can someone help in regards with increasing the Hot water pressure and flow in just one tap. it's a douche and th flow and pressure are too small. just next to the douche there's a tap with a good hot water flow and pressure. would appreciate any suggestions. thank u ! K.
Hey everyone Thanks for all the advice :) Finished the dining room. Scored the plywood subfloor as close to the wall as we could get. I've got SO much stuff that it doesn't really matter b/c it covers it up. But I do know it's there - which kinda bothers me....so any advice on how to get the score all the way to wall is welcomed. I searched around on DIY and HGTV and BHG - couldnt find anything. But anyhow - I used Minwax Special Walnut and the put 2 coats of poly on it - it looks GREAT!!! If anyone is looking for a cheap way to make it look like a real wood floor thats the way to go. I will recommend this to anyone. Thanks Again, Jen
greetings folks, i was wondering if anyone in here has done that themselves.. i have the fittings i need and a compressor i just not sure how to hook either of them up. thanks in advance :-)
BlankOr in my head, possibly ... :) We have finally moved from doing interior fixing-up to doing exterior fixing-up. My husband spent the entire weekend clearing brush and debris from our front yard, and underneath it all he discovered a whole bunch of gravel mixed in with the dirt in the front yard. (I say "dirt" advisedly -- there is NO grass at all, just dirt, gravel and dead weed roots.) It looks to us as though someone made a halfhearted attempt at some point to turn it into a no-maintenance yard (thus the gravel). We want to plant a lawn, and so we'd like to get the majority of the gravel out of there. Does anyone have an easy way to do this? We've thought of several non-easy ways, including digging up the gravel/dirt combo and filling in with topsoil, digging up the dirt and sieving it to get rid of the gravel, or covering it up with topsoil. None of these fill us with joy. Digging it up and replacing it is a fairly intensive operation, especially since someone buried chicken wire across the yard (apparently in an effort to control erosion). Sieving the dirt would also be fairly intensive. Covering it up sounds good, but the yard is already higher than the house's foundation, so we really want to go down, not up. (We already need to put in a french drain around the house.) Any thoughts appreciated! Thanks, Ann
Is there any good reason why I should not use sheets of MDF to make some interior trim for my house? I have been using poplar and then painting it, but I got to thinking it would be a lot cheaper (and easier) to use MDF. Any thoughts on this? Thanks. Dave Dazer
Our A/C unit is in the backyard by the back of the house. We plan on building a shed back in the same vicinity. Is there a certain distance that I should be sure to leave between the A/C unit and the shed? Either for A/C circulation or for eventual maintenance/repairs on the A/C. (Whichever one has larger space requirements.) Thanks, Scott Moseman scmoseman@...
Oops...trying to kill some little ants, my apple cider vinegar napkin etched the surface of a stone and some black grout (the kind from the 60s that has a little texture in it). Is it possible to undo this transformation... Valerie
FYI Home Depot is offering a free catalog CD and I have found it to be quite a helpful tool. You can down-load and update all the latest prices at the store of your choice. Then you can cost estimate at your leisure. This is going to be a very handy tool for my use. It will also give me some idea of how badly I'm getting gouged locally, for example our local lumber yard is getting 25.00 a sheet for OSB and HD has the same thing for 15.99. I need about 15 sheets and can certainly drive the 50 miles to save 150.00. I'm needing to replace a pair of entry doors on an older house and found the price range in a matter of minutes. There are also photos included for many of the items. Free is a hard price to beat. It is also possible to place an order on-line. That is real handy, since I don't have to walk past the tool section in the process. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains
Hi All, We need to replace an old, cracked shower insert. Would like to put in a tub then tile the walls. Anyone know how long you should wait before you can use the shower after tiling? It's tricky when there's only one shower....
But I discovered that the stairs going to the dormer are illegal because according to the National Building Code the maxium is suppose to be 7 inches of rise to every run of the stairs with a minimum of 4 inches of rise to the run. And I measured ours and they are 8 inches of rise to every run of the stairs. So I'm wondering should I tear those out and replace them? As previously mentioned if the stairs were installed to meet an older code then your in the clear. According to the book I have in front of me 2000 IBC code is indeed 7" maximum stair tread height, but it's 7 3/4" for residential. The 2000 IRC also states that max. tread hght. is 7 3/4". So unless your REALLY worried about the extra 1/4 of an inch, or under so wierd local code you should be goog to go.
First of all, thank you to David and Shane for your previous answers to my tile questions. I have another tile question. I am tiling the surround of my bathtub which previously had no surround as it only had a tub faucet and no shower. I have installed the new valve for the shower head and will tile the entire surround. On the back wall is a window. My question is what is the proper method of tiling around the window. Do I remove the casing and tile up to the window, or do I tile around the window casing. If I do the later, will there be any risk of wicking? Hopefully, my above explanation is understandable. Thanks for any advise and opinions. Regards, Eric. . .
This group is so knowledgeable. I have been reading all emails since we decided to buy a house. We finally moved in to our new house (85 built) last week and I have discovered a couple of problems and maybe one of you can guide. 1. Stripped the 10 year old wall paper in the family room and find a few damp patches on the outer wall with mould/mildew. The paper was perfect from the outside. The roof and sidings were changed earlier this year after a hailstorm. Question : Will it be safe to clean the area with Clorine bleach, prime it with a water proofing solution and paint over it without further investigation. There are no water pipes in the area. 2. Bathroom has a small hinged glass shower door and water leaks heavily below it. Also, when I open the door after a shower, a lot of water drips on the floor. The bathroom floor also creaks. Any suggestions?
I recently hooked up a new dryer outlet and connected all the wires, (red, black, white, and ground) to the outlet itself, but did not connect the ground directly to the outlet box. Am I setting myself up for trouble, or will the ground connection to the back of the dryer plug suffice, since it is directly grounded to the circuit panel, which itself is grounded?
Hi everyone, I walked though with the inspector this past weekend, and more than 95% of the interior surface looks like it has been recenly repainted. The inspector said that there *may* be exposed lead paint surfaces in a small number of areas, such as the inside of one closet, behind one radiator, etc. He then went on to say that the encapsulation products on the market today are very good at containing any problem, and that I could apply them myself, avoiding an expensive inspection and abatement. In general, is a lead inspection worth doing, given the expense of ~$450-$500 for an x-ray flouro. test? Has anyone had experience using liquid encapsulants, or does anyone have an opinon about them? Thanks very much for any thoughts you may have!
, I wanted to pass on something that our county inspector told us the other day (since similar may be true in other places). He came out to inspect our new roof, and as we were talking we mentioned that we wanted to turn our garage into an office later on. He told us that in our zoning area, we would have to build either another garage or a carport in order to do that, since county requires that we have a covered parking area for 2 cars (all of which we already knew). BUT he also said that Sonoma County will give us, free, a complete set of plans for a carport, already rubber-stamped and approved. He also said the carport is easy to build, a weekend project. So ... I don't know what other plans may be given away free in other counties or municipalities, but it might be worth checking if you have something like that in mind. Ann
Thanks to all of you for your ideas. Pat - you spurred me on to try this in our home and it comes down to satisfying yourself, I think. I did go to Home Depot this AM and happened on to a guy who likes the look of working with concrete floors and colors, etc. and knew quite a bit and had some ideas to try. And they have lots of products to use. I'll let you all know how it goes. Thank you.
Hi, my name is Tony and I live in Queensland Australia. I am trying to find building plans for a playfort. There is one company called pepper town than sells playforts in Australia, but they are quite expensive. I am pretty crafty and should have no problems building it, but it would be easier if I could work of a plan. Does anyone know where I could possably get these plans from. Thanks Tony...
Painting old concrete floor in bedroom the color white (old carpet pulled up and out, cleaning old carpet glue off with Jasco). Any tips on products to use so paint won't scuff off of old concrete floor once on? Thankx. New Member - Pat
I need to replace two corners of our vinyl siding. On the one side I can remove all of the existing panels so as to free up the corner, which makes putting on the new corner piece easy. However, on the other corner removing the panels is not so easy. How can I replace the corner vinyl and secure it under the existing panels? Thanks for any help. Roger
Just changed the guts of a toilet.. Mow the tank leaks though the bolts... any ideas? It seems that the tank is a bit off center...but I even took a level to it... how can I seal the bolt holes better between the tank and towel? Al
When friends come over with project cars and leave oil stains in my driveway, what is the best way to clean up those spots? Is there a magical cleaner? I do not have a power washer, although I imagine I could dig up a friend who might have one to borrow. (Just in case that is of any help.) Thanks, Scott Moseman scmoseman@...
Hi All, I am replacing an old two-prong outlet with a new grounded outlet. The old wires are armored cable into a metal junction box. I thought the new outlet would be grounded by the junction box because the armored cable acts as the ground. Unfortunately, the outlet doesn't show as grounded. Anyone know why?
I will be installing crown molding soon but have heard that cutting the corners to match is awfully hard. Does anyone have any tips on how to do this? I heard that places where you buy crown molding would cut it for you, but what kind of measurements do I need to give them? Has anyone had this done? Thanks for the info in advance. :)
So, I'm in the early stages of my mini bathroom remodel and I have already hit a snag. I can't seem to be able to remove the tub faucet. I've tried everything including using a plumbers wrench. Since I'm not going to re-use the faucet, I don't care how I get it off. It just won't twist. Being in an older house, I assume that it must have rusted to the pipe. Any suggestions. Would heat help, or do I need to just cut it off? Thanks, Eric. . .
I have a fishtank that has a film on some of the glass which makes it look mirrored from the inside. I've begun trying to remove it due to it chipping in places. It had a painted surface over it. That I removed with paint remover. But there's still the mirrored finish left to remove. I've tried two types of paint remover, acetone, razor blade scraper, and a brillo pad type material. I've made some progress, but the time and effort makes me believe there's got to be an easier way. Is there something that I can use that will dissolve the silver coating on the glass but leave the glass untouched? Luckily this is on the outside so the fish shouldn't be affected. Thanks! Jim
I'm replacing my concrete tile roof soon with a shingle roof and was wondering if anyone knew if there is any residual value in these old tiles.
This is a wall mounted oven door built in 60s. To remove door you need to lift up, open and pull. To put it back, you need to push in straight thru the first slot and rotate up slightly to open the hinge and then keep pushing. The trick is to clear the second fulcrum. The door gasket part number is 261680. If you know this number, you can find this part cheap.
Hello Everyone. I've been a lurker for a few weeks now and have really been enlightened by the information provided by everyone. I have a tile prep question. My house was built in 1954. I'm in SoCal. One of my bathrooms has a bathtub, but no shower. Other than one row of tile, the surround above the tub is drywall. I plan on installing a shower head and then tiling the surround. I have read on doityourself.com that greenboard must be installed and then backerboard installed over it before I tile. I guess my question is do I really need to remove the old drywall and install the green board and then the backer board? or can I just install the backer board over the exisiting drywall? I don't mind the extra work, but I want to make sure it is absolutely necessary! Thanks for your input. Eric. . .
Got to ask again. Cant believe with all the do it yourselfers, some of you dont have good suggestions. So please: I need to replace my simple single patio door. (Believe it or not, a friend's big dog literally tore through the door at the insert.) Its 30x80. Tried to find some choices online, with minimal if any success. Looking for suggestions regarding material and recommendations regarding sources with price being of prime importance. Wouldn't be averse from picking up a "lightly used" door if price and features were right. Thanks in advance for your suggestions. larry
Greetings group! I just joined and this is my first post. its kind of a weird one but ill ask anyway. ok here we go. about 4 weeks ago i found that one pane on a double paned sliding door had broken and there was a small hole about 2' up. then today i noticed that the center pane in a tripple plate glass oven door had broken. this to me is really odd... Being one of mechanical ability i know that when a cars frame is bent weird things start hapening like doors poping open etc. could this broken glass be a sign of the houses frame flexing or what? Id like to get to the botom of this. thanks in advance....
Hi everyone, I'm moving some of my hot water baseboard heating around. I wanted to just un-sweat some of the joints and pull them apart, but even after draining the system, there it still water in the pipes. I can't get the joints hot enough to pull apart. I keep having to resort to cutting the pipe and draining the remianing water to then remove the joints. I'm also using mapp gas (which I thought would do the trick), not just regular propane. How do professionals deal with this? Is there some kind of trick that plumbers use, or are their torches that much hotter than even the mapp gas that they can do this? Or do they also have to cut into the pipes to get all of the water out before being able to sweat or un-sweat joints. I've used the bread in the pipe trick when sweating a new joint that may still have some water in the pipe on either end of the joint, but how do you get existing joints apart without having to cut? Someone please tell me! Thanks, Jon
Does anyone know what the cost might be, to put a door in? Have a 30inch? door that is going to be replaced with a 36 inch door. Old door is right in the corner, so am going to move door over to give a aprox 1 foot clearance between the door and the wall. Also aluminum siding is on the out side. Also taking out a outdoor outlet. What could I use to cut the siding? I was thinking about a saber saw. So guys, what do you think the cost would be to have this done? MC
The nightmare of chewed and severed ignition wires on two of our vehicles is finally over. It seemed that the culprit went where ever we choose to park the wife's Lincoln, and so we finally decided it probably wasn't the squirrels. The dirty beggar even jumped over and sampled the wires on the top of the gas tank on my work van, and since the fuel pump is in the tank, it too lay dead for a few days. Four different times did I replace and solder the wires to the fuel injectors and so in a sudden fit of utter frustration, I put the Lincoln on the lift at our local COOP and starter going over every inch with a high pressure air hose. I was just about to give up when I saw the culprit run along the drive shaft to the rear of the car and I called for assistance. With two blow guns going full blast we were able to knock a very large pack rat to the floor where he/she was promptly sent to Rat Hell. This must have all started when the car was parked in the parking lot of our local transmission repair establishment, which is next to a large open field, since the destruction began the day after we brought the car home. To date a number of cars and trucks in this area have suffered attack and they have reportedly even eaten the side walls of tires on implements that have been left parked on some of the local farms. Now you must understand that all this carnage started with a broken two dollar plastic clip that attached a cable from the throttle linkage to the transmission allowing the transmission pressure to increase burning up all the clutches. Now I'm told that this is a very common problem with Ford transmissions. Total cost in dollars was a bit over 1,000.00, while the cost in frustration is immeasurable. You can rest assured that the offending plastic clip will be receiving regular scrutiny in the foreseeable future. But, darned if I don't like to drive those big Lincolns on long trips, but I just might look into a horse and buggy if this happens again, always did admire the tranquility of the Amish life style. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains
Newbie here. I need to replace my simple single patio door. (Believe it or not, a friend's big dog literally tore through the door at the insert.) Its 30x80. Tried to find some choices online, with minimal if any success. Looking for suggestions regarding material and recommendations regarding sources with price being of prime importance. Wouldn't be averse from picking up a "lightly used" door if price and features were right. Thanks in advance for your suggestions. larry
Hello, The DW and I are considering using marble or granite tile in the bathroom we are remodeling. Does this lay down just like ceramic tile? Do you use cement backerboard? What about grout? It appears that you butt the tiles as close together as possible. Anyone lay marble/granite tiles before? Thanks! Shane
Hi, I'm researching framing nailers, and I'm wondering what the difference is between a clipped head and a round head framing nailer? What is your preference? I've used a round head before, but never a clipped head. I'm leaning towards the Dewalt brand - any suggestions? Thanks, Shane
Hi - I have 3D Home Architect Deluxe. It's the best one I've found. I have another one, but it is not user friendly and I haven't figured out how to use it yet LOL. The 3D one that I have is a few years old, but works great, and the walk-throughs are pretty good, if cartoony. They give you the idea, anyway. I don't know how to figure out where the recessed lighting goes. I just drew mine where I thought I wanted it (not in 3D home design, though, I couldn't figure out how to do them in there) That's one reason I am thinking about track lighting, I love it, and it's adjustable, I can change my mind about where I want it to shine, and they have some really cool kinds now - I had track lights in a prior kitchen and loved 'em. About the new project - the original plan was to fix and resell. I bought it in January, the plan was I bought it and my sister would do the work on it and we'd split the profit - but she never had time, then I decided to move into it, so we've been working on it a bit. I now have a bathroom, ok, a toilet, and so I can actually stay there. If I live in it for 2 years, I can sell it tax free :o) which is also an incentive. Although if I get it looking like I'm planning, I won't want to move! I have an antique clawfoot tub that I am going to put in the bathroom, along with making a stained glass window for behind the tub and pillars around it, it's going to look great! I am going to be doing interior decorating, so I can use it as an example. Liz
I'm considering installing a whirlpool tub (5', acrylic) in a soon-to- be-finished second story bathroom remodel. How can I determine whether the existing structure of the house will support the tub? Thanks!
I currently have hardwood in my dining room which leads to the kitchen which has two layers of flooring old vinyl tiles (this is where my asbestos flooring exists that I may have remediated) and sheet vinyl on top of that (layed by the previous owners)...if I go one layer over this I am considering sheet vinyl... how do I transition from the dining room hardwood to the kitchen vinyl (there was carpet over the hardwood which kept the vinyl tucked down with the tack strip carpet holder)...I've seen those transition pieces in the parquet (sp) flooring section that are like a little ramp up and down with a T profile... Valerie
Hi everyone, I have a question regarding a ceiling fan. It is a Hunter fan and has probably been installed for at least 10 years. It was here when I purchased the house. I use my fans winter and summer so they do get a lot of use. One of them has recently started making an occasional "grinding" or "whining" noise. Not loud noise but I can hear it. Is this something that I (or my husband) could possibly fix or do you think the fan has outlived its usefulness? I know nothing about fans (or a lot of things electrical) but would prefer, of course, to repair if possible rather than buying a new one. One thing I don't want to be worrying about is the risk of an electrical short/fire........... Thanks in advance, Gwen Troutman cbogart@... SC USA
Hey everyone, As I am looking through A LOT of the msg's I figure maybe I'll just start a new question in hopes someone out here can help! BTW - nice to meet ya'll!!! Anyhow, for my question. My boyfriend and I just ripped out the carpet in our dining room. My original idea was to faux paint rocks/cobblestone. After MUCH thought - I concluded WAY to much work. And what if I wasn't happy how it turned out!! So my next idea is faux planks..... Any ideas on how to get this look without using a circular saw to score? Im just afraid of doing that, if you mess up - then what! Looking for the most inexpensive and easy way to make my floor look great. Any ideas - much appreciated... Thanks!
Hi. I live in a three floor townhouse. The top floor has a Rinnai Gas Heater and the bottom two floors are electric. Not sure why they built it this way but they did. Anyway, I just bought a 40,000 BTU Gas Firplace for the bottom floor and want to cut floor vents into the rooms of the 2nd floor to let the heat rise up and eliminate the need for electric heat altogether. What is the best way to do this? Do I need to install some sort of metal duct work between the floors or can I just cut the openings and put decorative registers/grates over them? Bill
quess, i got to go out and dig it up today. hope i can either cap it off or replace it easy... the house is only 9 years old the sprinkler head is a pop-up rainbird (i believe)... just got 2 out of 8 zones working this last spring... any good ideas as to fixing this leak? thanx ~namakota
I live in Massachusetts and need a source for 8' X 4' sheets of cloroplast for a small project. Does anyhone know of manufactures or distributors in Massachusetts or New England? Thanks!
I have been undoing some things in my kitchen, and the lighting is currently very poor. Any suggestions on types of lighting to improve general lighting (recessed-baffle/reflective...etc....). How do I figure out spacing...can the cabinet dept at HD/Lowe's assist with this? Valerie
We just installed new baseboards in our house after getting hard wood floors. In some areas there is a gap between the floors and the baseboards. Does anybody have any ideas how we can fix this? I hear that we should use quarter round molding, but is there anything else that we can use besides this? Shayna
Is there regular maintenance that needs to be done for an automatic garage door opener system...lube anything, etc. ? they sound like they need maintenance, Valerie
NOW if I had my absolute choice, I would have It is interesting that you brought up the topic of a cement floor. Most commercial jobs now they are putting down cement and staining it. Cement floors look mighty fine when done right. I just wonder how hard it would be to do a cement floor for my kitchen. Of course the weight could be a problem but it would last forever.
That's good to know ;o) I think they improved their quality quite a bit from when they first introduced it. Still hate it though <grin you could see my floors, pergo would be a huge improvement LOL - Incidentally - mastiffs are one of my FAVORITE dogs - lucky you! Liz
In a message dated 9/26/2003 4:12:52 PM Central America Standard Tim, marco@... writes: Well, I spoke to the structural engineer and they said I shouldn't be concerned about the foundation because they just fixed that all up -- he said that since my house is built on clay, it expands/shrinks with the rains (in this part of CA, it rains a lot in the winter and not at all in the summer) -- he said that I should fill it with some caulk to protect the wood frame but that all the cracks will close up starting around November -- and he said my doors will come back into alignment too -- thank god! He also said that it usually takes about 18 months to really get a good guage of how a house reacts to the seasons, so I'll be patient. Thought I'd pass it along. when you are sitting on clay soil and the water content keeps swelling the soil and in dry weather that clay soil shrinks and your house keeps going up and down. that will never stop until you repair the problem. and it can be repaired. some people wait until the crack are so large thay have to replace the brick and spend thousdand of dollars in repair. because some inexperience engineer said to wait. that clay will allways be under your home. it will allways swell an recide. you can wait and wait and one day you will pay the piper for waiting. ''fix now'' are fix later at a much higher cost.
When you layout your gridlines on the floor for tile, spray the lines with hair spray. It will keep the lines from disappearing when you start working.
When you tile a floor, when does the baseboard go up? (before tiling, after tiling...) and where do you start if it is a laundry room adjoining to the hall and an adjoining bathroom... Thanks : ) Valerie
What do you think of Ruud furnaces? My Carrier gas furnace is 26 years old and am thinking of replacing it. Are the new furnaces really that efficient that it would save me a lot of money or not? I live in Iowa..so we can really have some cold winters. Kathy in Ames
I am looking for info on converting an old house to possibly forced air or baseboard hot water. The house currently has 2 big floor furnaces and they are not efficient. my problem is there is no ductwork ran to the second floor. if there are any books on these topics please let me know. I want to do the bulk of the work myself to save money. Thanks.
I am new to the group and hope someone can help me or point me in the right direction. Im building a tool shed and I wanted to know if I can use trusses which were designed for a larger building? I can get a good deal on 15' trusses ($12 each) and my shed is 10'8" wide. This would put the walls under a single 2x4 instead of where two intersect. I wouldnt realy mind the 2+ feet of overhang but im not sure if the truss will hold up or sag.
Hi everyone. I am new to the group. I hope I can find tons of help within this group. Back in Feb. my partner and I bought a house and since we have found it to be a money pit. Foundation problems, Roof problems, drainage problems, and I could go on. But my most recent problem, a problem that is in the budget to actually fix within reason, is the Dishwasher has stopped working. It is being very sporatic. When the problem occurs, you turn the dial for it to start a cycle and you here the engine trying to pull water, but you don't hear the gushing of the water (like normal) then a burning smell arrives. At this point I shut if off. But if you open the door and turn it on a few times, it will eventually start working again. Any ideas of the problem? Is it worth us fixing ourselves or call the repair man, use our warranty and pay the $55? Thanks in advance! Becca
I'm in the process of installing a new drywall ceiling in my kitchen. Previously there was a framed drop ceiling 18 inches lower. I now need to shorten the A/C duct and reconnect the box and register. I want to install a new box because the insulation lining the existing box is completely filthy with decades of dirt and grime. I've seen preform sheet metal boxes of similar dimensions in home center stores but they have no lining. Where can I find lined register boxes or is this an optional feature that I would have to do myself or live without? Does anyone know of somewhere around Houston or online, where they are available? Mike
Freon supply line began to form ice, coils in airhandler soon followed, decreased cooling of house. Let system thaw out, but same problem the next day. Now, the outside unit will not come on. Filter and inside coils are not dirty. Outside coils are not dirty either, some pine needles but nothing crazy. Placed service call and technician to arrive today. What should I expect to hear other than low freon?
Hi all. I am not a professional and so this may sound silly to some but I really need help with answers. My mom's house has cracks inside the home in almost every room. It's an attached row home. What to do? Should she get a structural engineer to look at the house. She wants to eventually sell it. Thanks, Luba
We have a bearing beam in our basement that is exposed on the outside to the elements. I want to seal the end of the beam. Can I just paint it with the black foundation sealer and then paint over it? Thanks again. Roger
Has anybody ever undertaken removing asbestos flooring in the same fashion that industry is regulated to? I'm looking for any tips, plus I need to read the reg if I'm going to do this myself (I have a small child!) Valerie
Oh My Golleeeeee...as I gleefully ripped up the carpet in my family room hall...which is a slab portion of the house, I discovered some cracks, one which actually has a little angle to it... so my question is, Can portions of the slab be hammered out and replaced (I would actually have this type of work done) I had intentions to get tile in this exact same area because of the high traffic (it connects the garage to the family room, laundry, bathroom, and entry to the the rest of the house). Is this mission impossible, or crazy money. Help, Valerie
This has been a less than good day. The darned squirrels ate the wires off the fuel injectors on the wife's Lincoln. I do believe she has ceased to consider them cute. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains
have a 1940's home with some very handsome small tile in the bathrooms. It only shows it's age through it's kind of 'dirty' color. It's not just recent type dirt. Aged dirt. It's white with maybe a grey grout. Any suggestions on what to use to clean it all up? Thanks! Marcus
The fan attached to the motor of my A/C unit keeps coming off. The shaft of the motor is perfectly round and smooth. The fan is held in place by a single screw tightened by Hex key (Allen wrench). This is the third time the fan has come off since I had a new motor and fan installed 6 months ago. I even went out and bought the toughest set of wrenches I could find so I could make it as tight as humanly possible. I also use an extension on the wrench for added leverage. What can I do to make sure the fan stays put. Thanks. Mike
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I just finished texturig and sanding the walls in my den. I know I'm supposed to "wash" them down before painting but how?? The can of texture that I used didn't say anything about washing. It said sand and wipe down and paint. Any suggestions?
I'm redoing my bathroom and have the walls open with all of the plumbing exposed. I have about a two foot section of galvanized pipe that is the drain for the sink. One end has and elbow and comes through the wall for the trap, the other is threaded and connected to the main stack. I wanted to replace it with PVC, but here's my problem.....I've tried, but I can't unscrew it from the main stack, it won't budge. Is there some trick to loosening up the threaded end going into the stack or should I even bother? I was thinking about cutting it halfway and replacing the half going to the sink with the PVC connected with a rubber sleeve w/ clamps. By doing this though, I would only gain about a foot or so of new pipe with a new elbow. Is it even worth screwing around with, or should I just leave it alone and use the existing pipe? It just kills me to close the old galvanized stuff back up in the wall when I have it open and a chance to do something about it. Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
BlankIs there any way to raise the water level in the toilet bowl? Not in the tank, in the bowl itself. Our new Toto toilet tends to ride "low in the water," with the result that I am using the scrubbing brush a lot more than I want to! Very annoying. BTW, I did a fair amount of research before we bought this Toto toilet, and everything I read indicated it was a great toilet. I have been disappointed so far. It does flush well -- that is, it flushes whatever hasn't stuck to the bowl because the water level is so low. It also has a distressing tendency to spew water back at you! I am pretty sure there is no air in the lines because we have no water hammer and all the faucets, etc are behaving properly. But when you flush, there is a "bloop!" and it spews water (and other things) back up. We now have a policy of "close the lid before flushing"! So if anyone out there is thinking about a Toto ... think twice. ~ Ann
I recently replace some outlets in my house. The outlets in the bedroom were originally set up to where the top receptacle would operate on the switch and the bottom would constantly stay hot. When I replaced the outlets and restored power two breakers immediately tripped on the breaker box. I can have one breaker on, but not both at the same time anymore. Another interesting fact is that the outlets in the bedroom no longer work the same as the old outlets (when I use the switch the entire outlet is cut). Also, when I flip the switch in the bedroom the lights in the basement go out as well. From what I can tell the two breakers go to the bedroom and basement. I was told that if I removed the brass connectors between the top and bottom outlets on the receptacles I replaced that this should alleviate the problem. Does this sound correct or is there another solution I should look in to? Thanks, Shane
In a message dated 9/19/2003 8:08:47 AM Central America Standard Tim, rocky_view_hospital@... writes: Hi Everyone: There are options for the foundation cracks and they are: 1. You can dig a 4 feet deep trench around the foundation of the house then buy J metal molding styrofoam insultation etc and put that around the house and repair the cracks that way or 2. You can go to a home improvement center and buy a bag of cement and a couple of trowels and repair the cracks that way. Brizi. if your house is sinking none of the above will even come close to repairing the real problem.
I just received one that I have not seen before and thought I should let you guys know - It came as an "undeliverable message" notice - so be careful and make sure your virus software is up to date before you check to see what email didn't go to its intended recipient. Norton AntiVirus removed the attachment: ccqtcr.exe. The attachment was infected with the Worm.Automat.AHB virus. PLEASE DO NOT SEND VIRUS WARNINGS TO THE LIST - the list owner is the only one authorized to send virus warnings. This is due to the prevalence of hoaxes and the fact that most people don't bother to check and see if it's real before forwarding them to everyone they know. If you have one that you think should be noted, send it to me first. Thanks. The infected email is below (minus the worm, of course) Liz list owner
I have had my swimming pool for a year now. This was our second summer that we used it. We have developed black algae. The pool has a pebble tec surface, so the rough pebbles make it hard to remove the algae. I am trying to not drain the pool. So far scrubbing the spots with a chlorine tablet has helped, but it isn't practical in the deep-end of the pool. I would appreciate any advice. Thank you, gordia@...
Alright guys, need help. My back door seems to be out of alignment. When you look at it, everything seems to be good. But on closer inspection, you can see a slight slant to it. I opened it up and tried to lift it up, but it does not really move. So I thought that maybe the screws were loose anyway. I put some new screws in and it helped some. But it still wants to hit on the bottom where the door shuts. It seems that it is only hitting in the first 1-2 inches. I thought about sanding it down, but would rather fix right than fix the symptoms. Any suggestions? MC
I've been following all this talk about Pergo floors with some interest and now I have a first hand experience with the product. My daughter is getting a house ready to rent and had purchased two brands of the floor covering. One was Pergo and the other was Perpetual, I laid them both over a two day period and can honestly say that I feel they are a great idea built on a cheap foundation. I'm not impressed with the pressed paper and glue substrate and the 1/4 inch gap around the room is less than desirable, especially in a room with a number of nooks and crannies. As an inexpensive, quick and temporary solution it is OK but as something that is intended to stand the tests of time I'm not impressed. I'm used to things that fit and so this product leaves me less than enthused, and in some places you just have to accept the fact that it is not going to give a close fit and go with the molding and filler solution. If you don't look at the exposed edges where molding can not be applied, the finished product looks great. However since I was the one that snapped and pushed the whole thing together, I know where every little flaw is hiding. As I've already stated it is fine for some applications, but be prepared to replace it in a few years, and don't get a water leak. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains
Anybody have a preferred method to fill Exterior Cracks... I'm going to have a structural engineer come out and look at the foundation (though they just repaired it 4 months ago so I HOPE it's okay, but I do want to fill some of those cracks and some corners are cracking as well.... recommendations? Marc
Hiya gang. There is some hardwood floors that have little to no finish on them. I don't even know (even with all the little tests I've read on the net) if they are waxed or poly. Odd question (and one I havent seen answered, though I've googled several hundred times), is there a product that will CLEAN unfinished hardwood flooring??? Also, is there a liquid stripper (perhaps an alternative to sanding) that will take off any remnants of a finish??? And, what are the product names?? Thanks for any help all. Just for you to know, I have gone through some of the archive here, googled a hundred times and asked several HD and Lowe's employees....so I AM trying to get some type of info. so I can get started....i hate being held back by lack of info, lol. Thanks again, Shawn :)
Hi All, Sorry, this is long....but I'm hoping there's someone out there with straight answers.... There are a series of 6" holes in my basement floor. The floor is the slab the house is built on. Are they drains? If so, do they lead to the sump...or somewhere else? They are clogged with sand and dirt and I can't even really tell which direction they go. I'm assuming they were put in when the slab was poured and all drain to the sump. Am I right? If so, how can I unclog them? A snake isn't working...they are really full of dirt. Second, we had a brutally wet spring and summer and the walls have some bad cracks/leaks. Can I just patch them with sealer cement..or is this a bigger problem? Third, I know they had french drains installed at some point. Where would they be? On the outside of the foundation or on the inside? There is a space between the wall and the floor around the entire perimeter...it looks like it was done on purpose. Is that a drain? And finally. I have an idea of putting lengths of PVC pipe across the slab and building a floating floor on them, so nothing would get wet when it pours. Is this a stupid idea? Anyone? The place will never have a dry basement and we knew that when we moved in. Is there anything bad about having a wet basement (except that it's wet?) We don't use it for anything. Thanks for any advice.
Hi all, We are in the middle of a major bathroom remodel (re-do) and I'd like to wipe out the cast iron stack completely in our home. I'm thinking about cutting it roughly 3 feet above the basement cement level where the pipe disappears. I've ran this by some DIY friends, and they all warn me about creating a crack that follows the pipe underground if I use a cast iron pipe cutting device that you can rent. (a large "chain" that essentially crushes the pipe?) Once I cut it and take out the stack, I'll install a boot and convert to PVC from there. Anyone have any experience with converting to PVC from cast iron? How did you go about it? Thanks, Shane
Does anyone have any good plans / ideas on building a home bar inclusive with sink in my basement? Drawings, dimensions, materials etc... Any pictures would be helpful to help visualize what you;re trying to build. Thanks, Kim
Could someone tell me how to re-level a double wide mobile home? I've lived in this thing for 15 yrs., and it has settled a bit. I,m getting ready to have it re-roofed and install new windows and doors,but I'm having a difficult time finding anyone willing to level it for me. Seems like the back side (half) has dropped about 1/2" in the center. I know it can't be that difficult and I'm pretty handy about fixing things myself.The home is 70' long and sits on an incline-almost dead on the ground on one end and 6'high on the other end. Any help or advice will be appreciated. bluzman
We've gutted the kitchen and are completely renovating it. My problem is that I need a black single bowl sink with an additional disposal drain. The only one I can find is Kohler's Urbanite and it doesn't come in black. My question to you is: does anyone on the list have a "built in" Corian sink? If so, how has it held up? Any comments would be appreciated.
Anybody have a clue as to what to do in this situation? My boyfriend was trying to kill an underground nest of bumblebees a foot or more from the foundation of his house. He poured gasoline in the nest entrance at night. The bees are alive and well, however, he now has almost intolerable gasoline fumes in his house. The only thing I can think of that could possibly have happened would be if there is a crack in his foundation and the gasoline actually leaked inside the basement wall. Does this sound like a reasonable hypothesis? If so...now what? Who would he call to find out and have it repaired? A mason? A building contractor? And meanwhile of course...there's the bees. Exterminator this time?
I'm replacing an old ceiling fan with a new/improved model. The wiring is 2-conductor 14 AWG BX. I remember reading somewhere that you can ground BX casing, and tried this unsuccessfully--my tester indicates 'no ground'. I know enough about electrical theory to be dangerous, and was wondering if I could safely ground to the neutral wire instead. Any resident electricians around? I could use advice. Thanks.
Hi, my name is Teri, and I have mostly been lurking and learning. My husband and I own an old (100+ years) house in Pittsburgh. I love the charachter of it, but it does have it's issues. The main issue right now is to fix a mostly flat roof before winter. The roof is over an addition that is half covered raised porch and half enclosed laundry room. The roof is almost flat, and sometime in the past the downspout from the roof above it got moved so the water flows onto the roof instead of into the gutter. You can probably see the problem at this point. I know we will need to remove the shingles, and probably all or most of the roof underneath. My main question is what do we then use on the roof? The slope is much to low for shingles from what I understand, and we plan to do this ourselves with help from family. It is also WAY high, but does have access from one window from a bedroom. Thank you for any advice Teri (who will be supervising from the window - i don't do heights!)
Please pass this on to any friends. Avoid Ztel like the plague as their customer service is HORRENDOUS. Customer satisfaction is non-existent. Last year about this time I signed up for Ztel long distance. Unlimited long distance...$49.95 plus all the taxes and local service, etc. Seemed like a great plan. Get it all set up to go, am told 10-14 days until it is turned on. OK..no problem. I had not picked a long distance provider when we bought our house as I rarely if ever called outside my area, and we had a Baltimore exchange. 14 days, comes. 16 days, goes. No phone service with Ztel yet, so I call customer service. Customer service person looks up the order and says * Oh..! You have a foreign exchange. The order could not be completed due to that. You have to change your phone number to a local number and then we can initiate service.* HELLO? What? No phone call from their service office? I guess they were just waiting for _me_ to call up and check on them. First strike. OK ..I find out what needs to be done * get a local line * ...costs $8 to get done. Taken care of . I call Ztel back, per instructions from the last person I spoke to .It had taken 5 or 6 days for the phone number change to take place. So we are now into 3 weeks past the time of the first call to Ztel. Talk to person and set it up to have the service started with the new number. Again, 10-14 working days, etc. etc. Fine. 14 days comes, 14 days gone. Still no service with Ztel yet. I call. CS person checks and says *OH! The order was cancelled! Someone must have looked at the fact that you had formerly had the foreign exchange.* But again, NO CALL from Ztel to inform me of this! . Strike 2. Now it is 5 weeks from the start of this. I told the woman OK.. what you need to do is get someone and make SURE that the order is put in. MAKE SURE that they have it , and I want and EXACT TIME when the order will be filled. I will stay on the line while you do so. Well, of COURSE she can't DO that. So I said ok..someone needs to call me back within 72 hours and let me know what is going on. She says * Ok..no problem, we can do that *. Well, at the end of the 72 hours, we did have phone service. But NOONE EVER CALLED. Yet another STRIKE OUT for their CS Department. Why did I hang on? Optimism I suppose... *sigh* OK..so this is ... at this point in November. Billing cycle is November 21st-20th of next month. By January, we haven't received a bill or a welcome packet containing the Calling Cards. Ok, no problem they say, we will reissue those to you, and send you the bill. I pay the bill with a telecheck to get the account up to date. Well, by the time March's billing cycle ends, we have received bills, but we haven't received the cards * and still haven't in fact and it is now September '03, and never received a welcome packet *. April comes, and the bill arrives. Wait, something is wrong. They say we owe two month's fees. What??? I can't figure out what they have credited to the account when, their web service isn't up yet, so I request a copy of the billing statements. Amount owed, when credited, etc. " Ok, no problem we can send that " I am told. July comes, no paperwork. MEANWHILE each month's bill contains an extra month's charges, AND LATE FEES!!! I call back. PLEASE send me the paperwork. "Oh you didn't receive it? Ok...we will send it". Meanwhile, the long distance service gets cut off for non-payment. ???? Call up to get that straightened out. Done. Yet more strikes for their lack of coordination and follow through with customer service. As of today, September 13th I still haven't received any of the two *sent* sets of paperwork. Sooo it is now September. They shut off the long distance AGAIN. Michael calls up yesterday and pays the bill as they never * received * the check. Oh, and by the way, he paid both full months even though we really only owe 1 . Great. Long distance will be turned on within 24 hours, they tell him. And he requests the PAPERWORK AGAIN. OK, they say. Order is in. * rolling eyes *. So, 1ish this afternoon I try to call a friend in South Carolina. I get a message saying that *Your long distance service is not available at this time * , which means they STILL haven't hooked it up 24 hours later.I call Ztel. I get a CS person who says * Ok, Ms. Jones, I am going to activate your long distance service and the 9.99 charge for unblocking will be on your next month's bill. WHAT????!!!!! What charge? My husband was NOT told of any charges yesterday. I told her that and she transfers me to another department. One that informs me that even though they have my money, they are not going to turn the long distance back on until we pay the unblock charge. I go through the whole story as I typed it above. They say "Ok..well the papers your husband requested have been put through and the charges for them will be on the next month's bill." WHAT ??? WHAT?? WHAT?? Not only is it $5 for the papers, but $5 PER MONTH'S BILL. They want to charge us $5 for each month since last November !!!! The woman did NOT tell my husband that yesterday because I am TELLING you the man would NOT have ordered the papers. And had there been mention of a $9.99 connection fee, and he was forced into paying it, he would have paid it YESTERDAY. The CS person he spoke to messed up royally. FINAL STRIKE OF THE GAME. I told the woman I was speaking to that this is IT. They are the most disorganized, poorly put together company I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. I said this is not personally directed at you, but I am telling you right now that should your company offer me 5 months' free service to stay , that I wouldn't stay ! So I found a new phone provider and that is that. But not really. Because the last woman I spoke with * I had to call back YET AGAIN * for two hours trying to get this straight, could not help me . It was like speaking to a brain-washed cult member who keeps tossing back the same phrases and lines, but makes no sense. I have NEVER seen a company run that way. Basically it comes down to this. Their CSR's make no mistakes. They record the calls, but they won't utilize the recordings to help customers prove that they are being taken advantage of. Consumer Protection Laws state that before a charge for a service can be billed, that the customer has to be informed of said charges. Ztel knows this, but when their CSR's don't do so, it is up to the _customer_ to prove it . I am going to send this email to as many people as possible as a warning. I am going to make a webpage..JUST TO POST THIS..and log it in as MANY search engines as possible. To the FCC. To the Better Business Bureau. And I will send it to the White House if I get a large enough head of steam up. I am mad as heck and _will_ have satisfaction for mistreatment at the hands of these people. At no time was I rude, condescending or impolite, yet they never followed up, never fixed their mistakes, and NEVER ONCE admitted culpability for their actions. DO NOT SIGN UP with Ztel . They don't care about customer service . Their CSR's are not properly trained and educated, and frequently and often make mistakes. And when they do, the company will not take the customer into account. Beware..you lay you sanity and mental health into danger by signing up with them. Signed, a very disgruntled and UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER FOR OVER A YEAR, Kathie Jones Forest Hill, Maryland Permission to crosspost as desired. PLEASE! "The best way to cheer yourself up: Cheer everybody else up." - Mark Twain
Anyone have a hubby who could, or is anyone onlist who can, answer a question regarding auto repairs? WE ARE STYMIED and getting ticked off. ANYWHO.... 1988 Ford Mustang. Heater coil is leaking and needs replacing. WHOLE STINKIN dash has to come off, console, steering wheel etc. Michael has it gutted. He has bled the a/c unit so that he can disconnect it. BUT...he can't get the hoses off. There are two hoses going from the a/c unit in the engine through the fire wall to the unit under the dash in the car. Upper hose has two * bolts * on it..small one closest to engine body, larger one closer to the engine. Question is: which of the two nuts is the release mechanism to unbolt the a/c unit? And how does one disconnect the bottom pipe also? ARGH. Kathie the frustrated.............WHO WANTS HEAT IN HER CAR "The best way to cheer yourself up: Cheer everybody else up." - Mark Twain
I have been gradually getting the last of the chores done in the bedroom and bath. Last on my list was the bathroom door that is now too long. I have my fine laminate plywood blade, drilled a hole in the bottom so I know cutting off that much is safe. Put wide tape on the bottom and marked it. Have it set on sawhorses. OK so much for advice. I cannot find a way to lock the old blade in the circular saw so I can remove it even following the directions. They show a lock but it is not on my doggoned saw. I tried using a screwdriver in one of the holes in the old blade and lost my grip and cut my hand. I have vise grips but don't see how that is going to hold the blade. I don't have a work bench and vise...that might would work. Any suggestions? I hate to cry uncle here. They do not make these tools to be easy do they?? Darn! I was all set to get my door sawed off and re hung. I am about ready to give up and wait on a helper here. I want my door back though!!!!!! Laura R
Hi, I joined this group awhile back and have thoroughly enjoyed reading all the informative and enjoyable posts. I'm a novice wookworker and have a table saw that I use all the time. My husband just bought a used radial arm saw for me. Questions is that I'm not sure what to do with it! What would the uses of a table saw be opposed to what I would use a radial arm saw for. Sorry to sound so "dumb", but I figure someone in this group could enlighten me. TY in advance. Pat
Hello DIYers, I am Michael from Houston, TX and I'm a new member to the group. Thank you for having me. Four months ago, my wife and I purchased the house we were renting for almost two years. We planned to get started on some remodeling projects as soon as the purchase closed. Here is some background on our DIY projects. We decided to work on the kitchen first. We plan to do the entire job ourselves. Our first project was to refinish all the cabinetry. We removed all the doors and drawer facings and immediately started stripping and sanding. We only work on weekends so its very slow going. My wife, being anxious to move to the next project which was raising the kitchen ceiling, decided we should put the cabinets on the back burner for a while. The kitchen had a framed drywall ceiling which was dropped 18 inches below the second level floor joists. While we were demolishing that, we decided to also take down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room to open the space up. The effect is remarkable. Suddenly we have this huge space to play in. Anyway, we were shocked to discover the web of electrical wires, hovering just above the ceiling line. The breaker box is located in the kitchen so all the wires branch out from there. Before we could begin putting in the new ceiling, we needed to raised all 17 wires up to the spaces between the joists. Unfortunately, there was not enough slack to get the wires up far enough. This was a problem we did not anticipate. The quote we got from an electrician to splice the wires and move them up was more than we could afford. After much research and advice from friends and books, we did it ourselves without any problems. Our focus is now on replacing our 2-inch-tiled white countertop and backsplash. We'd love to go with granite but its way out of our price range. We've contemplated building our own concrete counter top but from what we've read, it seems too dificult get it right. A friend of ours suggested flowcrete. I've never heard of it before. Does anyone here have experience with flowcrete? What is it? How difficult is it to work with and what does the end result look like? Thanks in advance. Michael
Just thought I'd enter an update on the state of the conversion process from garage to cabinet shop. One half of the south wall has been finished with new studs, sheathing and the installation of a large picture window. One of my neighbors upon learning that I was looking for a sliding glass door to use as a window, volunteered the gift of an aluminum framed, tempered plate glass commercial office door. I framed the wall to accept the door, frame and all less external or protruding hardware. I of course laid the door side-ways and once the trim is in place all that will show is the glass. It would have been prohibitive to have bought a window of this quality, so I count myself most fortunate. I suspect that he is now wishing he'd thought of doing this in his shop. The second half of the wall will be in place before I have to leave this weekend for a few days, and once I have a temporary door put together I'll be able to start on the bench area. I've added a Delta 13" planer to my list of toys and was impressed with it's accuracy and the smooth job it produced, found this item at about $200 off list price since it was supposedly a factory refurbished item, it weighs about 90 pounds and with free shipping I jumped. I'll be on the prowl now for some rough cut lumber, like walnut and the such. I have a lead on a barn full of walnut slabs and might be able to cabbage onto a few board feet in exchange for whatever it takes. A friend and I split the costs several years ago on about 1,000 board feet of cedar that we had rough sawed, and I think my part of that is still stacked in one of his barns. There should be some red elm around as well. Once the shop is finished we plan to add a shaper, band saw, and new 6 inch joiner to the mix, the biscuit joiner is in the mail. I will also need to build up the squaring table for clamping and gluing cabinet doors and fronts. There are a couple of local master builders that are nearing the time of retirement and I hope to perhaps get some good insights from them on some of the more complex jigs. I'm never ashamed to copy a good idea when I can find one. Of course if they were to hint of the opportunity for me to pick-up a few of their tools as well, I'd not refuse the offer, but I suspect there are others with the same thought. I have several jobs that are waiting for me to get busy on, but do you know how hard it is to tear one's self away from a 40 year old dream? If the weather holds for the next few days, I'll go out and try to make enough money to pay for what I want to spent in the near future. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains
I'm looking for suggestions on how to deal with my doors -- when we moved into the house in April (San Franciso East Bay), the doors were fine (or so I thought) -- then in late summer, 3 doors seemed to be missing their strike plates. It gets hot here in the summer and hardly ever rains, so I'm not sure if this problem will correct itself at all. I moved two strike plates down, but the doors are still leaning -- do I have to spline the doors or can I reset the hinges on the top recessed into the door jamb a bit to get the doors to lean back to vertical? Any ideas? Marc
has any one use hide glue to get the crackle look on cupboards? i followed the instructions from the gal at the hardware store and everything was fine until i put the final coat of flat paint on.it is sliding down the cupboard.i finally just wiped it all off with paper towels. i have no idea what went wrong.i have done this process using the kit from wal mart but it took 3 years for the stuff to dry on the last project.it was tacky, not so the paint came off but just enough you could tell it was not dry. i'm in iowa.you would think the cold dry winter heat would have dried it. i suppose i will have to sand off the glue now so i can repaint. what a bother!!any ideas??? judy
well, ya'll just want you to know i very proud of my self i finnially got around to fixing the electric in my home. The problem was a burt wire so i ended cutting in out and adding more wire i used 12/2 wire, i also replaced the outlet and the box, it took about an hour only becuase i had to put the screws in without the aid of a drill but it works now so now I'm running out of projects. oh well guess its time to go fishing.
In a message dated 9/10/2003 3:44:55 PM Central America Standard Tim, rocky_view_hospital@... writes: Hi Everyone: I need to remodel our dormer badly. And I would like to tear off the roof and use the existing load bearing side walls but I want to raise the height a least by 8 feet and timber frame it. But the problem I have is I can't figure out thematerial list for it. Can anyone tell how to figure the material list? Brizi. without seeing it ??????
Hi everyone! I'm a new member here. Just found your group today, and am hoping to drop in now & then to get tips & share info with you! I have a question regarding laminate flooring. Does anyone have any suggestions on anything I can do to make it less slippery? I have Traffic Zone in one room of my home. Love the look, but my big dogs (mastiffs) find it very slippery, and I'm afraid they're going to get hurt. So ever since I had the flooring put in, I've had a huge carpet laid over it. Kind of defeats the purpose of the flooring! The carpet is old & nasty now, and I want to get rid of it. I'd love to not have to cover the laminate, but it's just so darn slippery, wet or dry. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for your help! Kathy
Hi all, I am currently treating a lot of rot and termite damage outside of the dining room of my house. I have removed the top and side brick mold from 5 windows, plus quite a bit of Masonite hardboard siding. The windows are being held in on the outside by 1/4 - 5/16 strips of wood that came with the old windows. I have ordered replacement sash kits while I'm at it, since these windows have leaked air tremendously since I bought the house 6 years ago. The house is 12 years old. I don't want to install them from the inside, because we spent the last several months caulking and painting the interior of the den/dining room with burgandy walls and white trim to perfection. I refuse to mess that up. My question is, is there any reason that I can't install these sash kits from the outside? Anything I need to be aware of? The old windows and the sash kits are MW windows. I called MW and the only guy who they say can answer my questions never called me back. Thanks, Stuart
The ceiling in my new place has some sort of spackle-spit texture on it. ("Spackle-spit" is my own word for what this looks like.) The previous owners obviously moved a few lights around on the ceiling and then just patched the holes with flat spackle. I haven't been able to match the effect on the ceiling at any of my local home repair stores. I'm willing to re-do the ceiling if I have to, but does anyone have any suggestions for a store or on-line company that I could go to to try to match the texture of my ceiling? Cheers, C
crow bar type set up, but it has left the glue behind. I wanted to put up some type of tiles or maybe even wallpaper. < Been there...done that....not fun! I ended up just putting that embossed type wallpaper over the top of it and painting the wallpaper. It's the wallpaper specially made for "problem" walls. Mine came out great - you'd never know what a mess there truly is behind that wallpaper! Wendy
greetings all. im new to using real tools, as i just got my first real house!!! (so you'll be seeing my posts alot probably.) the only experience i have with solder was when i was 10 and playing with my dads soldering iron, and only thing i made a big puddle of solder. now for real aplications: i have brass rod, about 1/8 inch, i want to solder peices together at right angles into a rectangle. then i want to solder brass washers to that rectangle. its a weird project i know but trust me, its for a creative fix to an expensive problem. the only thing i need to know is, how do you solder brass together so it can take a little bit of stress? i know very little about repair so take that in mind when spoon feeding me suggestions. thanx all!!!
hi, i have laid a tile floor in the back entry 15 1/2 x 8.it has been down several days.i plan to wait for a few more days to grout the seams.i've never done this before.it is kind of fun.hard on my old knees and back----- but fun. can anyone tell me if i need to seal the whole floor or just the seams.it is ceramic tile.i asked at home depot,they said just the seams but it seems to me it needs some kind of sealer to prevent stains.this is a pet/high traffic area. i'm not sure now if this was the right thing to put here.they, said it would be great for an area like this, at home depot.i've broken 2 tiles already dropping a 2x6 on it.i know what did i expect! do they strengthen as the adheasive sets?it really looks nice even without the grout. we now have the painting/pergo floor and tile done in the family room. a total makeover. all that is left besides the grout are the pinch pleated valances i need to make. we had a 5 year goal to finish all the projects in this 100 year old house.we ran out of that time, we already need a year extension. we have lived here for 33 years and have done everything you can think of.this is the second time around for a lot of the projects. it is never ending---- but never boring either. till later judy
I have just fitted a new window in my utilities room and would like to know if there is any regulations or codes of practice that I should take into account regarding the positioning of the window in relationship to the flue terminal from my LPG fired waterheater. I know back in Scotland from where I have recently relocated there were gas codes as to how near the termination of a flue could be to an openable window. Also the terminal is directly under the eves of the roof which does not seem correct either, any info or directions to where the info can be found greatfully appreciated.
Hello to all Thankyou to all for the great information I have recieved since joining this group. My cloths dryer is not heating. I have checked the vent and it is clear of lint. I've opened up the cabinet to expose the burner but I'm not sure where to go from here. I assume its some type of electronic ignition as I seen no pilot and smell no gas. I have read Scott's recent informative post [The Forgotten Appliance] and have cleaned up as best I could. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. George Connor
Hi! I have gotten 6 large plastic containers (similiar to rubbermaid). I have been replacing curtains, etc from boxes to plastic storeage containers (to keep spiders etc out). I plan to put them in the wooden shed. I was warned that anythhing that is fabric they might all mildrew and mold. Why? what can I do to prevent this problem? I live in southern Georgia which we always have high humidity. does anyone have any ideas or suggestions what I should do to prevent this problem?
BlankWe are sorta-kinda settled into the new place now (got the elastomeric terpolymer paint on the stucco and it looks gorgeous; next week a new roof) and so are contemplating luxuries like TV (I haven't seen any in a month!). The local cable doesn't carry my favorite channel anymore (old movies) so we are contemplating trying dish service, but we are completely ignorant about the whole dish thing. A friend said that we could buy the equipment (the dish itself, etc) at someplace like Best Buy and install it ourselves, and we would thereby get a better price for service alone from the dish company. Has anyone tried this? Are there things we should watch out for with dishes or dish companies? I am so ignorant about this kind of thing ... any help appreciated! Thanks muchly, Ann
As you may recall, I thought I was loosing it when some of this new DAP light weight mud was tried. Well today I sprung for a brand new five gallon bucket of US Gypsum and I'm back. Who would think there would be such a difference but there sure is. Joints a smooth as glass once again. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains
I'm aware that some that are worried about asbestos, lead based paint, clean water, fresh air, pesticides, herbicides, treated lumber, and whether the sun is falling from the sky, might get miffed by the following, but darn it I made it and so did all eight of our kids. Oh yes and the 22 grand kids as well. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains Congratulations! You've made it! According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 40's, 50's,60's, and 70's probably shouldn't have survived. Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. Not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Horrors! We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. No cell phones. Unthinkable! We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers, or Internet chat rooms. We had friends! We went outside and found them. We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us. Remember accidents? We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them. Little League and cheerleaders had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Some students weren't as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade. Horrors! Tests were not adjusted for any reason. Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that! This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. And perhaps you're one of them! Congratulations. Debbie Horn Coors Brewing Company Forms Management (303) 277-2003
Hi guys, newbie here. Sorry if this seems like an easy question, my roommate knocked out the rear door of his sliding closet door. I have no idea how to get it back on. Do I need to take the front one out so I can angle the wheels back on to the track? Help! (before my landlord sees it!) Thanks! Mike
I'm in the processing of removing two of the doors in one end of our garage, which is in the process of being converted to a cabinet shop. This building was constructed sometime in the early 1930's and I would hate to even think of duplicating it today. The trim I removed was full 1 inch and not a flaw or knot to be found. The one piece was 16 feet long and perfectly clear. It was interesting in that some of the trim had been doweled to the surface of the boxing. Now keep in mind this was a simple garage. It will be real interesting if I ever decide to tear into some of the structural portions of the main house. We are considering removing several walls and opening up one entire side of the house from the kitchen through the living room. There is also some present discussion about putting in a 90% heating and hot water system so that the chimney can be removed and one wall of a hall way taken out, but it is load bearing and I would have to put in a steel I beam to pick up the load. Of course all of these plans depend on time and money availability. Once the cabinet shop is in full operation I have several projects pending, and several kitchens to refurbish. Of course you all will understand that this gives me cause to buy a few more tools. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains
Does anyone know anything whatsoever about Dibiten, or its rival RoofMatch? They are bituminous roofing membranes that go on with a heat weld application ... and that's all I know, and that is from web sites that I found. We have a very low pitch roof that will not take regular shingles (right now it has a tar & gravel roof) and the roofer that my husband wants to use is saying he thinks we should use this Dibiten stuff. I called the county to find out if it is allowed ... but if it *is* allowed, do we want to use it? I don't know anyone who has a roof made out of this stuff. Any comments? Thanks! Ann
I have a leak in the bathroom and under the carpet I discovered that I have vinyl tile and the floor needs replacing, but how do you get the tile off the adhesive in a quick manner. I've used a scraper and a hammer for hours that can get long. If anyone has any suggestions??? Audrey
I'm a first-time homeowner and have spotted something odd with the brick on my house. The house was originally built in 1999, and my wife and I bought it in early April of this year. I've noticed dark-brown spots, almost like a growth on some bricks and I don't have a clue what they are. It looks as someone spit chewing tobacco on the wall. In places where it appears as if the stains have been there awhile, you can notice definite erosion, and even some holes or chips forming in the underlying brick. In a few places there are stains of a different sort--smaller, kind of a carmel color with a gritty appearance, but with erosion/holes forming underneath. These stains appear sporadically, but on all sides of the house, and at different heights above the ground. The home inspector said the house was in very good shape, and he didn't mention the brick stains (I noticed them afterwards). The foundation was reported to be in good condition, except that it does appear to be poorly sealed against the brick on one side of the house (the mortar is cracking along the joint where the wall and foundation meet on one side of the house). In addition, for the relatively young age of the house, there does appear to be a fairly high number of bricks with minor surface cracks- -again, evident on all sides of the house. What might be causing the odd problem with the bricks, especially the stain/erosion? I assume that insects cannot cause the brick problems. Do I have defective bricks? Who do I contact to have a proper inspection? Thanks, Ed ejlran@...
Hi, I'm new to this list and it seems like it's the place to be with my question... We have existing cabinetry in our kitchen that is a washed oak. In some lights there appears to be a slight pinkish tinge to the wood colour. We want to install laminate flooring and are having a hard time deciding which way to go for the laminate colour. We've looked at contrasting with a natural oak or matching as close as possible with an alder (I thinl). We both like the look of the maple, but it doesn't seem to do anything with the cabinetry. Any suggestions? Thanks! Rinky
So I had some roots get into my main sewer line... I had a plumber clean it out and he said that should last about 6 months but that I'll need to have the line repaired or replaced -- with so many "root killers" on the market that are meant to kill any roots in the sewer line, do I really need to replace the line right now or can I just run the "root killer" through periodically to ensure no future stoppages... any advice? Marc P.S. Thanks for all the help with the tree-killing advice. I'm taking action, using multiple recommended methods.! Wish me luck!
The house I'm working on has the popcorn ceilings throughout (urghhh). Some of the taped joints are coming loose and I am looking for the best way to fix them. Should I just slip a little bit of mud behind them and press them closed?