Questions tagged [materials]
The materials tag has no usage guidance.
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Dust like particules covers the attic floor. Is that the insulation material?
I went to my attic today and took a few pictures. Here is one which shows the "dust" that covers most of the attic (as far as I could tell, it's all over). So I would imagine this is ...
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Help identifying the method of construction my house uses
Walls are approximately 13.75” thick. Listed as stone and stucco.
I saw what looks like water damage in a corner and the, what I’m assuming is plaster, had been damaged. I cut the paint to expose ...
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Looking for a non-stick space-filling foam
I'm looking for a material that will expand to fill a cavity of an irregular shape, and then solidify into a permanent shape. I am not using it primarily for insulation purposes.
Polyurethane spray ...
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What material is this?
The picture below shows some kind of tapestry at a wall inside the living room of a bungalow. The house was built in 1966 in (those days west) Germany:
The material feels kinda warm and solid, but ...
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What material is my damaged kitchen ceiling?
Apologies in advance if the answer is obvious, I'm a complete novice!
We're starting work on our first home including repairs to a water-damaged kitchen ceiling. Someone has suggested to me that the ...
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What can I safely burn isopropyl gel fuel in?
I would like to decant isopropyl gel fuel (i.e. Terraflame) into a safe container to burn in my fireplace.
In other words, I would like to create a fire bowl essentially in my indoor fireplace.
What ...
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What is this dark material behind kitchen plaster exterior wall?
While renovating our kitchen the electricians opened part of the exterior wall. It is a plaster wall with metal wire lath in a 1920s-built home, but I can't identify this darker material behind the ...
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What is this treatment on the walls of my basement?
I'm wondering what this covering is on the walls in my unfinished basement? Most of it is pretty hard and rigid, though there is some near an exterior door that's flaking off. This mottled texture and ...
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What can I put over my window wells to prevent leaves and trash from falling down into them? [closed]
What can I put over my window wells to prevent leaves and trash from falling down into them?
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Most sustainable roofing for short term equipment shelter
A simple wood frame is going up over some infrastructure in a farm field (a device with a motor in a sealed weather-resistant stainless-steel box). This wood frame is meant to help protect against sun,...
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Can I plaster over this?
I found these "boards" under the wallpaper. They feel different from drywall, smooth and cold to the touch, kinda like a tile or ceramic of some sort. What are they? Can I plaster over them ...
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What protective materials exist that would extend the life of electrical appliances? [closed]
I want to spend a lot of time in nature. Because of this, the electronics in my camper break down faster than they should.
I don't know the exact reason, they just stop working, but I guess due to ...
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Is there a way to increase the reliability and quality of electronics by create custom electronics? [closed]
I want reliable electronics for my capmer. I don't want to buy any electronics for home usage, becouse it has a very limited shelf life, as well as certain operating conditions. In a camper, these ...
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What does this mouse pad outline plastic tube made of? [closed]
A friend of mine got me a mouse pad simular to this one Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/RGB-Mousepad-Led-Mouse-Large/dp/B08QFB5KVS/
I noticed it has this tube in the outline (the glowy part). i ...
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Good floor material for multi-purpose indoor sports court
We're building a new home and are considering a sports court that's large enough to play full-court pickleball. We want to be able to use the space for other activities as well, like basketball, ...
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Material options for protecting shed floor
I have a new shed (6x10) and it has a 12mm T&G board floor. This isn't the best for moving/rolling things around, so I'd like to put something over the top of it to help this, and also add some ...
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Is acrylic / Perspex a suitable material for a replacement fridge shelf?
My fridge shelves cracked and broke, and although I tried a repair mentioned in a previous question, it eventually failed as expected.
Since it seems that replacement shelves are no longer sold for ...
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Material choice for a rigid spacer between a stem wall, floating floor and plaster stop?
By design, I have a ~1-1/2" vertical and horizontal gap between the floating hardwood floor I installed and the metal plaster stop at the base of the interior walls, as shown below: .
As shown ...
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Can you provide me with advice for choosing appropriate materials for rebuilding the roof over my dug well?
My water supply is an 18' dug well with 24" inside diameter. The top of the well casing is below grade and within a 4' x 8' block foundation, about 3'6" deep. The well, pump and pressure ...
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What should I use for a smooth surface wall board for quilting layout?
For purposes of laying out a quilting project, I want to use an approx 4' by 7' wall space. I have a large piece of thin fabric that is tacky on both sides. One side goes against the wall and stays ...
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Ash/soot test after a fire
Pardon me if this is not a correct community to ask this question.
My town was affected by the recent Marshall wildfire in CO.
Some streets are gone, it's surreal here. Our street is saved, but there ...
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two-part fastener for right-angle wood connections
I have some furniture which is missing a screw/nut pair used for fastening two pieces of wood together at a right angle. The screw is 45mm long and 5mm wide, and it's paired with some kind of nut with ...
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Glue for sticking wool to wool? [closed]
Can anyone recommend glue for sticking wool to wool? This is for a small, stationary, non-load-bearing, long-term application for an indoor, non-heated environment.
I would be willing to pay more for ...
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Which door is strongest?
I'm comparing two security doors. The first option is aluminum:
It uses Meshtec which from what I've read is pretty much impossible to get through. However, from what I've read, aluminum is a lot ...
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Making a custom bathtub, using fibreglass and a suitable high-strength smooth coating
The problem
I'd like to fit a custom quite sizeable (2000 x 1100 x 550 ish) bathtub. The room won't take anything except custom, which is either horribly expensive or self-made, so I'm looking ...
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What type of string lasts in strong UV and pool environment?
I need to use a string near or in a pool for one summer. It has to last strong summer heat (TX), sun, UV rays, and pool chlorine.
My chlorine dispenser float keeps going next to the skimmer area. Some ...
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What are these very heavy blocks found on my family's property?
I need help identifying these blocks found on my family's property, which was a 17th century farm house in Virginia. The blocks are 8.75" long, 4.5" wide, and 5" high and weigh 58 lbs.
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Is it feasible to still have wooden elements with possible termite threat
I'm planning on getting a house built and I would like to incorporate a good amount of wooden elements similar to japanese house designs but I'm worried of possible termite infestation. Is it feasible ...
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What is this floor material consisting of soft fibrous material covered by matte black layer?
We are renovating an apartment in a house in Germany built in 1957.
I am unsure what kind of floor construction I am looking at. The concrete floor is covered by a soft brown fibrous layer about 1.5 ...
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Cedar shims disappeared because of COVID-19
I've been hunting for contractor quality cedar shims - the super-wide kind that easily break along the grain. The big box stores don't have them and neither do the local lumber yards. At one of them I ...
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Can a triple stud be replaced with a thinner, stronger material?
We have a galley kitchen and our fridge takes up a lot of room when the door is open. I'd like to recess it back into the wall using some empty space in the dining room directly behind it.
However ...
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2a modified crushed stone vs minus gravel
What is the difference between 2a modified crushed stone and minus gravel? I understand that both are crushed stones and both have finer particles. Do they come from different species of stones? What ...
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Are there any new and/or innovative quality countertop products on the market? [closed]
Are there any new and/or innovative quality countertop products on the market that are easier to work with and not as heavy as quartz? For example, something like NSF certified "richlite" ...
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Which material for a sink bucket? [closed]
I'm thinking about making a small sink for my DIY lab. Since there is no running water or drain, I was thinking about something similar to a camping sink like this one.
I'd make some modifications (e....
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Is screw/nut zinc vs zinc plating as advertise or a manufacturer shorthand?
I bought a set of machine screws and nuts which say "zinc" on the product. I also bought a box of locknuts from a different manufacturer which says "zinc plated" on it.
Is the box ...
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Safe wrapping for fiberglass around pipes?
If I wrap pipes with fiberglass for insulation but I'm worried about the health risks of exposed fiberglass, is there something that I could wrap around the fiberglass? If so, what and why?
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Using radiant barrier to keep a room warm [closed]
I have been told (including in comments by awesome user Unslander Monica) that a foil sheet placed on the interior side of an air-sealed window can help prevent radiative heat loss through that window....
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Window film affixed to the wall around a window?
Useful related questions: here, here.
I live in an apartment with a window that I want to insulate during the winter. I am currently using one of those shrink film kits and it seems to be working. ...
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Deck the halls with bubble wrap?
In order to insulate a room, would it make sense to apply a layer of bubble wrap to my walls/ceiling? What about some other material like mylar or foylon? What major factors would affect the answer to ...
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Wool batting window quilt? [duplicate]
Would it make sense to use wool batting like this as a window quilt? Why or why not? What factors would affect its suitability?
For context, I propose using this on the inside of one of those shrink ...
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Aerogel winter window quilt?
Would it possibly make sense for me to use aerogel as a seasonal window quilt? It may depend critically on some other factors; if so, what are they?
In particular, I have heard that aerogel designed ...
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How does denim insulation perform at low ambient temperatures?
I am interested in how denim insulation like this performs at low ambient temperatures. Does anyone know? I am most interested in performance measures like R-value and what other factors affect this.
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how can edpm or a rubber like material be attached to pvc board?
Considering using 4 pvc boards for dug well cover. Need a sealing layer to keep water out. A mastic might work too.
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What type of insulation/sheathing material is this?
I have a house that was originally built in Chicago in 1954 that had an addition put on in the 90's. The original roof and part of the original exterior was built over is now visible in the attic of ...
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How should I deal with pine needles falling from tree onto roof? [closed]
I live in a 100 year old house with an addition on the back. We have a pine tree that is hanging over the addition. The roof and sky lights are leaking. The rest of the roof is ok. We want to just ...
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what material could I use for a mirror that allows light to pass through [closed]
I am creating a smart mirror by constructing a frame where a monitor sits right behind a mirror. I tried using a regular mirror but the mirror did not allow enough light to pass through to see the ...
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Heat and water safe material for internal dishwasher repair
On the inside of my dishwasher is a plastic tube that transports water to a spinning piece in order to clean the upper rack.
Part of the plastic tube has melted through and the top rack is no longer ...
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Desk stress with grommet holes
I'm looking to make a desk for myself. For the surface, I'm planning on using an oak kitchen surface (either 30mm or 40mm thick) and I'll have 4 60mm holes cut to support desk grommets for cables, ...
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Transparent material like two-way mirror for specific colour
I really like the idea of smart mirrors, using a two way mirror with a monitor behind it to provide information on the mirror and make it look like a regular mirror when the monitor is turned off. Are ...
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Why are "horseshoe" shims shaped the way they are?
Here's an example of the type of shim I'm referring to:
They are sold marketed for various uses - tile spacers, leveling window or door frames, etc. They are non-tapered.
Its not clear to me why ...
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