Do it yourself

I just bought a house that has rock wool insulation in the attic partially filling the space between the ceiling joists. I would like to fill the joists to the top with some easier to handle insulation and then put bats of unfaced fiberglass on top. Any suggestions?

I found out that Glidden is offering a rebate on exterior paints and stain right now (excluding primer) -- $5 off per gallon, up to a total of $25. The promotion ends Aug. 31. I couldn't find an online source for this, and also did not see the rebate forms when I went to Home Depot, but I did see them at a local store (Friedman's) which is how I found out about it. So you might want to check with your local stores and see if you can find the coupon. The coupon etc. have to be postmarked by September 30. Ann

I need to scrib the back splash on a pre-made fermica counter top, I have alsways just used a skill saw to cut it, scribing, is a jig saw or a router better? I am concerned with the material chipping?

do I have to dry off each individual piece? Will it just warp? aargh. thank you. cat in very hot, dry California

Has anyone ever done some studies with changing their A/C settings while they are away? My A/C is setup for 76 in the evenings and on weekends. Currently I have it going to 80 during the day, when the wife and I are both away at work. I'm curious if the load that it takes to bring this back down to 76 is saving me anything over what it would take to just remain at 76 all day long? Or is there a more optimal setting I could use? Brand new house with 11 SEER A/C, double-paned windows, heat shield in the attic, and so forth. Scott Moseman scmoseman@...

Has anybody successfully killed a tree using the "drill holes and put salt in it" method -- we bought our house in April and there was a tree planted too close to the house, so we had it cut down to a stump (didn't want to remove the roots because it might affect the foundation of the house) but now the tree's roots are sprouting all over the front yard. I keep removing them but it seems like it might not be dying if it's sprouting up, and I know there's at least some roots growing under the house because they're coming through one of the ventholes to reach the sun... any suggestions? Should I start digging up the roots I can find and remove them manually? Thanks... Marc

Everything after the switch will be controlled by it. You can run the outlet wire back to the switch box which has a hot in it. Connect all neutrals (whites) together, all grounds (bare cooper) together. Connect the black to the light to one terminal on the switch. Connect the black to the outlet and the black from the hot coming in together with a little piece of black wire long enough to reach the other terminal on the switch.

Our swinging kitchen door fell down. Hardware just gave out. Does anyone have a source for swinging door hardware? Home Depot people looked at me like I was speaking Transylvanian. Thanks Irene When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life is hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?' ~ Sydney Harris

I have just had another in a long list of run ins with gaps and bugs in software that has been put out by the "boy genius" Mr. Gates. Who would think that a data base that can be used to generate mailing lists would not include the capability to print addresses to envelopes, but that is exactly the case with Office 2000. Oh it would be fine if I wished to print on mailing labels but that is not the way I wish to do things. My printer will accept envelopes and by golly that is what I want to print on. That is the trouble with geniuses they think they know everything anyone else might ever wish to do. I lost about 6 months of code back in my programming days because their $500.00 "C" compiler couldn't handle large files. I bought a $90 version from Borland and it was not only 10 times faster but in 4 years I never found a bug in it, and it didn't seem to care how much I tried to compile at one time. I have over the years yet to find one single unit of MS software that was not either incomplete or had a bug in it that would bite you big time. So what is all the fuss about anyway, all anyone else needs to do is put out stuff that works all the time every time and I'll be there with my dollars. OK Feisty, I got that off my chest too, so you can go ahead and have a great week as well. It does worry me though that you have been so quiet today, I'm getting prepared for the unexpected attack. You worry me when it appears that you have been thinking. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

Thanks, Laura, for the encouraging words. I am off to see my daughter for a month soon so I'll jump back into this when I return. I just read the msg from Dale re: new DAP mud so I want to be sure I don't get that one! I'll have enough trouble, I'm sure, with the "tried and true" mud. Which one that is, I don't know but I'm sure you can advise me when I get to it. Hope your Granny is doing better. Grannies are special people. I hope to be a good Grandma to my new granddaughter like my Grandma was to me. I still miss her after 30 years. Gwen Troutman SC USA Message: 5 Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 20:52:55 -0400 From: Laura R <laura53@... Subject: Re: Stripping Wallpaper Sheetrock mud is not that hard to use. If I can do it you can do it. Just.............................................. Laura R

How much does it cost to do drywall in your area? I've been quoted about 5 dollars a square foot for hanging, mudding taping and painting for about 400 square feet (about four 4x10 sheets) I've got two 10 foot long walls, both sides, one ten foot long wall both sides, one 10 foot long wall one side, plus some ceiling patches and wall patches about 50 square feet, all told about 400 sqaure feet (I have a 6.5 ft high ceiling). Am I getting over charged, or is this the going rate

I searched the archives but couldn't find any references to Kelly Moore paint. Does anyone have any experience, good or bad, with Kelly Moore paints? We think we are going to have our three stucco walls treated with a terpolymer waterproofing coating that is made by Kelly Moore, so we thought perhaps we would paint our front wall, which is wood siding, with Kelly Moore paint also. However, a friend of ours said he painted his house with Kelly Moore a couple of years ago and it started peeling in a year. But he also admitted that he didn't prime it with the Kelly Moore primer -- just used three coats of the regular paint -- so I'm not sure if his experience is typical. (The same friend repainted his house with Behr paints and said he has been happy with that -- so if anyone has feedback on Behr exterior, that would be good too.) Anyway, if anyone has experience with Kelly Moore, I'd like to hear it! Thanks, Ann

I've been told that if I couldn't say something good I'd be better off saying nothing at all. So in keeping with that line of thought I will report of a good product I found lately. I saw some of the new, well it was new to me anyway, peal and stick 1/4 sheet sand paper for orbital sanders. I thought, yeah sure, but I'm so tired of the old cut and fold method and never getting it to stay tight, and then the ripping just about the time you get going good, I'd try anything once. Hey, this stuff really works, it sticks to the pad like a barnacle to a slick rock. You can wear the sheet plumb smooth with nary a tear. Now that is my kind of stuff, and besides it was no more expensive then regular good quality sand paper. Actually cheaper in fact since it stayed put, and I didn't have to stop and cut it. Since it was stuck right to the pad it sanded much faster since there wasn't all the lost motion from the pad sliding around under the paper as before. As for the afore mentioned sheetrock mud, the buckets are lighter to carry, if that is any consolation, Miss Trinity!!! Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

FYI: DAP has come out with a new sheet rock mud and some may think it is great, but I just finished spending several hours suppressing strong language and the desire to partake of even stronger drink, because I had two buckets of the stuff and the second one was by mistake. It is light weight all right and is about like spreading whipped cream. It may be the greatest stuff since sliced bread but not for me. I found that it does not want to drag smooth and also the tape does not adhere to the wall like I am used to. I'm afraid I'll have to hit the first coat with the sander in a few places before going on, something that should never need to be done, unless you happen to drop the bucket into the saw dust bin. If it had not been a Saturday afternoon I would have stopped before I got started and bought some of "the good stuff." The stuff also leaves a gritty feeling when it gets on you hands, about like Boraxo or waterless hand cleaner with pumice. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I was not impressed, at least not positively. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

Hi Iam new member,does anyone know if there is anything on the market to make a pair of rear surrond speakers wireless? Just moved into a new house and don't want to run wires everywhere. Thanks

Hi folks, I just moved into a rental house that has hardwood floors in most of the rooms. The floors are in decent shape, with some areas showing a bit of ware and some showing dark patterns that I bet are from area rugs that were left in the same place for long periods of time (sort of a rubber mesh print left behind.) Since this is a rental, I can not do a whole lot to "fix' the floors, but I would like to keep them looking nice and not cause too much wear while I am here. (I have two dogs) Any suggestions on regular maintainence would be greatly appreciated. The owner had lemon oiled the floors the day I moved in, so they looked all shiny. I don't want them to look good for a day...but more like a month at a time. Can they be waxed? buffed? Help! Thanks, Ilene....new to sunny Fresno CA

We'd like to have a cement patio poured in our backyard before the weather starts getting cooler here in the Chicago area. Since we don't own a cement mixer, can anybody recommend a reliable, quality cement contractor here in the Chicago area? -Touch

I am in the same place as the person with the drywall blues only, it's our entire house. Where to start... sigh... Have another problem I would like to ask you guys about... We have a laundry room that was added onto the kitchen. Problem is the kitchen wall is not straight up and down and very noticeable. One thought was to make a small hallway type thing and space the spacing out that way. Is there any other ideas? Been here 7 years and I am ready to have some stuff finished!!! We had a foundation put in, new roof, we did the house rewiring (was knob and post outside the walls) plumbing, now sheetrocking and now have a second bathroom. Ideas are appreciated. JoAnne

Just wanted to say Hi! I am happy to have found this place, and hope to learn alot from all of you. Thanks for letting me in, Barbara aka: babsbrink

has anyone put down the pergo floor? we started last night putting it down.it is going to be beautiful in our family room. we are laying it over a cement floor that has a glued vinyl.we put a plastic barrier under it, as per directions, but it seems to move so easy with the plastic down.we only have 3 rows down so far.i was not sure we needed the plastic but thought we better be safe.i've never noticed any moisture in the room but there are discolored spots in the vinyl that make me wonder what caused them. what is the best way to do the floor by an outside door?actually it is a door to the greenhouse so will not have weather tracked in.just need to know weather to put the flooring under the jam or butt it to the jam and add the trim piece? judy

Thanks, LauraR, for your response. My problem with the wall is actually the primer/paint. The glue is coming off nicely but not magically.........lol. Lots of wiping with hot damp cloths and scraping with a little putty knife. I'm just concerned about what to do to the primer/paint. Do you think I should peel it off where it looks "crinkly" and then mud it? It's not really peeling so much as it looks "ribbed" (maybe from the way the backing on the wallpaper was. It's mainly near the ceiling line. However, there ARE a few tiny spots that came off with the wallpaper. I've never used sheetrock mud so I'm sure I'll need some advice there. Thanks again.............After I get all the glue off, I'll be back for more help. Also, I looked at your pics and you've done a great job with your rooms! Hopefully, mine will look as good. Gwen Troutman SC USA I had to use sheetrock mud over mine Gwen to get it smooth in spots. The.............................. Laura R

i was looking through the photos and wondered what caused Jessi's Disaster! also is the pit bull trying to chew its way to the other side? judy

Liz: If you are still alive and well please let us curious types know how you are coming with the rip and replace operation on the house. I've been waiting with baited breath for Trinity to get the pinch bar and hammer urge and then have to live in a tent for the next year or two. Anything can happen to a person that can get excited over part of an old screen door, or the left rear wheel from a horse drawn manure spreader. I think it must be the beaches around Charleston, SC; warm sand and cold salt water can do funny things to a person. Our daughter and son-in-law just bought a real fixer upper about two blocks from us and will be moving back here just as soon as their house in Missouri sells. Carrie told the banker that between her husband and her dad they could build or fix anything. With a recommendation like that what is a father to do? Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

Just wanted to dip in the water a bit and say hello. I'm also a new home owner for about 3 months now and it's alot of work I have to say. ^_^; I finally got around to fixing the flapper in the my bathroom the other night and it was a great feeling! That's the first time I ever did anything in my home besides attempting to mow the lawn ^_^; Anyway, cheers. I know at least I have a place where I can ask questions in case I need to. ^_^ Lavi

I plan to install speakers in most of the main rooms of the house. I would like to have a switchbox by the entertainment area that has toggles switches that would allow me to play audio to whichever speakers that I want (or any combination of them). Would such a device exist? I am looking through Crutchfield and cannot find the type device I have been visualizing in my head. Thanks! Scott Moseman scmoseman@...

hi all, just a bit about tom and judy j. married 39 years, four grown children, 6 grands 3 boys 3 girls. 2 shelties and 1 cat. we have lived in our 100+ year old home for 32 of those 39 years.we have been do it yourselfers all of the 39 years. tom has been putting steal on the roof of the house,garage and wood shop for the last 3 years.this year he is building a wrap around porch on the front of the house.looks great!! if it could be done we have done it. i garden, decorate and am a cloth doll maker. this spring we did a new garden making a butterfly fountain out of an old pedestal sink.we moved 6 ton of pea rock and 2 ton of river rock into a pond/creek/hosta garden area. we are looking forward to reading the list. judy

I disconnected my thermostat and electric heaters a while ago to do some renovations. I reconnected them the exact way and now they don't work. I would say I'm pretty good at electrical, being able to make new 3 way switches, adding new lights and switches and outlets, but this one has gotten me stumped. I got a double pole 15 amp breaker feeding 120v in the white and 120v in the black for my required 240v to supply my electric heater. I tested it with and without the thermostat, and neither would cycle power to the heater. I tested the wires and got 120v in the white and 120v in the black. I connected them directly to the baseboard leads, hooked up all the required grounds, and nothing! It should be on, continuously, without a thermostat. I tested brand new heaters too, and nothing. Connected with a thermostat and nothing! Even the room that I did not touch, that heater does not work now. I know I got 240v cycling into the thermostat, and turned it all the way clockwise to get it to turn on and nothing. For the life of me I can't figure out what the ^%$*%$ went wrong!

hello to all, tom and i are new to your group and have a really big problem. tom and i are redoing a family room and i did not like the way the steps were so i tore them out. :~) now we have the problem trying to decide what to replace them with. i think 4 steps to replace the 4 we had but they need to curve instead of going straight down. what i need is a place on line to find plans to build what we need. as long as we have a book or plans---- we can do it. thanks much.we are looking forward to reading all the back messages.maybe we will find some more ideas for lots of other things. till later tom & judy j.

WHO'S ON FIRST...IN THE 21ST CENTURY Abbott: Ultimate SuperDuper Computer Store. Can I help you? Costello: Thanks. I'm setting up a home office in the den, and I'm thinking of buying a computer. Abbott: Mac? Costello: No, the name is Lou. Abbott: Your computer? Costello: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one. Abbott: Mac? Costello: I told you, my name is Lou. Abbott: What about Windows? Costello: Why? Does it get stuffy? Abbott: Do you want a computer with Windows? Costello: I don't know. What do I see when I look out the windows? Abbott: Wallpaper. Costello: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software. Abbott: Software that runs on Windows? Costello: No, on the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses. You know, run a business. What have you got? Abbott: Office. Costello: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything? Abbott: I just did. Costello: You just did what? Abbott: Recommended something. Costello: You recommended something? Abbott: Yes. Costello: For my office? Abbott: Yes. Costello: Okay, what did you recommend for my office? Abbott: Office. Costello: Yes, for my office. Abbott: Office for Windows. Costello: I already have an office and it already has windows! Let's say I'm sitting at my computer, and I want to type a proposal. What do I need? Abbott: Word. Costello: If I'm writing a proposal, I'm going to need lots of words. But what program do I load? Abbott: Word. Costello: What word? Abbott: The Word in Office. Costello: The only word in office is office. Abbott: The Word in Office for Windows. Costello: Which word in "office for windows?" Abbott: The Word you get when you click the blue W. Costello: I'm going to click your big W if you don't give me a straight answer. Let's forget about words for a minute. What do I need if I want to watch a movie over the Internet? Abbott: RealOne. Costello: Maybe a real movie, maybe a cartoon. What I watch is none of your business. But what do I need to watch it? Abbott: RealOne. Costello: If it's a long movie I'll also want to watch reels two, three and four. Can I watch reel four? Abbott: Of course. Costello: Great! With what? Abbott: RealOne. Costello: Okay, so I'm sitting at my computer and I want to watch a movie. What do I do? Abbott: You click the blue 1. Costello: I click the blue one what? Abbott: The blue 1. Costello: Is that different from the blue W? Abbott: Of course it is.. The blue 1 is RealOne. The blue W is Word. Costello: What word? Abbott: The Word in Office for Windows. Costello: But there's three words in "office for windows!" Abbott: No, just one. But it's the most popular Word in the world. Costello: It is? Abbott: Yes, although to be fair there aren't many other Words left. It pretty much wiped out all the other Words. Costello: And that word is the real one? Abbott: No. RealOne has nothing to do with Word. RealOne isn't even part of Office. Costello: Never mind; I don't want to get started with that again. But I also need something for bank accounts, loans, and so on. What do you have to help me track my money? Abbott: Money. Costello: That's right. What do you have? Abbott: Money. Costello: I need money to track my money? Abbott: No, not really.. It comes bundled with your computer. Costello: What comes bundled with my computer? Abbott: Money. Costello: Money comes bundled with my computer? Abbott: Exactly. No extra charge. Costello: I get a bundle of money with my computer at no extra charge? How much money do I get? Abbott: Just one copy. Costello: I get a copy of money. Isn't that illegal? Abbott: No. We have a license from Microsoft to make copies of Money. Costello: Microsoft can license you to make money? Abbott: Why not? They own it. Costello: Well, it's great that I'm going to get free money, but I'll still need to track it. Do you have anything for managing your money? Abbott: Managing Your Money? That program disappeared years ago. Costello: Well, what do you sell in its place? Abbott: Money. Costello: You sell money? Abbott: Of course. But if you buy a computer from us, you get it for free. Costello: That's all very wonderful, but I'll be running a business. Do you h ave any software for, you know, accounting? Abbott: Simply Accounting. Costello: Probably, but it might get a little complicated. Abbott: If you don't want Simply Accounting, you might try M.Y.O.B. Costello: M.Y.O.B.? What does that stand for? Abbott: Mind Your Own Business. Costello: I beg your pardon? Abbott: No, that would be I.B.Y.P. I said M.Y.O.B. Costello: Look, I just need to do some accounting for my home business. You know--accounting? You do it with money. Abbott: Of course you can do accounting with Money. But you may need more. Costello: More money? Abbott: More than Money. Money can't do everything. Costello: I don't need a sermon! Okay, let's forget about money for the moment. I'm worried that my computer might...what's the word? Crash. And if my computer crashes, what can I use to restore my data? Abbott: GoBack. Costello: Okay. I'm worried about my computer smashing and I need something to restore my data. What do you recommend? Abbott: GoBack. Costello: How many times do I have to repeat myself? Abbott: I've never asked you to repeat yourself. All I said was GoBack. Costello: How can I go back if I haven't even been anywhere? Okay, I'll go back. What do I need to write a proposal? Abbott: Word. Costello: But I'll need lots of words to write a proposal. Abbott: No, you only need one Word-the Word in Office for Windows. Costello: But there's three words in...Oh, never mind. Abbott: Hello? Hello? Customers! Why do they always hang up on me? Oh, well. Ultimate SuperDuper Computer Store. Can I help you?

We seem to have a bit of a hornet and wasp problem.. under our rear eves in our house is a hidden nest that is difficult to get to. We spray the area of the siding where we see them crawling around..but it is very apparent that these critters are between the siding where it meets the other siding (its in the corner of a bay window area) HOW DO WE KILL THEM without being able to reach the nest (hive) itself ? Thanks! Al

Liz k., I post more on Interior Motives than here and don't even do that often. Here is what I think about your situation. I'm betting that the walls behind the paneling are plaster and since it is difficult to nail to it, the paneling is most likely glued. Hopefully Dale will jump in here. If this is the case you are going to remove large chunks of the plaster while removing the paneling. Not that it couldn't be repaired but I'm thinking this more than you want to get into. Even if you could successfully cut around the cabinets there would still be the problem of the raw edge of the paneling. This could be covered with some sort of decorative trim but would probably look like you covered a booboo with trim. I am a designer with 40 years experience and this is how I would do this.....I'm reading into your message that the purpose of all this is to get rid of the dated and not too attractive grid ceiling....I would remove the grid system. Leave the paneling and trim off the top edge with a decorative trim, (there are trims for just this purpose) or a plate moulding would be appropriate here and my first choice. Then clean and prime the panelling and paint. This probably isn't the answer you wanted to hear but is far preferable to the mess I think you are headed towards. Painted paneling is really pretty. If you like we can discuss colors in another message. Later, Jayne

The power outage on the Eastern Seaboard must have kicked a large chunk of the web off line, since several servers just don't seem to be up and running. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

Same thing happened to me. My ldXh was in throes of his final illness and needed so much care and attention that I messed up and landed in the hospital for 8 days with UTI -- sickest I've ever been. Just didn't have time to take care of moi. It is amazing who people trust. Mine came "back home" because my daughter and I live together and she WAS going to take care of her daddy. That's a given -- we take care of our people in this family! They have promised not to "ship me off" either and for that I am grateful! Seeing as how I am probably also "as goofy as a pet coon" here in Alabama!! Now for the OT part: What does one do to get the aluminum ready to paint? How do you pickle it? Just wash it down good with vinegar or lemon juice? Do you leave it on? Let it crater just a little bit? I have some aluminum stuff I'd like to paint. And I want to know how that screen will be used in the bathroom. Sounds interesting. Will it be useful or just decorative? Enjoy! Nancy The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me. -- Ayn Rand Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 22:01:48 -0500 From: "Dale Schoepflin" <dalu@... Subject: Re: Dale-- me tart??? You get the run around and he gets the disability check. How do you get yourself into these messes? Me thinks perhaps you've been living below the Mason Dixon line for too long. The decrease in distance to the sun has had an effect on your thought process. That's why I've always kept my trips to Texas down to just a few days at a time, I've got a cousin down in the Rio Grande valley and he is as goofy as a pet coon. I'm here to tell you that it is the sun that does it, all those years on submarines gave me a little edge to play with, but I just don't want to take any chances. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

Hi, there. I'm Julia from Saskatoon and I have recently bought an acreage just north of this fine city. Along with some lovely land, I now have an older house, 2 garages, a shed and a small barn. Since I am moving from an apartment and have far more enthusiasm than skill, I expect to have home maintenance questions from the get go. (You can tell how enthusiastic I am - moving day is still 10 days away, and already I have joined this forum.)

Hi all. I have a rather unsightly chimney that runs up through the middle of the house in the kitchen. Is there any way to spruce it up? I will be moving the wood stove from the cellar into the kitchen. Would high temperature paint have to be used? No paint? Suggestions from creative minds? Thanks for any help you can give. Melanie

You get the run around and he gets the disability check. How do you get yourself into these messes? Me thinks perhaps you've been living below the Mason Dixon line for too long. The decrease in distance to the sun has had an effect on your thought process. That's why I've always kept my trips to Texas down to just a few days at a time, I've got a cousin down in the Rio Grande valley and he is as goofy as a pet coon. I'm here to tell you that it is the sun that does it, all those years on submarines gave me a little edge to play with, but I just don't want to take any chances. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

It's that time of year. For the first time, though, I can't reach a nest of yellow jackets with the traditional 20-foot spray product (Ortho foaming spray). The nest appears to be behind a gutter, with the insects flying in from the side where, I admit, I fell behind on caulking and painting. Any ideas, short of calling a professional?

Hey, There is a rattling noise that comes from under the house and the area where the water heater is. My neighbor had a similar problem and said that our heating system is an Apollo system - that the water heater is connected to the central air system. The wierd rattling noises sound like air or water cannot get through the piping of the house, not like an animal is stuck or anything. Has anyone ever had a similar problem? I called a plumber to get an estimate but I'm not sure its a plumbing problem. My neighbor said it could be an AC/Heating issue. Also - can anyone say how much a plumber's estimate should cost? I think it's around $50 -$75. Cheers, Marissa

Here's my situation: I hired someone to do my drywall. I'm trying to have the entire d*** kitchen done by about August 22, when about 50 people are coming over for a party, but I think I'll give up on that and just route 'em all outside. Here's the problem: The guy came for three days then left for a week to go camping. Before he left, he told me that he'd come over and fix anything that I didn't like. OK, so I started really looking at it the next day (after paying him ... SIGH... idiot alert). Well, he wasn't that great of a drywall guy. You can see patches, etc., and he actually missed a few parts. So I, being the town idiot, tried to do it myself. Then I thought "hey, let me see how it looks with primer on it." It looks AWFUL. The primer that I used was some wierd cheap stuff from Home Depot that my carpenter lugged over (called 'the gripper') that says that it's a water-based enamel paint. I THOUGHT that I could paint primer, then sand, but now when I try to sand the primer, it kind of chunks off in a layer. aargh. Emotionally I am now convinced that I have totally wrecked the wall. Also, I am so mad that after I paid to install the entire new wall (I was replacing wood paneling), it's wrecked, that I could spit. It's now 5 AM and I've been up stewing for a while on this, can anybody offer advice? The problem is that there are patches of drywall that are obviously not flat underneath primer now. Can a painter help me? Can a drywaller help me? Mine will return next Monday. idiotically yours, cat Hmmn, since everybody has siglines, I guess mine should be: impatient mom from CA (btw, am still trying to install 4 new sprinkler valves by the 22nd also.

Hello everyone! When I bought this house (last December) it came complete with a home made wooden shed out back. I noticed yesterday that the roof is leaking. This is just a flat roof though it is on a slant and not flat across. Seems to be two pieces of plywood or plywood type wood with tar paper of some sort nailed into it. I mean nailed into it, too, long nails that come through inside. Thank goodness I'm not tall! So okay they didn't do a great job on this shed but it's all I've got to store the lawn mower and yard tools in right now and I can't afford a newer one. What I would like to do is repair it as easily as possible. The wood on the roof is warping so I'd like to replace that and am open to all suggestions and advice as to what wood to use. Keep in mind that I know absolutely nothing about this sort of thing and nothing about wood/lumber. If I were to use sheets of plywood like they did, is there a special kind made for outdoor use? Second, once I have the roof in place should I just cover it with new tar paper or tar paper and shingles or what??? I'm looking for the most economical way of doing this but something that stands a chance of lasting for at least a few years. Or am I over reaching and should I just buy more tar paper and stick it up there? The shed measures about 6' x 5' and is basically four walls hammered together with a door in one wall and the slanted flat roof, all on a concrete base. It doesn't look as though it should be too difficult but looks can be deceiving when it comes to home improvements. (I've sure found that out!) It also was originally painted with interior latex paint but I did re-paint it last month with Behr exterior paint that I got from their "Oops" rack ($5.00 a gallon! Great deal!) Someone had fortunately returned two gallons of Behr Premium Exterior paint in a light gray. Worked out good for me. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! Peggy in NE PA

flamnembr@... writes: Hmmm...I missed that post. Was it brick inside or outside the home? I have an entire wall of brick in my living room. It is a fireplace with a wood stove insert. Hated the color of the brick-so I painted it. This was about 3 years ago. So far it looks just as new! Lisa -Md.

My wife and I just moved into a home and there were black scuff marks on the garage door (garage is attached to the house). I found the exterior home paint left by the previous owners and applied the paint to the scuffed up area. The paint has dried and is considerably lighter in color than the rest of the garage door. How do I fix this problem???

I'm looking for any pointers on finishing sheetrock joints that the group might have. I have been working on a roughly 700 sqft addition and just about all of the sheetrock is hung. I have decided to use the mesh tape. I have found on the net to start with butt joints, followed by the tapered joints and then the corners. My mine question is what to do where joints meet? Where the taper joint meets the corner. If I mud the tapered joint all the way to the corner the mesh tape will not stick to the wet joint compound. What if I put tape on all the joints on a wall an then mud? Thanks Robert

Hello Everyone new to group.. I am remodeling my kitchen and would love to install a corian counter top with a built in sink. the trouble is why are they so darn expensive and no one will sell me one unless they install it! i love the looks of these thhing but i cant get around the cost... help! please email me if you can help

How do you join carpet togetther to make it look like a seamless joint? I accidentaly cut out underneath the door area when installing a new wall. I cut underneath the sill plate, but went straight across to the other side, forgetting that I wanted to keep the carpet flow from the hallway to the room as carpet. I want to reattach the strip of carpet I cut underneath the door instead of installing a wooden threshold to cover it up, but the carpet seams will give me a fuzzy edge, and it doesn't stay in place. It slides all over the place.

Can Cat5e cable be bundled together with another Cat5e and/or TV cable. I want to run a line to two rooms, but want to use the same chase. So I will have two Cat5e cables running together. One line will termitate at one room, and the other line will continue on and go and termitate in the next room. Also can you bundle it with TV coaxial cable or does it have to be a dedicated chase?

Hi all, First, let me apologize for posting this question again. I asked abotu this a few months ago and didn't get much of a response, and now I'm getting desaparate, as my DW is getting ready to strangle me if I don't make progress on this bathroom. So, our 2nd story bathroom in our 100-year old home has a concrete floor/slab that was poured. I'm guessing they did this way-back-when in order to support the cast iron tub that was once there. Well, this bathroom is now gutted, and I need to remove this floor so I can run new plumbing, etc. When they retrofitted the house for plumbing years ago, the installer crudely busted holes where he needed to run the pipes. So, upon someone's recommendation, I purchased an air chisel for my compressor and went to town, hoping I could chip up the floor into pieces and carry it out. The air chisel simply won't do the job. It can't penetrate through the first layer-- the original tile. I've also learned that air chisels are mostly used for chiseling out mortar, not solid cement. I'd love to rent an electric jackhammer, but I'm worried that I'll damage the floor joists underneath the slab-- i.e., too powerful for the job at hand. Has anyone ever removed a floor like this on a second story? Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thanks! Shane

Compression fittings work great. Ideally you do want a soldered joint. Dont worry it will work better than you think.

BlankDoes anyone have any idea where I could get a covered toilet paper holder? I'm looking for one of the types with a flip-up lid that covers the roll (probably in chrome). I did locate one online but it was $50! I'm looking for something a leeetle cheaper. :) Also looking for any alternate ideas to solve my problem. The problem is that one of my cats sees tearing up toilet paper as his mission in life! At the moment we are keeping the paper roll in the medicine cabinet, but that's a little awkward when guests come over. :) I was thinking that a flip-up lid might slow him down, at least. But I'm open to alternate ideas! Thanks! Ann

Does it matter which wire from the thermostat gets connected the which legs of the supply line? IE, can I connect it to the black line OR the white line of the power supply, since both lines are supplying power as L1 and L2? Also does the direction of power have to come INTO the red line or INTO the black line of the thermostat, or does it matter?

Hi all, I've been a casual visitor to the postings an dlove this group. I own a home that needs all sorts of work. Are there any good archives or sites of "How to"? I enjoyed the sill replacement on the shed...My shed is almost exactly that construction. i think it was built in the 30's or 40's. I plant to take the whole thing down and rebuild because of termites. Any good she/garage plans available out there?

Hi, I am installing central AC in my home. I need some help finding information on where I can buy the duct work and outlets and how to lay them out. Thanks

Thanks for all the replies. To hire the equipment (the main sander and an edger) for sanding a floor would cost me a Aus$65.00 a day (about us$?. Anyway a lot of money). I can buy a cheap Belt Sander for Aus$80.00. So i'm off to the hardware store this afternoon to buy one before the sale ends. Thanks for the replies John Oz

Hi there, We just moved into a house two weeks ago, & last week we had a major flood. Fortunately it was clean water, not sewage backup, but there was a lot of damage to contents & the house itself. The flooring throughout the main floor of our house needs to be replaced, & the entire basement will have to be re-done. Anyway, the main floor is taking priority - so my question is about flooring. Currently it's half-ceramic, half-parquet. I don't really like the parquet, & I hate the ceramic, so I'm shedding no tears over their loss. Our insurance company will pay up to the amount it takes to replace things the way they were, so while I'd go for hardwood throughout if I had my choice, I think that's out. We've been considering laminate flooring & wonder if anyone has any opinions on them? The contractor who dealt with the clean-up of the post-flood mess said he didn't like laminate because he thought it was too easily damaged by spills (I don't think he meant on the surface though), but most of those I know who have laminate floors really like them. So...I'm here for advice :-) Thanks in advance, -- Deborah

In a message dated 8/3/2003 7:37:37 PM Central Standard Time, mike_giardino@... writes: where is the like to the web site regarding the jacking of the garage? ty

Anne Forget it. I've taken down about 25 trees on my property and while yes you can aim them in a direction to fall, there is no gaurentees. Even using rope to guide it in one direction can become useless if the tree wants to go another way or spins on the way down. I do everything myself but trees close to my house were taken down by a tree company. Steve LI NY Message: 11 Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 05:48:15 +0000 From: "ANNE CAROTHERS" <Merryberry123@... Subject: Re: Digest Number 911 Hi Folks, I have a project to do and am not sure if I should do it myself. The Project: There are two Pine trees in front of my house and they are way too close to the house. One of them is too close to the sewer lines and both need to come down. The trees were here when I bought the house about 5 years ago. They have grown extensively over the past 5 years and their trunks have almost doubled in size. One tree is about 18 inches away from the house and it is between 30 to 40 feet tall....no kidding. I love this tree and I wish that I could transplant further away from the house but I don't know if that is possible...I tend to think not. The other tree is almost 30 feet tall and is not nearly as nice looking as the first. This one is about two feet away from the house but it is almost sitting on top of the sewer line. If I try to cut down these trees myself, how do I go about it so that the tree falls away from the house.....and when the trunk snaps, the base of the trunk doesn't hit the side of the house or windows. I know that there is a way to controll the fall of the tree and it is related to which side of the tree I begin to saw through....but I can't remember the details. Thanks for all your suggestions and if there is another group that can answer my questions more appropriately, please let me know what that group is. Anne in Rowllett, TX, USA

that the tree falls away from the house.....< I think tree removal is a job better left to experts. My mom's friend lost her husband when a tree he tried to remove himself fell on top of him and crushed him. You can do some serious damage if you don't know what you're doing. I certainly don't know what I'm doing, so I'm calling the experts! I have a lot of trees that need to come down. Wendy Upstate NY

I'm sorry that I inadvertantly posted from the digest, resulting in that very long post. I'll be more careful in the future! Mary

Was very interested in reading about the Good Old Days, but was unable to find it in the archives. Hope you post it again.

I am thinking of sanding a wooden floor. I don't want to hire any equipment as I will not doing it all at once due to lack of time and also i'm trying to save money (too mean i guess). Does anyone know if Belt Sanders are any good for the job. Cheers John Oz

Dear Moderator, I would be very grateful if you would consider allowing my media appeal to be read by your members. I would be happy to provide any additional verification you require. Thank you in advance. Hello, my name is Christine Epstein and I am researching and writing a book about home improvement and remodeling. I am particularly interested in DIYers who worked within a very tight budget, yet created beautiful rooms and/or homes. If you feel you have had success with this type of project, I'd love to hear from you. We'd appreciate all advice and experiences you can share with us, to help inspire and encourage our readers! I will pay the phone charges to call you, or we can do it by e-mail. Thank you very much for your consideration of my request. Contact: highstylelowbudget@...

In our home there is a Mastercool unit and a regular AC unit. We turn off the AC unit after dark and turn on the Mastercool. It doesn't seem to have the same cooling effect as when I leave the fan on, on the standard ac unit and the mastercool at the same time. Is it okay to do that? I'm not using the AC to cool. It is off. I'm simply leaving the fan from the AC on, and running the Mastercool at the same time. I hope this makes sense. Thanks!

I am looking for tips on sharpening a lawn mower blade. I took it to the hardware store and they sharpened it, but it seems ragged and I can seen burn spots where it got over heated. I bought a Dremel kit to sharpen the blades. It works, but it does not seem as sharp. Question: How sharp should they be? I also bought a cone balancer and found that it was balanced when I put it on the balancer one way and it seemed out of balance when placed the opposite way. Any tips on this task will be appreciated. Dave

It was recently requested by on of the list members that I repost the dissertations on the Good Old Days, but I am reluctant to belabor the group with a second reading or deletion at this time. I do however anticipate that as winter comes on I will once again feel the need to expound to some extent on the values I have learned and hold dear from the experiences of years gone by. I would like to take this moment to alert those who might not know or care, that when I do launch into these sometime controversial topics that I feel no pain what so ever if you choose to delete without reading. I have been known however to challenge a well written difference of opinion. I fully except the fact that some of these writings are a bit off topic in a DIY group, but on the other hand this is a very diverse group, such as would not be found in groups that were formed to exchange thoughts on a common topic of agreement. I hold that it is of some value to consider where the desires and abilities to remake the surrounding in which one lives originate, fore you see this has not always been the case, since most in the past had neither the inclination or the ability to change to any great extent the texture of their surroundings. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

Sounds like something that would happen to me, a simple thing turns into a huge undertaking. I would jack up the walls 1/4" and use lally colums to support them then rebuild the floor down. You probably will not be able to lift the whole addition (walls and roof) so you could build the new floor a few inchs lower and level and then build up the walls so it is level. In the end your floor would be level but the room may look like it is not. I attached a link to a web site where a guy had to jack up his garage to replace dry rot but you will get an idea on how to jack and support the room. If the room has drywall or plaster be prepared for some cracking.

The electrician, when he upgraded the service from 100 to 200 amps, connected a bare copper grounding wire to my hot water tank's pipes. This was when I still had a furnace. I now removed my furnace and the electrician said that I really don't need the grounding wire connected to the HWT anymore. I subsequently removed it since I am in the middle of other renovations and the copper grounding wire was getting in the way. I've been reading and researching a few posts and everything tells me I should not have done this!!! Am I correct in removing it, or should it be reattached? If it has to be reattached, can it be grounded to any copper pipe in the house??

i attempted to paint over drywall with the slick decorated surface. Needless to say the semi-gloss paint i used didnt stick. i was told to scrape it all off and then prime--but that is taking forever and killing my back. Is there any way i could use a certain type of primer that would stick without me scraping all of the old paint off? can anyone help me??

Trinity: Received the following from and old friend in Texas. Some how with out present public education system it makes sense. Thought you'd enjoy it. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains ANY GOOD SOUTH'NER WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN PEACHES WILL UNDERSTAND EVERY SINGLE WORD BELOW! NOT SURE WITH TRANSPLANTS. The Association of Southern Schools has decided to pursue some of the seemingly endless taxpayer dollar pipeline through Washington designating Southern slang, or Y'allbonics, as a language to be taught in all Southern schools. The following are excerpts from the Y'allbonics/English dictionary. 1.) HEIDI - (noun) -Greeting. 2.) HIRE YEW - Complete sentence. Remainder of greeting. Usage: Heidi, Hire yew?" 3.) BARD - (verb) - Past tense of the infinitive "to borrow." Usage: "My brother bard my pickup truck." 4.) JAWJUH - (noun) - The state north of Florida. Capitol is Lanner. Usage: "My brother from Jawjuh bard my pickup truck and took it to Lanner." 5.) BAMMER - (noun) - The state west of Jawjuh. Capitol is Berminhayam. Usage: "A tornader jes went through Bammer an' left $20,000,000 in improvements." 6.) MUNTS - (noun) - A calendar division. Usage: "My brother from Jawjuh bard my pickup truck, and I ain't herd from him in munts." 7.) THANK - (verb) - Cognitive process. Usage: "Ah thank ah'll have a bare." 8.) BARE - (noun) - An alcoholic beverage made of barley, hops, and yeast. Usage: "Ah thank ah'll have a bare." 9.) IGNERT - (adjective) - Not smart. See "Arkansas native." Usage: "Them bammer boys sure are ignert!" 10.) RANCH - (noun)- tool used for tight'nin' bolts. Usage: "I thank I left my ranch in the back of that pickup truck my brother from Jawjuh bard a few munts ago." 11.) ALL - (noun) - A petroleum-based lubricant. Usage: "I sure hope ma brother from Jawjuh puts all in my pickup truck." 12.) FAR - (noun) - A conflagration. Usage: "If ma brother from Jawjuh don't change the all in my pickup truck, that thing's gonna catch far." 13.) TAR - (noun) - A rubber wheel. Usage: "Gee, I hope that brother of mine from Jawjuh don't git a flat tar in ma pickup truck." 14.) TIRE - (noun) - A tall monument. Usage: "Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, I sure do hope to see that Eiffel Tire in Paris sometime." 15.) RETARD - (verb) - To stop working. Usage: "My grampaw retard at age 65." 16.) FAT - (noun), (verb) - a battle or combat; to engage in battle or combat. Usage: "You younguns keep fat'n, n' ah'm gonna whup y'uh." 17.) RATS - (noun) - Entitled power or privilege. Usage: "We Southerners are willin' to fat for are rats." 18.) CHEER - (adverb) In this place. Usage: "Just set that bare rat cheer". 19.) FARN - (adjective) - Not domestic. Usage: "I cuddint unnerstand a wurd he sed .. must be from some farn country." 20.) DID - (adjective) - Not alive. Usage: "He's did, Jim." 21.) ARE - (noun) - A colorless, odorless gas containing oxygen. Usage: "He cain't breathe ... give 'im some ARE!" 22.) BOB WAR - (noun) - Asharp, twisted cable. Usage: "Boy, stay away from that bob war fence." 23.) JEW HERE - (noun) and (verb) contraction. Usage: "Jew here that my brother from Jawjuh got a job with that bob war fence cump'ny?" 24.) HAZE a contraction. Usage: "Is Bubba smart?" "Nah ... haze ignert. He ain't thanked but a minnit'n 'is laf." 25.) SEED - (verb) - past tense of "to see". Usage: "I ain't never seed New York City". 26.) VIEW - contraction (verb) and pronoun. Usage: "I ain't never seed New York City ... view?" 27.) GUBMINT - (noun) - A bureaucratic institution. Usage: "Them gubmint boys shore is ignert."

Hi I forgot to say what the file name was, they are in a photo album called AC Damage (kenderangel) Thanks Sara

Ok forgive me if I don't use all the right terms. we went a way for three days and came home to our (Central) air conditioner blowing only warm air, and puddling in and around the unit (located in a closet in the hall). This seems to have been a problem for some time now, as there is mold growing on the drywall that is under the AC. We know that the water was somehow travelling down the wall and puddling under the carpet in the doorway to the room immediatly next to the AC unit.We have had the AC repaired the cooling coil had frozen and was melting. But we are left with the damage that was already done. So the questions are what do we do about the water damage to the floor of the AC closet? will it dry out on it's own? What do we do about the mold? Someone told me spray it with bleach, someone else told me that bleach destroys drywall. what sort of damage might have been done inside the wall for the water to puddle in the office doorway? and what kind of damage might have been done to the carpet in the office? I have loaded several pictures on the photos section here. the first five are shots of the inside of the closet water damage and mold the last is a shot of where the ac closet is in the house and the room next to it ( the office)the white towel in the door way is where the water was puddling in the doorway. Thank you , Sara

I've done drywall before, but not plaster. I've got a book that explains how to plaster. I can very easily get the tools and supplies. I live near a supplier. But, everyone says it's a lost art. Is it really that difficult or are the plaster people saying that to make the money? Don't get me wrong! I have respect for people that can take a bucket of goop and turn it into a beautiful wall and/or ceiling! But, with a lot of patience, time and practice it seems like something I could do. My drywall joints do not have to be sanded when finished. I think that's good, but it does take time to make them that way. Does anyone understand what I'm trying to say? Is there a trick to plaster that I'm totally missing? I didn't find one in the book. My plaster guy is on his third try to finish the hallway. I could have tried twice and ripped it down just the same as he did. Guess I'm just frustrated....... Anyone have any GOOD plastering experiences to share? I'd love to hear about those right now! Thanks! Jeannette

Remove the broken spring and see if you can't find a replacement. I'd start by looking on the web under springs but you will need to know the spring wire size, diameter, and the length of the coil. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

I always heard a "peck of dirt" which is more than a pound . . . a peck is about 2 gallons, or 1/4 bushel . . . and I am well on my way, after tearing out walls all day, I probably ate a pound just today . . . . Liz

Does anybody watch Ground Force on BBC America? Can you tell me what happened to the main guy? Thanks Liz

The covering with dry wall compound works real well. We lived in a very old ranch house in Oklahoma and when the wall paper was removed the wall was found to be quite sandy. I mixed latex paint into a bucket of compound until I got the consistency of heavy cream and applied it with a still bristled paint brush, creating a texture as I went. We then painted the walls and as far as I know that stuff is still there. The texture tends to hide small cracks. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

Gosh I loved my new pressure washer. It made the deck so clean. It looked as if it had never been cleaned before. I went to sleep that night a happy man. I awoke the next morning to see little slivers of wood adorning the tops of the redwood decking. Not all over the place, but here and there. It appears that I may have applied the water at too high a pressure to the wood and gouged it in places. Question: What do I do now? Can I save the wood? Should I sand it down? Or do I need to buy new 21' redwood planks for the deck? The pressure is on!

I have a beautiful pair of brass sonces that I've taken the finish off by continous cleaning. Does anyone know if I just clean them really well and apply a lacquer, if so do I use oil or acrylic. Thanks so much! Candy

Trinity, Yeah, I think you did answer my question. I find that drawers so often end up full of crap or things our of place. When you told me you had a drawer-less kitchen I was very interested. Being a person who likes it neat but usually tosses it in the drawer. ( I love the idea of orderly but I'm basically a slob at heart.) Peg board and everything being out and easy to see and replace seems like a great Idea. Sounds like you have a great home

We have been redoing our kitchen, and now I am trying to figure out *exactly* what goes where, in the matter of flooring. We tore out the old flooring and are now down to the subflooring, which is 1 5/8" x 5" T&G Doug fir (very solid stuff!). We installed our new cabinets right on the subflooring, and I intend to tile the kitchen floor (a depth of 3/4" -- 1/2" of plywood and 1/4" of tile). My understanding was that in addition to tiling the main floor, I should also tile under the dishwasher, under the stove (a freestanding one that we will be sliding into place in between cabinets), and under the refrigerator area. When I bought the new stove and dishwasher the other day, they said that I should definitely tile under the refrigerator and under the stove area, but not under the dishwasher, since that will make it too tall to fit under my new countertop. (The cabinets are 34 1/2" tall and with the countertop, it will be a total of 36".) That sounded reasonable, but my question is this: How should I protect the bare Doug fir floor underneath the dishwasher? It seems to me that if there are any leaks, there could be problems. I have some sheet linoleum left over from a former project, and I thought I would use that. Does that seem like a reasonable approach? Or should I be doing something else? (BTW, the stove is electric, and I will be plugging it into the wall socket there. So my thought was that when I get around to tiling the floor -- probably a couple of weeks from now -- I would just pull out the stove at that time and then put it back when it is complete.) Thanks in advance for advice!! The stove and dishwasher will be arriving Tuesday ... so if you have an answer for me, I need it ASAP! :) thanks, Ann

I thought I'd toss this one out and see what kind of Ideas and help I can get with my project. My home was built in 1947, the interior walls are lathe and plaster. Over time they have developed pretty bad cracks. There has been several attempts to cover the cracks with paint; they have all failed. (wouldn't be here now if they had worked :-) ) Anyway, I've chipped out most of the cracks, taped and mudded. Now it's time for texture. I'm trying to do the house in stages, about half the house at a time. What might you all suggest for texturing. I've never done this before and understand there are several options. Tom Pura Vida

I'm looking for the best way to hang peg board (48" x 96) in my garage. Should I make a frame for it or what? Please help.

It just occured to me, contact a bricklayer. He might be able to answer your question. Laurean in Iowa

I've seen any number of brick structures that were painted, and I've seen some that probably shouldn't have been, but I've yet to see one destroyed because of a little paint. There is one thing though, It's kind of like a nose job, you're stuck with the results unless you want to spring for a very expensive sand blasting job. I would suggest that you power wash first and apply the paint with a commercial grade airless spray rig. You will want to get as much penetration as possible and what ever you do, don't go on the cheap for the paint. I might suggest that we have had excellent luck locally with the advice and products from Porter Paints, but of course that is all due to the people you have available to deal with. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

Has anybody in this group had experience with putting in their own inground pool? If so, what company did you go with to buy the pool and parts? I'm planning on doing this next spring and have done a lot of research on the net on the topic. However, I'm looking for any personal experiences from anybody in the group. Thanks, Mike Knetzger, Green Bay, WI

Hello everybody! I have a question for anyone out there who has any knowledge on removing stain from kitchen cabinets. We are trying to give our kitchen an inexpensive face lift so we decided to restain the cabinets. We have very dark stain on our cabinets right now and have tried to sand them down, which has worked but is very time- consuming. I was wondering if there is a better way to remove the old stain, like bleaching or is there a chemical out there that will strip the old stain off. I am new to this group and have tried looking over the archives but, you know, there's only about 78oo messages out there so I just haven't gotten through them all so I'm sorry if this is a discussion that has been through before. If anybody has any advice, I'd really, really appreciate it. In the mean time, I'll keep searching the archives. : ) Chris Des Moines, Iowa

Hi all, A friend of mine wants to make concrete countertops for his home. I remembered reading a lot of helpful info on this list on this subject. Does anyone remember if the weight of the concrete countertop is an issue? Does a person have to reinforce the floor? Any input will be very appreciated. Thanks, Judi

If you remove the paneling you may find that it was glued to the surface and some of the drywall would come off with it. That would be a bear to repair. I have painted paneling, although it turned out alright I just didn't like the look of it when it was done. Not streaked or anything, just to me it looked tacky. I am planning on taking the paneling off the walls in my home and mud them if necessary, prime and paint. Good Luck whatever you decide to do. Hazel in Minnesota

Hey group! Sorry I just sent a blank message. I hit the wrong button on the computer and there it went. No undo button on this action! Sorry!! I need some help and advice from the group again. I have a cathedral celing in my living room that finds itself in need of attention. The celing has a popcorn textured effect that was probably blown on or something when this house was first built back about 20 years ago. The top point of the celing is now cracked and peeling and needs to be redone completely. I would like to redo the celing and remove the textured effect completely. How can I go about this. I do hope to do this myself if it is not too complicated. Is it just a matter of scraping and sanding. If so, I can't imagine doing all that sanding on a cathedral celing. I would have to rent or rig up some sort of scaffold. My back aches just thinking about that possibility. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Ande

I have a problem....I am laying cryntel preglued plank flooring and just took off the quarterounds. Now we have decided to put new baseboard on. There will be a larger gap if we take the old off since I left a half inch gap for expansion in front of the old. Do they make baseboard an inch deep? Probably have to put quarter round on too? Kathy in Ames

Nancy, Just keep proper track of the polarity for the connection to the camera. Other than that and any weather proofing issues in case this is an outdoor situation, almost any mating pairs of connectors will do for the camera power. Joe

to get to plumbing and electrical services? I am at the point of ripping out the upstairs bathroom walls and floors just to get the wire through for a wall space heater to the circuit panel!!!! I got so frustrated I stepped on a nail and bled out from under my foot! I've pretty much gutted out the laundry room downstairs and ripped out a set of stairs. The basement is one thing, but ripping out walls and floors upstairs is another matter. Do I just go for it, or try for the smallest hole possible and do minor patch up work? Patching up drywall is easy, but I'd just as rather not do it at all.

I just removed the popcorn from my ceilings and found a slight sag in the plaster. I added joint compound and sanded them and the sag is hardly noticable, but I'm wondering if I should paint them or put up a paintable, textured wallpaper. What would be more forgiving, or would hide the sag completely? Would dark colors work better or something light? Would no texture hide the sag better? Thanks!

I just purchased an older home and oddly enough all of the walls are painted except for 3. I want to have the walls match, but I'm afraid of taking the paneling down. I do know that there is drywall behind the paneling. My question is: Is it easier to take the paneling down and paint or is it better to just putty the joints and paint the paneling itself? I've found a few sites that talk about painting over paneling and it sounds like a very laborous job. They said to strip the gloss with TXP (?) then sand and then joint compound for the joints, then prime and paint. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Does an electrical outlet for a washer have to be on a separate circuit tied directly to the panel, or can power for the washer outlet be branched out from an existing outlet, provided the maximum number of circuits and or amps not exceeded? Is there a code reference to this?

Hi all, We are looking to put in central air, and are wondering if there are certain brands to avoid? Thanks! Laurean in Iowa

Can electric wall heaters - those with a heathing coil and a fan built into the wall, be installed on the floor, as a drop in unit, between joists? I don't mean in the bathroom, but elsewehere, like in the living room. They are constructed in the same manner and operate the same, so I don't see why not?!

My father and I are remodelling my kitchen, and we aren't sure which should be done first. Should we install insulation first, before running electrical wires and installing receptacle/switch boxes, or vice versa (electrical first)? Thanks, Mark

<wood in the process. In short, if it is working, don't fix it. Thanks Dale and All I like your philosophy, (If it's working, don't fix it.) I don't want to do anymore work than is necessary. If I remember the steps right I should remove all old loose putty. Prime the wood, put in new putty, then paint the putty to seal it. Is this basically what I need to do?

Well, there are two things that I want for Christmas this year. One is a soaking tub and the other is tile flooring. My rugs and floors are shot. No longer cleanable and the floors have holes in them from my kids. They are grown now. I was very depressed thinking that I would have to wait years and years for these renovations to happen. I was watching HGTV and one of my favorite shows...they were talking about bathroom renovations. And said that it's best if you can avoid doing a complete room renovation. ex., gutting out the entire room etc. Well, I thought about my bathroom and realized what really bothers me is that the tub is shallow and if I could replace it with a new one that would solve my problem. The other is the faucets have stalagtights and stalagmights all over them... and they need to be replaced also the molding and trim. Most of the work my dh can do with his friend...except I think I may need to call a pumber to replace the faucets. My only real big expense is my tub and to fine one to fit in the place of the old one. But only deeper. I found that at Home depot on a special order. It holds 64 gallons. well, I talked it over with my dh and he talked it over with his friend ....so its just a matter of ordering the tub and doing the job...lately his been on a roll with doing so maybe he will do it quicker then the french doors that took him 7 yrs. to do. I can put the tub on my Home Depot charge. The other problem is the tile...I priced it this past week and got depressed. We were going to take out a small loan to do the tile in the entire house....well, the tile alone at Home Depot would have cost me almost 4,000. That wasn't the scary part the scary part was the installer wants 5,000 to instal it. Well, I started thinking about it and found a discount tile place that I can get even better quality for half price. And then I decided that I was not going to tile all the floors only the main living area. My L.R. D.R. Kitchen. Laundry. front hallway & bedroom hallway. F.R. One spare bedroom that is my dh's TV room. I was going to get those wood squares that stick onto the floor and frame out the room and put an area rug in the middle. This will be perfect..so that when my dh destroys the rug. All I have to do is replace the area rug as opposed to carpeting the entire room. The other 3 bedrooms I am going to use the stickems too. And do the jobs myself. And also my sitting room and mstr bedroom. That should save a lot of money in labor. Well, I hope to get this job done by Thanksgiving.....if not at least by Christmas. From my lips to God's ears. Jill

I'll be honest, I have no concept of paint colors for interior or exterior homes. I like a home to look rich but am not rich. Without using a decorator, how does one know the right color to use to paint inside and outside the home?---Luba

Howdy Folks I'm about to reputty some windows and have a question for some of you experts. Must I take out all of the old putty or can I just remove the loose putty from the sash? Thanks Hazel

Hi All, I joined as a demonstration to my dad on how to enjoy his computer more. Watching the posts I've decided to stay. I see there is some good information and nice people. I'm hoping my father will join also because he is the epitome of a "doit-yourselfer". After renovating two homes in the Adirondacks over a 13 year period he built his own. At age 64 he and mom sketched a "garage" on a cocktail napkin and turned it into a year-rounder with a big detached garage/workshop. There are two pictures of the house in the photos section under "Dad's little project". The only thing he didn't do himself was lay the foundation. The wood came from the trees he felled and had milled. He did have a helper, my mom. Once in awhile a 72 year old neighbor would lend a hand but dad can really say he did it all. Anyway, as for me, I have a 50 year old house that will need a bit of everything in the coming years. My guess is that most of my posts will be questions. I do have a fair amount of expertise on the automotive side should anyone need a little help in that area. Ernie

In a message dated 7/18/2003 10:49:20 PM Central America Standard Ti, mike_giardino@... writes: who cares what it doe's to cats. :))

After almost completely rebuilding one corner of my place I really don't want the termites and ants to come back for seconds. I have been reading about different borate based sprays that are supposed to make the wood toxic to bugs. Anybody have any knowledge of any of these products and where they can be purchased?

Having spent several years servicing factory warranties on mobile so called homes, I do have a bit of experience in that area. Some are quite well built and give good service for many years, and others are pretty to the eye and in reality a pile of junk. It is difficult for the average buyer to tell the difference unless they know what to look for, and since these units are considered to be temporary habitats they are not held to the same building code as stick or in some cases modular homes. In many cases mobile home wiring uses split and push down receptacles which are then held into the wall by a pair of expanding ears that hopefully hook on to the drywall. The electrical connection is marginal at best and when a load is applied loose connections begin to get hot, hence a fire starts. Some older mobile homes were wired with aluminum and many of these became crematoriums for their unfortunate occupants. Now while we are in the Damn The Trailer House Mode, let's not forget that shoddy workmanship in custom build homes can be and often is present, and just because an inspector passed on the work, does not mean that he saw everything he should have. Some contractors are very good at covering up areas they don't wish to have looked at real close. I could write quite a chronicle about some of the things I've found when tearing into existing homes, and I'm sure there are others that could make my book look like a pamphlet by comparison. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

Need help looking for wiring a 24" stove. I have 10/3 wire with 30amp breaker feeding a 24 inch stove. Wondering if this is adequate. Normally stoves require 40 amp and 8/3 wire. It is easy to change the 30 amp breaker to 40amps, but getting 8/3 wire to the 24" stove could be a problem. Since I only have a 24 inch stove, I am wondering if it will be okay. It only has one large burner and 3 small burners. Normally, the wire gauges are tested for its maximum capacity, wich means all 4 burners and oven on at max, without tripping the breaker or melting the wire. This users of this 24" stove will never experience that type of usage.

This is SO timely and right on with the permit discussions. ENJOY! Lol --- IF NOAH LIVED IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY And the Lord spoke to Noah and said, "In one year, I am going to make it rain and cover the whole earth with water until all flesh is destroyed. But I want you to save the righteous people and two of every kind of living thing on the earth. Therefore, I am commanding you to build an Ark." In a flash of lightning, God delivered the specifications for an Ark. In fear and trembling, Noah took the plans and agreed to build the Ark. "Remember" said the Lord, "You must complete the Ark and bring Everything aboard in one year. Exactly one year later, fierce storm clouds covered the earth and all The seas of the earth went into a tumult. The Lord saw that Noah was sitting in his front yard weeping. "Noah," He shouted. "Where is the Ark?" "Lord, please forgive me! cried Noah. "I did my best, but there were big problems. First, I had to get a permit for construction and your plans did not meet the codes. I had to hire an engineering firm and redraw the plans. Then I got into a fight with OSHA over whether or not the Ark needed a fire sprinkler system and flotation devices. Then my neighbor objected, claiming I was violating zoning ordinances by building the Ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning commission. Then I had problems getting enough wood for the Ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to protect the Spotted Owl. I finally convinced the U.S. Forest Service that I needed the wood to save the owls. However, the Fish and Wildlife Service won't let me catch any owls. So, no owls. The carpenters formed a union and went out on strike. I had to negotiate a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board before anyone would pick up a saw or a hammer. Now I have 16 carpenters on the Ark, but still no owls. When I started rounding up the other animals, I got sued by an animal rights group. They objected to me only taking two of each kind aboard. Just when I got the suit dismissed, the EPA notified me that I could not complete the Ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn't take very kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the conduct of the Creator of the universe. Then the Army Engineers demanded a map of the proposed new flood plain. I sent them a globe. Right now, I am trying to resolve a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that I am practicing discrimination by not taking godless, unbelieving people aboard. The IRS has seized my assets, claiming that I'm building the Ark in preparation to flee the country to avoid paying taxes. I just got a notice from the state that I owe them some kind of user tax and failed to register the Ark as a "recreational watercraft." Finally, the ACLU got the courts to issue an injunction against further construction of the Ark, saying that since God is flooding the earth, it is a religious event and therefore unconstitutional. I really don't think I can finish the Ark for another five or six years." Noah wailed. The sky began to clear, the sun began to shine and the seas began to calm. A rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up hopefully. "You mean you are not going to destroy the earth, Lord?" "No," said the Lord sadly. "I don't have to. The government already has."

I might not be fully understanding the problem, but I found a valve for toilets that does not use a float. It is a whit some what disced shaped device that mounts at your water inlet. It has a knob on the top that adjust the water level. It works of the water pressure. This is against the code in some areas because the actual valve is below the water. Robert

From: amjordan Maybe I'll just slink back to Texas .... Still sulking, Ann DON'T SULK - COME BACK WITH YOUR HEAD HIGH to the best state in the union - I wasn't born here, but I got here as fast as I could ;o) <grin Liz

Last winter we had our front steps and walk rebuilt, a new deck on the front porch, and the wing walls rebuilt. Upon initial inspection, they did a decent job, but as it was the dead of winter, we didn't do a real thorough inspection of the surrounding area. This spring, we discovered that they splashed concrete all over the side of the porch and on one of the windows. We can probably scrape it off the window, but is there any way to get concrete off of brick? It really looks pretty tacky. It's on the side of the house, so it's not easily seen, but it bothers me that it's there at all. Jeanne

A few weeks ago on this list we were discussing the always-interesting question of when and whether to get permits, and I thought I should add my recent experience to that discussion. We have not been getting permits for the work we have been doing on our house (this was my husband's decision and I couldn't talk him out of it without WW III), and today we got busted. Some County worker was driving past the house and saw the furnace guy's van sitting out front, and decided to stop and check things out. I wasn't there, but my husband said the County guy was pretty nice about it -- he said for my husband to go see him at Permits & Building Resources on Monday when he would be there, and he would ease him through it as much as possible. But he also said that we would, of course, have to get the permits, and also pay a fine -- something like 3 times the cost of the permits. Ouch, ouch, ouch ... I expect this to run into the thousands of dollars now. So I'm *not* saying that everyone should always get permits, because frankly I don't see why I should enrich the County any more than I have to. But I am saying that you should consider *very* carefully whether there is any possibility of being busted, and not just assume (like my too-cavalier husband!) that you won't get caught. Sigh .... - Ann