Ask Mason tagged 'repairs' http://www.remodelrichmond.com Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:16:43 -1800 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,Cultured-Marble-Repairs.html/Itemid,28/ <p class="MsoNormal">Mason:</p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p><p class="MsoNormal">We have a cultured marble countertop in our bathroom, bought from a home center less than two years ago.&nbsp; Some visible marks have appeared in the surface &ndash; not deep scratches, but the top no longer looks new.&nbsp; What might be done to restore the original appearance?</p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p><p class="MsoNormal">DH, Midlothian, VA</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="Ms [...] Mason Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:00:00 -1800 repairs countertops http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,Dr.-House-on-Chasing-Leaks.html/Itemid,28/ <p>Mason:</p><p>Here&#39;s one for you ... how do you fix a leaking window - in a stucco / concrete block house ... that comes somewhere from the wall above (appears above the window), but only when raining from a certain direction ... which no one else can isolate?? </p><p>In addition, if this is helpful info to know or not (?) ... we also had the entire front face of the house re-painted with 2 coats of a professionally recommended &quot;rubberized&quot; paint that was supposed to give and exp [...] Mason Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:00:00 -1800 windows window leaks stucco repairs leaks exteriors cracks http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,The-French-Conspiracy---Rotten-Doors.html/Itemid,28/ &nbsp; <p>Mason:</p><p>I have a pair of wood French Doors on the exterior of my 25-year-old house, that have rotted over a number of years.&nbsp; The bottoms of the doors are deteriorating, as well as the wood frame and moldings around the door. </p><p>I see that these are pretty expensive to replace; is there any way to repair this mess?&nbsp; They are not leaking, but it looks awful!</p><p>Bill S.&nbsp; Richmond, VA</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Dear Bill:</p><p>Take heart that your situation is not at a [...] Mason Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:00:00 -1800 repairs http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,Plasterboard-Ceiling-Repairs.html/Itemid,28/ &nbsp;&nbsp; <p>Mason:</p><p>My husband and I have been fixing up a 1950&#39;s ranch home for several years.&nbsp; We patched a long crack in the ceiling (did it ourselves; we&#39;re pretty handy).&nbsp; It looked great for maybe six months, but it has reappeared recently.&nbsp; Is there anything we should consider before patching again, to make it go away forever?</p><p>Wendy S.&nbsp; Midlothian Va</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Wendy:</p><p>Consider a government bailout!</p><p>Really, the influence of the [...] Mason Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:00:00 -1800 repairs cracks http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,Repair-or-Replace-Shower-.html/Itemid,28/ <p>Mason : </p><p>My home is 12 years old, in beautiful Beaverdam. My heel went through the shower floor of the Lasco one-piece pre-fab 47&quot;W x 34&quot;D x 72&quot;H fiberglass shell.&nbsp; The break is 4.5&quot;.&nbsp; While on my hands and knees, I noticed two small sets of spiderweb cracks in addition to the big break.</p><p>My wife says time for a tiled shower. I say let&#39;s get it repaired.&nbsp; How do we decide?&nbsp; </p><p>Steve S.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Steve,</p><p>I am sure you&#39 [...] Mason Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:00:00 -1800 repairs bathrooms http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,Floored-by-Squeaks-and-Groans-Oh-My!.html/Itemid,28/ <p>Question for Mason : I don&#39;t know if it&#39;s the change in the temperature or what, but the former minor squeaks in my hardwood floor -- especially in the white pine in the kitchen -- are out of control. Is this something that your handyman folks can make go away? </p><p>I confess that I&#39;ve tried fixing it myself. I read that you could rub graphite powder in the floor joints to fix. Can&#39;t tell you how %#@@ed-off my wife is about this now that there&#39;s black fill in the light f [...] Mason Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -1800 repairs hardwood handyman floors http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,Barnwood-Restoration.html/Itemid,28/ <p>Question for Mason:</p><p>We are finally after 4 years re insulating our kitchen walls. The drywall has been removed as well as a layer of old barnboards.&nbsp; We have reinsulated and the vapor barrier is in place.&nbsp; I like the idea of putting the barnboards back and having a rustic looking kitchen wall.&nbsp; My question is how would you refinish barnboard? (this board is really old and has a rough dark colour to it).&nbsp; And what would I use to fill the gaps between boards?&nbsp; </p [...] Mason Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:00:00 -1800 repairs renovation preservation millwork kitchens DIY http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,Why-Invest-in-Remodeling-In-Todays-Market-.html/Itemid,28/ <p>Some of the earliest signs of the present economic troubles appeared in the nation&#39;s housing industry.&nbsp; Presently, new home starts (as indicated by permit activity) have dredged 25-year lows, and existing home sales have fallen even as they become seemingly more affordable amidst heretofore unseen devaluation.&nbsp; As lenders tighten their practices, real estate finance has become markedly more conservative, decreasing the ability for many to obtain credit for purchases and improvem [...] Mason Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:00:00 -1800 value select contractor repairs renovation remodeling handyman financing contractors http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,Is-it-a-Leaky-Shower-or-Centerpiece-Watering-Opportunity-.html/Itemid,28/ <p>Mason:</p><p>It appears that we have a leak from an upstairs shower, right over our dining room table below. Is this a job for a plumber or a handyman service, or what? </p><p>Bob S., Glen Allen, VA</p><p>Bob,</p><p>Most know that the works of Frank Lloyd Wright were fraught with technical problems.&nbsp; I recall&nbsp;the story of an angry letter from Edgar Kaufmann (owner of the famous Fallingwater house) to Mr. Wright, complaining of a roof leak over his dining room table.&nbsp; Wright&#39 [...] Mason Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -1800 repairs handyman contractors bathrooms http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,Safe-Fireplaces.html/Itemid,28/ <p>Mason,</p><p>My family is purchasing a 1950&#39;s home, and our home inspector noted a concern about the poor condition of the &quot;caps&quot; on the chimneys, as well as some of the bricks and mortar directly below.&nbsp; He could not inspect the entire inside of the chimney (although he did note alot of creosote inside, when he opened the damper at the fireplaces).&nbsp; The seller is having a masonry contractor come out for another look.&nbsp; How concerned should we be?</p><p>Assuming th [...] Mason Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -1800 select contractor repairs http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,Poker-amp-Unlicensed-Contractors.html/Itemid,28/ &nbsp; <p>Who thought the interest in gambling would be so great that the World Series of Poker would be televised on ESPN?&nbsp; Obviously, somebody&#39;s watching.</p><p>An interesting point in that regard, quoting Pug Pearson, 1973 World Series of Poker champion, made this observation about human nature:</p><p>&quot;The real thing to know is that folks will stand to lose more than they will to win.&nbsp; That&#39;s the most important percentage there is.&nbsp; I mean, if they lose, they&#39;r [...] Mason Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -1800 value select contractor repairs renovation remodeling contractors http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,What-is-the-Value-.html/Itemid,28/ <p>One of my favorite entries was lost during some recent website updating, so I thought I&#39;d re-post it here.&nbsp; The theme appears to be more pertinent than ever as home values have taken a turn unlike that seen in previous years.&nbsp; Read on...</p><p>Somewhere during early conversations with almost every client, we are asked something to the effect of &quot;Do you think we&#39;ll build value with our proposed renovation?&quot;</p><p>Naturally, I have had plenty of opportunity to build [...] Mason Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -1800 value repairs renovation remodeling http://www.remodelrichmond.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,Driveway-Reminiscent-of-Dan-Akroyd-Refrigerator-Repairman.html/Itemid,28/ &nbsp; <p>We have a 13 year old aggregate driveway that has a number of cracks throughout. They are not severe, but I am afraid they will get worse with time. Is there a way to repair them or do we have to replace the driveway with a new one? </p><p>Robert S.; Glen Allen, VA</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Bob,</p><p>We get so many inquiries here regarding domestic cracks of all sorts... perhaps there might be some business plan that might be written around these.&nbsp; Hey, do you remember Dan Akroyd in tha [...] Mason Sun, 01 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -1800 repairs driveway cracks