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What is the best insulation for a finished basement?

I want to finish my basement. It has poured concrete walls and no flooding or moisture I’ve noticed.. I’ve seen stuff about vapor barrior, and spray in insulation, and the roll out fiberglass batt insulation. Is there a best for the price insulation, + what about the framing for the drywall after the insulation? Do you frame before or after a spray in insulation?

Rigid foam panels

How can I protect my wood siding when building a retaining wall against the house?

The yard along the side of my House slopes down from front to back. I would like to build a couple "step down" retaining walls so that we can put in some nice shrubs and flowers. Problem is the painted wood siding slopes down parallel to the ground and building a wall would mean resting dirt against the siding. I know this is a bad idea as it can cause rotting/water damage/mold.

What can I do to protect the siding and still make the step down walls look good?

There is more to be concerned about than just the wood rotting. You could be opening your self up to termites and possible moisture inside your walls. If you are going to do a step down you need to do it so all of the wood is still exposed. Make the top of each step down start below the siding and then dig down.

I would like to repeat this. Do not try what you are talking about all you will get is grief. You should keep all of your wood and hopefully a couple of inches of foundaton showing.

What are some down sides to buying a home with wood siding?

My husband and I found one we’d like to look at that has wood siding. It looks like cedar but much darker. I was just wondering what some of the things are to consider with wood siding.

If you mean "shingles", they’re fine unless the House is in a high fire danger area. Shingles, generally made from soft wood and with airspace behind and around each shingle, tend to ignite more easily than other forms of wood siding.

What happens if a torch down roof is applied without the fiberglass membrane?

My dad helped me get into my House by fixing roof repairs that needed to be made. He put a new roof in and applied new torch down but he did not put a fiberglass membrane down. It rained and now there are leaks in both of the areas that he "fixed". Is the fiberglass membrane essential to maintaining the water-tight integrity of a roof using torch down?

If you just want to fix the leak then follow the link for instructions.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5309185_patch-flat-roof.html

What are the pros and cons to building a flat roof instead of a triangle roof on a greenhouse?

my girlfriends building a small greenhouse for our apartment balcony, and we were thinking it would be easier to build a greenhouse with a flat roof instead of a triangle roof, just like some commercial building have flat roofs.

Is there a reason why every greenHouse I’ve ever seen has a triangle roof?

Well it would depend on the kind of material you are using. If it is a soft vinyl/plastic, then it could get ruined by rain. An angled roof lets the water run down the sides easier, while a flat roof can sometimes collect water, making the roof sag down or even burst if it builds up enough.

How did House rig the doors of the limo in the episode where he kidnaps the soap star?

How did House manage to rig the doors of the limousine to not open after they are locked? Last time I checked, he was a doctor, not a mechanic. And you can’t rent limos with unlockable doors. That’s something that he would specifically have to contract out to someone. Maybe he could of had Foreman do it, but Foreman doesn’t know how to do that. Foreman is an expert in breaking into places, not in making locking limousine doors unlockable.

1. It was acting, and

2. The storyline / script required this scenario.

How can I make my slidding glass door look like french doors?

I am looking for the lightweight aluminum grille you can put on your sliding glass doors to make them look like a french door- door with paynes? Any idea where you can buy such a thing?

You could add lead tape to create the panes

http://www.jjjspecialty.com/

or use this

http://www.wallpaperforwindows.com/Products/EtchedGlass.asp#top

How to make Windows Live Messenger work?

I just installed the latest Windows Live messenger on my computer. I had been using windows messenger that was already installed for a few hours beforehand. When i try to sign into Windows Live messenger, it says that the "windows Live Communications Platform has encountered a problem, etc etc." I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled windows live. Is there a way to fix this?

Hi fornoonex3,

Have you tried signing in with another account? Get a friend to try signing in using their username and password. If this works, then there might be something on the server side (Microsoft) of things.

If things persist, check out the Live Messenger team page: http://messengersays.spaces.live.com/default.aspx?sa=527238479. You can get in touch with the right people through there.

Cheers,
Ron
Windows Outreach Team

How to open windows that have been painted shut?

The storm windows were removed, the windows were painted shut and now the storm windows are back on. Therefore; not allowing me direct access to the painted window. How would you suggest I open the windows without removing the storm windows, if at all possible?
Because the storm windows are on the outside and closed, I can’t access the painted side of the window. Is there another way to open the window without having to remove the storm windows in order to get to the edges that i need to cut.

We have had that happen too. It is a bother for sure, but we used a serrated knife and cut very carefully along the edges to get it loose so we could open the window. if the paint is reallllly thick and this doesnt work, you may have to use some paint remover on the edges and then paint again without painting them shut. I hope this helps.