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John Adams - heating and air conditioning, Mark Baker - general building questions, remodeling, codes, permits, etc., Derek Cole - all interior and exterior painting questions, also decorative painting tips, Jennifer Colwell - real estate, property management, rental agreements, Larry Comito - landscaping, gardening, lawns and trees, Joan Hopson - interior decorating, staging, Bruce Schlenker - flooring, hardwood floors, tiles, stone, concrete, carpet, laminate, Matt Sokol - doors and windows, siding, gutters, Susan Steward - window treatments, blinds, shutters, UV/glare films, etc., Peter Nguyen - all roofing questions, Carlos Starkey - plumbing, Albert Olson - general handyman questions, appliances, Brian Klain - new construction, Rob Knapp - general building questions, remodeling, additions, Mike Graham - electrical issues,  Rose Hendricks - home inspections, Robert Myers - home improvement, remodeling, upgrades, Alice Murray - kitchen remodels, Bob Hester - suncreens, Jim Sokol - home remodeling ideas, Carol Montgomenry - home renovation estimates, Michael Moore - building permits, Raymond Putt - building materials, Andy Dale - quality home services, Charles Ehler - HVAC problems, Mark Oswald - basement remodeling, Julius Orange - bathroom remodleing questions,  Jennifer Klein - home decorating ideas, John Cropp - home designs and plans, Donna Osterman - green home building, Robert Rice - custom homes, Bruce Sokol - plumbing issues, Susan Jones - electrical system upgrades, Erick Espinoza - building product information, Kurt Schroll - home remodeling plans, Gary Stephens - air conditioning questions, John Murr - trim installation, woodwork, Brandon Thomas - home building tips, Jeff Lawrence - how to build a custom home,  Leah Phillips - best tips for home building, Ronald Tomme - plants, shrubs and trees, Barbara Olson - kitchen counter tops, Steve McMullen - selecting a home builder, Wynona Thomas - new home steps guide, Joan Gabert - construction home loan rates, Tim Kabatek - all landscaping questions, Charles Lambert - storage ideas, Gary Moss - energy efficient building, Thomas Quinn - buying a new home, Jay Newberry - general liability insurance, James Manning - custom home building problems,  Allen Norris - custom home accessories, Randy Pugh - fences and gates, Dan Murrah - irrigation systems, Eldon Myler - basements, Dale Fugatt - attic remodleing, Beth Patton - home and garden accents, Chris Udell - residential and commercial mailboxes, Paul Sterling - custom home magazine, Joseph Mabin - luxury real estate, Dennis Kettles - custom home specifications, Tom Hensen - superb quality, customized homes, Alex Hernandez - all interior and exterior painting questions,  Darlene Woods - green building produts, Betty Neilson - lawn problems, Angela Klister - ponds and accessories, Mark Frees - legal issues, Wayne Lornell - spec homes, Brenda Durst - product support, John Eastham - custom home building variables, Tom Clark - zoning, Mark Oscar - quality of construction, Alan White - affordable and budget homes, Keith Lingley - choosing a lot for house building, William Jones - types of paints and applications,  Linda Lewis - Energy Star home building packages, Thomas Hull - sheds and storage units, Robyn Flake - how to build a luxury home, Steven Krell - the artistry of details, John OConor - insulated concrete panels, Kelly Huntsman - kitchen appliances, Mike Anderson - unique green materials, Michael Rowe - optimal luxury home size, David Wiss - building a new home costs, Kim Rinz - a home that grows, Scott Jones - traditiona home construction costs, Gary Wood - energy efficient home building information, Robert Mick - trends in building and home contrsuction Arthur Magruder - residential home building process, Rick Purcell - average new home building costs, Scott Mix - building a green home questions,  Sharon Jordan - building an off grid cabin, Cindy Miller - pollution free home building checklist, Mary Mills - modular homes, George Sparks - traditional framing, Bryan Sena - build a home on your own land, Shannon Strickler - green home building companies, John Westberg - National Association of Home Builders, Peter Song - Ferro Cement, Lightweight Concrete, Papercrete, Brandon Payne - degrees and types of green construction,

Do you have a question related to a home improvement project?

We decided to add a section on this website where customers can submit their questions. Why? Because we appreciate all our visitors and would love to be found helpful in solving your home projects. We want you to be able to find what you're looking for at this website, so that next time when another need arises (something brakes, needs to be fixed or replaced) you won't hesitate to come back again. And after all we simply are finding a joy in helping homeowners with their everyday problems. This is why we created this website.

Many professionals from all over the country are volunteering to assist you with any home improvement problems you may have. 

Please, find a proper category to address your question and our first available expert will answer your question as soon as possible. ASK OUR EXPERT. It's free and convenient. 

You can also check if the answer to your question has already been posted in our Frequently Asked Questions section (FAQ).

Our Volunteering Experts and their fields of expertise:

John Hughs - heating and air conditioning
Mark McConer - general building questions, remodeling, codes, permits, etc.
Darek Sokol - all interior and exterior painting questions, also decorative painting tips
Mary Dunn - real estate, property management, rental agreements 
Larry Goodman - landscaping, gardening, lawns and trees 
Joan Grimson - interior decorating, staging
Bruce Jennings - flooring, hardwood floors, tiles, stone, concrete, carpet, laminate
Matt Stevenson - doors and windows, siding, gutters
Susan Orwell - window treatments, blinds, shutters, UV/glare films, etc. 
Peter Murphy - all roofing questions
Carlos Silva - plumbing
Gordon Bucca - general handyman questions, appliances 

Recent Questions & Answers:

Question
I manage a complex in Pueblo, CO.  It has 2-story condo buildings.  When it rains, water cascades off of the roof causing the ground in the plant beds to erode.  Gutters are not feasible due to the architectural design. People have suggested installing 1" river rock.  What do you recommend?

Answer
Good question about rainwater and water falling from your roof. Without gutters or downspouts this will always be a problem. If you have no way to install gutters of any kind then you need to create a splash zone free from soil or dirt. The dirt as you well know will splash onto adjacent plants and walls and can cause a real maintenance issue and even damage and kill small plants. I come across this frequently. For the record, I advise anyone considering this issue to install gutters and pipe them, if possible, to a rain garden or cistern.

However when this is not possible I would suggest using gravel that is complimentary to your landscape. 1" is good because it is too big to be moved by average rain drops or rainfall. Peagravel (Pea gravel) can be splashed out of place and become a mess, plus its harder to walk in soft small round gravel as it moves under foot. Also I prefer rounded river gravel or river rock for this application because it tends to absorb the splashes unlike fractured quarry gravel such as slate or marble chips which tend to splash more. I would recommend that you excavate a trench 12-18inches minimum wide and 6 inches deep. Lay filter fabric, silt fence, landscape fabric or weed screen (or weed control fabric) in the bottom and then cover with gravel. Do not use plastic as it will hold water. Trim off the excess landscape fabric around the edges and mulch up to the edges of the gravel. Make sure you place enough gravel and stones so that the surface of the gravel is equal to or higher than the surrounding mulched landscape beds. Your done. Not however if your soil is not sandy and quick to percolate and absorb the water, you may want to install a french drain in the trench to route water away from the house. This is especially true for folks with basements or crawl spaces that are damp and or flood periodically. Keep in mind if you install a french drain the trench will need to be deeper. Search my previous answers for french drain construction.

One final comment. When selecting the gravel, be sure to select a color that is not going to be glaring or bright. You can even get lava rock (lavarock, lava-rock) and river rock (river-rock) that is similar in color to mulch including hardwood mulch, pine nuggets, cedar and pinestraw. These colors will blend in well with the natural surroundings.

Question
Greetings!  We planted a row of 6' cedars along the rear of our property line this past May.  They were planted in new triple mix (to 3'), were watered every few days, and we used 5-15-5 root stimulator.  They get at least 6 hours of sun a day.  They seemed to be doing okay, until just recently.  Several are looking very dry & brown in the centre.  Is it possible that concrete dust blowing on them for the past 2 weeks from a neighbours pool/interlock patio project could have affected them?  Do you have suggestions to revive them?

Answer
Concrete contains sodium hydroxide. Plants are very sensitive to any salt (sodium) and can be readily killed by it. The alkalinity of the concrete dust would also act to kill plants. The only advice I can give is to hose down the cedar and hope it lives. There is no way to "revive" a plant poisoned by salt. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help.

Question
I have an area rug in my living room that is laying on carpet. ALL the edges of the rug are curling up. Is there something that can be done to make it lay flat again?

Answer
Thank you for your question.  I'm sorry to hear about your rug.  Let me ask you something, did the rug lay flat before you put it on carpet?  Does it lay flat now if put on a hard floor?  We have to rule out a few things before figuring out how to fix the problem.  Also, do you know if your rug is machine-made or handmade?  Area rugs on top of carpeting, especially plush carpeting, are always a less than ideal situation, but sometimes you can make it a bit better.  Usually, I recommend a pad, but since your rug is curling up rather than buckling, then I would suggest a few other fixes.  First, take your rug and dampen it just a little, lay it upside down and place a board with some weight on it.  Roll it in the opposite direction a few times, and then give it a whirl.  It should be a little less curly.  If this doesn't help, what we sometimes do as a last resort is sew a few weights into the back of the rug.  Those very flat, thin, washers work very well.  Sewing through a rug is a bit difficult, so have someone with strong hands, or use pliers to push a needle through the back of the rug.  

I hope the information is helpful!

Question
I have a small  room that is 9 by 11 approximate.  I need to buy a wood  dining table with  4 chairs.  I do not know the recommended size/style of the   table-   round, square rectangle.  I think I want a rectangle, but don't know what size I should get given the size of the room.  Thank You very much.  Any guidelines would be appreciated.

Answer
A good rule of thumb is to allow 24" of space per dining guest, and an additional 24" 'swing out' or 'pull out' space for chairs.  Rectangles will allow you more square footage on the table top than round or oval.

If your room is 9 x 11 and you want max size on the table (no sideboards or buffets in the room) then probably the largest table you can put in there is a 60" x 84".  But if we refine that further to a practical level as usually only one person sits at the end, then the functional max size is going to be 40" x 84".  That will allow you two people on the ends, then three down each side (provided the legs on the table area fairly outboard such as an English Farm Table, etc).  That gives you a little space for a serving table / buffet on the long side of the room as well.  If you want less crowded, then drop to a 38" x 72" with leaves (6 seater, 8 with leaves).

Hope that helps!

Question
I have just today had a brick patio built at my front door. It is two steps, approximately 8x10 feet. The temperature around here now is 50 to 58 during the day, and 33 to 40 at night, although the temperature tonight will be down to 31. No rain is expected. I have two questions; The patio was just finished about 4 hours ago, and it is covered with a plastic tarp. Is the above weather conditions safe for the patio as far as any damage is concerned? and, since the patio is not covered, and will be exposed directly to the weather, should I put on a sealer and if so, when do I put it on and what is the best brick sealer to use?

Answer
The weather conditions are ok for your new patio. You should definitely seal your new patio in about two weeks. I do not have a particular favorite of brands just make sure the sealer you buy is designed specifically for masonry. The most important thing I can tell you is do not put any type of salt product on your new patio when you get snow or to melt ice. Even with a sealer deicers containing salt will destroy your new investment. Best of luck and enjoy your new patio.
 

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