Homeowner Forum / Construction / July 2003

I have a room which is 950 sq ft of drywall surface including the
ceiling. The drywall has already been hung and I was looking for a
quote from a contractor for finishing. I was just quoted a price of
$2100. No painting, no molding work by the contractor. On a previous

    I am wondering if anyone can give some info as to how deep a piece of
rebar (lets say #3 or #4) would have to be embedded into a pour to meet
its tensile strength. This is to say a straight piece, no bends, how far
would it have to be in the pour before it would not pull out?

Iinquired of  a builder in subject city the names of the sub contractors.
Said I had no need to know.  Should this info be classified or secured?
Are there any public sources for these data without going to sites and
noting the service trucks.

Fifty-one people on that balcony at about 200 lbs each. Sounds like about a
five ton load. Then if they're all stompin to the beat.
Is there usually some sort of capacity rating for these things or is it
simply governed by common sense?

I am remodeling my kitchen in Dallas. The house is built on a
post-tensioned slab on grade.
In the remodel, I am replacing the kitchen cabinets, appliances,
cabinets, flooring, etc.

The ladder I have is rated as BS 2037. I know this is rated as 175 KGs
static vertical load. How does this translate as a horizontal (using
it as a bridge) load.  Will it take the same 175KGs?
Before everyone panics and tell me to get scaffolding don't worry. I'm

Can anyone tell what is the minimum width required for the main
entrance door of a residential apartment in US/California?
I believe it is 32". I also found that a standard sofa has a with of
34" or more. The two seems incompatible and at leat one must change! I

I know a lot of people are building their decks now and i will start in a
couple weeks.
I have the design pretty much set but i am fighting with the steps to ground
area.

Hi, all-
Anyone here have an experience with on-demand hot water heaters?
I've been looking at these: http://www.tankless-water-heater.com/
There also these:

Due to a mix-up over when the pouring would occur for our 20x24 garage
I did not get the anchor bolts to the site in time.
What is the recommended way of attaching the sill plate to the
hardened slab at this point in time (slab was poured earlier this

I am in the process of removing tile from a kitchen wall above the
backsplash and below the cabinets.  My wife does not want to retile the
wall. She wants it painted.  
Of course, there is a coat of tile mastic left on the wallboard which

I have a 1950's ranch that has steel frame doors.  Years ago I hung a new
door in the old steel jamb, but had to plane it down about 1/2" to fit.  Now
I would like to replace the door and jambs with a new pre-hung door.  The
means by which the door jamb is held in place is not ...

I have used 7/16" OSB plywood as roof sheathing in the past and it is
stamped with a "this side down" mark. That puts the rougher surface on top
which helps provide a little traction while walking around up there.
I am now getting ready to sheath the roof of our new house and am ...

I had an extention built 3 years ago The contractor put a "French
Drain" arount the perimater of the foundation and it led to a dry well
about 20' away from my house. With all that I still had a swimming
pool in my basement when "FLOYD" hit 2 years ago.

Which manufacturer is considered the best for flushing action.
I have heard that many require 2 flushes or worst yet overflows requiring a
plunger.
Hate to have a plunger sitting by the toilet in a completly remodelled