Homeowner Forum / Repair / July 2008

I am fixing to do some repairs on my mother's garage.
I have to replace some 4x4s under some shiplap.
I couldn't find any shiplap at Loews and will be checking elsewhere.
The shiplap has some kind of concrete-like tiles over it that is in

I need a fiberglass tub/shower surround and compared two, an Aqua
Glass 60x32x74 model 326032AL00 from Lowes, and a Lasco Bathware model
260330 from Home Depot.  Both are $299.  Which one is better or which
one is stronger?  A local plumbing shop sells the Lasco Bathware for

Our home was built in Michigan in 1929.  It's a cinder block basement w/
cement floor, and at the top of the basement wall we can see where wood
framing rests on the top of the cinderblock, so I'm assuming it's a wood
frame house on top of the cinderblock foundation.  I see wood ...

We have a newer two-speed attic furnace/HVAC unit which currently draws the
intake from a hallway ceiling vent right next to where I would like to
install a whole house fan to vent warm air into the attic to cool the house
in the summer evenings rather than run the AC.

I am doing some retirement planning.  I want to estimate the cost and
lifetime of my HVAC system.
I have central gas heat and ac.  The is 2 story and about 2300 feet.
The house was built in 1991.

My Black and Decker Grasshog CST1000 electric trimmer had a bad
switch. The circuit got stuck closed. We opened the handle and
disconnected the wire to stop the motor. The little brownish 1'' x 1/2
'' rectangle box must be the switch. It's marked with

Popped the bead on my 11 x 4.00 - 4 riding mower tubeless tire.  Trying
to remount it has been an example of continued frustration.
Googling mounting of these tires found many responses saying just go
ahead and use tubes.  Online search turns up some for 5" tire but not 4".

Andy asks:
 On another thread, a poster mentioned numbering the electrical
outlets
to match the circuit breakers in the panel.  While that sounds like a

So, the last time you had a repair guy (or gal) out to the house.
* What did he (she) repair?
* How much was the trip charge, or price to just show up?
* What was the labor rate, or price per hour?

I'm finding some reviews online but most are horror story after horror
story.  That may be a slight exaggeration but not much.

Got my new furnace with air yesterday and got wondering, should there
be any screens over the air in or exhaust out lines.
my combustion air in is just a stub of a pipe going in, the exhaust
has a elbow pointing down.