Do it yourself

Last night I caught part of a DIY program. They were finishing a sunroom. The floor was cement. They put 2x4's spaced about 6" apart on the cement floor running vertically. Then applied tounge and grove wood flooring over the 2x4's running horizontally. Would something like this work on a cement basement floor? We are thinking about adding living area, apartment, to a basement and the floor is a concern. It is dry...but, cement will always hold that moisture and have that 'damp' feel. I am hoping that there is some of you that have tackled basement floors and will share your techniques, postive and negative. Barb~

* have not received any posts since signing on a couple of days ago... Can that be checked out for me so that I will receive individual e-mails. *Kohler Faucets; We installed all Kohler faucets (for the kitchen and 2 bathrooms). Over the past 5 years about every 6 months...something springs a leak! The company is wonderful to deal with. We just call them with the item #'s, etc. and they have a new part to us quickly, (2-3 days usually). Also, we have discovered that we cannot buy the replacement parts at our local hardwares, or even Lowes, where we purchased the products. We have decided that we will not use this brand in the future because of this inconvience. Barb~

I'm looking at a Kohler catalog for a kitchen faucet. The book says "if a dishwasher is installed next to your sink, one hole needs to be reserved for a vacuum breaker on the faucet deck". I have no idea what they're talking about. I currently have a double sink with a single handle faucet. I run soft water through this one, and I have a seperate water dispenser next to the faucet for unsoftened water. I do know that when I run the dishwasher, which "is" next to the sink, I have water backing up into the sink, so I suppose this is what the book is referring to. Help. Pat

did you know that the screw holes are different on sone of the same size door hinges? I went to replace some rusty old ones with new ones and the holes did not line up. Not only that but the new holes that were drilled in were so close to the old ones that now the doors are getting loose and floppy. does anyone have some advice?

Congradulations to President George Bush.

Marty; The work itself is actually pretty easy. Most Burnham boilers I've seen have Beckett burners on them. Try this page: "www.beckettcorp.com/protect/tech.asp" Another interesting site, although not especially helpfull, is "www.heatinghelp.com/library.cfm#Oil%20Heat" If these links don't work, let me know and i'll post some beckett manuals to the files section. I worked on oil burners 20+ years ago, so am probably not "up" on recent developements, but some things never change. For instance, most of your maintenance involves simple cleaning. There is probably a filter at your oil tank, or next to your burner, or maybe at both locations. These need to be changed on a regular basis. If you are carefull, you can clean the electrodes, nozzle, and screen without changing the air settings. Look over the information linked to above. Good luck! John Grube

hello all, not sure if I qualify as a do it yourselfer or not but if we can do it ourselves we will :o) My furnace is acting up . I have a gas forced air. It is about 5-6 years old I think:o) When the furnace kicks on to heat the house the flame doesn't always start up so then it just runs and runs blowing out cool air. If I shut it off at the switch on the box for a few minutes and then turn it back on it works......got any ideas?? Thanks, Chris

Hi, I'm a newbie. Here's my predictament. My old thrmostat went kaput so, I'm trying to replace it with a new one. When I removed the old one, it had 3 wires. The new one has posts for 2. The three wires are 1 black, 1 green and one white. I combined the white and green wires and connected them to one post and the black to the other. The thermostat clicks when I turn it up but, nothing else does. Any suggestions ? Thanx in advance for any help.

Do I put the insulation over the top of the electrical wires, or stuff it behind it? See, I told you it was a stupid question. 8-) Rick

Our furnace stopped working. Thank god its not really cold yet. I can see a flame in the box but the fan doesn't seem to go on. What do you think it could be?

Hi We just moved into our first house. The furnace keeps on running the fan non stop after maintaining the set temperature on the thermostat. Is this normal? I am worried that furnace will get overheated. For example, if I set my thermostat at 25 degrees, the furnace heats up the home up to 25 degrees but keeps on running fan throwing air (normal temperature) without stopping. Is changing the thermostat the solution or is it a problem with the furnace? On the furnace it says Duomatic Olsen, Model No: HMS2, Model 75, Serial No: 01842HSLN On the thermostat I found this information: White Rodgers Div, Emerson Electric Can Ltd., Type 1F56W-635, S.P.D.T./U.P.B.D., Heating/Chauf: 0.15-1.2A, Cooling/Climat: 1.5A max, Max voltage tension max. 30 VAC/ca, Class 2 Any suggestions on what to do will be appreciated. Thank you

The paint on the walls of my bathroom is cracking-looks almost like crazing on an old piece of china. The cracks are not very deep- probably 1-2 layers of paint, but they are throughout almost all of the walls, but doesn't seem to be on the ceiling. We have painted this room 4 times in 20 years, the last time about 7-8 years ago. At that time, we installed a large exhaust fan due to mold & mildew accumulating because of no circulation of air, cleaned up all the mold and mildew with bleach, painted with 2 coats of Kilz and then 2 coats of white semi-gloss paint. We did use a good brand of paint at that time. The cracking started about 3-4 years ago, and hasn't really gotten any worse in the past couple of years, but still looks bad. We want to repaint with a gloss white, but not until we can figure out what's caused this and how to prevent it from happening on the next coat of paint. Replacing the sheetrock and ceramic tile are both out, and hubby refuses to allow wallpaper. He says bathroom is too humid and the wallpaper would come off within a few months. Has anyone ever seen this or have any suggestions on 1) what caused this; 2) how to cover this up for the next coat of paint; and 3) how to prevent this from happening next time?

Hey everyone, another easy question from me. I installed under the cabinet lights form a local home improvement store. They are simple, screw mounted with a cord running to an outlet. I would like to install a switch in the side of a cabinet, say a push button switch, to turn them on and off, instead of using the thumb roll switch. Also, I would like to hard wire them, so I can free up the outlet. Suggestions on what specifications the switch should be? How can I find and tap into the wiring in the kitchen? Thanks, Steve

what is a good brand name for paint for the inside of the house? we have plaster walls and natural wood trim.

Hi, I have recessed lighting in several rooms in my house. We have lived here over a year now and have not had any problems with them. This morning when I got up the 3 in my hallway don't turn on. I checked the circuit breaker and it seems to be okay (I even turned it off and on for those lights) I replaced the bulbs (the cans say 75w r30 max) I put 50w par30 lights in (not sure if there is a difference between r and par???) Anway the lights still don't work. Does anyone have any suggestions on what else I should check before I call an electrician? Thanks, Sherri

Hi everyone, This group looked real interesting. Has anyone had to deal with a water leak under a concrete slab ? If so, I ned sme ideas. Thanks, Les

HI all, I have a clogged pool skimmer, somewhere between the skimmer and the suction port of the pump. The line is inch and a half pvc. I've tried a flugh bag on both ends with no luck. My question is this, can a motorized plumbing snake be safely used on this? If so, is there a certain size or type I should try? I do not want to damage the plumbing in any way trying to clear this clog. Also, any suggestions on how to get the snake around 90 degree elbows to get to the blockage? Thanks for any suggestions, Paul

my husband and i just purchased our first house and it needs a lot of work. i hope you can help us from time to time since we are newbies.

i produce a local show in the buffalo area that focuses on the community. i'm looking for a local home repair expert (or small group) to do a monthly segement. in exchenge i'd allow you to feature your business name & number. free pr. if interested, email me at francine.kuschel@....

Hi, I'm new to the group. I'd love to hear any first hand experiences with cork flooring. We recently installed Pergo downstairs, but I'd like to consider cork flooring (either tiles or planks) for our kitchen. Anyone have good or bad experiences they can share? What brands? Where'd you buy? Does it hold up? thanks -- karen

This is a small, Cedar shingal house with maby one or two cotes of old paint. Do I sand, srape and repaint in?????? oil or latex???? The old paint is not thick. Is it trouble to paint over an old oil layer with the best acrilic?? Please advise. Lars

Greetings... I'm still losing sleep over this! Dave, you referred to your driveway as having a 15-20 degree slope. Did you mean 15-20 foot drop? (A 20 degree slope would be about 36 feet drop per 100 feet of run, which is about 3X steeper than what I am dealing with.) Joel

I may have missed a thread. Are Craftsman tools not as god as they used to be? Who makes their tools? Joan Mine is a very old Craftsman back 30 years ago when Sears still sold quality tools

POSSIBLE UNSOLICITED ADVERTISEMENT... INTERESTING LOOKING WEBSITE. ~~Trinity, Moderator I recently completed "My Garage Project" After reviewing several of the industries leading products, I found the best kit. It is located at Originalcolorchips.com. Home Depot, Lowes, and Rustoleum have tried to compete in this market, but does not offer the combination and resources offered by The Original Color Chips. All safety information and products associated with process are all available at one location. My garage floor went from oily and dirty to mimicing the look of marble. Great product easy to use, Thanks again---Danny ezfixup@...

We have a standard builder's special tract home, with the crappiest of everything. Slowly, we are replacing all the doors, plumbing fixtures, overhead fans, lights, etc. There is so little light in this house, and I have a lot of artwork or special interest groupings that I'd like to shed light on. Plans are on hold right now for installing ceiling task lights, due to expense, lack of accessibility and requirements for hiring a professional to do it. In the meantime, I'm hoping some of you might have suggestions for something I can use on the floor to shine up, and highlight the areas of interest. Bascially, I want what I can't have: tiny round lights flush mounted around the perimeter floor of the house that I can shine up on any object I want. So for a temporary fix, does anyone know of any type of floor track lighting that could be hidden relatively easily, and help bring some focal light into this dreary place? I have laminate flooring throughout the house set on a cement slab, so there's no way I'm ever going to be able to have the type of floor lighting I'd consider ideal. But I sure could use some ingenuity on how to "make do" with what's available at my local Home Depot.( my home away from home, where I'm now greeted with hugs and "What appliance can I sell you today, Deb?") One big problem area is the large wall-sized entertainment center, a teak huge piece that is not illuminated. What might be an easy fix to illuminate the wall behind it, so that I can highlight pottery/brilliantly colored oaxacan pieces on it, and also read the CD labels and the DVD/VCR settings? I also have a wall full of Oaxacan lizard carvings hung on huge tree branches I trimmed from my backyard Mesquite tree. When it's bright out, the wall looks fabulous. But when it's dark, the whole wall disappears. Again, the floor type track lighting could transform this wall and keep me from taking the corners too short in my powerchair and ripping out yet more moulding and wallboard. Any floor-light, track light suggestions? Thanks in advance! Debi Davis Las Vegas NV

If your primary concern is humidity that is true, however we do not use the AC for the most part unless it is very hot and then only to cool down the house in the evening. I am primarily looking toward expansion and I can also install a different regulator to reduce the coil capacity to 3 ton. Our house is much larger than it appears and since we have a full basement and a full floored attic which can also be finished if the need arises. I am seriously thinking of acquiring some machine tools at a later date like a lathe, milling machine and some others which are just not compatible with the dust of a wood working shop. I would either have to enlarge the shop with a separate clean area or go to the basement. I have some rather innovative ideas I'd like to find time to work on someday. I also want to reestablish a portion of my electronics lab as well to tinker with some solid state control circuits. All of these things work best in a temperature controlled environment. Dale When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half. Gracie Allen (1906 - 1964) I

Hi, We're close to finished with a kitchen remodel - ready to put in a ceiling. I'm thinking about using cedar slats for the ceiling. I'm curious, does anyone know if most building codes require the ceiling to be non-flammable, or at least have a layer of non-flammable material? I noticed on most paneling, it says you shouldn't fasten directly to studs, that you need a layer of non-cumbustible materials (ie, drywall) behind it. Does that apply for ceilings?

Hi group. I was wanting some advice. I am in the middle of purchasing a new home. It is a Ryan (Company name) built home in a development - so it is far from being a custom built home. It was built in 2000. The house is located in Charlotte, NC. If I crawl up into the attic and look at the walls, I see they did not use OSB sheathing or Celotex. It is like a placisized carboard between the framing and the siding. I see this in the unfinished garage walls also.....so I assume the whole house is this way. Obvious problems I see with this construction would be strength ( no corner braces were used on the garage anyway) and nothing for the siding nails to bite into if they missed the studs. But -Is this a OK method of construction? Should I stay away from this? Would there be an excessive amount of heat lost? The house was a foreclosure in immaculate condition and I got it for a great price...but am leary, since I am unfamiliar with this product. Thanks for any advice and opinions. Jim

I am looking for some floor plans for a barn style home. We are wanting to build a two story barn style home with the Gambrial (sp?) roof. So far I have had no luck with finding what I'm looking for. Can someone help? Thanks, Sandi

dmecx asks: "........painting finished wood panel doors, baseboard, window frames, chair rails....... i think i should sand everything first, but what kind of paint is best and how can i avoid the brush lines? it's all dark wood and we want it antique white. have any of you had experience with painting finished wood before? is there something i should look out for, best methods, etc?" Hi dmecx, I'm by no means a professional painter, but I have refinished dark wood cabinets in the past and updated them to a lighter, more modern look. I'll share what works for me. 1. Clean all grease, dirt etc. carefully from wood, using a toothbrush in any grooves or panels to get the grease and crud out before painting. I used trisodium phosphate worked well for me. 2. Dry wood thoroughly and rough up the surface with sandpaper for good adhesion. 3. Prime with two light coats of KILZ (type of Kilz depends on what type of paint you will be using) before painting. There may be other excellent primers that seal well, but Kilz has been the one I always end up going back to, and it works for me like a charm. 4. Paint your wood with a sponge roller if you want it really smooth, and be careful about not getting too much paint on the edges of the roller--it will leave "streams" of paint lines if you are not careful. Put a light coat of color on your first color coat--don't make it too thick. I expect to do 2-3 coats of the finish color. 5. If you really want it to hold up to scrubbing, you can consider using a polyurethane coating over the top of the paint. I did this in the bathroom where I went from dark wood to light yellow, and the poly coat really has held up well to scrubbing. I did this only in one bathroom just to see if there was any difference, and I find it does make a difference--scratches don't show, and if you do get a few scratches, they are fairly invisible because they are not going into the color coat and through the primer to the dark wood behind. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your new lighter cabinets as much we enjoy ours! It's amazing what a difference a few coats of paint and perhaps some new hardware can make, and truly brighten up and modernize a tired set of cabinets. Debi Davis Las Vegas, NV

I know this is off-topic, however I just received some spam from one of our list members. We have all put our email addresses out on this list so that we can ask for and give advice about home remodelling projects. Using these email addresses as distribution list for spam is inappropiate. Thank you, Mike (Now off my soap box) :)

I made a mistake 11 years ago buying a Rheem furnace for my house. On Saturday our local gas & electric company condemned it. I now need a new furnace. I can't spend a fortune so I am looking in the 2 - 3K range. Any suggestions?

Does anyone have any floor plan layouts for their workshop they could share with us? I'm trying to come up with a new way to layout my basement shop to smooth out the work floor and make it seem not so darn crowded. I have an area that's aproximately 20'X 24' need to squeeze in my tablesaw, planer, jointer, bandsaw, drill press, woodlathe, router table on stand, scroll saw on stand, miter saw on stand, 6in grinder on stand, 24"X 72" workbench, plus your usual assortment of clamps, fixtures, jigs, cutoff cart, shelves, dust collecter, air filter. plus i need a spot for the dogs bed so she can supervise the work i do. mike

No need to overreact. I did not hear anyone mention we should have a new moderator. My comment was genuinely inquisitive. I have not kept up with all the mail, but it seemed to me as though Drywall often posts many informative responses. Thus, the censoring of Drywall's posts is puzzling to me. Dale gave his opinion on that as well. I certainly would not read into it that he was calling for your replacement.

I must have missed something. I always liked reading posts by Mr. Drywall because he seems to be very knowledgeable. He does post often but most of his posts are helpful and short to read. As far as the question about garage insulation is concerned--perhaps he misunderstood the question? Are posting often and misreading a couple of posts reasons to censor someone?

Hey group, You guys gave me great advice about ptting up molding without splitting it. Now I would like to ask for any advice or tricks that I do not know about to get mitered ends to join in a clean line. Seems like I am always off just slightly, even if it is just a 45 degree cut meeting another 45 degree cut. Yes, I put putty the gap but I'd rather not have to, since I can still see the seam. Am I being too fussy? Are there some tricks? Ande

I get asked this a lot, so herewith is your guide to engineered wood products. a. Plywood Plywood is the original engineered wood product. It consists of thin, rotary-cut veneers laminated together with the grain running at right angles. Advantages: versatility--plywood can be made for cabinets, sheathing, underlayment, pressure-treated service, and even marine service. strength and durability--the right-angled grain structure gives plywood a lot of it. Disadvantages: expense--this is the most expensive engineered wood because it is made from large sheets of veneer. b. Particle board Particle board was developed right after World War II. The combined effect of two acts of Congress inflicted particle board on us: the Rural Electrification Act and the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. (Particle board is in neither, but you'll see what I mean.) Before the Rural Electrification hit, sawmills didn't have electricity because sawmills are invariably in the middle of nowhere. All their equipment ran on steam, and they burned sawdust to get it. After the REA came into effect, mills could use electricity instead of sawdust for fuel--leaving mountains of sawdust on the premises. The Servicemen's Readjustment Act (the GI Bill of Rights) said that every veteran of World War II deserved to have a home. Next thing you know, there's more building going on than there are materials to support. Hmm...we have all this sawdust, we have glue, what happens if we mix the two and pour them into a mold? Presto: particle board. Advantages: cheap. Disadvantages: not strong, and usually falls apart when it gets wet. Louisiana-Pacific makes Redex in California, which is particle board made from redwood sawdust and polyurethane glue; Redex is waterproof. This is probably the first time you've heard of it. Don't worry, you're not missing much--it's still particle board. c. Oriented strand board OSB came out in the 1970s when the forestry industry turned to clearcutting as their standard method of harvest. The small logs this technique brings out of the woods can't be used for plywood or dimensional lumber, but if chipped and glued up with the wafers "oriented" to one another, they're eminently usable. Advantages: makes good roof sheathing and very good wall sheathing. Not as expensive as plywood. Tongue & groove OSB makes good subflooring for vinyl, carpet and laminate flooring. Disadvantages: not span rated for 24" OC trusses. Must be used with 16" OC trusses. OSB subflooring shouldn't be used under hardwood floors. d. Medium-density fiberboard MDF is what particle board should have been. This product is made by mixing very fine sawdust with glue then pouring a pile of this mix into a mold. (A three-foot pile of mix becomes a one-inch board.) Extreme pressure makes a finished board. Advantages: cheap weight, and lots of it--this has endeared MDF to speaker manufacturers. A speaker cabinet made of MDF sounds better than one made of any other affordable material. It's strong. It's cheap. Disadvantages: the two toes I broke dropping a sheet of this stuff on them, for one thing. The edges ding up easily, and it's not waterproof. e. "Masonite" This is the name of the company that invented the product. Its official name is hardboard. To make hardboard, add sawdust to a chemical that dissolves the lignin bonds in the wood. Pour it into a mold and heat it while the board is under pressure, and the chemical is drawn off and recovered. The lignin remains, gluing the board together. Advantages: this is a good cheap board when all you want to do is cover something up. Flip around any Sauder bookcase and you'll find a sheet of Masonite on the back. Disadvantages: this is a weak board, so don't use it anywhere you might encounter stresses, and don't use it anywhere weather can get to it. f. Pegboard Pegboard is hardboard that has a chemical added to it that makes it a little stronger than regular hardboard (so the pegs don't rip it apart) and is formed in a mold with a matrix of steel pins in it. When it comes out of the mold, the holes are already there--they don't drill them. g. High-density fiberboard You will never see this if you don't make laminate flooring. h. Engineered lumber It's late and I'm not going to get into this now. Ask later. This requires a post all its own, but for now salivate over this: there is a lumberyard in Fayetteville that has this in 50-foot pieces. -- --jmowreader

Thanks for the suggestion on handling my bee problem. I poured some Sevin down the opening to the bee hive in the ground and then covered it with a tile....haven't seen a bee since...thanks for the help... If I'm the descendant of kings and queens, doesn't that make me royalty?

My heater is now fixed. The repairman said it was a motor. He replaced it and it fired right up! I don't know how much it's going to cost me yet, they will be mailing me the bill. Leslie, Xena, Zeus, Hercules, & Thor Oklahoma City, OK

Hello again! I posted before on this topic, however I need some points answered! I have an unfinished garage ceiling! That is, there is nothing but the joists! I'm going to put 6'' insulation between the joists! My questions are: Do I put wood on top in the center of the joists, so as to be able to staple the bats in the middle for added support? If so, what type and size wood is recommended? Wood strips or 2x4s? What about those wire supports that go between the joists? Do they do a good job of holding up the insulation? And the bats are stapled on the sides along the joists? Thanks for any help! I'm an amateur and learning as I go!

I found something called Fluidmaster Bowl Gasket with bolts. Will this work well? Its a plastic gismo which fits down the drain with a black ring to keep the gases out (I think). We also bought another of the larger rings for placement next to the pipe for the wax to be put on. Just to clarify, the stool is out, no sink but we have a tub. It is just the putting back in place that I want to do it correctly. Thanks Karen

Help!! My husband and i thought we could redo our bathroom ourselves(hes usually knows what hes doing) we tiled the wall around the bathtub and installed a new bathtub.. now it seems that when we take a shower its leaking behind the wall but not from the pipes. only when some one is in the shower when their is weight in it.. can someone please help. deb

Is it feasible to have your driveway graded flat to the roadway and have retaining walls be put on either side?

I thought about my last comment on this subject. Its probably not either viable or in your scope to start tearing out a bathroom subfloor down to the joists and replacing it with something else. How about this: if the particle board floor is not too bad looking, can you lay down a 1/4 inch plywood floor on top of it? I guess they sell an exterior grade in that width and its made with a better glue for moisture.Then you can put down whatever topping you want, be it sheet vinyl (which is my choice)or vinly squares (not self-stick, they'lll never stay on the bathroom floor) or ceramic (aeh?!) I realize you have to take the toilet and the wash basin stand out to put this down,but it shouldn't take too long. I don't know if you have another bathroom in the meantime. When thats all down, then you just reset the toilet and you might need two wax rings etc because of the new height and all the rest, but at least you don't have to worry about putting your foot through the floor when your done. And instead of wax ring,,Theres a new type of connection out on the market now which is a pvc type of collar/pipe that ties in the toilet to the floor drain. You should see it at the hardware store. They say its a lot better than the wax. Just read the instructions carefully.

Hey Dale,drywall, and all of you! Many thanks for your suggestions on the stool replacement. Now there is just a few more things I need to understand and that is the yellow wax replacement. I have the wax in hand and the round ring with the screws in the floor around the hole - now what type of wax? what is core? Someone said that would keep the stool from moving around too much. I think drywall mentioned something about a vinyl filament to put on top of the floor before putting down the tiles. You mentioned tacking it - I think you said it was lightweight. I guess I am having a vision problem - do you make a hole for the stool? I was looking for the vinyl filament at HD but I didn't see it. Oh, do you know what isle you would find it on. It sounded like it was fairly good size is the vinyl material strong enough.. We have really done quite well - thanks to you all. Inners for the tank are put together and installed. Now we are just fine tuning the height of the water in the tank. Then we just need to go to the next part of the job. Oh, we did get water on the floor in the floor and everywhere else - it came out of the tank base. What a mess. The floor board is about 1/2 - 3/4" and I think it looks like sawdust combined composition?) Should we try to replace this composition board or just let it dry and then start with the vinyl laydown, grout (Or whatever is best) and then put down the tile. Won't the vinyl be inclined to move around? I remember drywall writing that vinyl came in many colors. Would it be put grout on floor and then put down the vinyl and then the tiles. Or vinyl tacked down then grout then tiles. (We bought the 12 x 12" multiple 1 1/2" square tile pieces which could be cut to fit better than the regular tiles. Well with you all helping - this job may be ready for the new wallboard - this got wet too - aren't we lucky? Yosemitejane3

I'm about to paint my house and am wondering if I should paint the trim or the siding first. My instinct is to paint the siding and then the trim, but I think I've read that the trim should come first. Is that so and, if so, why would that be the better way to proceed? Thanks. Terry

We are looking to purchase a larger home and have found one we love...and that I'd love to decorate. BUT on every outside wall in every room there is a dark grey spot at the outside edge of the ceiling. The pattern is symetrical and seems to be where the trusses are. Besides being a cosmetic issue, I assume there is a construction issue? Perhaps a moisture or venting problem? The pattern seems to be more like dust or dirt than mold; it isn't speckled and there is no other obvious evidence of moisture. Ideas? Thanks.

Hi, We just moved into a home that has all wood panel doors, baseboards, stair rails, and trim around all the windows that are stained and finished. i want to paint them all off-white and brighten up the place. my husband's concern is that i will do it wrong and it won't look good. do i need to sand all the wood before i paint it? can i use high gloss paint? and i want to stay away from rollers, yet don't want brush lines...how do i paint an even surface? thanks, dmecx www.homeloanhelper.net new low interest rates, it's time to refi fill out our 30-second mortgage application online and choose the best offer

Hello, I've recently restored a set of pocket doors that we found in our house. We used the old wooden rails, and created (thanks to a weldor) a rubber caster wheel assembly so the doors can roll within the wooden rails. Our issue, though, is that we are trying to find a way to lubricate the wooden rails so the doors roll smoothly. Something like WD-40 works temporarily, but evaporates/absorbs into the wood within an hour. I was told to seek out a paste wax, but the only kind I've found at Lowes is a Minwax product that says "DO NOT USE ON RUBBER". Can anyone suggest a lubricant for my wooden rails/rubber wheels situation? Many thanks, Shane

I'm trying to turn my heater on for the first time this season. I turn the thermostat to "heat" and set the temp higher enough for it to come on . I hear the normal clicking that happens, but then nothing happens. So I pulled out the manual. This is a gas furnace that does not have a pilot light. It states "It is equipped with an ignition device which automatically lights the burners.". In these directions it states I am supposed to switch the gas control switch to off, wait 5 minutes, then turn it to on, put the door back on the unit and turn the heat on. I've done this and still nothing. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm very cold right now! Leslie, Xena, Zeus, Hercules, & Thor Oklahoma City, OK

Greetings... What is a reasonable residential driveway slope for an area with snow in the winter? I wish to build a home in up state New York. The property is far from flat. Internet searches reveal that a 10% grade is a common maximum allowed. But is this too conservative, or too liberal? This will be a 700' driveway to a year-round home in a sparcely populated area of northern New York. My desire is to have driveway that a 2 wheel vehicle can reasonably access. Whether it be a car or an emergency vehicle, if there is several inches of freshly fallen snow, what slope will provide reasonable safety and convenience? Sincerely, Joel

Anyone have an idea of how much fences usually run to have installed? Is it out of the question to install a chain-link fence by myself? Josh

After suffering with substandard attempts at fixing my flatop roof I finally decided to do it right. Removed and replaced all rotten wood and decked over asphalt with 3/4 tongue and groove exterior plywood....this is all per instructions for chemical waterproofing product i purchased. Everything was going great until the flood came 1 day after decking. I had it tarped but it was just too much rain...now i have three layers, unfinished plywood over asphalt over ship lap decking...the problem is that there is now moisture between the asphalt and the new decking with no place for the water to go.......any advice? thanks in advance Roy

I was wondering about electric furnaces, how do they compare with oil furnaces? Both cost to run and cost to buy. We live in ohio. We have bought a house to fix up and rent out, it needs a new furnace. We cant go with gas because the house sits way off the road and they wont drive across the bridge. If we go with fuel oil we will have to transfer tank it. I have never had an electric furnace and dont know the pros and cons of them, any out there? thanks Jim

Hi, I have a few cracked tiles on my kitchen counter top. I am planning to replace them myself. I removed a few of the broken tiles using just a screwdriver and a mallet. The other ones I try to remove seem to break the ones next to it. I have no experience with this and so any help in this matter will be highly appreciated 1. How do I cleanly remove the broken tiles without chipping or breaking the adjacent ones? 2. What do I do to remove the old adhesive and grout? 3. Where can I find the steps of the procedure on applying the new adhesive and after setting the tiles the procedure to apply grout? I have heard from some friends that I could use a grinder with a diamond blade to first remove the grout.. Is this a good way?.. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!! Jatan

I don't see anything suspicious about it. In my area, putting one roof over another is standard practice, although I wouldn't recommend it. Max

I want to apply new stain over the faded stain on the wood siding on my house. However, I've just noticed in the instructions on the cans that the stain should not be applied when the temperature is expected to be below 50 degrees in the following 48 hours. I live 90 miles north of New York City and the temperatures have been recently dropping into the 40's at night. I'm wondering what adverse effects there might be if I defy the instructions and go ahead with my staining. The stain is Cabot O.V.T. Solid Color Oil Stain. Thanks. Terry

Hello friends, I have several different polished brass items in my bathroom and they are becoming scratched and pitted after only a year. Any advice on how to make them look shiny again? Thanks, Anita

We are resetting the stool in the bathroom. We would like to put down new tiles (what kind is best) regular linoneum? (sp) or ????. I remember seeing conversation about a seal made out of a yellow (wax?) or there was a new item that would possibly work longer and just as well as the old method. Thanks in advance for your advice.

To all, I just replaced a garbage disposal. The outlet of the disposal is about 9" from a tee, the tee drains to a P-trap. The centerline of the disposal outlet is about 1/2" higher than the centerline of the tee. The previous installation had a straight piece of drain line from the disposal to the tee, the line came into the tee at an angle. Since the new disposal had a flanged outlet as opposed to a screwed connection I thought I would fix this situation by installing a flexible coupling. However, after installation, the points where the various lines connect to the coupling drip when the facet is on. It is not alot, but annoying none the less. Questions: - Should I tightening the screwed caps on the end of the coupling for a couple of days and see what happens, ie will it stop after the v- shaped O-rings soften and settle in? - Do I need to disassemble, then reassemble making sure the screwed caps are screwed tight? I had tightened everything, should I use a pipe wrench? - Or, do I need to revise the tee so as to remove the offset? Any advise would be appreciated. Regards, Chris

I have a boiler room with 3 hot water heaters (34,000 34,000 and 50,000 btu's) and 2 boilers for steam heat (75,000 and 100,000 btu's). I also have two 8 inch square fresh air vents. The room itself is about 6' x 10' with an 8' ceiling and is located in a finished basement. I was wondering if both of the vents are necessary or can I get away with one? Any help would be great. Thanks

For some reason I never looked in my attic before we moved into the house. Today when replacing a bathroom fan I had to crawl up there and found that there was another roof. We knew that there was a building originally, then an addition was added on, but we didn't know that they had simply put another roof over the former one. My question is, since it's not in the way, should I just leave it, or is it best to tear it off?

To all you DIY painting and home decorating enthusiasts, The innovative AccuBrush Paint Edger will be on QVC tomorrow night Monday 4 October 2004 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. If you were ever curious about this new product or just want to see it demonstrated, tune in and watch this 8 minute spot. Best regards, Cat

I hope this is something that can wait until spring. Sadly, patio furniture is a seasonal item--it starts arriving in the stores that sell it around March and is completely sold through before Labor Day. The stores need the space for wintry things. The big planters you'll need for dramatic plants are always in stock, but as for the furniture that's something for March. -- --jmowreader

We are wanting to replace our old basic exhaust fan with a one that is multipurpose. The one we have is about a 12 in. square the one we are looking at replacing is oblong. Do you think it will be difficult for us beginners to replace this will we need to make a larger hole in the ceiling? Do you think extra wiring would need to be done we have separate switches now for the existing lighting and the fan. Neither of us have done electtical before would it be better to just have someone else install? Any and all input advice etc. welcome! TIA

My garage does not have a finished ceiling! Just the Joists! With winter fast approaching I'm trying to find a way to cover the rafters so as to try to keep heat in! Other than the obvious tiles and hanging ceiling, what can I put up there for now? Would Insulation stapled up there work? Presently there is thick paper stapled there by the previous owner!

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are you planning on flooding the building??

I need to strip a painted fence, then stain it or paint it. Does it work to put stain on a fence that used to be painted? Assuming I sand it to the bare wood. Which do you think would mean less total maintenance work overall? A friend tells me that using stain is less maintenance, because you don't have to strip old stain off before applying new stain. But it sounds like you have to do that a lot more often than re-painting. From what I've been reading, an oil-based primer followed by latex would be the most lasting paint job. I have some semi-transparent stain, with UV protection and mildewcide, on hand already from another project. I'd welcome any advice! Thanks, Lynn M. P.S. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area -- rain in winter, no rain for 5-6 summer months, almost never freezes.

How can I cut a large hole in the end of a Rubbermaid plastic container (about 60 qt size). I want the hole to be a rectangle about 10 inches square (with no rough edges, if possible).

I did that a number of years ago for my in-laws. The incoming water line (hose) can come from under or behind the washer. The drain hose MUST loop up above the fill level of the tub or it will just drain out as you try to run it. I ran a hose from their basement, through the floor and under the washer to the hose connection (same as the permanent ones). I ran a drain hose from the washer by just replacing the current hose with my own but I did loop it up pretty high in the space in the back (probably wired it up so it would stay there) and down through the floor to the tubs in the basement. Worked fine for many years. Does anyone have experience with converting a portable dishwasher (Kenmore...about 4 years old) into a permanent one? I know it will need an input supply of water and an output drain, but how would that work with the hardware that the portable one has? The most ideal place for us to hook it into would be on the opposite wall of the bathroom sink/plumbing, if at all feasible. We just put in a new sink and faucet and don't really want to put strain on it as we did our old leaky faucet. In the meantime I am handwashing dishes....my least favorite job in the world! Thanks! Kati Iowa

My cat has been peeing on the carpet in the living room so I need to replace the carpet and padding. Do I need to do anything to the floor underneath? Also, what about the dry wall? I think he sprayed a bit.

Can someone help with my garage door problem? Someone was playing around with my garage door opener a few days ago and now the remote won't work at all and it won't operate from the inside either. I don't know what they did. I see on one of the buttons there is a picture of a padlock so perhaps it is possible to lock it and that is what they have done - perhaps. If so, I don't know how to unlock it. There are three buttons over two rows. The top row has two buttons. The button on the left shows a padlock on the right edge of the button and the button to the right of it says "light". The big button on the second row is the one you normally use to open/close the door. Help!

well,,whatever board you use you will still get mold when the conditions are right. The poster was talking about the ceiling anyway and just wanted to repaint it. They do sell a mold inhibiting primer,,but I don't know how effective it is and I haven't used it. The best thing to do is keep the bathroom vented.

I am new hear but I already have a question. We are redoing our bathroom and I have just tore down the wallpaper and oh no mold. About 3in by 6 in spot of mold above the shower. I plan on primming with Kliz before putting a texture wallfinish up. Is there anything special I need to do before that on the mold spot. Thank Christee

Those 1/4 inch plastic line kits for your refrigerator ice-maker work fine. however you may not like or be satisfied with the saddle valves that cone with them because they are of the self=puncturing type. Sometimes they don't quite puncture a hole as cleanly as they seem to indicate and the result is a drip rather than a flow. The answer to this is quite simple. You should purshase a drill bit of the same size as would be the puncture hole. You turn off your water supply,drain the line and drill these holes, then turn the water back on to clear them of any shavings, then turn it off again. Then install the saddles as you normally would, using the predrilled holes as guides for placement. There should be no trouble with either water flow or leaks.

I need to run a water line from the sink to a new fridge, any suggestions? I've heard the self tapping kits aren't always the best..... See previous post for more details....

I was wondering if anyone here can help me. I live in the south, and I have a laundry room that is part of the house, but can only be accessed by walking outside and entering the door in the side of the house. The kitchen pantry back wall is separating the two rooms. Unfortunately, my water heater is the only thing in the way of my hopes to make it a walk-through pantry from the kitchen to the laundry room. The water pipes come directly up from the sub-floor. What is the best way to move this bad boy to the other side of the laundry room without having to shed blood and tears on the plumbing part?

Okay, my washer is a Whirlpool, 8 cycle, 2 speed, heavy duty, large capacity, mod#LLR8245ANO. Hope this helps determine the problem and that it's cheap--I got even BIGGER problems (see my next post)!

Although my house is over 100 yo, the electrical system was updated about 20 years ago--no real problems other than occasionally overloading a circuit--flip the breaker and go on our way (after turning some stuff off). The circuit that serves the washer is one that has flipped a few times, so I thought I'd try it just in case. They're not marked, but I knew it was one of 3--didn't change a thing for the washer. However, when I flipped any of the circuits it made little sizzly sounds. Then even though the circuit was on, the overhead lights/ceiling fans wouldn't come on unless I held my finger on the breaker switch--finally after a dozen or more tries they came on & stayed on. Also noticed that up at the top, to the right of the 1st set of breakers was some kind of circuit board looking thing that had a flash burn and melted metal--DD says it's been like that for over a year. Somehow I don't think this is good, but am wondering if this means that the breaker box itself needs to be replaced or some of the circuits or all of it. I'm terrified there is a short there waiting to happen and burn down the house. I'm hoping I can get one the groups like XMas in October to fix it, because there is just no way I've got the funds--I'm still trying to save up to replace the leaking (rusting out)water heater. Thanks, Marci (who is trying desperately not to panic)

Hello all again. We bought a new fridge with the ice and water in the door, but don't have a water line at the fridge. The kitchen is on the middle floor of a 3 story townhouse. Directly below is a bedroom, so no access below. The kitchen is L shaped with the sink on the opposite side of the L. Next to the sink is a dishwaher, so I'm sure there is a water line somewhere that has been spliced. Thanks for the help! Steve

My wife and I just bought a 4100+ sq. ft house that sat throught 2 winters vacant. For a winter project we are planning on gutting the basement and attempting to deal with the moisture issues. I am looking for input from people from products that they have used and have worked well for them, I don't want to trust an advertisment for something like this. The basement is about 1700 sq. ft., maybe more (someone told us there was another basement down there, but we can't find it). We plan on opening the whole thing up for a bar and game room also. Thanks for any feedback!

I just joined and was wondering if anyone had experience with building their own solar water heater for small sized (<5000 gal) pools. I build a 4'x8' box with 300' of 1/2" black PVC pipe. Added a high pressure pump and kept the pool around 85 degrees all summer in New Jersey. I'm looking, of course, to perfect this and was wondering if anyone one has done this with smaller or longer pipe and different configurations. Thanks, JJA

Help--my 12 yo washer has died mid cycle, with a tubful of water! It's got power, but all it does is hum--on every setting. I'm sure it probably means a trip from the repair man, but any ideas what could be wrong & how much it should cost to fix? Not much I hope, 'cause I'm especially tight this month and am definitely not up to lugging things to the laundromat. Thanks, Marci

I am looking for advice on washers.... I have a Kennmore Washer.... It's on Normal Wash Cycle.... last night... I went to was a load of laundry.... and it started.... then all of a sudden it stoped right in the middle of filling.... then a few minutes later it started... but just for like 1 min, then it repetedly stoped and started every few minutes... adjitating adn all... I started the load @ like 6pm last night... and the load didn't finish, cause of the starting and stoping, until about 3am..... Does anyone know about washers.... cause I really don't have the money to get another one... cause I'm exspecting... and all I do is babysit for a few hundred a week... and me adn my husbend just got married.... and moved all the way across states.... from Alaska to Virginia, due to military.... and pay ain't that great... so if anyone can help.... please do... Thanks, Rene

i have a microwave thats less than 2 years old. we just recently moved and when i first plugged it in the time display was jumbled (could only see parts of the numbers). now, a month later i cannot see anything in the time display. otherwise it works fine. we moved it in its original box with the styrofoam padding. and i'm quite frustrated that its not covered by the warranty any longer. i really would hate to have to buy a new one. any ideas or easy fixes? alyson

Just got the stuff from the Cons. Dept. For both bees & yellowjackets, they recommend treating the nest at night using flashlighlights covered with red cellophane (bees/wasps can't see red) for light. They recommed putting half cup Sevin, Dursban, diazinon, or Orthene into the hole, covering the hole with a piece of metal or hard plastic and weighting down to ensure no escape. They recommend repeating the process as a precaution in 7-10 days; then filling in the hive. As to letting the frost kill--in bees only fertilized queens will survive & then will start a new colony in spring. Yellowjacket queens also go into hiberanation, but do not re-use old nests. Hope this helps--looks like I'm going to be headed for the hardware store! Marci

Right,,that 2" coppper pipe is a vent for the sewer gases,one of which is methane- which is explosive. you wouldn't want to put an electric fan on that pipe because of a spark. But aside from that it is against every municipal plumbing code to restrict in any way that pipe. You can't put a rain cap or an elbow on the end of it either.

Hi all, Trying to wrap up a bathroom remodel, and I'm trying to decide how to vent the bathroom fan. I do have a 2" copper pipe going from the bathroom ceiling straight out the roof. Could I adapt the 4" exhaust to the 2" copper and just use that? I'm leary about cutting my own hole into the roof because I fear it'll leak when I'm done... Thanks, Shane

Rain leaked into my closet. I started removing some of the sheetrock and insulation in an attempt to get rid of the overpowering smell. Any other ideas on how to get rid of the smell

You may be right about there being a warp in the tank. Since we don't make anything here anymore because of the "new world order", a lot of the stuff we buy is just plain XXXXX.

Merle's post was the best. There are a lot of simple solutions out there that need to get passed along.

My microwave does nothing. Plug it in, no noise, no digital readout...nothing. Beyond the fuse, what should I check?

Hi to all. My name is Denise and I live in NJ. I have 2 little boys and am a SAHM. My passion is decorating and doing things around my house. Hopefully I can get lots of info from this list to help me out. Thank you. Denise F.

I built a fence gate using those no sag brackets, the kit where the hinges are welded on the bracket! It turned out pretty good! The problem I am having is the bottom of the gate when closed is out about an inch! In other words, if you push on the gate when closed, it will then be flush! Everything is level! So I am guessing the wood may be off a tiny bit! My question is: Will one of those anti sag cables that are used on gates correct this problem?

I have a front porch/deck that needs repainting. Any suggestions for a good sturdy porch paint? Wood slats, will be painted solid color. I need something that can endure a lot of high traffic and is as scratch resistant as possible.

I finally got hold of the urban wildlife specialist (after being told by an overzealous receptionist to contact a pest control company- DUH!). She says there is a dry insecticide that can kill them, but liquid anything (particularly gasoline) should be avoided because it is quickly asorbed into the soil and a big risk of ground water contamination. She didn't have the detailed information readily available but is going to track it down & get back to me, although she did confirm the first freeze will either kill them or make them go dormant and easier to treat, but that if not treated the problem would most likely re-occur. She also mentioned the USDA has entomologists on staff for similar problems, but knew our local one was on vacation--so you might check the USDA in your area. At any rate, I'll let you know what the details are when she gets back to me. Marci

Hi, This is my first here and I need help to put the bathroom in service, since I have made a lot of mess. Problem started with water level dropping in the toilet water tank, I started hearing water getting filled every couple of minutes. To fix this I replaced the flapper, but it didn't work. Next I replaced the whole flapper/valve assembly by detaching the tank. I made sure that every think is properly tightened. But to my surprise the water level again is dropping. Do you thing the tank needs to be leveled? I will appreciate any suggestions. Thanks tsr

A couple of comments about laminate flooring: a. If you're using Pergo, be comfortable with the store you go to as well as the pattern you choose. Pergo has four outlets--Home Depot, Expo Design Center, Lowe's and dedicated flooring stores. Each outlet has its own selection of Pergo lines. The way the lady from Pergo explained it to me, when Home Depot started carrying it the dedicated stores said they were going to get out of the Pergo business if Home Depot had the exact same product the dedicated stores had. You know what would happen: people would go to the dedicated stores, pick their brains (taking up hours that could be spent helping people who were ready to buy from that store), then go to Home Depot to buy it. There are about nine different lines of Pergo (they even have one that looks like ceramic tile) and--except for Pergo Select, which is the baseline Pergo everyone can sell and which has price control on it so you can't go down the street to get it cheaper--every outlet has a different lineup of it. b. No matter which brand you choose, consider renting the Pergo installation kit. What you're after is the official Pergo sawblade. This blade is metric. It only fits on the official Pergo saw (Festool's plunge circular saw, which has a 20mm arbor) and it costs a fortune so you don't want to buy one anyway, but it will not chip the laminate when you cut it. Beware: there is usually a $500 deposit on it--because of the saw that's in there. They really want it back. c. Absolutely, whatever you do, do not listen to Uncle Fred who learned to install hardwood floors during the post-WWII building boom and sees no need to change his ways if what Uncle Fred tells you is different from the instructions in the box. This product must be installed exactly in accordance with the instructions that come in the package with it. It is a very durable product but you can screw it up royally if you put it in wrong. d. There are laminate floor cleaners. These are Good. Use them. e. Please try not to laugh: We had a customer come in screaming bloody murder about how bad laminate flooring was. (He bought Pergo because he heard it was the best.) It scratches. It chips. It even cracks. And it absorbs water from the subflooring. After I regained control of the conversation I asked him where he installed it. "In my garage." Just on the edges? "No, the whole garage floor." Did you put the foam underlayment down? "No." Where do you park? "In the garage. Where the hell do you think I park?" So check this out: This guy installed his floor wrong in the first place and then he parks a Ford F-350 pickup on top of it. No wonder it failed. And in case you're wondering, parking huge pickups on the flooring invalidates the warranty. So let me see: rent the Pergo installation kit, follow the instructions, clean it with the recommended cleaner and don't park on it. Simple enough? --jmowreader

anyone have a good way to clean eaves from the ground. I have a 2 story home and find myself suddenly single and needing to do these things for myself. However I have no clue how to do this. I do not have a ladder. Thanks Dori

Hi people, I have a 4 ft. by 5 ft. piece of mirror glass bonded to my bathroom wall somehow. The silver backing is coming off the back, I need to get it off the wall somehow and replace it with something. Anybody have any suggestions for removing it? I was thinking about taping over the front and smacking it in a few spots to try to get behind it and somehow peel it off. Thanks

Hello, I'm about to install some laminate flooring in a few rooms of my house, and have a few questions. 1)The flooring that we're considering is Meyer Prestige series Hanover Cherry. It's an 8mm flooring with a 25 year warranty. Has anybody had any experience or any knowledge of this brand of flooring? 2)In general, how durable is laminate flooring? How scratch resistant to kids and a dog? 3)Is it fairly easy to lay? This Meyer flooring is a glueless click together. Seems fairly straight forward. I'm usually fairly handy around the house when it comes to tackling DIY projects. Thought I'd read a couple of instruction manuals and check out a "How to Lay Floor" video. 4)Even though this is a glueless floor, should I still put glue in to help secure the panels? 5)Does the laminate "floating floor" tend to squeak? What about stress on the click together joints? If the floor is a floating floor, will weight on the floor put pressure on the click together tabs and tend to break them, causing the panels to be loose? 6)Any recommendations on the underlayment? A lot of questions...Would love to hear any info, tips ,etc. from people who have done this before. A huge thanks in advance for any responses. JD

And, although it is a LITTLE OT, it is still a big issue. We purchased this older (1953) home a year ago. Had to FIGHT to get insurance... all because the former owner, who is a little tight, turned in a claim for a VERY small leak. ONE CLAIM in 50 years, and the entire house was tainted. Almost frozen out of coverage. BE AWARE - if YOU have a claim, YOU may have problems. And if the HOUSE has a claim the HOUSE may itself have a problem too. And a "claim" includes just calling your agent. Even if you don't file, an "inquiry" counts against you. It is actually a pretty serious issue. Bottom line - keep as high of a deductible as you can afford (lower premiums), and take care yourself of all but the most major of issues.

We are finishing up a wall that we built in the back yard. We have cinder blocks (2 high) and covered it with the large cobble stones. I like the looks of it so much better when it is wet because the stones really show their red, gray and yellowish colors so well. Is there some kind of sealer that we can apply to make them look wet and seal the mortar? Joan

No answer here, but I have the same problem myself--right by the front steps from the public sidewalk. Mine seem non-aggressive after I managed to convince the neighborhood kids from covering the entrance to the hive with stones. If I can remember, I'm going to call our conservation department's "urban wildlife" person & see if she has any ideas. I try to avoid them, since I'm allergic, but my neighbor swears they look like honey bees--if so (and yours are the same) it may be possible to get a local beekeeper to remove them)-- I'd just as soon not wait til our first freeze, specially as weird as our weather has been! Marci (in KC,MO)

Pour gasoline in the holes in the ground in the evening when they are all at home. Good Luck!

Funny someone should bring up the subject, just as I am about to begin work on the second set for one of our local period homes. These are for base board heat and are built with an oak frame work and perforated metal inserts. The original problem was finding a source for the perforated metal, but I found a company in Texas that has a great selection and will cut to size. I ordered 36 individual panels and they must have cut them as we were talking on the phone cause I had the two days later. They even cut the panels so that the openings lined up from panel to panel, which is quite important in this particular application. I washed the panels with lacquer thinner and spray painted them with a good under coat and a final coat of semi gloss black enamel. When inset into their oak frames which were made from milled oak flooring material they look as though they are a part of the original structure. There are several radiators in the home and I suspect that these will be covered as well, when finances become available. The source for the perforated metal is www.mcnichols.com and their selection is impressive. They also give you the percentage of open area in each design which is important to achieve good air flow. Dale --- Still Cantankerous When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half. Gracie Allen (1906 - 1964) I

Could it be possible that some if not many of the companies will be declining to write insurance in high risk areas, like the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and California? If and when this happens areas like Tornado Alley won't look all that bad. Yes we do have tornados but one has never wiped out an area 100 miles wide and 300 miles long yet. Predications are that we have just entered into the next 30 to 30 year hurricane cycle which spells real problems for the insurance industry. We have an abundance of homes in the mid-west that have stood unscathed for well over 100 years. Yes they probably do have old plumbing, K&T wiring, some wood damage but there is nothing to say that they have to be insured for full replacement value, since much of the wood work couldn't be replaced anyway since most of it would be special mill work today. It is interesting that when an industry backs away from a given field there always seems to be an innovator in the wings ready to fill the gap. Insurance is a very lucrative field and if this were not the case there wouldn't be so many "extortionists" trying to scare the socks off of everyone telling them they need to buy more insurance to cover everything from their old age to health care for their pets. Life is not without risk, keeping in mind that getting born will kill you every time. I have personally made the choice not to live in a flood plane,southern coastal area of build on or near a fault line, in these cases it isn't a matter of what but when. I'll take my chances with a tornado which may or may not. I just hope there aren't too many others like me 'cause we like our scarcely settled open spaces. Dale When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half. Gracie Allen (1906 - 1964) I

Since I have spent the better part of the afternoon replacing the water pump on mothers Town Car I'm in the mood to write a bit and this K&T issue has pushed one of my hot buttons. The problem is not the K&T wiring nor is it the insurance industry as a whole but it is rather a problem that stems from the hiring of pseudo educated youngsters that have been listening to a bunch of professors who have no idea about the real world and can only espouse theories and platitudes. There was a time when experience was the ticket to the corporate ladder but now it has become a matter of how many degrees you can post on your office wall so as to lend credibility to your decisions. Give me someone who has graduated from the school of hard knocks, but then of course we would be alumni brothers so that's not fair either. Some 40 years ago I was putting a "salt box" addition on my New England home when my professor neighbor who taught construction designs and techniques at Keen N.H. stopped by and after sighting my rafters, wanted to know how I was able to mathematically compute the height of the rear wall and the cut of the rafters to keep the pitch of the roof so straight. When I told him that there was little or no math involved let alone A squared + B squared = C squared, and that all I used was a framing square, he shook his head in amazement, saying that he had never heard of such a procedure. I gave him a quick lesson in the theory of the rise over the run and how to use a framing square, but he much preferred to stick with his slide rule "calculators hadn't been invented yet" and teach his students that method. So be it for good old common sense. Not only did he not know, he didn't wish to learn either. What the insurance industry should be looking for are those many instances where flush ceiling fixtures that were designed for 60 watt bulbs or less have had 100 to 150 watt bulbs installed until they have burned the wire in the box to a crisp. I have pulled down too many fixtures to count and when the wires in the box were moved all you were left with were bare copper conductors. If they want to outlaw something, flush ceiling fixtures would be a great place to start. I've seen many cases where the sheetrock was charred under the fixture and all that would have been needed was a little oxygen to get the fire going, and in more than a few instances the ceiling joists have even displayed the effects of the heat. None of this will make one iota of difference but it does illustrate the extent to which the idea that, "if it is old it must be bad, so let's go after K&T," has been carried. Dale --- Just plain old and cantankerous. When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half. Gracie Allen (1906 - 1964) I

The simple thing to do is to sand and repaint the old one. You can use that rustoleum brand HIGH HEAT paint. Finding an acceptable replacement is not going to be easy or cheap.

After taking up the commode to repair it, I noticed the flange where the commode connects to the sewer pipe has been rusted and broken off at the front and one side that holds the bolt that connects it to the commode. Is there a repair kit for this, or would a plumber be necessary to replace the flange. Trying to use just one bolt causes some unstability with the commode. Thanks, Larry

Hello everyone, Once again this is addressed to everyone in my address book because I don't have the time to send individual messages to each on separately. We are doing well. I lose part of my barn and lots of roof shingles. Additionally, one room of our house flooded due to the problem with the roof and it will have to be fixed. Lots of trees down and for every tree down there must be 500-600 limbs. We are cleaning up and repairing what can be repaired. We are still with power and telephone service. I am sending this by way of a portable generator and as soon as I am done I will go down again until we have our electrical power restored. For all those on my list who have gone through or have gone through Hurricane Ivan with me, I send my prayers and you are in my thoughts. There was no loss of life and no harm came to anyone of my family that's the important thing. Other than the above mentioned problems nothing came of this but a little fear and apprehension. It was and still is just an inconvenience. Thank everyone of you for your prayers and concerns for us. I believe they were heard by Our Lord and that is why we had it so easy. Once again, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Ron, Linda, Marty, Robin and Dalton Thompson. Also, Robbie, Misty and Rhett Cook and Kayla Walker.

Just got a wonderful old, but somewhat beaten up, buffet through Freecyle that I plan to use as a dresser(the old timers never had such things as triple dressers). About 1/2 the veneer on the center upper drawer has been water damaged & is missing & the rest is pretty loose. There is a triangular spot (about 3 " wide, 3-4" long) on the next drawer down that is there but bubbled up. I was thinking of just pulling the remaining veneer off the top drawer & staining the nice looking wood underneath to match. I think I can get the veneer off in just 2 sections, so that sometime at a later date and more funds I can have it more properly repaired. As far as the triangular raised section--do you think using a syringe to inject glue from the loose edge then weighting would work to repair or at least lessen the bubble? If so any particular glue I should use? I'd leave it as is, but am afraid it would eventually get chipped or broken too, with opening & closing the drawer. I seriously doubt that the piece has any residual "antique" value, not that it's going anywhere until I'm history, too; but would like to repair as properly as I can, within my budget & no professional help. Thanks, Marci

OK, another old house question. I had to take the metal cover off of my radiator to pull up a carpet, and am wondering about replacing it with something more attractive. We have hot water heat, and the actual radiator is only about 10-12 inches off the floor, and about 8 inches front to back. The cover was metal, about 3 feet tall or more, with vent-like holes on the top and bottom of the front, the top is just flat - and collected dust and other things. Is there something else I can use that is not so big and ugly. I have seen brochures for fancy wood radiator covers - but can't really afford those. Thanks teri

I am in a bind. My current homeowners insurance won't renew my insurance because my house contains knob and tube wiring. All the wiring that can be accessed without gutting walls has been and the only remaining K&T wire is all ultimately connected to the appropriate size circuit breakers. I have had all this verified by a licensed electician. He assures me that this is still considered safe and that my stuff is in good condition. Furthermore he says there is nothing in the code that says it must be changed. Has anyone else heard of this?

Check the springs that connect the machine to the frame. One may have slipped out of the pocket or be broke. Dick djgarcia@... "Still diagonally parked in a parallel world"

Is the bag installed correctly and securely? Also check hoses (any visible) for holes and tight connections. We bought a Eureka vacuum brand new several years ago. Within a week it was blowing instead of sucking. As well as the on off switch was backwards. I called the manufacturer and they said that they tend to do that and that we could take it into a repair shop and get it fixed for free.which would have been fine, except hubby had dismantled it beyond warrantied repairs. Kati in Iowa

Thanks everyone for the lighting responses. Many different opinions on it...guess I'll continue sorting through it. :) I've got one that maybe I can handle If I only knew what the problem was on the lawn mower. The front wheels (it has one of those levers -drive shaft?- that makes the wheels spin automatically) will not turn. They are even hard to turn forceably by hand. They will barely turn whether the drive thing is turned on or kept at normal. I noticed at one point the wheels would roll (with mower off) but then get stuck again. Anywho, this has been on and off for a few weeks and now it is just stuck as can be (and can't be used)!! Any idears?? S. :)

I have a 3'X5' entrance way, with obnoxious 6 inch PINK tiles on it. The door threshold is 3/4" higher than the tile, where the two meet. I have floating laminate flooring up to the tile, with a hard surface reducer at the transition between the tile and the higher laminate flooring. It looks like there is more than enough room to lay another layer of tile without having to remove the old tile. Is it advisable to lay new tile over old? If so, would I be better off using either larger tiles or smaller tiles, rather than the same size tiles as on existing floor? Thanks in advance for your advice. This is such a helpful forum! Debi Davis Las Vegas, NV

On Wednesday, Sep 15, 2004, at 22:16 US/Eastern, <schillbj@... Yes, the posts go eight feet on center. "On center" is a common construction term; here's how to use it. When something says put things "on center," space them out so the center of the first item and the center of the next item are whatever distance apart the instructions say. -- --jmowreader

sounds like you need more power to cut than your hacksaw.... can you take your measurements and strips down to a hardware store (or home depot type store) and see if they will cut it for you? i think a nice clean edge might be important to get a good fit here... how frustrating to get this far and have to deal with this! :-) Misty Glen <mistyglen@... edges), but I CANNOT cut this aluminum anywhere near accurately enough to miter the corner. The hacksaw seems so flimsy for it. robin grunzweig kitysmom2@... mission viejo, ca usa "To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong." --Joseph Chilton Pearce