In some rooms of my house there is mildew on the windows. Do I need a dehumidifier? Also I have a little white mold on an attic beam what can I do to stop this?
We want to remove a 24" x 26" x 7' high pantry and replace it with a wine closet with open racks and a small wine refrigerator. There is adequate (not outstanding) kitchen storage for food, pots, pans, etc. without the pantry. About what should we budget, and will this kitchen remodeling be value-neutral when eventually selling the house?
What information can you give me regarding refinishing/reglazing a turn of the century cast iron bathtub? I have a turn of the century cast iron tub that is chipping badly on the inside. Have you heard of Zirlon? If so, what is your opinion of this coating for durability and longevity?
Our twin daughters just started their freshman year at Indiana State U. We bought a modest home for them to live in, and they are likely to live in it for four or five years. The house is fine except for beat-up wall-to-wall carpeting. The kitchen and bath have worn vinyl flooring. What would be the most practical and cost-efficient flooring we could put in that will be easy to keep clean?
I'm converting my wood-burning fireplace to gas in my Goshen, Indiana, home. Which will save more on utility bills--buying a fireplace insert, or buying a free-standing gas stove that sits on an extended hearth in front of the fireplace? In the latter case the pipe would be routed through a brick wall that plugs the opening of the existing fireplace.
Part of my kitchen upgrade is to replace the linoleum floor with ceramic tiles. I plan on pulling the current floor then securing any creaking areas before putting in the ceramic. I spoke with a contractor who said this can be done without removing the old floor. Is it necessary to remove the linoleum? This is the original floor from when I built the home 18 years ago.
There are two 4'h x 3'w windows and one 4'h x 6' wide window over the pretty bay window seat in my downtown Bloomington, Indiana, home. The seat is too close to a public sidewalk for privacy and too drafty for comfort during the winter. The house is wood frame construction. What replacement windows will make the window seat more private and cozy, and roughly what will it cost for windows and labor?
I'd like to add eight feet of overhead cupboards above the very heavy 10' long workshop bench in my concrete-walled basement. Is there some way that's both easy and safe for me (and my neighbor) to install the cabinets without moving the bench?
We have drywall tape peeling off some of the ceilings/walls. What would be entailed when repairing this? I'd like to be prepared so I can be sure that the painter we hire will be doing what needs to be done and not a cover up job, nor creating more disruption to the walls than necessary. Thank you.
We have fallen in love with an old turn of the century home in Bloomington. Unfortunately, the home inspection revealed that there is asbestos siding on the house. We're a young couple and hope to have children someday, but don't want our children to be living in a house with toxic siding. Should this siding be removed? And is this kind of work too expensive? Or should we give up on the house and look for one that doesn't have asbestos siding?
