Homeowner Forum / General / March 2005

My deck is UGLY looking from neglect and a contractor having "stained"
it with opaque stain - which is of course now chipped.  I could
theoretically sand it down with a floor sanding machine - but it's a
big deck - not to mention the fact that I'd probably have to renail

I'm a reporter with a national newspaper, and I'm doing a story on the
design and installation services of big retailers like Lowe's, Expo,
IKEA and Ace Hardware, as well as national remodeling franchises. If
anyone has had experience installing anything with these companies, and

My reading indicates that water hammer is caused when a water source is
turned OFF.
Last night, we turned ON the dishwasher and there was a loud rumbing
noise.  I went downstairs and saw the hot water line (downstairs is a

We are thinking about changing the house. We have been looking in the area
we are interested and have not found the house we really like. Some of them
we looked were close to what we want but there are some small thing in each
that we did not like. Now we are investigating about ...

I need to make a lamp shade.  From watching extreme home makeover, I
discovered that if I can find fiberglass sheets, I can remake my shade.
BUT, I have no idea where to find such an animal - and Ty Pennington won't
reply to my emails :-)

I just purchased a ~1830 Greek Revival for a relatively good price with
the idea to spend some $ renovating.
Yesterday, after a few days of rain, I found puddles forming in the
basement. Could be coming from the walls or up through the floors (hard

We've finally closed on the home! yay! Thanks for all your patience while I
muddled through the details.
Now on to repairs. If this is the wrong forum to ask my questions a gentle
shoo! will get me out of here.

Our kitchen floor has an area that is noticably softer and less sturdy
than the rest.  Nail heads have been poking through the linoleum
one-by-one since we moved in 7 or 8 months ago.  If you tap on the
area with your show it sounds dull and hollow, while the normal areas

Our daughter sits on our leather sofa everyday after getting out of the
shower.  She wears a robe that is a bit damp, along with wet hair.  I
have noticed the sofa getting a white-ish look where she sits.
My wife says that moisture is good for leather and doesn't believe that

We are in the process of buying a home and we need to get an estimate
for some roof repairs before we come to a final agreement.
First the specs:
Only 2 sides of the house need done (back and left side). The other two

I am planning on removing a 13 foot (plaster) wall on the 1st floor of
my 2 story house that I am going to assume is load bearing.
When I look in the basement directly under the current wall, there is a
double 13 foot 2X12 with one end sitting on the foundation wall and the

I am about to replace the cold control in Sears / Whirlpool
Refrigerator Model 106-7629211 refrgerator . Any tips  ( like on on
running the capillary tub) are appreciated . -thanks

The fire in the furnace goes/off over and over. The house won't heat-up
enough before the furnace shut down. I did replace the thermostat, but the
problem still exist. I can see the big white fire light-up. Then it goes
down to a blue flame. Seconds later, the blue flames disappear ...

Does anybody over here has experience with Rhino Shield Ceramic paint?
Does it woth 2-3 times the price of regular staff?
Thanks!

We're in the process of getting estimates to strip and re-roof our
house.  All companies asked to provide an estimate are licensed
constractors and in most cases approved by at least one major shingle
factory.