Questions tagged [wood]
For questions involving wood as a construction material, either as lumber or finished features of a home.
226
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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Should I treat my sill plate and rim joist before insulating?
Original 1943 construction with an unfinished full-height basement that I'm beginning the process of converting to habitable space. There are various signs of historical water damage on some of the ...
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Does wood oil stop woodworm ingress?
I have a can of wood oil branded "Osmo TopOil". It makes no claim about any resistance to woodboring insects, and having used it before, I thought the coating was fairly subtle and not very ...
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510
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How to flatten warped louvered doors?
I reinstalled some louver doors which had been stored in the basement for a while. Its a double-door pair.
Possibly because of the position in which they were stored, or perhaps humidity, they have ...
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Transparent stain on refinished windows requiring filler?
I'm having some old wooden windows restored. They currently have a dark stain with (the remains of) a transparent finish, and in an ideal world I'd want to stay with that. However the wood is in bad ...
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Building computer desk with Solid core door (Help please)
if you're reading this I thank you for taking the time!
I am a beginner at this type of stuff but I know how to use saws and make cuts.
To cut to the chase, I am trying to build a nice and sturdy ...
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Finish for rustic natural kitchen table
this is a picture of my kitchen table and coffee table. Both are sanded down to only wood. We like the rustic non shine look and the color exactly like it is but need some coating for use. What is the ...
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Is this white powdery substance on a wood shelf caused by flying termites?
There were probably about 100 or 200 so flying termites inside the house two days ago. They were all flying to the ceiling lights, and I placed buckets of water below it and many got in. I also ...
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Why does my exterior door make a loud sound after I lock it?
I have a wooden back door with 9 glass panes and a wooden frame surrounded by brick inside and outside. Sometimes we have to push on it to get it to click all the way shut, if you know what I mean… ...
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Stains on an oiled wood floor
I'm my kitchen I have a floor made of oil treated wood. I do not know the type of wood as it's not clear from the manufacturers info that I have. I also did not buy or install it myself as this is a ...
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44
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Fixing water damaged flooring
The corner of my study area was exposed to water damage due to clogged gutter leaking water directly on the foundation around the corner. What steps should I take to fix this? I already cleared the ...
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How can I save my teak wood table?
I used baking soda and water paste to remove water stains and it ruined my teak table. I did not do enough research.
Pics of the aftermath:
Click for full size
The table is new and never treated ...
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Fastening wood sheathing to metal rafter structure
I have a garage that has a metal frame holding the slate shingle roof. As it's way past its best days, I'd like to have a new roof installed. Almost all is clear, but I have no idea how to fix the ...
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737
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Lean to free standing patio cover
I am building a 12'x 20' free standing lean to off the back of the house. I am planning on using 4"x4" posts with a 4"x6" beam across the back and front, with a 4"x6" ...
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161
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Replacing an old damaged lath and plaster wall and found wood plank walls under it. What type of vapor barrier is needed and how should it be applied?
We purchased an old house (1900s) that has lath and plaster walls. One of the interior faces of an exterior wall was badly damaged and the lath and plaster had to be removed. Under the lath and ...
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Mezzanine Floor
I want to install a mezzanine floor that will only be used as a play area for children. The span is 8.7 feet by 9.4 feet.
My plan is to fix 8" x 2" beam to 3 walls and then run 6" x 1.5&...
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Washing machine leak has caused floor and cupboard damage, is it repairable or do I need to purchase new parts to fix?
Unfortunately my washing machine had a small leak in it and has caused some minor damage on my Amtico Spacia flooring and the wood panel that separates the unit into two spaces.
The flooring is ...
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Western red cedar vs pressure treated / GC timbers for exterior load bearing beams
For exterior exposed load bearing timbers and support beams, is western red cedar sufficiently weather resistant or is ground contact (GC) pressure treated a significantly superior option?
There will ...
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How to fix foundation on bedrock leaking water?
I have bought a 1969 house on a bedrock hill, it's laying on a 12" large concrete foundation, the deepest part of the crawl space is 4' tall and the smallest a couple of inches. On the shortest ...
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water drainage and fence building
I am a new homeowner and with the first summer coming up I am looking to do some renovation outside. The first thing I'd like to do is fence off my back yard so my dogs can roam instead of being ...
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253
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What is this gray material/film on the edge of my desk?
There is this gray material that only appears along the edges of my desk but on both exterior and interior edges. I inspected the desk closely after I first assembled it and did not find this material....
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1k
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Exterior wood doors constantly cracking and splitting
I recently built a home in Mexico on the beach and am having a hard time keeping 3 of my exterior wood doors (all street facing doors) from constantly splitting, cracking & swelling due to the sun ...
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Pergola Material for Desert Climate
I'm building a roughly 12'x12' pergola on a concrete slab in my backyard in Las Vegas. Planning on attaching to house via ledger board. 6x6 posts will be set on metal post bases attached to concrete ...
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346
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House started creaking a lot recently
House getting more creaky recently
We bought a 20 year old house in January of this year. It’s in Toronto, Canada.
I wonder if following issues are seasonal as it’s the only explanation I can think of,...
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256
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Wood Sagging on Dining Table Repair Frame - Stripped Screws
I have a dining room table that is sagging where the side of the tables are, on both sides just in different areas. What can i do to repair this? Screws are stripped from the wood. Any help is ...
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103
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Resources for sizing and spacing for dock pilings
I have a lot of aging dock built on top of pressure treated 4x4s pilings driven into the lakebed for a permanent dock. I'm looking to understand some of the design around docks; namely sizing, spacing,...
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69
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Deck boards meet accent/seam board: gap or not?
I'm designing a 20'x12' deck with 5/4"x6" floor boards (pressure-treated northern fir), which will have a seam/accent board to break the 20' run into 2 x ~10' sections. The accent is ~12' ...
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1k
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angled bracket to attach a beam to a post?
I am in the planning stages to build a deck around an oval pool. I have angles like the picture shows below (probably 30 degrees).. Is there a bracket i can use instead of the connection shown? NY ...
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211
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Filling a screw hole that turned crooked and broke the surface of a hollow core door
I installed the hardware for this pocket door about 1/8" too close to the front edge of the door. The screw holes are not only in the wrong place now, but they turned diagonal and broke out the ...
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42
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Help securing freestanding wood deck fence
Disclaimer: I know it is broken and missing some slats
I reinstalled my wood fence and I need better ways to secure it. I cannot attach it to the aluminum sidings (on the left).
The 2 posts are ...
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110
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Do I need to replace this eneven stair skirts to level it?
I am starting to work on the stairs that lead to my basement, I noticed that the right side skirt board is unevenly installed. It sticks out 1.4 inches in the beginning and then slowly packed inside, ...
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482
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what size 2 by lumber should I use to support a swing?
I want to hang a swing in my yard and none of the trees have a suitable branch. I want to run a doubled up PT 2x8 between 2 trees spanning just shy of 10 feet. Will this be strong enough? Should I ...
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78
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Should the pendulum action on my Bosch jigsaw increase with higher settings?
I recently bought a brand new Bosch GST 8000 E jigsaw and I think that it has a problem regarding the pendulum settings. I made 2 tests with it to see if the pendulum action is good.
The 1st test: I ...
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341
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How to apply spray-on polyurethane to a textured paint?
I am wanting to spray on coats of water-based polyurethane to a painted wood surface using a HVLP Spray Gun. The painted surface already has textured particles added into it to improve slip-resistance....
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36
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Seal wood floor without changing the look
I’m looking to seal my new engineered wood floor to help protect it from spills, including cat pee. I know it won’t perfect but want to increase my chances.
I don’t want to change the colour or the ...
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386
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Retrofit zero clearance gas fireplace or insert in existing masonry fireplace
We have an existing wood burning fireplace on the main floor of our house where a gas insert was previously installed (see pics below). The fireplace previously had a brick surround and a hearth which ...
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How to mount two king-sized bed heads horizontally to a wall to use as an open closet/shelving?
I have two king-sized bed heads leftover from failed customer service experience. I've tried to give them away on Freecycle, to no avail. It seems like a waste (and hassle where I live in London) to ...
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99
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How to fix a separation wall in the bathroom
We have a wooden part in the wall in the shower, which used to pass laundry (I think) from the bathroom to the service area as can be seen in the image bellow.
The water from the shower and the ...
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510
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Drill won’t go through vanity to install knobs
I’ve tried two different drill bits but they just won’t go through the vanity so I can add knobs. Any idea why it won’t work?
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what this gray chewy filler called?
can anyone tell me what this product is?
there is a grey chewy filler with paper inside used to fill bigger gaps on my staircase. the smaller gaps are filled with caulk.
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Staining + sealing cedar for outdoors
I've made an outdoor cabinet out of cedar. I like the natural look, but I used various other wood species like white oak as "moulding" and am thinking I would like a uniform look.
I would like the ...
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Weatherproof stainable gap filler for rail to stile joint
I'm refinishing an entry door. There is a small gap between the bottom rail and the stile. (1/16" or less, I'd say.) I want to fill that gap to prevent water infiltration, but I'm concerned that, with ...
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Are these structural issues or just common settling cracks? Older home built in 1972
See pics above. Small but just want to make sure these are normal.
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Mysterious Circle of missing varnish on newer dressor
Can anyone tell me what is going on here? On stumped. This is the side of a 7 drawer dresser. The side shown faces nothing but a wall and for the four years that I've had this piece it has literally ...
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145
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Building Rafters for OutBuilding
I am going to be constructing an outbuilding for livestock. It will be 32 ft. x 32 ft. I plan to use rafters instead of trusses. Is it OK to use 2x6's with 48 in. OC for the rafters at a 3/12 pitch? I ...
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189
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Strengthening a Bamboo Ladder (After a Mistake)
I am a newbie to this so please be gentle. I had some dried out bamboo lying around and for some reason, I decided to make a ladder out of it.
I got one of my measurements wrong and cut out a notch ...
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179
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How to fix laminated wardrobe door?
Two chips have come off from the edge of our wardrobe door. I think it's some kind of laminated plywood, and was wondering if it would be possible to fix it in place, or at least without having to get ...
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462
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loose newel post with some type of plate underneath, how to tighten
I have a newel post with a plate underneath, see attached picture. It is wobbly. I have tried using pocket screws to secure the post, however they get stuck at what I believe to be this plate. What is ...
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463
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How to stop redwood decks from creaking
My home was built brand new in 2016. I have a front porch and two back decks made of redwood and they all creak so badly, it's almost embarrassing...
Anyone have any tips on how to quite them down?
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567
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How can I remove wood filler from knots in cherry furniture?
My sister bought some new Amish cherry furniture from Ohio
When it arrived they had filled knots with some kind of wood filler. Is it possible to get it out of knots?
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Attaching legs to a table
I am in the middle of upgrading my computer table and decided to make the table myself so I can customize various parts. I have hit a problem with attaching the legs to the table. The legs are 34mm ...
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