yes, will be getting some lighting. actually we are rewiring the whole apartment to bring it up to code.

Not too sure on the doors, never heard an hvac guy mention it. If the rooms have returns it's not a problem.

I'm interested in repairing laminate on a side table. It has water damage that caused the wood to swell and the laminate to peel. It's high end and would like to sell it but not sure if it's feasible. What are your thoughts? Could I apply a laminate and achieve a sellable quality? Any specific tools and would time and materials be too much to expect a return?

I ended up googling the door issue and found that it is an issue with homes that have a central return, which mine does. The recommendation was between 1 to 1 1/2 inches gap! There was also a product that was as basically a baffled vent that you could insert into a door that they tested in one article. The explanation makes sense, basically without a path for air return it creates a pressure issue in the room reducing the effectiveness in that room, putting strain on the blower and also forcing air through other paths. And inch and a half is crazy to me, however, for privacy and noise. I am for sure going to make the gap bigger, maybe shy of an inch, but I have two small kids that I don't want peeking under doors.

As for you question, can you post some pics of the table? I have not done any fine veneer work on furniture, but I can see if there is anything I can offer if I have a better idea of he damage and extent of the work.

Hmm interesting. 1 1/2" doesn't seem practical, I'm sure most people would find it unacceptable. Personally I've live in a home with a central return for about five years and close vents to unused rooms and sleep with my door shut with no problems so far. but I also probably use it below an average amount of time. I wouldn't think the back pressure would go past the ducting to the blower, my only concern has been the efficiency. I'll ask someone

Thanks for the reply. I'll see what I can do, I don't have a image hosting setup.

Pretty sure code here is min 1" gap if there's no return in the room.

It's just basic geometry. Measure the area of the supply vent to the room. If the gap under the door is smaller, you're stressing the system. The magnitude of the difference tells you how much.

I understand the reasoning now, but any idea of how the magnitude of difference translates to magnitude of consequences? Is a door rubbing on the carpet affecting my system like full blown alchoholism where half the area of return vs intake is like a once or twice a month social drinker, or is anything short of perfection likely costing me $$?

Also, interested in different takes on home security. I detest the exposure I have had to security companies like adt and just can't square their service being worth it. Anyone feel otherwise? Recommended self installed systems? I switched out the deadbolts on my front entry and entry from the garage to schlage electric combination deadbolts with z wave connectivity with a plan to get a hub at some point and maybe an alarm/sensors/camera to build it out further. Even without that set up I feel better about it after removing the garbage defiant sets that were there and beefing up the strikeplates. I also like that it can be set to auto lock after 30 seconds as I have found the doors left unlocked a few time from quick trips into the garage to grab something.

They are ugly as hell on the interior but whatever.

It took me 5 decades of life before I bought my first house about 3 months ago, but now that I have, I'm loving it. I'm broke for the next 30 years but I think I don't care, ha. Put in a new kitchen and wood floors, but I gotta say the garage might be my favorite space. I've never had one big enough to do anything in. Put together this workbench for maybe $100 in materials (easy on the criticisms please) and I'm really digging hanging out here and doing sh*t. A stupid guy thing, yeah, but I'm finding it very fullfilling. Many have told me DIY stuff at the house is a forever process, and that I'll tire of it soon enough, but for the last 3 months, I've been non-stop home projects and basically can't get enough of it. Home Depot and Lowes are already sending me Christmas cards, lol. Cheers to home ownership!

Nice bench! Did you design it yourself or go off a plan?

Depends on the rest of the system. An air handler is designed to move a certain amount of air. One room without a return is probably NBD, but closing half your vents will likely cause premature death of the unit. On a more immediate level, rooms with inadequate returns won't be heated or cooled very well.

Looked at internet photos, a few youtube vids, that's pretty much it. It's pretty standard stuff, 4 x 4 legs, 2 x 4 framing. The wall of 2 x 8 for hanging tools I hadn't seen before. Went with that vs. the peg board with holes in it, which I don't really like.

I really like it. I'm going to copy it. Any considerations or lessons to pass on?

Been a month using it, and shockingly 😀, no lessons learned.

channeling and new wiring

I've been meaning to post about this previous owner kludge in my garage. This is a live outlet.

Any ideas for the easiest way to fix this? Or do I just need to open the wall and mount/remove this outlet?

Basement gut-job complete:

Before:





After:

There are some cracks in my concrete block foundation wall:



There was some mold on the insulation by one of cracks but no mold around the other two. I fixed a downspout drainage issue and I've never found any moisture on the wall/floor so I don't think there's a water issue.

Are these cracks DIY fixable? I think injection methods don't work on concrete blocks since they're hollow and you can't ensure where the epoxy ends up. Any idea if RadonSeal's products would work here, or other products I can seal these cracks with?

And what do I do about the cracks in the slab? Can I just spread some thinset over the cracks and into the holes where there were anchors?

If you have no leaking, I'd just leave the cracks alone. If you do find leaks, the only real way to fix that is to excavate and waterproof the outside. Patching the inside would do nothing to stop water if it wants in.

WRT the floor, the crack should be no issue unless you want it patched for cosmetic reasons. To patch it properly if you decide to, you should chip a wedge shaped trench about 4 inches wide, and 3 deep, running the length of the crack. Before re-filling with concrete, clean thoroughly with water and let dry, and then apply bonding agent fairly liberally to the rough edges of the slab to keep it from popping up and cracking again.

there are three certainties in our existence...death, taxes, and concrete cracking.
slab cracks tend to happen at places of geometrical change, and your slab is a common example. your basement walls form an |_, and concrete loves to crack diagonally right off the corner of that shape if control joints aren't provided right after the slab is poured.
it doesn't mean the slab is weaker (provided there is rebar in the slab), it's mostly an aesthetic thing. if you're thinking of installing some sort of floor finish you'll probably want to address it in some manner, but if you're just going to leave it as a bare slab then it shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks guys. Sounds like it's nothing serious and I can do something about it or not and it probably won't make much difference either way.

Does anyone have any experience with spray-on calcium or sodium silicate densifier/hardener/sealers for concrete that "increase strength of concrete up to 45%" while reducing penetration of water and moisture. They sounds amazing. Are they actually worth it?

just post the name of the product you quoted above.
the reduction of water and moisture penetration will be from the same direction as you applied the product (i.e., you put it on top of the slab, it will reduce penetration of water that gets on top of the slab).
if you're concerned with moisture coming from under the slab, there isn't an easy solution for you w/out removing the old slab and installing a vapor barrier under a new slab.

Increasing the strength of concrete 45% with a spray after it is cured sounds... dubious. Even 5% seems pretty damn unlikely. And which "strength" is being increased? Tension? Compression? Shear?

There seem to be a lot of these products:

Penetrates and permanently seals against water seepage, moisture vapor, efflorescence. Densifies, prevents spalling, cracking, dusting
Sodium Silicate Concrete Waterproofing Sealer with Densifier and Hardener

lithium silicate concrete densifier and surface hardener
Penetrating Concrete Sealer Plus Densifier and Hardener

Maybe if you were having moisture issues it'd be worth looking into, but as it is I'd not bother. I'm pretty skeptical of them, especially when they use phrases like "penetrates up to six inches into the concrete, depending on porosity". Seems like a pretty ambiguous claim.

On the other hand, it's probably no more useless than any other sealer, and might be worth trying if you're planning on finishing the basement and want some insurance against the mold returning behind the walls.

FWIW I was a carpenter for 20ish years with a lot of concrete experience, and I've never used products like that. I've also been out of the game for 10 years, so take my opinion with a grain of salt as I have no knowledge of newer techniques.

I'd be reluctant to seal the crack or block from the inside not wanting to trap the moisture, the block is water resistant but permeable. I think it depends on your climate how much I'd be concerned, if I did I'd use a polyurethane caulking on the crack .

As for the slab nothing is going to match the old concrete so it's just preference if you want to see the patch or crack. If laying tile they have a mesh like tape to keep it from transferring through

I'm not sure if your interested in the sealer n hardener for the floor or block but I wouldn't do either. A slab will harden as it ages n cures. I've only seen products applied the same day as it was poured. As for the block, it looks painted

I'd probably just polyurethane the crack in block and check the window