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Cleaning, Electrical, Home Improvement Library
Built in vacs are great, especially for allergy or asthma sufferers because they suck up dust mites, dust etc. and blow the “exhaust” outside the house. Regular cannister vacuums just recycle the dust into the same rooms. A central system exhausts outside...
Electrical, Home Improvement Library
Whole house surge protectors are costly to buy and then to install. They are wise investments when located in a high elevation or other locations of higher incidence of lightning strikes. They also only protect from the source, upline surge charges (intake through the...
General Construction & Repairs, Home Improvement Library, Painting, Remodeling
One part Downy to 3 parts warm water for hard to work wall coverings. For regular covers, one part Downy to 4 parts water.
Flooring, General Construction & Repairs, Home Improvement Library, Remodeling
We at Mosby Building Arts typically remove the sink, vanity and toilet to install ceramic tile on a bathroom floor. A potential water leak or water spill under the vanity will therefore not affect the wood of the vanity cabinet and the appearance is more crisp and...
Flooring, General Construction & Repairs, Home Improvement Library
Squeaky hardwood floors in the winter are often made worse from very dry air amongst other things. Check the relative moisture in your home with a digital meter to assure the indoor humidity is between 30% – 50% relative humidity. Indoor air dryer than 30%...
Home Improvement Library, Remodeling, Windows
Your choices for installation are to leave the aluminum frame in the wall and downsize the new windows for fit within that existing frame. Then brake metal (pre-finished aluminum) cover the perimeter to finish. The second choice involves either cutting the flange of...
Brick & Masonry, Cleaning, Home Improvement Library, Painting
Solutions include scraping heavy deposits of paint off the brick, wire brushing the rest of the solid paint off the brick, and burning the residue off the brick with a torch, heat gun or Bernzomatic flame. Solvents are not good for this purpose because they turn the...
Cleaning, General Construction & Repairs, Home Improvement Library
The caulk likely failed because the surface of the shower wall was not cleaned thoroughly with a solvent, like alcohol. The old caulk may peel off like a rope, or it may be cut off with a razor blade. Caulk remover will not be effective. Any solvent that attacks the...
Home Improvement Library, Venting & Circulation
Not to worry, this is pretty regular stuff. I suggest you contact a home inspector that is a member of American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). Their national website will lead you to many reputable members in St. Louis. They typically offer radon testing as part...
Flooring, Home Improvement Library
Plywood vs. Composite Sub-Floor Material I still like fir plywood, but I like 5-ply fir plywood. Less expensive 3-ply plywood in any species of wood is less sturdy than 5-ply. Composites are far more available, less costly, and will move less in “normal”...
Basements, Home Improvement Library, Remodeling
Yes, with many conditions. This is a very big structural question and you will need an engineer or architect to design this system. The wood or steel column can be removed AND you must strengthen the structural beam, break the concrete basement floor and install a...
Home Improvement Library, Siding
Great idea with flipping the siding, but it has serious drawbacks. Our experience at Mosby Building Arts is that approximately 40% of the siding will split when removed because of the many nails and the dryness of the old wood. The old siding splits very easily also...
Home Improvement Library, Plumbing
Tub and shower liners are an economical surface solution to rebuilding a tub or shower but cover up underlying surfaces by design. We believe in getting things right the first time and not covering up problems like mold, moisture and rot that potentially ruins...
Home Improvement Library, Roofing
Metal roofing is an upgrade to the standard asphalt material and a premium priced item. The cost is about double that of asphalt roofing and has about twice the life of asphalt. A metal roof is a large initial investment with long lasting value. When your roof is a...
Basements, Flooring, Home Improvement Library
Lowering a Basement Floor Adding a foot of additional depth to a basement by lowering the floor is possible. The risk of success is the existing depth of the sewer pipes beneath the basement floor. If the sewer pipes under the basement concrete floor are buried deep...
