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I'm in the process of doing a kitchen remodel on our 1946 contemporary style home. Removed the (relatively new) tile flooring and cement underlayment and found this old flooring underneath. It's very thin, and in places where there was a nail or screw, the surface material breaks off almost like...

Hello. We've got a 75 year-old flat-roof home in PA that is need of a new roof. Trying to figure out the best approach. The roof was last done ten years ago, the roofing contractor used Certainteed stick-down (adhesive) modified bitumen. The product is starting to fail in some places, the...

Last year, we remodeled our master bath. The job took longer than the contractor anticipated, and he started to get antsy and cut corners so he could finish the job. When he installed our medicine cabinet (see attached photos), he simply put the metal brackets aside and decided to glue the unit...

Last year we had our bathroom redone. At first I was happy with the finished job, but after a year of use, certain areas of the project are starting to show some signs of premature wear and tear. I'm wondering if it's the product (sanded caulk) or was it shoddy work by the contractor? As you...

I have a basement office space where I spend lots of time working, and wanted to spruce it up a bit. Currently the walls are cinder block that has been waterproofed and painted. I was thinking I'd like to cover the largest wall with reclaimed wood planks. What would be the best way to fasten...

Hi Friends, wondering if you can help me solve a mystery. I live in a 70 year-old contemporary with exposed beams on the first floor. For that reason, the second floor bathroom is raised up on a platform to accommodate the plumbing (see diagram) We’ve been getting a slow, steady drip...

Hi All, I've got a fun little patio project that shouldn't be too hard to execute. Please see attached images. As you can see, our patio is raised up about 3' and built of stone and slate. I want to visually define the living space by adding a string of suspended lights around the...

Hi Everyone, I have Anderson-style crank windows in my house, I would guess they were installed about 20 years ago, since I've been in the house for 11. As you can see in the pictures, the scissor mechanism that opens/closes the windows has come loose and now the windows don't close...

I have a relatively new oil furnace, probably about 10 years old. The burner unit is a Beckett. Four years ago, I had the tank and lines replaced. As of late, I've noticed a banging noise, similar to someone beating on a metal drum. It seems to be related to the blower fan. I was listening to...

I've got a little garage winery, where I need to keep the area at about 65°F all winter long. My stepfather was nice enough to give me his old 100lb. propane tank, a regulator, about 50 ft of copper line and an indoor propane heater. I have to run the line from outside, through the garage...

I just installed an exterior pre-hung door a few months ago. The frame was installed level, flush and plumb and ostensibly should close perfectly. Our house's outer walls were built onto with 1" poly insulation board and aluminum siding. The long screw that you use in the top hinge, to pull...

I'm making a small winery in my garage, and will need to wash dirty dishes/fill and clean the wine tanks regularly. There is currently a cold water spigot in the garage. I was hoping to rig a wash basin up to this so I can use the water supply with an industrial stainless sink. My main...

I have a flat roof house in the Philadelphia suburbs. I recently hired a contractor to replace the built-up roof. Apparently it already had two layers on it and the youngest one was about 20 years old. The old surface was a torch-down modified bitumen. So, they just finished the job. They...

My house was built in 1947, with an original 1-car garage. I wanted to replace the side door with something more thermally insulated, and also something a little more secure. Problem is, to install a new door, looks like I'm going to have to get out the old sawz-all and cut the old jamb out...

I'm repairing my garage for use as a winery. The walls have some dents and holes in them, looks like one of the previous owners probably drove the car into them or something. The house was built in 1947, but it looks like they may have done the garage interior later in the life of the home. I...

I am doing some work in our garage, rebuilding the walls, etc. I came across this yellow-brown insulation inside the walls. It is a rigid, slightly spongy board-like material. See the first two photos. This particular space between the studs is also a return for the heating system. Apparently...