Do it yourself

Hi, welcome to the group! (Although this group is set up more for information on improving your house, rather than how to buy one.) We bought a house last spring so I have just been through it all! My best piece of advice is: Go to your library ASAP and check out their house-buying section. (If you can't find it, ask a librarian, but there WILL be a section that has a lot of information on how to buy houses, how to find the house you want, mortgages, etc.) Then just allow yourself a month or two to check out lots of books from that section and wallow in them. :) What I found was that when I first got started doing my research, I was totally bewildered and had no clue what any of the terms meant. Then as I read, things started falling into place in my mind, and in a few weeks I felt I had a good handle on the whole process and was really ready to get started with an agent to look for a house. There is also a lot of information on the Internet, but most of it is buried in sites that want to sell you something. I preferred the library books because the information was more comprehensive, laid out better, and nobody was trying to sell me anything. As for estimating your monthly expenses, what I did was call up the utility companies in the area where I wanted to live, and asked them what average expenses were for a house the size I wanted to buy. (So if you think you can afford about a 1500 sq ft house, for example, you would ask the electric co. about that size house.) You can also call up your local tax office and ask them the same thing about property taxes, except that it will be based on the price of the house, not the size. Re FICO: yes, you should know your score before you get into serious mortgage shopping, and you can get it on the Internet for something like $14. But IMHO, there is no point in finding out what your score is until you have read up on it a little bit and know how your score will impact your ability to get a good mortgage. Also, you might want to look through the archives of this group for information on getting your prospective house inspected (when you are thinking about buying it). It is important to get a good inspector who knows what he/she is looking for, and even then they can miss things that will cause you grief. So it is good to have a handle on problem signs to look for. All that said, if you can afford to buy a house (and most people with a reasonable job can afford to buy SOME kind of house, even if it is tiny), it is almost always a better idea from a financial viewpoint to sink your money in real estate (i.e, your house) rather than just handing it over to your landlord every month and not getting anything back. So good luck with your prospective home owning!! Ann

Ok I am going to show exactly how little I know here, I understand that most outside lumber is pressure treated but how do you know for sure? I am considering purchaseing a little bench to use as a headboard on a bed for my daughter, I will be build the frame as she has demolished two remade bed frames. This obviously means that I will be having to use some typre of nail/screw in both the 2x4's and the bench but I want it to last for at least the next 14 years so what type of fasteners should I use to be on the safe side? Laura in OK

Hi all. I am a virgin when it comes to home buying. Just needed to ask a few questions. Should I get a FICO score before I set out to purchase a home? Also, how do you know how much money to plunk down as a down payment vs. making sure you don't live above your means? I know it depends on the cost of the house, but, how do you estimate what your monthly expenses will be? I am a long time apartment dweller. Should I use that as a basis of figuring it out? Thanks.

I am planning to install drywall in the garage (finish off). I work on my cars once and a while, and the wife insists that the place looks presentable. I live in the Houston area and was wondering whether I should install insullation behind the drywall. I might install a small AC later on for use only when working in the garage during the "summer". I read somewhere that it is not advisable to insulate, but cannot remember why. I would appreciate you views. Regards Chet

All this talk about windows remindes me of an ad in the paper I saw a year ago. The ad said $25 for any size/shape window 1000s available. I called and asked if it was a joke the woman said it was not. She bought a house at an extreamly good price becaues the barn and shop were filled with vinyl windows. Still thinking maybe she was nuts my wife and I went for a drive and sure enough she had thousands of windows. The guy that previously owned the house was a window contractor and he kept everything, old windows, over stocks, warrenty returns everything. After about 2 hours of searching we found all the windows we could use. I even got an RV door for 25 bucks it was brand new still had the keys in a plastic bag. I don't know if she still has all that glass but it was really cool to see an entire barn filled floor to roof with windows. I wish I had a digital camera I would have taken some pictures.

Hi Roger, I'm in Greensboro, central part of the state. Stuart

is 12 guage wire the usual for running and outlet for a window air conditioner which is either 240 volt or 120 v 20 amp? how about a 240 volt line for a small electric baseboard heater?

Hello, My wife and I forsee a potential issue and want to run it by the group. I've uploaded a drawing of the issue to the Photos section in a folder called Shane's -- it's called "tubissue.jpg". We bought a jetted tub that has a lip which is meant to be dropped into a "box" that you frame out. We are going to use the tub as a shower/tub as well. Well, there is a tiled lip that goes all the way around the tub of 2". We are concerned that water from the shower will puddle up in the 2" space between the lip of the tub and the back & side walls. Is this a valid concern? If so, how would you recommend we avoid/solve the issue? We are still in the framed- up stage, so we could eliminate the 2" space, but we'd rather not since it gives the tub some style, for the lack of a better word. THANKS! Shane

Hi all, i'm looking for a way to fix a corner joint that the tape has pulled away from the wall and is leaving a step up of mud(i supose because the mud was put on really thick) Am I going to have to pull off the tape and re-mud the whole joint again and repaint the walls or is there a quick fix for this problem? thanks for any help you can give

i'm asking if someone else beside me has ever put these tiles on concrete and had the problem of them coming up at the edges and moving around when someone starts sliding furniture on the floor (that i can't fix) i was looking for a contact glue that would be compatible with the glue thats already on the tile and maybe prevent this problem. I have already sealed the floor with latex concrete sealer, but thats not the solution

"From: "validate67" <validate67@... Subject: help instaling handrail and balustrades on a knee wall I am looking for any articles or guides to installing a handrail (post to post) on a staircase stringer ( knee wall)." Here's one place to get started www.ljsmith.com I also found some basic guides at lowes and home depot where they sell the stair parts.

Okay, im trying to fix a broken piece of conduit. The conduit comes from the back of a pool light niche and then it has a 90 sweep up into the J-box. However, the the sweep has completely rusted out and broken off. I've purchased a new jbox. Problem is this, the conduit from the light niche is 3/4 brass and I need to convert this to grey pvc to connect it to the j box. I've sweated copper before and was trying to sweat a copper fip adapter to the brass but the solder does not seem to be taking too well. Does anyone know if brass and copper can be sweated together? If not how can I convert this brass conduit to pvc? please help? thanks paul

I am looking for any articles or guides to installing a handrail (post to post) on a staircase stringer ( knee wall). I have an idea of how to do it, but was looking to see if anyone had any links to articles or guides. Thanks for any help. Val

How do you install a new window into an existing window opening? Most new windows I've seen have 2 - 3 inch flanges all around the window to nail onto the side of the ply wall sheathing. Then the building paper goes on top of that, then the exterior material, ie siding, stucco, etc. Well, I'd rather not have to remove half my wall to replace a single pane window with a new vinyl double pane windwow. I'd rather remove the old window (still don't know how), and pop the new one in,without disturbing the casing, screw it in place, replace the trim, and caulk. But how? I don't see how the old window can come out (no screw holes visible) and the new windows have these flanges.

There is in fact an official crimp tool for F connectors as there is for all connectors. My advice would be to buy the correct one and be done with it. They don't cost that much and are available at Radio Shark and home supply centers. You are saving so much $ by DIYing that it is worth the extra to have the right tool. Joe

Our house is 13 years old and looks to have vinyl windows. I can't tell if they are double pane or not. How do you tell? Anyways, you get cold just by standing next to the windows. The inside of the glass if very cold to the touch. The caulking on the inside is good, outside not so good, but I don't think it could cause this much cold air. I am in KY, so it is cold here this time of year. Our electric bill is through the roof during these cold months. So my question really is, how can I tell for sure that I need to replace my windows? Are there tests you can do? I know if I bring a window company in, they are for sure going to say, yeah replace them, so before I get to that point, I want to make sure first. Thanks Joe

This past summer I had a detached garage built. I moved my washer and dryer out there along with the newly purchased and installed gas water heater. Now the problem, we had a very cold weekend with snow and ice and the alarm on the water heater is now going off. I checked for leaks and found none. The water is still hot coming out of the water heater. The pilot light is still on. I do not smell any gas. But the alarm is still on now. It is still below freezing here. Is this due to condensation? I just silenced the alarm. Should I worry? I'd rather not have to involve a plumber. Not even sure what the alarm detects. It is not described in the manual for the water heater and I do not have any paperwork for the alarm. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it. Ande

I want to split an existing cable run in my attic to run into another room. I have some of the supplies for the job: 2 blade cable cutter, some F connectors, a splitter, some R6 cable, a crimper, screwdriver-looking tool to hold the F connector. After cutting the cable and stripping it down to the foil (about 1/4 in. exposed) and center conductor (about 1/2 in. exposed), and folding the braiding back, I pushed the F connecter onto the coax and crimped it. When I check the connection by pulling on the F connector, it pops off. I tried this a few times and ruined 3 or 4 F connectors. Obviously, I am not pushing the F connector on far enough - I am trying to push it on as hard as I can. Does anyone have any tips on how I can complete this project? Am I missing an all-important F connector tool that will make this a breeze? The cable is cut, so I have no signal until I'm done re- connecting everything. Thanks.

So from what you have descriped I am going to be Weeeellll ... my brother successfully repaired my dad's pier & beam house foundation (one corner was sagging badly) by using a car jack to get it back into place and then shoring up the foundation. But frankly, my dad's house is a structural disaster anyway (it is a 1920's "catalog house" that was built by amateurs, then moved to a new location by more amateurs and plopped on top of a rickety foundation -- yikes!) so if he had messed it up further instead of fixing it, it would not have been a great loss. But iffen it was me, I wouldn't take chances with the foundation of a decent house. Just my .02, of course! Ann

Looking to install a geothermal heat pump system. I see one is being offered on E Bay that appears very doable by someone not equipped for sealed refrigeration systems. Anyone had any experience in doing their own heat pump and or furnace? Greg in Georgia

Heres my experienced opinion on the subject- if you want to live on it and you have young children. Don't buy the more expensive carpet if the inevitable spills, mud, sand,and occasional stains are going to upset you and cause any tension around the house: it isn't worth it. Its better all round to get a medium priced one until everyone grows up. prices usually follow quality so you can usually judge from there. Stain resistance is not a real big factor, you can rent a Rug Doctor every so often and they really work great.(you can actually use liquid dish detergent with a little amonia plus the defoamer which is the only liquid you need to buy, and it really does a good job) whether or not you install it yourself buy some extra carpet and if there is a tear, burn, etc. it can readily be patched with the usual carpet tools and the "hot melt" carpet tape. the padding is what gives the carpet the nice feeling under your feet. Buy the multi-colored stuff that looks like is been chopped up and then glued together because thats what it is. the plain looking stuff is junk and will flatten out and not hold its shape and the carpet will lose its " puffed up look". hope this helps

Thanks for the welcome. I have found some problems in the foundation and am not sure how to proceed. The original foundation is made from red clay rock that is found around here, the add on and north and south sides are made from red brick, here is the problem there are some rock missing in the outer foundation and the row they ran down the center of the house is falling down. So far the only problems this is creating is a sagging floor in the main room and a wall is settling in the kitchen. How can I get the foundation repaired and fix the sagging it has created? DH says that there is no bracing between the foundation runners and he is not sure how the floor joist are attached. We had the idea of using jacks to lift the sagging areas back up, and place cinder blocks under the joist like when you set up a mobile home, but now that we have found the problem we are not sure if that will work. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Laura in OK P.S. We have had to dig down below the foudation line to fix the sewer line and found that it is setting on a clay soil about 3 foot under the surface, if this helps any.

Hubby has decided that he wants the upstairs carpet replaced next. Hmm...kind of messed up my timetable a bit, but we can be flexible. LOL Anyway, wanted to know if anybody knew if it was good to order carpet online. I have already decided the color and type I want but I can't seem to find it online though. Most of what I find online is the really cheap stuff...don't want that. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Jen in Texas

Hello, I'm about to lay some ceramic tile in the bathroom. I've got a couple of questions, and was wondering if anybody had any info to share. 1)The tile and backerboard will raise the floor approximately 3/4". What is the best way to handle this with the toilet, so that it will still mate to the waste pipe? I know of 2 options: 1)Use 2 wax rings between the toilet and the pipe, or 2)cut the cast iron waste pipe, raise the flange, and install a rubber union piece to put it back together. I'm always nervous when getting into plumbing, so the 2 wax ring option is somewhat appealing. Has anybody else run into this problem? 2)The walls of the bathroom are currently ceramic tile. The tile pieces at the bottom of the wall curve down to meet the floor. By raising the floor, the curve of the bottom wall tile will no longer meet the floor. How do I handle this? I'd like to remove the bottom tile pieces from the wall, cut them down enough to compensate for the raised floor, and reattach the wall tiles. Is it possible to remove the tiles without breaking them? I could NEVER find replacements for these tiles. Do I have any other options? Thanks in advance for any info! JD

In my kitchen the previous owner put up hanging hooks with double sided tape. This stuff is stuck like cement! I have tried WD-40, but to no avail. Does anyone have any ideas of how to get it off? It's stuck to white ceramic tile pieces. Thanks in advance.

Anyone have any tips on painting laminated furniture? My son has a bookshelf he wants to keep but now that we have painted his room, the colors clash. Can you paint over laminate and the paint adhere to it without chipping?

hello folks. lately i have noticed that the hot water when i take a shower runs out quicker and quicker as time goes on. anyone know what could cause that to happen.. and there isnt anything else drawing hot water from the heater while i shower. thanks in advance :-)

Hi all! I'm a 34 year old home maker. I have been doing various projects around the house, like building a portable island for my kitchen and put a in the wall ironing board up. I had to modify it so i could turn it when needed. Are there any women in this group? Also, in the next few months i want to build a shed to house 2-4 goats with a space for wood(that i msut cut) and an area to put equipent, including a go cart. If any one has any ideas, please let me know . I sort of think i have it figured out, but would love some more ideas. Thanks , Susan

I posted two jpg files to the Photos section in an album called "Miter Cuts for wall greater than 90" showing the miter cuts as I understood them. Let me know if anyone sees any errors or if the files are not easily readable. Tom Geiger

hi all & new here. hoping you can help out. we are trying to install baseboards in a bedroom and all is good until we hit the two weird angles in the room. One angle is 155 degrees and we can't figure out how to handle this. I just know the final answer is super simple...grrr anyway, we are finding conflicting info. one site tells us to: 180 - 155 = 25/2 = 12.5 and this should be the angle of both cuts & the other site says this: 155 - 90 = 65/2 = 32.5 and this should be the angle of both cuts arrrgggghhhhh & I got an A in geometry 14 years ago!!!! anyway, your input would be greatly appreciated and I have a feeling we will be hanging around reading up on this groups interesting posts!!! frustrated in alaska, amber & jason

How do you size a water softener? Sears has a 27000 grain is this enough? thanks

Subject: [DIY] Enclosed Hot Tub Room Hello all! I bought a house last year that has a built on room that houses a hot tub. There are two entrances (sliding glass doors), 3 windows and two skylights. We keep one of the skylights cracked for the steam to escape but it just doesn't seem to be enough. That room is bombarded with moisture which is causing my entire finished basement to be somewhat uncomfortable and moldy smelling. Is there any way to keep the moisture at a minimum? We don't want to keep the windows open all night because of the security factor but we're getting somewhat desperate. Any ideas would be appreciated! Lynita - Atlanta

Hi everyone. I'm the newbie, both to the group and to home improvement. The first project I want to tackle is to remove the bathroom floor and replace it. Do I have to a. take out the toilet to do this and b. take out the vanity too? I'd appreciate any advice or instructions...or things to avoid. Thanks! Heather

Hello, I have a question on installation of a bath vent. The bathroom is gutted completely, so I'm installing this bath fan in a joist cavity of the ceiling. If I ran the duct straight within the joist cavity to the outside wall, that actually puts me into the eve rather than just out on the side of the house. I've drawn a picture and put it in the Photos section of this group in a folder called Shane's. I'm wondering how I do this. In the picture, I've drawn it how I think I would install, but how do I access that eve space? Do I have to rip open the soffit? Doesn't seem to easy. I'd appreciate any help. Thanks, Shane

Hello all, I have a question about radiant floor heat. I would like to combine hot water radiant floor heat with an outdoor firewood boiler. I would probably try this setup for a workshop/garage to test feasibility. I have heard talk of the outdoor boiler feeding a forced air system, but not the radiant heat. Anyone have any thoughts/comments on this? Thanks, Roger.

Just discovered a leaky wax ring under my toilet has saturated the floor. Here is my preliminary checklist of things to do-any tips or feedback welcome! 1. Remove toilet, stuff a rag in the sewer drain! 2. Remove the wet floor material (I assume it was nailed and glued, so a pry bar/chisel will be necessary). 3. check subfloor. If it's also damaged, get help from a construction friend. 4. Replace floor with ???? Nail and construction cement. 5. fill in seam???? 6. Lay tile. 7. install new wax ring and re-connect toilet. 8. Are we having fun yet????

While visiting relatives over the weekend, my roommate's father mentioned that he'd just drained the sediment out of his water heater, and therefore the hot water was really hot. Why should having sediment in the water heater cause the water to be less hot? Less of it, maybe, but to make it less hot? And in any case, how does one drain the sediment out of a water heater? He's offered to do it for us, but he's in his 80s, and we'd rather tackle the job ourselves (not to mention he probably won't be visiting until much later in the spring). Jeanne

My next project to be completed is the countertop replacement, and putting in a backsplash. No probs there. But after that, I will be removing about 200 sq ft of ceramic tile in an entryway as well as a small bathroom. The stuff is just hidous! LOL It gets the slightest bit wet (oh like it never rains in San Antonio? LOL) and you slip and land on your butt. LOL It is on the bottom level, and is laying on cement slab. Any suggestions on how to get this stuff up?? I was thinking about renting a piece of equipment with an air compressor. (I can't remember the name of it specifically) but it looks like a hand held scraper (with about a 4 foot handle)attached to an air compressort. I don't think the actual tile will be the problem...it is the mortar, I am sure that will give me grief. Anybody done this before? Thanks for any assistance. Jen in Texas

HI, I laid my tile right over the formica. It's holding up REALLY well after 3 years. I haven't had a single problem. The formica is over a 3/4" base, and plenty sturdy. I recommend painting to update your cabinets. Liz

Ok as far as bending the conduit, if you use minnerlacs to support the conduit then you wont need to bend it, it will be on the right level to go right into the metal boxes. You only need one conduit between wach box. You can run more than 2 wires in the 1/2 pipe. You dont really need a board behind the boxes, but if you are worried about moisture use plastic boxes. They are moisture proof. But if you do use a board behind then you will need to use the same thickness board behind each of the minnerlacs. HTH John

I'm a mom trying to fix up my home so we can eventually sell it - it's about 20 years old and needs quite a bit of TLC. I'm a novice when it comes to home improvement but I have to try and tackle some of these things myself as money is tight. We have quite a few projects ahead of us - the worst are the kitchen/bathrooms. I have old laminate kitchen countertops that have burn marks on them (kids/grandma!). Do I have to take the entire top off and put on a new one if I want to do ceramic tile on it, or can i lay tile right over the laminate? The cabinets are not in bad shape, but I'm thinking of painting them. Is this advisable also as a selling point, or should I just leave them with the wood look. We have interior hollow core doors that I would like to upgrade eventually. They are all stained brown - can I paint over them? Is that advisable to do? Do people prefer the wood look to paint? We have settling cracks around some of the interior bedroom doors. How do I fix that? I have cracks in the porcelain sinks in the bathrooms around the drain. Is there anything I can do to fix that? Any suggestions anyone can give would be most appreciated! Thanks. Limey

Hello! I am new to this group and new to home repair, so if any question that I ask seem really silly, just bear with me.I have decided instead of having someone come and do any repairs on my home that I can do it myself. (Once someone tells me how! LOL!) I need to start with the bathroom and I need to know how to repair cracks and nail hole in sheetrock? What do I use and what are the best brands etc?? Also when I do repair these cracks, how do I go about getting the texture back in those spots? My house was built in the 60's and I've got some good size cracks of the doorways. Any help would be appreciated! Tia

Hello to everyone! I want to learn as much as anyone is willing to teach me about build. I want to learn stuff like building and designing my own furniture to building on new rooms to my house!!! cant wait to learn stuff from you wonderful people. Sincerely Porsche

Hi group, We're tiling our bathroom floor. I know they make a flange to raise the toilet to the height of the tile, but what about our steam radiator? It's a 1" vertical supply pipe coming through the floor with a valve connected to the radiator. The supply pipe won't budge. Any way to raise the supply pipe 3/8 of an inch? I thought about shorting the legs on the radiator, but would rather avoid that if I can.

What is a good brand and size miter saw? Does the slide feature help? Thanks

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. I am doing this to affix some outlets and switches in my unfinished basement. Thanks.

Hey everybody I wanted to thanks for all the feedback you have all given me. This is what we are doing the velvet green bedspread we are just getting rid of and going with a differnt red material. as far as the head board we are going with a simple design but we are going to put bating on it and then a fake leather material my husband Charlie found he really likes. Then we are going to anchor it to the wall. Then I am going to put a canopy around just the head of the the bed with a black netting matarial and I am going to put some scones and a mirror above the bed. So far thats what I have. I do have a couple questions. Can you paint over wallpaper and if so does it stay on pretty good? Also going into my kitchen the doorway is just straight and Charlie wants to build an arch how do you go about doing that. As I get things done I will post pics. Blessings Misty

Just out of curiosity, how would the heating element going bad make the water dirty? Our's never even touches the water. Kati

I have a 10 year old 'Giant' brand 40 gal electric water heater. There is no sign of a sacrificial anode. A couple of days ago, we noticed a bit of brown in our hot water, so I drained it. I got quite a bit of brown gunk out of it. The water is still a bit brown, but is getting better. My wife mentioned this to a friend of hers who said that a similar problem had happened to her and that it was a crack in the glass liner. Eventually, the water ate through the outer shell and flooded her basement. Obviously, a poor outcome that we are trying to avoid. What are the odds that it is a cracked liner? How much time are we looking at (hours, days, weeks) before catastrophe strikes? Any input welcomed. Regards, Jim Tracy Nova Scotia

Sounds expensive to me, but I live in small town Iowa in Midwest USA. I was told during our search for a contractor anywhere from $75 to $150 per square foot of new construction ($225 to $525 per sq. meter). But I have found that things tend to be cheaper here than in most places around the country, so I don't know about Downunder. I would suggest calling several builders in a 50 mile radius....ask friends, go to a home improvement store and get referrals. I called about 15 builders and about 5 contractors. I ended up going local and getting the cheapest rate yet. I kept a spreadsheet of everyone I called with the company name, phone numbers, contact person, date they came out or I talked to them, outcome, notes, estimate costs, etc. to keep them all straight. Hope this helps! Kati

Well, guess I should introduce myself. My name is Laura, married with 2 kids. I work in a hardware store (been there almost 2 years). I've learned so much working there but I'm still learnin. Hope I can add something to the group....if only some laughs. LOL. Good Luck, DIYers...

The corner guard where two pieces of drywall come together needs fixing. This is a large span as my house has high vaulted ceilings. It has come up on three different sections of approx. 3-5 inches each throughout that span. What is the best way to fix this? Thank you,

can anyone tell me the best way to insulate a block wall house? thanks

Er ... hope you don't mind me putting my two cents in! Just please be sure to check your work thoroughly (our plumber told us about the soapy water trick, but he said there was another solution that worked better -- sorry, don't know what it is) for the sake of your own family and future owners. When we bought this place, we had it inspected by someone who had a good reputation as being very thorough. He told us there was a leak in the gas pipes in our crawl space (he could smell it, didn't have to go checking). We insisted that the leak be fixed by a professional, which the former owners did, or rather, said they did. It turned out later when we had some other work done by a good plumber that ALL the gas pipe in the crawl space was leaking! Someone had done a homemade job and hadn't taken the time to do it right or to check their work. Almost every joint was leaking. The plumber was actually frightened by the amount of gas down there -- we turned off the gas at the main and kind of kept our fingers crossed that the whole darned house wouldn't blow! We had to have the whole system replaced, for about $1800. Ouch .... Anyway. My sad story. :) Just a cautionary tale ... gas is nothing to fool with if you aren't going to do it right! Ann

Hi, we are thinking about putting a second story extension on our lowset home. As our family is growing, we need more room. We could sell and buy bigger, but we love the area. I was wondering if anyone knew the standard estimated cost to build an extra 3 bedrooms and a toilet upstair. Our home is brick venear and we are based in Queensland Australia. I rang one builder today and he said I would be looking around $2000 per square meter. Thanks Tony.

I'm trying to figure out why there is a leak under the front corner (or close) of the tub. It is leaking thru the subflooring and main wood work down into the garage. Some of the piping is exposed in the garage and there isn't any type of insulation or anything to control the temp. There is a cut hole in the bathroom closet that you can literally see some of the piping from the tub faucet and can even see down below into the garage. I don't see any type of pipe leaks though I can't see all of the piping. I was wondering if condensation could be the problem with the cold weather and the hot water?? The water seeps down to the corner of the ceramic tiling (looks like between the tile and wall perhaps...leaking in there. the front wall above the tub is a crappy ceramic tile job that was basically patchworked) at the front corner of the tub that meets the floor. What can I do? What more can I check and what types of tests should I go thru? I used some tile grout and some caulk to seal some places that i thought would be affective but it still leaks and for the most part in places that I can't seem to see or get to... TIA for anything....I don't want that bottom wood structure to get any worse...some parts are black from water. S.

anyone have any ideas on insulating a block wall. My house is made of 8" block with no insulation.

Hi all, I've seen this new product used in new construction homes-- a yellow, flexible gas line. I need to run gas to my 2nd story, and I'm VERY interested in using this product. Does someone know what it's called, and if it's suitable for a DIYer to install? I'm pretty sure you need a set of installation tools-- I believe it's a crimp method. Thanks for any info, Shane

Anne, Congrats on your new purchase! As fore reglazing the bathtub, there is a product called rebath, I don't know if anyone has heard of it or not. I have not used it myself, but a friend of mine has it and loves it. It's like a cover for your bath area. They have a website...I just found it www.re-bath.com (I also found it under www.rebath.com; go figure!). As for the built in hamper, I grew up with a girl whose family had one of these...I think they ended up connecting a laundry chute to it, but obviously in an apartment, you won't be able to do that. I think I would keep it, otherwise you will have to take up floor space with a hamper. You can always put in one of those over the toilet shelving units. But that is just me. Hope this helps. Kati

Hi. We've got a couple of electric baseboard heaters that appear to be connected to a relay that apparently runs to a wall mounted thermostat (sorry - no expert in this area). We're trying to track down a power problem. Service disconnect on the circuit box trips soon after baseboards start heating. No trouble when their breakers are turned off. Set-up was installed ~16 yrs ago with no changes or problems since. I know I don't have enough details to inquire specifically about our problem, but can anyone tell me what the symptoms of a faulty baseboard heater relay would be? Thank you! KT

my 1920s hot water radiator only get hot for the lower one-third of its surface. I have tried adding water, but there seems to be some blockage within the radiator. I am afraid to tinker too much with this. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks, Tom O'Rourke

Hello, So, I'm working on my bathroom plumbing and have encountered my first problem. My plumbing stack servicing the toilet runs horizontally (at an angle, of course) in between two joists. The problem is by the time I got all the way to the toilet (opposite end of the room where the soil pipe starts) the pipe is up too high to meet up with the 90 elbow coming off of the toilet flange. Well, let me re-phrase that-- it's not too high, it's exactly even. So, I have a 18" piece of 3" pipe that is perfectly level, before it reaches the part of the 3" pipe that has the slope. Is this going to be a problem? I know you are supposed to have a slope the entire way, but I can't accomodate a slope near the toilet without ripping out the whole horizontal piece and doing it again. (major work). So, is the 18" of level OK, or does it absolutely need a slope? Thanks, Shane

Hi - Just a note to my moderator(s) - I REALLY REALLY REALLY APPRECIATE YOU - I have not dealt with the list in quite some time and I am so glad that I have wonderful, dedicated, caring moderators to deal with the day-to-day of the list. It's a big job, and I'm very appreciative - THANK YOU!!! Liz list owner

I've got a Hitachi EC12 air compressor. I can't get the drain valves to seal properly, so always get a hissing as air escapes from the tanks. Is this a common problem for those of you with air compressors, ie replacing these valves now and then?

Hi! I need tons of help and ideas. You see I took 2 one bedroom apts and are putting them together. On the outside it looks like a split- level. No one would ever know that it was 2 places. Down stairs is the kitchen, dining room, living room and a very small full bath. Upstairs is the unfinished part of building. I took the very large living room and kitchen and made it one big bedroom. There is no kitchen now. The old bedroom is now in the process of splitting and making 2 smaller bedrooms. There is aslo a 1/2 bath. My trouble is that when I began work the hardwood flooring was rotten on one side of the bedroom. I took the rotten part up and but down flooring. Now I have a 1 1/2 inch difference in the old and new floor. The way I figured this each room will be 13x15. The floor will be 3ft of higher floor. HELP GIVE SUGGESTIONS. ELLY

mike in regards to your table top construction.remember that pine is a soft wood to join your wood i would also use dowels or biscuit they will give you a stronger joint also there is to types of glue i like elmers carpenter glue.and a glue called gorilla glue it is a little pricey but it is a darn good glue.it also expands to fill in gaps in the joints.if you use 2x lumber make sure your knots are tight.good luck on your table RAY

Hello- I searched the archives because I think I've seen this info posted before, but I guess I'll ask: I'm looking for (free) cabinetry plans online. I'm going to attempt to build the bathroom vanity and linen closet myself. I'm also going to build a workbench in the basement as a way to practice my door and drawer-making skills. Wish me luck... Thanks for any suggestions... Shane

hello all i just joined this group im looking for a group that likes to talk about all types of do it yourself projects i work as a maintenance man for a local college i have been there 27 years also for a few years i had a minor home repair bus. most of my work was for seniors.i like to do all phases of do it your self electric carpentry plumbing i hop to be able to talk with a few of you folks im also a packrat. have a good one all RAY

Hi- I want to put a ceramic tile in the basement I'm finishing. I laid 2x4 sleepers on the concrete slab, then 3/4" underlayment. How flat and level does it need to be before I put down the backerboard? There is about 1/8" drop over an 8' span in one area. Thanks, John

It depends on what the bedspread is made of. If it's cotton, rayon, silk, wool, or linen, you probably can dye it. If it's a synthetic other than rayon, you probably can't. Your supermarket probably has Rit dyes -- the package directions should say what kind of fabrics it will dye. But you won't be able to change green to red anyway - red dye over green would probably give brown. You could change green to greenish-blue or yellowish-green, using blue or yellow dye. Or to black, using black dye. Lynn

Hello - I am a new member and am hoping to build a small closet into the corner of my bathroom (10x12x8' high). It looks straight forward and I have a framing diagram but I would appreciate any info., suggestions etc. The closet's back wall is my bathtub access wall. The closet's front will consist of 2 tall narrow sliders. One side wall will be wallboard w/skim of plaster. I'm a novice. Thanks. Jim Brown

Hi All, I am working on an electric pool motor. It is a 1.5 hp with a service factor of 1.47 running on 220-240vac. The motor was making a very high pitched squealing noise. When I tested the motor underload it was pulling about 8.5 amps. I have replaced the bearings on the motor and now that I have it apart I am testing it and it is running just over 2 amps. This is without any load on it. My question is this; with no load is there a range of amps I should be looking for or should it be reading zero without a load? Other question is there any weay to simulate a load so that I don't have to put it back together only to find out I still have the problem? The noise I previously had was only noticible when the motor was under load. Thanks for any help. Paul

Hello, My wife has commissioned a round top coffee table from a novice woodworker, me. Her only specifications are that the top must be between 4 and 5 feet in diameter and made from particle board or MDF. I've decided to take on the project and I've convinced her to go with solid wood instead to make it more attractive and durable. I'm considering edge gluing construction grade lumber (perhaps 2x6's) then making the cirular cut with a jig saw. The wood will be stained and polyurethaned. What are the down sides of using this approach and what kind of wood and glue should I use? Mike

I just wanted to say thanks to everybody who gave their input for my headboard problem. I have an old fashion velvet bedspread that is an awful shade of green that my mom gave me I was thinking of making drape out of it but I was wondering can you dye velvet because I would love for it to be red instead of vomit green YUK. Again thanks a bunch Misty

First look under the bottom of the faucet and see if there's a small hole on the underside up close to the wall if so then there's a set screw holding the faucet in. Take a screwdriver or a hex wrenck and loosen the screw an it should come right out. If not go back to the pipe wrench. Try turning to the right a inch or so, then turning to the left. Sometimes applying heat will lossen old teflon, but I've never been desperate enought to try that myself so be super careful if you do. Good luck

hello folks, i want to install a vehicle lift in my garage and to get the most ceiling room i want to move up the garage door tracks. anyone know where i could find info on garage doors?

On the general subject of installing a bathroom fan: -I have very little room to squeeze in a vent through the attic and roof, so I am considering installing the bathroom fan on the wall, with the vent directly through the outer wall to the outside. Has anyone done this? -I have a layer of plaster, lathe, cinderblock and brick which would have to be cut to accomodate the vent. Is this something I can do myself? I am assuming there is a hole drill bit that can cut through masonry, including brick. Thanks!

Hi! My wife and I are painfully new to homeownership. Our first house is an old (100 year old) victorian, and we have some big plans. Mainly a new kitchen, expanded family room, mud room and washer/dryer area. My question is what's the best way about going about this? Do we call an architect and then take the plans to a contractor? Can a contractor handle the whole thing him/herself? If we called an interior designer, would they give us plans to build with? Any help is appreciated! -m

For electric heating loads one must derate the load to only 80%. So the max load for 15 amp, 240 volt electric heating is 240v x 15amps x 80% = 2880 watts. Pretty standard stuff. But, in a electrical handbook written by P.S. Knight (now into its 10th? edition), and a book I used when I was in school 20 years ago, states that a revision in our electrical code in 1990 allows a higher load to be placed on 14/2 wire. Essentially, it states that since electric loads are static and always determined (in contrast to regular outlet loads which can be unpredictable), we can do a straight P = V x I calculation without any derating. In summary you can load up to 3600 watts (240v x 15amps) of electric load on a 14/2 wire, BUT you must have a 20amp breaker instead. I have never read this elswhere in any other books, nor has our inspections department in City Hall, and only refers to the P.S. Knight book as a "guide". I would like to hear opinions on this. I should point out that this book has been in print for over 20 years and is a text book used in trade school. The author was a former electrical inspector.

Hi! We like to buy a free standing gas fired stove for heating the 1000 sqf house as we have no heating at the moment - living in Northern California. Has anybody recommendations, experience with vendors and installation? We are not afraid of purchasing online... Thanks so much! Doris

Hm ... interesting idea! And that might be a good solution to the ditch that is already there. But how do you keep weeds from growing up from the bottom so that you have a mess of rock, washed-in dirt and weeds? Or if you put in enough rock, will it just smother the weeds? (I am particularly sensitive to the thought of mixed-up rocks, dirt and weeds right now ... The former owners dumped a load of gravel in the front yard, apparently intending to turn it into a "low maintenance" yard -- but then apparently changed their minds and dumped dirt on top of that -- and also never kept up the yard, ending up with weeds several feet tall. We inherited a horrible mess and spent weeks sifting gravel out of the dirt by hand so that we could put in a proper lawn. Yikes!) Thanks! Ann

Sorry for the OT post, but can anyone recomend a group for discussing new babies? My wife and I are expecting a new baby in May and would like to find a group to discuss various baby topics with. I've done some searches but most of what I'm finding seems really spam-heavy or low usage. I guess more and more people are turning to discussion boards...? Thanks, Mike www.johnsonHQ.com

BlankYet another question -- it never rains but it pours, I guess! Speaking of rain, we have received about 6" here this week (we are in northern CA), and now we have some standing water under the house. Back in the summer, we put in a sump pump on the east side of the house (at what appeared to be the low spot), and installed a black plastic moisture barrier on top of the dirt in our crawl space, underneath the whole house. (We have a pier-and-beam, one story, with a dirt crawl space.) The sump pump has been going off on a regular basis while we have had this wet weather, and we thought everything was okay. My husband just went crawling under the house and discovered that the east side of the house, where we have the sump pump, is relatively dry. So that's good. But the whole west side of the house is a series of puddles under the plastic! So that is NOT good. The puddles do not reach up past the concrete piers but we are afraid of leaving them there long term. (It rains here more or less all winter, so they are unlikely to just dry up on their own.) We put in a new roof this summer, and it seems to be fine, so we are 99% sure that this standing water is coming from ground water. We are, unfortunately, at the bottom of a shallow basin here. (I don't know whose idea it was to build this house at the exact low spot, but I'd sure like to have a word with them!) So does anyone have any great ideas what to do about this standing water? I have two ideas so far. One is to put in a second sump pump on the west side, perhaps with a french drain leading to it (one from the north and one from the south, to take care of all the puddles.) We are not thrilled about this idea because ONE sump pump makes enough noise! The other idea is to put in french drains running catty-corner from the ends of the house over to the existing sump. This would also be a lot of chilly, muddy work, but at least would not create more noise under the house. But I don't know if this would actually work. I've never installed a french drain, just read about them. So if anyone has some ideas what we can do about this standing water, I would really like to hear them. I think we will end up putting a french drain outside the house too, to try and catch some of the water running down to us, but I doubt that will solve the whole problem. So if anyone has ideas on what to do under the house, or commentary on my ideas, we sure could use them! Thank you !!!! Ann

Dave, I hadn't thought of using thinset under it -- that sounds like a good idea. But here is my silly newbie question: is it really okay to use thinset right on top of the subflooring? Also -- second silly question -- right now we have aquabar paper on top of the subflooring (that was what we ended up using under the wood flooring for a moisture barrier). Obviously you would have to get rid of that if you mortared the cement board right to the floorboards. So ... if we don't have a moisture barrier there ... what will keep rain etc from going through? (I know, we have to seal the grout, but that gets worn away with time.) Isn't cement board porous? That was what the guy at HD told me. In our shower, we used Aquabar over the studs, then greenboard, and the cement board over that. Or would two layers (total) of thinset plus the cement board plus the tile & grout be enough to keep water out unless you have a real flood? Hm, maybe I've answered my own question .... :) Ann

BlankAnother question from me ... We want to install fluted casing with corner blocks and plinths around our front door (in stained red oak). I have been reading up on how to do this and find that we need to leave a 1/4" reveal around the door (of the wood that is already there). The problem is that the drywall extends anywhere from 1/16" to 1/8" past the reveal. So when we put the fluted casing on, if we leave it as it is now, it seems to me that we will get a teeter-totter effect because of the drywall sticking out. Or else there will be a gap between the fluted casing and the reveal. What's the best way to fix this? Can we plane down that little bit of drywall so that there is a flat installation surface there? Or is there a better approach? I don't really want to leave the gap between the casing and the reveal and try to fix that with wood putty or some such ... my experiences with wood putty have not been that great. It seems to me that it doesn't want to take stain very well, or if you buy the pre-colored stuff, it never quite matches the wood. Can someone who has some experience with this give me a hand? Thank you!!! Ann

BlankI need a little advice here, please! I am going to be installing a mosaic flooring entryway (about 3' x 4') in front of our front door, and I am not sure whether to use cement board or plywood. Because of the depth of the marble tesserae (tiles) that I am using (3/8") and the depth of the surrounding wood flooring that I am matching it to (3/4"), I am constrained to use a 1/4" underlayment. So it would be either 1/4" cement board or 1/4" plywood. Underneath that is a good subflooring -- 1 5/8" thick T&G doug fir, very sturdy. The cement board seems like the obvious choice, except that the doug fir subflooring may not be absolutely level. My husband sanded the subflooring when he installed the wood flooring over it, but there may be little dips, valleys, etc. My concern is that over time, as we walk on the cement board, if there is a little valley under it, the cement board may crack. Has anyone used 1/4" cement board on a floor? Are you supposed to glue it as well as screwing it down? Does it crack easily once it is installed on a floor? I have used 1/2" cement board in our shower and had good results, but we weren't walking on top of it. OTOH, if I used the plywood, I know that I would be able to get it down in a really good "sandwich" with the subflooring, using glue and screws. The downside is that this is for an entryway, which will get water on it through the years, and I don't want it to rot out underneath or some such. I am not so concerned about the tile cracking on top of it if it flexes, since I am using tiny tiles (5/8") and if the grout cracks over time, I can patch that. Any opinions or experiences with this? Thank you!! Ann

On Thursday, January 01, 2004, 10:27 AM you wrote: To get a really professional look...this is what I did. I taped and painted the red/rust then took the tape off. After it dried, I then went back over the edge of it with the contrasting color. Jen in TX Jen- I think the archway look you created with the paint is so nice plus the look of the rooms and the colors you used around it. I had thought at first the red/rust was wood. Was that originally an archway or did you construct it into an archway? Do you or anyone else reading this know how changing a regular non-door opening into an archway is done? What cautions would I need to plan for? Pat

Hi again, Anyone have a suggestion for finish nailing mdf trim? I find that the nail creates a bump that requires sanding flush. I have tried drilling a tight fitting hole first a little smaller than the nail diameter and that helps. Any secrets to working with this dense stuff? Thanks Randy

Hi, I am a newbie to the list so hope someone out there can help me. I am looking for a high quality satin enamel to use on wood or mdf kitchen cabinets. I have tried Behr brand but it really dries too slowly and is prone to chipping. I need something that levels nicely, dries in a day or two, is really tough and can be mixed in designer colors. I intend to spray the finish on. Any suggestions? Thanks Randy

Howdy, I have painted one wall in my dining room a designer color (rust) that is in stark contrast to the other off-white walls adjoining it. I masked the white walls but the rust paint bled under the tape and left a ragged edge in the two corners where the colors meet. Is there an easy way to establish a nice crisp edge between the two colors without resorting to trim? Thanks Randy

HI: I want to remove temporarily a pedestal lavatory to put some panelling on the wall behind it. I unscrewed the water pipes, but I can't do it with the drain pipe because the pedestal back is closed below the P, and I can't have proper access to the drain pipe to work. Any suggestion? Thank you in advance, Colette (new member)

Hey all....back to the ole trusty group with another diy help?. Over the weekend I tried to hook-up an old gas heater up to the line. The heater is a unit type (somewhat portable but not meant to take from room to room) and hooks up to the gas line. I purchased a new valve and a new gas connector for it which came with a (2 of the same) different sized extension add-on. I hooked everything up and tried the liquid soap bubble test to it. It bubbled in 2 places on the new set (both on the extension/different sized ad-on)...one area was wear the tape was applied to the thread and the other area was wear (blushes) I accidentally tightened the extension on to the valve too much and the thread started to peel off.... Is there a better sealant or a spray that can stop the mini leak (mini bubbles)? should I try to replace the overthreaded extension and re-tape or what?? It is still hooked up but the valve is set to close and has been for a couple of days.... I'd like to take another try at it, however if it is not a good idea should I go ahead and recap it? It doesn't look like the plumber used any tape on the gas but I guess that's not needed if he has a "gas sniffer??". Thanks for all advice gang!!! S. :)

Resto work on our garage doors :) Ours are sliding barn-door type wood units that could use a freshening. The bottom of one is experiencing some rot, and in general some sprucing up needs to be done to the trim and paintwork. Wife's car also needs work; needs a new fender, paint job, and vinyl roof (all of which will be farmed out) and a new headliner (which I'll tackle myself). That should keep me busy enough when the weather warms.... Rich

Some of my floor tiles popped up in the porch. I decided to relay them by hacking away the old cement. I now need to relay the cement and need to buy a bag or two of cement and sand. The neighbourhood hardware shops and DIY shops only sell small bags. Does anyone know exactly where in Singapore can I buy a bag of cement and sand?

Haha! A Merry and a Happy to all :) Rich

Hi All, I was looking for an easy and affordable way to improve my homes exterior appearance and I found an easy do it yourself product that has given my home a quick face lift. The products are called Shutterups and they are changeable accents that are easily applied to exterior raised panel shutters to present a wonderful motif for your homes exterior. I thought I would share this info with you all because there arent many cost effective ways to improve the look of your homes exterior and I am very pleased with my homes fresh new look. I purchased the products at www.themesandmore.com and I haven't seen them sold anywhere else yet. Enjoy! Sincerely, Jane Smith

It has been some time since I wrote about the cabinet shop I am putting together, but not that several other pressing projects are where I can put them down for a nap, I'm back into the shop. A bench that is intended to be used to assemble cabinet section on must be sturdy and very flat. Not only must it start out flat, but it must stay that way, and I'm hoping the one I have constructed with so just that. The frame for the top was built using 2 x 4's on 24 inch centers and then corner to corner cross webs were added. The top surface is constructed from a double layer of OSB board with a working surface of 1/4 inch tempered Masonite. None of this was glued for a couple of reasons, one being that gluing large surfaces will often cause them to warp, and second it is much easier to replace worn surfaced if they are put together using screws and heavy crown staples. There is a 2 inch overhanging lip that has been reinforced using a strip of very dry pressure treated lumber. Pressure treated is harder than standard pine but not as hard as oak or maple and easier to work with. all the exposed edges will be planed and sanded smooth and capped with oak. All screw holes will be plugged, though I doubt that I will go to the bother of varnishing other than perhaps the top just to provide a good wear surface. The next project once the benches are finished and the radial arm saw is permanently mounted and set true in the center will be to construct a removable lineal vice. This is an idea I have had for years since I've had the standard wood workers vices and found them to be as much in the was as they were useful. Once I finish with the vice I will try to take some pictures and send them along. It will be nice if I can find a left hand acme screw and nut, but if not I will use a right hand and back off to tighten. Perhaps I will be able to salvage and old equipment jack someplace, but they are usually so badly bent that they are useless. There will still be the building of drawers and doors for dust protection, but most of that will come from material that is left over from other projects. I like to build my shop drawers out of Masonite and glue sheet rock corners on the bottom and corners to add strength. These are light weight and very durable. I have several boxes that I build years ago that have carried every thing from cultivator points to pipe fittings and they are still strong and sturdy. The greatest immediate benefit will to get the radial arm saw off that silly rolling cabinet it came on 28 years ago and get it into position as an integral part of a working surface, plus now I will finally be able to rip a full 4 x 8 sheet of material, Whoopeeeee! I'll probably drop dead the day after I get it just the way I want it, but that will be ok too cause I sure had fun in the process. Dale

Happy holidays! I haven't written in a very long time. I'm encouraged that the days will become longer. I'm looking forward to the busy life i'll be having when springtime gets here. I was bored, i opened a garden center. That'll teach me! I opened up a small garden center in the middle of a busy and progressive town. a month b4 x mas. I get a chance to make interesting garden art in my shop. I make trellises, bird baths out of tea cups on a 1/2" length of copper tubing, I put plants in boots and ice skates and stick them in the garden along with a bird house on top of antique pitch fork, etc... The first project though was getting this shop into shape! Someone left it in very bad shape. did the floor, Had to scrape prep etc, half of it. improve the electric, extend the plumbing, etc... Thankfully the back room is brick, stone and wood- keeps the rustic feel. Anyway, I now have to build the potting shed in the back& the big work area. I make the counter up front with saggital lengths of cherry and white birch bark and wood, with cut wafers of wood in between. added some moss to the areas betwixed and wha lah, folks are coming in wanting me to make them bars in their homes. My Handyma'am business is going well too. So I've been needing to stay busy. No mom or dad, both passed and no relatonship with my sibs, lonely times. THankfully I have good friends. Happy Channukah, Merry x mas, Happy Kwanza, winter solsctice. WhadImiss? Wendy You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him think~~

I must say I am totally disappointed with the lack of Christmas / Holiday / Solstice cheer on the lists . . . Liz Listowner

A happy holiday season to all of you. Thank you for sharing your ideas and range of knowledge on home projects! It has helped me with our home projects. Best to all of you.

In a message dated 12/24/2003 11:46:20 AM Central America Standard T, electricjet@... writes some other religions promote killing othere people. the hell with them.

As list owner, I want to take a moment at the end of the year to tell everyone I'm glad they're on the list! I had no idea when I started my little group that it would grow to a membership of over 1000! Thank you all for your willingness to help others fumble through the joys of home ownership. There've been some pointed comments about not starting anything you can't finish, and as I look around my big ol' house, I see many unfinished projects. I am passing this on to you because it has definitely worked for me... and at this time of year we all could use a little... calm!!! By following the simple advice I read in an article, I have finally found inner peace. The article read: "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you've started." So I looked around the house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished... and before coming to work this morning I finished off a bottle of red wine, a bottle of white wine, the Bailey's, Kahlua and Tia Maria, my Prozac, some valium, my cigarettes and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how freakin' calm I feel! You may pass this on to those you feel are in need of "Inner Peace." MERRY CHRISTMAS - HAPPY NEW YEAR - THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND SUPPORT OVER THE PAST YEAR!!

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and if you would like to send Christmas wishes to the list tomorrow is the day to do it!! Sincere / funny / Religious / animated - they are all allowable. list owner

Hi, has anyone rolled on light weight drywall compound for texturing? I here you should thin it with water. If anyone has done this could you tell me how you did it, water to compound ratio, type of roller and were you happy with it? Any hints would be great. Thanks,Jim

Liz! or other moderators! bellsouth unplugged the system Friday and forgot where the extension cord is-- they'll be down until Sunday night or later... please, someone start moderating! i'm here in the library-- going no-mail... Trinity

Hello Everyone, I am interest in information on putting up plaster walls with the lathes behind them. Does anyone know where I can find this information on the net? C K

Hello Everyone, I am interest in information on putting up plaster walls with the lathes behind them. Does anyone know where I can find this information on the net? C K

Thats a great idea, I wish all groups would do this.... Thanks... talented, friendly helpful people! I like to think of this as an online community - and I appreciate all of you who contribute so much to our group - we have 1309 members as of tonight! the Do It Yourself emails from [Do It Yourself] to [DIY] so that we can see the subject in our inboxes more easily. If you have filters set for this, you're going to have to change them.

Hi, Doing a bathroom remodel and I'm wondering if I can vent the exhaust fan into the attic crawlspace area (between the eves and the finished- off attic). The bathroom didn't have a vent at all prior to gutting. The space I'd be venting into is roughly 7' long by 4' deep, with the "triangle" roof because of the eves. Thanks, Shane

Happy Holidays all, have a little problem that just started and I am not sure what to do. The GFI outlet in my bathroom keeps popping off. Now it dosent happen every time it reset it, it might take an hour or more then I hear some snapping and there it goes. None of the other outlets on the breaker are affected and I was wondering if anyone has ever had this problem before or how to fix it. HELP

Hello, I'm redoing a bathroom and would like to keep the height of the floor to a minimum to minimize the use of a threshhold. I've always used cement backerboard for ceramic tile, but I'm wondering if there are other choices. I thought I saw the use of some sort of orange plastic covering for tile in a new construction home - does this ring a bell to anyone? Would this stuff be thinner than backerboard? Thanks, Shane

Hi there! I am new to this list and joined as we will have a big remodel ahead of us. The house was built in the 50s and is a 2-BR with one bath. We want to add a master bathroom, a guest room w/bath, update the kitchen and build a sun room. Now, before we talk to the contractor we want to create some sketches on how we imagine the outcome of the remodel should look like. We need some software or tools for that to create it efficiently. Any tips from your side? Thanks. Doris

Hi All, I am going to make some new garage doors. What kind of wood should I use? I was thinking standard half inch plywood. Anyone ever made garage doors before? Is there something better?

I need a bit of help. I have a small water leak around my vinyl windows. The leak is enough, that it is starting to pull the molding away form the drywall. The leak is more a like drips from an empty faucet. I have vinyl siding home, which does not have gutters on it yet. The home is about 3yrs old. This is a new leak and just seems to present it self only when it really heavy and over long periods of time. Any ideas on where to look for it, how to fix it, or what the cause is? Thanks!!! Rob

Since someone mentioned CAT5 cabling, I'm hoping one or more of you may be able to answer this. I set up my office in a room that has no phone jack but i've wired it with CAT5 for my ethernet network. I have a cordless phone system with multiple handsets so I have no problems making phone calls, but I'm unable to use my fax machine. I know CAT5 can be used for voice as well as data but can a single 4-pair cable support both simultaneously? Mike

Hi I'm new to this list. We have an old "scabbed" together house that we want to completely re-do. Where do we start? Are there any web sites where I can enter the existing house dimensions and input the number of bedrooms etc. and have it generate some floor plan choices. Thanks, J

Hi all, I am looking for advice on how to check for broken A/C ducting. There is one room in our house where very little air flows from the ceiling vent. In the rest of the house on both levels, the flow from the vents is strong. We've had this problem ever since we bought the house. When we first moved in I used that room for my office and was worried that the summer heat would cause all my computer equipment to fry. That room is now my wheelchair-bound mom-in-law's bedroom and I need to solve the problem before she freezes to death this winter. I'm guessing that a broken duct or maybe a closed damper might be the culprit. It there anything a DIY-er can do besides ripping out the ceiling, to track down the source of this problem? Mike

I need to replace my 11yrs. old Rheem heat pump(outside and inside). Is a variable speed air handler worth the additional cost and what are it benefits? I have been told that it makes for a more efficient unit and is quieter. Does anyone of an opinion on the Carrier, Trane and Lenox models? Any help with this purchasing decision would be greatly appreciated.

Anyone used this stuff with good results? I contacted a manufacturer of hydraulic cement and concrete waterproofing from the inside and they say this stuff is the answer to wet, leaky basements due to groundwater seepage throught the construction joints (ie foundation and slab) Last week I got another soaking, this time about 30 gallons of water through the joints. Digging up and repairing the drain tile or installing a sump pump is just not an option.

There's a wallpaper boarder in my kitchen that is peeling off the wall in one corner. I don't know if it was self adhesive wallpaper or not and I currently don't have any wallpaper paste. What is the best way to re-attach this corner and what is the best product to use? Thanks, Connie www.internetmoms.net/cgi-bin/team.cgi?id=Co27050&action=show

Has anybody had a 'big box' countertop replacement? If so, how did it go? Did you install it/have it installed/suggestions for things to work out right? Valerie

Pardon the double post. Does anybody have any personal experience with bamboo flooring floating on a slab (installed on top of a layer of cork)? Looking for some experience, Valerie

My name is suspiro and I just joined the group. I am glad to see all the activity and how helpful you are. I have a stucco home and part of the stucco under the door going out to the patio is crumbling. I am afraid that water will enter the home through that area. Any suggestions? Thank you.

Hi everyone, I'm coming out of lurkdom to ask a question. I can't seem to come up with a suitable solution myself, but I'm sure you all can. :) I want to repaint my living room/dining room/kitchen. It is all one large space all in line from the front of the house to the back. I really don't have anywhere to put all the furniture etc. from the entire space so that I can paint the whole space all at once. So I'm hoping that I can paint it in three sections (one "room" at a time). I think it would be best to use the same colour on all the walls. It has one of those horrible textured popcorn ceilings throughout. Does anyone have any creative ideas of ways to do this in sections without having paint lines showing?? My hubby won't have time to help with this project, so I'm on my own and feeling overwhelmed!! Thanks for your help, Judi