Vertical structures which usually enclose, divide, define, or protect an area.
1
vote
2answers
5k views
What is the best product for repairing expanding gaps in a brick wall?
I am trying to do a structural repair to a brick wall that has some large gaps - 1-3" between some of the bricks due to some foundation movement over the last 300 years. The gaps are essentially ...
3
votes
1answer
194 views
What is the best way to get rid of plants growing in my walls?
In a rental unit my fiancée just leased, 2 weeks after she moved in, a vine-type weed sprouted from the baseboard in her kitchen. Upon further inspection, I was able to pull about a foot of vine ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
Repairing bubbling (blown) plaster on an interior wall
I have no idea what kind of wall this is. Both my walls that are near radiators have this bubbling plaster look. I have read that painting with temperature differences may cause the bubbling (such as ...
3
votes
3answers
6k views
How do I install a receptacle box in lath/plaster wall?
I have a room with ungrounded electrical receptacles and I need to install a grounded outlet. The walls are lath and plaster. What I want to do is install a new receptacle box for the outlet. Is there ...
4
votes
2answers
263 views
Aquarium in the wall
I want to build a wall with aquarium inside. This wall will divide my office from recreational room. Aquarium will be about 2 meters long and 0.7 - 0.9 m high. Width is about 50 - 60 cm.
What ...
9
votes
1answer
373 views
How do I get to the wall cavity above a double floor joist from below?
I am running some new romex for a couple of electrical outlets. One of the outlets is on one side of a wall in one bedroom and the other outlet is on the other side of the wall in another bedroom. ...
2
votes
2answers
891 views
How do you frame a wall around existing pipes and ducting?
Adding ducting or conduit or pipes to a wall is easy, you just drill or cut a hole. Adding a wall where there is already conduit and pipes poses more of a dilemma, especially if those things are ...
5
votes
4answers
496 views
How can I attach normal framed walls in between concrete columns?
I'd like to add partitions to this grid of columns. I want to make "normal" walls, framed with 2x4 and faced with plywood or drywall. My concern is how to attach the walls to the columns. Naively, I ...
9
votes
3answers
938 views
What are some ways to appropriately hang things on a wall?
I just moved into a new house and am at the point where I need to start hanging stuff on the walls. Most of the stuff I want to hang is around the size of a picture frame, large mirror, or diploma ...
1
vote
1answer
354 views
Installation of Polystyrene External Wall Insulation - over old render?
I am considering installing a Polystyrene-block based External Wall Insulation system. Currently the house is blockwork with a rough render.
One contractor has told be that the existing render on ...
5
votes
1answer
306 views
What is the best way to deal with wall tie failure?
My wife and I are considering purchasing a new house, but the surveyor says that it has wall tie failure. What is the best solution for repairing this? Is it really necessary to get the old ties out ...
17
votes
3answers
2k views
Are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?
Other than looking up blue prints, which many homeowners may not have, are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?
Methods I can think of might include:
Going up in the attic to check if ...
4
votes
2answers
936 views
What's the best material to patch gaps between moulding and the wall?
I am installing new moulding (aka baseboards, woodwork, etc). A few of the walls sort of dip inward, so a gap is left in between the moulding and drywall. What's a good material for patching this ...
5
votes
2answers
392 views
Is it possible to hang something on the wall surrounding my chimney?
My chimney runs up the center of the house from the basement. Where it passes through the kitchen, there is an obvious bulge in the wall where the wall basically wraps around the chimney. Based on the ...
2
votes
2answers
347 views
How do I replace ceiling drywall over cabinets?
I recently had some water damage to my ceiling after a storm. For the most part, it's a simple cut out and replace procedure, but I'm stuck wondering what to do in the kitchen. There's about 1'x2' ...
2
votes
2answers
190 views
How to remove trim caulk orange peeled wall
We're replacing the trim in our room, but the trim that is there is taller than the trim that we want to replace it with. So after removing the old trim, there's a caulk line for the original.
The ...
2
votes
1answer
209 views
insulating exterior walls
I have an old house with no insulation. The walls are 2x4 with plaster and lath. The outside is aluminum siding, in good shape. I would like to blow cellulose insulation inside the wall cavities from ...
7
votes
4answers
154 views
Repairing eroded plywood window casing
The interior side casing of my window has been scratched/chewed away a bit, destroying the paint and outer two layers of plywood:
What's the best way to repair this?
PS the source of the problem ...
1
vote
2answers
4k views
How does wood paneling compare to drywall?
what does wood paneling do better or worse than drywall? For example
cost
ease of installation
ease of modification
maintenance
longevity
fire resistance
noise insulation
heat insulation
etc.
2
votes
1answer
172 views
How do I re-point an outside wall?
How do I re-point an outside wall? What tools and techniques should be employed?
2
votes
2answers
494 views
What is the best way to seal this old fireplace vent?
I am doing some minor renovations to my basement with the drop ceiling and found that one of the geniuses that owned the house before me, used fibreglass ceiling tiles to seal off an old vent for a ...
3
votes
1answer
480 views
How to fix a retaining wall that is difficult to access behind the house?
My retaining wall needs to be fixed/rebuilt since it's leaning, but I can't get any machines back there because house doesn't have much side or rear setback(maybe 5ft on each side) and behind the ...
8
votes
1answer
1k views
How do I know if it is safe to remove a wall?
When looking at a wall, how can I tell if I can safely remove it?
2
votes
1answer
304 views
How to secure a wooden box (tunnel) in a wall?
I'm going to fit a cat flap in a brick wall. My intention is to drill out a square hole through the wall. Then create a wooden (MDF) tunnel to fit inside this. On one end of the tunnel, I will attach ...
3
votes
2answers
374 views
My kitchen has no real walls. Is this going to be a problem?
I recently redid my kitchen, which included removing the back splash and putting in new tile, but when I went to remove the old tile, I found that the tile is only attached to drywall. Knowing this ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
How do I go about hanging a hammock?
I would like to replace my bed with a hammock. Without buying a stand I would like to know how to suspend it in the air. How exactly do I affix the ends of the hammock to the wall so it won't fall ...
6
votes
6answers
3k views
How do I hang shelves on poor quality brick/concrete walls?
I'm trying to install some shelves in my apartment (brick/concrete) but when I drill holes the walls almost seem like they're made of sand. I'm not able to securely fix the screws (I'm using wall ...
3
votes
3answers
107 views
best way to install a flat wall fixture on a sightly curved wall
In our rental property, the kitchen walls are all ever so slightly curved (as are a lot of walls in our house)
We want to put up a knife magnet. Obviously we are keen for this not to be wobbly in any ...
4
votes
2answers
14k views
Are mounting anchors necessary for plaster walls?
I have a bathroom utility organizer I need to hang on a plaster wall. The organizer is lightweight aluminum, weighs about 5 pounds, and will be holding fairly light items such as toothbrush holders ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
What type of backer board do I need to use to attach a stone veneer around a fireplace?
I want to put up a stone veneer surround, around a gas fireplace we're going to install. I've seen everything from using 1/2" plywood and a metal lath, to putting the tiles directly on drywall. I ...
2
votes
2answers
6k views
What's the best method and product to use for patching cracks in plaster walls?
I have a 100+ year old house and while it's quite structurally sound there's been some settling over the years, leading to small cracks in the old plaster around the house.
I hired a professional to ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Do I need to waterproof the external walls of my house?
I have just completed a renovation of my house. Where possible, I am putting decking around it to keep the brickwork dry and ventilated. One wall, however, will have sand and dirt added to build up ...
7
votes
4answers
4k views
What is the best way to remove a non load bearing wall?
I have a wall that I want to knock out as part of a kitchen remodel. The wall is non load bearing, so its fine to take out. The question is, what's the best way to do it?
I imagine there's not a ...
1
vote
2answers
539 views
Is there a way to build interior walls that are easy to change?
As my family grows (birth) and shrinks (adulthood), and as kids' needs change (puberty) I'd like to be able to change the floor plan to match.
Conventional 2x4 studs + drywall is a bit messy to move.
...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
What is the best/cheapest solution for poorly plastered walls?
My house is about 50 years old and many of the walls are plaster. If done nicely I would consider this a plus but it looks like my house was plastered/painted by a a 2nd grade art class. I don't ...
2
votes
1answer
207 views
How do I prepare concrete walls before applying water-dispersion paint?
I had a concrete wall painted with white water-dispersion paint. Every here and there the old paint was chipped and dark gray bare concrete could be seen.
I got a can of white water-dispersion paint ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
Does crown direction really matter when framing a wall?
When framing a wall is it really important to have the crown of each stud in the same direction?
6
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I repair screw holes in a brick wall?
I have screw holes which were put in to support a curtain rail. The curtain's been pulled out a few times by accident, and now the screw holes are crumbling and I don't know how to repair that portion ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
What should I consider when cutting a dryer vent hole?
Our dryer has been taking forever to dry loads so, this morning, I disassembled the vent pipe and scrubbed out all the lint. However, before reassembling the vent, I had an idea.
The current vent run ...
1
vote
3answers
731 views
Is it possible to install pocket doors in the cavity of an external wall?
Is it possible to install pocket doors in the cavity of an external wall, it will be an internal door as it's between a room and a conservatory. The cavity does have foam in it though.
4
votes
1answer
292 views
What mix of cement and sand should I use to set cap slabs?
We have a number of "slabs" that are just wider than a brick, which are set on top of walls in the garden. A number of them have come lose and I need to remove the cement mix that used to hold them ...
2
votes
3answers
4k views
How should I prepare damaged plaster for painting?
We are redecorating our hall. We have stripped all the wallpaper off and have discovered that the plaster behind is not in great condition.
What suggestions do people have for preparing a slightly ...
2
votes
1answer
265 views
Installing a shelf on a stucco-covered wall
We have a wall in the workroom next to our kitchen where we'd like to put a long, shallow shelf. The wall is stucco, and I'm a little concerned about the wall crumbling or cracking around the pilot ...
10
votes
4answers
8k views
What are the different types of drywall anchors, and what are the advantages of each?
I recently put up wire shelving in my pantry, and spent forever figuring out what type of drywall anchor I should use. I even found several types that I didn't even know existed. It might be good to ...
6
votes
1answer
1k views
Should I supporting a load via anchors in brick or mortar?
I'm attempting to hang window flower boxes (a metal frame with a moss/fabric insert, filled with dirt/flowers/water for a total weight of about 15 lbs) on a brick wall.
An example of a similar metal ...
3
votes
1answer
589 views
Is there a detector of plastic pipe?
I know metal detectors for walls, but in my house there are places where it has a plastic pipe. I wonder if there is a good detector to buy.
3
votes
1answer
434 views
Cause of eroded mortar in exterior brick
This question actually reminded me of an issue with my exterior walls. I have the same problem with the vertical mortar being eroded/missing from several bricks at ground level on the exterior of my ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
When should you use metal studs?
When does it make sense to use metal framing for an interior wall? What are the advantages to traditional wood framing?
15
votes
4answers
2k views
How do I find studs when stud finders won't work?
I was trying to hang my TV at my new place, on an interior wall (between living room and a bathroom). Using the stud finder on other walls worked fine, but on this wall I got some very strange ...
