Homeowner Forum / General / March 2005

I'm considering using vinyl sheet flooring as a shower surround -- is
it safe to assume that it's waterproof?
M

I'm trying to replace my old steam radiators with dual zone hydronic
baseboards. I have a Weil Mc-Lain boiler that supports both systems. I
plan to run all the baseboards myself, and ask plumbing contractor to
hook it up to the boiler. The question that I have is, will I be able

Hi.  I've been house hunting for a while, and I'm really torn between dual
agency or having my own agent working for me.
With dual agency, does the seller's agent also take the buyer's
commissions?

My roommate has been renting out a room of my house for the past 3 years.
As I knew this person prior to renting out the room I did not collect a
security deposit nor did I make him/her sign a rental agreement / lease. The
other day while talking to a friend I mentioned this and ...

I have always been puzzled by the fact that even though Alternating
Current is delivered to a house, we consider one wire, usually the
black wire,  "hot" and white wire "neutral." Why is it that if the
current is alternating through the house, that the black wire is

Help! What's wrong with this roof? We are considering buying a house
that is 6 years old. We have through Monday to make our decision. The
house is in perfect condition.. except for the roof. There are no
leaks/moisture spots in the house. There are no leaks visible in the

We bought a 1910 heritage home that needs a LOT of TLC, but we're going to
bring it back to fomer glories. First step is raising it approx 2 feet to
get more headroom in the basement (currently only 6 feet).
Have never done it before - any tips or tricks?

I am wondering if I need a water softener. I don't mind the residue
left on all glassware and fixtures. It takes extra cleaning but I am ok
with it . My only concern in the scale buildup in pipes. In the long
term will this end up costing me more than if I had just invested in a

I just bought a new, [to me], very small one bedroom home which was
built in 1956.  The 80,000 [overkill], BTU nat gas furnace was said
to be overkill by my home inspector, probably 30 years old, and
probably won't last another year.  He said that a new hi-efficiency

Are there any recommendations for sliding glass shower enclosure doors that
have tracks that are easy to clean?
It is is a tedious and time-consuming task to clean the deep and near
inaccessible tracks in the shower doors the builder installed.

I prefer vinyl floors to tile since they are softer, quieter and much easier
to clean than tile (grout) , hardwood (delicate), or carpet (easy to stain
and discolor).
Some have that using linoluem anywhere besides kitchen, laundryroom and

Hi.  After a few bad experiences with alleged roofing contractors who
turned out only to be rip-off artists (in both senses of the word), I'm
considering a metal roof for a major re-roofing job that would
necessitate removal and replacement of a great deal of plywood on this

Hi, I'm who posted here yesterday asking about metal roofs.  The price
in our area is significantly higher than for shingled, but the
homeowner has all the problems associated with "walk-up" hip vented
roofs: improper ventilation, resulting in mold.

I have a Gemline universal replacement defrost timer  CC808 which I
bough some time ago and never used .  Unfortuantely I have lost the
schematic which came in the box with it .  Looking at  label   on the
back of timer,  the pins ( harness colors ) are labeled 2 ( brown )

I've read the posts on vinyl floor tiles, and learned a lot actually. I have
vinyl floor tiles in the kitchen and bath, that were here when I bought this
house, and I have a question.
Is there any way to put anything on them, to 'seal' it. They are still in