| Subject | Date Asked |
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| Drywall repair | 9/29/2008 |
Q: While finishing some drywall I have found an area that seems to have been damaged. It was probably ...
A: Jeff, You are doing fine, you can either patch this with another piece of drywall or you can get a ...
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| Painting prefabricated sheetrock walls in a mobile home | 9/26/2008 |
Q: I have prefabricated sheetrock walls with a textured paper/coating in my mobile home, they are in ...
A: Violet, I would first wash the walls down with a TSP (tri-sodium phosphate)solution which you can ...
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| Cupping of wood floors | 9/25/2008 |
Q: We bought a new construction home a year ago in North Carolina. The wood floors were cupping when we ...
A: Michele, The problem is that the floor did get wet and has cupped as it dried. The home builder and ...
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| Filling holes in wall | 8/20/2008 |
Q: I am ENTIRELY new to DIY. I've just moved into a new house and had some lights taken off a wall ...
A: Paul, You can get a patch for that at wal-mart or any hardware, they are typically used for holes ...
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| basement repairs and remodeling | 8/18/2008 |
Q: the problem we have is a dirt and crack cement walls,along with molding,some water leak that coming ...
A: Kim, Sorry for the delay. The first thing you'll need to do, is to address the incoming water, which ...
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| Header Selection | 8/16/2008 |
Q: I want to remove the 2" x 4" wood supports between my enclosed Patio & Living Room on the first ...
A: David, I'm not exactly sure what you are asking here, but, it sounds like you wanting to remove a ...
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| Basement finishing | 8/15/2008 |
Q: I've got a 75 year old home. The house was built on the side of a hill, so we've got a full height ...
A: Chris, That is a dramatic slope. I would put in 2x4 floor joist (laying flat) sitting on the floor ...
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| Soffits | 8/13/2008 |
Q: Bill, I live in 2000 sq ft house in Houston, TX. My air conditioner struggles to cool the house to ...
A: Ed, This is relatively easy to do, you can install gable vents, or install vented soffits, you'll ...
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| WLL REMOVAL | 8/2/2008 |
Q: I HAVE A HUGH ADD ON OF TWO ROOMS WHICH ARE CONNECTED TO A LOAD BEARING WALL (ORGINAL WALL)ON BACK ...
A: Mary, Any time you want to open up a load bearing wall, you must use a header in the wall to hold up ...
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| Drywall Ceiling | 7/28/2008 |
Q: Hutson, I had ceiling tiles up in my basement and took them down. I was thinking of putting a dry ...
A: Steve, I apologize for taking so long to answer this, I have been on the road all week. I would ...
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| Stuck Windows | 7/26/2008 |
Q: I have tilt-down pop-out double hung windows. About a year ago I had someone clean them. I just ...
A: Steven, You should be able to loosen the bottom window using the locks on top of it at the sides ...
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| ripples in esterior aluminum trim wrap | 7/12/2008 |
Q: Our contractor for siding, soffit, and trim, roof and gutters, on our western bungalow has now hung ...
A: Meg, OK, now, I understand the situation, I fight all the time with the inexperienced guys on my ...
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| Cool basement | 7/12/2008 |
Q: I am in a new house and I had the builder finish a room in the basement 15 by 25 ft.for my mancave. ...
A: Jerry, That may help, but keep in mind that the temperature under ground level stays at 58 degrees ...
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| ripples in esterior aluminum trim wrap | 7/11/2008 |
Q: Our contractor for siding, soffit, and trim, roof and gutters, on our western bungalow has now hung ...
A: Meg, If you are talking about aluminum fascia pieces which are used to cover the fascia board, they ...
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| roof leaks,plumbing leaks,etc,Disabled | 7/7/2008 |
Q: Hutson,Me,wife,and son are all disabled.Roof leaks,plumbing leaks,mold and mildew in and out side ...
A: Robert, send me an email here, bill@tabletalkministries.org I will need to get some personal info ...
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| Sewer Pipe Vent | 7/3/2008 |
Q: Would you know what would make the sewer pipe vent steam, its been steaming for a few hours now and ...
A: Melissa, I'm not sure exactly what sewer pipe vent you are describing. You should have no open sewer ...
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| removing a (?) jacuzzi (?) whirlpool type indoor tub | 7/1/2008 |
Q: I inherited this tub when I bought tis cottage and the bottom is peeling away (it appears to have ...
A: Lynne, I am assuming that this is a whirlpool tub in the bath. Usually these sit on a mortar bed, it ...
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| wind pressure in hurricane zone | 6/26/2008 |
Q: If a house with a normal peaked roof had no overhangs, (gutters ect.) that the wind could not get ...
A: Jeff, Yes, the structure is no match for the sheer velocity of the wind alone, not to mention the ...
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| Vinyl Siding | 6/25/2008 |
Q: Mr. Hutson, My elderly Mom had her home vinyl-sided 6 years ago. The siding has now faded quite a ...
A: Jane, Unfortunately, the older vinyl does indeed fade. They now have improved the technology and ...
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| Repair and replace Joist | 6/24/2008 |
Q: I have accumulated rot of most of the joist under my subfloor. About 90 percent of them have to be ...
A: William, I see this allot in Table Talk Ministries, I try to sister another joist along side the bad ...
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| hanging strip flooring on walls | 6/20/2008 |
Q: I came across a gentleman who needed to get rid of 3/4" maple strip flooring from a school ...
A: Elaine, I probably would not, unless I knew I would be hanging heavy items on the wall. The nails at ...
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| re: Hole in drywall | 6/18/2008 |
Q: in my bedroom, there is a 3" x 5" hole cut out in the drywall where the tv cable is - I assume the ...
A: Fergus, Sounds like an awful big hole for cable. You can get a receptacle box with flip out tabs at ...
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| hanging strip flooring on walls | 6/17/2008 |
Q: I came across a gentleman who needed to get rid of 3/4" maple strip flooring from a school ...
A: Elaine, Use plastic, it will help keep moisture out. Where you nail these is going to be a personal ...
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| How to build/make a freestanding handrail | 6/12/2008 |
Q: Bill, Both my sisters-in-law have physical impairments due to hip problems, and hip replacement ...
A: Sooz, Freestanding metal railings are not my favorite, in my ministry, I install alot of wheelchair ...
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| Replacing studs in stucko wall | 6/6/2008 |
Q: My stucko garage wall has the wooden studs exposed on the inside. Some of them have termite damage. ...
A: David, What I would do here is; make sure you have eliminated the termites. Assuming the studs are ...
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| sealing a sill plate | 5/30/2008 |
Q: I want to seal at sill plate & rim joist (1957 non-PT wood and no sill seal) basement dry..read that ...
A: Sonia, Do you have heat and cool in this basement, that should be adequate ventilation. If not, I ...
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| is it a foundation problem? | 5/29/2008 |
Q: We have vertical cracks on the external brick wall of our end unit townhouse. 2 contractors said ...
A: Sean, If you have vertical cracks on two opposing walls at a corner, then you have a foundation ...
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| sealing a sill plate | 5/28/2008 |
Q: I want to seal at sill plate & rim joist (1957 non-PT wood and no sill seal) basement dry..read that ...
A: Sonia, If the basement is dry and you have not had any problems thus far, I would not bother with ...
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| Bedroom doors open by themsleves | 5/27/2008 |
Q: I'm sure this is a common problem. After closing the bedroom doors, they slowly open until they are ...
A: Ian, with the door closed, check the gap along the door knob side, if it is larger at bottom, remove ...
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| attic insulation | 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: Raymond, This is cellulose insulation, made from ground up paper and fiberglass, I do not think they ...
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| Refacing Prefab Metal Fireplace | 5/18/2008 |
Q: I would like to reface my current fireplace. It now has the old fashioned gas/wood burning metal ...
A: Sadie, If the vents are to let in fresh air, you don't want to cover them. If they are blower vents ...
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| problem with load bearing beams | 5/13/2008 |
Q: I have a problem with cracking in a ceiling. On further inspection of the attic in this bi-level I ...
A: Brian, This is not going to be a DIY project. I think you had better get a reputable contractor out ...
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| uncaulking | 5/12/2008 |
Q: I have to correct a big mistake. I caulked doors and baseboard with a silicon based caulking. It ...
A: Gabe, Try a utility knife. First, slice through each side of the bead with the knife, and pull out ...
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| replacement windows vs new construction | 5/11/2008 |
Q: Dear Dave Coil I am unsure whether I can use a replacement window (no flange) or must use new ...
A: Steve, I have used replacements in the same type of situation. I put mine in, leveled and shimmed ...
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| Popcorn ceiling | 5/5/2008 |
Q: I have an old popcorn ceiling (my guess is pre 1985) that is pretty disgusting. Several cracks, very ...
A: Dan, This is the best way to go about this, that type of texture is very difficult to remove, it can ...
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| porch ceiling | 4/30/2008 |
Q: I just asked you a question, but I gave wrong information. I'm in a humid area, and the ceiling of ...
A: Bobbie, Since you live in a humid climate and moisture is going to be an ongoing problem, I would ...
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| Replacing an electrical outlet | 4/24/2008 |
Q: My Mother owns a Condo. The plug to her answering machine keeps falling out. I noticed the ...
A: Norma, You can buy an outlet at wal-mart for less than a dollar. I found this illustrated guide for ...
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| Ceiling remodel of modular home | 4/20/2008 |
Q: I'm a retired teacher. My children just bought a ranch and there is an old, 1978 vintage modular ...
A: Nancy, Look first at some mobile home supply companies to see what they might have available, also ...
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| Ceiling remodel of modular home | 4/20/2008 |
Q: I'm a retired teacher. My children just bought a ranch and there is an old, 1978 vintage modular ...
A: Nancy, You could nail furring strips to the ceiling making sure to go into the ceiling joists, this ...
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| Ceiling remodel of modular home | 4/19/2008 |
Q: I'm a retired teacher. My children just bought a ranch and there is an old, 1978 vintage modular ...
A: Nancy, I just did some of this same type of repairs to a mobile home here in Indiana. Probably close ...
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| Lap Siding | 4/13/2008 |
Q: I am assisting my Son-In-Law with the remodeling of a once flooded home in New Orleans. LA. I told ...
A: John, You can use a sawzall with a metal cutting blade or a hack saw blade to get behind the siding ...
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| Sewer Vent Pipe Through Roof | 4/10/2008 |
Q: Bill, I recently asked you about my sewer vent pipe that goes up through my wall and out through my ...
A: Gary, Vent pipes are open lines to the drain system to allow air to enter the system for ...
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| Attic Vent | 4/9/2008 |
Q: I am in HOT West Texas. I have started remodeling this 40's house. I installed an attic stairway and ...
A: Don, I'm thinking that a single pipe is not going to provided enough airflow. A couple things to ...
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| Replace Sewer Vent Pipe | 4/8/2008 |
Q: My sewer vent pipe that goes up through my wall and out through roof is copper and I am wondering if ...
A: Gary, There is no liner that I know of, that does not mean that one does not exist. If you are not ...
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| Attaching a patio cover ledger to the house | 4/7/2008 |
Q: I'm building a patio cover. I want to attach a header 2x6 board to the house. The exterior is stucco ...
A: Richard, I use a deep scanning stud sensor that works pretty well. or, you could drill a small hole ...
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| lead paint on wood floors | 3/25/2008 |
Q: We are purchasing a house that has lead paint on the foors upstairs(all bedrooms and hallway)Is it ...
A: Stacy, I think you would be best off asking this question to a licensed lead based paint removal ...
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| hardiback for tile shower install | 3/11/2008 |
Q: We recently had our bathroom remodeled. The walls are green board. The tile guy we hired then ...
A: Diane, This will be fine and with proper installation it should last for many years; the hardiback ...
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| stall shower | 3/6/2008 |
Q: WE live in an in-law quarters attached to my son's house. My wife has curvature of the spine among ...
A: Jim, Go down to the hardware and look around for 1) a rubber mat that has holes in it, 2) something ...
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| cracks at top of walls | 3/3/2008 |
Q: How can we repair cracks at the top of the wall where it joins the ceiling. We have plastered ...
A: Lowell, Usually this is caused from settling, and typically in older buildings. If the cracks are ...
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| Bi-level/ walls / load bearing | 3/1/2008 |
Q: Re: a previous question .. a Bi-level that i am looking at has but only an open attic above. i ...
A: Jack, An easy way to tell is, look into the attic, if you see any rafters or beams at all resting on ...
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| Petition wall | 2/26/2008 |
Q: What is petition wall?
A: Arie, Commonly referred to as a partition wall, is a moveable temporary wall used mostly to separate ...
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| balcony | 2/24/2008 |
Q: We need to replace the surface of our outdoor, upstairs balcony. Existing roofing material is ...
A: Peggy, I think you mean the decking itself, if so: I had the very same situation at our Church. ...
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| stipplied ceilings | 2/20/2008 |
Q: I would like to ask about stippled ceilings in general as to the promotion of mold growth in ...
A: Allan, You can KILL the mold with a GERMICIDAL BLEACH. Lowes carries it. I use it non-diluted in a ...
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| moisture around light switch covers | 2/18/2008 |
Q: I had my home built 3 years ago and now there is two light switch covers that are showing some kind ...
A: Mike, Since your house is only 3 years old, ask the builder to come and look at this, it should be ...
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| Drywall Crack Repair | 2/11/2008 |
Q: Our house is 14 mo. old - we have cracks above 2 doors, running from the door trim to the ceiling. ...
A: Agnes, I would use the mesh tape, it won't break as easy. You can buy smaller amounts of powdered ...
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| Drywall Crack Repair | 2/10/2008 |
Q: Our house is 14 mo. old - we have cracks above 2 doors, running from the door trim to the ceiling. ...
A: Agnes, Unfortunately, this happens allot. Drywallers butt two pieces of drywall together at a door ...
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| Drywall Dimples | 2/9/2008 |
Q: Bill: I don't know if you remember but we communicated a bit in December about some water damage ...
A: Roger, I do remember you, and first let me apologize to you and anyone else who may have been trying ...
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| grab bar | 1/25/2008 |
Q: I have to install a grab bar for my father in-law to use to help him get up from the toilet. Is it ...
A: Dave, These are usually installed at an angle, BUT, if the person who will use it is available, I ...
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| wall panels | 1/18/2008 |
Q: hope you can help me. I am installing a thin wall panel to join an exsisting panel. Instead of using ...
A: Lorne, Didn't any of your teachers ever tell you that the only stupid question is the one you don't ...
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| Very general drywall / insulation questions | 1/15/2008 |
Q: I have some very general questions about DIY home improvement, specifically related to drywall and ...
A: Mark, It may take some time, but that's ok, a job not rushed is a well done job. It is not a problem ...
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| garage door remote | 1/10/2008 |
Q: bought house, garage door worked but no remotes. had overhead door guy come and program two. ...
A: Sue, Unfortunately, you have found the one thing I know very little about. Do you have any printed ...
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| Dry wall seams | 1/3/2008 |
Q: Bill: i guess they wouldn't let me ask any more follow up questions on my drywall problem. I am ...
A: Roger, You can always get me at our website; tabletalkministries.org, you might even find my number ...
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| visible seams in dry wall | 12/30/2007 |
Q: We recently had a big ice/snow storm and we had some ice dam damage to our house with water creeping ...
A: Roger, there is probably not enough moisture in the walls to cause any damage. that type of damage ...
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| visible seams in dry wall | 12/29/2007 |
Q: We recently had a big ice/snow storm and we had some ice dam damage to our house with water creeping ...
A: Roger, If you'll try the plastic taped to the wall, I think you will find moisture in your wall. ...
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| concrete stoop under carport | 12/29/2007 |
Q: I have a concrete step that leads to my kitchen door. It is fully covered by a carport. When it ...
A: MaryLee, Typically, when they put in carports, they don't put in a vapor barrier which is just a ...
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| visible seams in dry wall | 12/28/2007 |
Q: We recently had a big ice/snow storm and we had some ice dam damage to our house with water creeping ...
A: Roger, the holes in the ceiling should be closed back up. try this, tape a clear piece of plastic to ...
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| Bad drywall job on new house. | 12/27/2007 |
Q: We just built our house and in every room I can see drywall seams through the paint. The ceilings ...
A: Karen, my first question is; did you get a warranty with your home? you may want to check with your ...
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| replacing kitchen range | 12/21/2007 |
Q: We live in Vancouver Washington. My husband will be replacing our drop-in range with a slide-in ...
A: Stephanie, The new one should come with a template to help you with the cutting diagram. At this ...
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| drywall to brick | 11/29/2007 |
Q: I am covering my brick fireplace with dry wall. What is the best way to do this w/out using firing ...
A: Jim, You can use an adhesive like liquid nails for this and just glue the drywall right to the ...
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| Cabin walls | 11/25/2007 |
Q: I have a place that has no plywood on the exterior walls with that no house wrap either(tyvec?). ...
A: J, The structures strength comes from the corners. This should be plywood at least, with tuff-r in ...
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| joist repair | 11/20/2007 |
Q: My husband and I bought a 100 year old "foursquare" home and intend to do a lot of the needed ...
A: Jan, I want to thank you for including the picture, that helps allot. It looks like someone didn't ...
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| False Walls | 11/9/2007 |
Q: I would like ideas & advice on building a false wall to incorporate a LCD TV, fire, video equipment ...
A: Patricia, This should be relatively easy to do, the most important step will be the planning, first, ...
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| HANDICAP BATHROOM | 10/29/2007 |
Q: NEED TO REMODEL BATHROOM FOR MY MOTHER WHO IS 87 YEARS OLD, HAVING HARD TIME GETTING HER INTO THE ...
A: Sharon, There are some low profile tub or shower surrounds that are made for this specific ...
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| Home Insallation | 10/27/2007 |
Q: I currently have blown in insulation in my attic. Would it help to decrease my monthly electric ...
A: Keith, It may very well help to lower your heating and cooling costs, but there are other things to ...
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| Replace siding | 10/24/2007 |
Q: We have a shed that we want to replace the siding on. We had the present siding tested and it does ...
A: Carol, You can fill the cracks with quikcrete, I think I would use an epoxy caulk for the smaller ...
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| Wobbly overhead fan | 10/23/2007 |
Q: 42" / 5 blade overhead fan that wobbles. I believe I heard that it can get "out of balance" and ...
A: Jim, These fans can get out of balance, you should either have a kit with weights that came with the ...
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| Ground Settling | 10/22/2007 |
Q: The ground underneath my front sidewalk/porch has settled to the point that about an inch separates ...
A: Derrick, I am truly sorry that I didn't reply sooner. The first thing I am wondering is why did it ...
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| 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: Scott, I am very sorry that I didn't get back to you sooner, Try this, using a wooden toohpick, ...
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| Kitchen | 10/19/2007 |
Q: I have a kitchen with a standard 8 foot ceiling. I was wondering if it it worth removing the ...
A: Todd, If you can get into the attic, look at the joints in the roof joists, trusses use a gang nail ...
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| Kitchen | 10/19/2007 |
Q: I have a kitchen with a standard 8 foot ceiling. I was wondering if it it worth removing the ...
A: Todd, Not really a dumb idea. Could be expensive though. It depends on whether your existing roof is ...
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| Drill Bits | 10/18/2007 |
Q: Bill. I wanted to know what types of drill bits are the best to use to make holes and what are the ...
A: Daniel, There are many different types of drill bits, metal, wood, glass, diamond, countersink, ...
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| In-Ground drainage clog | 10/17/2007 |
Q: I have a 5 year old 2 story home that has downspouts that attach to underground drainage. After ...
A: Kevin, If it is only the one drain that is clogging you should be ok, You can rent a drain auger ...
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| 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: Tina, There are options available to you, I do know, that this can be repaired. Your best bet would ...
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| sewer gas | 10/13/2007 |
Q: recently we remodeled our bathroom, so we had to rework our water lines and plumbing, we didn't hook ...
A: Flora, The vent pipe does need to extend to the exterior of the home, that may be the cause of your ...
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| Crawl Space Vents | 10/12/2007 |
Q: I have a question about venting of crawl spaces. We recently added to our family room and created a ...
A: Joe, Those vents serve a very good purpose. They allow your crawl space to remain dry and help to ...
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| bearing walls | 10/7/2007 |
Q: I have two walls that I want to remove to open the area up. The roof above this area has a Dutch ...
A: First way to tell if you have a bearing wall, Does the roof line change right above this wall? If ...
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| Interior Wall building | 9/30/2007 |
Q: My wife and I are opening a business. We would like to put up some half walls (8ft) to divide up ...
A: Gavin, I am assuming you are talking about a knee wall, which is generally about 36-42" high, and ...
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