There are a variety of different methods for framing, insulating and finishing interior walls in homes. Normally in conventional stick frame construction these trades are separated and the work is accomplished by different trades at different times in the project. In SIP construction these functions are merged in one step where exterior sheathing and interior drywall sandwiches an internal insulation to speed construction in a variety of building types.
Initially SIPs were designed for timber …
If you are looking to hire a contractor to work on your property there are some precautions that you should take before signing any contract and committing to having them perform the work. Simply because a contractor hands you a piece of paper that they want you to sign doesn’t mean that you have to agree to it. It may mean that they won’t perform the work if you don’t agree to all of …
One of our friends writes and asks about a historic home that they have recently purchased that has some problems around one of their windows. The window has actually been replaced and it is functioning but the sill of the window / bottom window ledge is sagging pretty bad. A few professionals had the chance to look at the problem when he was making the purchase and didn’t believe it was something that was …
In this How To we will look at the benefits and drawbacks of either buying or building your own garden shed. We will consider the costs and availability of materials and what extras you may not have considered when you thought you just wanted that extra room for the lawnmower.
Many people don’t realize that when you are building something as insignificant as a garden shed in your backyard you most likely will have to …
One of our friends is asking for some help with his deck. He is a new home owner and wanted to clean up his deck and decided to use some primer and latex paint instead of staining. The results are pretty ugly and the paint is chipping off in wear areas and in random areas around the deck surface. Unfortunately it seems that he painted everything including the railings and steps and now doesn’t …
A friend asks about some water damage he found along his foundation when he removed his deck and he is wondering just how hard it will be for him to do the work himself or if he needs to hire a structural engineer and a contractor.
The problem is pretty common on homes that have attached decks where the contractor didn’t take care to make sure the home was waterproofed before he attached the deck …
One of our friends asks about a bathroom remodel they are doing and while replacing their toilet the installation of the new waste line means they need to cut into a joist more than they should. When doing this you will be weakening the structure around an important area that needs to carry some weight. He wants to know what the best way to handle this is.
Its always disappointing when you run into this type …
A friend is asking about a rental property he just purchased from a VA Auction and is intending to rent out for a few years until he retires and moves to this location when he is older.
Right now he is using it as a vacation home and is in the process of preparing it for rental. When he moved in the home was inspected and found compliant with Veterans Administration Standards but he is having …
A friend asks about a new home they just bought. It is a 1950’s home that was built on cement block and the home is in general good condition for its age. Obviously there needs to be a lot of upgrades performed to bring it up to today’s standards but it is livable and most of the upgrades will be performed as time allows and not because they are required.
The problem they are having is …
If you have a pressure treated deck and you thought that it would be low maintenance then think again. Although it will last about 15 years and that is much longer than untreated wood, you can expect to be staining and treating it every other or every 3 years as long as you have it. Now if you have a roofed off porch or a gazebo the area that is protected will last much longer …