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Home Improvement--General/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| asphalt paving | 7/11/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: I am having a section of my driveway paved and I am not sure if the paver is doing it correctly. He ... A: No, this is not best practice in our neck of the woods. Unless you roll asphalt when its at the ... | ||
| laminated beam install | 7/11/2009 | Bill Hutson |
| Q: We have a 1950 split level with garage built under master bedroom and child rm.I want to remove a ... A: Joel, Unfortunately, I can not answer that, this is a question for a licensed engineer or ... | ||
| concrete interior flooring | 7/10/2009 | Harvey Chichester |
| Q: I want to lay a concrete floor in my condo instead of the horrible carpeting that is there now. Is ... A: There is light weight concrete and structural concrete will usually carry its own load. But if the ... | ||
| No drilling | 7/10/2009 | Bill Rodgers |
| Q: I'd like to affix a small billboard (weights 7 lb) to a stucco wall w/o drilling holes, and in a way ... A: Yes there are numerous adhesives you could use however I believe that they would damage the wall ... | ||
| lvl beams | 7/10/2009 | Len Kroll |
| Q: can you use lvl beams to construct and out door back porch? the porch is 14 foot off the ground and ... A: Carl, A pressure treated LVL is available for exterior applications. If you use a non-pressure ... | ||
| repairing sagging floor | 7/9/2009 | Bill Hutson |
| Q: my husband is trying to repair his Mother's bathroom. The subflooring has dry rotted. The end of ... A: Victoria, I run into this all the time at Table Talk Ministries, and here's the usual problems ... | ||
| tar and chip over asphalt | 7/9/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: I have an asphalt driveway at my house in good shape, the road in front is tar and chip also in good ... A: Unfortunately, outside of your own driveway, you can't stop where the water is coming from. Sounds ... | ||
| Log checks have insects | 7/8/2009 | Len Kroll |
| Q: We are going to restain our log house. Many of the log ends have large (mostly downward facing) ... A: Sandra, If you are going to restain you will have to clean the logs first. If you are cleaning ... | ||
| old deck | 7/8/2009 | Harvey Chichester |
| Q: We have a deck that was very well built with pressure treated wood 30 years ago!!! Although we are ... A: You could rent a rotary scrubber like a school janitor would use and screen with a 60 grit screen to ... | ||
| floor leveling | 7/8/2009 | Len Kroll |
| Q: We are about to fully remodel our kitchen and the first thing we need to do it fix the floor. ... A: Tabitha, Here are four suggestions to accomplish leveling the floor. First, if possible, you can ... | ||
| new asphalt driveway uneven | 7/7/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: My driveway is pretty steep. The contractor recommended putting 2" of base layer (in Ohio it's ... A: sorry for the delay in answering your questions! Most of these should be able to be covered with ... | ||
| Asphalt Driveway | 7/7/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: I'm looking to have my driveway re-paved. It's cracked and has deep ruts. I'm in the Northeast where ... A: Hey Mike! Part of the challenge when getting bids on asphalt is the fact that you will always get ... | ||
| new sliding glass door leaks at top | 7/6/2009 | Bill Rodgers |
| Q: We had a new sliding glass door installed about 2 months ago on our house which was built in 1976 ... A: Your door is improperly installed. I would not allow them to do any more caulking. "...you don't ... | ||
| attic insulation | 7/6/2009 | Len Kroll |
| Q: I have a hip roof around the entire parameter of my house, my soffits are open not inclosed, each ... A: David, If you use poly vent baffles you can just cut a slot in the baffle so it fits over the ... | ||
| Screening in an existing porch | 7/5/2009 | Bill Hutson |
| Q: Would appreciate information on how to frame, and screen in an existing porch which has a roof ... A: William, 1st, you will need to frame in a door, we'll use a 36" screen door as an example. install ... | ||
| Driveway slabs | 7/1/2009 | Len Kroll |
| Q: the concrete slabs on my driveway are pulling apart leaving a 4 in+ gap between slabs. How do we ... A: Karen, Before you repair the gaps you need to stop the movement. This can be done by embedding ... | ||
| Tools for scraping off foam from roof | 7/1/2009 | Bill Hutson |
| Q: I've been remodeling my roof and I filled the interior of my roof with polyurethane foam, but I need ... A: John, Without resorting to industrial tools, I am not aware of any tools made speficically for ... | ||
| exterior door leak | 6/30/2009 | Bill Rodgers |
| Q: I have a flat metal out swinging door that leaks. The home is only 2 years old and the door has ... A: I've a fair impression of what you have, and what I'm sure of what you don't have. Per your ... | ||
| Repair stripped metal door / hinge | 6/30/2009 | Bill Hutson |
| Q: I would like to repair our external metal storm/screen door instead of replacing it. The only ... A: Caryn, You have a couple things you can try, use larger screws, fill the holes with a metallic ... | ||
| Garage door | 6/30/2009 | Bill Hutson |
| Q: I am helping my elderly mom with the upkeep of her house. The garage door and a section under the ... A: Bud, You could use a scraper on that, but, try going to your local tool rental place and see what ... | ||
| Asphalt paving over gravel | 6/30/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: I live in Southwest Florida. Our driveway is about 100' by 16' of what I'll call 1/2 inch river rock ... A: Sure Dave! Tar and Chip: Its a 3 step process. 1. A layer of hot tar is sprayed onto the ... | ||
| Asphalt paving over gravel | 6/30/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: I live in Southwest Florida. Our driveway is about 100' by 16' of what I'll call 1/2 inch river rock ... A: A tar and chip driveway is a great alternative to asphalt paving and/or gravel alone. It would ... | ||
| new asphalt driveway uneven | 6/27/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: My driveway is pretty steep. The contractor recommended putting 2" of base layer (in Ohio it's ... A: OH BOY, this is a tough one. The only thing that I can tell you is that the only way to remedy all ... | ||
| Cedar stain turning black | 6/27/2009 | Len Kroll |
| Q: I had sided my cottage in pine with an semi-transparent oil base cedar stain three years ago. The ... A: Wayne, The finish applied must contain UV protection and a water repellent. The discoloration is ... | ||
| Bath tub squeaking | 6/27/2009 | Bill Hutson |
| Q: We had a bathtub installed and now when we take a shower, the bathtub squeaks when we move in the ... A: Carrie, Call the installer and tell them to come back and install it right. 2 things may be ... | ||
| Grass growing up thru driveway | 6/27/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: I had my driveway torn up and redone last August. In February, I noticed it started to crack. In ... A: I am sorry for the delay Sue, as your contractor has already come to look at the driveway--but here ... | ||
| patio doors | 6/27/2009 | Bill Rodgers |
| Q: We recently (six months) ago moved into our custom home. This spring we experienced a heavy rain / ... A: Regarding the hose test. I believe that hose test results are among the most subjective of measures ... | ||
| patio doors | 6/26/2009 | Bill Rodgers |
| Q: We recently (six months) ago moved into our custom home. This spring we experienced a heavy rain / ... A: My bet is that your doors leaked because of installation errors rather that any manufacturing ... | ||
| Vinyl Siding Question | 6/25/2009 | Bill Hutson |
| Q: I purchased an end-unit townhome about 2 months ago. During the inspection (and before it), we ... A: Jason, If you'll look at the siding during different air temperatures, you will see this bubbling ... | ||
| water on transom window ledges | 6/25/2009 | Bill Rodgers |
| Q: We noticed water was sitting on the ledge between the transoms and the windows on all of our ... A: I agree with you. An exterior "Cap Bead" is not a good trade off against a properly set piece of ... | ||
| replace thermoglass | 6/25/2009 | Bill Rodgers |
| Q: When replacing thermo-glass in a wood frame can I use 100% silicone instead of window glaze? Thank ... A: I suggest that you use any neutral cure silicone. Examples would be GE Silicone II or Dow Corning ... | ||
| windows with condensation on the outside | 6/25/2009 | Donald Bosch |
| Q: We can't see out our new windows! I live in Wisconsin- Brookfield (by Milwaukee). In the early ... A: There is indeed nothing to worry about. This condensation on the outside of your windows is normal ... | ||
| Applying a primer/tack coat prior to pavement coating | 6/25/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: Sarah, I have a bid for seal coating my new 2000 sq.ft. asphalt driveway. The bid is a 2 step ... A: A primer coat does help improve adhesion and wear resistance. And a slurry coat of sealer is much ... | ||
| aggregate coming up from new asphalt | 6/24/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: I had my driveway repaved and expanded last spring. Shortly thereafter, the aggregate started coming ... A: Probably not the answer you are looking for, but I am not keen on the sealcoating over aggregate ... | ||
| water on transom window ledges | 6/24/2009 | Bill Rodgers |
| Q: We noticed water was sitting on the ledge between the transoms and the windows on all of our ... A: Please bear with me on this. By "ledge" do you mean the interior window surround or sill? What sort ... | ||
| Log siding care & maint. | 6/23/2009 | Len Kroll |
| Q: I live in Missouri and my siding is exposed to many types of weather. We built our home 4 years ago ... A: Susan, You didn't say what product you are using so I can't address that. If you are only getting ... | ||
| Bi-Level Home Staircase Handrail | 6/23/2009 | Bill Hutson |
| Q: We just remodeled our newly bought home, which was built in the mid-70's. It is a bi-level house ... A: Andrea, A newel post is the big post at the end of the rail, it has the most strength so it can ... | ||
| re asphalting of existing driveway | 6/22/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: 1 month ago we had our fairly large driveway re-asphalted and they also sealed it at the same time. ... A: The protocol for immediately sealcoating a driveway after new asphalt is installed is different in ... | ||
| Do I REALLY need to replace my downspout diverters? | 6/22/2009 | Bill Rodgers |
| Q: I purchased this 1960's house 3years ago. Upon inspection, about 1-2inches of water was in the ... A: It's too bad that you did not replace the underground piping of your drain leaders before you ... | ||
| Driveway with Millings | 6/22/2009 | Sarah Leech |
| Q: we have had a pit gravel driveway for about 14 years now. Over the years it has washed away, been ... A: Millings are old asphalt pieces that are removed from a parking lot/driveway. They are called ... | ||
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Home Improvement--General
Answers by Expert:
Bill Hutson
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Founder and President of Table Talk Foundation for Better Living Inc. a non-profit organization aimed at making free home repairs for the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged. I have extensive expertise pertaining to cost effective rehabilitation and repair in older homes as well as all phases of newer residential construction.
Experience
Remodel and rehab contractor from 1979 to 1993 specializing in restaurant remodel and home restoration.
Jobsite troubleshooter assisting residential contractors through KA Components, Mid America Truss, and Kerkhoff Associates from 1993 until 2002. Contractors' consultant 1990 to present. Used as a construction expert in the local court system. Registered contractor with The Fedral Government, FEMA and several insurance companies. Master Carpenter at Table Talk Ministries a non-profit organization aimed at making free home repairs for those who could not ohterwise afford to have them done.
Organizations
Table Talk Foundation for Better Living Inc.
www.tabletalkministries.org
Founder/President.
Publications
Features have been published in
Fleet Owner's Magazine,
Trucker's News Magazine,
The Daily Clintonian Newspaper,
The Hoosier Topics Newspaper, and The Banner Graphic Newspaper several times.
We have also done features on WKJK and WREB radio stations.
WXIN 59 Indianapolis,
WTHI 10 Terre Haute
Education/Credentials
Northwestern State University
Awards and Honors
"Make a Difference Award" from
WTHI channel 10 in Terre Haute Indiana.
We have recently received the Fueling Good prize from Citgo where we won free gas for a year,
that will help us in our efforts to make homes warm, safe and dry for our elderly and disabled neighbors.
We were recently featured on WXIN 59 in Indianapolis on their "Paying it Forward" segment, mainly because I pay for 90% of the repairs that Table Talk makes from my own pocket.
Past/Present Clients
We focus our attention to the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged.
We are receiving clients from 1 Federal and 5 State Agencies,
9 different public and private organizations plus multiple churches and hospitals.
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