Questions tagged [exterior]
For questions generally relating to the outer "skin" of a home or other building, and the materials, features and fixtures generally found and used to construct and maintain it.
586
questions
3
votes
3
answers
371
views
What is this exterior electrical box and how do I cover it properly?
I'm the new owner of a 1956 Southern California home and discovered this curious plate on the stucco exterior:
It's above, and to the left of the front door. There is a working sconce mounted above ...
- 185
1
vote
1
answer
97
views
Running exposed wiring from outdoor light fixture to other lights/camera? Exposed nuts? safe/code?
After a neighborhood break in, a neighbor had someone come and do wiring so they could have camera, etc. I thought it was odd and might be unsafe, as well as non-code to have wires coming out of a ...
- 489
0
votes
0
answers
63
views
What style of home and type of construction is my home built in 1900 in Georgia, USA?
Just purchased this home this year, it was built in 1900 and is Northwest of Atlanta, GA. The real estate and hazard insurance companies considered it a "wood frame," but upon trying to ...
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
31
views
I am taking out 9' of an exterior wall of my cape that attaches to breezway (now finished) what size header should I use for span?
I am taking out 8'-6" of an exterior wall of my cape between house and breezway (now finished) what size header should I use for span? Thanks.
- 1
1
vote
0
answers
22
views
Wood rot underneath window in a 2in window sill
Underneath my window, there is a large sill that angles downward. On the right side there appears to be quite a lot of rot, see attached image. The pliers are about 2 inches long and are penetrating ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
36
views
How to weatherproof and paint beadboard?
I have an old house where the side of the porch is covered with beadboard - which is rotting. We like the look, but from what I can find there is no exterior grade beadboard. So my understanding is ...
0
votes
1
answer
53
views
How to fill gap around new exterior vent?
How do I fill the gap?
My hot water tank died, and I had it replaced with a tankless heater.
The new vent does not fully fill the void from the previous vent, and has a 1" gap around it.
...
0
votes
0
answers
24
views
Is there an easy way to fix the trim below the bay window? or better to replace?
What would I replace with? I was thinking I might be able to fill the hole with liquid wood or something.
0
votes
0
answers
30
views
Does the trim on my sliding door need caulk?
Sliding door keeps leaking into the house when it rains, called Window company and all they did was re-caulk the door which didnt help. (I will be calling them again)
Since the trim on the exterior of ...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
38
views
How to seal off exterior gap for the winter, temp fix till spring
It’s just a small enclosed porch area that was added on long ago, previous owners let the bottom plate rot away then simply filled the gap with poured concrete that went up and covered the siding. I’...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
40
views
Adding outlets in my shop
I’m trying to add 3 20 amp exterior outlets , and was wondering if I could add a 20 amp breaker to my panel, use 12 gauge THHN wire, in pvc conduit. The exterior outlets are in weatherproof boxes. ...
- 1
0
votes
2
answers
88
views
How to remove a plant growing into my house foundation?
I recently had a home inspection done and one of the things that came out of that was the discovery of a bunch of bushes with roots that growing down into the foundation of my basement.
My instinct is ...
- 103
0
votes
0
answers
29
views
Small gap between metal strip behind stucco and house frame
I'm having two major pieces of work done on one wall of my house at once: window replacement and mold removal from inside the wall (under the old leaky windows).
The new windows are in, the outside ...
- 215
1
vote
0
answers
34
views
Should I be concerned about the cracking on this exterior brick wall?
I recently purchased this house so I am learning something new about home ownership everyday. Today I noticed this crack on my exterior brick wall. Not sure if this should be a cause for concern or if ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
70
views
What is this pipe that is uncovered outside of my brick wall?
I found a mysterious hole on my outside brick wall (red arrow in image) - it is located above the 2nd floor's bathroom and below the 3rd floor's bathroom (hence the windows above and below).
It's a ...
- 11
0
votes
2
answers
76
views
What type of paint is best for an exterior door?
This is a question about types of paints and their best applications, but more specifically about the best type of paint for an exterior door. Some context: I have a wood core exterior door that ...
- 199
1
vote
1
answer
57
views
Exterior wall issue
The outside wall of my house seems to be rotting. Paint is coming off. I'm a newbie and don't know what exactly I should do. Climate here is long winter with at least 2 months of heavy snow and 2 more ...
- 13
0
votes
1
answer
46
views
Exterior lead paint headache
My recently purchased circa 1900 Victorian house sheds paint flakes when it rains. To try to remedy this I had it repainted, and although the painting crew put in a decent effort into cleaning up ...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
28
views
Frost free stem assembly replacement issues
I'm attempting to replace the stem assembly on a Arrowhead Brass frost free hose bibb. When trying to screw the new assembly into the fixture, the threads on the new stem catch briefly on the old ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
55
views
Insulating exterior 2x4 walls, from inside
KS weather (zone 6) is always averaging 5°F in winter at least a few times, and always over 100°F in summer for 20+ days. I bought a manufactured home that apparently has 2×4 exterior walls. I ...
- 1
3
votes
1
answer
116
views
How should I seal the space under my cantilevered floor?
My near-ground level kitchen floor was cantilevered, overhanging the foundation by ~2.5ft. The bottom surface of the floor joists and the gap between them and the ground was left open, allowing ...
- 31
9
votes
1
answer
249
views
What’s this hole near my foundation and can I fill it in?
Recently uncovered this large (~1x1x12 foot) hole next to the foundation of my 1960s house in Minnesota. There’s framing that goes all the way down but nothing else seems to be in there. What is this?...
- 91
0
votes
1
answer
45
views
Exterior Door - Need Help with Sticking
I live in an row home and the front exterior door sticks very badly. Requires me to jam it shut and open each time. Is there any option aside from shaving down the door jamb? I’m a rookie and don’t ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
51
views
Who Do I Contact To Fix Exterior Water Damaged Wood
Hopefully nothing behind the main damaged board, but I am sure there is a high possibility that there is. Master bedroom/Bathroom is directly behind this wall.
-1
votes
1
answer
46
views
Is the gap between the sheathing and header on this wall functional?
I am insulating my garage. This exterior wall's sheathing stops a few inches from the header. The gray strip is metal flashing. Exterior to that is Vinyl siding. Does stopping the sheathing below the ...
0
votes
1
answer
41
views
Fix exterior textured wall(?) and hang a patio umbrella holder there
Disclaimer, I don't know much in home improvement and I'm a bit at loss here.
I want to hook 2 patio umbrella holders (pic1) on my balcony. I thought the outside of the wall was a drywall because when ...
- 103
0
votes
0
answers
40
views
How to mount something on very old cedar shake with no available stud underneath
I have a 110-year-old house with possibly original cedar shake siding. It's been painted a LOT during its life and is in good condition.
I'd like to mount an address plaque on it in a location where ...
- 1
2
votes
0
answers
50
views
How long should you wait before drilling into a new stucco wall?
The last coast went on our new stucco wall 4 days ago. I understand stucco should cure for 14 to 30 days before you paint it. But what about drilling holes? We would like to re-attach the gutter. How ...
- 121
0
votes
1
answer
25
views
How do I apply housewrap to an existing structure when reducing an opening size?
We have a fairly wide (96'' sliding glass door which we would like install a smaller one). This obviously means we need to reduce the rough opening.
The part I can't seem to find information is how ...
2
votes
2
answers
224
views
MC cable through exterior brick wall: how to attach to weatherproof box from rear?
My jurisdiction requires AC/MC cable (NYC).
Every time I deal with an exterior wall penetration (or see one in progress) for a surface-mount box, it looks roughly like the attached photo: hole drilled ...
- 121
1
vote
2
answers
65
views
Need advice on my newbie DIY repair plan for peeling paint/caulk on exterior window frame
I'm a new home owner trying to get all of the information I need to tackle this project. I tend to overthink things, but I'm trying to do this the right way. Here's my plan, and I am hoping that ...
- 11
0
votes
2
answers
87
views
Installing a sectioned garage door that's slightly wider than the opening
I want to replace my non-power garage door (up-and-over type) with a 8x7 ft. sectional one that rolls on a track. This way I can park cars right up next to it outside and not worry about opening ...
- 145
0
votes
1
answer
82
views
How to Prevent Lizards from Entering Screened-In Patio with Thin-Bolted Aluminum Door?
I'm seeking advice on effectively blocking lizards from entering my screened-in patio. I don't want to kill the lizards, I just want them to stop getting into the screened-in patio and getting stuck, ...
4
votes
1
answer
521
views
How do I repair this exterior window trim?
I have a few thin cracks in a wooden exterior window sill. It doesn’t seem like the damage is too extensive (most of the wood seems sound and not rotten), so I wanted to try repairing it instead of ...
- 41
1
vote
1
answer
46
views
How can I cover this large square hole from a bad gas stove vent installation? [closed]
I'm removing a gas heating stove that a previous owner did an absolutely expert job installing. Upon removing the exterior vent baffle, I discovered that, instead of cutting a circular vent hole, he ...
- 348
0
votes
1
answer
50
views
Stained Glass Sidelight Window
I have one sidelight window which has frosted glass inside and clear outside. I have researched and determined it is impossible to find a new window with stained glass. Can the outside glass be ...
0
votes
3
answers
122
views
What's this thing by my front door?
It's covered in paint and I realized I can pull it out a bit. Really have no idea as to its intended function. This is a house in Boston built in the 1800s.
It pulls out to about 1 and a quarter ...
- 255
3
votes
1
answer
364
views
Exterior outlet from interior main breaker
Let me preface this by saying that my home’s breaker panel is inside in the laundry room.
What I want to do is add a new breaker in the panel for a series of exterior GFCI outlets because I have none ...
- 31
0
votes
0
answers
126
views
How can I prepare peeling trim for painting?
I plan to repaint the trim on our porch where some of the paint was peeling. However, in an attempt to remove that loose/peeling pieces, I'm only uncovering further layers that are peeling. How do I ...
- 1,541
3
votes
1
answer
334
views
Should I cover this exterior 120V wire?
I have an exterior wire in the garden. Most likely this is the connection to the external lights. Should I cover this and how? I'm in Seattle, which is usually wet outside.
1
vote
1
answer
44
views
How can I refasten loose vinyl trim boards?
The Azek vinyl paneling on my external windows has bowed out (both at the top and the bottom). It was being held by trim nails which were just too short. What's the appropriate fix here? Can I reusing ...
- 1,541
0
votes
0
answers
172
views
Should I glue down rubber mulch or install something else for dog run?
I have a dog run that has been turned into a race track by my two afghan hounds. Unfortunately they use the fence walls to turn around which pushes the mulch up against the walls. This is causing the ...
0
votes
0
answers
30
views
Siding issue or painting issue?
On the southern exposure side of my home, it appears either the siding is damaged or the paint has dissipated in spots. I’m not sure which. The rest of the home is a shade darker and doesn’t have any ...
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
33
views
Exterior Retaining Wall Leaning Options
MY house was built in the mid 70's and has foundation issues everywhere. I recently spotted one of my retaining walls leaning. I have explored the cost to have my foundation company place more deadman ...
0
votes
0
answers
28
views
Stacked stone ledger panels exterior location
I am going to install stacked stone ledger panels on an exterior wall, which has 1/2 sheathing and a water-resistant barrier on it already.
I am planning on using cement board on top of the barrier ...
- 1
1
vote
0
answers
44
views
Outswing exterior door in 6inch wall- did contractor install correctly?
We're doing a large addition with 6" walls and the back outswing door doesn't seem right, and a little research indicates there are specific doors/windows for 6" walls but neither our ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
145
views
Is it appropriate to leave window sills unpainted so they can breathe?
I have a contractor who is painting my windows on my house. The windows are pretty old and needed a fair bit of TLC.
After the job was finished, I inspected the job they did. I found that underneath ...
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
27
views
Exterior hose bib ID and parts
I cannot seem to find a replacement valve stem that fits my 2 exterior hose bibs. The stem at the washer is very bad and I can't remove the handle for replacement.
These are about 44 years old and the ...
1
vote
1
answer
78
views
Mortar washout on brick
Moved into a home and looks as if when the retaining wall was installed they allowed the mortar to washout and stain the bricks. What we are left with is a very ugly street facing wall. Not great for ...
- 11
0
votes
0
answers
26
views
How should I repair baseball-size gaps in early 1900’s era foundation blocks and crumbling mortar? [duplicate]
I have about 300 sq feet of block to tackle. What’s up in good condition is in very solid. What isn’t has been damaged by poorly placed or maintained gutters etc over time.
I have never done any work ...
- 1