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You have a potential problem. Alkyd (oil-based) paint is best in kitchens and baths, but it seldom is put on with a flat finish. Preferred would be satin or semi-gloss. So you probably have latex (water-based)paint up there now. That’s not the best to put alkyd over, but you can do it.
Check first if the paint is sound everywhere. If it has gone over greasy areas which were not washed, or peeling areas which were not scraped properly, you might be best to get a pro in to prepare the surface. Otherwise, wash any areas with even a hint of greasy film well with a TSP solution (buy it at a paint or hardware store) and rinse thoroughly. Sand any rough areas (paint with more shine will show up the defects more) and patch if necessary. Then paint– two coats if necessary to get a good solid color.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comI haven’t had as much experience with glue-down engineered floors as glue-down parquet, but I would think if the floor was clean when the painting got done, it shouldn’t cause a problem. I’m envisioning a few lines of paint, overspray, stuff like that, not a large section completely painted.
If you feel you really want to be sure, scrape it with a 4″ scraper first. If nothing come off easily, then the glue shouldn’t lift it.
If you’re determined to take it off, stripping is the least preferred option. A small area can be taken off with a belt or orbital sander. A larger area might be better to get a floor maintainer with grinding stones, but that’s a machine that you can do a lot of damage with if you’re not used to handling it.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comYeah, this is a community political problem, and the solution depends on how politics runs in your community. If the road is right on the town line, then one town is responsible for trash on the left side, and the other town is responsible for trash on the right side. But getting it to happen depends on what works. If the people in the big houses pay more taxes, they may be the people to use some leverage. Then again, a quiet talk enlisting the support of a local elected official may be the route. And a neighborhood party could do it too. I’d suggest starting by talking to someone at the low end of the scale– a secretary in the town office, a contractor who does road work for one of the towns– get the lay of the land from them, find out who has influence, how things get done. Then work your way up till you are talking to the person or people that make the difference, and doing it in the way that will get results.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comNo problem with sistering either solid lumber or engineered joists to each of the existing ceiling joists, as long as all the existing wiring, plumbing, HVAC, etc. is out of the way. The strength of any member added would far exceed its weight. Don’t know why you need to beef up the roof rafters. Is your building department requiring this to meet new code? Then you have no choice. Or are you just wanting more space for insulation? Then I’d suggest looking at cross-strapping to create the space. About the knee walls, what spans are you trying to reduce? If you mean the spans of the roof rafters, then knee walls will do the trick, but then your floor joists have to be sized to take the extra load. Probably still cheaper than doing them separately.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comGo to Builderbooks.com or the books section at Taunton.com
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comNot sure what you mean by that term. Do you mean color system? The paint color systems and braphics one are completely incompatible. Regardless, I would think your best bet would be to get a Pantone book and eyeball a match.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comYes you definitely need to give more info to solve this. What is the original foundation material– concrete block, poured concrete?Is the damage just surface deterioration or is it structural? If the former, you might be able to fix it yourself. If the latter, you will need to have a pro look at it.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comStyrofoam has an R-value of about 4.9 – 5 per inch, depending on the type, and can be purchased in varying thicknesses from most building supply outlets. Some may have a greater variety of sizes/thicknesses than others. It will definitely not hold moisture and will not support mold and mildew (but moisture trapped between the styrofoam and another material like plywood will still cause mold/mildew).
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comThe advice to wait before rebuilding the patio is good, but otherwise I’m not too sure about your drainage contractor. If he was the one who diverted surface water into your foundation weeping tile, then I’d say for sure you need someone else. How old is the house? If it is new, the settling is probably just subsidence from uncompacted backfill (though the base under the driveway should have been properly compacted before the asphalt was laid). If it is an older house and all these problems have just appeared, then sounds like something has happened. Could be as simple as a downspout that used to drain away from the house being redirected, could be more serious. I’d say have at least three experienced contractors take a look at it, sift their advice, then pick one and go step-by-step to discover and solve the problem
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comThere are lots of different types and sytems of laminate, and most of them are pretty easy to install in the “field” areas, but require care and skill when meeting walls and adjacent flooring, passing through doorways, etc. If you are an experienced DIYer with a small table saw and other basic power tools, go for it (with care and lots of advice from your supplier). Otherwise, I’d recommend a professional installation.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comYes, the first thing is to determine what the source of the odor is– could be different solution in each case. Could be old mastic, could be urine, could be seepage (and/or resutling mold and/or rot) from around the toilet flange. Was there a thin plywood underlay under the linoleum? Maybe that needs to come up too. Urine and mold can be cleared up by scrubbing with a household cleaner, then rinsing with strong bleach solution. If it’s rot, all the rotten material has to be removed and replaced.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comYou have two factors to consider here- temperature and humidity. Taking the second one first, if your basement is damp, you could be creating more problems for yourself by introducing that moisture into your living areas. If the basement is dry, then the question you have to ask is whether the basement is actually cooler than the upper areas when the A/C is running. You weren’t explicit about that. Certainly if you have a forced air system, circulating basement air could be done that way, but typically the return intake would be located on the first floor, and you wouldn’t see very much effect. If you could have a summertime return intake installed in the basement, with a damper on it, that could help a lot. But all in all, you probably would do better looking at better roof/attic insulation, attic venting, and minimizing outside air inflitration.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comPresuming the floor was installed in the past thirty years, it is probably finished with urethane, so no special care needed. Use any householdcleaner like Pine-Sol or Mr. Clean in water, and if you use normal dilution, you probably don’t even have to rinse.
However, do you have some soiling or staining that requires special attention? Then use a product/method that is adapted for that. (Obviously, don’t use steel wool or heavy abrasive cleaner except gently.) Unless you get excessive amounts of water on the floor for extended periods, they should survive just fine.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comWhere are you looking? It’s a puzzle to me, because there are lots of options for smaller shower stalls. You should be able to get something at a building supply, but I’d suggest instead a plumbing supply– they’d have a wider selection, and better advice. Look in the Yellow Pages for these, call first to check they sell to the public. With a retro-fit like this, you probably want to look for something that comes in sections, rather than a one-piece unit.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.comChris,
Good for you- take it on. The size of the saw would depend on the type of work you are doing. Also, the type of work would determine whether you should get a simple chop saw, or all the way up to a sliding compund mitre saw. I would recommend investing in a copy of the latest tool guide by Fine Homebuilding (available at most magazine stores). Not only does their annual tool roundup give you very reliable assessment of the strengths and weaknesses (and value-for-dollar) of most tools on the market, their articles will also help point you to the right type of machine in the first place.
Brian Zavitz
http://www.HowToFindAGoodContractor.com
