Do it yourself

Hello everyone! I just joined this group yesterday (digest) and I am excited to get advice on the house that DH and I have been in a little over a year. We haven't done much to it other than paint a couple of rooms (the others still need it). I have two questions to help out tremendously: 1.) Is there a site online that is free and allows you to virtually decorate a room - choosing size, paint color of walls, trim, carpet/floor, window and door placement, etc.? I would love to find one I can just change the floor/carpet/tile color so I can see if a certain paint color will look ok with it. THanks! 2.) The people that lived in the house before us did something very strange with the bottom half of the wall going up the stairway. It looks like they used the bumpy ceiling paint on the wall - except they "sprayed?" it very thinly and there is only one bump every inch or more. Then they painted over it with a color I do not like very much. This is our next project, so I am trying to decide how to take this stuff down. I have picked at a little bump with my fingernail to see how hard it would be to take off - and it doesn't seem to pick off very easily. Any suggestions??? Thanks! Mary

Tearing down the wall is not expensive. It's the rebuilding that costs some. If you can live without the wall, do it. Careful though, be sure you have adequate support under it if it is a load bearing wall. A couple of support posts will do the job nicely. But if it's a non load bearing wall, you won't need supports. Laurean in Iowa

Years ago I used to test water and back then, 1-3 grains of hardness (or 35 parts per million) was the limit the govt and the EPA said was OK... EPA said 1 grain of hardness was the limit, and the govt said 3 grains was the limit that was back in 1979. Which source would you believe? IN addition to softness or hardness -lime and other minerals in the water, I'd also get a conditioner that will eliminate through micro filters, the bad stuff in your water which is another story, and not detected through evaluating the hardness. of your water. Oh that's just cold water, hot water is a whole different animal ... more ferocious as I recall. Wendy in Northern NJ ~~~~~~ "If you approach life with a sense of possibility and the expectation of positive results, you're more likely to have a life in which possibilities are realized and results are positive."

Was it Kilz? I used to like the product but they must have changed the formula cuz it's AWFUL now. I would suggest binz by zinnser - it's much better. Dont' know what to do about the places that you have primer peeling, wash it off, I suppose ;o) Liz

I tested my tap water. Measured 7 grain or 120ppm hardness. Does that merit a water softener? thanks Your thoughts appreciated

What type of tooling, i.e., drill bits, burrs, are required to drill holes in glass and/or ceramic pieces? My daughter-in-law uses old canning jars and other large glass bottles to make lamps. She wants me to drill holes in these items to facilitate installing electrical cords. I'm a machinist but I have never worked with glass before. I am hoping that someone in this group has information to help me. Thanks, Ron Thompson Andalusia, AL

I'm working on finishing out an addition to our home. I had a plumber ruff in the plumbing and know I have to install the shower valve. The question is do I have to have a section of pipe going above the valve and capped like the plumber did for the sink. Basically I have two straight pipes coming up form the floor I will have to 90 into the valve body. Do I use an elbow or use a "T" go up about 12" and cap like the vanity. Thanks Robert

To stay in the concrete subject...I have a fence to build and 45 4x4 posts to set, with little help...so i am very tempted to use the ready mix fast setting concrete. it seems like you just pour the powder in the hole than add a gallon of water et voila.....it even says on the packet that there is no need for bracing the posts...I know it is more expensive than the already mixed concrete and than the DIY concrete, but it seems must more time efficient!! Do any of you have used it and what is your take on it?

Thanks for the advise on water softeners. Based on your inputs,Ive decided to replace the old unit I have. Where online can I find the best deals on water softeners.I think I can get better price online then buying locally to at least save the $8.25 sales tax here in California. I am looking for a metered one and about 40,000 grain capacity. I can find lots of sellers online, all about the same price and somewhere between $500-600 including shipping. Can you recommend where to find best price or reputible seller? thank you rk

Hello Folks Hubby and I are in the planning stages of building a new house. This house will be built on a side hill, our plans so far are to build it partially underground with a walkout basement. We're planning to use the preformed walls for the basement that you pour concrete in. ( I don't know the name for them). Doe's anyone have a source where we can get good information about building houses? We will probably do most of the work ourselves with the help of a very capable and knowledgeable neighbor. TIA Hazel

I want to replace my bathtub..... and put a deeper tub in. The one the builder put in is too shallow. It's really child size and not for adults. I really want a soaking tub. What would that entail and could I do a project like this? Can someone tell me how to do it? I also want to replace the two vanities....they are too small. I want to knock out the two closets on the sides of the vanity and put in a larger vanity with closets on both sides.... for bath towels etc. The medicine cabinet is sideways...and a real pain to get stuff out... the door opens into the mirror and you have to open and close it all the time. Very not functional. Thanks, Jill

Excellent topic and useful. What I am after is the "how to" in laying a slab for a storage shed. Where may I go to get this information (on the web)? Michael

Hi All, What is the mix for making your own concrete? How much cement/sand/aggregate & water? Thanks! Liz

In the new 'Better Homes & Gardens" (Aug issue, pg 182) there is someone who did just that. They took 2 porcelain bowls and had the bottom holes drilled by a lamp maker. Looks terrific. Winnie K9Castle@...

Our fridge is dripping inside and a puddle of water is forming within. This is a frost free unit..so I wonder if the drip hose is blocked or something.. It may also be a door seal, but that seal seems be fine what can I check? Thank you! Al

Good morning everyone. Well, I've done something pretty stupid (go figure)! After washing out my brushes in the bathtub, I didn't get all the paint out, and it has settled in the bottom of the tub (which is bumpy). It's a semi-gloss latex paint, and I can get it out by using a rough sponge, but it's taking far too long. Does anyone know of a cleaner that will help speed this process up? Thanks for your help! Megs

The timer went out my my water softener and its not made any more. Will just about any flush valve with timer fit on my existing resin bottle? Rather then buy a whole new system for $700 or so (iv seen and home depot the GE versions for this), I thought I might be able to replace the time on my existing resin bottle.....or even by a new resin bottle with timer/valve already attached. I already have the salt bin and of course its all plumbed. Also, does the resin wear out. Does it have to be replaced anyway? In which case I would go the bottle and valve assembly in one to replace. any thoughts are appreciated. thank you rk

Hello All; I am rehabbing a big old house, 3 stories and 6 bedrooms and I wanted to share how I am managing the rewiring. What I did was put in a new single 200 amp service (hope its big enough) and a new panel with a 200 amp main in the basement and then I put in smaller sub panels on each floor. I used copper 100 amp service cable to feed of the sub panels and once and I am feeding them with 70 amp breakers for the time being. I prefer copper it is easier to work with, does not creep out of the connections over time and was only about 2 cents more a foot than the aluminum. The main reason that I did it this way is that it is so much easier to for my longest home run to be 20 feet instead of a hundred feet and it will be a lot easier to add circuits later if needed. I also do not like to run all the way to the basement when I need to reset a breaker for something on the 3rd floor. I figure that it costs about the same to do it this way becasue you end up spending less money on cabling. I am very much into over designing systems that are exspensive and/or hard to change. I have been an electrician for over 30 years and I have seen the use and dependence on electrical applicances quadrupal in that time. I remember when I started out most of what I did was replace 30 amp services with 60 amp services. Now it is not uncommon to see dual 200 amp services in some larger homes. JOHN

Shawn, Better value for the money, as you have read ,is the corded models, and if you are only going to have one drill I would suggest these also. If by chance you do go cordless make sure you get one with two batteries. Without it you will always want to drill and not have a battery. I bought a 12.6 volt cordless Ryobi about three years ago with two batteries at HD for 29 dollars. It was a special buy thing, and it has been great, but I also have an older Makita downstairs too. Sheresa

Well my wife has been asking about a pool for over a year now. A friend of a friend was going to remove a 24'x48" pool from his yard. He offered it to us as long as we helped build a deck. After we pulled the liner out the steel walls and frame was rusted really bad. I still have the pump, filter, all the tools and the ladder. I am thinking of building a pool just not an above ground. I am thinking of digging down 3' and building an above ground part that would be also 3' out of those stackable landscaping stones. I know the back side of those are rough so I would use morter to smooth it out and then put some indstural felt to protect the liner. I have even thought of making the entire pool in the ground and making the sides out of cinder blocks and the bottom would be sand. Then I would get a custom fitting liner. I know this will not be a simple project but after I finish the kitchen/dining room this is something I am considering. I really hate to spend the money and have an above ground pool because they are not even close to 6' deep. Anybody ever built their own pool? Anybody ever build one half above and half in ground? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

When installing tile on the wall around a Jacuzzi tub will sheetrock hold up as a backer for the tile. The tub will be approx 6" away from the wall all the way around and there is no shower. The wall should get no more water than a kitchen back splash. If I need to use cement backer board what is the best way to transition from the cement board to the sheetrock. The tiled portion will be less than 2' high around the tub. Robert

sorry that I haven't posted for a while but I was having dramas. Any I'm back and whould like to know how to make a fire screen to stop my 7 month old bot from opening the door. Dina

Hello everyone, Not new to the posts, but this will be my first time asking a question. All my phones lines in my house are dead. We plugged a phone into the gray box on the outside of the house. Line 1, no dialtone. Line 2, good dialtone. From what I understand that means the trouble is on our end. I have a computer hooked up to my local phone company DSL, works fine, no problem. My question is can anyone point me in the right direction for instructions on re-wiring my phone lines inside the house? I have no clue, but I always love a good challenge. We have had several storms lately and maybe lighting got it, don't know for sure. The phone company will do the work for $100 an hour. HELP!!! I love all the info I get off this group. Thanks in advance, Debbie, from the Land of Tumbleweeds and Tornados!

Ann, If you're referring to wood laminate, I'm going thru this myself right now. We have dogs (plus I rescue, so sometimes have an UNhousebroken dog in the house). We decided to tear out some of the carpet and replace it with wood laminate. I did a ton of research with other dog people and the vast majority suggested using Wilsonart Classic ...... the type that gets glued down. Well........ Wilsonart no longer MAKES the glued type ..... only "snap-in". I had the dealer call Wilsonart to get their suggestion and they said to add a bead of glue to every groove when the floor is installed. This is the special floor glue that used to be utilized all the time. Unless you take this extra step, it IS possible for liquid to seep thru the seam and you'll never get rid of the odor. Hope this helps. Winnie K9Castle@... Two adorable adoptables available at: www.cavaliermix.com

Doe's anyone know where i can buy screen room kits ?

I hope I am not boring any of you with my repeat of this question (well, that's what the delete key is for! :) but this is a burning question in our household! We *have* to make a decision on what we are going to use ASAP. Here's the Q, boiled down: Is there any reason why we should *not* use a clear silicone caulking (or something similar) in between the boards of a prefinished hardwood floor? We do cat rescue and from time to time have "pee-ers" in our house (we have one now), and I want to make darned sure that puddles of pee can't go down in between the floorboards. (Yes, wiping it up would take care of the issue, but they usually do this sort of thing at 3 am.) I particularly want to use prefinished flooring because of the aluminum oxide coating, which I think will stand up to cat claws and everyday life a whole lot better than a urethane finish which is applied in place. Also, to be frank, we can't really afford to have a pro put in a finished-in-place floor, and I think that obtaining a good finish by ourselves may be out of our league. :) Now, the main reasons I can think of *not* to use an elastomeric caulking in between the boards as we put the floor down are: 1) It would be an ungodly amount of extra work. 2) The tiny bit of extra material in there might interfere with the natural expansion/contraction of the wood and cause buckling down the road. 3) The material might be visible in some way later down the road. Dealing with (1) ... is my problem, I guess! :) Dealing with (2) ... I have a hard time seeing how just a little bit of caulking in there would interfere significantly, but I am not a pro, obviously. Also, it seems to me that the majority of the expansion/contraction should take place in the 1/4" which you are supposed to leave around the perimeter of the floor, anyway. I did do a small test on a couple of sample pieces and the caulking really did the job. I used water-based and wiped it off the top, and you couldn't see it at all. When it dried, it repelled water like nobody's business. But I am concerned there may be long-term problems. The other option I have thought of is to go around after the floor is done and dribble some polyurethane into all the cracks. But this seems like just as much work as putting in the caulking, and also I don't think it would repel as well as the caulking, not being as much of a physical barrier. I have tried talking to the manufacturer and they were not a whole lot of help. I had the distinct feeling that they didn't want to go out on a limb in any way (which I can't blame them, but it didn't help me any). If anyone has ever tried anything like this, or especially, if you are or know someone who is a professional installer, I would really like an opinion on this. Thank you! Ann

I have several old doors that I really _need_ screens on. So I need to build several screens. What type of materials are out there for building screens ? I know I could build a frame from wood and staple the screening material on, but I really don't want that..I would prefer to make a * real * one where the screening material can be put in the way commercial screens are built. Do home improvement stores carry the materials for this? How are the corners held together? Thankie! Kathie Forest Hill, Maryland

I 2nd Deb's assessment! I am glad the police came and I hope a report was filed! Kathie...not an animal freak but concerned all round ;o) Forest Hill, Maryland ---- Subject: Re: [DoIt_Yourself] Update- Re: neighbor's pit bull photos added Neal....but a very good debate whether it got out of hand or not. Someone else may very well be able to put this info to good use in the future and will remember what you went through. Deb

Wow, you go away for a few days, and all hell breaks loose in here. I had no idea i was surrounded by such violent people.. I think that I would have been deadly afraid to go near the fence. I would just like to add that in Michigan the animal control laws, include a ban on owning such violent dogs and they are NEVER left with the owners. They are removed, and euthanised. Even in California, Animal Control is wary of aggressive dogs, and leaving them in neighboorhoods. That fence is what is called a Good Neighboor Fence. Plainly, it is equally attractive from each side. Fence installers out here won't even put them in, because of the possibility of a dog coming through, or a kid sticking thier hand through and coming back with a stump. True that these dogs were raised to be aggressive, but there are perfectly normal breeds that can be turned aggressive. This dog has OBVIOUSLY had no training, and chaining him seemd to have made it worse. Finally, This may be the do it yourself site, but shooting another persons animal, or worse poisoning it, is in every state against the law. It is considered Animal cruelty. and in that case you would be the one the cops were coming after. Sara The paint princess (it seems i am forever painting my house)

It's me again! Now when we flush our toilet water gushes out of an open pipe in the basement, a lot of water. Any suggestions? I guess it's time to call a plumber, eh? Peggy

...when we're through talking about the neighbor's dog. Thanks.

Hi all, I'm fairly new to the group and have enjoyed reading all the posts for a couple of months. This is the 1st time I've had the opportunity to put my own problem to the group. We recently put new countertops, sink and faucets in the kitchen. A few days after we finished I noticed that the faucets were on backwards.......my hubby put them on the way they came out of the box. The "C" and"H" are in script writing and look so similar, he didn't notice. Question #1 is does it matter that they are on backwards? Question #2 is that when we turn on the hot or cold there is a sort of clunk sound, almost like there is air in the pipes. Should we take them off and put them on the right way, and what is this sound? Admittedly we're amateurs when it comes to plumbing and need advice. Thanks in advance. Pat

Neal, you can tell by the photos this isn't a cute, cuddly dog. It would be even better if you have a video camera so you can actually hear the growling and viciousness of the barking. That would be a definite help if you ever have to take legal action. Hope it never comes to that. But better safe than sorry. Casey

We have always had good service from Porter Cable power tools as well as Makita. We use them in a commercial environment - so they get lots of use!!! We repair them when needed and when they finally die -- we go back to those brands again. It's definitely worth investing in better quality, that's for sure. Hope this helps, Judi

Anybody knows any links for user reviews of powertools? (ie. jigsaw saws and hand drills?) Am still relatively new to DIY but would want to invest to really good ones that can still be useful to bigger projects. Thanks!-Arvi

Hi Everyone! We bought this old Cape Cod in December 2002. Half of it was built in 1925, the other half was built around 1930. It seems like every week there is something new that needs to be repaired. :^) Every time we start to plan on getting some of the comestic stuff started some other major thing comes up. (Ah...the joys of home ownership!) This week it's the plumbing. Ever since we moved in the utility sink in the basement (where the washer/dryer are) has been slow to empty, sometimes overflowing. I don't know if this is related or not but the toilet upstairs also is slow to flush. It has to be flushed about 3 times each time it is used. Both the kitchen sink and the bathroom sink are fine with no back up. Also the tub/shower does not back up. However the kitchen sink drain does emit a rather foul odor sometimes. And when water is run into the sink in the kitchen air bubbles will come up in the toilet. (The bathroom is right next to the kitchen.) That doesn't happen all of the time but maybe a few times a week. So far we've tried drain cleaner which seemed to work for a little while. Of course we've plungered and plungered, which also eventually helps but the next day it will be slow to drain again. (The basement sink.) We've tried running a "snake" down through the utility sink and it seems to be clear at least the length of the snake. Is there anything else anyone can suggest before we call in a plumber? We really have virtually no money at this point and we'll wind up having to use a credit card if we have to get a plumber so any cheaper suggestions are very welcome. Thank you! Peggy

Hi, everyone! I introduced myself to the group a couple of weeks ago when I became a part of it. Now I'm writing just to ask to the group about a couple of projects I saw on an internet site and that instantly got me crazy! I'm talking about the plans to construct: a).- A billiar table, and more specially b).- A soccer table game (you know, the table with a camp of soccer where the soccer players are inserted in some bars, so you have to spin the bars to kick a little plastic ball). I really want to construct those projects and I would like to know if someone on the group have the plans so he or she want to share them or maybe interchange them for some of the information that I could give. I really hope someone can help me. Greetings <<ole0.bmp TELMEX Proyectos de Red Troncal Fibra Óptica Subdirección de Operación Telefónica Metro Poniente Teléfonos de México, S.A. de C.V.

Hi, I am new to this group, and have just purchased a new house on a little over 3 acres in the puget sound area so you are probably going to hear more and more from me. This house is in a neighbourhood and the lots are pretty narrow and long (150'x900')without fences in between.. I have two dogs, one lab which would do anything to go eat the neighbours cat food, and a great pyrenees which is a great dog, but by nature roamers and wouldn't hesitate to take her 3 mile walk in the neighbourhood everyday. I know that my first project will be (i will move in in august) to fence an area for the dogs (maybe 150'x300 or 400') which is about 900 to 1100 feet of fencing... I would like it to be as little an eyesore as possible but keep the dogs in..I have been thinking about invisible fence, but don't think I would trust it 100%, or a regular electric fence with fiberglass posts (which would be cheap...) but would rather install a little more "sturdy" fencing... What do you think would be a good fencing material (4 feet high?) which hopefully would keep the dogs in and not be too expensive...?

I am the proud owner of a brand new home. Gutters only came installed on the front. I am going to add them to the sides/rear. What are pros/cons of aluminum vs vinyl? I live in Houston, so normally the temps will be really hot, humid and rarely gets down in the freezing zone in the winters. Thanks! Scott Moseman scmoseman@...

Okay, I've tried to be quiet about this, but I can't hold back any longer. This dog is a menace and animal control should be called. I'm not saying all pit bulls are dangerous either. They are wonderful dogs, but a dog with that kind of jaw strength needs to be trained. This dog sounds like he fits the stereotypical portrayed poster child for vicious pit bulls. This is the dog that gets out of the backyard and mames people. I am not prejudiced against pit bulls, but a vicious chihuhau can not do the damage this dog can do, and the owners are not being responsible. This dog is a health hazard. Sheresa

Just wondering if anybody can help me, just got back from Price Country, Wisconsin on a week fishing trip and the water left a stain on my boat. Wondering if anybody new of a cleaner that would get rid of this or home remedy, tried vinegar and it did not work ... Thank you, Marty

Dear Friends: Over the period of several years I have attempted to provide answers to several of your questions, and now it is pay back time, since I have a question of my own. After having completed the last wheat harvest it occurs to me that I'm just getting a bit old to keep up these 15 and 16 hour days and so have decided it is time. We live in a rural area of Central Kansas and I'm seriously considering putting some of my varied talents to the test by launching a Mr. Fixit service. I would only be interest in the small jobs that larger contractors do not wish to bother with, and nothing that would require more than a week at the most to complete. I would like to know whether anyone on the list has any experience with such services being offered in their area and how successful they might or might not be. I'm sure that if we were to relocate to a major metropolitan area I would have no problem finding more work than I could handle. I will be doing a bit of local due diligence in the next few weeks and will keep the list posted on my decision. Dale in the Flat Lands

Hi! I joined a week ago. I wasn't sure how to write an introductory until I read some the last couple days. We bought our home 9 years ago in Southern Georgia. we live on one acre in a small subdivision. Since we bought the house we installed irrigation system, landscaped, built a screen porch around the exiting concrete patio, I installed floating wood flooring, I've laid ceramic tiles, wallpapered. hung fabric on a wall (instead of wallpaper), Our living room had 2 single size windows and a semi size picture in the middle of those 2. we took the middle window out and installed French doors in place. the French doors now open out to the back screened porch. we installed a privacy fence, we built a wood shed, goodness at the moment I can't remember what all else we did to our house and property. I still plan to remove the linoleum out of the guest bathroom and lay ceramic tiles. I would like to remove a wall that has fairly short walls of (guessing a this time) 5 ft on each side of a large open doorway to the 8'x32' front entry to the front door. How do I find out if this wall I want to remove is a supporting wall or not? Thank you all for being patient with my belated introduction... Kathy in Ga What we need is a cup of understanding, a barrel of love, and an ocean of patience. - St. Francis de Sales

Hi Lori, First, I apologise, I thought I was sending that privately ;o) DIY is for remodeling, moving walls, adding decks, repairing roofs, adding a bathroom, in other words major remodeling/building projects. IM is for painting, decorating, furniture arranging, window treatments, design ideas, etc etc. There is some overlap, but I really try to avoid it. Thanks! Liz

Hello! I am New to the group:) My name is Lori, and I am from Texas. My husband just got out of the Marine Corps this month, so now We are in the process of buying our first house, and I am looking for ideas on texurizing walls... I will have to pull wallpaper off the wall and it's just plain sheetrock underneath. SO I thought about texturizing with tissue paper... has anyone done this? I also have to paint the brown paneling that is in the living room.. Eventually we will paint the rest of the walls inside the house, but for now my main focus is the kitchen, living room & Entry hall. I surf the net looking for ideas.. but it's nice to get opinions from others. Have a great day! Lori

Those dogs are illegal here in Belgium. There were so many problems with them and one or two other breeds. They have all been shot. Get a strong fence , with some electric going through it. Kevin

Does anyone have any tips for really, *really* waterproofing prefinished wood flooring? (Finished in place floors are unfortunately not an option at this time ... we don't have the time for curing and also don't have the money ... ye gods, they want $9/ sq ft here in CA just to do the work!) I tried an experiment today with the samples I got from Lumber Liquidators. The prefinished wood itself appears to be impervious to anything (I tried the old scratch and maltreat test on it) but I can just see liquid seeping right down between the floorboards .... (We have an incontinent cat. Long story, don't even go there. If you want to go there, go check out the Interior Motives list -- we have been discussing it there.) Anyway, I took two of the samples and spread a little bead of clear caulk on one tongue, then slipped them together and let it set up. Worked like a charm, no liquid going through when I tested it later. BUT my husband was just a leetle resistant to the idea of caulking the entire floor as we put it in ... LOL! Not that he absolutely wouldn't do it. But he told me to go ask "my group" if they had a better suggestion first. So, does anyone have a better method for waterproofing a prefinished wood strip floor? I'd love to hear it! Thanks, Ann

After a few weeks of work I am taking a day off. When I moved to Oregon from Colorado I thought I would not have to suffer through anymore 100° days. I just cannot work when it is this hot, I get really sick. Well I have ended up just rebuilding the whole side of the house. The termites even ate the back of the siding. When I removed the last beam that was supporting the floor it actually crumbled on one of the ends as I pulled it outback. We are really lucky that part of the house did not just collapse. I have almost all the plumbing work done and will jack that end of the house up tonight. Then I need to pour a 13' footing for the replaced wall. I went to a local construction supply house for some lumber the other day and found a brand new set of french doors with the blinds built in the glass and it was only $150. It was an extra on an order and I was not serious when I offered them $150 but they said ok and only charged me $30 to deliver it. Before I close up the walls I am going to spray all the wood with a borate solution to keep future bugs and fungus away. This has turned out to be a much bigger project than I had anticipated, like always. I cannot wait to start ripping the kitchen out. My wife wants to gut the kitchen herself since she has had to suffer cooking in there for almost a year. Well I have a few hours of reading to do on all the posts since I was online last. I will update everybody in a few days on how the project is going, of course nobody probably cares. I enjoy typing anyways, LOL.

Hi, First of all - I should introduce myself as a newbie - I've been lurking for awhile, just absorbing all the great info you guys toss around. My husband and I have a furniture making business and he made a 3 phase converter for our shop. It's very simple & very cheap to make! Just do a google search for "rotary phase converter" and you should come up with plans. Good luck, Judi

My girlfriend and I just moved into a nice 1-story. It is a great 1650 sq ft house, built in 1972. Already, there are a few projects waiting for me. The first involves the backyard neighbor's ferocious pit bull. This would be the house behind us where our back fences join. When we first moved in on Thursday, their dog was barking and growling at us trying to get through the fence. I thought, "No problem. The barking is annoying, but we are new to the dog. I am sure this will pass within a few days." It now barks at us constantly whether we are inside the house or in the backyard. It only stops when we go to bed. The barking and growling has grown more ferocious. My girlfriend is scared to go near that part of the backyard, and I don't know what will happen if/when it breaks through the fence. I was mowing the backyard just an hour ago. When I would pass near that part of the backyard, it would attack the fence trying to get through to me. The thing is starting to splinter off fence the fence. There is no doubt it will attack if it breaks through. Does anyone have any ideas on how to approach this situation? I know I need to approach the neighbor before calling any authorities (Animal Control/police). Would any pit bull owners please let me know how they would like to be approached with this. I am a dog owner (lab) and I know owners see their pets differently. We are new to the neighborhood and have not yet met any of the neighbors. I don't want my first call to be to the police. Sorry if this is off-topic. My next post will be about how to fix faucets. Thanks, Neal

Does anyone have experience with doing a nail-down floor in a very hard wood, such as Brazilian teak or Brazilian cherry, or even hard maple? I was talking to my dad last night about what type of wood to choose for flooring, and he asked whether the very hard woods were more likely to split when you were using a pneumatic nailer. I had to say I didn't know. So ... are the harder woods indeed more likely to split as you're nailing them down? And if so, how much wastage can you expect? I can just see myself pre-drilling a million little holes ... oy .... :) BTW, since I'm asking newbie questions about hardwood flooring, the area I want to cover is about 740 sq ft. How much extra should I order to make up for flubs and breaks and splits and such? Thanks! Ann

is there any type of paint that i could use to make the carpet look like the way it was before, i used a carpet cleaner to remove stains but somehow the carpet reacted to it then now there are white spots on my carpet as if it looks like it was bleached!! how can i solve this problem, i am thinking if there is any spray that i can use to color it again.

can anybody help me out. I was told there is a 'box' that can be bought for $500. WOW, any thing cheaper out there? Thankyou for your time and knowledge dudevato in s. california

hi, i have a question... what can i do if i used the wrong carpet cleaner or stain remover and it made some parts of our carpet fade, as if it was bleached. is there any way that i could get the color back? like what we do in upholstery for cars, like a spray maybe that i can use to color my carpet back the way it looked before? kelly

I saw this done on Trading Spaces before. I had to tear my carpet out in the living room and hallway because of water damage and now I'm looking at ugly brown tile with a chunk missing in the living room, looks like they filled it with plaster. I'm thinking about painting the floor until I can afford Pergo. Any suggestions on what paint I should use or should I even bother with 3 big dogs and a five year old son? Thanks

anyone have any opinons on what i should use to waterproof the outside basement walls. i got some "UGI drylock", is it good stuff to use? any suggestions/tips on doing this? thanks chris

Has anyone dealt with Brazilian Direct for buying flooring? (Their web site at www.brazilianhardwood.com ) I read one very brief Internet review which indicated they are okay, but that is all I know. I was going to buy through Lumber Liquidators, but I am particular about what I want and they don't have everything in stock at the moment, so there would be a backorder of possibly six weeks and I just don't have the time. (What -- me plan ahead? Who do you think I am, Alfred E. Neuman? :) Anyway, if you have dealt with Brazilian Direct or know someone who has (or know a good site where I can read up more on them) I would appreciate it! Also, does anyone have opinions on microgrooves or flat joining in solid wood flooring? The main reason we are going with hardwood is because of our kitties, who occasionally just throw caution to the winds and pee on things ... and I am sick and tired of trying to keep our carpets from stinking! Anyway, I am wondering if a flat join or a microgroove is better. Offhand I would guess the flat join, but OTOH if pee seeped down between that you would NEVER get it out, whereas at least you could run a Qtip down the microgroove ... Opinions? Thanks, Ann

Hello! Just joined. Hope this is the right group to answer my question. I am planning to remove my furnace and ductwork and replace the space heating with electric baseboard. I was told that the white duct tape I have on the ducts contain asbestos. Is there any truth to that, and if so, how do I go about removing the duct work safely, without making my basement look like something out of the science fiction pages? My guess would be to spray the tape with a hardener, like lacquer or varnish, or tape the asbestos tape like crazy with the regular grey duct tape and remove the entire duct work in sections, not disturbing the joints where the tape is located. There are only about 5 joints where the asbestos tape is located, the rest of the duct work can be removed either by unscrewing the brackets and/or cutting the metal with tin snips.

I am in the process of re-habbing a big old house, I had to tear out a lot of walls to repair years of neglect. I want to rough in a whole house vacuum system while I still have the walls open. I was wondering is any one knew what size PVC I should use to for the system and any good recommendations on where I can buy the individual parts for my install. Thanks john

Hi All, I have some lead drain pipes coming from the upstairs bathroom. Before we put up the first floor ceiling, I'd like to replace them with PVC. The lead is connected to a cast-iron vent pipe via some kind of big weld. It's like a football shaped lump of lead connecting the lead drain pipe to a brass connector, which connects to the cast iron vent pipe. So my questions are: 1) How do I remove the lead "weld" from the connector? 2) How do I connect PVC to the brass connector after I get rid of the lead? Anyone know anything about this?

Hi, folks! Yet another question for y'all ... this one regarding drywall and the texturing thereof. We have someone helping us who knows how to put up drywall, and also how to mud it, etc., but I am not sure about the final texturing and whether he is really up to that. I would like to have a very fine orange peel texture on the walls -- and, quite frankly, I want it to look professional, not like a haphazard amateur project. I have seen drywall texture blowers at HD (can't remember the real name of the machine, but it blows the texture onto the walls), but I wonder if an amateur can achieve a fine texture with these things. Has anyone tried this at home? :) Or should I just bite the bullet and have a pro come in and finish off the texturing? Whaddya think? Thanks! Ann

I know that what I am about to say does not apply to most of this group but just in case that are those amongst us who cannot afford the more expensive cuts of material I will tell you some of the things I've done in the past, and plan to do again every chance I get. As most of you already know, full dimension lumber for building doors or windows is a bit on the pricey side. My solution has been to save and cut around those sections of pine that are clear of knots and carefully stack them in a safe place. Then when I needed some full dimension lumber I would glue up from my clear horde and go from there. I have built windows by using butt lap joints and when they were, routed, sanded and finished they looked just like the expensive ones from the specialty section. One of the greatest fears of the home builder is how to get those nice square corners when you decide to make your own window frames. I used scrap squares of plywood and put a square from scrap lumber on each one. I then coated these with hot paraffin so that glue would not stick, then I used bungee cords between the corner jigs to hold them taunt and a c-clamp at each corner to hold the butt joint until the glue dried. Butt lap joints can be given extra strength by drilling and inserting two dowels in each joint after they have been initially built. The addition of the dowels also give a quality appearance to the finished unit. Dale in the Flat Lands

I'm in the process of moving my heating duct from under my house to the attic. While under the house pull duct work I discovered that some of the floor joist were rotten due to water setting under the house from time to time. I'm replacing these of course, but my question is: Could I staple a plactic vapor barrier to the floor joist to help deflect the moister from the ground as well as the ocasional rain water that seeps under the house. Could this cause any problems down the road. Like more damage to floor joist or subfloor? Any thoughts on this idea. :) Thanks Martin the taxman

The neighborhood "big box" home improvement store has quickie how-to classes every weekend. Can anyone share their experience with me on these? Such as: Do these give you the confidence to do the job? Or: Do they scare you into checking out their list of professional installers? Thanks, Dave

I am trying to install a new 10" shower head that omes with it's own arm. I can't get the old shower arm off. I know it screws off and can't budge it. Any suggestions?

Hi! I've been following the deck thread with interest, as we're awaiting an estimate on having our deck turned into a screened porch. We're in New England, the deck is about 12 x 15. We were going to use aluminum framed screens and pressure treated railings. We have a raised ranch, so we have to cut into the roof. So, where the roof is sloped down towards the back yard (east to west), we'd have the slopes on the porch roof going north and south. We were also going to include a couple of skylights to try to brighten it up. Any thoughts on a DIY cost would be greatly appreciated - I've a feeling the contractor estimates are going to be pretty high... Thanks! cheryl

In a message dated 6/18/03 11:29:26 PM, dalu@... writes: << I just happened to be reviewing some of the posts and came across this one. We built our deck and used the existing driveway as a foundation. I guess my question is, why drill through the existing concrete patio? Why not just set the deck on short legs on the existing concrete base? I used triple angle bracing on each leg of ours and it is as steady as a rock. Of course I used lots of legs and bracing. My floor stringers are on 24 inch centers with supports around the parameter as well as in the center of the structure. That's the building code. You have to go down below the frost line,which the building department says is 30 inches. I called them today and said, I have this strong, thick concrete patio. Why can't I just anchor the posts on the concrete? He said I can't. I have to drill through the concrete to put the deck pilings there. To me, it makes absolutely NO sense. But our building department is incredibly corrupt, and with my luck - if I did this without a permit - I'd be the one who'd get nailed for it. Interestingly enough, my neighbor, who has a yard the size of a postage stamp, and has more stuff in it than Disneyland, has a huge, high deck. It extends the entire length of the house, and there's another, higher deck at a right angle to it that wraps around his pool. I believe the lot coverage size in our zoning ordinance is 35 percent. With all the stuff in this guy's yard, in the building department didn't seem to realize that my neighbor is politically connected. The guy told me my neighbor NEVER got a permit for any of his decks! I'm like, hmmm, really? So what are they going to do about it? I'd love to hear THAT answer, but I'm sure I never will. All I know is if I did it, they'd force me to tear it down in a heartbeat! Debby

Well I have not been online for a long time now becaues of a power problem my other computer is dead. Now I am stuck with the old laptop. I started on the kitchen remodel today. I am doing the dining room first it is off the kitchen and will move towards the kitchen. The dry rot problem is not nearly as bad as I thought. I did underestimate the carpenter ant problem though. Half the lumber in the room will have to be replaced it is damaged so bad. The entire floor will have to be redone and the beams under that part of the house are eaten hollow. Most of the ants are dead but there are a few still chewing away. They moved up the walls and into the attic. As they moved up there they chewed the paper right off the drywall. Tomorrow I will work on removing what is left of the floor and begin to replace the chewed lumber as well as the sill plate. I am glad I saved up extra money for this project because the unexpected will always happen. On the bright side I will be able to bolt the whole room to the foundation and the kitchen after that. I also have to get the pest control guys to come out and do there thing. I also need to go to the electronics store and get a new bard drive for out real computer. I just love when things break while you are trying to work on something else. I will keep everybody posted as I go.

Between the main floor and attic...... Which should it be? We hear conflicting opinions. Thanks, Val and Laurean in Iowa

About the only option you have is to soak and scrape. It''s no fun, that's for sure.

Hi, everyone... I have been putting off doing this, but I really need to construct a small deck at the rear of my house to replace concrete steps that are crumbling. The steps are on a concrete patio that is much larger than the size of the deck area I want. I want to keep the patio because it helps drain water away from the house (I live at the bottom of a hill, so all the water comes our way!) I should also mention this is a ranch house, so the back door is about three and a half feet at most from the ground. The size of the deck I'm thinking of is 8 ft. by 10 or 12 ft, so not a huge deck. I want railings, and steps on one side. Our building code requires you have to go down fairly deep with pilings, I think if I remember correctedly, about 20 inches. The supports for the deck would have to be drilled through the existing concrete patio. My question - how difficult would it be to drill through the patio and get into the ground to secure the deck pilings? I don't have much in the way of help to do this project myself. Just me, my boyfriend who is pretty much out of commission because he has to have surgery done on his leg for an old football injury, and my brother, who is THE most non-physical person in creation and knows absolutely nothing about construction. In short, I don't know anyone who knows how to do this, or is physical enough TO do it! I've gotten several estimates on having the deck constructed, and the prices are ranging from $3,500 to $5,400, which seems insane for a small deck with no special requirements or hardships (except for drilling through the concrete.) I'd like to know how difficult the drilling through the concrete for the deck supports will be, and I'd also like some opinions on the prices I'm getting for doing the deck. I think they're outrageously high, esp. when i go and look at the price of lumber! If anyone has any ideas to help me get this deck constructed at a much cheaper price, please, let me know. I'm out of ideas myself! Thanks for any help... Debby

I'm looking for a transom to put over a small bathroom door. I'd like to find the old-fashioned kind (my house is pre-depression and I like to keep improvements consistant with the original architecture and style) which is hinged at the top and swings out from the bottom. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find one anywhere. Does anyone know where I can find such an item?? New or recovered from a demolition job is okay. Thanks, Mark For anyone interested, my current project is remodeling a laundry room and bathroom in my circa 1920s house. They were one room, and I'm making them into two. I'm about 1/2 way to 3/4 complete: I already demolished the existing walls, floor and fixtures, reinforced the floor joists (there was some water damage in the house's history) and added a layer of plywood to the sub-floor, stripped plaster from the outside walls to studs, framed the new wall and installed new door, updated the plumbing (supply and drains) and electric (replaced entire circuit) to code, insulated walls and installed dry wall. I'm currently spackling. To do: Finish spackling, install moldings, paint, install new floor, install plumbing fixtures, install permanent light fixtures.

I have posted a photo of the "new" house. Moved in 1 March. So far, Removed the cypress pines along front fence line, Built a storage shed (concrete block and iron roof, Rewired phone system and ADSL cable, Networked daughters computer and main computer, I am in the process of rewiring all the light wiring and some of the power curcuits( been there since 1925.), Have also built a new workbench and set up steel shelving for workshop and storage shed,Built rack and shelter for steel and timber storage Have been a tad busy. Daughters 21 also in there somewhere. Bob in OZ

HI all got a ? wall paper old whats a good cheap way to get rid of it naturley its on plaser and lath man i dont want to gut it any ideas verry old hoose 1810 on town map.had to replace front door must have been original still had square nails like \or blacksmith nails solid cast iron thanks Doug

Hi Adre, I thought I would speak from experience on the sand box. I hope that you are building it where kitty cats will not have access to the sand in the box. Cats love sand boxes and there is nothing like a child digging into the sand with their small little hand and coming up with a pile of cat poop. I was only about four years old and that experience made me avoid sand boxes for the rest of my childhood years. We did have a lid for the sand box but being a forget full kid, I forgot to put it on and it only takes forgetting one time to ruin a sand box. Anne in Rowlett, TX Message: 3 Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 13:07:54 -0000 From: "westande" <westande@... Subject: Building a child's sandbox Hey folks, I have recently joined this group and have enjoyed learning from everyone. Someday I hope to help someone out but most all of you seem to be more knowledgeable than I am. I have a question about a child's sandbox. My niece has access to leftover construction grade sand and would like to build a sandbox with it. I told her that it would be best to construct it with play san instead. She says that she would not build it if it were not for the availability of the free sand and thinks some people go "a bit over the top" when considering children's safety. I can't argue since I was raised (and so was she) using gravel play lots and certainly no play sand around. So, what the heck is the difference in construction sand and play sand? Is construction sand just a bit courser? Is construction sand chemically treated and play sand not? I'd love to help her build it and we have plans to dig it out and use gravel and line it before filling it with sand. Any advice would be appreciated. Ande

I built the sand box for the grandkids out of landscaping timbers. Cut them to form an octagon and then put sets at each corner. When they out grew the novelty we just rolled it out into the other part of the yard and it is now a flower bed. A word of caution though, do not build a box with a deep lip that extends over the sand, and do not use an old tractor tire as a quick solution. Snakes just love to crawl up under the ledge and soak up the warmth from the sun on cool days. A lot of kids have been bitten by reaching up under the ledge and finding Mr. Rattle Snake. Dale in the Flat Lands

Hey folks, I have recently joined this group and have enjoyed learning from everyone. Someday I hope to help someone out but most all of you seem to be more knowledgeable than I am. I have a question about a child's sandbox. My niece has access to leftover construction grade sand and would like to build a sandbox with it. I told her that it would be best to construct it with play san instead. She says that she would not build it if it were not for the availability of the free sand and thinks some people go "a bit over the top" when considering children's safety. I can't argue since I was raised (and so was she) using gravel play lots and certainly no play sand around. So, what the heck is the difference in construction sand and play sand? Is construction sand just a bit courser? Is construction sand chemically treated and play sand not? I'd love to help her build it and we have plans to dig it out and use gravel and line it before filling it with sand. Any advice would be appreciated. Ande

Well, I got my whirlpool washer and I love it. It's a terrific machine. It even has a timer on it that tells you how much longer there is in the wash cycle. If it continues to perform well I will be getting the dryer to match. But I wanted to see how I liked the washer first. My kitchenaid dryer is still working but the timer is shot. I may just replace the timer. And wait till it breaks down to replace it. Jill

Hi everyone! We have a Cape Cod, the kitchen was built in 1925, the rest of the house was done in 1930. I would like to install a garbage disposal under the kitchen sink and need to know how to go about this. Will I need to be cutting pipes? What tools would I need? Difficulty level? We're both fairly new at "do-it-yourself" stuff and worry about messing it up, however money is pretty tight so we would like to try. Any help, advice or suggestions are appreciated! Peggy

I am looking for a tip from someone who may have already encountered this problem: Any time the water is turned on in my house it causes an extremely loud "rushing water" sound throughout the house. This is whether it is from the sprinkler system coming on or flushing the toilet. This is a two story house built in 1983. Any suggestions as for a cure? thanks, Obie Anderson

My husband and I are going to be painting the house this summer and are hearing a lot of different opinions about different brands of paint. What is the best brand? How much paint do you need to cover 1600 square feet? Thanks!

Hi All, I am slowly staining and installing moldings in our house. I did a batch of baseboards a few weeks ago and they came out great. This weekend, I did another batch and they came out....a different color! Same brand stain, same color, same type of wood. The second batch is noticeably darker...anyone ever run into this? It was Minwax Cherry. Interestingly enough, even tho it's the same stuff, the color sticker on the front of the two cans is slightly different. But the stain has the same name and same color code. Hmphhh...

Can you use blue painters tape to mask off "knock down" ceilings? Or will it pull the ceiling material off when you remove the tape? I have a terrible time getting paint on the ceiling when painiting walls. 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!

Hm ... is this a Great Idea or best left alone? Our "new" place has a tar and gravel roof with a very low pitch ... the highest point of the roof at the center ridge line is about 18" above the lowest point. (The house is about 40 feet long by 25 feet wide.) The roof is not in very good shape, has several layers on it already, and according to the house inspector who looked at the place for us, it should just be replaced. (Luckily it does not rain in our part of California for basically the whole summer, so we have some time to look into possibilities there.) We looked into having a contractor replace the roof with a higher pitch roof and shingle that, but it was prohibitively expensive, involving new trusses, an engineering plan, permits from the county ... a minimum of about $16K for the job, and probably closer to $20K. So we were figuring on just replacing the roof with a new tar-and-gravel roof, which would cost us around $3800 or so. However, a friend of my husband's who has done some roofing says that even though the pitch is low, we can just go ahead and shingle it anyway (taking off the old tar and gravel first, of course). Is this correct? I thought I read something about a minimum pitch being required to use shingles ... something about rain water blowing back up under the shingles or something of the sort. But now, of course, I can't find that reference again. Am I hallucinating? (Which wouldn't surprise me, as many hours as we are putting in on this house!! :) Or is there indeed some practical reason why you should not put shingles on a low pitched roof? Thanks for any info! Ann

Dear List, I'm wondering if it is possible to install a washer/dryer in my apartment's kitchen? I don't have any special hook up faucets, just my sink (i could also use the bathtub faucet, since the bathroom is off the kitchen) and a window. Is this possible with some special tubing? Sabrina

Hi all, Got a question. Can ceramic tile be layed over ceramic tile? How about the new self stick 12x12 designs that are currently out? The flooring that looks like tile? Here's my project: Full bathroom, currently used by our kids and guests. Flooring is ceramic sheets of 1" x 1" mosaic like tiles in several shades of dull beige. Present flooring is in great condition, approx. 15 years old, and no areas that are cracked or loose. I realize adding on top will raise the height somewhat and have no problems in that area. What do ya think? Lisa -Md

I have been reading about brown paper bag decoupaging - don't know if it was here or somewhere else. Now I am in the notion of using this technique on my bedroom wall. Just one wall. (Tear brown paper into pieces, crumple it, apply to wall with wall paper paste. - May or may not be antiqued or washed with brown glaze to make it look like old leather.) I can get the bags for 5 cents each at a local discount grocery store. If they will sell me that many...I could use about 30 bags - $1.50. I already have the paste. Would that not be a cheap way to do the wall? I want to paint the other three walls a light spruce color. I may put rope at the top of the "leather" for trim. My house has settled more after we put on a new roof several years ago. (Went from tin to sheeting and shingles.) The wall has developed cracks. The technique would hide the cracks as well as give it a real different look. Well, whadda ya think? ~Shirley~ PS I used that rubbery embossed wall paper in the livingroom before painting and it was really a job for an old woman alone - who had never wallpapered before. <G there were any cracks in the plaster at all!

I am looking for a somewhat neutral goldish/subtle yellowish toned paint for my two story foyer. I keep buying quarts to experiment with, but I am not finding the colors I have in my mind. It seems they come out a little to bright or to dull. I know that you can't know exactly what I want, but I would like to take a peek at a color chip from the maker of a paint that someone has used and been happy with. Of course, keeping in mind the desciption above. Thanks so much; I have been trying to find a color for two months now. Jennifer

should i even bother? my front porch is falling apart, and i would love to just have it replaced but-not happening. the wood is rotting, it hasn't been painted since we bought the place 10 years ago and probably before that too. the paint is peeling off. so, my question is, do i try to repair it to the best of my ability, scrape as much of the loose stuff off as possible and repaint? any suggestions of products to use? that's just for the pillars, railings and spindles, for the floor, i am going to look for an outdoor carpet remnant. thanx for any opinions. tracyg

I just disconnected a broken spa pump that is 2 speed- it has 4 wires red,black, white and green. It is hooked to a air switch. I know where to place the the wires but because I now cannon rememeber if black or white is common I am worried. I know where the common wire which is usually white goes but is there a way to verify that white is the common wire in this case -should I get a circuit tester and touch white and ground ? gary

can anyone tell me a product that will seal some small and large cracks in the bottom of my swimming pool. the bottom is concreat and there will be a liner put in the pool, but i have to seal the cracks so that grown water dont get between the liner and the concreat. product should be able to move without recracking. any idea's please ?

Hi All, I am rebuilding our dilapidated deck before it collapses. The posts are 4 x 6's dropped into concrete footings and the posts need to be replaced. They don't sit on top of the footing, they were dropped into the fresh concrete. My question is - how can I replace these posts? I suppose one plan is to dig out the wood from the concrete footing and then pack the resulting hole with fresh concrete. If the wood in the concrete is very rotted, this won't be too bad. If it's still solid at all, it will be a nightmare. Anyone have any better suggestions? Digging the wood out sounds like a monumental pain, but not quite as bad as digging up the footing and pouring a new one. Close, but not quite.

I wish that I had real info for you on the thermostat - instead, I suggest that you get hold of Hunter and ask the gurus there how to hook it up. They probably have a toll free help line and if they have any worth at all as a prominent company, thet'll be glad to help you sort things out. THEY designed it after all to use in situations such as yours. Why should YOU be the one sweating? This approach has worked for me in the past both as a private citizen and at work. Hope this helps. Joe - Southern Conn. Bureau

Sorry List. Still working on sending them.......ARGH! Lisa -Md

Eileen wrote: "Overall the result is within acceptable parameters but only because the neighborhood I'm in is one where we have to be careful not to "overimprove." " I'm curious about this. As a new homeowner in the middle of home improvements...are you saying that you don't want to put more into your house than it will sell for in in your neighborhood; i.e., that the payback isn't going to to be there no matter what? I'm really curious abouut this (My new house has bright gold carpeting that is going today...we've been painting for several weekends -- Pratt & Lambert "Italian Straw" yellow in the kitchen and "Biscuit" in the dr, lr, foyer, and hall. I honestly don't think there's been a new coat of paint on most walls in 20 years...still has original 1969 light fixtures, panel dividers, harvest gold kitchen counter, sink, and range hood and yellow tub and sinks. Otherwise structurally the house is in good shape. I may be back with questions the more I get into this!! Laurie

Hello, I am planning on redoing the kitchen floors and would like to put the new floor on myself. Does anyone know: 1) When replacing the floor yourself, is it better to just put the second layer of linoleum flooring _over_ the existing one? 2)...or is it better to rip up the existing flooring? 3) Is all this stuff about putting down a plywood layer between layers of linoleum necessary? At Lowes, they said if they istalled it, they would do that to ensure that the floor was even. 4) How difficult is it to get the linoleum flooring correct in the corners of the floor and make sure everything lines up correctly? 5) Pricing - they said it'd be around $400 for materials alone and some additional $450 for labor. Does that all sound reasonable? Or would it be cheaper if I went to the manufacturer and ordered direct? Thanks for your ideas! Cheers, Marissa

I am moving out of a rental that has wood floors. They are in "average" shape and have undergone the usual wear and tear during my 2+ years there. I plan on doing a good cleaning job but was concerned about the wood floors. Does anyone know any good cleaning products that will help bring back the shine to these wood floors? Thanks, Neal W

Hi Mike, Ah now you are talking ! They are sold here in Belgium. They cost about $1200 +/- Its the only German make that builds ( and thats the right word ) 100% in Germany. If you buy other makes , they are having them ' thrown together ' in Turkey Lithuania , Poland ,to name but a few countries. Even Whirlpools are made in Italy. Somene else mention here about the fact that it can be down to luck. Thats true. I once bought a real cheap dryer ' Hoover ' It was lightweight and cheap looking. I kept it 10 years and its still going with a friend. As has already been said " they are only machines " Kevin In hot Belgium

I can unreservedly recommend washers and dryers made by Miele, a German company. They are expensive -- but quality always is. You'll NEVER see anything reviewed in Consumer Reports that even comes close to the quality, value and feature set you'll find in these machines. My wife grew up in Germany and her family has used the same washer with without any trouble since it was new 15 years ago. We got one for our home here in the US nine years ago and have not had one second of trouble. Bought in 1994, it has features that still aren't available on most US machines. Your clothes will never be cleaner than you can get with Miele. One major feature that I'll mention is the ability to wash at temperatures up to 190 degrees (with a 240 volt hookup.) They are typically only available at specialty appliance stores and again, they are expensive. But you will spend the same amount of money (probably more) to replace the 3 to 4 generations of machines that Miele will outlast -- and every piece of clothing you ever wash in a Miele's life cycle will be cleaner than you will ever get with the best US machines. --Mike

My husband and I are going back and forth about the pros and cons of real wood flooring for our "new" place. The old oak flooring that we just ripped out was about 1/4" thick and about 2" wide. I have been told that this type of stuff was made to be put under carpeting and basically was not meant to be a good wood floor ... I don't know how accurate that is so if someone can tell me, I would appreciate it. At any rate, the stuff we ripped up was cupped and bowed from the moisture problems under the house. (This is a one-story structure, over a 2' crawlspace, no basement.) We will be working to mitigate the moisture problems later in the summer (by putting in a sump pump and drains in the crawlspace), but we won't know how successful we have been until next winter, during the rainy season here. So now we are trying to figure out exactly what to put down on the floors, over the old 1 1/2" subflooring. I would like to put down 3/4" thick real wood flooring (probably oak though I am open to suggestions). My husband is concerned that the new stuff will cup like the old stuff did. My feeling on this is that the new stuff will be much thicker than the old and also the moisture problem will be much reduced, if not eliminated entirely. If anyone has any firsthand experience with this sort of thing, I would like to hear it! A friend of ours suggested Pergo, since it is theoretically easy to install, but I believe that Pergo is a laminated wood-look plastic or vinyl? As opposed to real wood veneer on the top? I really do want to see real wood, not a "lookalike," since I can usually tell the difference between real wood and vinyl just by looking at it. (I looked at the Pergo web site but could not find anything that went into what Pergo actually IS ... just a lot of fluff about how wonderful it was.) So basically, my question is whether the 3/4" thick wood will stand up to some moisture (hopefully not a lot), and whether Pergo is really glorified vinyl. :) Thank you! Ann

HELP! Friday we called in a plumber because there was some water underneath and around the water heater. Saturday the plumber showed up and said the water heater was fine and the water was a mystery because there was no water on the inner underside of the unit. This morning I wake up to take a shower and there is no hot water. So we check the water heater and we discovered where the water is coming from; there is a mist coming down from within the draft hood - it is almost like it is raining under the draft hood. What is happening? The water leakage is not a problem so long as it does not get too much larger. It is a Sunday and I wish to avoid overtime charges. Is it safe to turn it back on until we can call a plumber out on Monday? Parenthetically, I would need guidance on how to turn it on since I never turned it off and all controls are in their normal on position. I know very little about hot water heaters. The heater is an A. O. Smith unit. It is an all natural gas unit requiring no electrical power. Thanks for your help, Charlie

Hi all, I have not been that active on the DIY front of late. I am recovering from a back problem. Stupidly lifted something the wrong way. Daft or what. I noticed the conversation on washing machines. Its topical in this house. Here in Belgium we do not get Maytags cheaply. They are sold as a luxury machine. They also are heavy on electric consumption for Europe. I do happen to have two Maytags , a washer and a dryer. American spec that I got from a guy for free. They are ten years old and still wrapped from new. Uneconomic to change to EU spec. Shame. Anyway , most of the machines sold here are German or Italian. My present washer is AEG , which is German. Its 9 years old. The programmer control knob is worn out. So you have to stand there and coax it along. There was a time when an AEG or any other German machine would last 20 years minimum. Cost of a new control knob ? ........$300 ! A new machine runs at $700 - $1100 Same week the following items broke down in our house. 1 , Dishwasher. Bosch , 5 years old , thermostat went. I managed to fix that myself. $30 for the part. 2 , Ride on Lawnmower. Engine blew up. Briggs and stratton USA made. Not sure what to do about that , strip it down I guess. 3, Car is over heating. BMW .Probably a theromostat. 4, MPV , rear wiper unit stopped...........Japanese........don't even ASK me the price.........robbers ! Oh well ,thats life. Kevin

Check at an Ace Hardware store..or a local mom-n-pop place. That is where I found the ones for my laundry room sink and clawfoot tub. Kathie Forest Hill, Maryland - Subject: Re: [DoIt_Yourself] Odd question "At one time they sold rubber shower attachments that slipped over the faucet. I have never used one but it would be one temporary solution." Yes yes.....that's what I thought and have looked for them for her.....does anyone know of a brandname please or where I can definitely find one. The ones I've seen screw onto the end of the pipe.....p-leaseeeeeee, lol. Anyone anyone, thanks. Shawn

This has been my first Maytag washer. My dh's friend bought one too. A newer model then mine...and even worst stuff happened to hers. Her board blew out after 2 yrs. and it cost her over $300.00 to repair it. When I called up Maytag they agreed that the machine is over priced and is a big disappointment for the company. They tried to tell me it was ONLY my model and yr....but two years later my friend's machine broke down the same way. I thought they fixed it but they didn't....same problems. Not only that remember that man that sat around and did nothing....in the Maytag commericials... (btw the original guy I knew...he was a friend of one of my neighbors). Well, his replacement is out of a job now. Maytag is no longer allowed to put that advertisement on the air because it has to be true in order for them to do it....and it's not anymore. I think it also depends on how much you use the washer. I use it alot...I have three kids. I have two girls that were in dance...and a son that played sports. Plus I have lots of pets. I would do at least a two or three washes a day. That's one of the reasons I bought a heavy duty machine. So it would last long...but I expected it to at least last ten years. I was hoping for twenty.... It was broken just over two years. And never has worked right since. I bought the Whirlpool duet...... however, it's not coming till next Saturday. I will have to wash my clothes by hand this week...ugh. If I like the washer and it lasts a year.... I will buy the dryer to match. I am so happy I didn't buy the Maytag dryer now. I didn't buy the Kenmore....I didn't like the color of it.... it's white and black...and I was afraid of repairs... in consumer report it stated it was too new to test. Whirlpool had a lower rate of repairs then Kenmore. Even though Kenmore is made by whirlpool. Jill Isn't that funny. I have had nothing but Maytag's and they have lasted and lasted and finally worn out. I think sometimes we might get a lemon or something. I once bought a GE VCR and had nothing but problems with it, but years before that was THE product that dh and I used. After the problems with the VCR, I swore off GE products for good and maybe that's not the problem. Maybe it was just a lemon. Imogene A Miller <raven44012@... OK, Everyone has their own opinion on this so I thought I would offer my 2 cents worth. I have had nothing but bad luck with Maytag. Message: 10 Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2003 19:36:10 -0400 From: Jill

I have a Neptune and it has broken twice already. It's about 7 yrs old. I bought it because I thought it was a good machine. Now I am sorry. Does anyone know what is a good front load washer? That has a energy efficient adjustable water level. I was thinking of buying the Whirlpool Duet.... or the Kenmore but they are again very expensive and I am afraid I will have the same problems. Can anyone help? Thanks, Jill

Hi all, We have a crawl space underneath a room addition, and when we renovated the room, we decided to seal off the access to the crawlspace (via a floor hatch in a closet) because that room was becoming the kitchen, and the hatch was going to be right in front of french doors. I knew it was risky not having access to the space, but figured I would fiugre out a way in when the time comes. Well, the time has come. I'm having a problem with some electrical wiring and I believe the issue is down below. So, here's my question. I can easily get to the interior wall from my basement, and figure I can bust out a certain number of cinder blocks to form an access hole from the basement, but, how do I re-inforce this hole so I'm not compromising the support of this wall? Just box it in with 2x6's? Thanks! Shane

Hi. I posted this before, no response. Have a whirlpool glass top elec. stove. It keeps going into and out of self clean. Also the door latch opens and closes continuously. Was told it needed a control / Does any know what is going on here?? Thanks in advance. JR.

Hi Group! I am so excited to find this list! My name is Lisa. I'm married and have 9 year old triplets. We've lived in our Maryland home, 7 years now, and have been transforming it in to a place I love. Some of the projects I've tackled myself include: Tiling counter/backsplash,creating a brick walkway, laminated flooring,painting,stenciling,and landscaping our property. I hope to learn, as well as, share many ideas!! Lisa

I will be the first to admit that the new vinyl windows are nice and fit very tight, but I've seen quite a few that have come apart at the corners after a few years. My personal preference is good old fashioned wood, it cost a bit more but will still be there when the plastic has turned to chalk from an over dose of sun light. Dale in the Flat Lands

I quit trying to worry a bunch of rusty nails out of places that were going to be covered up anyway years ago. My solution is my trusty side grinder. Takes those puppies down to "ground" level in an instant and since it covers a lot of area in a short time, it gets the ones I'd probably miss until I saw a bump later just where I did not want one. Also tends to level out a few other imperfections in the process. I've tried the belt sander but the nails just eat up belts like they are candy. Dale in the Flat Lands

Thanks for all of your suggestions regarding how to decorate the undersides of glass tiles with metal leafs. (leaves?) The best thing is to practice, and I did finally find out a couple of interesting things in my search. First, most glass tiles are already backed with something, so the mastic won't show through in case you do a messy job, get bubbles in it, etc. So I will just have some glass squares cut and try out this idea i got from the internet. Put the design on a 4x4 square of paper. Put Mod Podge on one side of a clean tile. Center the designed paper on the tile and smooth it out. Let it dry and trim the edges of the paper. Repeat with a piece of plain paper. You can then attach the tile to the wall with silicone sealer. Once dry you can fill in between tiles with silicone or traditional grout. You can do this with any printed image, photos, etc. I can't wait to start practicing. Custom tiles for pennies!!! It will be the cheapest thing in the kitchen! The plumber finished yesterday, the electrician today, but only after we had him re-do some work because of a misunderstanding regarding can lights and surface mounted lights. I did not participate in this misunderstanding - I said a million times that I wanted eyeball lights. But that misunderstanding will cost me extra. My mistake? - Get everything in writing first. The drywall guy, (for the millions of holes the first two had to put in the walls and ceiling) should finish today, and then he'll spray texture on the walls and ceiling, prime and paint. Should be done Friday. Cabinets the beginning of next week, countertops after that, then appliances and the decorative stuff that I am itching to do! After that the big blowout Bitchen Kitchen Party can be planned!!! Ellen

Well, ok..as I typed that I realized there were several ways that could be taken.... HUSH LIZ! ;o) LOL