ... A: Boy is this a common problem! There are several ways to do this so I will just give you a list and ... | |
| Door/Stripped Hinge | 10/22/2007 |
| Q: I have an indoor, wooden door (bathroom door) that has been slammed too many times. The screws to ... A: There are certainly glues that would do the trick but then if you ever had to get it off it would be ... | |
| dougy fir floor | 10/22/2007 |
| Q: I have a small room which is about 75 or 80 sq. ft. with linoleum on the floor.I easily pulled it ... A: The 24 grit is for mastic removal. The doug should be sanded starting with 36 as the site I ... | |
| dougy fir floor | 10/22/2007 |
| Q: I have a small room which is about 75 or 80 sq. ft. with linoleum on the floor.I easily pulled it ... A: I don't have any experience with the Krud Kutter. You could try it - it may work really well. I ... | |
| dougy fir floor | 10/22/2007 |
| Q: I have a small room which is about 75 or 80 sq. ft. with linoleum on the floor.I easily pulled it ... A: Removing that black mastic is one of the hardest jobs in flooring! That is not good news finding ... | |
| releveling an outside door | 10/20/2007 |
| Q: I saw your answer on 10/3/2007. However, I'm wondering if I wanted to try to relevel a prehung door ... A: First of all check to make sure all of the screws in the door hinges are tightened. Carefully check ... | |
| Insulation of crawl space | 10/20/2007 |
| Q: I have 310 sqr feet of crawl space to insulat, thinking that R-30 insulation is the way to go. How ... A: Rather than me doing all the calculating it will help you to understand how it is figured. Go to ... | |
| Kitchens | 10/19/2007 |
| Q: I have a kitchen with a standard 8 foot ceiling. I was wondering if it is worth removing the ... A: One of the best websites that I have seen for homeowners that are interested in remodeling is: ... | |
| Kitchens | 10/19/2007 |
| Q: I have a kitchen with a standard 8 foot ceiling. I was wondering if it is worth removing the ... A: It's certainly not a dumb idea. I love working with creative and imaginative people! It's ... | |
| Ringing Noise coming form Bedroom | 10/18/2007 |
| Q: A couple of days ago my wife and I noticed a High Pitched Ringing Noise(it sounds a lot like when ... A: Unfortunately, no I don't. That is a real puzzler and I suspect the radiant heat system but it may ... | |
| Water softener/Resin, Still good? | 10/17/2007 |
| Q: We have a softener in our home since we moved in, its in circulation (not on bypass) but never been ... A: This is a tough one to answer. Because I have no idea how old the resin is I can't really give you ... | |
| Cork Underlayment | 10/17/2007 |
| Q: I am installing 3/4 hardwood floors on the 2nd floor of my home. I would like to put down a cork ... A: No to both questions. However, having said that, I would put down an adhesive to attach the cork to ... | |
| removing floor tiling | 10/15/2007 |
| Q: Aside from putting an air hammer to the tiles, what would be the easiest and most efficient way to ... A: Not necessarily. It depends entirely on how the tile was originally laid, from the type of mortar ... | |
| Granite Island | 10/14/2007 |
| Q: Our neighbor is selling their portable island really cheap. It has a 3in chip in the granite on the ... A: If they saved the chip it is really easy to repair. If they didn't or if they never had it the ... | |
| Basement Door Sticks | 10/10/2007 |
| Q: I have a basement bathroom door that is hard to shut during the summer months, it's fine during the ... A: The only thing you can do is get a metal door that doesn't contract and expand with changes in ... | |
| stairs creak | 10/9/2007 |
| Q: I have an older house with wooden stairs and a couple creak. I have no access underneath, but there ... A: Here is what I recommend: For stair squeaks at the front of a tread, where it meets the riser below ... | |
| Buckling of Hardwood Floor | 10/6/2007 |
| Q: Three years ago my daughter, husband and I installed prefinished hardwood floors in a rental we own. ... A: This kind of a repair is better done by a professional floor installer - it can get pretty tricky. ... | |
| Buckling of Hardwood Floor | 10/4/2007 |
| Q: Three years ago my daughter, husband and I installed prefinished hardwood floors in a rental we own. ... A: When you originally laid the floor did you leave a gap between the hardwood floor and the wall? ... | |
| relevel a door | 10/3/2007 |
| Q: As simple as the question seems, I can't find a straight answer. Our home is now 18 years old and ... A: I am so sorry to hear about your pup. I am a dog lover too and I imagine you were devastated. If ... | |
| drywall | 10/3/2007 |
| Q: can I put drywall over a plaster wall? If so what is the best way to do this A: Yes you can put drywall over just about anything as long as you can figure out how to fasten it to ... | |
| crawl space conversion to basement | 9/30/2007 |
| Q: I have a 2000 sq ft (30'x24') coloniel with an 800 sq ft 6'5" ft tall crawl space. I've heard of ... A: In recent years this has become a more popular alternative to building an exterior addition to a ... | |
| Fluorescent light problem | 9/28/2007 |
| Q: I have what I thought would have been a simple question but I cant seem to find anything on the ... A: There is no question that fluorescent lights are one of the craziest of all lights when it comes to ... | |
| quarry tile | 9/28/2007 |
| Q: I’m doing the design work for an Independent seniors facility remodel. The building was built in the ... A: There are many variables in the refinishing and regrouting of a quarry tile floor, i.e. overall ... | |
| wood flooring on stairs | 9/26/2007 |
| Q: Steve, We are going to be installing engineered wood floors. I have two questions: 1. any tips or ... A: Normally the decision is based on the floor joists. You run the boards perpendicular to the floor ... | |
| wood flooring on stairs | 9/25/2007 |
| Q: Steve, We are going to be installing engineered wood floors. I have two questions: 1. any tips or ... A: There are several things to be sure to do. One is to make sure you install a good quality vapor ... | |
| Storing paint | 9/24/2007 |
| Q: As I use paint (Both oil and water base) at one point I will transfer it to a smaller container ... A: I'm not sure because I have never used plastic containers. The only thing I can think of is to ... | |
| wood protecting | 9/23/2007 |
| Q: I am planning on moving a coffee table, looks like maybe made out of maple or some other heavy wood, ... A: The short answer is no. I certainly wouldn't put a piece of furniture that I valued outside - ... | |
| seams parting at eavs | 9/22/2007 |
| Q: My house(the whole house) is made of a plastic resin sandwich with foam in the middle. The house ... A: I would recommend a synthetic rubber sealant. Solvent-based synthetic-rubber products adhere well to ... | |
| floating flooring | 9/22/2007 |
| Q: my nephews put in floating flooring where the two pieces of boards come together from end to end a ... A: I would get an exacto knife and try cutting the piece that is sticking up so that it falls into ... | |
| Repairing/Thru the wall A/c Hole | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: How do I do this , I have aluminum siding on the outside. I can fix the problem inside esay enough ... A: I don't know of a specific product to fix this type of hole in a trailer wall. What I would do is ... | |
| Layering Drywall | 9/20/2007 |
| Q: I am a new home owner, musician, trying to finish my basement. I've decided to use 2x4's on 2 walls ... A: Good job!! You are using good judgment and I know you will have fun working on your new home. You ... | |
| fixing the hole left from windows A/C | 9/20/2007 |
| Q: My house has a hole for window AC unit. I'm installing central A/C in the house. What should I do to ... A: If the hole is in a fairly accessible place (in other words it's not on the side of the house 25' ... | |
| Layering Drywall | 9/19/2007 |
| Q: I am a new home owner, musician, trying to finish my basement. I've decided to use 2x4's on 2 walls ... A: Congratulations on buying a new house. It's really fun allowing your imagination to figure out neat ... | |
| fixing the hole left from windows A/C | 9/18/2007 |
| Q: My house has a hole for window AC unit. I'm installing central A/C in the house. What should I do to ... A: OK, basically you need to frame it in with 2x4's, insulate it, drywall the inside, cover out side ... | |
| Hardwood flooring headache | 9/16/2007 |
| Q: I'm installing hardwood floors in my living room. the length of the boards runs perpendicular to the ... A: Check out how they handle this problem at this website. Pictures are always best. ... | |
| baseboard | 9/15/2007 |
| Q: We are redoing a old farm house from the 1930's. We are getting all the floors back to the original ... A: This is actually a fairly common problem. I use caulking to fill in the area between the baseboard ... | |
| paint basement walls | 9/15/2007 |
| Q: My wife started painting our basement walls with interior house paint leftover from when the house ... A: There are many factors that would affect the paint. I don't know if this is true or not because I ... | |
| Bluestone walkway from my front door to driveway | 9/13/2007 |
| Q: I have an approximate 20ft walkway from my frontdoor to driveway that the stones are coming apart. ... A: I don't know how reasonable the amount of time is without actually looking at the project. Assuming ... | |
| about basement wall brick | 9/10/2007 |
| Q: My house is in Ga.and is 24 yrs old. The basement brick walls have started to crumble in places. We ... A: The only product that I have ever used for this kind of a problem is made by Ames Research ... | |
| Water dripping problem.. | 9/8/2007 |
| Q: Just found today water coming from a corner between garage floor (indoor), and door giving entrance ... A: Sounds like an air conditioner drain line issue to me. If the A/C unit is in the attic check it ... | |
| hot mopping shower pan | 9/7/2007 |
| Q: How important is it, to hot mop a shower? I'm remodeling our bathroom removing the tub and only ... A: As far as hot mopping goes, I don't know much about it but I've heard it was a very common method ... | |
| door swings cloed on its own? | 9/5/2007 |
| Q: I have a bathroom door that swings closed on its own, it is a very small bath and if I leave the ... A: A "moving door" is a common problem and is usually caused by settling of the house. Here is a ... | |
| epoxy removal | 9/3/2007 |
| Q: I recently used epoxy on the outer edges of a mirror and attached it to a wall. Now I want to remove ... A: I would recommend dynamite!! Seriously, epoxy is generally considered a permanent adhesive. ... | |
| Repairing / Restaining damaged cedar siding | 9/1/2007 |
| Q: QuickWhat's the best way to fill in grooves in cedar siding caused by wire brushing? Background: I ... A: First of all my hat's off to you for your great diy work! Putting up a 3 stage scaffolding by ... | |
| Splice my sprinkler wires | 8/31/2007 |
| Q: I spliced my sprinker wires while I was cutting down the bushes. What do I do to reconnect the ... A: Sorry to hear about that. This is outside my area of expertise and a question for a sprinkler ... | |
| Water in the basement | 8/30/2007 |
| Q: This is a 2 part question. We have had water in our basement in the past, but it was localized to ... A: Yes I have heard of this problem. In fact I have lived it. We had a very similar thing happen to ... | |
| water softener | 8/30/2007 |
| Q: i have a 9 year old marlo water softener model A-30-2 serial#38552 that has seemed to me to be ... A: I suspect the rust colored flecks you are seeing is actually some of the softener resin. The ... | |
| Large limbs hovering my house | 8/22/2007 |
| Q: What are the dangers of having large limbs from trees hovering over my house. Thanks in advance. A: The main danger is that one will break and fall onto your roof. Depending on the size of the limb ... | |
| water softener trouble | 8/21/2007 |
| Q: i have an old sears automatic water softener which had been working well until i began to get a ... A: I can't find anything on this model. Since it's almost 30 years old that doesn't really surprise ... | |
| water softener trouble | 8/21/2007 |
| Q: i have an old sears automatic water softener which had been working well until i began to get a ... A: What are the model and serial numbers? I am almost positive that it's the manifold valve that's ... | |
| lead paint | 8/18/2007 |
| Q: We just bought a house that was built around 1940. When the inspector came I asked about lead paint. ... A: OK, I'm game. Removing the cabinets should only be done by someone qualified in lead remediation. ... | |
| lead paint | 8/18/2007 |
| Q: We just bought a house that was built around 1940. When the inspector came I asked about lead paint. ... A: What part of "do not sand" do you not understand? Before you get mad I'm just kidding (kind of). ... | |
| lead paint | 8/18/2007 |
| Q: We just bought a house that was built around 1940. When the inspector came I asked about lead paint. ... A: First of all I would make sure that the cabinet paint indeed contains lead. Just because the house ... | |
| Shower Stall Repair | 8/17/2007 |
| Q: I have an old Neo-Angle shower stall and the door pin on the bottom of the door corroded and the ... A: Boy do I know what you mean. You would think they would figure out a way to build a better pin ... | |
| Well water | 8/12/2007 |
| Q: To follow up on a previousI had my well water analyzed as you suggested and the results are: TDS: ... A: The water hardness is pretty high and this can potentially cause you some problems. Water hardness ... | |
| 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: Yes you can do either. I would probably recommend gluing but if you can do it from underneath ... | |
| Intermittant Leak | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: I have a Kohler cast iron tub with wet bed tile on the walls. The tub has been caulked recently & ... A: I'm not sure what you mean when you say you looked in the access hole for the recess light and saw a ... | |
| front wooden door | 7/29/2007 |
| Q: I need to repair an 80 year old oak front door. There are cracks in the wood, drying, rough areas. ... A: It depends on if the cracks are in a structural part of the door (i.e. stile or panel joint) or if ... | |
| Intermittant Leak | 7/29/2007 |
| Q: I have a Kohler cast iron tub with wet bed tile on the walls. The tub has been caulked recently & ... A: -) Your assumption about it not being a supply line is correct. If it was a supply line the leak ... | |
| Bathroom remodeling | 7/28/2007 |
| Q: My wife and I recently bought our first house and the 1st thing to do, other than pulling up the ... A: Good question! Congratulations on purchasing your first house. Taking care of your home can bring ... | |
| Removing Fireplace Shelf | 7/27/2007 |
| Q: How do I remove the shelf above my condo's gas fireplace? And how do I repair the wall behind it? I ... A: I assume that when you say shelf you are referring to some kind of built in mantel. There are ... | |
| wood composites | 7/26/2007 |
| Q: Steve, We are beginning construction of a deck. To the selected builder's credit he pointed out to ... A: I should point out that I have not personally installed any of the composite decks. I remain "old ... | |
| TREE HOUSE | 7/26/2007 |
| Q: i have a big weeping willow tree in my backyard and my daughters, 12 and 9 want a tree house. is ... A: I'm not sure what your definition of simple is. I would recommend that you purchase a good ... | |
| Wood Floor Crowing, Buckling, etc. | 7/26/2007 |
| Q: I'm in a 4 year old rehab and no one can seem to find out where the moisture in the floor is coming ... A: At this point I would recommend that you hire a reputable home inspector to determine the exact ... | |
| Wood Floor Crowing, Buckling, etc. | 7/26/2007 |
| Q: I'm in a 4 year old rehab and no one can seem to find out where the moisture in the floor is coming ... A: This is a good one. First of all, have you actually seen the water? If not what makes you think ... | |
| Floor and Shower Tile costs | 7/23/2007 |
| Q: Does the quote for tile work (materials + cost per sq foot) does the cost per sq foot include ... A: There is no way I can answer this question without reviewing the job contract. Most of the time the ... | |
| Painting treated siding | 7/23/2007 |
| Q: My daughter recently bought a wood barn style shed. She wants to paint it to match the house (it's ... A: I have no idea what "firsted with saline" means. I have never heard of it. I would check with the ... | |
| Water treatment | 7/21/2007 |
| Q: We have well water and we have noticed that the water is leaving a brownish stain on our fixtures, ... A: First of all I would recommend that you have a complete water analysis performed on your water. ... | |
| moisture inside wall | 7/20/2007 |
| Q: There is small bulge on wall next to bedroom window. It contains white, chalky material. Further ... A: It's very hard for me to say without looking at the situation. It is very possible that the ... | |
| repairing a wall | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: I am removing a recessed medicine cabinet approx. 5x3'-5 is the length. My question is how do I ... A: I saw your question in the question pool so I'm not sure if your question has been answered. I ... | |
| building stairs (indoor) | 7/17/2007 |
| Q: Need to build stairs have a rise of 56" run of 60" 42"wide what would be the best method i want to ... A: You can do either one. I personally prefer to use the dado method because it produces a nicer ... | |
| wood flooring | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: I'm in the process of installing wood flooring in my bedroom. my question is how do I install the ... A: I assume you are using a nailer to put the hardwood flooring down. You will probably have to rip ... | |
| wood flooring | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: I'm in the process of installing wood flooring in my bedroom. my question is how do I install the ... A: Do you have a digital camera that you could take a picture of this and send it to me? If not please ... | |
| wood flooring | 7/15/2007 |
| Q: I'm in the process of installing wood flooring in my bedroom. my question is how do I install the ... A: Good afternoon Jack, Before I can answer your question please tell me what kind of baseboard heating ... | |
| Non-weight Bearing Columns | 7/13/2007 |
| Q: I am in the final stages of building a new home and I have one issue that I can't get the builder to ... A: This is very difficult to answer without actually seeing the situation or at least pictures. It has ... | |
| Non-weight Bearing Columns | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: I am in the final stages of building a new home and I have one issue that I can't get the builder to ... A: Could you please be a little more specific. Exactly where are the columns located in your home, ... | |
| shower pan seam separation | 4/13/2007 |
| Q: I have a one piece shower pan floor made out of some kind of non-expanding material. It looks and ... A: I'm not sure if your question has been answered but if it hasn't try this: 1. Clean the surface to ... | |
| lay brick/tile/stone over concrete | 4/8/2007 |
| Q: i have a cracked slab on my back patio. can i lay stone,brick or tile over this? i am afraid the ... A: I don't know if you have received an answer but in case you haven't here is a suggested method of ... | |
| laminate countertops | 1/11/2007 |
| Q: can O.S.B. be used as a substrate for laminate countertops? A: Just noticed your question in the open question pool. Although you've probably found out the answer ... | |
| ceiling tile | 1/9/2007 |
| Q: Can ceiling tile be installed directly over a sheetrock ceiling? A: I just noticed your question in the open question section. Although you have probably already got ... | |
| laying granite tile over ceramic in kitchen | 1/3/2007 |
| Q: We are replacing our 6" ceramic tile with 12" granite. This is in an area of the kitchen that gets ... A: Just noticed your question in the open question pool. Although you've probably found out the answer ... | |
| molding | 12/29/2006 |
| Q: I am building a new house. The kitchen is ceramic tile and this ends in the dining room which is ... A: In case you haven't had your question answered I am giving ou a couple of ideas: You have several ... | |
| kitchen wall | 12/12/2006 |
| Q: I'm wanting to knock out a wall that divides our kitchen and dinning room to make like a ... A: I don't know if you got an answer to your question but in case you haven't here we go. The decision ... | |
Home Improvement--General
Answers by Expert:
Steve Young
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I will answer questions dealing with home improvement. My specific areas of expertise are flooring (except carpeting), all types of carpentry, water treatment, and minor electrical. I have also built several treehouses and am currently considering expanding my business to concentrate on children's play areas. I love working with all kinds of wood. My favorite types of home repair/remodeling are water treatment, hardwood flooring, cabinetry, bathroom remodeling, and kitchen remodeling. I also have knowledge in residential water treatment, including filters, softeners, reverse osmosis systems and various other types of treatment systems.
Experience
I have been working in various forms of construction both personally and professionally for the past 20 years. I am currently the Owner/Contractor of a home repair/remodeling company.
Education/Credentials
I have a BS in Environmental Engineering and have done Masters work in Management Development. I have also attended various community college and fine arts classes in the Piedmont Triad area and EPA water quality certification classes.
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