Home Related Questions and Answers

Monday, March 11, 2013

My house was built in Los Angeles in 1906. I wish to to convert the attic to a bedroom?

Q. the attic to a bedroom with a bathroom including a shower and tub.. What changes to the foundation.and ceiling will I be required to make to satisfy the building codes and mitigate problems if there is an earthquake.

A. You need to find out if the house is a qualified Historical structure or property. If it is, I would not recommend you doing the remodel if you are on a tight schedule. If you have the time or it's not considered Preservation worthy, then you can proceed. Since the house already have an attic, the only thing that you really have to concern yourself with are the floor structure, shouldn't be a problem since the house will be conventionally framed. Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing will be huge, since you have to replace everything. Insulation and window exiting clearances needs to be considered as well.

How can I insulate my rented attic bedroom?

Q. I rent, and my bedroom is a large attic conversion. It's very energy inefficientâI can feel heat loss through the ceiling even on a cool summer night. How can I make it more energy efficient without making structural changes that will require my landlord's cooperation? I plan to put weatherstrip around the windows and I'm considering caulking the joists, but the only other thing I can think of is tacking blankets up on the walls and ceilingâa fire hazard, and not very elegant.

A. Hi, check out encapsulated insulation batts, it's insulation that is in a plastic type blanket. If you have knee walls and attic access, just staple it between the joists. When you move you might take it with you too! Another solution might be blue board, its a foam board that you could put up and tape seams making it tight, but it may have to be trimed just for that space and it's best to leave it. If your landlord pays any utitlity you might say you get the material I'll put it in. B

How much would it coast to get a heatorater and instalation put into an attic?

Q. The attic is a pretty decent size. I was thinking about adding a heatorater & installation so it wouldn't be just an empty room.

A. I know a guy whose attic contains 3,000 sq. ft. of floor space. Until you know size of the area you're dealing with, it will be impossible to answer your question.

What color kitchen cabinet finish would best go with mahogany flooring?

Q. Kitchen Remodel

A. Go to this web page http://onlinedesigner.hgtv.com/visualizer/GettingStarted.do;jsessionid=23152D44CA959BEB25FC6832BB81A3D0 and look at all the options...it may help you. I am partial to colored plastic front cabinets...go wild! You can do mahogny cabinet with glass fronts too...that would be pretty...

How much should I expect to spend on new kitchen cabinets?

Q. I'm on a shoestring budget for our kitchen remodel. It is a tiny galley kitchen, with cabinets (top and bottom) running about 12.5 feet along one wall. Is it possible to find cabinets that would fit this space for under $2000 (including labor)? Thanks for any input!
I should say - I don't care how plain and simple they are. Just going for a clean, updated look with no frills.

A. That is a tight budget but doable if you dont include tops in that price. You have to forget about all the bells and whistles and not be afraid of that horrible curse word "particle board' which by the way is far superior to plywood cabinets. The other thing is you have to stay away from the big orange who only wants your little green. They charge full list price. You would not pay list price - MSRP - sticker price for your new car so dont pay it for cabinets.

There are discount kitchen dealers in every major city. Most everyone today discounts from list. Do not be tempted by those ads that say all complete wood cherry kitchen for $895. What that is would be cheap junk formaldehyde and sulfur infested Chinese made junk. Fall for these and you will be putting your families health at great risk.

Want to completely remodel kitchen. How best to start? Where to go first?

Q. Is it ok just to ask cabinet company people to just come out and give me estimates? How do I know if I am getting an accurate estimate? How many estimates should I request? How much information do I need to give the estimator? I am concerned about "offending" companies by asking them give me estimates then not following through with the work. We are planning a complete kitchen remodel, floor, cabinets, fixtures appliances. Where should we start to get the best estimate?

A. I used to design kitchens. This is the best advice I can give you:

Establish a budget for your work BEFORE you start. If you have $10,000 or $100,000 to spend, know that amount and work with it. Being unsure of your total possible expenditure is the fastest way to get ignored by designers and contractors. A kitchen is not a cheap room re-do.

Investigate what you like and what you want your room to look like in advance. Designers need parameters to work with. No one knows your tastes and desires bettter than you. Having any less than an idea of what you want to project to be like finished is a sure way to be disappointed in the outcome.

Know the scope of the work you want to do. new cabinets? countertops? Flooring, wallcovering, lighting, appliances, etc?? do you need to upgrade your plumbing, wiring, ventilation? These and many other questions should be answered first. If your budget doesn't allow for any of these items, you may have to set your sights lower.

Hire a designer.. a kitchen designer. This is someone that you PAY to handle drawings and design. a qualified designer will help you answer all of these questions and give you a good idea if your budget is close to adequate. Expect to pay this person and be sure that you are comfortable with them. In many cases, the designer will credit their fees if you buy the project from them. Hire a CKD if you can (Certified Kitchen Designer)

With drawings and specs in hand, you can look at different types of products and talk intelligently to prospective contractors to handle your work. You will be working on an even plane with all parties involved since there is one set of parameters with which to work.

A kitchen renovation is a BIG project and can be a lot of fun, but there are also heartaches involved. It takes time, can be messy and you will be eating a lot of meals out. Expect the project to take a little time and be patient.

A new kitchen will make life much better in the long run and will increase your home's value. It's a good investment.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

How do I stop my wall light bulbs making black marks on the ceiling?

Q. My wall light bulbs make black marks on the plaster coving and ceiling in my room. I understand you used to be able to buy little press on metal caps to stop this.

Does anybody know if these are still available and where I can get these from or any other tip to help

Any help would be very much appreciated
Unfortunately I am only using 25 watt bulbs now to help this so really can't go much lower but thanks for this idea

A. Use lower watt bulbs. The heat is causing the marks.

How do you make the wires safe before you put a blanking plate on when you remove wall lights.?

Q. We want to remove 2 wall lights, but we do not want to permanently remove the wires, so we will use blanking plates, but are not sure how you make the wires safe first. Does anyone have suggestions please?

A. You don't say where you are. If you are in the UK you will need to use connector blocks (min 5amp rating) as we stopped using screw on type connections, such as wire nuts /midgets, many years ago. Connector blocks are widely available from diy shops.
Don't rely on turning the wall switch off to make the cables dead as there may still be live cables present. It is probably simpler for you to turn off the main switch (Usually the biggest switch at your fuseboard) After making sure that the cables are definitely dead, put the cables into your connector in exactly the same order as they were connected in the fitting. ie if a black and red cable were connected together in the fitting they must be connected together when you reconnect them. Many people make the mistake of not noting how it came apart. Put all your earth cables together and after gently tugging at all the cables to make sure it doesn't fall apart tape the connectors up before pushing back into the wall and covering with your blank plate.
You may be lucky and find that on removing the old lights you have existing connectors you can retain. In which case visually check there are no loose strands of copper after disconnecting the light and simply tape the connectors up.
If in any doubt of how to make it safe don't attempt it yourself, get someone in. Electricity kills.

Where can you get wall lights for your room?

Q. I have been watching room tours on youtube and a lot of people have really cool wall lights (not plain ones, like pink and stuff) ti make there room more fun, they have them over there bed and stuff. So I went to a couple of stores online but none had anything close to that. Please help!

A. Have you tried homedepot ive senn cool lights their

Whats the best way to shine ceramic flooring?

Q. I just installed some ceramic flooring but it has a haze to it! Its already sealed with sealer! How can i get it to shine or keep that wet look?

A. Hi there, thatâs a nice question you ask in my opinion Stone Cleaner and Polish Cleaner and Polish specifically designed and PH balanced for Marble, Granite, and Dimensional Stone Surfaces. If you want more information visit the website given below it helps you a lot you can buy a stone cleaner and polish from this web from which you can shine your ceramic flooring visit the website.

What's the best way to care for & clean ceramic floors?

Q. I recently got ceramic floors put it, but I don't know the best way to care for them or clean them? What products do you recommend? Also, we have 2 dogs & these floors act like a magnet for hair.

A. In my old house i has smooth ceramic floors. At my new house i have bumpy ceramic floors. If your have grout that's another thing to maintain.
If you have the smooth or bumpy ceramic floors make sure that you sweep the floors daily. You can keep dirt build you mop the floor every other day at least. I like to clean my floors every day.
The only thing with bumpy ceramic floors is that you have to spend a little more time keeping them in tip-top-shape. Sometimes you may need to scrub to get it nice and clean.
For the grout you can also buy liquid that will make it water proof. Grout tends to take in water. Buying this can help your grout from becoming dark and ugly 9it can become brittle if it holds in a lot of water). You can go to your local HomeDepot to buy it, I'm pretty sure they sell them there. While you are there you can see many other products to care for your new ceramic floors.

Hope this helped some. :)

How to drill a screw hole in ceramic floor tile?

Q. We just installed ceramic floor tile. We removed a set of bifold doors and will be replacing them with by-pass doors. Fot the bypass doors, a center guide for the doors needs to be attached in the center on the tile floor.

What type of drill bit? What size? One slightly smaller than screw like drilling wood or not? Any helpful hints, tips also appreciated! Thanks!

A. From your hardware store get plastic screw plugs to suit the screw you want to fit. get the corresponding masonery bit also get a smaller one to drill first. It is also easier yo drill a small hole and make it the right size than ues the right size and make it bigger.
Don't use a nail and a hammer as mentioned eairler as you may eaisly crack the tile if it is not glued to the surface fully

How to price a bathroom remodel?

Q. Contractors,

I am playing with the idea of starting my own little contracting firm. I have some theories on how to price out jobs but was wondering how you guys do it. Say I had a customer who wanted a bathroom remodel that included (assuming a 10X10 bathroom

Replace the vanity and sink, and fosset
replace the toilet
rip and replace floor tile,
rip and replace tile around the tub
rip and replace light fixture
rip and replace mirror
Paint the walls and ceiling

How would you guys price this job out?

A. The best thing in to do is to get free price estimates from contractor directory sites.
I use the renov. experts - they have local contractors that they pre-screen so you only get estimates from those who made the cut.
You can contact them to get free estimates for your job. If you want, here is the link I used - http://best-offers-online.com/estimates

How to find a good local licensed house remodeling contractor?

Q. To do the following work:
1.Bathroom remodeling.
2.Fences.
3.Hardwood flooring.

Any suggestions on the related websites much appreciated.

A. Try the BBB if you are in the US

Should I change the tiles in the bathroom first or refinish the bathtub first?

Q. HI! I am planning a small bathroom remodeling project where I would like to have old tiles removed and new tiles set and also bathtub refinished. My question is what should be done first the tiles or the bath tub and why? Thank you very much.
I mean the tiles on the walls surrounding the tub, not the floor tiles. Thanks

A. Rip out the old tiles...
Have the tub done 1st so the whole thing can be re finished.If tiles are up, the refinish can only be done up to that point.
Whether its an old tub, new tub or a re finished tub, the installer is responsible to protect the tub during installation of the new tiles.
Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar. GL

What website can I upload my own photo to and choose paint colors?

Q. I'm trying to choose colors for my homes' exterior and I don't want to use the photos that they give me. For example Lowes allows me to use a paint tool on their website with given photos, but no option to use my own.

A. Behr Paint's website will allow you to do this for $4.95. You choose your color first, and then click "preview" and then it will give you the option of uploading your own photo.
http://www.behr.com/behrx/workbook/

You can also post a photo of your house on Roomvues.com. You can either tell them specific colors that you would like to see or get color suggestions from them, and they will photoshop them onto your house for you. It's free:
http://www.roomvues.com/

What is the general installation cost for a home monitoring system?

Q. 5 cameras for a 2 story home. 2 exterior and 3 interior cameras.

A. Wireless cameras from trendnet are about $150, I would recommend those for the exterior and run ethernet cable to the others unless you can run ethernet to all of them. Then you can access all cameras from a computer on your home network or even have them set up to view away from home. The good thing about POE cameras is you don't need to run power to them, they get their power over the ethernet line.

wireless
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=ProView+Wireless+N+Internet+Camera&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=14539041441216387408&sa=X&ei=hvenT6ztCo2btweQrZiWDA&ved=0CMYBEPMCMAI

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=Wireless+N+Day%2FNight+Internet+Camera#q=Wireless+N+Day%2FNight+Internet+Camera&hl=en&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=LvinT5vIJYfHtgffqJmXDA&ved=0CLABEK0E&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=db1187cf115279fd&biw=1121&bih=914

wired (POE power over ethernet)
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=ProView+PoE+Internet+Camera&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=7096260418526820499&sa=X&ei=gfinT5qZEsmltwfL-dCqDA&ved=0CKYBEPMCMAI

If you get the wired ones they are cheaper, and you would just need to make sure they aren't exposed to direct rain and they will work and are about half the price of one designed for exterior use.

Also if you put a pan and tilt one on a corner outside it may do the job of 2, another way to save $$.

How can I sound proof my home.?

Q. I need to sound proof my home.
My exterior walls are brick.
My interior walls are drywall.
My roof is composition shingle.
They built an outdoor gun range by my house.

A. It is an expensive proposition to insulate against noise of this type. It is you who should complain and get them to move to a commercial area.

You have every right to peace and quiet enjoyment of your home. You should not consider moving.

Otherwise, you sue them and sue the government department that gave them the permit. The govt. department is supposed to send a notice to everyone in the neighborhood and should have held a public meeting to hear any objections. I do not think this was done.

Otherwise, get them to insulate your home to your specifications (call a sound engineer for specs) including the basement walls. The shock travels to your foundation too.

Your moving from there is not an option. (unless you hate the neighborhood etc.. and for various reasons you wanted to move - that's diff.)

Online shopping websites for home decorating?

Q. I am looking for some websites where I can purchase home decorating products (from furniture to decoration, like candles and cushions!) Something along the lines of the Ikea website would be great (unfortunately most of their items must be bought in store - and I really need home delivery) I am based in Italy, but am from the UK so anything that delivers to either of these countries would be great!

Any ideas are welcome, thanks!

A. Look on apartmenttherapy.com & etsy.com.

Guys: Does it make you Angry that women try to Monopolize the Home Decorating?

Q. A lot of women in general think they are entitled to do all the home decorating and also throw out a lot of their guy's possessions. This is near the top of my hate list. What do you guys think about this? Doesn't this outrage you? Are you just going to take that? If you pay for half of the rent or mortgage, don't you think you have the right to decorate half of your residence the way that YOU like it?

A. Besides me not knowing one curtain from another If it were left up to me the house would be functional but not matched.

But I have learned to be careful. One woman I used to date asked to fix up my living room. Nothing matched but it was comfortable. I went on a business trip and came back 6 days later and had new paint, new curtains, new pictures on the wall, new carpet, new lighting and new furniture. Oh yeah and a bill for $23,000 since she hired professionals and did none of the work herself.

I did not think it was possible to spend that much money on a living room. As for you situation, which half of the bed do you like? Or would you perfer the sofa?

â°â°â°

How can I gain experience as a home decorator?

Q. I think I want to get into home decorating and even doing things like painting murals on peoples walls and stuff. Any advice on how I can get started?

A. Read books and magazines on it, and watch them home decorating shows and stuff on tv.