Latest threads in Building Constructionshow only best voted threads

Subject Author Posted Replies
 
doorbells
Got a interesting one for ya'll out there, what is more commonly used, a wired or wireless doorbell. I am thinking wired, I have acess to the inside of the walls and attic durring the remodel, and...
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All smoke detectors active?
I have a 5 year old house with electric/battery smoke detectors. They started going off today...All of them, first one in the hall then the bedroom then all over the house. They will stop but will...
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2
 
A Craigslist exclusively FOR CONTRACTORS
Has anyone seen Great idea and free...I've seen other websites try to charge for this same service. The specialty of it reminds me of the yard sale lady (she has a website the caters to yard sale...
 
basement interior wall footer size?
I live in Michigan, and have an old "Michigan basement" e.g. stacked stone basement walls. One interior wall is starting to crumble and I'm trying to size up the project so I can decide either to...
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Proper insulation for the Chicagoland area?
We recently purchased an brand new home in August and this is our first year in the house. The house is much larger then my previous house (3200 sqft vs 2400 sqft) and I've noticed that the...
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Question about checking wall cavities (with digital camera?)
I'm wondering if anyone here uses any type of small digital video camera for inspecting wall cavities. Specifically, to reduce the amount of patching, I was considering buying one of those little...
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22
 
GFI special use question
I have an artesian well which has a pump which runs on 240 volts. There is a breaker at the main box and another at the tank in the basement. Code does not require any kind of gfi for the circuit and...
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Infrared Thermometers
I'm looking to purchase an infrared thermometer. The spec I'm not sure as to what I need is the 6:1 to 60:1 (D:S). I understand what this is just looking to what range is recommended. I own on...
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Phoenix Water Heater
Looking for info, opinions experience on using a 90 Plus water heater to heat DHW and space heating using a water coil in an air handler, especially the Phoenix. Andy
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Water Heater Energy Factor
Dose anyone have guidelines for water heater EF based on age and steady state efficiency. How does EF compare to AFUE? Andy
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Driving screws?
What's the consensus out there on the best tool to drive screws? About the only way I can prevent cam-out with longer screws is to use screws with hex or torx heads. ...Bob
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32
 
Home Remodeling Blog (My Five mistakes to avoid)
These are my five mistakes to avoid. Five Mistakes to Avoid 5. Clean the grout off the tile while it is still wet. This caused us many hours of hard work. In fact it took as long to clean up the tiles...
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10
 
Water Heater Vent Pipe
I just tested a water heater with an aluminum vent pipe connecting the draft hood to the B-vent. If I understand correctly galvanized or stainless pipe is required to meet code. Is this correct or is...
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4
 
plywood subfloor question
i was looking up at the subfloor from the basement. it's 23/32" (3/4" plywood) stamped on it and labeled "underlayment" - what i'm wondering about is, there are sections of the plywood that...
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updating old red brick fireplace
I tried to 'skim coat' a floor-to-ceiling mid-century fireplace - red brick over concrete block construction. Here's what I tried without success (looked great for a few days then fell...
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