Do it yourself

I am stripping the wallpaper from my kitchen and in doing so, I've found that the corners all have a metal strip down them. I have always found this to be covered before, in wallboard mud I assume such that I haven't ever seen metal corners. This house was built 14 years ago and this is the original wallpaper. Unfortunately the walls were not sized before the paper was hung. You can't see a large piece of metal, its just the very corner edge where for example the wall ends and turns to go down the hallway (I hope this makes sense) Should I use spackling compound to cover these metal strips and sand it down before I paint. I feel the need to do something to it before I paint! Thanks, Sidney

Hi Chris, I put down the original "glued together" Pergo myself in my front foyer last year that I purchased from Home Depot. I had called Pergo to ask them which of their products would better withstand cat pee knowing that my oldest cat tends to have "accidents" anytime she gets on a smooth surface. They told me that they would only recommend the glue type, and that it had been tested under those conditions. The guy I spoke to told me that it would withstand liquid spills for at least 30 minutes without damage. That was their "official" stance. Then he told me that as long as the glue has had at least a couple of weeks to cure without getting wet after installation, then it should actually resist a spill for 8-10 hours or more. I have not been disapointed. Doodlebug will usually pee on it at least once every couple of days or so. I clean it up as soon as I see it, which is either when I get up in the morning, or home from work in the afternoon. I soak it up with a paper towel, and then spray 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water on it, which I keep in a spray bottle near the door and wipe again. It's been almost a year now, and it looks like the day I installed it. By the way, during the 2 week curing period, I covered it with a clear vinyl carpet runner cut to size that I found at Lowes. Good luck, Stuart in North Carolina

I am currently in the middle of a kitchen/dining room remodel in ohio. I have pulled up old vinyl tile and there is black Cutback adhesive on the concreate slab, allot of what I have read and seen say that some of the thin set's can be used right over this. has anyone had any expereince with this?, and how was the result. I am doing about 400 Sq/ft

hi all, i read every day but seldom post.i just wanted to share. we are almost to the end of another do it yourself project and i am so glad. i've had my wall paper for a year and a 1/2. dh is not one to rush into anything. that said, he is very good at doing the projects up to a point. he hates the finish work. hopefully the sink and toilet will go back in today. you would think after living in a home for 34 years we would be done,not so, now it is time to start over.maybe now we will get the little things, that have remained unfinished for years, done. next diy is a new kitchen window.i have been reading up on it and i think i could do this but he would not hear of it.i do a lot but when it comes to building he has to be the one to do it. i will have some questions and a few pictures to give u the idea of what the kitchen looks like now.i want to take out a part of a wall to open the dining area up as part of the kitchen/tv room.but that is another day. i uploaded a few pics in an album under photos tom and judys house. the tile is white. has a pink cast in the picture but is brite white.i know i know hard to keep clean but hey it was free!!! as time allows i will post more pictures. our home is 100+ years old.very well built.we are the second owners.the first built it. hard wood through out and only the bathrooms and kitchen wood work was painted. i have picked up a lot of info from this group. thanks judy

I'm starting on the installation of my laminate floors and I've already run into an interesting problem: There is a trim border of 3 inch vinyl around the kitchen floor that seems to have been secured with some kind of glue. When I pull up the vinyl, some of it tears as the glue is stronger in some places than others. I tried using Goo Gone on it to try to soften up the glue, but that had no effect at all. I'm more concerned with maintaining the appearance of the cabinet kickplates than the wall where the glue is, but I'm wondering -- how can I best remove this old glue from the cabinet without damaging its appearance? Thanks!

My garage door (Genie) stopped closing. The chain goes. The motor goes. But the door doesn't go down. Anyone have an idea of what to do to fix it? Thanks. Gene Thiemann

I am wondering what peoples experience was with laminate flooring. First off I put it in 80% of my house back in 1997/1998. I used Pergo and Pickering.. I have not been happy with the Pickering. I have it in living room, kitchen and several bed rooms. O did all the floors myself, Yes the flooring person that was my first problem. He has over a $1000. in specality tools, to put down the floor. I have had problems with the joints expanding, where a cat or dog has peed on the floor (a hazard of having indoor animals). I am in the process of completing the tread s and risers on my stairs so have heard it all from flooring people. I wanted to know if anyone has heard that Pergo has two different quality of produces. One low quantity product sold a do it yourself stores and a high quality one sold through installers. Also has the product improved that much in the last 5 years. Just wondering what others think Chris

Okay, can we stop talking about housing prices! LOL I just moved from Massachusettes. Sold my house there that I had done almost everything on for around 350,000. I'm now living in Southern California at the beach where I can have a house for 700,000 but the whole thing needs to be gutted. If I thought I could get a cable modem in Oklahoma I would be there in a minute. Sheresa

Laura: I just got whipped in a game of dominos with the wife, because I was thinking about your house, so our little Okie, you are in big trouble, but since I've lost face before the family I might as well put the experience to some kind of use and address this situation in which you find yourself. Lets start at the bottom and work our way up. Since the first part of building a house is the foundation that should be the first thing addressed, unless of course you have copious amounts of water pouring in through the roof. in either case the roof is no great problem either. What you have is a $5,000 house that has 1300 sq feet of living space. this calculates out to 3.84 a sq foot and I'm here to tell you that you can't put up a pole barn for that price. If I were you I'd jack and brace the house so that it sets solid and somewhat near level. If you have to buy a couple of 20 ton hydraulic jacks and scrounge some oak 4x4's from the COOP that came in with freight mounted on them, so be it. Get yourself blocks and start jacking and bracing as you need. When everything is near level and solid so that you don't have more spring in your step than you can stand, wedge the sill plate to the foundation with hard wood wedges, then chink the cracks in the foundation and give it a good coat of mortar mix, use a chicken wire backing if you have to to support the mortar mix, paint the finished product and call that a solid air tight foundation that the mice can't crawl through. Total foundation costs, less than 500.00. and you learned a thing or two in the process, like you're not nearly as scared of spiders as you thought you were, and you know which way to go to get the bubble in the middle on the level. The next thing is the roof. If you have dormers and valleys, pan them and start putting a corrugated sheet metal rood on the house. Use roofing screws, not nails and get your roof weather tight, just don't fall off, cause that red Oklahoma dirt really can get into the pores when you hit the ground at terminal velocities. If you are afraid of height, Hire that part done, but don't put a high dollar roof on a base dollar house. You should be able to get the roof on there for around 3,000 to 3,500 dollars and so it looks a little like a hay shed until you can paint it what ever color you want. In the North East you will find brand new brick homes with corrugated metal roofs. They don't burn, hail doesn't destroy them, they don't leak, and they last about 50 years on the average, so what do you care what the guy across the street thinks, you've got a plan, right. Now let's talk about that 10,000 siding and window job. Hog wash and balder-dash. Your house would appear to require about 20 squares of siding and that is if you didn't have any doors or windows, which of course you do. I'll estimate that doors and windows would take up one whole side if they were all lumped together so lets say for example that you will need 15 squares of vinyl double 4 siding at 70.00 a square, just for starters. that works out to 1050.00 for siding, now you will need enough starter strip to go all the way around which should be about 150 running foot and an equal amount of cap strip plus a little for the gables and then the J channel to go around the doors and windows plus the cap strip under all the windows, and of course your inside and outside corners. You are probably all the way up to 1500.00 for siding. There are a few tricks to putting up vinyl siding but if you've ever spent any time around siding applicators, you will have figured out that it doesn't take rocket scientists to put the stuff on a house and make it look good. Why vinyl, cause all you need to hang it is a tape measure, large pair of tin snips, chalk line, a hammer, a level, some ladders, and a box of nails. Of course few wood butcher tools for where some wood things need to be addressed. The point I'm trying to make is that a good applicator crew will probably hang the siding for around 1,000.00 to 1500.00 and it will look good when they finish. Now lets stop for a minute and see where you are, 5,000 for the house and land, 500 for the foundation and blocking, 3,500 for a 50year roof and 2,500 to 3,000 for siding. You have spent 12,000 and have a 1300 sq ft house for 9.23 a sq foot. Paint and fix inside as necessary, to make it livable, stay warm and dry, get out of debt, save some money and then build what you really want. Don't run out and waste a bunch of money on trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear, or putting hard earned cash into a death trap, mobile money pit. You will be amazed what a little sheet rock, some drywall mud, and as much as I hate the stuff, some wall paper can do to make an old house look like a million bucks. As for the windows, replace the broken glass, peg and glue the sashes so that they are solid and will slide up and down, put on some Home Depot storms if you want, give them a good coat of paint and if they have a bad spot or two, body putty does wonders and when it is sanded and painted looks great. If it will hang onto the side of a car, it will darned sure hang onto a window sill. Now that I've put in my 2 cents worth, perhaps I can concentrate on my dominos tomorrow night. :-) Dale

Hello, I have a sliding glass door opening from the kitchen to the outside deck. Periodically I apply candle wax or bar soap to the track which makes the door glide along very smoothly. Unfortunately, its only a few days before the wax wears away and the door again becomes difficult to open and close. I plan to replace them with French doors next year but for now can anyone recommend a better way to keep the door gliding freely for a longer period of time? Thanks. Mike

Hi everyone, my question is, the house was built in 1920 we have a lot of outlets that aren't grounded and I would like changed. But my main concern is the breaker box. We do have one! but not everything has a breaker, there isn't one for the stove, and parts of the house aren't on it. Before we get into to much other work I'm wondering if this should be the first project? to upgrade the wiring, and make sure everything has a breaker?? I am afraid of fires mainly, there have been quite a few in my family's history, and one house was gutted from an electrical fire. advice?? suzie

TLC, the people who brought you TRADING SPACES, is seeking couples who need our help. If you or someone you know wants to gain control of their OUT OF CONTROL CLUTTER, "CLEAN SWEEP" will help. If you are a home owner in Southern California and have 2 rooms/spaces in need of rehab, we want to talk to you! 818-753-6183 cleansweep@...

I am installing a fill tube on our oil tank. I've been told I should use steel pipe for the fill tube but the vent could be PVC. Anyone know if that is true? I was thinking the vent tube of PVC may not handle the cold Northeast temperatures. Also, when I screw the steel pipe pieces together can or should I use the teflon tape for sealing? Thanks, Catphish

I would like the groups opinions on a decision I have made about my house. First a little background: it was built in 1920, and when I bought it I thought the major problems were doors, windows, and siding all of which I thought could be handled by myself and husband. Well as most of you know we are also going to have to replace the foundation, and I found out yesterday most of the roof, and eaves need replacing asap if not yesterday! The decision I have come to is that once I get my tiny mortage paid I should just bulldoze the house, and find a mobile home or another house to move in on the land. My reasoning behind this is I don't think that it would make sense to put all the money into a place that only appraised at $7000.00. I realize that doing the needed repairs would bring the appraisal up, but I don't think it would be enough to justify the cost. The older brick homes here in town generally won't be appraised above $15,000 so I don't think that we would even be able to get the value of our house up to 10k. Does anyone have any words of wisdom or otherwise about my decision? Laura in OK

I have installed a 36"x36" shower stall in our new bath. Need pointers on how to get the sheetrock to look right. The lip at the top of the shower causes the sheetrock to slope out about 1/4". Plus I have to big of a gap for just caulk on one side. Any pointer would be much appreciated. Robert

This has to be one of the stranger things that has happened! I have this space between my cabinets (and over my cooktop) where a stove hood should go - the perfect place for a microwave with an exhaust! I measured, I thought it would be fine....uh, not quite. Between the cabinets is a short, broad cabinet that would be at the top of the microwave. Well, it seems the microwave, if I put it in the way things are now, will be only a foot off the countertop! The short cabinet is too long! I was looking at the short cabinet; it seems to be nothing more than wood set between the two long cabinets. There is molding around the edges it, and the bottom of the short cabinet seems like it's just nailed into the two adjoining cabinets. I want to ask the experts here, do you think it's possible for me to take apart the bottom of the cabinet and shorten the cabinet to give me an extra 5-6 inches to install the microwave, and do this without taking all the cabinets down? I think if I could get something between the bottom of the cabinet and the one it's nailed to, I might be able to saw through the nails (which are thin with very small heads.) I also think I could cut the doors down to make them fit a smaller opening (by routing the edges.) Does any of this sound feasible? Help and advice, please! Debby

I was wondering if anyo ne has done this in there homes. I need some direction. how to get started and the like Thanks john

Hello all, I am planning on building a shed soon. I'm thinking 8'X10' with a slanted roof. With a slanted roof, I wouldn't have to make rafters or trusses or anything. I've seen smaller sheds with that type roof, but will it work for a bigger shed? Also, a friend of mine said it was cheaper to just buy the kit from one of the big box stores. Is that true? Anyone have plans for a simple shed (8'X10' or thereabouts)? Thanks, Roger.

Home Depot sells quality doors. The pricing and measuring guides are usually displayed in the kitchen design area. Sheresa

Hi there. Thank you for a great post Michael. I'll check out professional paint stores. I am upgrading my kitchen and need new kitchen doors. I took them off last summer and was just going to have my carpenter rout them and slap some molding on them, but he flaked out and had to surf or some God-forsaken thing. (This is one of the big reasons why I do things myself, btw. <grin kitchen cabinets since last June! I will just keep the cabinets. I just don't want to pay to replace them right now. They're OK. Wood. I was thinking of just buying (or letting a contractor buy)cabinet doors and install them (I'm a bit intimidated to install them myself, since we'll be moving them from front hinges to european hinges and then all have to be straight and look very good so I can re-sell the house, and I am NOT a very good detail person. Does anybody have a nice source for good-quality kitchen doors? Maybe cherry wood, maybe paintable. And has anybody ever seen wooden doors on white cabinets? Does it look really dumb? thanks, cat who is off to finish redoing her sprinkler system and is sorry that she can't spend more time online!

I'm thinking about adding a second bathroom to my house for convenience and house value. How big of a job is it to install a bathroom in the basement? There are two big pipes coming from the main floor bathroom that form a "V" into the basement cement that I assume are the drain from the toilet and the vent from the sewer going back up. Is this right? If so, could I just build a platform for a toilet and tap into this drain for waste?

I put a few drops of power steering fluid in the trans, 1999 ford ranger ... please, please, please tell me its no big deal ... thank you

I just found out that my condo has Qest pipe and that it was recalled. How do I go about getting this stuff replaced by the manufacturer? Thanks, Roger.

A few days ago I posted a note about a product that I was trying to locate. Red Devil stain (Red Devil Polyurethane varnish stain High Gloss) Well, after much searching and calling I finally found someone at the company who assured me that they did not make that any longer, in fact there is no more Red Devil stain of any sort. They recommended Min Wax. So tomorrow I'm off to find Min Wax to match the Honey Pine color that I have. Just thought I should post the rest of the story. Thanks for your help. As I get further into the remodel of my kitchen, I'll have more questions and I need all the help I can get. Sidney

BlankAnd the saga goes on .... (Quick recap: We have been getting huge amounts of rain here and our leach field has been under standing water for some time, resulting in very slow drainage from the toilet, bath tub, etc.) We finally caved and had the septic guy out today to empty the septic tank. It's a 1200 gal tank, and his truck holds 1500 ... and he ended up pumping out 1500 gallons because water was back-washing in from the leach field while he was pumping. So he filled up the truck and water was *still* gushing in from the leach field. I don't know if the leach field water finally filled up our septic tank again or not because he put the top back on and went his merry way. I am reluctant to take the top off and look, one, because my husband has a bad back and that is one heavy lid! and two, because I'm afraid we won't get it seated properly again. (BTW, he noted that there was very little sludge in the tank, probably because we had it pumped last May. What was there was almost all water.) So while he was working on it, he sucked the accumulated toilet tissue, etc out of the outflow line, and I flushed our toilet a few times, and that got that going okay. We had standing water in the bath tub and I asked him what to do about that, and he advised me to plunge it while he was there. Unfortunately, my husband has insisted for years that we didn't need a plunger (don't ask me why, I have never understood his reasoning about that!) so I didn't have one. I figured I would plunge it later and it would be okay. Well ... my DH bought a plunger on the way home tonight and tried to plunge the bath tub and the sink that has standing water in it, but it is NOT working. So how do we get the bath tub and sink to empty properly? I realize that the tank may be full of water again (sigh!), so that might be it. But I am also thinking that maybe there is a clog somewhere along the way, but I don't know enough about plumbing to know where that clog might be and what to do about it. Do we just need a more powerful plunger? DH bought the cheapest one they had, but now we are thinking that maybe the more expensive ones are more powerful or something. Or is it time to get out the snake? Or what? Any helpful ideas on this will be VERY gratefully received! Thanks!! Ann

I have carpet in my bathroom, underneath is ugly linoleum sheeting. I just got my bathtub replaced and re-tiled. The tub is an inch narrower so there is a gap between the tub and floor, that I could probably just put in a strip of wood. Can you put on those self adhesive linoleum squares down on top of old linoleum or do you have to rip it up? I really don't want to rip it up. Dawn

When I turn on my outside faucet, I notice a loud squealing noise inside my condo. Why is that? Thanks guys and I appreciate all the help with everything. Sincerely, Roger.

Hello, I need advise on what kind of dirt or fill is best to establish a slope away from foundation. In areas it slopes almost one foot towards the house. Had the inside taken care of - replaced old insulation(totally black with mold)and sheetrock with new. Before that hydrolic cement was applied to needy areas and then Dry-Lock applied. I devour all the knowledgeable messages. Thank you. Lucie

I have finished removal of lineolum and am ready to start laying the backerboard. My question is do I put a vapor barrier under the backerboard and if so what? I am planning to mud in the backerboard in order to take out imperfections in the floor. Does this sound like the way to do it? Any comments would be appreciated. Jim Byers

Hi all, Since I'm new to this group I wanted to introduce myself before I start asking questions. My name is Pat I added on a two story additon to my home about 20 years ago. Now both of my boys are away at college, and I'm wanting to eliminate their bedrooms so they can't move back home again. I'm joking of course, sort of. Our home is three bedrooms and my wife and I have decided to make the smallest bedroom into an office for me. I'm replacing the window and door casing, the baseboard and installing crown molding where there was none before. I'll be painting and adding chair-rail, and I want to put in rectangular moldings between the chair-rail and baseboard, but I don't know what it's called, other than wainscoting? I'm also removing the overhead light and replacing it with one or two recessed canister lights. My first question is...how much of a gap should I leave under the basedboard for the carpet? I'm guessing 1/2"? Next, what do I look for in "quality" recessed canister lights, and do I want the inside to be white, black or ?? I know I need to buy recessed lights for remodeling as opposed to lights for new construction, but any and all information will be appreciated regarding these lights. Last, I'd like to know what size to make the rectangular moldings and how to space them around the wall for the best appearance. Thanks Pat

Hello, I have been having problems with my gas water heater. Last night I looked at the burner while it was running and it was all orange and the flame looked "lazy." Sort of like a campfire! Also, the burner tips were cooked. When the burner shut off, I could see the the burner was baked pretty good and the ends were all cracked and crumbling. I know that the air/gas mix needs adjusting and it looks like from what I have read that the mix needs more air. Does the burner need replaced or just adjusted? Is this something that I can do myself, or should I have a pro do it? If I have step-by-step instructions on how to adjust the air mix, I feel confident in doing it myself. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks much, Roger.

I have an old swimming pool in my yard and cannot afford to redo it, since it will cost a fortune. I'd like to paint it charcoal (you know those black-bottomed pools?) and I'd like to glaze the now disgusting turquoise tiles along the top inside, maybe just a darker blue. Can I do this myself? Do you know where I can buy the paint? I suppose I'll have to drain it and steam clean it.... which isn't a huge problem. any tips would be welcomed with great enthusiasm and thanks. Hope that all of your projects are going well. I'm gardening my brains out and still trying to figure out how to inexpensively replace my kitchen doors (sigh). Been six months now with no kitchen doors... cat

You may want to download Ad-Aware or SpyBot and check your computer for spyware and data miners. Whenever I start getting spam that seems to corralate with what I have been surfing about, I always run a check for those. I usually have one or more when that happens. Kati

Are the rest of you getting spam from the "Construction Indusytry" or am I the only one so blest? This is about the only place I can think of whence such messages might get to me.

I have a question about basement flooding and drainage (with two to three possible solutions I'd like to get your opinions on) First the problem: Whenever it rains hard here (about 4 to 6 inches in a 12 hour period - it happened twice in November) one of my basement rooms gets about an inch of water (about 40 gallons vacuumed up from the wet-vac). What I know so far: This basement room is an addition to the existing basement and the floor slab is 6 inches lower than the rest of the old basement floor, but is physically separated by a foundation wall and not accessible to each other.(I have two ways to go downstairs). The water is coming out from the slab foundation joint at one corner where the foundation wall separates the old basement and the new basement. The foundation wall that separates them used to be an exterior wall, and the new basement room was an addition. What I think is happening: First, I think that the city drains are overflowing and backing up my perimeter drain and flooding asaturating the drain rock and soil around it with overflow rain water, thereby forcing the water to travel through the slab foundation joint as the water level rises. Second, I think that when the reno's were done, the permiter drain tile was not properly connected for some reason, or the new addition basement slab is 6" lower than the old basement slab, thereby the perimeter drain takes a 6" dip down at the transition point, thereby creating the breach/compromise. The solution(s) 1. I could dig up the perimeter of my house and do investigative work and replace and/or install new drain tile and drain rock and waterproof problem: very expensive and very disruptive 2. Install a sump pump problem: even more expensive and more disruptive 3. Use waterproof hydraulic cement and plug up the breach using something like Aquaplug problem: the water may just end up going to another part of my basement instead of containing it outside 4. Divert the rain water leaders away from the permiter drain by having them drain (above grade) into a drainage area away from the house problem: I could be dumping 1000 gallons of water into a small drainage area, which could cause a mini flood into my neighbours yard. The advice I already got: I talked to a drainage pro and he said it should be done "by the book" (solution 1 and 2)hmmm. Do you mean by YOUR POCKET BOOK???? He wanted to do the most drastic and most extreme by digging up the entire perimeter drain and reinstalling new big O and new drain rock and then install a new connection to the city sewer. This would mean breaking up the permiter concrete pathways, destroying the entire planting beds and ripping up my entire front yard. Cost: ohh, maybe $10,000, could be more, but your house will be dry and it'll by dry forever, and it'll last a hundred years, AND you'll be HAPPY (wooo hooo!!!). When I told him that was a bit excessive for me he got very defensive and insulted me and told me "Don't waste my f %$# ' n time if you don't want it done right." yes, he actually said that. This is verbatim Another pro said that using a concrete waterproofing agent (solution3)should do the trick if it only happens during the absolute heaviest rainfalls. I works for the vast majority of bsaement leaks and this is a prime candidate for this application. No comment was made when I told him if the water could migrate to the other areas of my basement The other method would be to divert the rain water to a catch basin or drainage area above grade (solution 4) and have the water drain down naturally through to groundwater and gravity instead of having it drain to the perimeter drain. Sorry for the long post, but opinions greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone... been here for a little bit (lotsa reading & learning), but this is my first post. Like you all to know that this group's been very helpful. My question is about log furniture. I'm going to start my first attempt soon. Been busy just getting material ready (peeling and sanding cedar). I'm fairly handy, but need to know how to secure the mortise and tenon joints where the logs join together? I've been to stores and websites and pretty thoroughly examined this type of furniture, but I can't see how the joints are secured. Are they just glued? I wouldn't think this would be very strong. Thank you in advance for any help. ECC

Jake gets on a plane one day & proceeds to his assigned seat. After several minutes, a stranger with a dog comes by & sits down next to Jake. After several more minutes pass, the stranger's dog gets up, walks toward the back of the plane, sniffs this elderly ladie's purse, comes back, & sits down next to his owner & hands his owner his left paw. Amazed, Jake asks the stranger," That was cool,sir, what did your dog just do?" The stranger then replied" My dog is a drug dog & that elderly lady is toating some marijuana." After a couple more minutes, the dog gets back up, walks back toward the back of the plane, sniffs an elderly man's jacket pocket, walks back to his owner, & hands his owner his right paw. Still amazed, Jake asks" That was cool, what did he just do now?". The stranger replies," That elderly man is toating crack cocaine.". Finally, the dog gets back up after a 30 minute nap, walks toward the back of the plane again, comes back to his owner, & takes a raunchy shit on Jake's shoe. Offended, Jake asks," Why in the hell did your dog just shit on my shoe ?". The stranger replied," Because there's a bomb !!!!"...

Just wanted to take this opportunity to say "Hi" to everyone & to thank you all for having me. I would also ask if you could bear with me for a little while. I'm new to this sort of thing & it will take me a little while to get used to the in's & out's of this. But again, thank you all for having me & I look forward to meeting & chatting with ya'll soon...Take care & God Bless... Your's Truely, ejs2070

Does anyone have any idea whether this is still manufactured? I have had this tiny can (8 oz) for a while, and I have no recollection of where I got it. But it is the perfect match for my kitchen cabinets. It can be used over a stained and/or varnished surface without having to strip the cabinet or sand it. The finish on some of my cabinets are in terrible condition (like the ones under the sink, and the ones I use most often) I really don't want to have to do ALL my kitchen cabinets so I want more of what is on there now! I have called and or been to WalMart, Lowes, Sherwin Williams, Home Depot, Tractor Supply (someone suggested that one to me - they thought I was nuts) and Ace Hardware. No luck. I've googled Red Devil but I can only find where they make painting tools. Not the stain. Do you knowledgeable folks have any clue as to what I should do?? Keep looking for red devil? Try to match this stain to another brand and if so what. I'm trying to avoid refinishing every cabinet in my kitchen and I don't want to strip them or sand them. Thanks in advance, Sidney

In a message dated 2/26/2004 5:32:11 PM Central Standard Time, mymail@... writes: Red Devil Paints and Chemicals 914-699-3311 Not sure if that will help or not. Michael Thanks, but that number is no longer in service :( Sidney

Hi-- I'm new to the group and live in the PacNW. What is a good siding for an older home (1940's +)? It has cedar shingles that are mostly cracked on two sides and LP on the other two sides (prior additions). Thanks,

Yes, that is actually my next project...solving world hunger issues. But I can only take on one large project at a time, so I guess for now it is just remodeling. To answer and comment: we have no basement under the house (but that will change after the renovation...we are sticking one under the addition we are putting on), we have an unattached garage, but the space between the house and garage is where all the work is going to be done. Our water heater is electric. Can the water heater be put outside? I would think if it rained, or something one would have problems. Moving on... We will have use of our existing bathroom for a while, in what I like to call Phase 5 of the construction, we will be taking it out to make room for the larger kitchen, but at least one of the new bathrooms should be up and running by then...key words here: should be. We were planning on doing a good part of the demolition; but that came under debate with all the overtime my husband is working. I can do a lot of it myself, however with some tips on what NOT to tear off from the contractor, or if worse comes to worse, I can sub it out to my sister-in-laws out of work boyfriend (he does good work for cheap). I will have to use hubby's folks' washer and dryer for a while, and showering, but I am thinking more of hygiene as well as dishes. I supposed we could spend the extra money on plastic and paper tableware and wash any pots and pans next door. I spoke with a friend of mine whose father and brothers run an electrician/plumbing business and she gave me some pointers as well as a time frame to call and schedule them. So, that is where I am at today. Thanks for the advice, Michael. Kati

Hello all, We put a new bathroom in the basement for our daughter who lives with us and going to Nursing school. Its so nice, I want it for me, Oh well. The situation is when one person is taking a shower and someone starts the dishwasher or washing machine, the person in the shower goes into shock. Is there something we can put in the waterline to prevent the temperature shock we have happening. Thanks, From the woman who only showers now when no one else is home! Lisa

Hi all, Well after much thought and research, we finally went in and applied for our construction loan. Now my once uninterested husband is now very interested in what will be happening with the house after the loan approval. So, as married couples do, we have reached a stalemate on a few decisions. First of all, we will be living in the home while the renovation/addition is being done. We will be doing some work ourselves. Here is the tricky part: in the first stages of construction, we will have to basically tear two rooms (one bedroom and what we call the back room) off down to the foundation and start over with their construction. I think I mentioned before that the previous owners did a poor job when adding these two rooms on. Now, the back room has in it: washer & dryer, water heater, fuse/electric box, kitchen table & chairs, filing cabinets, and our two computers on their respective desks. Also on the exterior of the existing addition is our power/gas meter, and our phone line is connected out there as well. So, my husband thinks it will not be worth the trouble to move and reconnect the water heater and fuse box for use while construction is being done for a few weeks or months to that end of the house. Keeping in mind that we have four germ breeding boys, I think that hot water is a necessity. He says that we can go right next door to his parents house to take showers So my questions are: 1. Has anyone else run up against this problem and what was done? 2. Is it worth the trouble? And why? Thanks a bunch! Kati

Am remodling a kitchen and need advice about new flooring. House built in the early 50's and has a lineoleum floor covering with vinyl tile under that. We would like to put down laminate or tile but the floor has ridges where some of the floor joists are and also seems to be a little springy. Anyone have any ideas if these floors will work in this situation and if not, what to do to fix it where we can use one of these floors?

I have a house that was built in the 1930's and it has ungrounded outlets. I need to rewire the whole house and want to upgrade to a grounded system. The fuse box has been replaced with a newer breaker type by another owner, and I've already installed new wires to the bathroom. I'm confused about how to properly wire a switch. I understand how to wire an unswitched grounded outlet, but I'm unsure about switches. I'm using a voltmeter to test for output, and I'm concerned about which wire to cut in order to route to the switch. I'm guessing that you wire the light/outlet just as if it had no switch, the cut one wire and route it to a switch. The question is which wire do you cut and how do you tell for sure if you have the colors correct. I think the bare is ground, white is netural and black is hot and I'm guessing the black should be cut to route to a switch. Also, I'm guessing that switches are not grounded. Can someone plz give me some simple instructions on this? Thanks, KarlJay.

My wife wants me to replace the vertical blinds on our patio door. The door is surrounded by brick. The old ones kept pulling out of the brick even though they used plastic wall anchors in the mortar joints. I am thinking of putting up a piece of 1x3 onto the surface of the brick. I would then use wood screws to hold the brackets for the blinds to the wood. My only concern is that I will only be able to use 3/4" long wood screws. Has anyone else ever faced this problem? Am I better off just drilling into the mortar and skipping the wood part? I seem to have trouble drilling into the mortar and keeping all the brackets perfectly in line, hence the wood idea, since it is easier to drill into. Thanks in advance. Dave Dazer

I'm new here. It's my first post. Does anyone have a good idea for making your own can crusher. I'd like one to mount on wall by the container we put the cans in. Thanks ahead of time Nancy

Thanks, Michael, it makes me feel better to know that other places have a similar problem. (But what do you DO until spring thaw?? Right now we are on Navy showers, flushing only "when necessary," and going to the laundromat instead of using our washer! And just forget about the dishwasher. Aaaargh!) Luckily, I have an official diagram (from the county) of our leach field installation, etc, and the installer's name may be on that. If not, well, I will just have to start making phone calls. I just am reluctant to do that ... it has been my experience with all this house renovation stuff that I have to make about 10 phone calls on any one subject to get reliable info from contractors here of any sort. They hear a female voice on the line and immediately see visions of $$$ dancing in their heads. ;) So I make my 10 phone calls and from that, pick out the bits of useful information! Oh, well, time to pick up the phone, I guess. Thanks! Ann

Greetings one and all!. My name is Michael and have been lurking here for awhile and learning a good deal. My dad's electric hot water heater leaks from the pressure release valve soon after it is turned on. No changes have been made to the thermostat since its installation about three years or so ago and the temperature seems not unusually hot. My main questions are: Is the valve subject to such failures and can the valve be replaced or will the tank have to be replaced? Until I get to look at it tomorrow I am assuming that a piece of sediment is causing the valve not to seat properly enough so that when the tank is off it does not leak but may be causing it to open prematurely as the water heats up. Is this likely? Thank you, Michael

you seem to like to really get into it,heh,heh. Myself, i would just put up greenboard and paint it. But you can also use Blue board or cement board and then put a skim coat of regular lime plaster,,it would be a lot easier and faster than wire lathe and you.ve still got the look.

In a message dated 2/22/2004 7:35:34 AM Central Standard Time, firemike1016@... writes: As for the differences, I really don't know that, but I imagine a web search may get you your answers. Good Luck Michael Thanks for the info on granite. I have searched the web and I haven't found too many notes where folks who have actually used either Zodiaq or Avanza or Silestone have commented on their experiences. I did consider granite and the prices have really dropped recently. I just think it is more subject to stain than either corian or the faux quartz surfaces. And I gleaned that from the web. I'm hoping others will chime in with more info! Thanks again, Sidney

HI,I AM NEW SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.MY NAME IS LLOYD AND I AM IN THE MIDST OF REMODELING A BATHROOM.ANY HELPFUL HINTS ON PLUMBING THE STOOLS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.NEED TO PLUMB OR WOULD LIKE TO PUT BOTH ON ONE LINE IF POSSIBLE.THANKS........LLOYD

I have nine windows on a new addition and want to build shutter type folding window covers. I need information on how to...books, experience etc

Hello I am new here and need some help/advice. Why can't you put aquaboard in the bathroom tub surround? Has anyone done this and had it worked out? I can't get a contractor to come in and put this stuff up. I trued myself and screwed up with the cutting, so I thought I would call someone to do it and no one will. Thanks Dawn

BlankDoes anyone know anything about leach fields for septic tanks? Our leach field is located in the field in back of our house, and it has been behaving very well until the last couple of days. We had the septic tank pumped and tested back in May when we bought the place, and it passed with no problem. Also, the tank and leach field are only 6 years old. However, we have been having massive amounts of rain here, and the leach field is in very heavy clay, and there are standing puddles on top of the leach field area ... and suddenly our toilet and bathtub don't want to drain properly. This is a short term problem, obviously (as you can imagine!!) but I am more concerned about the long term. It seems to me that we need to either regrade that area so that water runs away from the leach field, or else put in some drains or a swale or similar to carry water away from that area. But obviously, I don't want to go hacking around on our leach field without proper guidance. So who should I talk to about this? The same people that pumped the tank? I don't think they were exactly experts, if you know what I mean. I *could* call the county and ask them, but I am extremely reluctant to let them get a whiff of any problems with our septic system ... I just don't want to go there with officialdom, if you also know what I mean!! Anyway, if anyone has experience with this and can suggest short or long-term solutions, and also maybe an idea about the sort of expert I should talk to around here about this problem. Many thanks! Ann

Another brand that I've heard of is Zodiaq which I believe is similar to the Silestone. Has anyone had any experience with it? thanks again, Sidney

I am really not a total do it yourselfer, but I don't hire a consultant designer to do remodeling. I do the wallpaper and painting myself, the drapes etc, myself. I am planning a kitchen remodel. I will not be able to install countertops myself but I am in a quandry as to what is the best for me to buy. What is the difference betweekn Silestone and Avanza? Has anyone had any experience with either? Would I be better off with Corian? I am looking at a dark, not solid black but close to solid black counter top. Any advice or instruction would be appreciated. Thanks, Sidney

Does your local Home Depot have a tool rental? Get a floor sander and a shop vac, sand the floor, attend one of their weekend tile clinics and tile it yourself. It's not hard. It is true that the self-leveler will not stick to paint. At this point, you may feel better about going to a non-Home Depot tool rental to get the sander, and a non-Home Depot flooring supplier to get the materials. (You can go to the HD tile install clinic even if you buy your materials elsewhere; they have no large man standing there going "so you didn't buy your tile here, huh?") I certainly wouldn't blame you. (This coming from a guy who wears an orange apron 40 hours a week.) The curious thing: Here's how a Home Depot tile installation is supposed to work. You go to the local HD and pay them $30 for a "measure." The tile guy comes out, sees how much tile you'll need and determines any extra work--like sanding off the old paint--that is going to be needed. From this you get an estimate on the total install cost ("estimate" being industry slang for "price"). If the price is okay to you, you go back to the Home Depot, pick out your tile, give them more money and three guys with tile installation materials show up on your doorstep in a very few days. Why the measure wasn't done I have no idea. -- --jmowreader

The wood and wood-like plastic is called corner moulding. The clear plastic is called corner protector. Both work well. -- --jmowreader

Hello Group, I'm getting ready to add on to my house in Carlsbad California. Situation: Older home, Single story wood frame with stucco built around 1960. Built on slab foundation. Problem(s): There is no clean-out at the end of the drain run. Best I can figure is to bust into the wall where the tub is. It is at the rear of the house and is my best guess of where the end would be. There is no clean-out there or at the front of the house. I need to tap into the drain and run the line both to the add-on and also onto a accessory building way in the back. Yes, I think I have enough elevation drop to accomplish this. Request to the group: Has anyone ever done this before? What should I be doing? What should I NOT be doing? Kevin

I've knocked chunks out of the corners of my drywall with the vaccuum cleaner, etc. and now there are patches of metal (from the corner bead?) showing through. I've tried putting spackling over it, but i just can't get a smooth, round corner like the rest of the wall. Are there any tips or techniques for doing this better?

Blank. I want to build some raised beds to grow vegetables, and I'm trying to figure out the most economical way to do it. I have a line on some *free* doug fir boards -- 2x4, 2x6 & 2x8 -- and I am wondering how long they would last if used to build raised beds. I am assuming that plain old doug fir wouldn't have lots of chemicals in it like the pressure-treated stuff. I've got lots of leftover latex paint, so I could paint them if that would help them to last longer. I know that redwood or even cement blocks would last the longest, but *free* is hard to pass up! Does anyone know how long these boards might last? It gets very wet here in the winter, so they would be wet more or less continuously for about 4 months of the year. Thanks! Ann

Our hot water, oven, and heat are all run by gas... recently, our gas bill has been higher than normal, and I thought it was just the extra use of our heater, but now I'm starting to wonder... my wife said she had a "bonfire" effect on the burner (all orange flames, no blue) and the hot water seems to be hotter than normal, even though we turned down the heat level on the water heater... is it possible that there's a gas pressure problem or something? Any suggestions would be helpful.

Hello, I am planning a small shed. It would be fairly cheap to build, but the biggest expense looks like it will be siding. T1-11 is $24/sheet. I don't need anything as heavy as T1-11 for this shed. I'm wondering if I could just use 7/16 OSB, primer and paint it, then trim it in a complementary color. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Thanks, Roger.

I have a lot of plates to hang and want to hang them individually and not on racks. The plate hangers are upwards to $2.00 each and I don't really have the kind of money it takes to hang about 40 plates. Does anyone know how to make homemade plate hangers? Lynita - Atlanta

The time has come, the walrus said,... No, that's not it.... The time has come to replace my current HVAC system, which consists of aging electric baseboard heat and window unit AC. I'm considering going for a SDHV (small diameter high velocity) system, since the ductwork would be easier to run thru the existing structure. Does anyone here have any experience with this sort of system? I've never actually seen it used for heating, only AC. Some details, in some sort of order: I have a 1 1/2 story house with a full basement (unfinished). The upper floors are fully insulated (fiberglas). I'd like install service for all three levels, in part to help combat the high humidity we get here in North Carolina. I'd also like to have the registers in the ceiling of the first floor, but since the second floor is finished I'd like to run the supply ducts through the behind- the-kneewall space. And that would require running two separate supply ducts up from the basement, one through each of the two bedroom closets. Closet space is always at a premium, so I'd like to keep everything as small as possible. Thanx Buck

okay guys she's gone..................LETS PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone out there have Alside windows? If so what do you think. We are getting estimates for the windows and they seem to have a good product, but you just never know. Thanks Joe Shutte

I priced the roof for an aluminum screen pourch at home depot. 4.26 a sq ft. I am thinking I can build nicer and maybee a bit cheaper with wood. Has anyone done this?

MY HUSBAND AND I ARE REMODELING OUR KITCHEN, PIECE OF CAKE WE THOUGHT,BUT SOON WE FOUND OUT, NOT AT ALL.I FELL IN LOVE WITH A PIECE OF GRANITE, WHICH HE DIDN'T WANT ME TO GET, HE SAID ' WE DONT KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH IT, BUT I HAVE READ THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PAINT IT WITH THE PROPER FINISH AND LOVE IT., SOON I FOUND OUT I BROKE THE 3X12'PIECE OF SLAB, RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT I CAN GLUE THE TWO PIECES, TOGETHER, THEY MATCH EXACLY OF COURSE, I WANTED TO MOUNT IT ON A COUPLE OF WOODEN BASE CABINETS, ONE TWO FEET DEEP AND THE OTHER 3 FEET DEEP AND SORROUND THEM ON A WOODEN FRAME OR EDGE.DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW TO JOIN THE PIECES, THEY OF COURSE DIDNT BRAKE ON A PERFECTLY STRIGHT LINE, BUT PRETTY CLOSE TO IT. PATRICIA

Hi, A while back I came across the website of a company that makes pre-formed arches. They even do custom arches based on dimensions you send them. I thought I bookmarked the page but it seems I didn't. Does anyone know of companies that do this? Mike

Thanks, Dale, I'll show this to my husband. I'd been wondering about preventive maintenance, and (altho nobody likes to think of this.....) what to do if repairs become necessary. Connie =============================================================== It would seem to appear that these units are gaining acceptance here in the U.S. and that their greatest enemy is the lime deposits that build up over time. Back in the dim and ancient past, water towers and heat exchangers for large AC units had the same problem, and I make some real good money with a small circulating pump that I put together. The pump was plastic with a stainless steel shaft and I made a 3 gallon acid tank out of some 4 inch plastic fittings. I would install two valves so that I could attach the pump lines and circulate Muriatic acid through the heat exchanger until the lines were cleaned out. If and when I go to a tank less system I will install a pair of valves so that the tank can be isolated and a second set of valves so that I can attach a circulating pump setup and then circulate acid through the system until the lines are clean. I have also done several whole house circulation jobs to clean out lime deposits but that takes several jumpers at all of the faucet hook ups and then the acid solution is circulated from the cold through the hot and around the entire system. It takes a while and several gallons of acid but is a bunch cheaper than replacing the plumbing in the entire house. The lime will neutralize the acid over time and fresh acid will need to be added or changed. When all is finished, the lines will need to be thoroughly flushed and restored to the normal hook-up, but it works. The water that comes out looks like milk because it is so full of dissolved lime. I have also recovered regular HW heaters using an acid flush. There is an area in North Dakota where the lime is so bad that a HW heater needs to be replaced about once a year, and I've seen the build up in a washing machine so severe that the space between in inner and outer tub was a solid block of soft limestone. This was however the worse case of lime I've ever encountered. I filled a five gallon bucket with the lime from between the tubs, and when you squeezed the drain hoses is sounded like you were breaking glass in the inside. Dale

How do I get a lien taken off my property? A contractor put a lien on my house and took me to court. I won the case, but he never took the lien off. What is the point of winning a case in court if he still has the lien? This issue is holding up the closing on my refinance. Thanks much, Roger.

Dale, What is your opinion on water softners? Recently sold my house and am looking for another. Had the MIL with me....Saw one house with a rose bathtub and mineral deposts. MIL made the comment that they needed a water softner. I never thought about them having a purpose except to make me feel slimy and not rinsed after a shower. Sheresa

I don't know if OK has this or not, but there is a program called FAIR plan insurance for hard to insure homeowners. Each state mandates their own program. I am not sure the cost either, but it may be worth checking into for your wood stove. Kati

Hi Laura, I used to install custom shower enclosures for a living. The vast majority of shower doors are either tempered or laminated glass, not Plexiglas or Lexan. The tempered glass cannot be cut. The laminated (like a car windshield) can be cut, but you would have to take it to a glass shop. This is not the kind of glass that you want to try cutting yourself. It is VERY tricky. If the plexiglas is 1/16 or 1/8 inch thick, score and snap it like Michael said. If it's 3/16 or 1/4 inch material, do like the other replies said and cut it with a Roto-zip, Dremel, or jigsaw. Look at the four corners of the glass from both sides for a small stamp that says "tempered" or "safety glass". If the material is textured, it is usually on the smooth side. The stamp should be there if it's glass, because it's required by law. Also, check the thickness of the material that you are removing from the french doors. If you remove 1/16 thick material, and replace it with 1/4 inch stuff, than it either might not fit without milling the glass stops, or the door itself and/or hinges might not be able to handle the added weight without sagging. I hope this helps. Stuart

We're decorating a nursery for our baby (due in May). We really like the idea of have her name spelled out in wooden letters to hang on the wall with ribbons. I've seen these for as much as $20/letter. It seems like it would be an easy project to do myself much cheaper. Does anyone know where I can get patterns for letters in a variety of styles? TIA

My wife and I bought a house that has textured popcorn ceilings. There are several areas that need to be repaired. What is the best way to replace the popcorn texture after I repair an area? The taping is coming off in some of the corners and we are trying to fix them. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Catphish

I am going to remove the shower doors from my tub this week and was wondering can the plexiglass in them be used to replace the glass in a set of French doors? I have a wonderful old pair of French doors that seperate my kids rooms but some of the glass is missing. I was thinking that since the shower doors are textured plexiglass it would give them a little more privacy, and be harder to break than the glass in the doors now. If I use this how do I cut the plexiglass, is there a special saw blade that I will need? Or should take my measurements and try to get the local hardware store to cut it for me? Also on the subject of heating suggestions I am a big fan of wood burning stoves, and really miss the one I had but I would suggest that before anyone replaces there current heating system with one they call their home owners insurance and check what it will do to there policy. I was thinking about getting one for our current home but it would have doubled our insurance payment every month! That came out to $1200.00 a year and in the long run would have cost alot more than even the outrageous estimate you were given to replace your current system. Laura in OK

Hello, I just recently bought a home out in the country and I am on well water. After we moved in I realized that we have NO water pressure on the hot water side. The cold water side is fine, but it takes 2 hours just to fill the bath tub up for a bath. This is the same in both bathrooms. I have replaced the faucets in one bathroom to see if that was possibly the problem but it did not help at all. There must be a solution to this and I would appreciate any help I can get on this issue. Oh, BTW, the well and pump were both checked by a professional and deemed "in good working order" Thanks, Teresa

Hey guys i have a question, does anyone know a recipe for making chalkboard paint by the gallon? I found a recipe online but it was using around a cup of paint and we're trying to cover a wall about 9'hx 10'w . any help will be..........hmmm....helpful :)

are there any members in this group from wisconsin?

I wanted to thank everyone who responded to my request for suggestions about heating. You all have such good ideas and you have helped me figure out a long-term (one year) plan. I'm going to pick up another space heater today, and hope that we can get through the remaining weeks of this winter. When spring comes, we will have the wiring upgraded and then we will gradually install electric baseboard heaters. They are common here and no more expensive than paying a gas bill and an electric bill. When winter arrives next year, we will have saved for a wood/pellet burning stove. We will use that as much as possible and only use the baseboard heat when necessary. Thanks, again! Suzanne

Does anyone have any experience with the Rinnae water heating system? I'm building a lake cabin in Eastern Oklahoma. Space is really at a premium in the small cabin. If I could avoid a tank water heater that would be great, but I don't want to invest in a system that won't work well. I'm also wondering if installation is something I could do myself. thanks kl

Hi everyone! I am Carolynne and am new to this group. DH and I just bought our 1st home about 7 months ago and we are in the process of trying to fix it up. Our house was built in 1953 and has great bones. It has not been updated for a long time though. Structurally and mechanically it is sound, but It is lacking some more modern convieniences and updates. Basically everything looks as it did in the 50s! My question is this. I have the original tile in my main bath. It is gray and yellow with a very small multi sized tile floor of the same colors. Th tile and floor itself is in great shape, so I was wondering if instead of replacing them if maybe I could paint over them instead? I have seen a few different ways to prime the tile for this and was wondering if anyone has ever done this before and what worked for them. I was also wondering if you had any experiences with painting tile floors? I figured I would try to prime it, paint it and then poly over it. Do you think this would wear ok? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Carolynne

We want to build a courtyard entrance to our home to add some privacy to the front of the house. We are thinking of using 8" block and then stucco over the block wall, the wall will be approx. 6' high. The longest run of straight wall will be about 25 feet. Any suggestions on how wide and deep the footer for the wall should be? We live in east central Mississippi so there is really no hard freeze to worry about. Just lots of water when it rains. Thanks -- Bill & Lee Ann Chmelik With Dexter, Roxanne, Sugar, Toby and Spike In East Central Mississippi ICQ 286-124-676

Hi, all. We were just told that there is a major crack in our heat exchange and that the furnace can't be repaired and must be replaced. ($7,395.00) Well, we don't happen to have that "lying around" and don't want to borrow at this point. We need some suggestions on purchasing heating systems. We don't want anything with an open flame. Also, our house REALLY needs rewiring, so we need something that is going to be effective and still be easy on the circuitry. Suzanne, in brrrrrrr..... North Carolina

I'm about to order carpeting & have a question: If you picture a piece of unpatterned cut pile carpet like a compass & are installing it all pointing north, I know you can't also lay it pointing east &/or west because it has a nap to it. However, CAN YOU ALSO LAY SOME PIECES POINTING SOUTH? I'm asking this because I have pie shaped stairs & can save on purchasing several square yards of carpet if I can install alternate pieces upside down. While I know there is a nap from side to side, I don't know if the nap also goes up & down. Thanks for your help! Val in CA

I think I'm going to take on the install of a floating laminate floor in the kitchen as a DIY task. I'm wondering if there are any tips and tricks I should think about before undertaking this. Specifically, I'm concerned about how well the flooring will deal with spills (I have small kids), pets (big dog) and chairs (lots of sliding across the floor). Also, I'm confused about which direction is best to install the planks -- along the long run of the room or across the width. Any other tips would be appreciated! - Steve

Thank You Michael, I will post measurements and pictures later, have a houseful of kiddos at the moment and don't have much time. Thank you for the welcome! Tammie Hi Tammie! Welcome to the group. There are lots of good people here that are willing to help you. When you get ready, post some pics and tell us what you want, there will be someone to help. And if we don't know an answer we'll make one up!! :-) Just kiddin' Just let us know what you want, what youo have to work with, and any other pertinant info, (the more accurate the info you give, the more accurate answers you will get.) Good luck to you and your husband! Michael

you have a "fixer-upper". the thing you have to decide is whether you want to borrow umpteen more money to tack onto another mortgage and prepare yourself for "mortgage slavery" OR do you want to do most of the work yourself? thereby eliminating "mortgage slavery" if you opt for the second alternative there will be a lot more money to go around for what you want to add to your house. a lot you can learn on your own and somethings,like electrical you may want to farm out. the thing to remember is "do not be distressed" because as you go along on your efforts you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish. there is plenty of imformation available in "how to" books and you can get a lot of that from a library. the library provides several books on the same subject and you should read all of them and not just one,,,, and its all for free. what are your thoughts on this?

Some of you may be following my window replacement saga so I thought I would give an update. We talked to the folks at Champion and got a qoute from them. Go ahead and sit down. We only have 4 windows, and want the front door with sidelight, and patio door replaced. $5400! And that was after all his discounts and such. When we first started it was $4600 just for the windows. I about fell out of my chair. We only have 4 windows. 47 x 47 each. So we are still looking. More to come. I was wanting to start learning about basement finishing and was wanting to pick up a couple books to read. What are some good ones to get? Thanks Joe Shutte

Hello everyone. I have been a member for a little bit, but mostly a lurker. The reason I joined is because we are getting ready for a big remodel/addition/renovation.....if we can get approved for the construction-to-permanent loan. This is our only option of fixing this house (long story...bad mortgage company) that has something new wrong every day from the previous owner's half-reared rigging through the majority of the house. (Just last night a light fixture from what we call the Back Room just fell out of the wall and was hanging from the ceiling by its wires, out of the blue. Don't even get me started on the plumbing, wiring, drywall job the inadequate roof pitches, an "addition" put on 20 years ago, lack of professional duct work, breakers AND fuses.... ) We will also be adding on so our four boys have more room to grow. Here are my questions: 1. Has anyone here had this type of loan and what did/do you think of it? 2. Has anyone hiring a contractor also been acting contractor and done some work yourselves (drywall, cabinets, etc.)? 3. Will everyone give off some good vibes (prayers or whatever you believe in) in the next few weeks when we apply for the loan (end of the month or first week of March)? 4. Any advice, assuming we get the loan? Thanks Kati

Thanks one and all,Jim,nailbender and Dale,for the advice.This certainly help me make the right decision.What a great group.

OK Dale since you are semi- retired and will take on jobs such as rewiring a house do you live anywhere near OK, and want to bid a job? The contractors around here will only take on weekend work if it is bid through the company they work for, at their prices. This seems to be the only way they are insured while working. Laura in OK

Hi all, This past weekend, I eliminated the remaining old (corroded) water pipes in my 100-year old house with CPVC. I replaced the run from the cold water shut-off to the water heater, and from the water heater to the new hot water CPVC pipes going to various areas of the house. Now that I've done this, the water tastes (and smells) like plastic. Does anyone know how long this will last? Just curious. On a related note, we have noticed decreased water pressure since the change. My 3/4" water lines were corroded down to 3/8", so I can understand how we lost pressure going to a full 3/4" pipe again. Any suggestions for re-gaining water pressure? I would even consider adding a pressure tank if it is advisable. Thanks, Shane

On a related note to my previous post, I found that my electrical panel was being grounded to the cold water pipe as it made its way to the water heater. Since that pipe would be replaced with CPVC, I ran conduit to the water main (which is copper until it's converted to CPVC about 3 feet off the ground) and grounded a 6# solid wire to that. Just wanted to check my homework with the electrical experts we have here. Sound good? Thanks, Shane

Hello all, I have a table that is wobbly. I do not want to get a new one at this time and want to make the one I have more stable. I have uploaded pics (in an album called Roger's table) of the underside of it. There are two of the 2X4 connections that attach to the table. The top is made of particle board and covered with laminate. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Roger.

I bought a house about 6 months ago that was built in the late 40's. I would like to update the receptacles to the three prong grounded type,a electrician friend of mine told me to replace the old two prong ones with GFI'S but he didn't go into any details.His answer seems to be to simple. I don't mind the added cost of the GFI'S as long as I get a proper grounded receptacle.Can anyone give me some advice since my knowledge of electricity is somewhat basic? Thanks.My email add. is sawboss93@... or I'll ckeck the message board for any answers.

We are turning an upstairs HUGE closet into a bathroom. Since there is no heat in there, i bought a Heater/Fan/Light/Nighlight that goes in the celing. My question is: Is it okay to run the exhaust up into the attic for now? (the bathroom ceiling is the attic floor) It is a big unfinished attic with plenty of ventilation btw. Being that its winter we really dont want to cut a hole in the roof but i would like to get the heater/light hooked up and going. Betty

I am just curious and thought someone here might be able to help me. My wife and I have been looking at house plans, thinking about having a house built. In a large number of plans for these homes I have noticed that the designer has put big walk in closets in the master bathroom. I am just wondering with them being in the bathroom, would we stand a chance of having a mold problem from steam coming from the shower? Does anyone in the group have closets in the master bathroom and have you ever had a problem with it? The floor plan we like has this type of closet. What could I do if I went with this floor plan that I could be sure that the moisture would stay out?

Try using "woodworking projects" in your favorite search engine. Also, do a search for "plywood associations". Those guys like to sell plywood after all and like to come up with projects for consumers to effect those purchases. I have seen plans in the past which included features like wind baffles so that the animal is more protected, removable roofs for cleaning, and provisions for a heat source under the floor for some comfort in colder climates. Hope you are never sent to stay in it yourself for bad behavior though! Good luck! Joe Southern Conn. Bureau

Hi, Group! Anyone out there know a link that has plans for building a doghouse? I can do it from scratch, but why invent the wheel? Any help is appreciated. Hugh

I'll send you step-by-step instructions privately to turn off the spam filter. Winnie K9Castle@...

my name is travis and i just bought a new home. i want to build a brick barbeque for all the parties we are going to have, however, i dont even know where to begin. any ideas or suggesetions besides "buy bricks" would be greatly appreciated. thank you.

Thanks for all the help with the circut breaker questions. I will play with it today and tommorrow and have will get new one if needed. Appreciate the help. Sincerley, Lisa

Hello, Have been lurking for awhile and am enjoying reading all the posts. Have just moved into a house built in the early 50's and am remodling the kitchen and bathroom. Am also adding a new central heat and air system and that's where I need help. Am looking at 3 units. The first is a Carrier 80 efi gas furnace with a 12 seer ac. The second is a Rheem 90+ gas furnace with a 12 seer ac. The last is a Rheem heat pump with a 12 seer ac. Live in southern Arkansas where winters are fairly mild and summers are very hot.Any suggestions regarding these units would be appreciated.

Yup, you can't fool us anymore, Dale! The word is out -- you're a very nice guy! :) Very important -- make sure the homeowners take LOTS of very sharp photos of what is wrong *before* you get started working on all this. In addition, if they can get a video camera, you should walk through the house with them and do a narrative of all the things that are wrong. They should take that unscrupulous contractor to court! (If they don't want to hire a lawyer, they could go to small claims court -- the limit in most states is several thousand dollars and they could get back at least part of their money.) With the photos and your testimony, I'll bet they could get back a lot, if not all, of what they spent with him. I hate to see bad guys get away with things just because nice people are too scared to confront them. Ann

Hi. I'm Beth, new member. I've been reading for a few weeks, enjoying all the information from the emails. I get it in digest form and it is hard to believe the expertise in this group. I'm a single mom with a fairly big house, I've had my brother and sister-in-law's family living with me until last week. They have moved out and I am ready to reclaim my home! And there is a lot to do! Tonight I got ambitious and ripped out the carpet in the master bedroom. I'm finishing up taking out the staples and wood around the perimeter. I plan to 1) vacuum real well 2) swiffer 3) try to get some of the stains off 4) wash with some sort of Murphy's-type product 5) save any real sanding and polyurethane coating until I have some more money! Does anyone have any suggestions? My neighbor said to use mayo on the stains. Mayo? I'll dream of BLTs! Thanks for your input! Beth from Delaware

In the home we bought there are 2 prong plug ins throughout. We want to change them to 3 prongs. Is this safe for us to do, or do we need an electrician? Also, I have a wall heater in one room that needs to be painted. What type of paint would be best and do I have to remove the wall heater to do this?

I caulked the space between my tub and the fiberglass shower liner on Dec 28th. of last year ( i can remember the exact date because it was the first night we stayed here). I read all the tubes and made sure it was for the shower, the instructions for using, and let it cure the required 24 hours. Now it is coming OFF and letting water get back in behind the liner. Any suggestions on how to solve this so I am not having to repeat this process every 6 weeks or so? What I mean by between is around the bottom with the caulk touching both the tub and liner. Laura in OK

Just added a table to the database for recommended books. I'm in the process of buying a home that will require a fair amount of work and I'm hoping to gather a great list of books and guides as well as bounce ideas off the members of this great community! Thanks for any help! Yours, Chris M

Morning all, last week I layed tile on my outside walkway and got some smudges of versabond on the top of my tiles. I tried to use a razor to scrape off what I could, but I am still left with some that I cannot get off. what would you suggest to remove it from the top of the tile

Could someone let me know if a circut breaker could wear out? It sounds like a dumb question I know. No others trip and we have tried in vain to overload others to try out the theroy. I feel silly asking this as I have done so many other projects but hey, I have read and seen great help among this group. This house will take me forever, I have a bad back and sometimes I feel just prepping the walls to paint takes forever. At least I am getting a room done at a time. By the time its paid of on about 10 years, I should be done, LOL Thanks, Lisa

I just have to get this out! We're almost done with remodel