Make Sure Concrete Is Properly Poured to Minimize Cracks
Dear James: I am having a new house built in an area where others have had many cracks in the concrete. What should our builder pay attention to in order to avoid this in our house? Logan G.
Dear Logan: It is not unusual to have some cracks form in concrete. It takes time for concrete to totally cure to full strength, and some cracking can occur months after it was poured. Assuming it was poured properly, these types of smaller cracks usually stop forming after a few years.
Most of these cracks are not an issue for the structure of the house. The most common location of the cracks is along sharp inside corners and around window openings. These are easy to repair with a polymer fill compound. The next most common location is along long areas of slabs and floors, and you will need a professional to seal those.
Remodel a Bathroom With a New Vanity and Cabinets
Dear James: I am planning a partial remodel of my bathroom with just a new vanity and cabinets. What are reasonably priced options, and can I easily install them myself? Oliver J.
Dear Oliver: Just replacing the cabinets and vanity is the typical do-it-yourself bathroom remodeling project. A full remodel would include replacing the tile flooring and bathtub or shower area. Adding those often makes the project more complicated than most people can handle themselves.
Even when doing just a partial remodeling project, the cost can be significant. There is a huge selection and range of vanities and cabinets with varying prices. It would be wise to stay with the basic sizes you now have. This minimizes any plumbing, electrical, and other modifications that are needed.
Oil Finishes Are Easy to Apply to Wood theepochtimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theepochtimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Instead of Replacing a Damaged Laminate Countertop, Repair It With Inlaid Tile
Dear James: Our kitchen laminate countertop is fairly new. Our kids put a hot pot on it and burned a big spot. Is there any attractive, inexpensive method to repair it ourselves? Emily T.
Dear Emily: For the most part, laminate countertops are virtually indestructible. It is basically a very durable sheet of plastic with a printed image under it. Its only Achilles’ heel is high heat, which melts and may darken the plastic sheet.
You can attempt to sand and polish the damaged surface, but the repair will likely be easily noticed. If it was not too badly discolored, try putting several coats of clear urethane over the repaired spot to build up the height after sanding it down. This will help to hide the repair.
Album Of The Week: For Those I Love – For Those I Love 3 April, 2021
The self-titled debut record from For Those I Love is comfortably our pick of the albums reviewed on these pages during the past seven days – here’s your chance to revisit the review and check out the album via Spotify.
“Every night on their last UK tour, The Murder Capital arrived onstage to the most striking of warm-up tunes.”
“Barely heard outside of Ireland, Dear James by the multimedia collective Burnt Out dealt with the suicide of a young man from north Dublin, its shards of noise the stark bones of a naked requiem.”