Do it yourself

Working on a rec room in the basement and we are done drywalling. Thinking about putting the knockdown texture on. They make it sound easy enough, spray it on, wait and trowel it down. Any tips? Any other preferences as far as texture (new, modern)? Thanks

My brother put in a new tub with white ceramic tile all around it a glass block window. The whole wall is ceramic and there is ceramic around the window, which makes it look like the window is set back into the wall. Basically, the tile surrounds the window creating a shelf/window sill. He collects brightly colored glass fish and has some on the shelf/sill in there. It is gorgeous!

No, paint primer. The brand I used was 'Grip 'n Seal' by Coronado. It's not as readily available as other primers, but it's worked better for me than other brands. Winnie Columbus, NC K9Castle@...

This is our first winter in this house & have found that the windows leak ALOT of cold air. We have the double hung windows. Any great ideas to seal up (temporarily) the tracks & aras btw the bottom & top windows? We need the solution to be temporary bcse the windows need to slide up & down the tracks when we want to open them. Another thing about the windows. We noticed this fall that some of the top windows are so loose that they slide down when you open (lift) the lower window. Any solutions to that one? Thanks Karen Bailey, your personal Kitchen Consultant with The Pamperered Chef. Ask me about our great specials this month and about my job....IT'S A PARTY!

I need to replace carpeting with something else but I'm not sure what can go over radiant heat. Does anyone know? Laminate or vinyl maybe?

I painted the paneling in my kitchen about 7 years ago. It was the kind with the shiny smooth surface. I didn't sand. Just washed it good and used Martha Stuart primer and paint. I was even able to scrub around the stove when sauce, etc., splashed without any peeling. We just moved out of the house a few months ago and my husband has since gone through and painted the rest of the paneling in the other rooms white. He used paint that he bought at Ace Hardware. Looks good, but no way to tell how it will hold up since we are selling the house. I wouldn't hesitate to paint any paneling. Kilz is my primer of choice and I am a fan of Glidden paint (although it always comes out a little light), but like I said, the Martha Stuart held up great. I would not recommend Behr paint. I have a lot of trouble getting it to cover old colors, even if they are not too dark (for example, I painted my new kitchen yellow over pink and 2 coats of primer and 2 of paint later can still see streaks) and it is a more expensive paint anyway. By the way, my name is Kim and I've been posting a little, lurking a lot. I'm from Silver Creek, New York.

I want to replace a vintage (circa 1920s) cast iron tub with one of those new-fangled fiberglass modular tub/shower combinations in an upstairs bathroom. Unfortunately, there is a window about 4 feet off the floor, in the center of the wall where the tub/shower would go. The bathroom is only about 6'x6', so moving the tub to another wall is not an option. I've been thinking about how to proceed for weeks and short of removing the window (a last resort since I don't have any spare siding) or blocking it (also not a desirable solution) I can't think of any workaround. Suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated--perhaps there's another option I've overlooked. Thanks.

I painted paneling about 2 years ago when we bought a 70's type house that had paneling in every room. I used a primer and 2 coats of paint. A lot of work, but it really looks great. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Winnie Columbus, NC K9Castle@...

We just bought a house about 5 months ago. I am fairly new at do it yourself, (but want to be better) My question to everyone is can I paint paneling. I saw a show on tv a while back that I thought said that and how to do it, but I dont remember much about it. Now that I have a house with dark paneling, my wife wants to brighten the room up some. Any suggestions or advice? Thank you, Bob Thompson

I got a package of 10 for about 2 bucks and you put them behind the plate. They are made out of a very thin foam, found in the electrical department.

Dale wrote, Well , I am pretty safe here , just me from the UK ( I hope ) A Landrover is not what it used to be. I talked to a Landrover Mechanic a few weeks ago. He said the new Range Rover need a computer programmer and a head shrink when it broke down , not a mechanic. Also he felt it would look more at home on a velvet carpet rather than a field of mud. It needs lots of duct tape , preferably the electronic variety. Nope , I got the hots for a Toyota crew cab pick up. Which I suppose is a sad admission in itself. I want one in bright red. My birthdays next week < g We actually have plenty of American pick ups here in Belgium. Usually converted to run on LPG. Trouble is they are a bit big for the little roads here. Kevin

hello everyone I'm back, I hope this has found you all in good health. Thankyou for writing back and I would to say sorry for not writing for awhile. I had a little boy we named Timothy Ross. His nine weeks old this Wednesday. Talk about being as busy but things are going back to normal. I'll send some photos of him but I'm not if you gave me your address. I have to write everyone's e-mail/home address as well as phone numbers. Birthdays in a phone book so I don't keep losing them Well it's time for Timothy's feed so I should go now. Sorry again and I hope to hear from you soon. Dina Ps promise to write more next time

I am having serious doubts about you folk here. I suggest that we re name this group, DTIY........'.Duct tape it yourself' To think this all started with an off topic remark or two about my rusty old Russian 4X4. Its ended up with Dale reciting Mark Twain ! Which in itelf is not a bad thing as both Dale and Twain make sense to me. Anyway the poxy old Russian 4X4 did not start today. The roads are full of snow and I have to drive in a two wheel drive people carrier with an auto box. Iooking on the positive side I might be able to get it through my gate and out into the road , before getting stuck. I have decided to save up my pennies and buy a real 4X4..............a Toyota. Now that should get you all going........The most reliable 4X4 in the world........with or without duct tape. Kevin.

Duck Tape Oh that wondrous Duck Tape Which no home should be without It is the stuff of genius And a miracle no doubt It patches holes and handles Puts knobs and latches back on doors. Seals out the cold of winter Holds the carpet to the floors. Ties the sole back on a boot Keeps a strapless gown in place Can cure everything but Herpes Removes hide and hair with grace. Thank you Lord for its discovery Though it only comes in gray We surely wish it came in colors We could hide mistakes that way So let's hear it now for Duck Tape And our slip shod way of life May it live both long and fruitful A true friend of man and wife. Dale

There are probably as many stories accounting for the origin of this most necessary home repair substance as there are theories about the origin of life. If you want some really tough duck type tape, get what the mobile home industry calls "belly tape." It is the stuff that keeps the bottom on these manufactured death traps as they haul them down the road. Of course it is probably holding the axels to the frame as well. No self respecting farmer would be without some form of duck tape. It covers holes in truck beds and grain bins, keeps covers and panels in place, covers tears in clothing, patches ripped and worn seat covers, and may be used as a temporally permanent repair to a water hose. Many farmers found themselves nearly put out of business when they went to string tied hay bales and a constant source of baling wire was no longer at hand, but then they discovered duck tape and life on the "ranch" has never been better. I'm not sure though that Kevin would be able to get through one of the local inspections using some of our more innovative techniques. Any place that demands a 100 dollar furnace inspection every 12 months and then has the gall to charge 27% sales tax, could surely find something wrong with something so basic as duck tape. He is right about one thing though, I'd definitely be bouncing off the walls when I opened my first invoice. I'll never forget my introduction to Automotive Excise taxes in Massachusetts, many years ago. Not only did they charge me for the tags but then they sent me a bill for $400.00 for the privilege of buying them in their state. Didn't take this old farm boy long to find somewhere else to buy his license tags. If there is anything that can get my dander up faster than taxes, I've yet to find it, especially property taxes. Why should someone be penalized because they want to improve their life and their property, while some drunk can neglect his home, beat his wife and starve his kids, and his taxes will go down. Darn-it, I told you not to get me started on that. Now Trinity or Liz will probably make me go sit in a corner until I agree to behave myself. I'm Gone Dale in the Flat Lands -- and it they keep raising the taxes I'll be from somewhere else.

I am loving this thread on duct tape! The most unique way I have used it is when cutting my sons hair. When he was two he was strong and determined I wasn't going to do his hair, so I was going to tie him to the high chair with a towel around his chest, but the towel wouldn't reach around, so I rolled it and put it around him then duct taped around it and him and the chair. He was unhappy about it, but such is life. This is the same son who is always stealing dh's rolls of tape and wraps pieces of lathe with it to make a *sword*. Laurean in Iowa

A bit quiet on the list , so let me ramble a bit ! Well , its a DIY sort of day for me. Its ' little jobs ' day. All the things that are loose , broken , nearly broken , tatty etc. I can get quite a lot done if I am in the right frame of mind............which I am not hence this email. Snow is falling , which reminds me that I should have fired my ' winter ' transport a few weeks ago. I have not ran the vehicle for about 4 months. Its a Russian 4X4. A small ugly thing. Its called a Lada , and you probably have no idea what I am talking about. I bought it for a song ( and a very short weak song ) No one around here has the time to spend on keeping the rust at bay. It has a chassis that is built like a battle ship , infact it probably IS a melted down battle ship BUT The body work is of the poorest metal you could imagine. I left it in one of my fields last summer. When I returned to have a look , a cow had brushed up the side of it and pulled half the front wing off. I use it for driving across the fields and down to town when the weather is poor .Any longer trips would result in all occupants requiring a FULL teeth re build. Its in naff beige , with a British flag stuck on the back. Its also RH drive which looks odd here. It all goes to fuel the image of the ' mad Englishman ' in Belgium. A title I recieved from the locals with great honour. Anyway , enough of the ramble. Its small job day , remember , Have a good DIY weekend all of you. Oh BTW Dale. On the matter of sales tax , I can imagine you would be blowing gaskets at quite a rate if you lived here............but it would be fun to watch as you unfold an invoice. There is actually an American gentleman living near by. I have never spoke to him , I will one day , but he is rather elusive.I have heard he is from Texas. He came here just after the second world war. There used to be a US army base nearby. He was supposed to be here for 2 years. Its now been 59 years. He married a local girl. I wonder if he has got used to 21% sales tax yet ? Kevin, Wallonia Belgium.

I have a refrigerator with that vinyl type coating on it, the kind that is not supposed to show fingerprints. It has come of in spots and the fridge is rusting. I have a couple friends with the same problem. Any ideas on painting this? I do not want to cover it with contact paper. I have heard that you can have new "skins" installed on the fridge, but that it is almost as expensive as buying a new one and mine is only a few years old. Thanks!

Hi all, I have been reading all of the posts for quite some time and learning alot while keeping quiet. For all the knowledge I have gained from this group I wish to thank you. There was some talk awhile back about tube and knob wiring or something along those lines. I had no idea what was being discussed. I asked my hub to explain and even though he tried to, I was still slightly confused.That is until yesterday. We are doing major renovations to our house and pulled up part of our sons bedroom floor and there it was. The old wiring that all of you had been speaking of. We believe that it is one of the few areas in the house with that type of wiring left , since we have been rewiring every room as we go.We also believe that it is the wiring that belongs to our dining room light,which is constantly flickering and acting totally unreliable. We have called the electric company in about the strange acting lights and they say that it is our problem with our inside wiring,so hopefully we will soon have that fixed.But without this group I would have never known anything about any of this wiring. I have also learned a day late that there is more then one type of polyurethane.I mention that I learned a day late since I now have a nice new counter in my kitchen that is yellow from the poly that we used. Thank goodness it is only a temporary counter. :-) I could ramble all night about how wonderful this group has been and all of the people in it but I wouldn't want too many heads to start swelling. :-) I do now have a question for you: We are getting ready to take out the chimney,(it is useless).But we will have to either run the pipes from the gas water heater out of the house via another route or buy an electric water heater. We are leaning towards the new water heater. Can you tell me the pros and cons of gas versus electric water heaters? I appreciate any answers you can send my way. Soon I will have a ton of questions about installing windows,hanging drywall in rooms that aren't square or level and so many other things. This is our first house and I can tell you that I love to tear things down and demolish what is in front of me,but putting it back together is at times quite a challenge. :-) Thanks again for your help. Tami

Kevin: Darn, now I know why I've missed you so much for the past months of your silence. Just thinking about your "boiler police" and the 21% sales tax makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Our sales tax is 6% and that is nearly enough to start a lynching party in some circles. I cannot imagine being forced to have a furnace inspection every 12 months or at any other arbitrary interval. It sounds to me as though the government grants their buddiesa license to steal. Me thinks I'd probably have a few troubles were I to live in that area. In answer to venting the heating system. The upper end of each radiator is usually the high point and that is where they should be vented. Can't imagine why anyone would drain all the water out of the system unless something serious needed changing. Maybe he thought you had tired water and it needed to be replaced, or he could have been waiting for you to call him back for another run on you bank account. You could move to Kansas, Laura would fit right in with our local Quilting Amish and Mennonite ladies, and in fact she might teach the old girls a thing or two. Providing of course you haven't kept her slaving in that new kitchen until she's lost her touch. Dale in the Flat Lands

I got ahold of my hubby, and he said our vent pipe was plugged and to unplug it. He was right, it was plugged with ice! Am I ever relieved! Laurean

Hi all, DH is on the road, and I can't reach him, so I am coming to you for help. Toilet is in the basement, runs to a sewer pit with a sewage sump pump, 2" pipe to check valve, 2" pipe to main sewer drain line which goes to septic. When the washing machine runs or the shower or anything that fills the pit and caused the sump to run, it sucks most of the water out of the toilet bowl. When the sump shuts off, we get a huge bubble of gas that comes out of the toilet and causes the water level to rise up. I am stumped, but am thinking there is something wrong with the check valve. In case anyone is wondering why we have a pit and pump, it's because the level of our basement is significantly lower than the main drainline to the septic. We connected to the old system. Thanks, Laurean

Hi all. I am new here but hope someone can help. We just moved into an 11 y/o house. Water is nice & hot (temp set on hi). Water heater is normal sized but not even getting enough hot water to fill my bath tub or to shower, wash hair & shave. This happens even when no ohter hot water has been used. Anyone have anything we should check before calling in someone? Any help will be appreciated! Thanks

Dale and all, Well this comes as a revelation to me. I thought all rads had keys to let air out. Just to make you a tad jealous , I have a reasonable collection of them. What do you do if you have air in the system ? Do it from the boiler end ? All hardware shops sell them here. By law I have to get the boiler serviced every 12 months. Its a legal requirement with all the fanfare and paperwork you can imagine.If I get a spot check from the ' heating ' police , they can shut the boiler down and fine me. It really gets my teeth grinding when I see the service guy turn up. In his new Mercedes van , and full set of gold decoration upon him. Cost of a visit is $100 US + 21% sales tax. Its one of my obsessions. The last time I phoned him for the service ,he told me he was busy , but could send round his son. His son was still at college but was learning fast....... Anyway the point of this ramble is to say........ after they serviced it last time it ran like a sick pig. I am talking about a pig with double flu and a dodgy ticker. I came home to find a lot of noise from the cellar. They had drained the water out of the system ,( never did find out why ) and had not got the air out after re filling. It was singing the most awful song. So , I got the keys out. Runs quiet now, and I have my bit of paperwork to say I am legal. Kevin

Trinity: I lived in the Charleston, SC area from 1964 to the middle of 1968 and found the old section to be fascinating. It was truly a DIYer's dream. I also made several trips to Savanna and was appalled at how the original part of that city had deteriorated at the time. The grand old homes had over the years been converted to tenements, and trash littered the once beautiful parks. I would love to go back, now that restoration is nearly complete in both the Charleston and the Savanna areas. I've watched several presentations on TV about some of the restoration projects that were in progress, but it definitely took deep pockets to do an effective restoration on one of those old run down mansions. Few people realize that Savanna was the first planed city build in North America. Most Eastern cities have grown up around and along the cow paths that crisscrossed the area, Boston being a prime example. I was in sea food heaven during my years on the East Coast, but the last time we were back that way we couldn't even find a good steamed clam since they said all the local mud flats along the coast were contaminated. Don't know if this were true or just an excuse to deprive one more segment of the population of a way of life. While I lived in Charleston a story appeared in the Charleston Daily news about an old glass jug, and I believe I remember that the final price it brought was around $25,000 which in 1968 dollars is a pretty good chunk. I wrote a piece about that old jug and will send it along for you enjoyment -- or disdain as the case might be. Dale in the Flat Lands

Peggy: If you could turn back the clock to around 1940, you would probably be able to pick up a radiator key at any well supplied hardware store. But like myself, radiators and their associated keys have gone out of style. It's not that we are not still in use its just that we're not as well thought of as in our younger years. I went all over the area looking for the one I have, and then a neighbor lady for whom I was trying to get the air out her heating system, came walking up out of the basement one day holding two of them and wanted to know if I might know what they were for as she had found them hanging on a nail by the furnace. I didn't know whether to kill or kiss her, but opted to do neither as her husband was a minister and bigger then myself. I did snatch up one of them and it resides as a permanent resident on my key ring. I told he that seeing as how she didn't know what it was, I could not be sure that she would remember where she had put it, so to protect her from herself I would keep one of them. So far it has worked. In short I guess you will have to start a search in your area, beginning with all the nails around the boiler. I'm sending you a picture of the one I keep on my key ring so that you can show it to those you might be asking to sell you one. I'd start with some of the older established heating contractors in your area, though as I found out this is no guarantee. I found one place about 60 miles from here that claimed they had thrown a whole can full of them away as they didn't know what they might have ever been needed for. The urge to kill and rid the world of stupidity almost overcame me at that instant, and no my dear, while I think you are a lovely and wonderful young lady, you can't have mine. I hate to be that way, but then again I can blame it on my advanced years. Dale in the Flat Lands

Just wondering if any one can help. Today when I got up this morning I went to my basement and our sup pump was running and it didn't turn off. The holding area was about half full and should have release the water to the far side of my back yard. When I went outside to see were the water comes out I notice that all the water was frozen from the inside of the pipes that's why it wasn't releasing from our basement. Does anybody have any ideas on what to do (do i wait till spring, call some one or is their something I can do) by the way I live in Northern Illinois Thank you, Marty

Peggy: Before you grab up a couple of pipe wrenches and begin to remove the afore mentioned radiator there are a few things you will need to do. First and foremost you need to get one of the little keys that are used to open the vent valves located on the upper end of each radiator. From the pictures you sent, it looks like the last person that swung a paint brush around yours, pretty well coated those little devils. If you look inside one of these little valves you will see a small square stem that the key will fit over. If the valve is filled with old paint you will need to take a small pick and clean them out. Please for your on sake, don't try to take a pair of pliers or some other handy-dandy device to open or close the valves, you will only wind up rounding off the stem and then you will be out shopping the junk yards for new "used" valves. You will need to drain the system before you remove the radiator in question. To do this, first shut off the water supply to the boiler, insuring first that the boiler can not be turned on, turning on the flame in a dry boiler will ruin the unit very quickly. It appears that your water supply valve is a ball type located at the front right above the pressure relief valve. Turn the handle so that it is cross wise to the pipe. Attach a hose to the valve at the lower right hand corner of the boiler and this might be a good time to use that old sewer line if it is still connected to the main sewer. Open the drain valve and then open the vent on the radiator you wish to remove or work on. When the radiator has been drained, it can then be removed and the pipes leading to it can be plugged. In the process of draining the one radiator, you will undoubtedly allow air to get into most of the others as well, in fact if time permits this might be a good time to drain all the radiators and make sure that the shut off valves at the inlet end of each unit is in working order. These valves are real handy when you want to adjust the heat to one area. Just be careful when working with these old systems as they are usually corroded or rusted tight. I always use two hammers to "sweeten" each area before attempting to loosen. The procedure is to place a heavy hammer, (4 to 6 lb) against the joint and strike sharply with a good ball-peen on the opposite side. The heavy hammer against the joint will allow you to slightly swell the thread area with out transferring the striking energy of the other hammer to the entire pipe run and consequently breaking things you do not intend to break. This will also work on the stem retaining nut on each of the radiator valves, just go easy because they are probably made of brass and won't take a lot of abuse. Once you have finished doing whatever it is you intend to do, close all the vent valves, the drain valve and open the water supply valve to refill the system. Take a small container and drain each vent valve until you get a small steady stream of water. You will probably find that the drain hole on the vent valve is painted shut in which case take a long 1/8" drill bit and carefully remove the paint, I do not recommend using an electric drill for this purpose as you could damage the internal valve seat since these are also made of brass. Just turn the bit by hand, the new quick bits that have a 1/4" hex shank work real well as hand drills since you can also use them in a universal nut driver handle. DO NOT --- let the system stand dry for more than a day or two, because the gaskets between each section of each radiator are paper and once they dry out the radiator will leak. Separating the sections and replacing the gaskets can be a near impossible task. This is one reason it is prudent to be careful with buying used radiators. Don't get me wrong, they can be fixed but it can be a long drawn out job. FYI --- The radiators did not originally come assembled but were in individual pieces and were put together on the job site according to the amount of radiating surface needed for a given space. If you have any other questions I might be able to assist you with, grab your camera and ask away. Dale in the Flat Lands

I realize the following is off topic but we have two sons in the Middle East right now and I thought this article drawn from a British paper was worth the read. Thank You for your patience --------- Dale in the Flat Lands

Hello everyone, I am new to the list, but would appreciate any assistance you can give me. We have one out-of-state rental home. It is 9 hours away. Our tenants our moving out on Jan 31 and we have another tenant ready to sign the lease on 1 FEB. Our problem is that our outgoing tenant's just informed us via phone that they damaged the tub surround. The tenants had a lit candle sitting on the soap dish shelf of the plastic tub surround. The candle burned down to the soap dish shelf and melted a hole in the shelf about the size of a dime. I am only driving up in order to clear the outgoing tenants and sign the new lease with the new tenant. So, I will not have enough time to remove the old surround and install a new one. Does anyone know a method to repair this hole? The surround is one of those plastic four-peice types. I just installed it two years ago just prior to the current tenants moving in. It is not a fiberglass surround. I am thinking that there may be some sort of epoxy-type repair kit that I am unaware of. If someone can give me the brand name and which store to look at, I would be very appreciative. Thanks in advance, Tracy

Folks, Remember the old saw "The cobbler's children have no shoes?" Well, this do-it-yourselfer had just enough smarts to go next door to his vacant rental unit and set all the faucets to drip, but not enough to do the same thing in his own unit. Ergo, my plastic pipes are frozen. (Yes, before arriving at this conclusion I confirmed that the city had not surreptitiously turned off my water service.) I've turned on all my faucets to full blast and, of course, nothing's coming out. Not even a gurgle. So, since I have a good sized crawl space, I wonder whether I should just bite the bullet and go there and tap on the exposed plastic pipes from where they enter my unit through the concrete foundation wall all the way to where they actually enter my living space. Is this a stupid idea? What should I do, then, if that's not a good idea? FWIW, I really, really have to go to the bathroom. (Yeah, I guess I can just go next door to my vacant unit, but I don't want to go there and find out that the dripping faucets weren't left dripping enough. The devil you can see is not as scary as the one you can't see.) Jeffrey W. Frazier, Esq.* The Frazier Law Firm, LLC 171 Opal Drive Roswell, Georgia 30075-3730 770 993-0605 / Fax 770 742-4818 jwf46@... <mailto:jwf46@... * Licensed in Georgia and Tennessee

We have a Sear's electric extra capacity cloths dryer, bought in August of 1999, so it is fairly new. It has a neat feature where it will "whissle" when the lint filter is full. Now it whissels all the time even with an empty lint filter. The hose to the outside does not appear to be glogged. The outside flaps are clean and blow dryer air hardily when the dryer is in operation. Does anyone know how to get at this whissel to remove it, or fix the problem? Thanks kindly, Dave

Wow, I missed these messages when I posted my 1st response. Thank you! [shamefaced] Ignore my last post if you like. I can hunt up contractors. You've been more than generous already. Susan

Hi Liz, How you doing ! I still remember the photos of that big house you bought. Did you ever manage to buy that plot of land next to it ? Do you have any more recent house photos , I am always looking for ideas. How long ago did the mad Australian post the " night before Christmas " ? Bye for now Kevin

We are thinking of building/buying a Modular home....what is everyone's opinion? what should I know? are they actually real homes or just glorified doublewides? ...so much for that little fixer upper...they didn't take our bid! Now we are just going for whatever we can get.....

Susan: It has been colder than Block Island in a Nor-Easter today and I was out in it for the duration so that the only thing that still worked at the end of the day was my head, and I'm not too sure about that. Of course some would say that they are never sure about that, but Oh well. I've been thinking about your problem of lining a chimney since nothing else I needed to do this day required any thought. If you decide to line said chimney, here are a few considerations. The object is to keep the liner centered in the existing chimney and that is the purpose for the cement that you had proposed to use. Cement is not a good idea as it will bridge off and from the point of the bridge to the bottom the liner will be for ever hanging in space. They used to sell centering devices which look like hose clamps with little feeler wires all around. These are meant to keep the liner centered in the open space. One of these devices needs to be attached at the center of each section of pipe as it is lowered into the chimney opening. I think you can readily see that cement is not going to flow past all those little wires and that is why sand is the best option, but you need a fine sand that has been screened. Next problem is keeping the sand from flowing past the end of the installed pipe, which is not normally a problem as liners usually are installed from the top to the bottom of the a chimney, but in your case you only intend to line the upper portion, though in fact the whole thing is probably in equally deteriorated condition. If you put a metal skirt at the base of the liner that has been cut to provide a close but loose fit inside the Chimney and attach said skirt with a good clamp and several sheep metal screws, one at each tab you will have a base for the sand, but and there always seem to be one of those. Once the liner is in place and the sand has been slowly poured around it, the total weight of the sand will rest on the base plate which could cause the whole liner to begin a rapid decent toward the basement area, not a good situation. The Solution: Attach the afore mentioned skirt and the centering rings, also attach each section with three sheet metal screws or steel pop rivets at each joint. after the liner has been lowered to the desired level attach and screw a clamp that will hold the weight of the pipe against the top of the chimney. Now fill the space around the liner by slowly pouring dry Sack Crete around the liner. Be sure to pour slowly or it too will bridge at some point. You will probably have to mix your own mixture as most commercial products contain a gravel mix, or you could use pre mixed mortar mix which normally only contains sand. To guard against bridging use several long thin rods that can be slipped down along side the liner and moved up and down to keep the mix moving toward the base. Try to cover no more than 8 to 10 foot of the liner in a single days pour. Wait several days and start a second pour, but you might want to check with one of the rods first to see if the previous pour has started to set. The mortar or Portland mix will absorb enough moisture from the brick and the atmosphere to begin to harden after a few days. If it is very dry at the time you can put a little water down on top of the pour to insure a set. When the final pour is about one foot from the top mix up a watered batch and finish off around the liner at the top, troweling to form a slopped surface so that rain will run off. You will want to leave enough liner protruding from the top so that a suitable rain cap can be attached. Short of coming to Boston, which I have avowed never to do again, this bit of advice is the best I have to offer at this time. Good Luck and let us know how it all comes out. Dale in the Flat Lands

Say, would any of you all know what a standard (or common) height is for a breakfast bar on a kitchen peninsula? This would be raised from the 30" counter height in the kitchen. My peninsula was shorter than the 30" before I started fixing things and I *really* didn't like the look or feel. I'm sticking legs underneath to give it a boost and need to have that complete before the countertop types come out and measure for my new counter. Thanks. Eileen

Can anyone help, please? Anyone know where I can buy a very large number of really cheap, one shot, throwaway brushes and rollers. To be used for a pretty big self build GRP yacht project. I'm based in Greece but any address in Europe would be really helpful. Many thanks. Danny.

When I went to take off the electric plates to paint, I noticed quite a breeze coming through! Is there a kind of insulation or something I can put in there to inhibit these drafts? Thanks in advance.

Hi all; My husband has a plan to ventilate the room in our basement that is used mainly to house the two cats' litter boxes. He wants to install a fan in the ceiling of that room and attach a duct that will link up with the dryer vent, which is directly above it. The room is right next to the outside wall, so doesn't think the ventilated air will have far to go, but my worry is that I'm going to have that cat-pee smell getting back up into the dryer, and the clothes! Also, he wants to put the fan on a timer; that part shouldn't be hard, I think, but I'd welcome any thoughts on it. The room right now has an unfinished ceiling. Thanks! Sonya

I'm thinking on enclosing my master bath shower with glass blocks. Is there anyway of installing the light switch in the glass wall?

I have a 1920 dutch colonial that is not insulated,has cedar lap siding, plaster walls. I would like to insulate next summer but am unsure on how to do it.The best that I could come up with is one of three ways: 1. to remove some of the siding and blow insulation in( would prefer not to though-house was painted 1 1/2 yrs. ago) 2.to locate studs,drill holes and blow in on inside 3.to remove plaster and install insulation Now the last one would be ok but I don't want to damage the gumwood trim.Actually on first floor that would be the best because the idiot before me just laminated the walls with drywall(never furred anything out). Can anyone tell me the best way to remove the trim without damaging it? Or maybe a better way of insulating that I haven't thought of?

I'm about to replace the 19+ year-old roofs on my duplex. I'm going to have to replace a bit of the decking, which is that dreaded, nasty OSB garbage, of as-yet undetermined thickness. Additionally, looking at the roof from the yard, it's clear that there is some dipping/bowing between some of the rafters. What's the optimal material for replacement of the damaged OSB? Whatever it is, will it have to match the thickness of the existing OSB or will I have to either replace ALL the OSB with good material, e.g., plywood or should I just replace the bad OSB with plywood with a matching thickness? Since I'm planning to eventually build an addition and, perhaps, a garage -- either free-standing or attached with a breezeway (whichever local zoning/building codes require) -- would buying extra shingles be necessary at this time? I'm thinking that unless the stored shingles are exposed to the weather for the same time period as the ones I'm installing now, they might not appear to match. And if that is the case, then can't I just wait until I need the additional shingles to purchase them? Is the conventional wisdom that one must buy shingles from the same lot to ensure they match still wisdom? Jeffrey W. Frazier, Esq.* The Frazier Law Firm, LLC 171 Opal Drive Roswell, Georgia 30075-3730 770 993-0605 / Fax 770 742-4818 jwf46@... <mailto:jwf46@... * Licensed in Georgia and Tennessee

Thanks for the Help. Will report results. Bob

I am planning to repair the creek/stream that is on our property. Has anyone here attempted such a project? We just bought the house 2 years ago, and have since added a daughter to our family. (Which explains why I have not had time to do it yet) The surrounding area is so beautiful, that my wife and I thought it would be nice to make the water flow freely again... There are dead trees and other debris in it, clogging the flow, and damaging the once beautiful foliage on its banks. What should I prepare for, look out for, and expect, when tackling this job? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Another quick question, does anyone here use the Time-Life Home Repair series of books? I was wondering if they are any good for people new to do-it-yourself. Thanks again! Peggy

When painting the outside of a house (1906 stucco), should you use a power washing/ pressure washing system or wash with a garden hose and brush. We're getting estimates and the painters all seem to want to pressure wash. I'm concerned about damage, the amount of water pouring against the foundation and possibly into the basement, etc. Are they just trying to take the quick route? thanks! Allison www.renovatorsplace.com

Just bought this house last month, 72 year old Cape in Pennsylvania. It has radiator heat. I would like to redo the kitchen since it's laid out very inconveniently. One of the problems is that there is a large radiator against the main wall that I would like to move or get rid of completely so I could put in some countertops and cabinets. There are currently no countertops at all due to the kitchen lay-out. I'm a gal who needs to have some counter space so I've got to work out something. The kitchen measures 10' X 13' if that matters. Any help is appreciated! Peggy

Is there anything on the market that might fix a leaking drain line? Something along the lines of what you would use on a car radiator leak. I'm in a two story townhouse and I hear a drip in the crawl space when ever the upstairs bath is used requardless of appl. (sink,shower or toilet) Thanks

Dale wrote, wine cellar with a slate or shale floor. I've been curious about how your use of it turned out. in parts of Europe. Was wondering about your heating oil bills there in Belgium, with all that is going on around the world. Hi Dale, Yes , your memory is still serving you well. I will explain the layout and problems to those that have not heard this tale. It might help others with similar problems. The cellars run the whole ground area of the house +/- 1000 sq feet. Its divided into three rooms , a wine cellar , and a wide hall way. The only entrance is via the internal stairway. There is no outside entrance. Just five sets of barred windows. The cellar floor is shale. The cellar was carved out that way , with one thing in mind.......wine. The perfect temp for wine and Belgian beer is around +55F for storage. Shale is porous , and water will rise up and form little puddles here and there. This provides the perfect damp atmosphere for storing wine. The problem is that it gets pretty muddy and wet down there. No floods luckily , as we are pretty high up on a hill. There is no comparison between this cellar and the typical American basement. Your basements tend to be for more practical uses , games rooms , etc. So , the idea was to cement the whole floor area. I talked to a local about this. The look on his face when I mentioned cement floors , said it all. It was tantamount to treason. Think of your wine , cheese and beer , he said. I decided to think of one cellar area at a time. The first room is for freezers and heating oil tanks. This room rarely suffers from any water problems , although its damp enough to make a two year old freezer look much older. Firstly I had a close look at the metal oil tanks. They were over 50 years old and not of the finest quality. I drained them , and removed them. They had been standing on railways sleepers , that were rotten and bent. I bought heavy duty plastic tanks. They will last me out for sure. I can buy extra tanks and lock them together via a gravity feed system. Clever and no electrics. I then prepared the area for cementing. I placed a 2inch layer of shinngle down. Then a thick black plastic sheet on top, followed by the cement. I left a gap of about 1 inch where the cement meets the wall. The shingle is visible on the edges.. If by any chance I have a flood of water , it will pass through the shingle and out into the gap. This gap channels any water into a hole in the dividng wall ( its at the lowest point ) The water would then flow through to the next cellar room , and so on until it reaches several exit points at one end. The room is cleaner and I still have enough head height. That cemented room has been finished for several months , and there is no sign of any problems. We have had the worst downpours of rain for many a year. Continual heavy rain for 12 days for example. So its a good test. We have had - 15 to - 18 for over two weeks. Very cold for northern Europe. Its still + 55F in my cellar. I now have to work on the other rooms. I will probably keep the shale in one or two areas , including the wine cellar. Kevin

Hello, We're looking for resource information about developing residential property...anyone know of any good sites for this type of information? We are located in Washington State. We are looking for information such as: Residential Development 101, the ins and outs of being your own general contractor, legal aspects, establishing relationships with the various parties required to develop residential property, common mistakes, current trends in building, etc.... Thank you for your time darcyandpat

Hi, glad to have found this group! I'm a journeyman housebuilder (I have a piece of paper that says so) so I've a little experience of most things except electrical, but not a lot of experience at anything yet. The problem: I have an old house (1905) in Greater Boston that was converted from oil to gas heat sometime before I bought it in 1992. The gas furnace in the basement exhausts through the old oil heat chimney. Gas burns hotter than oil, and the previous owner never lined the chimney. Result: from the attic floor upward, water condensation is crumbling the chimney from the inside, not just the mortar but also the bricks. The bricks below attic level seem to be OK (the vapor doesn't cool enough to condense, I guess) but the chimney will have to be lined, and rebuilt from the attic floor upward. We've tried for two years to find a pro to deal with this, but as you might expect, all the people who come recommended have so much work they don't even return calls. Here's the question: how much can I do myself? Can I install a chimney liner? (I've been told a DIYer can if sufficiently stout- hearted.) Can I carefully rebuild the chimney a few bricks at a time without demolishing the old one? I should add that I'm fit, strong, experienced on rooftops, and have large huskies available. Thanks, Susan

The best & cheapest thing I found that worked was a spray bottle with hot water & vinegar. Spray it on the wallpaper, let it sit for a few minutes & then go in & peel it off...it worked great!!

Kevin: If, and this is a big if, memory serves me right, that old house had a wine cellar with a slate or shale floor. I've been curious about how your use of it turned out. We keep getting reports that this winter is one of the coldest on record in parts of Europe. Was wondering about your heating oil bills there in Belgium, with all that is going on around the world. Dale

For those of you who have not had the pleasure/misfortune to have read my DIY antics in Belgium , I give you this brief introduction. I live with my wife , Laura and our two boys , Robert ( 12 ) and Peter ( 15 ) We bought a run down house in Jan 2000. Its a brick built Belgium colonial house. It has been left to rot for ten years. The occupants basically did nothing. Gutters overflowed , a tree was forcing its way into a bedroom , and the garden was a conveniant place to store garbage........tons of it. It was probably my purchase of the house that lead to my grand title locally of the " mad Englishman " No one locally would touch this house. It was to big , to old , to rundown etc etc. I have spent three years slowly bringing it back to its former glory. It retained most of its original features , such as marble floors and matching fireplaces. Its not the grandest nor largest of colonial houses. Its simply a big four bedroom house. Its first owner was a Belgian who returned from Africa with lots of cash. He wanted to build a house to his specification with quality. The footings were dug in 1917 , the house was finished in 1920. The interior is now finished , well nothings ever finished , but you know what I mean. Most of the work inside was decorating , and repair of old features. Apart from the division of one room , no structural work was required. Upstairs it had the original 20's electrics ! I had a A - Z refit. I hope I can add some help to this list , through my efforts here. Ta Ta for now Kevin Belgian Ardennes Wallonia

Hi Dale, Thanks for the welcome back. I assumed that you would not be able to welcome me back WITHOUT mentioning Lauras ' Quilt shop ' or lack of it. I was of course correct in my assumption. I admit to a little guilt here. I worked out a deal with her. I brought forward the kitchen re - fit , and slowed down on the quilt workshop. It worked for a while , and infact her cooking tasted even better. The kitchen looks so good , we had a job from getting her out of it.( more about the kitchen design later ) However , only the other day , I noticed her pacing up and down outside the barn. She was measuring out the floor size. This is indeed a dangerous sign. Having just recovered from ' open wallet surgery " I am using the ......."money is a bit tight at the moment dear " excuse. It seems to be doing the trick , but not for long I fear. Anyway its nice to be back. Also thanks for the welcome from the mad Australian in Australia........why are you mad ? Kevin Belgian Ardennes Wallonia.

Hi there, I'm back............ This is the new 2003 improved version of ' Kevin ' More add ons and 100% more user friendly. After a year off list ,I have plenty of tales to tell about DIY life down in the Belgian Ardennes. A big hello , to all I know , Liz , Karl , Dale spring to mind. I will just settle in here nice and comfy , and then add a few words here and there. Kevin , the mad Englishman in Belgium.

Looking for advice on wallpaper removal. Any tips on products or procedures will be appreciated. Also want to clean the carpets in the 'new' house. They are not too dirty, just show traffic patterns and places where furniture sat. Would like suggestions on what products/system to use or avoid. Thanks, Bob in Michigan

OK, I've taken out a few kitchen sinks and installed new ones but this is a first. The sink in my kitchen is a 70's brown porcelain that I'm replacing with a stainless steel. I got everything unhooked and drained and I started to look for the sink clips so I can pull the old sink out. I squeeze my large size body in a very small space (the sink is in a corner) and look up and I realize I might have a problem. Around the rim of the porcelain sink is a metal (I am assuming stainless steel) rim. Under the sink there are clips are holding the sink to the rim. I've never dealt with this rim that is separate from the sink before so I want to make sure before I touch anything else. I am going on the assumption that I should be able to slip a putty knife around the metal rim of the sink and pull it out. Am I right? I don't want to remove the clips because the sink will fall in on the pipes...and me. If someone has dealt with this before if you could get back to me quickly, I want to try and get the counter tiled and the new sink in this weekend. (I have such high hopes)

i have just sanded my wood floors and am ready for the final stage. i dont know which urethane to use (and i get different answers from the folks at home depot). anybody know the difference between oil based and water based? any recommendations?

Hi everyone, I am new to this group. My husband and I just purchased an older home built in the 1920's. It is in need of a lot of repairs. We plan on doing most of them ourselves, so I joined this group for some advice and information on different projects. We have begun stripping several layers of wallpaper off the walls and are now in the process of repairing the plaster. It is relatively smooth, but there are some large cracks and some gaps along the corners. What do you reccomend for repairing these? I have seen several methods, but I would like to know what has worked for you. Thanks, Dawn

We've made all our fans remote control. The remote hangs on the wall just like a switch. Works great. Mail to: Winnie "To the world you're just a person.. To a rescued dog, you're the world!"

I am currently painting my living room. There are lots and lots of mouldings. Does anybody have any tips for painting around these? I have used tape and it seems like, I do a better job freehand...but tthen again, it still isn't all that great either! LOL

Hi all - I just found the neatest show called "Hands-On History" on the History Channel. It is a 1/2 hour show where a guy traces the history of an industry or thing - and shows how it's done now - and does it 'hands-on'. They're doing an all-day marathon today. . . so far while I have been working, I have seen salt mines, iron working, lumber industry, silicon chips and cable cars. I keep thinking I'll change the channel, because the next one doesn't sound interesting, but they always are! For instance, I bet you didn't know that cable cars have brakes made out of 2x4's LOL Now back to work ;o) Liz

Hello, I´m Bob Clark and I am retiring in the Republic of Panama and I have a question for you. I searched your posts to see if there were any answers.... I drew the plans for a permit to build a house (1200 sq ft) about ten years ago. I drew them up on the drafting machine. Now, with the Home Architect 3d, and the CadStd, and the Chief Architect, etc CAD programs out there, I´ve been wondering if it would be the right way to go to get up a set up plans for a house I want to build here. Approval here is practically given if you can walk up to the Building Dept without getting lost. :) I´m comfortable with the machine and kind of enjoy it in a strange sort of way. I am computer literate, but it looks like it will take a while to learn these CAD programs, even though they seem simpler than the industrial versions. The one feature that really pulls on me is the isometric view capability. My wife has a really difficult time conceptualizing the unit from a 2D drawing. Can someone tell me their first experiences with these programs, or tell me how someone they know did with it? You have a nice board here and appreciate all the info I have been getting from you. Thank you, Bob

Hi! I'm looking for a plan for a bookcase that would also open outward like a door. Does anyone know of one or of a store that sells something like it? Thanks, Allison www.renovatorsplace.com

Folks, I have taken precise and detailed measurements of my homes interior and exterior dimensions. Now I want to transfer them to a very, very user-friendly CAD-type program so that I can render 3-D images of it on my computer. I want to be able to perform a virtual walk-through like Ive seen in software programs such as 3D Home Architect Plus. Unfortunately, that kind of program only allows me to manipulate house plans that have already been entered in the software; they wont let me create a house plan from scratch. Basically, I want to be duplicate my existing home three dimensionally so that I can see what proposed remodeling changes will look like before I pull out the tools and start cutting. Is anyone aware of such a program? Or, will I be forced to learn CAD which is, admittedly, becoming more and more user-friendly to do this? After Ive digitally drawn my home on a computer, my son and I will build a fully 3D model out of form board or balsa wood or whatever material is best. I know Im getting ahead of myself, but unless I know where Im going, I won t know when I get there. So, is it simple to scale the dimensions, e.g., such that 1-inch in the computer rendering will equal, say, 5 millimeters? I d be grateful for any thoughts and suggestions. Jeffrey W. Frazier, Esq.* The Frazier Law Firm, LLC 171 Opal Drive Roswell, Georgia 30075-3730 770 993-0605 / Fax 770 742-4818 jwf46@... <mailto:jwf46@... * Licensed in Georgia and Tennessee

I'm thinking about building a wall unit since the lumber and other materials is a lot cheaper than buying one. Does anyone know of any plans on the net that I can look at?

we moved into a place where they laid down new peel and stick tile that is new but had card board covering it up. now its all stained. how can we get it white again.

Whomever built my home back in 1983 placed the Romex on top of my rafters in the attic. Since I'm flooring my attic for storage, I need to drill holes through the joists and place the Romex through them. When I cut the existing Romex, put it through the holes and reconnect it, I need to house the connections in an electrical junction box -- CORRECT? Jeffrey W. Frazier, Esq.* The Frazier Law Firm, LLC 171 Opal Drive Roswell, Georgia 30075-3730 770 993-0605 / Fax 770 742-4818 mailto:jwf46@... * Licensed in Georgia and Tennessee

Hi Everybody I think this group will be very helpful to me. Just a question I have bought a house where 1 bedroom still has the OLD knob and tube wiring....There is only 1 outlet in that room so My question is should I really wory about changing it right away? If I don't change it should I tell the Insurance company about it? It was one of the questions they asked. Well hope everybody has a great day! Dan

Hi, Check out "Cultured Stone" on the internet - there are several companies that make excellent simulated stone. It is at least half the weight of real rock, easy to put up with mesh and motor base and some don't even need to be caulked between the pieces - they stack with a dry joint. They all make edge and corner pieces as well as mantels to match. They are fire proof also. This past weekend "Hometime" on www.pbs.org had the Woodland Cottage on and their fireplaces were done with simulated stone. You might want to check out Hometime on the above and get the lead to the stone companies web site -- either that or just type in "Cultured Stone" for your search engine. This should be a project that you could do yourself with a bit of time - it's not brain surgery!! Morgan

can someone tell me my options as far as covering my brick fireplace with stone or faux stone is concerned? I need to know what's available,what's the best and cheapest option as far as materials go. Is there such a thing as fake stone? is it safe for a fireplace? what is it made out of? how much cheaper is it than real stone? I want big flat slabs.How would I install it? will it be hard? how long will it take?what materials will I need? Thanks to everyone willing to answer all of these questions!

Hi all, We are to the point with the house, where we need to seriously consider our flooring options. We have looked at the newer laminates, but are hesitant because they are a laminate. We are wondering what you all think of the laminates, and also have any of you used regular woodplanks for your flooring with success? Thanks! Val and Laurean in Iowa

Hi everyone! Trying to replace a medicine cabinet in the bathroom of our new home. The whole bathroom is ceramic tiled (walls, ceiling, floor), the old, rusted medicine cabinet is recessed into the tile and is a size I can't seem to find at any of the home improvement stores. The recess is 27" long and 18" high. The home was built in 1930 with minimal upgrading. My question is this, I would like to get a different, surface mount medicine cabinet large enough to cover the hole where the old one is. (Since I can't find the original size anywhere.) Is this possible? Is there a way to hang things on walls that are all ceramic tile? (Special drill bits or screws?) Ae there any hazards I need to look out for (like shattering the tile?) Any help is appreciated! Peggy

Thanks for the replies.Is there any special wallpaper that I can just slap up to smooth it out? the spackling thing sounds too time consuming...also,I want to do something with my firplace...it's the ugliest firplace I've ever seen...any cheap suggestions? I don't have alot of time to devote to anything major...I just want to brighten things up for now.

Hi everybody, As a newcomer, being unaware if such a problem has already been posted, any solution shall be greatly appreciated. I could hit the 0,5 " thermo-plastic pipe when I was drillimng a 1/4" hole on the bathroom floor. Floor is covered with ceramic tiles, pipe is located 8-10 cm under the surface, covered with concrete material. Why and how I did it, don't ask, but I could hit the pipe when making only one hole on a surface of 3 by 3 sq meters ! I do not know the material of pipe, but it is hard thermoplastic which we are making joints usig a thermo-fusion tool. I made an opening of 15x15 cm, 15 cm deep around the damaged part. Dril partly cut one side of the pipe, leaving almost an invisible hole, but enough to flood the home due to 3 bar pressurized water. My questions : a. how can I repair the hole without further removal of the floor tiles. I tried to fill the damage with 2 component epoxy, then reinforcing it by a sealing tape and putting additional pressure with four clamps tightened side by side. No success there is still water leak, I then filled complete cavity with 3 component epoxy anchoring material (epoxy, hardener and quartz powder). This time it seemed as OK for first 2 days but on the third day, underside ceiling become wet and start to drip ! Now the opening is full of with and extremely hard epoxy which hides everthing. What could be the best solution, any idea ? Removal of all tiles, breaking the concrete, then removal and replacement of the pipe is a bit exagerated penalty for my small mistake. Question b : Not to experience the same disaster again, is there a method to discover hidden pipes and electric lines under the tiles or inside the walls ? Thanks in advance for the attention BEst regards Selcuk

It's a fixer upper and I'm a little nervous about it.It's not THAT bad,but I know it's going to take a while to do everything I want to do.The first things on my list are: smoothing out the dark wood paneling so I can paint over it with a light color(can anyone tell me the most efficient method for this?) re-doing the kitchen cabinets (I'm thinking of just reshaping the doors by adding some molding and then painting them and adding new hardware)finishing the unfinished "room" that I will be using for storage,crafts,projects and as a laundry room,and finally,and probably the most expensive thing is putting polished cork flooring down.( I LOVE the benefits and the look of it!) If there is anyone out there that can tell me how to start doing these things,if it's better to hire someone to do it,any horror stories and warnings? Thanks!

Hello, I'm new, so heres' my intro. I'm 26, bought my house two years ago, and did a lot of basic rennovations on my own. Plaster patch, wallpaper, paint, etc. The flooring I've had done professionally to save my poor knees :) I'm always looking for ways to do things on my own that most get others to do. If folks have any advice with regard to the removal of aesbestos pipe insulation, thats my most current concern. Thanks. ~Nightingale

Hi all, I am Laurean from Iowa I used to belong to this list a long time ago, and did a search for exactly when, and it seems it was within the first 15 messages. LOL! I came over from the old list with Liz and Karl. Anyway, where have I been? I am still in Iowa, still building a house with my family, still homeschooling and raising critters. Life has happened in a big way, and I can't say where the time has gone. We are living in the basement of our new house. It is totally framed in up above. We need to finish insulating and wiring up there, and need to side the outside, then it's on to finish work (I think). Anyway, It's winter, and things are slow, I hope to learn some and share some, mostly what *not to do* type of advice. :0) Have a great day! Laurean

Hi All, A new home owner, a newbie when it comes to "do-it-urself", and new to this groups. While looking up the web for drills, I came across this one from Kmart. It's a store brand, called "Ultra power" and I guess was made by Durango tools. It's a 18V cordless, 3/8" Keyless, VSR, 2-speed (0- 350/0-1100), adjustable torque and clutch and claims to have a torque of 450in/lbs. But I'm not sure about the quality. I bought it from K-mart to try it out. Lotsa of power but not impressed with the quality. The chuck wobbles and sometimes slips the bit. Whining noise on low speeds. I want to return it back, but I couldn't get one with a similar spec for this price ($62). Anyone have any experience with this brand? Why is it that only cordless drills have adjustable clutch and electric brake? Maybe I haven't looked enough, but I couldn't find a corded drill with a clutch and/or brake. Thanks.

~ Shirley ~ from Australia posted this to another one of my discussion lists, and I thought it was wonderful - LOL . . even if I am a bit late ;o) Jingle bells, jungle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun (??) it is to have to find a Christmas tree and deccies not seen for 12 months and packed away before moving.... Tis the week before Christmas, and all through my house, the creatures are stirring, and we finally killed that mouse. Our stockings are shoved under the corner of the combustion heater with no care and by the time Santa finds them, they will be coated in pet hair. We sleep exhausted, unaided, snug in our beds, while visions of renovation and demolition jangle round in our heads and me in my daggy clothes, he in his cap with projects half finished, no time for a nap. All through the house, and the lawn, such clutter and clatter No point jumping up to see what's the matter... someone will have fallen over 'important house stuff' or the dog in his ambition to catch the ball of fluff will have knocked it all askew once again, and just guess who will have to collect it and pick it up, and... oops... I digress..... away to where the window should be, (mind your leg, on the sash) peer through the curtains, (mind the broken shutter, if you are not careful, it will gash) The moon, shining brightly, on half finished plumbing reminds me of why, in this house, I am slumming... when what, to my wondrous eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and 8 tiny reindeer! My neighbours! His lights! Oh no - the Christmas bus tour! Oh god help me now, I just spread fresh horse manure on the roses out the front that I planted with care, and odours are singeing the eve tourists nasal hair.. and the little old driver, so lively and quick, has turned a ghastly pale shade of green and looks like he may be sick, and my neighbours are staring at my house with such sheer hate, I think this weekend we will build a fence with a gate. And the tourists whistled and shouted and called us rude names My relationship with these people may never be the same. Now front wall, and garden, and plumbing need fixin' and the floor boards needs sanding and the roof needs uplifting and we need to build on the porch, and knock out that wall, and find a new kitchen and remove that old hall... As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly you can see through sections of the roof, right up to the sky, when the wind blows you hear such a great creaking sound, Convinced that the carport may soon be on the ground and patching the roof seems such a long way ahead, this is getting way too hard, let me go back to bed. And then, in a twinkling, I hear on the roof, good lord no, not rain? Is this place weather proof?? as I drew in my hand, and I turn myself around, sure enough - what's that - a puddle on the ground?? When was the last time I wore make up - a skirt? and our clothes are all tarnished from renovators dirt a permanent pony tail stuck on my head, and phone calls from visitors, the thing I most dread My eyes how they wrinkle, -and wrinkles, how many new ones this week, with threat of any new 'surprises' I may find in this old cottage shack How I wish Santa would supply 3 airline tickets in his sack and a small lotto winning, so I could finish this shack without nervous breakdown or mild heart attack. This poor house is ready for much needed help and I laugh when I see it, in spite of myself and a wink of the eye and a toss of the head, I resign myself to cooking on a frypan instead of the gourmet kitchen complete with open fire and a shower instead of the bath I desire and hanging out laundry on a tilted Hills hoist and preparing the walls for the new little joists and smiling at the those neighbours, for soon they will be jealous of my shack, and all it will be. And take myself off for a walk to the beach, and dream of completion, not too hard to reach... So dash away, dash away, dash away all, I have to go off, remove dry rot from my hall I am really quite happy, here in my plight, I will accept gold coin donations, though - letter box on the right - and in a flurry of wood shavings, I am out of sight... "MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT"

This fixer I'm doing has one small leak in the basement wall that only leaks when it rains really hard for a couple hours or so. I pulled off the panelling and found it is coming in in one little spot right where the slab meets the wall. There is no moisture above the floor level, though it looks like the concrete there was not tamped real well when poured (50 years ago) and there is some aggregate showing and someone tried to repair it with a smear of mortar over it. There is no water coming in that area though. Where it comes in there is no visible crack. The floor level is about 4' below grade so I really don't want to dig down to seal it from the outside, at least until I've tried it from the inside. The worst it has leaked is about a gallon. Does anyone have a recommendation for a particular brand or type of sealing product? Between rain storms the concrete gets dry. Gary Port Angeles, WA

now thats the challenge.... What are the types of floor to put down in this situation. Old carpeting was removed, and there is a 5/8"deviation in an area that runs across the entire floor. Any input on what flooring works and what wont work? talking about 300 sf. bathroom has 12" tiles down that have moved slightly because of the heat adn possibly moisture 14sf area..... WCB

I am trying to find a solution for storing a hair dryer when not in use. Under the sink would be too inconvenient. So far, all I can come up with is a hook to hang the hair dryer on. Does anyone have any other solutions? Thanks, Alex

Actually Trinity, Crawl spaces - at least up here in the north --- are usually 4' deep areas under the living area of a house. In my area we have to go 4' down for footings and foundation walls then do not refill the area but rather use if for ductwork/plumbing, etc. I'm not sure what they do down south? Morgan

Folks, I guess I need to be more specific about my crawlspace coverage question. I'm not having any problems with my crawlspace. I want to prevent moisture problems. That's why I want to cover the bare dirt with plastic sheeting. That said, any advice on what thickness to get? Any advice on whether I should use clear or black? The Home Depot carries: "Consumer Sheeting" in 0.35 or 4 mil. thickness; "Polyethylene Sheeting" in 1 or 4 mil. thickness; "Painter's Plastic" in 4 or 6 mil. thickness; and "Plastic Sheeting" in 3 mil. thickness. Which do ya'll suggest? Jeffrey W. Frazier, Esq.* The Frazier Law Firm, LLC 171 Opal Drive Roswell, Georgia 30075-3730 770 993-0605 / Fax 770 742-4818 jwf46@... <mailto:jwf46@... * Licensed in Georgia and Tennessee

Folks, What thickness poly/plastic sheeting should I get for my crawlspace? Jeffrey W. Frazier, Esq.* The Frazier Law Firm, LLC 171 Opal Drive Roswell, Georgia 30075-3730 770 993-0605 / Fax 770 742-4818 jwf46@... * Licensed in Georgia and Tennessee

How the hell can you get screws in that last smidgeon? <== Is that the way you spell that? Is there a magic trick I should know? Perhaps there is...If you have a square shanked screwdriver, or a hex bit in your drill, put a small adjustable wrench on the shaft and use it for the 'muscle' you are looking for. The longer the wrench, the longer the muscle. Just be careful as more muscle can damage the head of the screw or snap it right off. Hope this helps, Mike

Hey Dale, Congrats on finishing your favorite type of project! I didn't hear too much moaning, considering.... I have a Roto Zip too- great addition to my tool collection!! I say go out and buy yourself the Rigid Pipe Vice as a reward and gift. Happy holidays WCB

If there is anything I detest more than plumbing, I'm not sure what it is. I've been putting off running a new gas line to the kitchen so my child bride can finally get rid of her electric cook stove. Now I really hate running gas, because it means all that cutting and threading, and I'm never quite certain what the thread's off dimension versus the thread's on length are to be for a given diameter of pipe. But by Gump, it is done with double valve protection and when I flame checked all the joints there were no leaks. I swear I'd rather clean out a chicken house, and that I really hate. I suppose when it comes time to move the washer and dryer up out of the basement, she will want a new "Gas" dryer as well. Might give me a good excuse to buy a good Ridgid Pipe Vice though. I could always use it to hold tubing and other round or irregular shaped items. You know I just might be able to turn this whole thing into an advantage yet. Can't complain too loud though, I just got a new Roto-Zip for an early Christmas present. Dale

ok I know its best to put the screws in the mortar joint. but are concrete screws best or should i use screws and anchors.

Well, seems that my banging pipes are slowly coming back. It's now pretty apparent that it's due to my drianing the system when I replaced the zone valves and not properly filling and pressurizing the system. Either that or a faulty expansion tank, which I'll explain below. I played around with the expansion tank and the bleeders, trying to get more air out of the system, but now I have another problem. I think my expansion tank is completely full of water. No air comes out of the valve on the bottom and when I tap on it, it feels like it's full. Also, the overflow on the furnace itself has opened a few times and let some water out, so I'm pretty sure the expansion tank is full of water or I don't think this would happen. My question is, how do I get the air back in it and back to the correct pressure for the system. There is no valve to drain it, only the main connection to the supply line on top, and the air valve on the bottom. Will draining some water out of the heating system itself allow enough air to get back into the system and refill the expansion tank with air? Can I hook a pump up to the valve on the expansion tank and refill it with air that way? I'm also wondering if the reason why the banging pipes came back, and the fact that it's filled with water is because the expansion tank is no good and needs to be replaced. Any thoughts? Thanks again. Jon

Does anybody have any experience with concrete countertop? Is it a better alternative than tiles? Is it something you can DIY? Where can I find more useful info. for DIYer on this? Oh, and what do you use for backsplash with a concrete countertop? Thanks. ~tzyyu

Not being a profession tiler myself, but I will go ahead and just tell you what I would do...pull it up...ALL of it. I like working with a clean, solid surface to begin with. Plus *I* know it was done the right way...but hey, I am kinda anal about that kinda stuff. LOL

Thanks for the feedback, knowledge and decades of expertise. When I design and instal kitchens, it isn't this challenging. I'd stick to them exclusively, but why limit myself. love that delete button. Wendell

To everyone, I wanted to share a few easy projects we did to spruce up the house. These fall under the categories of "how to cover up what you haven't finished yet!" We had just started repairing the plaster above the mantel in the living room, so it's not very attractive, but we didn't want to take time to finish the wall before the holidays. So, we hung a curtain rod above this area, near the ceiling. I bought nice dark sage fabric (Christmas tone, but can be used elsewhere later) and draped it over the rod so it hangs down to cover the wall! ( You can sew the edges of the fabric or use the iron on tape for a real quick fix). It's very decorative and you can't see the wall behind it! In the dining room we wanted to cover an ugly square shaped fan opening in the wall (long story!). So, we took an old fashioned, ornate picture frame (without glass or artwork inside) and stapled the same fabric from the living room to the back of the frame, gathering it in places to make it look pleated, then hung it over the hole. From the front it looks very decorative and looks like we framed a piece of fabric. It took about 15 minutes and looks great. Here's to quick and easy projects -- and a good New Year to everyone! Allison www.renovatorsplace.com

about tiling a bathroom I was going to put 12x12 ceramic tiles on top of the old 1x3 combination tiles if you get my drift. customer wants me to remove floor, which is origional and toiler was placed ontop of. what is the best maching to do the removing with? Is this the best way to do it? i've done tile remobval b4 and it was a pain- chards of sharp edged rock basically flying around. but it didnt have a toiletin the room. any thoughts on this? Wendy

Hi, just joined today. I bought a futon a year and a half ago. Unfortunately late last night, one end of a bottom rung connected to the base\bottom frame snapped off under the bottom part of the cushion! (metal). What is the best way to fix something like this? Use a soldering iron? Thanks for any input on this! :)

Quick question ... am I calculating this correctly? The lineal feet for a foundation is essentially the run around the perimenter, right? So lineal feet for a 30' x 50' house would be 30 + 30 + 50 + 50 = 160? (Sorry to take up bandwidth with this elementary question but I can't seem to find a direct answer on the Internet.) Thanks! Ann

I plan to install a water softener in my attached garage. All wall in my garage is covered. Is there anyway to find out the main water pipe arround my garage wall?

UPDATE: Got home and checked the expansion tank first. Also took a look at the pressure gauge. In doing some more research online yesterday, I remembered something about the normal system pressure being around 12psi......mine was at 30psi. I completely let all of the air out of the expansion tank with the water supply off, then turned the supply back on. When it refilled, it automatically stopped at around 12psi. Turned on the 1st floor zone, bled that (only water came out) Turned on the 2nd floor zone, bled that(same thing, only water). Opened and closed the zone valves a bunch of times manually in the basement and then from both floors with the thermostats.......NO MORE BANGING!!! It seems to be fixed, although that seemed too easy. I'm going to wait another day or two before I'm finally convinced. I guess it was related to how I refilled the system after I drained it and changed the zone valves, and the pressure in the system and the expansion tank having too much air? Still not really sure. Thanks Rich and everyone for your help and suggestions. Jon

Are you using the warmboard? and how do u like it's construction, etc.? Rich Rich

About a week ago, I asked for help with managing this list . . . and wonderful people came to my rescue - Megan, Gary, Flame & Mike . . . messages are going through, all is peaceful and one less thing for me to worry about ;o) I REALLY appreciate it! Thank you! What a great gift!! You guys are great! Liz

Bought my first house over the summer. I have a gas furnace with a two zone hot water baseboard heating system. It had very old White Rogers zone valves. The one for the second floor didn't work at all, and both were leaking. I replaced them with shiny new Honeywell zone valves. I did all of the work myself being an expert at sweating pipes since I changed every water valve in my basement when I got the place.....just just about every one leaked. Everything came out great, refilled the system, tested it out and everything was working fine. I thought that was it. I don't know if this always happened with the old system since this is the first winter in the house, but the pipes make an unbelieveably loud bang when the zone valve closes and the heat goes off. I don't know what the problem is, but it seems as if the new Honeywell zone valve closes so fast and cuts off the water supply quickly causing the noise. I don't think there is any air in the system and it's driving us crazy. It's loud enough to wake us up in the middle of the night. HELP!!!! Jon

I have two woodstoves now (I guess I did do it again!!) in my new house in the Sierra Nevadas near yosemite... and burn a combiantion of OAK, TAMARACK, PINE, WALNUT and WHAT-NOT...

Got any southpaws on the list?? If the percentages are correct, approx. 10% of you should be... Here is a cool site for the dear southpaws of the group....

:-) got your attention...... When I can't get that last bit of screw to go into whatever it is we are talking about.. I back it out a little bit, then drive it in with a sure hand, and it goes. I use my 18 volt Milwaukee. woman to woman..... Wendy

I love my cordless d