Ask Jay Column - Berkshire's Best

The kitchen is one of two areas of the home that I strongly recommend finding both a designer and a contractor who specialize in kitchen remodeling (the other area is the bathroom).

The kitchen is one of the most costly rooms of the home to renovate. The process is very involved and can have a significant impact on the value and marketability of your home. Most of the time, the designer and contractor will be two different people, but sometimes you can find someone who can do both the design and construction.

Initially, the most important decision you will have to make is, who is going to design the project. Kitchen dealers, architects, designers and contractors are all potential prospects for selecting the person to design your kitchen. There is often a fee associated for the design. If you pay a design fee, you will own the design. It is almost always money very well spent.

The complete design should include, but is not limited to: the existing conditions, a demolition schedule, a construction schedule (with elevations), and an electric schedule. Appliance schedules, finish schedules, door and window schedules and hardware schedules may also be appropriate, depending on the size and scope of the project.

As you interview prospective designers, look at photographs of their kitchen work. Ask for half a dozen references, including the date the project was completed, a brief description of what the project entailed and contact phone numbers. When you contact the referrals, ask if the design was completed in the projected time. Was the designer easy to get hold of? Were phone calls returned within a reasonable time frame? Was he or she easy to get along with? How did he react to changes to his design?

When you are interviewing prospective designers, there must be some chemistry. If there isn't, look for another designer. There are a great many decisions you will have to make. Almost all are that of personal taste, not right or wrong decisions. A good designer should provide options, and the pros and cons of each option, so that you can be informed when making choices.

The key components of a kitchen remodel are cabinetry, appliances, flooring, counter tops, lighting, plumbing fixtures and back splashes. Purchase an assortment of kitchen magazines. Stop at kitchen,appliance, and plumbing showrooms. Collect catalogues. Clip pictures. Look at the pictures with an eye towards the design elements; the door style of the cabinetry, the orientation of the tile on the backsplash.

The more decisions you can make before you sit down with the designer the better. The more information you can provide the designer, the greater the likelihood that the final kitchen will reflect your taste and personality, rather than that of your designer's.

Granites are available in an extraordinary range of colors and patterns. It is a very dense material, thereby making it difficult to stain and damage. These characteristics make granite an ideal material for counter tops in the kitchen and bathroom.

The vast majority of the time, granite is brought to a high gloss finish, as opposed to a honed finish (not shiny). The process and sealers that are used to bring the stone to a shiny finish also help to bring out the colors of the stone and seal the stone against staining. Contrary to popular belief, ALL counter top materials, including granite, can be stained, burned, scratched and chipped, so a modest amount of care should be taken when working around stone counters.

Place hot pots on trivets, NOT directly on granite. Cut on cutting boards. Do not use a granite counter as a cutting board. The knives can scratch the granite and the granite will dull the knives. If something is spilled on the counter, it should be wiped up immediately so that it does not have a chance to set.

Over the years, I have tested quite an array of stone cleaning and polishing products on the stone counters in my clients' homes, as well as in my own home. I have not found a single product that does a good job of both cleaning and polishing. The approach that I suggest is to clean the stone first and then bring out the shine. Use a liquid cleaner to clean counters. I use Simple Green diluted 1:10. To eliminate the streaks and bring out the shine, I use a glass cleaner called Sprayway. It's ammonia free and is a great cleaner for all types of shiny surfaces, including chrome, brass and glass. I apply both products with a clean, white cotton wash cloth, in a circular motion. Use a different cloth for each product, so as not to cross contaminate the cloths.

It is very unusual to damage the surface area of granite from an impact, because the mass is there to absorb impact. Most damage to granite occurs at edges, the sink opening, the bottom edge of the counter above the dishwasher and the front edge of the sink. Virtually all this damage is a result of striking the granite edges with pots. The good news is that chips can be repaired. You will need to call in a company that does granite fabrication and installation. The mechanic will mix the same epoxy resin used to glue the seams of the counters. The resin is tinted to match the counter color. The resin is applied, allowed to set and then polished to match the contours of the repair area .The cost for this service is typically $75 to $100 per hour and generally takes two to three hours. It's a good idea to spend some time a day before the repair appointment to mark any chips with Post-Its.

With a modest amount of care and maintenance, your granite tops should look like new for many, many years.

Grout is the material that makes up the lines in between wall or floor tile. Over time, dirt and residual chemicals from shampoos, soaps and cleaners tend to accumulate in the grout lines. Assuming the grout is in good condition, there are an assortment of products available that can be used to clean and reseal grout.

Most grout cleaners are acid based. The acid causes a chemical reaction to take place that dissolves the top layers of dirt on grout. I recommend a line of products by Dupont called STONETECH. STONETECH products are the most environmentally friendly products of this type that I am aware of, and they won't asphyxiate you while using them. You can find STONETECH products where tile products are sold. Locally, they are available from Countrytown Marble and Tile in Hillsdale, NY, 518-325-5836, or Dal-Tile in Albany, NY 518-452-4771.

Remove all miscellaneous items from the area to be cleaned. You will want to protect paint, woodwork and plumbing finishes from the cleaners. Use a 1", low tack masking tape (blue or green), available at any paint store. If you drip or splash the cleaner, clean it off immediately with plenty of water.

STONETECH makes two cleaners. Restore is my first choice. It is a more aggressive cleaner, but it should not be used on colored concrete or acid sensitive stone. It's great for ceramic, glass, porcelain and most granites. A less aggressive alternative is KlenzAll. You may want to test a small area before cleaning the entire area. Wear eye protection, a dust mask and rubber or latex gloves. I would also recommend opening a window for ventilation.

On a floor, pour the cleaner directly out of the bottle and spread it with a washcloth. Let the cleaner sit on the tile and grout to allow the chemical reaction to take place. You will see a bubbling action. When the bubbling stops, the chemical is spent. More cleaner can be applied If the area is not as clean as you would like. I use a washcloth to apply the cleaner to walls.

The manufacturer recommends diluting the cleaners. I use them straight. After cleaning, go over the area with clean water, two to three times, to remove any residual cleaner.

If your tile is a non-stone product, then you only need to seal the grout. Apply STONETECH grout sealer. It is available in a spray or liquid. You are likely to have less of a mess and more control with the liquid. Apply the liquid with a throw away brush. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations on the label for standing time and wipe up.

If your floor or wall tile is stone, then you will want to reseal the stone, along with the grout, using a sealer or enhancer. Enhancer is a sealer that has the added benefit of deepening the colors.

When it comes to choosing tile, there are five principal decisions that one has to make: cost, composition, size, texture, and color. Cost is NOT necessarily indicative of quality. It is generally a better indicator of the composition of the tile. For example, glass and metal tile tend to be the most costly, followed by natural tile (marble, granite, slate, limestone). Natural tile is usually referred to as stone.

Particular types of tile may be better suited for a particular use. Porcelain tile is the most durable. It is a very dense, non-porous material which makes it very difficult to damage, virtually impossible to stain and very easy to clean. It is ideal for outdoor use since it does not absorb water. Porcelain can also be manufactured to look like most natural stones. Stone tends to be more costly to install and requires more care and maintenance.

Most tile is priced by the square foot (SF). Decorative inserts, bull nose, and moldings are priced by the piece. Generally speaking, if you budget $5 to $8 per SF, you will have a wide range of beautiful ceramic and porcelain tiles to select from. $9 to $18 per SF will bring you into the realm of stone. $25 to $50 per SF is what you can expect to pay for glass and metal. Stone moldings, mosaic and metal inserts will typically run from $10 to $50 each. A great way to balance your costs is to use a less expensive field tile (the main tile on the wall or floor) accented with inserts or a row of stone or glass.

The use of the tile is also a very important factor to consider. For example, is the floor tile you are choosing going to be installed in your mud room or in the master bathroom? I would generally select a 12 x12 porcelain tile for the mud room. Porcelain will stand up to the stones brought in on shoes, and fewer grout lines won't show as much dirt and aging over time. Stone tile, which is softer, is better suited for the master bath, where there is considerably less and "softer" traffic.

Tile size is principally a matter of personal taste. Small space, small tile and large space, large tile is very old school. Also the combination of large and smaller tile can make for some very attractive and dramatic tile installations. Small tile usually costs more per SF than large tile. Also, consider that there are more grout lines with small tile.

Do you want your tile to be smooth or textured? Smooth tile can have a glossy, matte honed or tumbled finish. A textured tile is usually a stone or porcelain; never glossy. The texture gives the tile dimension depth and is a sensory treat to hands and feet. Textured tile reduces slipping hazards when used on the floor.

Today's tiles are available in an extraordinary array of colors. Tiling on a budget? Place a contrasting, dramatic color line of the same tile into the field. The tile will "pop."

You will need 1" or 2"masking tape (light color), a 2'- 4' level, drill or screw gun, a small cup for cool water, tape measure, hammer, paper coffee filter or mailing envelope, plastic anchors (the anchors probably came with the towel bar) a pointy screw (I use a 3" drywall screw) and a glass and tile bit for drilling the holes.
DO NOT USE A MASONRY BIT!

Determine where you would like to place the towel bar. Run strips of masking tape on the wall so that all of your pencil marks fall on the tape. Put the level onto the first grout line above the towel bar. If the grout line is level, strike the first line. If the grout line is not level, you may want to measure off of the grout line so that the towel bar appears to be level.

Most mounting hardware requires that you drill 2 holes to attach it to the wall. You will probably have to drill 4 holes to mount a towel bar. Draw the layout lines in the sequence shown in Figure 1.

NOTE: All measurements are from center to center of the holes. Check the instructions to determine what size tile bit you will need. Locate the point where you want to drill the first hole. Strike a horizontal pencil line that will also pass through the 2nd point of attachment of the towel bar (line 1). You can use the level to strike the line. Then strike a vertical line that passes through the location of the first hole you are going to drill (line 2).

Measure for the placement (width) of the second mounting hardware. Strike a second vertical line (line 3). Dry fit the mounting hardware to locate the lower, second set of holes (horizontal line 2).Once you have struck your lines check that all of the holes line up with the holes in the hardware. (Measure 2 –3 times; drill once.)

Take your pointy screw. Place it on the intersect points. Tap it firmly with the hammer. This will create a divot for the tip of the tile bit to sit in. Take the envelope or coffee filter and tape one side of it to the wall about 1" bellow the lowest point you will be drilling. This will catch most all of the dust as you drill. Natural stone and glazed tile are very easy to drill. Glass and porcelain tile are very difficult to drill.

Dip the tip of the tile bit into the water frequently to keep it cool. You want to keep the weld that holds the cutting tip to the shank cool, so that they don't separate. You will need a number of bits if you are drilling porcelain or glass.

Drill your holes. Strip the tape. Tap in the plastic anchors with the hammer. Be careful not to strike it too hard and crack the tile. Install the hardware and then the towel bar.

The key word here is patience. If you are not patient, you will end up replacing more than the one cracked tile you started with. There are three steps to replacing a cracked or chipped tile:

1. Remove the damaged tile.
2. Prepare the area where the tile was removed, to receive the new tile.
3. Install the new tile.

The most difficult part of the process is removing the damaged tile. In order to remove the tile, you will need: eye protection, gloves to protect your hands, a hammer, a medium size (#6) slotted screwdriver, a caulking gun, a canister vacuum, a drill and a glass and tile bit.
DO NOT USE A MASONARY BIT!

Put on your eye protection and gloves. Working with chipped tile is like working with broken glass. It is very sharp. If you are replacing a damaged tile in a floor with grout lines that are a minimum of 1/8", chip out the grout on all 4 sides of the damaged tile by tapping the screwdriver into the grout with the hammer. Always angle the screwdriver towards the damaged tile, in case you slip. Try to remove the grout to the full depth of the tile. TAKE YOUR TIME. Do not rush. You do not want to damage any other tiles. Once you have removed the grout from around the tile, or you can't remove the grout because the line is too narrow, you are ready for the next step. Drill an assortment of holes into the tile. The more holes that you drill, the better. To remove a 4 x 4 tile, I typically drill 12-14 holes. (See figure #1.) The holes act as stress relief points. These holes prevent the energy that you are introducing into the tile from being transferred into an adjacent tile and cracking it.

You are going to use the screwdriver as a chisel. Start at one of the holes towards the center of the tile(s). Place the tip of the screwdriver into the hole. You want to angle the screwdriver towards the center of the tile. Tap the screwdriver with the hammer. Work your way around the tile, always directing your force towards the center of the tile. Chip small pieces of tile away at a time. Take your time and be patient. If you feel your patience wearing thin, take a break.

When you have removed the tile completely, dry fit the replacement tile. The replacement tile should lay below the plane of the remaining tiles. This allows for the space the adhesive will take up. You may have to continue chipping out additional adhesive with the screwdriver and hammer, in order to bring the replacement tile below the plane of the existing floor. When you have enough material chipped out below the replacement tile, you are ready to set the new tile.

I use PL400 construction adhesive to set the repair tile. Apply the adhesive evenly to the back of the replacement tile. Press the tile into place. Run your hand across the replacement tile and the surrounding tiles to feel if the replacement tile is level with the surrounding tiles. Adjust the tile accordingly.

Protect the tile from being stepped on. Allow 24 hours to dry, and then Grout. The same technique can also be used to repair a damaged wall tile or countertop tile. Always remember to take your time!

I have been in the construction business for over 35 years. I can literally count on my fingers the number of clients and tradespeople that I have come in contact with who were dishonest. Most people are honest and have the best of intentions.

It has been my experience that the vast majority of problems that occur during a remodeling project of any size are due to miscommunication and unrealistic expectations. The main objective of the contract should be to clarify the project in as much detail as possible, to avoid misunderstandings. First and foremost, READ THE CONTRACT! It amazes me how many clients only look at the cost of the project, and disregard the text of the contract.

What is covered by the contract?
The contract should detail everything that the contractor or tradesperson is responsible for doing. The contract can never be too detailed. The more detailed the better.

How long will the project take to complete?
You may want to ask for a quick breakdown of how the project will progress day by day. Compare it to the time frame detailed in the contract. Do they match? If not, the time to find out why and make adjustments is before the work has started. Will the project run six days per week or Monday through Friday? What are the daily hours? Are there time allowances for bad weather or unexpected delays? It's not uncommon during a remodeling project for additional work to be added. Each time work is added, a, "Change Order," should be generated. The Change Order should detail the additional work, any additional costs or credits, and the time impact (if any) on the job.

What will the project cost?
Does the cost include labor and materials? Does it include permits and fees (if applicable)?

Payment Schedule
Generally, a deposit is paid upon the signing of the contract. Additional payments then come due during the course of the project. The larger the project, the greater the number of payments. When payments are due should not be open to interpretation. For example, "when the job is half done," can be subjective, while a payment due, "upon starting to paint," is not.

What is NOT covered by the contract?
What is not covered by the contract is as important as what is covered. This is where a lot of misunderstandings can be avoided. Assume that if an item is not specifically listed in the contract that it is NOT INCLUDED. Then get clarification, as to who is responsible for the cost of the item(s) in question.

Ask for an itemized list of items not covered by the contract and the estimated costs of those items. A detailed contract will make the remodeling project a more efficient, less stressful experience.

Any time that I am called in to level a floor that is going to be tiled, my method of choice is to pour self-leveling material. These products come in a powder form and are available in 25 and 50 pound bags. They are mixed with water and literally poured onto the floor. In their liquid state, they self-level. When using self-leveling material, preparation is everything; preparing the room to receive the pour and setting up your materials so that the pouring process goes smoothly and quickly. Once you mix the self-leveling material, you have less than 10 minutes to work with it.

Preparing the room.
The surface that you are going to pour onto must be free from dust, oil and loose debris. The floor must be solid. There should be no bounce when you step on it. You can pour over almost any material, including cement, tile and plywood. If I am pouring over any type of wood (including plywood), I prefer to install tile board set in thinset first (usually 1/4"). The self-leveling material will bond better.

If the floor has some bounce to it, I install 1/2" tile board, set into a bed of thinset. Think of self -leveling material as water. Any holes or gap in the floor or wall/floor line will "leak". All of these potential leak points must be filled or covered. Use caulking, silicone or masking tape to seal the room. If you have water supply lines penetrating the floor, either silicone the gap if it is small or cut the bottom of a paper or plastic cup and slide it over the pipe. Silicone it to the floor. Allow the silicone sufficient time to dry before you pour. After the pour dries, tear out or break the plastic cup.

For a toilet flange, I generally use a paper paint bucket or plastic food container. It is important that the container hug the perimeter of the toilet flange. If you can't find something that's a close fit to the toilet flange after the pour dries and the container is removed, fill the gap with thinset silicone. Dam the doorway to the room with a piece of wood covered with a PLASTIC tape. The plastic tape will allow for easy separation from the self-leveling material. Screw the wood to the floor. Do NOT pressure fit it.

Self-leveling materials are expensive and most manufacturers recommend pouring no more than an inch at a time. If the floor is out of level by more than an inch, I fill some of that space with additional tile board. It costs less than self-leveling material and allows me to complete the job with one pour.

Preparing to pour.
In order to successfully pour a floor, you need to have enough material to pour and you need to do it quickly. The coverage information is on the bag. After you have done your calculations to determine how much material you will need, add some additional bags. There is nothing worse than not having enough pour material.

Once there is self-leveling material covering the floor, there is no way to tell if there is a 1/16 of an inch of coverage or one inch of coverage. To solve this problem, find the high point of the room. Screw a drywall screw into the floor so that the top of the head is 1/8" to 1/4" above the floor. Run additional screws into the floor every 3 to 4 feet in each direction of the room. Adjust the height of the screws, using a level. This will give you a visual of how much material to pour in various spots in the room. When you pour, you will pour to the top of the screw heads.

Use 32-gallon garbage cans to mix the material (you can mix 100 to 150 pounds at a time). Pre-measure your water in 5 gallon USG buckets. Pour the water in the garbage can first. Then pour the self-leveling material into the water. Mix with an egg beater type mixing wand and an electric drill. You will need at least one person to help you. The garbage cans are heavy. Try to position them before you fill them, so you and your helper can lean them over and slide them away from your pour, as the can empties and becomes lighter and easier to move.

Let the pour harden over-night. Remove your cups and damns. Now you are ready to tile on a perfectly level floor.

How you protect your floors depends upon the type of work taking place. Light work, such as painting, requires relatively little protection, in contrast to demolition work, which requires a great deal of protection.

Protecting wood floors:
Wood floors are the most easily damaged. They can be dented, gouged or scratched. The most common damage that I've seen over the years is scratching. It is almost always caused by debris and dust making its way under whatever is covering the floor. To protect the floors properly, you will need: 1 1/2" white masking tape, 1 1/2" blue (low tack) masking tape, 2" duct tape, a scissors and red rosin paper or TYVEK house wrap. Use the blue tape when tape is going to contact the wood. It is easier to remove later on, and it is far less likely to mar your floor. Use the white tape when there is no contact with the wood. The white tape also costs half as much as the blue. I usually cover the floors with TYVEK house wrap. Although it is more costly to use, it is extremely durable and water-resistant. It is available in 3' wide and 9' wide rolls (for large areas).

The first step in protecting any floor is to sweep and vacuum the floor. You do not want any grit to get trapped between the floor and the floor covering you are about to cover it with. Next, take 1 1/2" low tack (blue), masking tape and apply it to the floor around the perimeter of the room. Roll out the TYVEK and cut it to length. The first length that you roll out should touch the blue tape on 3 sides (the long side and the 2 short sides).

Position the TYVEK so that it overlaps the blue tape 3/4" – 1". Apply the white masking tape so that the TYVEK is sandwiched between the blue tape you have already put down and the white tape. This will give you a dust tight seal. On the remaining long side that is on the exposed floor, apply a 4" - 6" strip of blue tape about every 5', in order to tack it to the floor.

Roll out your next length of TYVEK. Overlap the first length of TYVEK approximately 6". Close the long seam and the 2 short ends with white masking tape. Again, on the remaining long side that is touching the exposed floor, apply a 4" - 6 " strip of blue tape about every 5' in order to tack it to the floor. Repeat the process until the floor is covered. Your floor is now protected from dust, grit, and liquids.

If you are doing demolition work, cover the TYVEK with 1/4" Masonite.

Squeaking floors are usually the result of wood moving against wood:

• The sub floor rubbing against the floor joists.
• The finished floor rubbing against the floor joists.
• The finished floor boards rubbing against each other.

Squeaking floors can also be caused by:

• A board rubbing against one of the nails used to install the floor.
• Improper installation of the floor at the time of construction.

Finished floors in most older homes, (approximately 75 years and older) were installed directly on top of the floor joists. Floor joists are the large beams that support the floor. Today's floors are always put down on top of a sub-floor. The sub-floor is usually plywood or OSB board (Oriented strand board).

Since most squeaks are caused by wood rubbing, the goal is to eliminate the movement of the wood or lubricate the seams of the finished floor. To lubricate the seams of the finished floor, use graphite powder. DO NOT use liquid graphite. Some people use talcum powder. I would recommend graphite powder. This can only be done from above. If you have carpet and padding, you will have to lift both to gain access to the floor. Pour the graphite powder onto the seam. Use a rag to work the graphite powder into the seam. With the rag on the floor, stand on the rag and try to flex the boards so that the graphite works its way into the seam. Use a vacuum to lift the excess graphite powder.

If the problem is floor boards rubbing against the floor joists, then you need not remove the rug and padding, since you will be addressing the problem from below, where your ceiling is open. It is helpful to have someone walk on the floor above while you survey the floor from below. Where you find the floor flexing or moving against a floor joist, apply a bead of PL400 construction adhesive with a caulking gun. Work it into the gap or against the joist with a latex-gloved finger. Construction adhesive is very difficult to remove from everything including skin. Be neat. If the squeaking is caused by the finished floorboards rubbing against the sub-floor, then the only option is to drive trim head screws through the finished floor boards from above and fill the holes with wood filler. Trim head screws have very small heads. You will have to pre-drill the finished floorboards, so that you don't split them. I would recommend purchasing a counter sink bit and drilling a few practice holes in a piece of scrap wood. Be sure to set the screws approximately 3/4" from the seams, so that you don't split the tongue and/or groove of the finished floor.

I am not a big fan of screwing anything through a finished floor. I would rather live with the squeaks.

There are a great many types of book shelves, but they all have a common theme. A fastener, usually a screw, must be placed through some kind of hardware and fastened to the wall, or something in the wall, usually wood studs.

The first step in hanging bookshelves is to determine where you want to place them on the wall. I use 1 1/2" very low tack (green) masking tape to do my layout. All of my pencil marks are placed on the tape, so when I peel the tape, my marks disappear. I use low tack so that when I peel the tape, the wallpaper or paint stays on the wall. Press the tape very lightly onto the wall.

The next step is to locate the studs in the wall. It is relatively easy to locate studs in a sheet rock wall, more difficult in a plaster wall. To locate the stud, use a stud finder or tap on the wall with your knuckles, or drill holes in the wall with a 1/16" drill bit. If you are drilling holes, locate the holes, so that when the shelf is in place it covers them. Traditionally, studs are placed every 16" on center. Assuming that is the case, once you find one stud you should be able to locate the rest with a tape measure. Confirm the locations of the other studs by the same method you used to locate the first stud.

Ideally, you want the shelf to be positioned on the wall so that you catch at least 2 studs. You may want to relocate the shelf in order to catch at least 2 studs, once you determine the stud locations. The more weight the shelf has to hold, the more important it is to catch additional studs. If you have purchased a shelving kit or package, the hardware is usually included for hanging the shelves. If you are collecting your own parts, you will need to purchase screws to fasten the hardware to the wall. DO NOT USE DRYWALL SCREWS! Drywall screws have no shear strength.

Use Philips head, sheet metal screws, at least a #8. Use a #10 if the shelf is to hold a lot of weight. The screw length should be such that 1 1/2" of screw ends up in the stud. For example, if you are hanging the shelf on 1/2" drywall, use a 2" screw. If you are going through a plaster wall you will probably want a 2 1/2" screw. Whether you use a pan head or flat head screw will depend on the hardware you are attaching to the wall. If you have a choice, I would recommend a pan head screw.

After the first piece of mounting hardware is attached to the wall, use a level to place the next piece of hardware. Level from hardware piece to hardware piece. If you are attaching to a plaster wall, drill a pilot hole through the plaster. This will likely prevent the screw from, "wandering," and the wall from cracking. If you need additional fastening points that do not fall on the studs, you will need plastic anchors. With a sheet rock wall you can tap a hole for the anchor with a hammer and awl. When you remove the awl, twist it as you pull it out. Pulling it straight out may cause the drywall to mushroom. If you have to go through plaster, you will have to drill holes in the plaster. Locate the center point of the anchor location. Use a hammer and an awl to tap a small depression in the plaster. This will seat the drill bit and prevent the drill bit from "wandering".

There are a number of ways to locate studs in a wall, ranging from tapping on the walls with your knuckles to use of high tech stud finders. Depending on the type of wall construction, locating the studs can be relatively simple to more problematic.

Virtually all stud wall construction is from one of the following methods:

Wood lathe - Wood strips are nailed perpendicular to the studs, then covered with cement and plaster. This technique was used approximately 40 to 120 years ago.

Metal lathe - Metal mesh sheets are nailed and wired to the studs, then covered with plaster. Metal lathe was used in the United States until the late 1950's.

Wallboard - Also called drywall, sheet rock, gypsum board and plasterboard. Introduced in the late 1950's, wallboard is typically made of a layer of gypsum plaster, pressed between two thick sheets of paper, then kiln dried.

Rules of thumb:
Studs are typically spaced 16" OC (on center), meaning that the distance from the center of one stud to the next is 16". This measurement may vary at window and door openings and at the corner of the room. It can also vary if the carpenter who did the framing was having a bad day.

Switch and outlet boxes are usually attached to a stud. Assuming this is the case, you just have to determine which side of the box to find the stud. The thinner the wall, the easier it is to locate the studs. Wallboard is thinner and of a more consistent density than wood lathe or metal lathe constructed walls.

Method 1
The old tried and true method of locating studs is to tap on the wall as one moves horizontally across the wall. One will feel less give, along with a change in sound, as one taps over the stud. This method only works well on wallboard. If you are tone deaf, you may have trouble locating the studs.

Method 2
Use a hammer to tap a # 6 or #8 finishing nail into the wall to locate the studs. A finishing nail is a small diameter nail. It will make a very small diameter hole in the wall, which will need to be filled with joint compound or covered by whatever is being hung on the wall, a baseboard molding, chair rail or crown molding. This method works best on wallboard. You may have difficulty tapping a nail through plaster walls.

Method 3
Drill holes in the wall using a 1/6" or 1/8" diameter drill bit. The holes will have to be dealt with as in Method #2. This method works very well with plaster walls. One can observe the dust change from plaster dust to sawdust, assuming the drill bit locates a stud.

Method 4
Use an electronic stud finder. This handy dandy device measures the change in density of the wall as you slide it across. Stud finders range in cost from about $15 to $75. Again, a stud finder is more problematic to use on metal and wood lathe walls because the density of the wall is not as consistent as a wall board wall. With a little practice, you can get it right 90 plus percent of the time. Once you have located the first stud, use a tape measure to measure 16" in each direction. That may give you the location of the next two studs. There are no guarantees. Mark stud locations with low tack (green or blue) masking tape, if you don't want to make pencil marks on the wall.

Good Hunting!

There are a great many types of book shelves, but they all have a common theme. A fastener, usually a screw, must be placed through some kind of hardware and fastened to the wall, or something in the wall, usually wood studs.

The first step in hanging bookshelves is to determine where you want to place them on the wall. I use 1 1/2" very low tack (green) masking tape to do my layout. All of my pencil marks are placed on the tape, so when I peel the tape, my marks disappear. I use low tack so that when I peel the tape, the wallpaper or paint stays on the wall. Press the tape very lightly onto the wall.

The next step is to locate the studs in the wall. It is relatively easy to locate studs in a sheet rock wall, more difficult in a plaster wall. To locate the stud, use a stud finder or tap on the wall with your knuckles, or drill holes in the wall with a 1/16" drill bit. If you are drilling holes, locate the holes, so that when the shelf is in place it covers them. Traditionally, studs are placed every 16" on center. Assuming that is the case, once you find one stud you should be able to locate the rest with a tape measure. Confirm the locations of the other studs by the same method you used to locate the first stud.

Ideally, you want the shelf to be positioned on the wall so that you catch at least 2 studs. You may want to relocate the shelf in order to catch at least 2 studs, once you determine the stud locations. The more weight the shelf has to hold, the more important it is to catch additional studs. If you have purchased a shelving kit or package, the hardware is usually included for hanging the shelves. If you are collecting your own parts, you will need to purchase screws to fasten the hardware to the wall. DO NOT USE DRYWALL SCREWS! Drywall screws have no shear strength.

Use Philips head, sheet metal screws, at least a #8. Use a #10 if the shelf is to hold a lot of weight. The screw length should be such that 1 1/2" of screw ends up in the stud. For example, if you are hanging the shelf on 1/2" drywall, use a 2" screw. If you are going through a plaster wall you will probably want a 2 1/2" screw. Whether you use a pan head or flat head screw will depend on the hardware you are attaching to the wall. If you have a choice, I would recommend a pan head screw.

After the first piece of mounting hardware is attached to the wall, use a level to place the next piece of hardware. Level from hardware piece to hardware piece. If you are attaching to a plaster wall, drill a pilot hole through the plaster. This will likely prevent the screw from, "wandering," and the wall from cracking. If you need additional fastening points that do not fall on the studs, you will need plastic anchors. With a sheet rock wall you can tap a hole for the anchor with a hammer and awl. When you remove the awl, twist it as you pull it out. Pulling it straight out may cause the drywall to mushroom. If you have to go through plaster, you will have to drill holes in the plaster. Locate the center point of the anchor location. Use a hammer and an awl to tap a small depression in the plaster. This will seat the drill bit and prevent the drill bit from "wandering".

There are many factors to consider when approaching the renovation of a bathroom. Virtually all of my clients are overwhelmed by the prospect of renovating a bathroom. It is a very complicated task. It involves bringing together a great many design elements and making them work. I do NOT recommend that you renovate your bathroom yourself. The bathroom is the most difficult room in the house to remodel. You would be well served to hire a professional who specializes in bathroom remodeling.

The challenge is to bring a large number of different materials together, all with different coefficients of expansion (the rate at which they expand and contract), that are then subjected to enormous changes in temperature and humidity. Whether you choose to do it yourself or hire a professional, the same decisions have to be made. The approach that I have always taken is to break down or compartmentalize the project by its key elements, and then work through them one at a time.

The key elements of any size bathroom remodel are as follows:

• Fixtures: tub, toilet, sinks
• Plumbing: faucets, shower heads, shower valves, shower trims, body sprays.
• Lighting: general, mood and task.
• Tile: floor tile, wall tile, shower floor tile, ceiling tile.
• Finishes: paint, wood, stone, plastic laminates.
• Accessories: towel bars, robe hooks, toilet tissue holders.
• Storage: medicine cabinets, vanity cabinets, linen closets, open shelving.
• Ventilation: fans, windows or both.
• Glass: shower / tub doors, mirrors.
• Miscellaneous: anything that doesn't fit into the above categories, such as a framed picture on the wall.

Within each category there are virtually an endless number of choices. So where does one start? The first step in the renovation process is to establish a budget. The budget will determine many of your choices. The more limited the budget, the more limited your choices will be, and vice versa.

A less costly renovation does not necessarily reflect a lesser quality job, but often the purchase of less costly materials. For example, the use of tumbled stone to tile your walls, versus the use of ceramic or porcelain tile. Tumbled stone typically costs three to four times as much to purchase and 50 percent more to install. The use of tumbled stone does NOT make for a better job. It makes for a different and more costly project.

Renovation is almost always compromise. There is either not enough time, not enough space, not enough money, or some combination of the three. Every decision that one has to make is a personal taste or choice decision. It is NOT a right or wrong decision. Look at magazines, catalogs and visit showrooms for ideas. Focus on the design elements of the photographs, not necessarily the total picture. How is the tile laid out? You don't need to use the tile in the photograph.

Decide what design elements you want to build the room around: the tile, the stone counters, the bathtub. It's your choice.

Your husband is correct. The building code states that if your bathroom has an outside window, you do not need a ventilation fan. Conversely, no window, you must ventilate the bathroom to the exterior. However, I always recommend installing a ventilation fan.

A vent fan serves 2 functions.

1. To remove odors from the room.
2. To remove moisture from the room.

Although odors may offend your sensibilities, moisture will cause damage to your bathroom. Painted surfaces, mirror and metal are all subject to the deteriorating effects of moisture (water). This is a much bigger problem in the winter, when the window in your bathroom remains closed and the moisture from the shower condenses on the cold walls protecting you from the sub zero temperatures outside.

There are 4 components to a ventilation system:

1. The fan unit that draws the air and moisture.
2. The ducting that moves the moisture from the point of origin to the outside.
3. The vent cap that closes the exit point of the duct when the system is not running.
4. The electric switch(es) that turns the fan and/or lights on and off.

There are a great many manufacturers of ventilation fans. Most of them place the fan unit in the bathroom, behind the grill on the ceiling (the point of draw). Since the fan motor is right above your head, these units are noisy. The ventilation system that I always specify and use is Fantech (fantech. net). One of the features that sets this system apart from almost all others is that the fan unit is located AWAY from the point of draw. The fan unit can be placed in an attic, crawl space, on the roof or on an outside wall of the house. This makes them ultra quiet. I try not to vent through the roof, unless we're talking about new construction.

The closer you locate the point of draw to your moisture source (usually the shower), the more effective the ventilation system will be. I usually place the vent grill centered over the shower. Another Fantech feature that makes it my favorite system is that one can place a combination grill / light unit over the tub / shower. The grill is only 8" in diameter with a 50 watt, halogen bulb centered in the middle. The system is very low profile, provides great lighting, is ultra quiet and does a great job of drawing moisture and odors from the bathroom. A second vent can be placed in the bathroom and connected to the system via a "Y" connection.

Flexible, insulated ducting should be used to duct to the outside. A minimum of 8' of duct should be placed between the point of origin and the fan unit to minimize the sound of the fan unit .If a vent cap is needed, I recommend one by Nutone. It is all metal, with a wire mesh barrier so that creatures can not make their way into your ducting with a damper that is activated by the air pressure when you turn on the fan.

Last but not least, you need to be able to turn the system on and off. The light and the fan should be placed on separate switches. Standard light switches can be used. I would highly recommend replacing the standard light switch for the fan unit with a Decora brand, 60-minute, electronic timer. Before you step into the shower, you have the option of turning the fan on for one of 4 preset lengths of time, 15 / 30 / 45 or 60 minutes. With a Fantech unit, you will not have the noise to remind you to turn the fan off. Also, it can take up to 60 minutes to clear a bathroom of moisture. Many people have left the house before then.

Ventilation systems are much easier to install during construction of the bathroom. They are more challenging to retrofit. They are easier to retrofit if there is an attic or crawlspace above the bathroom. I do NOT recommend that the homeowner install a ventilation system. If you make the attempt to do-it-yourself, you will need a licensed electrician to do the wiring. The typical cost to install a fan tech system, including materials, electrician, carpenter and all labor, ranges from $700 to $1000, depending on conditions. If you would like to see what the vent / light grill look like in the ceiling, log onto my website at: brennerremodeling.com. Go to, "attention to detail".

* DI = Drop In, UM = Undermount, I = Integral

Countertops are available in a wide assortment of materials. There are a number of factors to consider when making a selection, including budget, function, aesthetics, texture, colors, durability and maintenance. ALL countertop materials can be stained, burned, scratched and chipped. A modest amount of care should be taken when working around any countertop. Place hot pots on trivets. Cut on cutting boards. Do NOT cut on your counter top, except maybe if it is butcher block. Knives can scratch any countertop material. If something is spilled on the counter, it should be wiped up immediately so that it does not have a chance to set. There are quite a few materials to consider for use as a countertop, including (but not limited to) plastic laminate, marble, granite, butcher block, soapstone, tile, solid surfacing, and concrete. The two principal considerations when selecting a countertop material are cost and aesthetics.

PLASTIC LAMINATE
Plastic laminate, also often referred to generically as, Formica, is the least costly countertop material. Plastic laminate is available in an extraordinary array of colors and patterns. There are literally over 10,000 colors, patterns and textures from which to select. It is available from numerous manufacturers, including Formica, Wisonart, Pionite and Nevamar. Plastic laminate is very durable, low maintenance, and should be combined with a drop-in sink. It is available in various edge profiles at an additional cost.

GRANITE
Considered to be one of the most luxurious countertop materials, it is also one of the most costly. It is available in a breathtaking array of colors and patterns. No two slabs are alike. Granite is usually brought to a high polish finish, but can also be honed. Because of the high polish, it requires moderate maintenance. The stone should be resealed every couple of years. The standard edge is eased (rounded a bit at the top), but an assortment of other edges can be cut into the granite. The edges can be chipped if slammed by something hard like a heavy pot, but it can also be repaired using epoxy fillers. Use a drop-in or preferably an undermount sink for a sleeker look and lower maintenance. A granite sink or farmhouse sink can also be matched with a granite countertop.

BUTCHER BLOCK
Butcher block countertops were the rage in the 60's and early 70's. Butcher block has a nice look when it is first installed. Butcher block is prone to staining, scratching and water damage over time, but can be sanded and oiled and brought back close to a "like new" condition. Butcher block tends to harbor bacteria. It can be sanitized with a paste made from salt and water. Use in combination with a drop-in sink. It's nice to have an additional piece of Butcher Block to cut on, that you can hide in a cabinet.

SOLID SURFACING
Solid surfacing materials (Corian, Avonite etc.) are the most stain resistant and impact resistant counter top materials available. Minor damage (scratches and chips) can be repaired by a qualified fabricator. Many solid surfacings are available in quite an array of colors and patterns. Solid Surfacing countertops can be combined with drop-in sinks, undermount sinks or integral sinks (a sink made of the same material, that can be bonded to the counter "seamlessly". Solid Surfacing countertops are in the same price range as Granite and Marble.

TILE
Tile counters look very pretty when they are new. They tend to wear poorly, and potentially have more problems than any other countertop material. Tile countertops tend to be uneven. Objects moved across the countertop tend to "hang" on the grout lines. The grout lines tend to collect dirt, and the tiles are easily chipped and cracked if something strikes the countertop. A wood strip/molding is almost always applied at the counter edge. Tile edges almost always fall off at some point. Tile countertops can be combined with drop-in sinks.

MARBLE
The characteristics of marble countertops are very similar to granite countertops. The principal difference between the two materials is that Marble tends to be softer and more prone to staining, relatively speaking.

SOAPSTONE
Soapstone is a very attractive material that is available in a variety of colors. It has a textured feel to it which many people like. Soapstone is a relatively soft material that is prone to staining. Soap stone will reach that aged, worn look relatively quickly. Soapstone needs to be oiled periodically. This can be done easily by the homeowner.

CONCRETE
Concrete is a relatively new countertop material. It can be tinted a variety of colors. Materials (glass, tile, stone, etc.) can be imbedded in it while it's wet for a decorative or eclectic look. It is usually sealed, which makes it very easy to keep clean. It's also very durable (IT'S CONCRETE!). If you want that industrial or commercial look, Concrete is perfect.