Ceiling cracks can be caused by your roof trusses absorbing moisture during hot weather. This truss uplift can be controlled by the homeowner with a little effort or by getting the builder to install L-shaped truss clips on the top of interior walls.
Joe Dworak, who's doing some work, I assume, on his house in Rosemont, CA, has an interesting question about 3/8-inch drywall: "Can 3/8 drywall be used on a ceiling mounted to furring strips 24 inches on center?" Here's my answer - note it's two parts: Joe, yes you can use 3/8-inch drywall on ceilings like Read More »
Quick Column Summary: No one buys paint online Color needs to be seen in person Order from home I don't have a record of when the meeting happened, but my guess is it was 2004. I was in the offices of Miller Brothers Paint in Norwood, Ohio meeting with the owner of the company and Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Want to hang porch swing without thru bolts What size eyelet lag bolt Not safe to use single eyelet bolts Hang from a created, steel bar Sean Kelliher, who lives in Readington, NJ, reached out with a compliment and a question. "I'm an avid reader of all your tips and you've been Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Patched drywall does not match finish Get the right brush and finishing compound Practice the pattern on scrap drywall John Ryland, from Maumee, Ohio, has a tough a problem as any tailor trying to patch clothes. "I took down a small wall in our kitchen and either side of where the wall Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Can you vault roof rafters Standard trusses won't modify easily Common framed house can create vaulted ceiling Work with structural engineer Roof rafters, unless the roof is flat, by their very nature are vaulted. Vaulted means installed at a slope. If your house is built with standard trusses, you can't modify the Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Faux beam coming off ceiling How to push it back in order to secure it Place scrap piece on underside of beam Place temporary 2x4 under it to push it up Stan Pierce, who lives in Palm Coast, FL, emailed me on May 24, 2014, asking: "Tim, I have a faux wooden Read More »
Do you have a hump in a wall caused by a poor jog of drywall finishing? The humps can appear where a flat seam or a wall stud with a horrible crown cause the high spot in your drywall. Here is a tip on how to hide that drywall hump.
Tim Carter demonstrates how to use solid-wood planks to make a wood ceiling. It is important to prestain and urethane the wood before wood ceilings are installed.
Framing a cathedral ceiling is not hard. A vaulted ceiling design can be created by transforming a traditional flat ceiling. Before you begin vaulted ceiling construction, be sure to consult with a structural engineer.
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