Homeowner Forum / General / December 2003

I asked about this before and everybody said don't do it.  I've had four
painters come here, plus a wallpaper person, and they all said you can't remove
wallpaper that was installed 30 years ago without tearing up the wallboard
because they didn't do wall prep back in those days.  ...

I redid my water main setup with regulators, ball valves etc and my
irrigation line.  Got the whole thing together and soldered and had leaks.
Took a section apart and redid it and solved that problem.  Now the
irrigation line is leaking!!!  I took it apart again and am wondering ...

I am considering buying a home in Illinois.  The backyard slopes down
4 ft in the (50 foot length) back yard.  Is this normal or will there
too much of an incline for little kids (eg playing catch and putting
in a pool).

I'm only worried about the weight, not a spill. (Aquarium is acrylic
and therefore has no seams but is molecularly molded.)
It's a 60g aquarium (about 600lbs) on a wood stand that has a flat 6'
sq bottom (vs legs), so there should only be about 100lbs weight per

I am finishing a remodel and the deck has sat unfinsihed for 1 year +.  It
is 3/4" plywood CDX covered with a rubber coating and aggragate.  I am going
to put a urethane finish on it but notice that the underside of the deck
must have seen some moisture as there are some water marks ...

I am thinking of using cellulose insulation in my walls throughout the
house.  I plan to run the cat 5e and coax wiring myself.  I will, of course,
run it before the insulation goes in.   How will this affect my wiring that
I plan to run?   Is it hard to find the loops after the dry ...

I own a 3 year old house with modern wiring.  The GFCI protected
outlets in both bathrooms and one outside outlet stopped working, but
I can not find anything tripped in the circuit box or the 2 GFCI style
outlets in the house (one in garage and one in kitchen sink island).

Quick question about the transition strip between laminate flooring &
regular kitchen tile...  I installed a very inexpensive laminate floor
and by the time I was ready to complete the job with the transition
strips, I was out of money.  Home Depot charges $20 per every 3 feet

We need to get a new floor because the old vinyl is nasty looking.  My husband
does not want vinyl again.  We're in our 70's so I want to get something really
nice because this will be the last floor we will ever install.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I want to buy a house. I don't like the properties listed in the
market. I want to find a condo currently under construction. If the
condo satisfy me I will make an offer to the owner and even put a
deposit on it. Where can I find the information about condos under

I have cream colored Berber carpet upstairs. There are a few areas that are
discolored, kind of rusty. I know you are not supposed to use soap on Berber
and so always clean with merely hot water in my Bissell carpet cleaner. Can
anyone suggest how to deal with the stained part?

I have a 3 year old home.  The 2nd floors make a loud cracking/popping
sound.  This mainly happens in the winter and it is along the "main"
wall in the house.
I have heard this called a "wall pop".  It is not your typical

We bought a Kingsdown mattress at sleepys in the summer and it still
smells!!  What can I do?  I am sick of the smell.  It still has not aired
out.  I am assuming it is the fire retardent chemicals or something.  It is
a sweet smell, but I dont like that fact that my mattress is ...

What color is georgetown green? Can someone provide me a link that has
color of georgeotown green?
Thanks,

I am curious about real estate I am about to graduate college and
though it may be some time before I am financially able to afford a
mortgage and have stability. I know that I will buy a house. As of now
I am just gathering information so that when I am finally able I can