Recent content by dlu

Thanks! Most helpful, in case anyone else is interested here's a link to the article "Concrete Basics." Actually, after finishing reading the article, it's a good foundation (pun intended) for understanding concrete mixes and placement, but there isn't much there on how to go about fixing...

The way it happened is that the structure isn't enclosed on all four sides. One end was two overhead doors, with short (about 12") walls on either side and between them. The only connection between the sides is the 4x8 header that spanned the openings from the carport days. With the side wall...

The conversion was done many years before we bought the place - and you're right it was not a good idea... What I would hope for from a reputable contractor would be a knowledgeable assessment of what was involved, even if it was tear down the garage and start over. Alas, they said they could...

I'm going to build a set of carriage doors. I like the look and don't want to lose the overhead space or block my lights. Fortunately I'm don't think I have to worry too much about security. I think the carriage doors will be easer to insulate well too.

It would have been important to me… It's hard for me to see how you could cut a wall loose from the slab it was on and then not check for plumb when setting the new foundation. That's a good question, about the consequences of just accepting the wall as is (perhaps with a discount). The wall...

I'm pretty sure it was – I'd furred it out to get better insulation (faking a 2x6 wall) about 10 years ago and I'm pretty "OCD" about that sort of thing. Also the gate post that's tied to the wall on the outside is out now. Had it been me doing the work, I'd have checked and called out an out of...

I think I'd be ok with a well done repair – I grew up around old wooden boats (I guess pretty much all wooden boats are old these days :)) – I figure we need to chalk it up to learning how to vet contractors and their references.

I need some advice. Over the summer we had a concrete contractor come in to replace the floor in the carport that became a garage that became my shop. The space is about 20' x 20' and there was a slope of about 6.5" over that distance. The carport slab extended under the walls of the garage, so...

Hello, I'm a high school teacher in Western Washington – if you took physics and remember a bridge that collapsed due to wind induced flutter we're at the western end of the bridge in Gig Harbor. There, I'm the more or less proud (on the less side right now) proprietor of a 20 x 20 hunk of...