Foundation soil grade is important to consider for new home construction and for existing homes. Foundations that don't protrude form the ground enough can suffer drainage and leakage problems. Soil should slope away from the home. If you have a flat lot, drain pipes and trenches can be used to control water flow.
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Hardwood floor installation can be slowed by an uneven subfloor. Before installing hardwood floors, use a straight edge to find the humps and dips in the subfloor. Then, using a floor leveling compound or asphalt shingles, shim the dips so the floor is level.
Tankless water heaters may not be as energy saving as you think. A tankless water heater has a large gas appetite. These heaters are sometimes called on demand water heaters. What's more, some people who buy a tankless water heater end up using more hot water and fuel since the heater never runs out of hot water. This tends to erase all of the projected energy savings.
A load bearing wall can be tough to identify. Determining load bearing walls and how best to go about removing a load bearing wall are among the most frequent questions I receive. Mechanical and electrical structures may be hiding behind those interior walls as well. How to determine if a wall is load bearing? The safest way to sleep at night is to hire a professional structural engineer.
Whitewashing is a unique way to provide color to the outside of a home. You can apply it to wood and masonry, but it holds up best when applied to brick. Painting brick looks great but whitewash is almost maintenance free and beautiful.
Installing a new front door is an ambitious project, but with the right tools and tips, you can install a door and save money. There are steps to follow to ensure that the door replacement doesn't leak and fits properly.
Bathrooms with odors that smell like a sewer may need a simple sewer gas barrier of water to stop the odor.
Mold and mildew removal from grout can be accomplished. You need to remove mildew and soap film with a good scrub brush. Then remove the hard water deposits with white vinegar. Remove the embedded mold and mildew from the grout by soaking paper towel with bleach or oxygen bleach and placing them on the dirty grout. Use the oxygen bleach if you have a septic system.
Paint will not hide the gap between the wall and the baseboard. Caulking is required to cover the gap. Knowing how to caulk baseboards will make for a professional looking job. Caulk and a caulking gun is all you need for applying caulk.
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