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  1. Sparky617

    Door Glass Replacement Question

    Can you provide a picture of the door as it is? What is the door made of? Are you looking to add a window to this existing door?
  2. Sparky617

    More home remodeling questions

    Why not use thin-set? No or very little outgassing from a mortar based product. For a backsplash you really don't need to put tile backer board on top of drywall. It isn't going to be getting wet like a shower.
  3. Sparky617

    Problems with new driveway (crack)

    Typically they will put in a control cut to force the cracking into a straight line and largely unnoticeable. Either by striking a joint while the concrete is still plastic, or after it sets by cutting a joint in with a concrete saw. As Steve notes, concrete will crack, it is a matter of how...
  4. Sparky617

    Dryer vent elbow joint sealing

    Insulate the duct to keep it from condensating.
  5. Sparky617

    Garage GFCI shows 30 Vac Open Grd Neu...?

    My thought as I read your post was an open neutral, not an open ground. Looks like that's what was found. An open ground wouldn't cause a weird voltage reading, but an open neutral would. Not all GFCI outlets have the line on top and the load on the bottom (with the ground pin down). They...
  6. Sparky617

    Vinyl Siding Question

    I would go the route that Bud described in his first reply. It will look cleaner and make the window units look like one unit. Putting in J-channel is going to fill most of the space between the windows. I wouldn't even do that narrow of a piece of siding with fiber cement siding let alone vinyl.
  7. Sparky617

    i find a stud in the wall but hit concrete, what are remedies?

    There are bike racks that don't require drilling into your walls. Here is one, and it is pretty reasonable. Since this is an apartment, you might want to go this route. Bike Rack
  8. Sparky617

    Trying to sort out my basement/crawl space

    Given your mild and dry climate I'm not sure a conditioned crawlspace is needed. Here in NC vented crawlspaces are common, but many are going to an insulated, sealed, and conditioned crawlspace. This article might be of some use. The site is very good, and if you poke around you might find...
  9. Sparky617

    Help with covered porch ceiling paint coming off

    Our church had covered walkways that used drywall for the ceilings. It was a constant maintenance nightmare and we eventually replaced it with vinyl soffit material. If it were my house, I'd pull down the drywall and replace it with a material designed for outdoor use. Options include: vinyl...
  10. Sparky617

    HELP? rain seeping in - exterior door.

    Some garage doors are swing out, that door looks to me like it was designed to swing out. Swinging it out keeps you from swinging into the side of your car in a tight garage. Our side door swings in, but we rarely use it because of this issue. It looks like your threshold plate slopes into...
  11. Sparky617

    Ceiling fan cracking ceiling

    The old tape needs removed and replaced. You could use fiberglass or self adhesive paper tape. I find the self adhesive paper tape more DIY friendly. The big challenge is making the repair match the texture on the ceiling. They do make spray on finishes that can replicate the texture, but a...
  12. Sparky617

    Installing insulation to existing wall

    A second layer of drywall would do more than fiberglass insulation. Dense pack cellulose might help and could be blown in.
  13. Sparky617

    Crawlspace concerns

    Conditioned crawlspaces are the preferred method these days. To do one you need to encapsulate the crawlspace, insulated the walls, close off the vents and install supply and return lines from the HVAC into the crawlspace. Alternatively, you can install a dedicated dehumidifier with a...
  14. Sparky617

    How would you fix this siding ?

    No need to draw it, here is a website image showing Z-flashing in use. You don't want to count of caulking to keep water out, the Z-flashing will divert water coming down the wall away. Z-Flashing
  15. Sparky617

    How would you fix this siding ?

    It looks like it might be Masonite, so your compressed paper thought is close to the truth. If you can't afford to replace it for now, I'd cut the bottom couple of inches off. Prime the cut with KILZ or Zinser Bin primer. Then I'd install a piece of primed on all sides wood, horizontally with...
  16. Sparky617

    Replacing stud?

    If it were load bearing the book shelf would have been compromised by the weight from above, or they built in a header above. Fill in the missing piece, add some blocking to hold it in place and call it a day.
  17. Sparky617

    Shower grab bars

    Do you have access to the other side of the wall from the shower unit? If you do, open the wall up and install backing. If it is against an exterior wall and you don't have access, I'd do the expanding foam as Snoonyb mentions.
  18. Sparky617

    Garage rot.... things look bad, and worse, and worse!

    You might try checking with Habitat for Humanity. Our local chapter has a program to help seniors and others of limited means with repairs. Another group to try is Rebuilding Together. I've volunteered with them and my son did a year with them through AmeriCorps. They also do this type of...
  19. Sparky617

    HELP? Exterior door box rot.

    I would use an oscillating saw to cut out the rotted section. Putting together the replacement pieces may require some milling with a table saw to get the profile just right. From the picture this door appears to have side lights on the other side of the rotted wood. There are some wood...
  20. Sparky617

    HELP? Exterior door box rot.

    Very common problem. I cut it out and replaced it with Azek cellular PVC.
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