Rafael, who lives in Fort Myers FL, is wondering about firewalls. Here's what he sent me. "A house built in 1970 has no fire wall. In what year were firewalls installed in the new homes?" Well, Rafael, I find it hard to believe that a 1970's house has no firewall. I say that because typical construction of both exterior and interior […]
Shona, who lives in Herfordshire, England, had to get rid of her builder who was not dealing with the mold on her walls. "I have excessive mold on plastered brick walls. I have removed most of the detached molding plasterwork back to the brick to find crumbling mortar and damp brick. I'm in a rented […]
Louise Sargent, who lives in Gilford, NH just a few miles from my house, has a problem with peeling paint from her drywall. "Dear Tim, I read your video about priming drywall before painting for even absorption of paint. Is curing drywall the same as using a primer? A few flakes of paint are loosening […]
Rockler HVLP Paint Sprayer Tim Carter reviews the Rockler HVLP Spray Gun and really likes the simplicity and ease of clean up. Plus, it does a great job painting to boot! This review got the subscribers emailing Tim. CLICK HERE to read some of the comments. Tim also commented on this sprayer in the September […]
Quick Column Summary: Tar paper or 6 mil plastic vapor barrier Leave an air gap to avoid mold Video link Charles Gregoire is perplexed up in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. "Confusion on whether to use tar paper or 6 mil plastic. In repairing a 64" section of an existing basement interior wood framed dry […]
Quick Column Summary: Painting tiles to hide grout lines Grout lines may not fill thick enough Easier to replace tile with drywall Stefania, who lives in the wonderful city of Johannesburg, Africa, has a fascinating question: "Hi there! I would like to paint over my bathroom tiles, however I don't want to see the lines […]
Quick Column Summary: No one buys paint online Color needs to be seen in person Order from home I don't have a record of when the meeting happened, but my guess is it was 2004. I was in the offices of Miller Brothers Paint in Norwood, Ohio meeting with the owner of the company and […]
Quick Column Summary: Flooded, drywall damaged How high up do you replace Make it easy on the drywall finisher Add extra electrical outlets now Ms. Lisa Reynolds, who works for the Federal Department of the Interior in Colorado, had her offices flood with water. Heck, I'll let her tell you the rest: "Our office suffered […]
Pocket Door Parts and Tips Here's a video that quickly shows you what's behind the drywall that makes a pocket door work like magic.
Quick Column Summary: Large crack where ceiling meets wall Cracks develop when attic trusses lose moisture and bow Fix with inexpensive L-brackets Caulk to complete DEAR TIM: I think my house might be falling down. In the past few weeks, a large crack has formed where the ceiling meets the walls in my home. We’ve […]
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