Homeowner Forum / Construction / October 2005

We are building a home and I have questions regarding kitchen cabinets.
We were leaning towards Kraftmaid Thermofoil because we are a lttle
leery of painted wood.  The house is in VA and we were afraid that the
humidity may cause problems with cracks in the wood.  But I have not

I am having a new home built and the roof and stone work have just been
completed.  I looked at it and noticed what may be an issue on the walls
above a bay window and front porch
See pictures:

Urgent ..Please help...
I am writing regarding a home in the Bay Area, CA.
My sister bought it NEW from the home builders about 8 years ago.
There is a leak in the pipes (bath tub area) inside the walls and is

I'm installing a 22' long x 4" smoothwalled aluminum dryer vent with six 90
degree elbows for a client.
The dryer will be full size, vent terminates close to grade in West facing
wall at dead end of 20' long space between houses 6' apart, 2.5 stories

I'm building a 18x20 workroom coming off the back of the (attached to the
house) garage.  Can't duct the HVAC from the main house to the workroom.
It seems my choices for heating and cooling are window units, baseboard
heaters, or wall units (a la hotel room units). I will be need ...

Had engineer say my 4x8 cedar rafters were ok for concrete tile over
deck/porch/balcony last year, but there were span issues with the 18' 4x6
barge rafters that extend over both the house & deck.  His suggestion of
multiple LVLs was not appealing, so I had asked him on the phone ...

I was working on a design for a 16x20ft shed. It will be basic light
frame construction (SPF 2x6 walls, OSB sheathed, 12/12 pitch hip roof
with asphault shingles).
I would like to have more space for a second floor attic by using

I am in the process of buying a new home (2003) and I had it inspected by a
professional inspector. He noted that in the basement there are no floor
drains, which could cause a problem if there were a flood.
However, in the floor in three seperate locations there are 12" by 12"

How critical is it to apply the oak flooring perpendicular to the floor or
I-joists?
Let me know what everybody thinks.
Jeff

(As you know Residential & Commercial Contractors are urgently needed
to Rebuild Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas.)
If you are a contractor and provide reconstruction services, there is a
new website acting as a "live" Yellow Pages type directory.

I have a builder who wants to give me a cost plus price ,with cap, on
building my house.  Is this a sensible approach if a lock and key price
would be, IMO, too hard to arrive at by either of us?
Also, he wants me to pay for the builder's risk insurance.  How common

Putting doors on new garage and have the option to put on iDrive garage door
openers.  Has anyone had any experience with these?  I would like to know if
anyone has any recommendations on them or should I stick with conventional
chain drive?

We are building a shelter and tack room for the horses and I am debating on
metal or shingle roof. Based on a tack room 16x20 and shelter 24x80, which
would be less expensive. I would still have a wooden under side for ether
or.

I am planning on installing a new shower on the second floor of our house.
It will have tiled walls and floors but I don't know how to prepare the
shower basin.  Do I put a type of rubber down then a cement leveler before
applying the tiles?

I'm trying to figure out if it is possible to cut crown molding so that it
not only turns a 90 degree outside corner, but then rises up a slope? I've
got charts giving me cut angles, but nothing for this.
What I'm doing is putting crown moulding on a porch roof. At the corner, I'm ...