Category Archives: Kitchens and Bathrooms New

Attics, Basement, Foundation, Kitchens and Bathrooms New

Brick Mason Repairs Water Proofing Basements Damage

Repairing Block Walls

Usually, the first repair you ll need to make to a block structure will be repointing – using fresh mortar to replace mortar joints that have failed . This process is the same for brick ; Other simple cosmetic repairs to a block structure involve reinforcing a damaged area with a patch of repair compound ,or coating the block with paint , stucco, or mortar .

Foundations Wall Repair Water damage

If a block or brick foundation has cracked and chipped on the surface but is still structurally sound, there are several repair options, including repointing the mortar joints, replacing badly chipped units, and covering with stucco. If the bricks or blocks don t wobble in and out of line too much , you can use 1/2 inch pressure-treated plywood or foam board to bridge the nooks and crannies that let in water and moisture. Even small openings can eventually ruin the foundation s appearance and sap its strength.

To make a complete seal and create a neat line near the ground, clear away enough dirt so that the bottom few inches of the new covering can be buried, can tuck the upper edge into a liberal bed of caulking below the house siding. Although pressure-treated wood will resist rot, you might refill the small trench with gravel to encourage drainage before replacing the top layer of sod. The only trick part of simple operation is nailing the covering panels into the brick . Get an assist by lacing the backs of the covering panels with construction adhesive ; then use several hardened masonry or cut nails to lock each sheet in place. Nailing into the mortar between bricks is easiest if you can gauge the courses of brick.

For a neutral , masonry – like finish , coat the covering material with heavy – bodied gray exterior stain. From a few feet away , it will look like stucco. While you re at it, consider adding a layer of rigid foam insulating the exposed portion of the foundation.

Painting Block

If you plan to finish masonry basement walls, there are special waterproofing paints that roll or brush on thickly, like wet plaster . First, you should patch any open or leaking cracks with a cement-based patching compound or hydraulic cement . Even on rough walls , surface application look better and last longer over sound, uncracked surfaces.

For painting , opt for a heavy-napped roller , called a bulldozer by professional painter because it can be loaded with thick paint and it will push the excess along the wall just as a bulldozer pushes dirt. The thick , ragged nap is essential when working on rough masonry . It helps to work the viscous paint into surface crevices and the joints between courses of concrete foundation block .

Top Job Restoration Construction Services

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Kitchens and Bathrooms New, Remodeling Kitchens and Bathrooms

Drain Plumbing Water Damage Clean up Sewage Back up Problems

Drain problems causation and trouble shooting

What could cause gurgling in a rarely used wet-bar sink when water drains in the kitchen at one end of the house or in a bath at the other end? Chances are that the wet bar isn t vented or that its vent stack is blocked. You could check by looking for a plumbing vent pipe protruding through the roof above the area. It will look like the ones above kitchen and bath.

Sluggish drainage is one symptom of this problem. Sewer smell is another . When water drains in the kitchen or bath , it siphons water out of the wet bar s drain trap , which produces a gurgling noise. Without the seal provided by water in the drain trap , sewer gas can rise up through the sink and into the house .

If you don t use the wet-bar sink because of these problems , call a plumber to install an auto-vent. With this in place, the other drains won t siphon water out the trap. If you don t use it and don t really want it , have the plumber remove it and close the drain connection . In the meantime you can reduce the sewer gas smell by periodically pouring some water in the wet bar drain to keep the trap full.

Big Backups

Even with vapor venting, trap placement , and pipe sizing , drains still may be slow. This indicates a big blockage farther down the line. The best indicator that a blockage is in the waste line is sewage gurgling up through floor drains and basement fixtures. Solving this problem depends on your septic system type.

If you have a septic system with a leach field , your septic tank may need to be pumped out . This is a job for professional, but it s important to be around when the pumping concludes . Ask the pump operator if the tank was filled with enough greasy scum to cause the drain problems. If not , the pipes in the leach field itself may be the problem . Digging them up may be the only solution .

If your tied into a municipal sewage system , check to see whether any work has been done on your branch line lately . If so , it could have caused problems with your drainage , If not, tree roots may have gotten in the pipes . Hire a professional to auger the line and pull out the tree roots; thereafter , flush copper sulfate root treatment through the line twice year .

Do it yourself

There is snaking the kitchen line , clean out the pop up drain plugs hair clogged.. To access the trip waste linkage above the drain tub. If you cant get your toilet unclogged may have to remove the toilet snake it apply a new wax ring and reset it . Don t understand that process let a plumber handle it is just cheaper and safer, good luck.

Kitchens and Bathrooms New, Remodeling Kitchens and Bathrooms

Tile Cost for Kitchens Bathrooms

Tile is not always the right choice

 

Tile s great looks and typical long-lasting , easy-to-maintain to install it in their homes. but tile is not a good choice for every application.  For instance , a dropped glass will break on a tile floor but it may bounce on a linoleum or cork floor.  Children and the elderly may slip and fall on tile floors , and pet claws may scratch up softer stone tiles. Some effects can be mitigated by the use of plastic mats on countertops, and area rugs on floors ,but usually , it is better to choose another material for your installation.

 

As well like to tel our clients , even Donald Trump has a budget.  When you go into a tile store , tell the salesperson how much you have to spend , so they can steer you toward the kinds of tile you can afford . Once you have picked your tile, make sure to check the price of the matching trim.  Field tiles can be very inexpensive , but thier associated trim (V-cap , surface bullnose) can cost far more . ( We once did a countertop with a moderately priced field tile that had matching end caps costing more than twenty dollars apiece!)

Is the tile you have picked in stock at the tile store , or does it have to be special ordered or custom made? It is prudent to order twenty percent more special-order tile than you will need , because of possible delays and the possibility that you reorder, the new tile may not match what you have. Once you have picked the field tile you like , check to see which trim pieces are available.  Standard ceramic and other popular tiles have wide range of available trim; yet , for many other kinds tile, there is little choice in trim or no trim at all. If you can not get the matching trim you desire , consider substituting other kinds of tile .  For example , instead of matching quarter-rounds or bullnose trim , substitute a rope liner (or similar decorative border tile) to finish the edge of a backsplash or wainscoting .

Even if you can get matching trim, the lengths of the most trim pieces do not math the dimensions of the field tiles, which really disturbs some people . Also check to see how consistently the trim matches the color, texture, and/or pattern the field tile.

 

How much tile to buy

 

Once you have decided on the kinds of tile to use for your installation, you will need to calculate how much to buy.  Field tile is ordered by the square foot , and trim pieces are ordered by the piece or linear feet .  For most basic tile , we recommend ordering 10 percent to 20 percent more tile than you actually need.  This compensates for breakage , miscut tiels, and future repairs , should tiles get damaged .