Hi I need help on this subject please, I'm searching for the definitive answer as to whether or not there is like a spray on liquid which will firm up house stone foundation/wall mortar. These are turn of the century 1900, which the mortar is very crumbly. It is constantly slowly falling out. I know home improvement books say to scrape out some of the old mortar and repoint the grooves with new mortar after wetting the surface with sprayed water. *BUT I have seen some old 1900 walls in... Read more ..read more

Hi, I am considering installing Versetta Stone Veneer panels on an interior corner in my home where I have a pellet stove (picture attached). I am wondering if anyone has had experience installing this ok interior applications. It looks like the specifications call for installing over 1/2" Plywood or 7/16" OSB, whereas I currently have finished drywall. My question is whether they can be installed over drywall if it's secured into the studs, or would it be better to remove the drywall in... Read more ..read more

The mortar joints in my fireplace are very deep and I'd like to bring them more level with the surface of the brick. The fireplace is no longer in use so heat is not a concern. I'm wondering if I should use real mortar or if I can get away with using Acrylic Mortar Repair Sealant that comes in a tube, like caulk. The tube would be much easier to apply but I have concerns it would crack over time and I intend to paint over it so that would be no good. Any opinions or has anyone had... Read more ..read more

Hello, Seeking advise and opinion here. In the end of Oct last year (2023) I had contractor building a new driveway with 4 inch of thickness. Now, after only 2.5 months, I'm already seeing a huge crack from end to end in the first section of the driveway. (the sections on the new driveway were made smaller when compared to the old) I contacted the contractor and he said this may happen for a lot of reasons and that he will try to sort out the problem (This was a week ago and I still need... Read more ..read more

I noticed that I have a moist spot in the carpet in the closet near the outside wall. Very strange. No evidence for ceiling leaks, and no plumbing in the walls or floor there. But the outside wall is brick, and is does get regularly splashed as my shrubs outside are watered. Could it be that the brick wall is permeable to splashed water? The brick doesn't get rained on, because there is a soffit over it. There are no obvious gaps or cracks in the mortar, but I have no other idea where the... Read more ..read more

I can use some input on what may have caused cracking in a stone-cladded pillar in my breezeway. It is only a couple months old. Note the attached pictures. The vertical crack is at the corner and cuts through both the mortar joints and several of the corner pieces. The stone cladding at the bench-portion is not square. I can see where this non-squareness might put some stress on that corner. There is no vertical loading on the stone. There is no sign of anything hitting this corner... Read more ..read more

I read yesterday that there is a chimney cap seal you can paint on and it lets water out but not in. Does anybody have the name of it? We just moved into the house about a month ago in Bonham Tx. We may never need the fireplace but I don't want water getting in the top in the cracks and expanding if it freezes ..read more

I am in San Francisco, CA. This thing in front of my house never worked. I want it gone. How much do you think it would cost to have someone to replace this with some concrete and make it look like the rest of the sidewalk? The patch is around 8'x11'. Thanks ..read more

I am looking for recommendations on what to do with this situation. I am in the process of sealing the underside of my existing 12’ x 20’ sunroom. It is a finished part of my house that is open to the elements underneath. Old insulation is long gone and the 12’ double glass wall slider failed because they didn’t properly support a 20’ span. I have dug out around the foundation and plan on building up a small block wall to the existing rim joist while adding a pt sill plate. My plan is shown... Read more ..read more

Friend of mine just got a new place and the original dryer vent hole was cut to an unconventional size. Instead of 4" x 4" it's about 3.25" x 4", as seen here: We're not going to try a concrete hole saw, since it might travel too much and probably won't, at best, produce a clean whole. At worst, it might get stuck or hit the gas line seen on the left. Every length of duct we've put through the hole gets squished and then won't connect to the 90-degree elbow we have inside... Read more ..read more