Found 444 results for the keyword ‘Techniques’
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Basement Perimeter Drainage and Leaking Foundations
This article deals with walls below grade, foundation walls. For insulating above grade cinder block walls see How do you Insulate a Brick and Block construction as well as Insulating an Above Grade Block Wall from the Inside. The best way to prevent water from leaking into the basement is not ... -
Fresh paint chips off an indoor metal railing.
Joanne writes from Bois de Silion in Quebec. She has twice cleaned all the paint off an indoor metal railing, repainted with a primer and a finish coat, and both times, chunks flake off -- sometimes exposing the metal, sometimes exposing the primer. She is not a novice at painting and can't figur... -
Conceptual design tricks before starting your project
For a project like building a deck, you will want to go as far as you can with realistic graphics before laying the foundation or building the structure because many people around you will certainly want changes as soon as they begin to visulize the deck itself. There are a lot of simple ... -
Temporary Tools - Dust - Paint - Nailing
DUST PROTECTION - TEMPORARY DOOR OR ARCH CLOSURE Often when we are working on home improvements, we need temporary fixes. One that many of us use is that plastic shrinkable window cover for stopping winter drafts. One plastic covering that is less well known is a construction doorway. Th... -
Insulating a foundation with embedded floor joists
Certain parts of Canada, particularly in the Winnipeg region, have a traditional construction technique that presents serious challenges when you want to insulate a basement -- the ends of the joists are actually embedded in the concrete foundation wall. Chris, from Winnipeg, asked for some f... -
Getting labels off of anything.
One of our viewers suggested using a hair dryer to soften the glue on labels that you find on appliances and other products. It actually works -- just be careful not to scorch the product or peel any paint. Vegetable oil will soak labels off without any risk of damage to the surface below, but ... -
Fixing small cracks in a foundation wall.
Randy in Winnipeg has found small cracks in a foundation wall and wants to know how to fix them. Right up front I want to make the statement that it is often not worth the bother to fix a small crack in a foundation wall that is not moving -- especially if no water is coming in. The best way to... -
Repairing old fashioned wooden framed windows
Whether you still have some of those old storm windows, or have single glazed windows used as decorative dividers between rooms inside the house, you may need to know how to work with window putty. REMIVING OLD WINDOW PUTTY In ancient history, the old putty was generally removed with a carpe... -
Putting new asphalt roof shingles right over old ones.
The question is: Can you put new asphalt roof shingles right over old ones. If the old ones are flat and you fill in any missing tabs, and you do no more that a total of two layers of shingles, yes you can reshingle over old shingles. The major question point would be to check out if your old...
Radon -- The Details in English