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Q: I am planning to replace the porch floor on a 120-year-old Victorian home. Since cedar and redwood seem too soft for a porch floor, I am choosing between tongue-and-groove yellow pine, vertical-grain fir, and mahogany. Can you explain the advantages and disadvantages of these species when used...
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Q: I’m building an outdoor patio, and the plans call for a ceramic tile counter near the grill. What types of vitreous tile are suitable for outdoor use?
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Q: When installing a zero-clearance metal fireplace, are there any requirements for fire stops or draft stops? Does the inside of the chase need to be drywalled?
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Q: I do a lot of renovation work in old homes, and the work includes a lot of demolition. I am very concerned about health hazards from lead-based paint and asbestos. I make it a practice of wearing the best respirator I can find. Unfortunately, every type of eye goggles I have tried fogs up when...
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Q: After reading the article "Using Water Heaters for Radiant Heat" (11/98), I decided to replace my boiler with a 75-gallon propane water heater. In general, this is working great, except that about every three weeks the pressure-temperature relief valve, which is rated at 210°F, keeps tripping. I...
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Q: I want to lighten the color of 15-year-old cedar paneling that has darkened with age. The wall paneling consists of 3/8x6-inch tongue-and-groove clear cedar installed over 1/2-inch drywall. I took a sample of the interior cedar and experimented with a bleaching method I often use outdoors. I...
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Q: How do you go about using sand instead of concrete for thermal mass in a radiant floor, as mentioned in the Sept. ’98 article "Hardwood Flooring Over Radiant Heat"?
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Q: What is the best material to use to patch Icynene spray foam insulation? Sometimes it’s necessary to remove a substantial amount of the stuff after it has been installed.