One of our Canadian friends is asking about a new lot home that has just been finished. It was an owner built with some contractors to provide help and now he is at the point where he needs a nice yard.
He has been asking around about the costs of putting in a sod lawn and we also wanted to talk with him about the options of Hydroseeding. His main concern is the cost of …
One of our friends writes and asks about a historic home that they have recently purchased that has some problems around one of their windows. The window has actually been replaced and it is functioning but the sill of the window / bottom window ledge is sagging pretty bad. A few professionals had the chance to look at the problem when he was making the purchase and didn’t believe it was something that was …
A friend asks about their toilet and they say it does operate but the flow of water when flushing is not as much as they want. They also make note that if they hold the handle down while its flushing they end up with better results. They are looking for a better flush and don’t seem to have major problems. So, what can we do to help them?
Toilets are pretty simple devices and for …
One of the most difficult processes in building foundation walls which also causes delays and cost in inspections is the use of Standard Rebar Steel. Even with ICS construction the use of standard half inch rebar is built into the forms because it is required by code.
First to understand the differences you need to understand why rebar is used in any concrete application. Concrete in and of its self is a hard surface that …
One of our friends asks about the water pressure in their home and they believe that they are getting pressure that is too high and damaging their home appliances such as their water heater. In an attempt to find an answer they called a plumber that came out and checked their system. The plumber found that they had 80PSI which is at the top of the acceptable range for residential water pressure. At this …
A friend is asking about his basement and considering putting down some type of flooring to finish off the basement. He hasn’t asked about all other tasks that come along with finishing your basement but he is at the point where he has asked a few contractors what they think and we thought it would be a good time to go over what materials work best in your basement.
For many people the concrete flooring …
This is a common question that I get a lot and there is some debate on which is better to install first the floor tile or the wall tile when you are installing a shower surround made of Tile.
The first thing that you have to consider is that in all other places in your home when you are installing materials where water is a problem you want to start at the bottom and then …
There are a lot of people that fear the dealer especially if they are someone on a budget but there are times when a dealer really is the best situation for your repairs. In this How To we will look at some of the repairs that a Factory Dealership does best and when it might be best that you find a local shop.
Cost is always going to be more at a Factory Dealership because …
A Friend is asking about a concrete job they just contracted for. They live in a Southern State and the driveway will be 16 feet wide and 70 feet long with an additional slab near their carport at the home for additional parking.
The contractor was suggested to them by other contractors that are backed up with work. He has said he is licensed and insured but hasn’t provided proof of it yet and even …
In this How To we will look at the benefits and drawbacks of either buying or building your own garden shed. We will consider the costs and availability of materials and what extras you may not have considered when you thought you just wanted that extra room for the lawnmower.
Many people don’t realize that when you are building something as insignificant as a garden shed in your backyard you most likely will have to …
A friend of ours is asking about a bathroom upgrade that they are planning and they are wondering about the best method for installing a tile floor in their bathroom over an existing board subfloor. They are wondering if they should remove the old subfloor or supplement it with a plywood subfloor before installing their cement backer board and then their tiles.
This is a common situation for any home that was built in the …
One of our friends is asking for some help with his deck. He is a new home owner and wanted to clean up his deck and decided to use some primer and latex paint instead of staining. The results are pretty ugly and the paint is chipping off in wear areas and in random areas around the deck surface. Unfortunately it seems that he painted everything including the railings and steps and now doesn’t …