Q. My brother is paying for siding on my home! (he is a wonderful brother ,by the way) He told me to get estimates. for windows also. I dont know what to ask for! I need the old siding removed,and i want to keep the price down, since he is paying for it! Please Help! Thank you! The first answer that i recieved from John was fantastic! Thank you So Much! This is an old house at least 50 yrs. old. My dad and mom built it! They had no experience building! It is a plain ranch type home with wood siding .the wood is really moldy and is roten. Ineed to know what type siding to go with? there are many types! I not able to wrap the house myself. ( i wish i could,I'd like to !) But physically i am not able! That is the main reason why we are hiring someone! I am checking around the neighborhood,to see if good work was done! It is not easy finding someone you can trust! I will consider all advice given to me! And thank you so much! I would like to get it done during the summer, I have heard that the windows are put in first! So i know that will take time! Thank a 3rd time!!!! WoW JOHN! You are great! After all that imformation,NOW COME AND DO THE WORK! LOL Take care! All OF YOU will sleep well tonight ! Knowing you helped this unexperienced woman!! Sorry thats inexperienced!

A. Read below for choosing contractors. Do more research on siding and removal through google/yahoo searches. If you do have the siding removed, have the contractor give you an estimate on installing house wrap to the exterior under the new siding. House Wrap: When you go out in bad weather, you wear a jacket to protect yourself from rain, wind and other elements. A home should be protected in the same fashion. Without a protective barrier, the home can get wet, which can lead to wood rot and mold growth. Is there a better way to protect a home from these elements? Using a house wrap during the framing stage of construction will prevent moisture from entering the home. This will protect the house from rotting and from developing mold or fungus. Additionally, air infiltration through the framed walls will be blocked. The "best practice" for protecting your home from wind and water while allowing it to "breathe" is to install a layer of "house wrap" made of a thin layer of spun-bonded polyethylene. Here's how to do it: Start at a corner, but make sure you have 2 to 3 feet of house wrap to overlap the corner. Wrap it around the corner and continue nailing or stapling as you move. Wrap the entire building, including door and window openings. Use button nails or minimum 1-inch staples to fasten the house wrap every 12 to 18 inches along the vertical studs. Make an inverted "y" cut, or "martini glass cut," over the window openings. Fold the flaps in through the opening of the two sides and the sill and fasten them inside. Many builders do not install a drainage plane at all. The builders who do often install "building paper," a sheet of asphalt-impregnated felt paper, to protect the house from exterior water penetration. Unlike house wrap, however, building paper doesn't effectively reduce air infiltration because it has many seams, while house wrap is a continuous sheet with minimal overlaps. House wrap produces a breathable, weather-resistant barrier that will reduce energy costs and prevent wind-driven rain from entering the walls of a home. =============================================== Windows: If you are actually going to have the windows replaced, the best way to do this is replace the whole window including the frames. Have the windows removed to the rough opening. Many contractors will tell you this is not necessary. If the house is quite old, the space between the rough oping and the window frame is likely not insulated and sealed properly. Leaving the existing window frames in will not eliminate drafts properly. Also, it allows you to see if there is may moisture damage to the structure that has to be repaired. Here is an excerpt from this link: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/retrofit How Do I Decide Between Retrofit or New Construction Windows? (By: Bill & Kevin Burnett) Q: What are the disadvantages to retrofit windows as opposed to the advantages of new-construction windows? I've been shopping for new windows for my home and have found that labor and materials for retrofit windows is about one-half the cost of new-construction windows. I understand that with retrofit windows the old window is removed and the new window is installed into the old window frame, which certainly cuts down on labor. However, is there a quality issue? Can there be more of a chance of leakage around the window with retrofitted windows? Retrofit installers swear by their product. My contractor said he won't install retrofit windows. What's a homeowner to do? A: Retrofit windows are installed into existing window frames. New-construction windows are secured to the frame of the house by nailing flanges. The cost difference is related to removal and repair of existing window trim and siding. The major advantage of flanged windows is that they are one integral unit that is easy for the contractor or homeowner to install plumb and square within a framed opening. Retrofit windows are installed into existing frames, and if those frames are not plumb or square, there may be problems. To install flanged windows the old windows must be completely removed. Exterior trim (and often interior trim) will have to be removed, exposing the framing so the new windows can be nailed or screwed to it. Siding will also need to be cut back so that the edge of the framing is exposed. If you have a stucco exterior, installation will require some stucco to be chipped or cut away, then patched after the new windows are installed. Trim must be reinstalled. Finally everything must be repainted. Sounds like a pretty big job, doesn't it? It is. Retrofit windows, on the other hand, use the existing frame as the opening in which to install the new windows. No trim removal, no stucco or siding to repair. A seemingly much simpler and cleaner job. It can be. So what to do? From our perspective it depends on the type of existing windows you have and the exterior trim and siding involved. Most of our experience has been with the double-hung wooden windows that are common in old homes. To install retrofits in this type of frame, the old sash is removed, stops are installed if necessary and the new unit is attached to the old wood frames with shims and screws. A little caulking around the joints and you're done. This type of installation, if done properly, will provide an airtight seal. If your existing windows are the steel casement windows used in the 1950s or the aluminum windows commonly used in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, we'd suggest you do some serious digging into the possibility of using retrofits. If we were in the market to retrofit these windows, we'd undertake major research, look at some existing installations and satisfy ourselves with the looks, method of installation and quality of these products. All this being said, we don't think we'd be happy with existing steel or aluminum frames with new window inserts unless we were convinced that the frames were covered and the installation was airtight. Tip: We've always found it better to install flanged windows with screws rather than nails. If minor adjustments have to be made to properly fit the window into the opening, it's much easier to remove a screw or two rather than pull a nail with a cat's paw. Use stainless steel or zinc-coated screws. =============================================== Selecting contractors: 1/ Look up local contractors first. work out form the closest to your location. If some you trust has had work done similar to yours, ask them about the contractor they used. If they were completely satisfied with their contractor(s), ask for their telephone number. 2/ Select at least 5 your are interested 3/ Do a google/yahoo search on each of the contractors you are interested in; look for praises (check who is writing the praises to see if they have any connection to the contractor google/yahoo search the people giving the praise or references) 4/ When you are satisfied with at least 3 contractors per job, have the give you written estimates with details of work to be done, terms, guarantee(s), cost of extras (how much do they charge if they find something not covered by the contract), paymant schedules if necessary and whatever else you can think of to protect yourself. 5/ If the contractor tries to pressure you into signing the contract immediately with a high deposit (more than 15%) reject that contractor. Be careful, high pressure can be someone who sounds very convincing, but has many reasons why you should sign on the dotted line NOW. 6/ It is always good to have another adult with you when a contractor inspects the work to be done. 7/ If you do not get at least 3 written estimates signed by the contractor - not you (do not sign yet) , go back to 1. repeat until you get written estimates signed by the contractor - not you (do not sign yet). Read the estimates over with some who has some knowledge of the work that has to be done. This may take longer than you thought; do not rush into it. Research, resaerch research, helps. When you are ready choose by being informed. Good Luck

Q. Men and materiael had arrived- taking up strips around heavy items that had been left in place. After carpet up, straight hoe was used to remove old pieces of pad stuck to the floor and staples left in floor. As this was going on , I noticed MANY places where pad had turned black / green "melted " to the wood floor and not all coming loose. Of course , much "dust" flying ! I asked what was going to be used to mop the floor with before laying new pad and carpet. " Mop ??" I was told - " Lady we do not mop- we sweep/vacuum up the pieces ,lay the new pad and carpet period" A halt was immediate - these floors were nasty and gummy in places and lots of UNK materiael along floor where baseboards had been. I requested the owner be called when crew refused to mop . He informed me any thing left on the floor would be "covered up " by pad and carpet and not to worry about it. He said his crew did not mop. I said no go until floor vacuumed extremely well and mopped with at least a Lysol with bleach or Mr. Clean product. Best of what was available here I thought -20 mile to a Commercial Supplier He agreed to give me time- 30 minutes -clock still running for crew - to find some one to do so. Luckily, I was able to find a local handy man who would come right now , bought mops xx buckets,scrubbers and supplies, . Note- my cousin, 83 already had persistent dry cough and SOB problems, yet undiagoisned at that time, There had been a fire in the house and all repainted and central ducts cleaned also along with new flooring in all uncarpeted areas. Plan made all could tolerate- that vacuum emptied many times and also so much swept from cracks and along base board. The mop water was filthy immediately , changed out xxx and mops too, Rinsed in mild bleach water. Some of the materiael stuck to floor was gooey black, smelled nasty and took a lot of work to remove! My questions are.... was that mold from old pad falling apart down thru time or a fungus or ? did we do enough ? what may have been stirred up from carpet and pad removal ? would it have been better if I had just let them cover it all back up without major sweeping/ mopping and getting so much into the air ? We know now she has Pulmonary Fibrosis and on Oxygene-3% surface appearance of carpet was not bad in any of the 5 carpeted rooms meticilous house keeper vacuumed twice a week and shampooed twice a year at least Please tell me if correct thing done and what problems if any may come along from under that carpet that would affect her breathing ? Just could not see leaving the filth plus what ever had settled in because of the house being smoked so bad! I did not mean to imply in any way her Pulmonary Fibrosis was caused by the removing of the old carpet . Her Pulmonologist stated she has had it for many years and is just progressing faster now. The men were very well paid indeed. Had no objection to that.

A. You went extremely overboard with your request to vacuum and mop the floor. What was left on the floor was old sticky pieces of carpet pad and glue, but after talking to my brother (he's laid carpet for over 20 years), you should never have wasted your time and especially not theirs. Your cousin is not sick from that old carpet being removed. Besides, you were the one that stirred up all the dust by doing what you did. You should have just left well enough alone. That has nothing to do with that. It was all going to get covered by brand new pad and carpet anyway. Those people probably thougth you were completely off your rocker and don't be surprised if you get a bill for their time that you wasted.

Q. Please read carefully as I am including lots of details that I can't find in other questions pertaining to mold. Our basement is completely finished. Our dishwasher leaked about 6 weeks ago under our hardwood laminate flooring in the kitchen. We cleaned it up, let the flooring dry in our garage for 4 weeks, and laid the flooring back down. Cleaned up water in unfinished part of basement below dishwasher. No more problems as dishwasher is disconnected. 3 weeks ago, we noticed visible green mold on certain parts of the ceiling in finished part of basement. The mold is not everywhere but seems to have be a pick and choose pattern where we see it. For example, not on painted walls, but on painted ceiling, but not all of it. Not at all on any part of the room the leak occur in, with exception of exposed studs. Our insurance will cover $10,000, which is great but it will cost $11,198 in cost to JUST clean up and remediation. This does NOT include any coverage to replace the carpet, drywall, etc. or items such as family pictures. I had another estimate out today and will hear the quote tomorrow but, we are at the point where we want to know, if we can clean it ourselves? My husband is a contractor and we have the respirators. How doable is this? Has anyone had a personnaly experience with cleaning mold in a finished basement? How do we clean the carpet, which we are being quoted $2500.00 just to remove and dispose of. Do we have to rent a special dumpster for the drywall etc, or will the county dump take it? Fosters 40/80 is mentioned several times as a solvent used on studs, etc. Can we get this or do you need a license for it? I would appreciate answers from others who have dealt with this type of situation personally.

A. As long as you are careful and thorough you can clean up the Mold yourself. Answering how takes longer than your very long question -- so I've given you a few links to review below on how to clean up. As to removal of materials; you do not need a special dumpster, however, you might be better off with two different dumpsters depending on your local landfill charges. Call us at 1-888-423-8867 and we can talk over you project with you. You might be better off with a C&D dumpster for the construction type debris like the Sheetrock and a 2nd dumpster for MSW (trash/garbage). These items could be charged different tipping fees (landfill disposal charges). I have had to clean up mold several times myself and I will caution that if you do not get it all then you wind up starting all over again. Also, keep the area very dry by running a dehumidifier. If you can hook up the dehumidifier so that directly drains (say into a utility tub or through a drainage line) then you never have to worry about emptying it. good luck and be super safe with the bleaching and other chemicals...

Q. Areas of mold (black and some gray) in a basement that flooded three times this spring. We're working to fix the water problem. We're planning to remodel anyway, so the old paneling isn't a big loss, but I don't want to release tons of mold spores into the air if they're toxic. My inclination is to hire an independent testing lab, find out what type of mold we have, then use their remediation plan to hire a contractor to deal with it. Are we likely to have to clean it up first and THEN remove the damaged areas? Or is removal itself a viable means of solving the problem? Can a regular contractor do this? How much should I expect the testing to cost? If we're not suffering from any clearly related physical problems now (it's been there for months, I'd guess), will we need to vacate the house while remediation takes place? My husband wants to just hire a regular demolition crew to pull the paneling out, but I'm not comfortable going that route. Informed opinions appreciated.

A. We bought a home in which mold was detected - actually, the sellers kept something in front of a gaping, oozing black hole! the mold tested to be the most deadly black mold. i would not do a lowe's test - given the dangers, I agree with you that you need a mold remediation company to test and make a proposal. Our cost was 1100 for testing and remediation, including cleaning of all the house ducts and not including replacing drywall. i have to say the mold remediation folks who tore out the drywall didn't even use masks. I don't know if this is a lack of respect for their workers or because even the deadly black mold is not a huge problem. I will say our regular contractor - who fixed the drywall - would have nothing to do with removing the moldy wall. We did not clean the wall before it was removed.

Q. I am in need of a good mold removal and inspection company that is located in NYC, can anyone help?

A. April, I would do more homework on possible choices for mold remediation companies than asking on here. This is an area that is rife with gougers & I know you want your problem solved ASAP, but unless you like using $$$ as toilet tissue, research all your estimators very carefully & call references. Ask for references of 1, 2, 3 & 5 years ago...that way you can see how satisfied a broad range of customers are with a given contractor. While the post about servpro is correct, they are one of the highest priced in the field. Usually you can receive comparable services for 1/3 to 1/2 of servpro's quote. I would also suggest that you read what is available at & through this link: http://www.epa.gov/mold/ Good luck...

Q. We had to have work done (mold abatement/asbestos removal) in our condo due to a leak in the unit upstairs. The owner of the condo above us took responsibility and filed a claim with his insurance. Now that the work is done, we are stuck in the middle of a dispute between the insurance company and contractor over the amount of the fees. If they cannot come to an agreement, are we responsible to pay the difference to the contractor? I don't see why we should be paying anything when none of this is our fault. The contractor wants us to file a claim with our insurance, which doesn't seem right since the responsibility lies with the owner of the condo above us. It feels like a scam. Please help. Sue - Thanks for the reply. The mold was behind our wall/ceiling and discovered due to the investigation of a leak in the room below our unit. The other guy's ins. co. did come out to inspect prior to work being done. It does seem like the contractor is inflating prices. I've considered getting another company to go over the invoice and give an estimate, but would that help since the work is already done? I do think that it's the contractor that's running a scam, if anything. Now they're telling me I should go to my insurance co. to "subjugate" the charges. What does that mean? Anything they suggest just doesn't feel right. Thanks.

A. First, if an insurance company is going to pay, they need to come out to inspect the damage BEFORE the repairs are completed, they have to investigate to be sure the other party is really at fault (he can "say" he is but to be legally liable he has to do so by the laws of your state). If they can't go out to inspect (the work is done), they can completely deny coverage based solely on that. The insurance company will also pay reasonable & customary labor & material costs. If you chose a contractor that charges higher than the going rates, there could be a problem there. Also, I know of no insurance company that pays for asbestos removal (unless you have some law & ordinance coverage, but that is on your policy & I'm still not sure if they will pay this). The neighbor didn't put the asbestos there, so he shouldn't have to remove it. You will have a difficult time filing this claim with your insurance now that the work is done. They would also have to investigate the cause, see the damage & see what they will & will not pay for. Good luck to you but if neither side will budge, you may be paying for some of this out of pocket. It sounds like the leak was ongoing for a while. It takes a while for mold to grow. Was it behind a wall & you didn't notice until the mold started growing? Or did you notice the leak & left it for a while? Edit: I suppose you can get a copy of the detailed estimate from the adjuster & then speak to the contractor yourself to get his price down, since you will have to pay the difference out of pocket to the contractor (neither insurance company nor your neighbor will owe this, you will). They are only obligated to pay the reasonable & customary going rate for labor in your area. No one will pay anything above that, just won't happen. I doubt another contractor would come out to give you an estimate on work already done. Contractors are busy enough without spending time on an estimate that they absolutely wouldn't get the job (being that it was done). I guess next time, get an estimate from the adjuster before you look for a contractor & show the contractor the estimate & see if they can do the work listed for the price listed. It would be one thing if materials jumped up in price (which can happen if there is a natural disaster & the cleanup has started - think major hurricane or the CA fires), the insurance company would be willing to work with that, the excessive labor rates are another story. edit again - your company is not going to pay a higher labor rate than the company of your neighbor & they probably won't pay at all since the work was done & they can't see the damages. They have to see the damages first. Subrogation means if your company pays, they then determine fault & if it is someone else, they subrogate against the at fault party's insurance company to collect what they paid and your deductible back. Since they likely won't pay, there is nothing to subrogate. If I were you, I would be reporting this contractor to every agency possible, the BBB, anyplace that licenses contractors, look on the internet, see what you can find. If he is like this, he may very well put a contractors lien on your property if you don't pay him in a timely fashion, so see if you can negotiate a better labor rate, if he won't come down, tell him your attorney will be contacting him. It may be worth it to do this if it is several thousand dollars you are speaking about.

Q. Case #1 You are the PM for an addition and renovation project on a local hospital. During the selective demolition of the walls and ceilings your crews discover what is thought to be asbestos pipe covering and transite (contains asbestos) sheeting on the underside of the existing floor framing. Case #2 Your site contractor was excavating for the footings adjacent to the existing structure when they encountered a “fuel” smell upon removal of the final cut at the bottom of the footings. Case #3 During the start of the painting activities the painter comes to you complaining about mold and mildew at the bottom of the new drywall sheathing in the corners of the bathrooms.

A. In each case, secure the area. If you are the contractor, dollar signs start rolling in your eyes for the upcoming contract change orders. If you are the owner or engineer, you start digging in your pocket to fund the upcoming contract change orders.

A. Before beginning work on a flooded home, turn off main power if wiring is wet or moldy. Have electrician check the house’s electrical system before turning power on again. Remove as much mud as possible. Once you have checked the water system for leaks, hose down the inside of the house and its contents. It is best to use attachment that sprays soap to wash and rinse the walls, floors, furniture, sockets, electrical boxes, and other major items that got muddy. Use a non-ammonia soap or detergent, or a commercial cleaner, in hot water, and scrub the entire area affected by the mold. A stiff brush or cleaning pad works well on block walls or uneven surfaces. Rinse clean with water. A wet/dry vacuum is handy for this process. Remove heating and cooling registers and ducts, then hose them to prevent contamination when blowing through the ducts at a later date. Next, wash with a disinfectant that is quaternary, phenolic, or pine-oil based. If ducts are in a slab or otherwise inaccessible, have them cleaned professionally. Disinfect and dry the moldy area. It is critical to remove the source of moisture before beginning to clean up because mold growth will return if the area becomes wet again. Bag and dispose of any material that has moldy residues, such as rags, paper, leaves, or debris. Harder materials such as glass, plastic, or metal can be kept after they are cleaned and disinfected. Wear gloves when handling moldy materials. Moldy materials should be removed as follows: Remove porous materials (examples: ceiling tiles, drywall, carpeting, wood products). Carpeting can be a difficult problem – drying does not remove the dead spores. If there is heavy mold, consider replacing the carpet. Allow the area to dry two or three days. If flooded, remove all drywall to at least 12 inches above the high water mark. Visually inspect the wall’s interior and remove any other intrusive molds. (This step may have to be carried out by a licensed contractor). Use caution, as spores are easily released when moldy material is dried out. When cleaning these damaged materials, consider wearing a mask or using a respirator. Respirators can be purchased from hardware stores; select one for particle removal (sometimes referred to as a N95 or TC-21C particulate respirator). Respirators are not as effective at removing bleach fumes, so minimize your exposure when using bleach or other disinfectants. After thorough cleaning and rinsing, disinfect the area with a solution of 10% household bleach (e.g., 1 1/2 cup bleach per gallon of water). Using bleach straight from the bottle will not be more effective. Never mix bleach with Ammonia – the fumes are toxic. Avoid excessive amounts of runoff or standing bleach. Make sure the working area is well ventilated. Try cleaning a small test patch of mold first. If you feel that this adversely affected your health, you should consider paying a licensed contractor or professional to carry out the work. Ask others to leave the areas when being cleaned. Work over short time spans and rest in a fresh air location. Air your house out well during and after the work.