DEAR TIM: I have a large painted brick fireplace that we want to resurface with real river rock or something similar. My husband and I are not interested in veneer or ledge panels. Will the mortar be strong enough to hold the stones? Do we need to use a special mortar or is an additive […]
Last night while helping my wife Kathy get dinner ready she said, "I saw one of your peers on a national news morning show today." (This was from my December 8, 2015 Newsletter.) "Really? What was he showing?" "He was talking about these caulks where you can actually caulk your window to the frame to […]
DEAR TIM: My wife and I wanted to remodel the dated fireplace in our living room. We recently put down hardwood floor around a raised brick hearth. I’ve since removed the raised hearth and we’re putting down ceramic tile. The trouble is there’s now a recess in the floor where the hearth was and how […]
My guess is it's in your home. Not one place, but several. The first place I'd look if I was a guest is behind your shower curtain. Then maybe I'd look over your shoulder as you open your refrigerator. If I was an appliance repairman, I'll bet you've got it in your washing machine too. […]
DEAR TIM: My relatives want to repair failing decorative iron columns and short stubby brick pillars that are part of a front porch on a home that's about 100 years old. A giant section of the house overhangs the front porch and I'm certain the decorative ironwork is helping to hold up the second story. […]
Garage Door Insulation | Get It Done At The Factory DEAR TIM: I live in a condo with an attached garage. The current garage door insulation is rated at R-4. Even with that it's cold in the winter and hot as Hades in the summer. Local companies have given me estimates to increase the insulation […]
Kathy Burke now lives in a noisy house in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. She caused the problem, but didn't mean to. A cold-air return vent makes noise. Here's her full report: "We have a small 950 sq. ft home with two return vents. We have never covered this one vent since living here as it was behind […]
Gordon Doughman is a subscriber to my FREE newsletter. He was kind enough to share a fascinating discovery he made. Allow him to share the story: "Tim, I know in several of your recent newsletters you discussed galvanized nails and the performance difference between hot dipped versus electroplated nails. I recently rebuilt my deck (capped […]
DEAR TIM: I would like to remove the two corner walls in my kitchen that are common with my living and dining room. This will allow me to install more cabinets and a countertop with a bar to eat at. The entire house will seem more open. Can the walls be removed? What's involved? Who […]
DEAR TIM: My garage is at the bottom of a hill and is tucked into the soil on three sides. I do get some water leakage through the concrete block walls in the spring and during heavy rains. The asphalt floor is always damp despite running a dehumidifier all summer. Do you have any solution […]
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