Do it yourself

wow thanks liz great site for ding-dongs like me jeannie

Liz, That might just be the answer for my congolium that looks like it has been thru the chipper! I had inquired about painting over my floor but changed my mind after extensive research. The biggest problem I have is my 11 year old standard poodle who leaves drool drops all over the kitchen floor when he is offered treats. The brick-design-has-been-congolium looks like polka dots were splattered on it in an off-white color. That is how caustic it is...kinda like coca-cola. My understanding is that the Formica lock-blocks are stain resistant? Jan

that was incredible, Liz, Thank you! jeannie

Liz: This will be a two part writing: Part One: You mentioned that your window weights had fallen down under the house. This indicates to me that you have open wall construction, in other words, there is no plate under the studs and you can look right into the attic from under the house. If this is the case, I would strongly recommend that the bottom of all such walls be capped using either plywood or sheet metal. I'm not sure why houses were ever constructed in this manner but every wall is a very flammable chimney and if a fire starts under a house so constructed the resulting draft provided by the open area between the studs will insure that burn time is at a minimum. Part Two: A fairly good memory when coupled with a fertile imagination can at times become a problem, and this is one of those times. I can't remember whether I saw or dreamed up the idea of a device that would replace window weights. The device I'm thinking of would fit where the existing pulley for the weights is now and consisted of a small drum with either a small steel cable of flat metal band that was attached to the window sash. There was a coil spring (like a clock spring) inside the drum and a key or crank was used to adjust the tension after installation so that the weight of the window was in balance and would stay up without the proverbial stick. If this was something I dreamed up when confronted with the same problem, and someone reading this decides to build and market the device, I want to be cut in for a share. Put I'm almost certain I saw this somewhere. Dale

Karl and Others: As many of you might have known, I blew up the engine in my good solid old 1978 3/4 ton Ford several months ago, well actually after 230,000 miles it just laid down and threw a rod. I made the decision to rebuild the existing engine as I was pretty sure what the condition of the block was and you can never be sure about a rebuilt from a jobber. I am happy to report that it is finally finished and though I had my doubts, I didn't forget how it went back together, but when you can only but in a couple of hours here and there, the chance of forgetting is increased. It sure is nice to have all my tools back on the road and in the dry again. Felt like I was running around half naked all the time. Never knowing what trouble is just around the corner can make this old coot worrisome. We sure did miss the generator and compressor. A low tire 15 miles from the closest town is a real pain. Guess I'd better get some lumber on hand so that I can finish the steps and landing for the wife's deck. Though I readily admit that she and her friends are getting pretty good as climbing up and down that step ladder. Karl would be proud of me since I now have another project looming over the horizon. My 89 year old father bought himself a new dish and then decided that it was too complicated to operate and so having never taken it out of the box, gave it to me. Our cable service is now up to $36.00 a month and that is for only 41 channels of which 35 are pure junk. The problem is that we have 12 very large oak trees around the house and finding a clear shot at the satellite will be something of a trick. I had suggested some severe pruning but couldn't afford the alimony payments. I found one spot that will work but now there is the problem of crossing under two walkways. Don't worry Karl, I will keep my reputation in tact and figure out a simple solution. If you behave yourself I might even share it with you, all though it probably won't work in rock. Well, now that I've made myself tired just thinking about these remaining projects, guess I'll pull a Karl and occupy the recliner for the remainder of the evening. Unless I think of something that must be shared with others. Dale------in the flat lands

Hi there. I just joined. I'm looking for info on forced hot/cold air systems. I just bought a house at the end of the summer and am now noticing that the heat is uneven from room to room. The thermostat is located in the main floor hall (it's a cape cod w/ finished basement). I'm looking for ways to more evenly heat the house. I don't have info on my heater (I work away from home during the week) with me, so I don't know if multiple thermostats and so forth are possible. Ideally I'd like to have 3 zones: basement, main floor, and 2nd floor. Ironically enough, the warmest zone right now is the main floor, with a tie for basement and 2nd floor. The way I see the duct work going is basement first, then main floor, then 2nd floor. One room on the 2nd floor gets mild air - not too hot at that point. If anyone has any ideas of what can be done withour dropping a fortune on a new heater system or redone duct work, I'd love to hear it! This is my first house, so be gentle. ;) I should also mention that the insulation in the house is very well done, and the windows are good quality (had some very windy days and haven't noticed any drafts). I'd also like to note that I am somewhat handy when it comes to wood and framing, and am a decent electrician, so hopefully I can help some of you out as well. But heating and plumbing are not (yet) in my vocabulary (other than basic termo knowledge... fire = hot, and basic plumbing stuff like replacing fixtures). Thanks!

Oh Karl......its SOOO much fun ripping down the plaster and lath and putting up new drywall! Why would you want to miss out on all this fun???? LOL....<rather hysterical laughter each room if the walls are wavy..... I think you'd be ok as long as the plaster is in GOOD condition and secure, if you have any thoughts that it may loosen and come down, then you should at least take the plaster off. Our house is a good example of what NOT to do when the plaster starts to crumble.....ie: run to the nearest lumberyard and put a drop ceiling over the plaster.....then move out before the ceiling falls down in front of a future owners guests right onto the dining room table.....<true story! Oh and for the moldings, yes please save them or if you do drywall over them, put new ones up.... Brenda <please Santa, I want a NEW house for Christmas!

Hi, I'm new here...am going to be doing a lot to the house. We're redoing our kitchen, bathroom and installing new oak parquet floors. In the process, I decided to paint my son's dresser and desk so they would match. They are going to be shiney black with neon green drawers! Not my choice, his....but I washed both pieces down, then sanded. (I'm BIG on prep) Then I went to the Ben. Moore paint store and they recommended Fresh Start all-purpose alkyd primer. I bought alkyd paint in black and green too. Yesterday, I primed the pieces. This morning, I was going to start painting.....and lo and behold, I can scrape that primer off with my fingernail. That's NOT right, is it? What do I do? I want this to last at least 5 years, and I'm not into the distressed look. Help! Lyn

Since the subject of windows has been brought to the group, I would like to ask for some advice... Recently purchased first home, expanded cape cod, built in the mid 60's... All windows on the 2nd floor (dormer additions) have single pane awning windows.... Yesterday was the first windy day that I could check for drafts, and low and behold, there are some drafts.... I've checked all the weather proofing, bulb style around three edges(top and both sides)... One edge seems to have cloth like weather stripping, that will need to be replaced... I was thinking of using the bulb style as well?? In addition to weather stripping, can any suggest any more ideas to take into consideration... All the windows still work fine, and look good as well... Thank you in advance, Brendan Murphy PS Been looking for a do it yourself group now for some time... Like what I see hear...

[INLINE] One of the advantages of having lived longer than dirt and keeping on the move is that you get to see and experience many things in the process. We have, over the years, heated using wood, forced hot air, steam, forced hot water, radiant in the floor hot water, and gravity flow hot water. Also working for a couple of years servicing heat pumps and electric heating systems gave me some insight into them as well. Since I'm also tighter than the paint on a new Ford truck, I've been forced to learn the intricate pro's and con's of each of the systems encountered. Someone once told me that I'd probably insist in digging my own grave just to save costs, not a bad thought don't you think? Unless you are planning to heat this winter using free standing wood, coal, pellet or corn stoves, you must consider the medium that is being used to transfer the heat from the point of generation into the occupied living space. One of the laws pf physics is that the denser the flowing medium the more efficient the rate of transfer. It would therefore seem that if you were able to circulate molten lead you could achieve the highest degree of efficiency. Now don't laugh as one of the early nuclear reactors considered for use on submarines used a molten sodium solution in the primary loop. The only problem was that if and when it should come in contact with water there would be a violent chemical reaction and resultant explosion. Not cool in a submerged in the ocean environment, been there done that, and don't think I would have appreciated sitting on a time bomb. In my not so humble opinion, the Cadillac of home heating systems is"Zoned forced hot water baseboard," but due to cost is usually only found in more expensive homes, or homes built during the late 40's, 50's, and early 60's. In the floor, zoned forced hot water is enjoying a revival, especially in commercial applications such as automotive and heavy equipment repair shops. Once the concrete floor is raised to temperature the heat is very constant, not to mention comfortable to lay upon. No big puddles of frigid water to lay in after letting some snow encrusted machine or vehicle thaw out all night. A warm floor combined with ceiling fans to keep the heat down where people work is quit efficient. The new flexible plastic tubing which is able to withstand the heat of the water has made this system very cost effective to install at the time of construction. Another advantage is that the plastic is able to withstand expansion and contraction far better than the copper or steel that was used in earlier methods. Slow to heat and even slower to cool so can cause problems with the comfort level in spring and fall. Gravity Flow hot water when properly sized and installed is quite effective but is also a hang on from ancient technology. The slow warm up rate and long heat retention and radiation time may be maddening to some when all they wish to do is take the chill off in early fall and late spring. However the heat that is stored in the large water filled cast iron radiators of a well designed and properly sized system will hold a very constant home temperature on the coldest days. Radiators will seldom if ever become warm enough to cause injury from burns and are therefore quite safe for small children, and the cats love to sleep on them. Since there can be no air in this type of system rust and corrosion is kept to a minimum resulting in many years of trouble free operation. Another advantage is, that since there are no pumps or fans to worry about, a 12 volt dry cell lantern battery in place of the 24 VAC transformer will enable the system to be operated during extended power outages. Our present home uses this system and the inside of the boiler and pipes look like they were installed yesterday though the system is over 70 years old. Steam is another of the ancient technology systems which is seldom found in modern residential settings. Since water under pressure boils at temperatures in excess of 212 degrees Fahrenheit, increasing with pressure, it is quite easy to receive burns by placing exposed skin against radiators. The up side of these systems is that the cycle time is much shorter than with hot water systems using similar radiators, plus the higher temperatures allow for the use of smaller radiators and so less encumbered living space. There are two types of steam systems, Open and Closed loop. (1) Open loop system: This system has a small thermally activated vent on each radiator which allows air to be vented off until steam is present causing the vent to close. During the cool down cycle the vents once again open allowing air to reenter the system. The primary advantage was cost of installation at the time of construction, but the result is shortened system life due to rust and corrosion from the introduction of air into the system. This system does introduce some humidity due to the venting action, but also may introduce the smell of rusty iron in older deteriorated systems. (2) Closed loop system: These systems will have two pipes going to each radiator and as the name implies returns condensate and depleted steam back to the main boiler. The heating effect is much the same, but they enjoy a longer trouble free life since air is not being constantly introduced into the system. Forced Air: Since air has very low density, heat transfer and retention is least efficient. In effect, as soon as the furnace stops the area begins to cool. Forced air is the least expensive to install at time of construction or during periods of retrofit, and also has the added advantage of being able to conduct both heat and air conditioning through the same medium of transfer. Virtually all residential water based heating systems require the installation of a forced air system for air conditioning. Of course there is also the possibility of adding a furnace to the air handler and having the added advantage of a back up heat source as well as something to take off the chill in spring and fall. Electric Heat: There are really only two basic types, either resistive or mechanical, unless of course you wish to live in a microwave. With resistive heat you can use an air handler, electric boiler, baseboard, or wires imbedded in the floor. Whatever the method it still boils down to heating your home with a toaster. Mechanical electric heat or "heat pumps" are nothing more than a reversible air conditioner. While many improvements have been made over the years they are still only efficient where there is a source of ambient heat. Air driven heat pumps don't work well in the heat cycle much further north than 35 degrees Lat. or say central Oklahoma. Ground and lake loops work further north where a coil is either snaked underground below the frost line or thrown into a body of water that doesn't freeze and the heat is extracted and moved by mechanical means, "namely an air conditioning compressor" into the building or dwelling. Please allow me to digress for a few moments and dwell if I may on the subject of efficiency as it concerns electric heat. You will need to accept my word that every time there is a conversion or transmission process there are involved losses. Having said that, electricity for the most part is presently generated using some type of heat source, be it either nuclear, goal, or natural gas. This heat source converts water to steam, which in turn causes a turbine to rotate, which rotates a generator then the electricity is converted by transformer action to a very high voltage, it is transmitted via power lines to a sub-station where the voltage is then lowered to a lesser voltage for local transmission to the transformer on the pole behind your house which converts or drops it again before being delivered to your system which again converts it back to heat. Great system for running lights, refrigerators, computers and toy trains, but unless you are in the business of selling blue sky, not a very efficient source of heat. To be absolutely fair I must add that it is cheaper to move electricity than say either natural gas or fuel all, because all you need are wires and a few hundred poles to keep them from dragging the ground, but were talking about efficiency. Besides, I just don't like the prospect of being totally without heat for a week after a good ice storm. Most furnaces could be operated by a portable generator, but don't get serious about one that will operate a total electric home, unless of course you're Bill Gates. It is a little like the old fellow said, when he was asked about the disputed price of a section of land that was being taken by the county for local flood control. "A fair price all depends on whether you were buying or selling." Dale in the Flat Lands

Hi, We are going to be installing a pellet stove insert, however the stove will extend ~ 8" beyond the hearth from the fireplace. Is it feasible to match the brick of a home built in the mid-60s. My concern is safety for my little person--we have a toddler! Ideas, comments? Thanks Valerie

Hi....i just posted a question about drywall and no one has replied. i was under the impresion this was an open group for discussing all kinds of home improvement projects. Doesn't anyone have any information or referrals for drywall information? mars

Hi we are new to the group. We recently remodeled and restored a 100 year farm home in western WI. We wanted to save the barn too but it was just too far gone. Does anyone have any ideas of what to do with the barn boards? Is there a market for such a thing? Or has anyone used them to make a smaller building with them such as a garage? Thanks a lot, Hugh and Wendy

hi...i just joined onto this list. i am the owner of a circa 1949 tri-level house (very cool layout). the major eyesore is the "family room". It is a masonry founded room with a concrete floor. at some point, over the concrete block walls, another owner tacked what looks like 5/8ths plywood panelling (UGLY) and threw gray shag (UGH) on the concrete floor, no padding. Ceiling is drop ceiling with fluorescents. (UGH) My question is: i'd like to finish the room in drywall. Ideally, i'd like to have one decorative brick wall, but i can't stand that Z-Brick stuff. What are the pros and cons of tacking the sheetrock directly to the existing plywood, as opposed to taking off the panelling and attaching it (via furring strips, i suppose) to the concrete block walls. Would i have to use some kind of moisture barrier? How about doing bricks indoors? Any suggestions? thanks!! mars mannix

i am wanting to make a workbench and am trying to find some plans for one on the web. can anyone help? phil

In the last three months, our electric bill has soured to $150 a month from about $100 a month. I call GPU/Penelec to ask a few things. They told me how to do a load test. I found that if the water heater was had its power turned off, the electric meter went from spinning extreamly fast to hardly turning. There is a timer on the heater that only allows it to run 2 hours per day and the thermostats are set for 125 degrees F. At the time of the load test, it had already been running for an hour. No showers or hot water usage had taken place in that hour of running. I am thinking that the heater could have a bad element or two causing this? Perhaps this is normal? Could the Anode rod cause this (thought that was only there to help glass lining)? If I try to change the elements, do I have to hook a hose up to the tank and completely drain it? That may be a silly question, but I never watched an element being changed before. Don't know if pressure forses would hold the water in or not (yea, yea, yea, stop laughing). The heater is on our living floor and I can not flood that floor. If the element is not suspect, has anyone here ever converted to LP Water heater? I assume there are no vent free ones? The vent would be an obstical to conversion. Thanks kindly, Dave in rural pennsylvania

[INLINE] Kevin: It is so good to hear from you again. This e-mail protocol is an interesting animal. It would seem that you get all the mail that is sent you through the groups, but when I attempt to send one direct as I used to, the postmaster tells me that it can't resolve your address. I hated to leave the other group but coming home to over a hundred messages every night was just more than my time would permit. There were some real interesting characters on the list. Our kids that are in your area are doing well but as you can probably understand, they are keeping close to home due to recent conditions. We here in the flatlands are in the midst of fall harvest and if the weather holds will probably finish in two to three weeks, then it is time to get ready for the winter cattle operation. There is a certain beauty here that is not found in mountainous or hilly areas. I will insert a portion that I wrote to another list concerning the subject.

Dale, That was a beautiful, picture-perfect rendition of the flat lands. It was many years ago that I travelled thru Kansas but I can still close my eyes and see the incredible sunsets. Thanks for the memory. I drove cross country from Redmond, Washington to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, back in the 80's with two friends, and vividly recall the beauty of our country state to state. Jan

Can anybody on the list help me with a plumbing problem? A BAD plumbing problem? Canada and Josie

Hey, there's someone on this list! I subscribed to several at once, didn't remember which ones later. So, anyone want to talk about vinyl vs. vinyl-clad wood replacement windows? :) S.

You really should check out the doodled walls in BH&G Do it yourself mag....they're awesome! Im thinking a graffitti wall in your house would be kewl, paint a wall in a flat or eggshell paint then keep a black marker handy for your guests to sign your wall.....LOL Brenda

Liz , Your poly-paper floor is spectacular problem solving . Regarding the brown paper floors what kind of brown paperbuilders paper or plain roll of paper such as for mailing? Do builders still use that extremely wide black ( tar paper?) lined brown paper? I'll be reading about color for concrete for a long time before we can get to that project. However, for an "acid "stain, and a polymer "resurfacing" product , which you all may have mentioned before, the site from the back of the flyer is: http:\\www. decorativeconcrete.com Zoe

Liz, When you say use a concrete primer prior to doing any faux painting on the floor what exactly am I looking for at Home Depot? Is it a paint? Thanks. Regarding the brown paper floors - do these wear well? --- Carla Radke --- radke2@... --- EarthLink: It's your Internet. --- Carla Radke --- radke2@... --- EarthLink: It's your Internet.

nice job, liz! keep the great thought!

************************** Happy Birthday Liz!!! **************************

I really enjoy crafts of all kinds, home improvement projects of all kinds and anything I can do myself. My family often refers to me as "Handyman-Jan". I would like to do something with my kitchen floor...pieces of con- golium have lifted and chipped out at seamed areas and isn't a pretty sight after 18 years of high traffic. Underneath is just plain subflooring. I recently heard that concrete can be poured over the entire floor for an inexpensive yet creative look if swirled. Someone else suggested that I fill in the gaps and just paint over the entire congolium floor. I don't want new congolium and I don't want a great expense....all ideas will be appreciated. Jan

Hi! I am sunshine who lurks :o) from northern nevada. We have recently moved into a home which was vacant for a year. There are tons of wasps! We have had the home sprayed twice and taken down the mud wasp nests but they keep on staying around and building new nests! Last night my stepson mowed some weeds and ran over a huge nest in the ground! I didn't even know wasps can have nests in the ground! Does anyone know something other than a spray for spraying on contact that we could put around the house exterior and on the ground nest to get rid of them? Thanks ahead of time! :o) sunshine

Hi! I am new to this group and I hope I can learn a lot from it.

Liz, When you say use a concrete primer prior to doing any faux painting on the floor what exactly am I looking for at Home Depot? Is it a paint? Thanks. Regarding the brown paper floors - do these wear well? --- Carla Radke --- radke2@... --- EarthLink: It's your Internet.

The bowls of all the sinks in my bathrooms have areas that are very cracked and lifted from the finish. I have found some paint that I can use on ceramic but first I need to get the bowls smooth. Any suggestions on how to do that? Thanks. I love this site! --- Carla Radke --- radke2@... --- EarthLink: It's your Internet.

The system that Terminix uses is much more complex than described here. The "stakes" do not kill termites, but rather hold a slow-acting bait that is carried back to a colony and spread throughout. Termites are "smart", and simply killing them at specific locations (ie: with chemical insecticide in the soil) will only make them move to a new food source, whether it is a few inches, or many yards away. The only way to completely eliminate termite activity at a home site is to eliminate the entire termite colony, which can be extremely large, covering a surprisingly extensive underground area. Termites continuously hunt for new food sources, so using any kind of immediately effective insecticide can actually make a problem worse by scattering them further. Christina D.

From: Liz Armon [mailto:artsyliz@...] They make the termite stakes like Terminex uses that you drive into the ground and it kills them. They're a lot cheaper than having a treatment for the building. I would think that that kind of insecticide would be very safe for your chickens since it is totally underground and so are the insects that eat it.

Hello everyone, Just a short intro here. My name is Christina and I live in Amarillo, TX with DH Gerry and baby son Ian. We are in the process of purchasing some acreage just on the edge of town, and it has a small older house on it that we would like to restore. It is basically just a shell with a sub-floor and framed interior walls, so we have lots of planning to do. We would prefer to do a lot of the work ourselves, but there are some things that I would feel better having professionally done (really don't want to mess with repairing the eaves or installing carpet by myself...). I hope to have some specific questions as we go forward, and we'll be sitting back and reading archives for a while before jumping in with anything else. Cheers, Christina D. www.aponyforyourthoughts.com (my "profession")

When we bought our house last fall, it was purchased from a wealthy couple who were absentee landlords and had only owned the house for 12 years. They didn't know much about the history of the house or anything, so since we bought it I have been hoping to uncover some more info on it. Yesterday afternoon I was in the backyard letting the dog out to do her thing when I noticed a couple of older women waiting at the gate. It turns out that they had grown up in my house and that their Dad had done a lot of the neat stuff around our yard and whatnot. They stayed for an hour or so, chatting about the house and filling me in on questions, plus telling me some neat things (There used to be a 2 family house in our backyard and an alleyway! ) They sold the house in 1986 when their father passed away and hadn't been back since. I felt bad that the yard was a mess and their dad's gardens are all overgrown. I was also bummed when they said they had left an elaborate antique coal stove in the basement because they couldn't move it and it is now gone... They also said that they had left some huge slabs of Marble in the basement, which are also gone. Their dad had brought them with him from Italy. We exchanged addresses and they said they would send some pictures. I have a pretty picture of the house that I took this winter during a big snow storm, so I think I will send them a copy in the hopes that they will remember to send me some old pictures of the house. The original houses on either side of ours have been torn down, so I'm hoping that there are some pictures that show what the street used to look like... Our street used to be a through street, but in the mid 70's they built a large housing complex that now divides it into two separate streets (both with the same name oddly enough..) When they built the apartments they tore down a bunch of old houses, so the street has a very different feel to it now... Liam *****This information may be confidential and/or privileged. Use of this information by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please inform the sender and remove any record of this message.*****

Liz's faux floors looked great. How do you do that? Can it be done on concrete? --- Carla Radke --- radke2@... --- EarthLink: It's your Internet.

Hello everybody, I am just so excited. I need to tell someone. Last weekend I finally fixed the 3 and 4 way switches in my house! YEAH ME!! The prior owner had put on some motion detector switches and instead of paying for the 3-way ones, he was cheap (surprise!) So, for the past 2 years, my husband and I had to go up the steps to turn off the light in order to turn it on at the bottom of the steps. Well, now, with the help of the great electrical guy at the Home Depot, I was able to get it all working! Of course I did have to go back twice because the first guy told me that I needed all 3 switches to be 4way not 2-3way and only 1-4way. Later, I tackled the problem of the switches not working on the outlets that we had replaced. I did not know how EASY of a fix that would be. I just took a needle nose pliers and tore that buddy off! OK, I am a bit proud of myself. Next weekend I plan on putting a switch in my basement so I don't have to use the pull chain anymore. How hard could it be? BTW, I am the one that has water coming in the circuit breaker box...I had another electrician come out, he said he cannot fix it either. Leslie

I would like to undertake building a dolls house for my daughters that is large enough for them to play with Barbie size dolls. Has anyone got any ideas, designs or web adresses I can use? Thanks

----- <<<You know I had to start the Interior Motives list cuz I got BANNED from bd??? ROFL Banned ! What were you up to ? Kevin

Hi, My electric clothes dryer has quit working. The light inside and tumbler work fine, it seems that the heating element has burned out. Is this something I can fix or do I have to call the repair service? Thanks, Brian

at this moment, we appear to be evenly divided. our home doesn't have gutters at this time. my brother tore them down when he put on a new roof. he said the eves are large,long enough to forgo gutters. (he's a contractor, very successful, but he's still my LITTLE brother) well, anyway, for the three years we have been living here and fixing up this little "fixer-upper", we have had to battle with a very wet basement. every spring and fall when the rains come and the snow melts, our basement is useless, soaked, damp, mildewy, stanky, yucky and i'm conviced my LITTLE brother was wrong. so the contrator tells me $1300. to gutter the house. if i thought there was an alternative, i'd grab it. Is There? An Alternative? for less than $1300. (i don't mean to sound like a tight- wad but...i am) ps we are in southern new england and i'll bet that makes a difference thanks jeannie

Does anyone have any suggestions for an online DIY electrical primer? I want to add some outlets (on a new circuit) and need some resources so I can start learning about house wiring... Thanks Liam *****This information may be confidential and/or privileged. Use of this information by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please inform the sender and remove any record of this message.*****

I live in Canada and I know a few people who have had roof damage to their house caused by ice build up in their rain gutters. Are rain gutters necessary or is there an alternative?

I just took off the aluminum siding in my house, that had been put on in the seventies and I now need to paint the clapboard that was under it. The architect that I hired recommended Para Paints, an environmentally friendly Canadian paint which I found, is expensive as ... I was going to use "Colour Your World" Paints, which I used before for interior paint and was very impressed with. I was told by a friend that this brand name was not good in exterior paints. She actually recommended CIL. Now CIL, over here in Canada is sold in department stores, is cheap, and I thought it was not particularly good. I would like to have some recommendations from people who have painted their clapboard houses. What brand names have you tried and that you feel are good? Thanks a lot for your help. Ana

Jul 11, 2001 6:54 pm Liam.Gray@...: re Floor Question: filler should be used? < My bathroom has a sanded 1895 wood floor crying for a finish. But, what do put in the gaps? String as in old ships? Also, if it's finished with polyurethane, won't it haze or cloud up over time? Zo

i took a job remodling a house and said it would cost $16,000 BUT it has turned into a night mare should i go at the same price or go higher?!?!

Two questions to pose for the group: 1) We installed an ash floor several years ago and had a Swedish finish applied. Wanting to protect it from wear in a bright nook of the kitchen we laid down an area rug. I now find the floor has yellowed all around the rug... but not under the rug, so there is a very prominant outline of the rug on the floor. Does anyone have any idea what we can do to correct it? Will exposure to the air and sun yellow that spot enough to eventually even out the color or do we need to sand it all out? 2) We've also found some problems with several windows. They are white aluminum, 6 feet high, opening at the bottom (sliding up). One of the windows doesn't seal down tightly when we close it, sort of pops back up a tiny bit. On another, the locking pin isn't working. A third window sticks a bit upon opening. Any ideas how to correct these things without having to go to the expense of changing the windows? They are about 10 years old, btw. Appreciate any help. karen

I have been a member for a while but this is my first post. I am thinking of building a patio cover. Our concrete patio is about 12'x12' off the back of our house. I have in mind one that slopes down from the house. Maybe partially covered to allow some rain protection and maybe hang a fan. Built out of stained ceder or other type of wood. I am pretty handy, having built alot of things around the house but I have a few concerns about this one: 1. Securing to the house - Siding in back of house. 2. Securing posts - I would prefer to put the posts on the corner of the patio instead of in the ground. May have to move sprinkler lines and heads if I put posts in the ground. I would appreciate any helpful hints. I have searched the web for plans and instructions and didn't find much. I can pretty much design what I want if I know how to secure it to the house and ground. Thanks.

We are going to try our hand at building this weekend. We have just undergone our latest remodel (got all new flooring and new ceilings in part of the house) We have also torn down our old delapidated well house. We want to rebuild a new wellhouse. Basically, we just need a shed (very well insulated shed) with a pretty wide door. I am thinking DH, FIL, and I can do it. The area in question already has a concrete slab. It is about 10 X 10. Is there any advice you guys can give us before we attempt this? I have watched quite a bit of framing and I really think I can do this. I helped with a Habitat for Humanity house last year and I actually did some framing so I think if I have a hammer, nails and a level I think I will be set. Am I fooling myself? Also, I saw a show with JoAnn Liebeler where she built a shed using a kit that came with metal joints for all of the joints. Have you seen these and would you recommend them? Any and all help and suggestions would be appreciated. TIA Terri Fallin

I moved into my first house a few months ago. The house was built in '86 and it is very basic style (I believe defined as 'tract home' style) with no interior trim around the windows or doors, no ceiling moulding, and only the most basic base boards. One of my first improvment projects I want to under take is to trim one room with crown moulding, base boards, and finish work around the doors and windows. So I went to the library and found an article in Fine Homebuilding magazine about trimming windows. The article was more about trimming windows in new home construction, but it still gave me some great ideas. But the article talked about installing "jamb extensions" inside the rough opening of the window. The windows in my house are sliding windows in aluminum tracks, and the "jamb" is already covered in drywall. So here is my question: if I want to install wood trim around the inside of the window opening, should I rip out the drywall first, and attach the trim to the framing? Or should I just glue and tack the wood trim on top of the drywall and cover it up? Any opinions or knowledge about this? thanks, Colin

If you are interested in doing a permanent job on frosted glass, all you need is a good air compressor and a hand held sand blaster. Lay out your outline just as Liz did on the bathroom window using contact paper, but it has to be a heavy quality contact paper, the plastic variety works best. You can also do variegated shading by going over some areas several times. I build a setup for one of the fellows that worked with me when we lived in Oklahoma, and he did so well that he started frosting glass commercially. He was even doing store windows, I just hope they liked the results because it would be a little expensive to change ones mind. I was told that the glass bead grit worked best but that would be up to the user. Dale

Hi folks, We have been do it yourselfers for a long time, built our own home, a stress skin panel construction built in pieces in the yard of our previous residence and assembled in a few days. We have wood flooring with deck paint on it, we raise large dogs and the nails are rough on most floorings and carpet is a mud collector. We needed to repaint and made a very foolish error. A friend suggested we put down a sealer to keep the amount of paint needed and we had a large container of sealer we were given a year or so ago. Being in a hurry, no excuse, just the reason, we cleaned the floor and slapped the stuff on expecting it to be similar to Thompson's. The good news is that it is non-toxic. The bad news is that it is an organic oil seal-- I think banana oil, takes a long time to dry, scratches easily, the manufacturor isn't sure if paint will stick and a friend who lays stone flooring thinks that any tile, linoleum or other glue fastend flooring may buckle in time as the oil loosens the adhesive. Any suggestions as to what to do? Our most likely course is to rent a floor sander and see if we can get it off enough to repaint or use an adhesive based heavy duty tile/linoleum. We'd prefer at this time to repaint if possible. Any information about how well a deck paint would apply over this stuff? Thanks Julie Alexander

We're on our way to the east coast (OUR east coast, NB, NS and PEI)....so going no mail till we come back in a couple weeks....we're camping so I will be doing construction and decorating in every place we stop LOL (setting up tents etc).... See you later! Brenda

Our new single glass was fitted in 17 windows totalling 39 panes of glass. The windows are 6ft tall. Our first quote for taking out the leaded glass , fitting new glass and fit oak beading around the glass was high. It was so high I refused to give him the job , on the basis that it would be wrong to give him money to finance his drug habit............because he must have been on them in the first place to dream up that price. I found a guy who was did the lot for $840 , including the glass ( ball proof ) I took two of them four days. It was a neat and solid job. He later made an exact copy of a terrace window. Arched , 12ft tall and 10ft long. A real work of art as far as I was concerned. Made from seasoned oak , with opening rods that matched the originals. It cost $1050 , its going to last for 80 years plus , the last one did. Thats real value compared with the price a lot of these ' get rich quick guys ' charge. Infact , when I have moved the tomatoes and peppers tht are growing by this window , I will post up a shot. Mind you there is not a lot of work in this area , so you can still get a good deal , if you look. Kevin

The current fad here in Belgium is the plastic window frames., just as Dale described .I think they have been fitting them for about 6 or 7 years. It is in my opinion a complete and utter con trick. They sell you plastic at the price of gold ( well almost ) I see old stone houses dating back to the 18th century with PLASTIC windows. It makes me feel ill , when I even think about it. The other day I overheard a conversation between two ladies in our village. One said " well if my money come through ok ( lump sum for pension ) I am going to have those wonderful PVC windows fitted. " she added , " they save you so much money in heating bills and they are easy wipe and you never need to paint them " At the moment this lady has the most beautiful oak original windows with brass opening handles. THere is nothing wrong with them , other than heavy advertisng has deemed them to be.....history. My mother siad the other day " I want those new PVC windows fitted , they save you so much on heating and.................I was convinced I was in Stepford. Once a month the trashmen call to pick up big objects. You can drive through any town and within a few minutes , you will see discarded oak frames. Most are between 100 - 150 years old. Most would be repairable. I have even thought , in one of my crazy moments , about collecting them restoring them and keeping them until plastic ones fall out, then sell them back ! I suppose I should be grateful for this current love of inferior plastic. Why ? Well I have to fit windows in the barn , that is to become Laura's patchwork room. I will be cruising the streets looking for real windows..............free ! Kevin

Liz, I cannot tell you how they work , but I can tell you what happens when they do not work ! They cloud up and look horrible. It takes a while , but here the houses fitted with gas filled panes in the early eighties are clouding up well. No doubt another ' specialist ' with a very large invoice pad has just been born. Kevin

Would appreciate any guidance on replacement windows I can get! Carla Radke radke2@...

Got a bad bug and had to format the HD and since I didn't have any of the drive disks that should have come with the 'putter I had to get a modem before I could go any further. Darnd if I'm not going back to building my own machines like I used to do. At least then I knew what was inside the box. Dale

I was inspired by Trudy's "order of things" to post my own call for help. Here's what we're planning to do in the order i think will work, but if anyone else has ideas or experience, please send your suggestions my way: 1. remove accoustical ceiling texture 2. paint all ceilings and rooms 3. have plantation shutters installed 4. install laminate floor and refinish existing hardwood flooring (after removing carpet) 5. install new interior doors 6. instal new baseboards whew...i'm tired just thinking about it! Barbara

3 years ago,when we bought this money pit,we prepared the walls as instructed by washing them down with TSP and painting. today they are stained and skuffed and every time i wash them paint washes off with the dirt and grim. all the old eicky color is coming through. Muralo was the brand i use and 1. do they have a web site cause i can' find them and 2. whats the RIGHT way to paint interior walls thanks jeannie

Could somebody tell me roughly what order a full replastering job, replacement of floorboards, new window etc should generally be done in? My figurings at the moment are : 1. replace window 2. ceiling replaster 3. walls replaster 4. floorboards including underpinnings / stumps replacement 5. skirts and trims 6. painting .... or something similar. Is there a vague rule I should be following here? Trudy Melbourne, Australia

Hi all. My life is going to be busy for the forseeable future, so I need to cut back on the number of egroups I visit. Take Care.

Has anyone out there installed "nova brik" on there house? www.novabrik.com want to learn more about it, be for I try to install 10,000 of them! bob

Liz, I just loved this post - and can certainly relate to it! Sometimes I just do it in my head. I think - I'll do such-and-such today; but before I do that, I'll have to move the #!* to get to it; oh yes, but that needs fixing and cleaning so I'll do that first; but there's that #@$ in the bucket I need for the cleaning - I'd better finish that first etc.etc. In the end, I have forgotten what it was I intended to do in the first place. Do you know that old song "Right, said Fred"? It's a bit like that. Dianna

Dale, Thanks so much!! I guess that never dawned on me. Not really LOL, you may have saved our lives. I just figured you wedge a good sized board (like a fence post) up and sort knocked out those pieces of wood under the pillar. Of course, did wonder if the pillar is attached to the top somehow and didn't just fall out. Oh, I'm sounding like my mother, clueless :) I am going to scrap this idea until we have help from someone who's done this before. Susan

I am rather stuck with using Outlook Express because my wife who is technologically challenged has finally figured out how to use it. She still thinks the telephone is a marvel of modern science, not to mention the cordless variety, and we don't even discuss the intricacies of cruise control. However in all fairness to the otherwise charming lady, she can raise plants and animals where others have tried and failed. The problem is that we live in the Out-Back of Central Kansas and do not have some of the toots and whistles of the metro areas. Every time I select an e-mail that has some picture of advertisement imbedded in the HTML code that was not down loaded at the time of receipt, the program starts dialing and in some cases it is a real pain. Especially since we only have 25 local lines available and this feature ties things up for everyone. The question is, how can I disable this feature with out disabling HTML receipt of messages. I think I've tried every combination with the exception of going to another e-mail utility that does not have this feature but that as explained earlier is out of the question. I don't understand all the concern about Bill Gates and Microsoft as I've been using their products for 18 years and have not found one yet that was totally bug free or without some deficiency. I used their C compiler until my source code got too large for it to handle and I lost weeks of work, went over to Borland's Turbo-C and never found a bug in over five years of use plus it was so much faster. Dale Life is like a grindstone - whether it grinds you down or polishes you up depends on what you're made of.

I want to convert a bedroom into an art studio. Can I just pull up the carpet and use the bare concrete underneath if I clean and seal and paint it? What should I use to seal it? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Polly

Anyone out there know of a do-it-yourself clear window protection film? This is a clear plastic film that keeps your windows from shattering when broken. All I've been able to find is the professionally installed and therefor expensive stuff.

I'm new, and a beginner, but can usually figure things out if I stare at instructions long enough. I want to build a plate rack (2-3 shelves high) for my kitchen that will hold my china. Very simple design, without a backing (laying flat against wall so the details of the china can be seen). Anyone ever done this before and have instructions/ directions/ guidelines? Thanks! Dana

--- In DoIt_Yourself@y..., "Liz Armon" <artsyliz@y... ......have switched to Zinsser primer - Bin, I think is what it is called. It is only about $12/gallon and works great (just like Kilz used to) AACCCKKK!!!!!! Sherwin Williams charged me $28.99 for a gallon of BIN.........Where do you buy it for $12? I was also going to buy the top coat semi-gloss oil based enamel (pro something)from them too..it's on sale for $19.99...is that a bad or good price? Susie<

I lucked out and I have a twin size iron bed that was left on my property by the previous owners at least 12 years ago (that's how long I've lived here). We are in the process of performing another remodel and one of the projects in this go-round is a privacy fence. We have had to clear the land first and get it ready for said fence. We have an acre of land. Towards the back of the property there has always been this run down shed (for lack of a better word which would more accurately describe it's shape). DH asked me if there was anything on the property that I wanted to keep and I told him there was a bed in the back shed that I might want. I could only see a corner of it under a huge stack of rained on peg board. We got the bed out and it turned out to be a twin size cast iron bed with matching rails. We went on vacation and my FIL took the bed to have it sandblasted for me to make it easier to paint. Unfortunately I didn't know he was getting it already and I didn't get a before picture. :( The guy that sand blasted it asked my FIL if it was for sale and he said no, that his DIL didn't want to sell it. The sandblaster told him it is in excellent shape and the detail on it is fabulous. He said once I paint it, it will be worth $500! I am so excited. Now my question. I really want to do a good job on painting the bed. I plan on spray painting it with good primer and then a white enamel. How do I set it up to spray paint? Do I lean it up against something and do it one side at a time, do I put it together with the rails and paint it as a unit and if I do it that way, what about the joint between the rails and the headboard and footboard? The joint is like a ball in socket joint. I have never seen anything like it, but it works great. I'm afraid if I paint it, they won't fit together very well anymore and if I don't paint it, it will rust. Any suggestions would be very appreciated! Thanks in advance, Terri Fallin

I have been painting a mahogony stained ent. center and bookshelves. The oil-based primer did go on streaky but a trick is to use a quality roller and then cut in and cover roller marks. Let primer dry for at least a day. After - go over with fine sandpaper or steel wool. Then begin to paint. When you store oil-based paint store can unside down so layer of skin does not form. Beth -----

Glad to hear the cupboards are coming along after all, Susie. Let us know how they turn out. I've always had trouble painting over previously painted wood or other shiny-ish surfaces. But I've just used an interesting product which has really helped me and might help others in future. I'm just finishing the redecorating of a room here which includes some old white (very yellow, actually!) painted wood. I was advised to try this stuff and it has worked a treat. Now I'm in Australia so the product name would be of no help, but I'm sure there'd be an equivalent for you guys to use. Anyway, it's called Easy Surface Prep and the label says "No more sanding - Firmly bonds paint to any surface...even glass! - Wipe it in! Wipe it off! Paint after 90 minutes". It's a liquid in a tin but I can't find anything about what's in it other than petroleum distillate. As the label says, you just wipe it on, leave it for about 5 minutes, then wipe it off. Then you wait an hour or two before painting. It cleans the surface and leaves behind a permanent bonding film over which you can then use anything - varnish, enamel, lacquer, oil paint, water based paint etc. I have never found painting over an old shiny surface so easy - the new paint went on so easily and smoothly. Perhaps someone out there has used a U.S. equivalent and can put a name to it? Dianna

I don't post very often but love reading what all of you are doing and getting ideas for projects :) So...I finally decided to paint the kitchen cupboards. They are good quality and style,but the finish is dated (real smooth grainless maple colored wood)and I thought white paint would make them look great. And they still might if someone else paints them!!!! ;) The primer (BIN by Zinnser) went on streaky, and when I tried to compensate for the streaks it even got a little "glumpy". I've never painted with oil base paint before ...is there a trick to it that I don't know of? It must be me cause many say it is very good paint. It was drying so fast... started with a small foam roller (which promptly fell apart and had to pick the little pieces of foam out), then changed to a good quality brush...which left streaks. These will show up after top coat is applied won't it or will it level out? Top coat will be an oil base semi-gloss enamel. Don't know if it matters but the surface was prepared by washing with TSP. Called DH at work for advice and he told me to take a break...not much help there! LOL Thinking of purchasing an airless sprayer to finish the job....Will appreciate ALL the advice anyone can give me! Thanks in advance. Susie<

Hi, I bought a house with a double oven that seems like it works great BUT no oven racks! New oven racks are over $70 each! That just seems crazy to me. No luck so far in finding used ones at a used appliance place and hubby suggested a thrift store but no luck there either. No one gets rid of thier over racks- why would you! Hopefully someone here has some suggestion we havent thought of?? What kind of metal working person would I look for to have some made? TIA Smiles, Rebecca

Hi all: My name is Vikki and I have just joined your list. I am going to be taking over my mother's house while she cares for her mother. The house is in need of repair as it is 100 years old. I live in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Vikki

Soooo glad I found this site! I hope someone can help me... I painted nearly every room in my condo three years ago when I bought it. I got the paint from various different stores, and it's various brands (the rooms are all different colors). About a year ago, I noticed a few paint cracks in the ceiling of one room...nothing alarming, just irritating. But in the last 2 months, the paint is blistering, cracking, and peeling throughout the whole place, including some of the places that I DIDN'T paint. I would estimate there are approximately 100 blisters/cracks throughout the 900 sq. ft. The blister/cracks have started out the size of a quarter and grow to 2 feet across. I'm at my wits end and it's so widespread, I don't even know where to start, much less what to do. Just a little info: -I'm on the 8th floor of a 9-story building built in the 1950s. -The walls are plaster and the paint is peeling down to there. -I did not use a primer or sealer -The paint peeling problem is apparently a chronic problem in the building, but no where is it as bad as in my unit. My condo association is no help; they say there isn't a problem. I'm a paint idiot - HELP! Darci Washington, DC

Hey Liz and Missy........you need Anti Spam Man !!!!!!!!!!!! I am ready and waiting. Liz , your art is not spam , come on. Missy however.....that was real yucky spam. Oh pass me the bowl ! Kevin

Hi- I've been a lurker lately and I have a question. It makes me sick that I can't paint my house myself and that I have to pay someone else to do it! But, I have no choice. The house sits on a hill so that the 1st floor is ground level and the back of the 1st floor is 3 stories up. There is the 2nd (4th stories up in back) and attic. One side of the house is rather treacherous and steep. So, my questions are because I have never had to hire someone to do any work and have no idea what sort questions to ask. Do I have to feel bad about making someone feel I am really checking them out? It's a lot of money to spend to do this and I don't want to make the wrong choice in hiring someone. AND since I've never done exterior painting myself I am not familiar with what SHOULD and NEEDS to be done to do it right. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I did wonder if I could paint what I could myself and hire somebody to do the rest, if that would work? I am just itching to do the front myself! :) Susan

Ok ,Alan , I just ordered a huge humble pie. I am sorry I jumped to a wrong conclusion. ( you sure you do not work for them , even two hours a week < g With an intro like yours , we ani't never going to forget you ! Stick around. Kevin ( the cynic )

The evening was so nice now that there have been a couple of days respite from the 100 plus of the past couple of weeks that we sat out on the not yet finished deck until after mid-night. The wife bought a pair of those new off lamps and we had several candle buckets sitting around and just watched and listened to the natives cruising Main. We haven't done that in years and it was kind of nice reminiscing about days gone by, way gone by. We just figured if Liz couldn't sleep we'd stay up and keep her company. Now Liz don't you feel much better knowing that others feel your pain? Alan, I'd stay up and help you work on your motorcycle but ever since I took one under a semi back in '55 and lived to tell about it I've been scared to death of the things. Its not that I'm afraid of the bike but just that I know that those who ride them are invisible to the rest of the world. We have several 4-wheelers on the farm that we use to drive cattle, check irrigation and just generally run around the place on, now that is fun but we seldom get run over by a cow or a corn stalk. Well since I can't paint and Alan has to order parts, guess I'll call it a day and see what the morrow brings. Dale

Alan, HOW FUNNY! I grew up in Mesa, went to MHS, ('85) I now live on the West side, in North Peoria. Near 83rd and Deer Valley. Missy

Curious to know if any of you have ever tried using the DIY cabinet refacing programs at Lowe's or Ho De. We have a newer home, 2 yrs, I am happy with the arrangement of the cabinets, they are in great shape and I don't necessarily want/need to go to the expense of replacing them entirely since I don't want to remodel, just have a different look to go with what I have evolved into. When we were buying the house and picking out this stuff, we really didn't know what we liked, or thought they mattered or had any idea what "look" we would end up desiring, so we went with stock medium oak. I now know what I like, and it ain't oak, lol, it's cherry. Had an estimate for a pro to replace them before, I heard about refacing $12,000. Had 2 estimates for refacing by pro's, one was $7,000 another $8,500 ( that's with no extras like neat mouldings). I saw the program at Ho De and figure that to be about $2,500 for what I want WITH beautiful mouldings and prettier doors. Just now wondering if anyone has tried and hard it would be and if they are happy with their results, since the savings are phenomenal (to me anyway). Any info?????? Missy

Ha ha.....Mike put up new fencing last weekend, I now have twice as much pasture to lose my ponies in....The back fence he had to put 5 feet inside the property line because every time he drove a post he hit a stone.....Im not surprised, a neighbour told us there used to be a barn out there somewhere, looks like we found the foundation..... At least I know where to go find stone for my garden! LOL Brenda

Thanks to all that answered my question about the pink insulation. It is so nice to have a place where we can ask the questions the answers to which you cannot find anywhere. I've learned a lot since lurking in this list. Ana

Hi all As a mostly lurker to this wonderful list I am poking my nose out to ask a question about the range of walls that people can recommend. I have a side area of my property that backs onto an area I don't want to see and am keen on walled gardens. My house is a 110 year old cottage. I am prepared to spend a *reasonable* amount of money on materials and labour if I have to but want to get a substantial wall making it a major garden feature if I can. But at the same time *grin* I am not wanting to waste money if I can find a cheaper option. Of course the main options seem to be stone walls, brick walls but what are the options within this. I would like it to be 2 metres tall - maybe a little more if I can and the fence line is quite big although perhaps I could have part stone / brick and part wooden and perhaps steel fence in the areas where I don't want the walled garden feature so desperately. I love the look of old stone walls including English style dry stone walls but I imagine they are not practical for the height I am looking for. Or are they? TIA Trudy

Half of my basement had pink insulation on the celing, which I took off as I'm going to redo the whole thing. I put all the batts that are still in good shape in one corner of the room until I use them when insulating the walls around the basement (it might be a while before I can do that. Basement has a moisture problem). A friend told me that it was dangerous to be near pink insulation without a mask and that I should either take it away or cover it with plastic. Now I have my treadmill on the same room, and was planning to resume my exercise, which I stopped as I dismantled the ceiling. I thought that the batts, neatly piled in a corner, posed no threat unless I was working with them. What is the opinion of the experts here? Thanks Ana

Dale, Yes this one chicken is looking a bit sad. We used to keep five or six at a time. That was enough to keep us in eggs galore. The chicken area is now finished. I just need to double check the fence and make sure there are no gaps. I am dusting down the chicken water bucket and feeder. You mentioned keeping animals. I rent out 8 acres of my land to a local farmer. He just puts 9 cows on there for six months. It saves me cutting the fields. I can never quite make the jump to a ' homesteader ' style life. We have the land ,we have two water sources , but apart from two dogs and one chicken ( more coming this weekend ) thats it. I suppose as I am knee deep in DIY projects , I do not have time to be knee deep in animal manure. Well thats my exuse anyway. I joined a ' homesteader ' list a few months back. They are mainly American , and its a great list. We discuss everything. One lady mentioned that its important to keep contact with people as they are in such a remote area. I thought joining would spur me on to keep more animals. Its making me think more about keeping livestock , but only that at the moment ! One lady talked about her 2 acre pond , thats a lake in my book. Now that got me thinking. I would scale it down to European size. Maybe 20 ares , which is 1/2 acre. I know a man with a digger.....maybe in October when the cows have gone. As for keeping veg , we had a big veg garden at the last house. Here this year I have planted only potatoes and beans. My strawberry patch has been eaten by the two pups. I have loads of tomatoes growing , but out of reach of the pups. On the terrace . To say everything on the table comes from the garden is a wonderful thing. Kevin

Kevin: I had a lot of fun with a homestead list last year but it had just about dried up, so I would be interested in joining another if you would send me the address of the one that you are on. I got the biggest kick out of one of the girls that had just finished building a log cabin and they wanted to build a fire in the fire place but didn't know how. It was not only interesting but I like to think that I might have saved their house if not their lives as they did not know the difference between kerosene and gasoline, nor were they sure whether to use green or dry wood. But God love em, they were not only willing to try but they wanted to learn, and they are living out their dream. Dale

Liz and Kevin: I did a quick read but after being out in 105 degree weather all day but I had to stand under cool running water before my head would function. That handy dandy glazing tool I wrote about the other day also functions as an excellent paint scraper and depending on how you put the edge on the end it will work on both the push and the draw. If windows and doors are removable so that they can be laid flat across a pair of high saw horses, one trick is to flood the glass with water before you apply the flame. This helps to keep the wood wet and also protects the glass from the flame. My solution for keeping water handy when working on windows was to get some fittings so that I could hook a 50 foot air hose to the water hose and I just use a regular air chuck to apply water. Most air chucks take a 1/8 or 1/4 inch pipe thread at the out let end and I make up all kinds of little special nozzles using copper tubing and fittings which I can change to suit my purpose. The air hose is a lot easier to drag around than a garden hose full of water. Keeping the wood wet reduces scorching and the steam that forms in the wet wood lifts the paint. What really works well where there are several layers of paint is to soak the wood for a couple of hours before you begin. I learned this wet wood thing while working on an old water front building that was about a mile from the mouth of the Merrimac river. It was a miserable rainy weekend and I was determined to work on the windows anyway. A job that would have probably taken several weekends was finished in just a few hours because the wood was saturated from the mist and rain. When you begin to work on the mullions between the panes of your French windows, I would suggest that you make some small special scrapers that will conform to the milled contour of the wood. There is a paste and cover process that is used to remove paint from ancient mill works but I do not know what the cost would be. You apply the paste and then it is covered over night and in the demonstrations I have seen the paint lifts right off when the covering is removed. My experience has been that water base paints are the most difficult to remove. Someone once told me that water base paint and concrete have similar drying characteristics. I do know that paint strippers have very little effect on cement. When we were in the refinishing business we used a product called "Strip Eze" and it is a clear blue tinted liquid that is almost like water. We have tried any number of other brands but have yet to find a better product. My wife did the striping and staining and I did all the wood work and finishing. She still hasn't forgiven me for telling someone that she was a professional stripper. If she hadn't become sensitive to the lacquers and other chemicals we would probably still be in the business. We were located within 100 miles of three major cities, namely Wichita, Tulsa and Oklahoma City and our business was growing, but we were going to need to find another building with better ventilation, our children were small and the oil boom was in full swing. Dale

Liz, Do not leave it until when the paint gets cold , otherwise it will be difficult to take it off. I hold the blower in my right hand and follow through with a scraper with my left ( I am left handed ) In other words I am chasing the flame with my left hand. Sometimes I can burn my hand , thne II say ' silly me ' or something a little stronger. I am sure you can buy gloves to protect your hands. Did I explain that ok ? Dale is much better at explaining such things. Is that true or not Dale ? Kevin

. I use a simple blow torch with throw away canister. It costs more than a gas bottle , but is light to use. I also keep the paint very wet as Dale explained once. It really does work . I seem to get less burn marks as well. Kevin: I had a 25 foot hose made up to fit on one of my gas canisters and this attached to a self igniting torch makes a pretty good combination for striping paint. Sounds like you really do have your work cut out for you. Dale

Liz wrote: Oh, about removing the caulk, it can't be any harder than removing 100 year old glaze - I don't know how I'm ever going to get it off to redo it. 70% of it has cracked and fallen off but the remaining 30% is like cement. I have two solutions one is to use a heat gun with a guard to keep the heat away from the glass and the other is, if it is really stuck tight, just leave it and glaze right over it. Once painted no one can tell the old from the new, especially if you use acrylic caulk. Dale

I am renting a drum floor sander & edger to refinish some wood floors this weekend and I was curious if anyone has used one before. How long should I expect it to take to do one 300 Sq Foot room and another 100Sq Foot room? Anything to watch out for? *****This information may be confidential and/or privileged. Use of this information by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please inform the sender and remove any record of this message.*****

FYI There is a relative new glazing tool on the market that looks like nothing more than a putty knife that is too stiff and bend at about 30 degrees in the center. I have several of them and they are the best glazing tool I've ever seen, also make very good gasket scrapers and other useful not-intended-for tools. When glazing, if the knife wants to drag the putty, try wiping a little linseed oil onto the knife and a far smoother job will be realized, just keep in mind that the oil will add to the drying time of the putty so go sparingly. Dale

It is 102 out side yet our house is a very comfortable 78 with out running the AC and here is how we do it. This method might not apply to those who have young children that are running in and out. We operate the AC from 6 to 9 AM and from 9 to 10:30 PM only. These are the times when it is the most efficient due to cooler outside air temperatures. During the day all the storm windows and blinds are pulled on the sunny sides of the house. There are ceiling fans in every room and several other fans scattered throughout the house to keep the air moving. One other trick is to use the basement as a source of cooling. My wife has a large fan at the bottom of the basement stairs blowing cool air up to the landing and a second fan that picks up and distributes the air. The temperature on the landing is a very cool 58 degrees due to this storage of cool air. She has one basement window open on the shaded side of the house which allows for circulation. The cool air at night recharges the basement cooling and we draw from it during the day. We don't do this to conserve on energy but to conserve on our expenses. I'm seriously considering putting in a recalculating well cooling system. The water table is only about 17 foot below my basement floor and it will not be difficult to drill two wells in opposite corners of the area. A small 115 VAC submersible would draw water from one well, circulate it through the cooling coil and discharge to the bottom of the other well. By extending the discharge pipe to the bottom of the second well a siphon effect is achieved which limits or reduces the power required by the pump. There is of course the secondary benefit of using the same system to water the lawn while the house is being cooled. Several large homes in this are were cooled in this manner back in the 20's and 30's using automotive radiators for cooling coils. Dale

Liz: I can appreciate you consternation as I'm a bit of a recluse myself. The other fellows at the farm only interrupt my peace and quiet when help is needed either by them or myself and then I am promptly left to my own devices. You would be surprised what I can do with some rope a few chains and a come-along. There are many days when I don't see anyone and except of an occasional call on the cell phone have the whole world to myself. It is very hot here today and I'm patiently waiting for the shade to move across the deck so that I can start to put in a few more sections of the railing. Perhaps I'll do a "Karl" and take a mid afternoon nap so as to conserve my energy. The wife just cut a water melon and it is a good one, so perhaps a chunk or two of that will do instead of the mid-day snooze. I could get used to these mid-week holidays, unfortunately there isn't another one until Labor Day, and it is just an extension of Sunday. Dale

So I am just about to begin refinishing the floor in our entry way and painting the stairs. Being that this is a 3 family house this area see's a LOT of traffic. Any suggestions on what would wear best? I assume just many coats of poly? Any particular type? Also, on the stairs - Can you Poly over latex paint in order to give it another wear layer? With 2 dogs and many people going up & down every day I'm afraid that I will spend all this time sanding, priming, and painting, and it will wear right through... Liam *****This information may be confidential and/or privileged. Use of this information by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please inform the sender and remove any record of this message.*****

Gradually add water and mix well until the concrete takes on a shiny gray hue, then try this crucial test. Test the mix's slump, or consistency, by poking a shovel into the mix. If the resulting groove remains open, you're ready to pour. If it closes up, add water. If it crumbles, add more dry materials. You're now ready to test your skills with the following four-step program: Liz: I try not to work in concrete, having heard of individuals that have apparently tried to swim the bay around Boston while clothed in concrete shoes. I personally prefer overalls or Levis. However I do believe that the above directions are reversed. How are you getting along with the up-coming art show? Dale

Karl: It has occurred to me that with all the rock mining that you intend to do you need a rock basket for your back hoe. They are very simple to construct and great for carrying large irregular objects like rocks. You take a length of heavy chain, in your case probably about 6 foot will do for the basket portion. Hook the ends together using a repair link and then divide the chain into three equal portions so that it forms a triangle. At each point of the triangle you attach a 3 foot length of chain with a hook at the end. Now when you find the rock that you wish to move you lay out the chain like a three pointed star, roll the rock into the center and pulling the three lengths together over the top of the rock, hook two of the chains to the third length and then use the last hook to hang over the lip of your bucket and lift the rock and head for the wall. Or if you wish you might make one chain a little longer so that you can hoop a loop over one of the bucket teeth to lift with. Other wise you can roll them to the house a little like some types of bugs do with objects from the barn yard. Who knows you just might start a whole new athletic endeavor, Back Hoe Soccer. Dale

Are there any sites that help you determine how much building projects will cost. I'm trying to get an idea how much it would cost to build on a small 8 x 16 bathroom to my parent's house. My mom can't make it up and down the stairs any more. Thanks.

Karl, Thank you for the advice, it is a last resort but I am still considering it. The good thing is its just a drain so it has no pressure behind it and a quick coupling sleeve will do for now. AJ

Hey Suzi, Thanks for the information. Next time we get ready to water seal the deck, I will look into the Olympic. On the treated lumber painting/staining, does this go for treated that you use around the house? We just had some windows replaced in a rent house and in about 3-4 weeks will be painting the whole house. Do we need to wait until the Treated Lumber around the window cures? Cindy

Hello all, I have a small problem with my bathtub down drain pipe that goes in to the concrete foundation. To make this a short post, the old fittings and such corroded and were replaced, but I can not connect the new ones up to the drain pipe. and solder on a new piece and I surely could not see what I would be doing to do it. I would like to try and send an attachment with this but I dont know how to send a file with the posts, so if someone could tell me how I would send a pic. with discription. Thank you in advance, AJ

Here is the pic and a brief description, The light gray is the concrete foundation (with about a 1 ft by 2 ft oval to access around the pipe), the brown is the dirt, the yellow is the copper pipe (that is currently bent up), the dark gray is cast iron ( I think, its magnetic, and those black lines are threads), the blue line is about all that I can see. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I also just bought a rubber connector for 1 1/4" pipe and am thinking of cutting off the copper pipe at the flared end and putting an extension on the tub end, then connecting the two ends with the rubber connector. Special thanks to Liz for the help with my posting problem. AJ

Does anyone hae some plans or know of a good website with simple shed plans for free. I am building a simple storage shed / box for some items that are not used often and take up valuable space (lawnmower; spare tires; etc). I have a small area in front of a fence which is roughly 9 feet across and wanted to put a 5 foot wide by 4 foot deep about 6 foot tall shed with 2 foot clearance around it in this area. I think it will be easier to have a flat slant forward roof with a 2 1/2 - 3 foot door in fron for access. I wanted to use 2x4 or 2x3 framing and plywood or OSB with metal angle ties and a screw gun to put his together. I have the basic idea drawn out but I wanted to check it against a simple plan to look at he door framing and sill construction. Thanks, Rudy

Hello all, First of all, thank you for the advice on my electical problems (water comming in my breaker box) I had an electrictian come out and I think my husband and I scared him away. I guess it is time for elect. #3. Anyone know anyone good in Columbus Ohio? Second, my neighbor and I just put up a beautiful fence. Just enough privacy to keep out the leaves and debris, but we can still see each other through it. But we are at a point were we want to stain the wood. We were wondering if we have to wait any amount of time before we can do this. It is the standard Pressure Treated Wood that we got from Home Depot. It was mighty wet when we bought it. We let it sit out for about a week or so before we put it up. (We were having LOTS OF RAIN when we did it, so we used the few days of dry weather we had) So, do we have to wait to stain it, or can we do it now before it gets too hot outside? Also, when is it too late to stain the wood? There is small deck that was built about 2 years ago that needs a little color lift. Leslie

I'm planning to build a trellis in my backyard. Part of the trellis will cover the existing concrete patio and the rest covers the lawn. My question is what are the options to set a post on the concrete patio? Thanks. -tzyyu

Karl and Liz: Started tearing down the tired old Ford this afternoon, and so far the hood, radiator, ac and grill are out. Was delayed a bit by the necessity to remove the lift motor on Bryan's boat. It has a Chevy V6 inboard and his kids are old enough that they want to go for a boat ride. This thing will go about 60 MPH so perhaps I would be doing him a favor if I broke it too bad to repair. Hasn't been in the water for a couple of years and I have some real bad feelings about gasoline inboards, especially older ones that might have fuel leaks and other explosive tendencies. Right now I'd almost be willing to engineer a swap with Liz, let her sister rebuild my truck and I would finish her house, but it is in the mid 90's here and I can only imagine what it must be like 500 miles south of here. Sorry Liz, but I have these senior moments of inanity when the temp goes over 80. Dale

1. Patio Paver Picks 2. Dry-Laying Brick Patios and Walks 3. Pathways: Follow These Mellow Brick Roads! 4. Mastering Mortar Lets You Make Quick Fixes... 5. ...And Build Benches, Planters and Walls 6. Hot Forum Topics: Patio Floods, Old Brick and Acronyms 1. Patio Paver Picks Our Home Solution's 2001 section's Patio Planning Tips and Picking Patio Pavers articles look at the style, durability and costs of brick, concrete, paving stone, and other popular outdoor surfacing materials. Poured concrete, which ranges from $72 to $100 per yard (not including instal