Need help, I know nothing...
#1
01-07-05, 09:42 AM
Need help, I know nothing...
Hey guys, new user here and a new home owner as of a couple months ago. We have a partial finished basement, but when we bought the house it did have some mold in the basement. I know nothing about this kind of stuff. Just as a backround we are a married couple, have never owned a house before and we are 22 years old.
But in the near future we need to tear down the wood paneling they put up on the walls. I looked behind and it looks like no insulation and is attach to very thin pieces of wood. So we figured we would clean the walls with the 10% bleach and water, and then tear it down. But what do we put up in it's sted? I seen people on this site usuing 2x4s or something and hung dry wall... not sure I am able to do stuff like that. All I have is basic tools like wrenches and stuff... as a new home owner want type of tools would I need to fix the basement? If it's better I can take a picture and post it here to give you an idea what I have...
I just don't know what to do lol... i am completely dumb when it comes to home improvement of any kind, and we basically have to learn on our own... and help would be great, thanks! and God bless!
But in the near future we need to tear down the wood paneling they put up on the walls. I looked behind and it looks like no insulation and is attach to very thin pieces of wood. So we figured we would clean the walls with the 10% bleach and water, and then tear it down. But what do we put up in it's sted? I seen people on this site usuing 2x4s or something and hung dry wall... not sure I am able to do stuff like that. All I have is basic tools like wrenches and stuff... as a new home owner want type of tools would I need to fix the basement? If it's better I can take a picture and post it here to give you an idea what I have...
I just don't know what to do lol... i am completely dumb when it comes to home improvement of any kind, and we basically have to learn on our own... and help would be great, thanks! and God bless!
#2
01-07-05, 10:03 AM
Member
AV1511, Welcome to the DIY Forums.
The thin pieces of wood are firring strips. They are used to have a surface to nail to. No one is an expert from day 1 and learning is half the fun of of home ownership. You WILL make mistakes. Thats how you learn. We are here to help you with problems or questions you may have. As you go, you will acquire new tools for whatever you need to do.
When you decide on how you want to finish off the basement, ask what you need to do. We have experts who will guide you through whatever it is you need. You will probably install drywall on the walls with insulation and vapor barrior. At the top of all the forums there are "stickies" that answer frequently asked questions. Read these and you may get an answer without asking. Still need help? ASK. Good luck with your projects and your new home.
The thin pieces of wood are firring strips. They are used to have a surface to nail to. No one is an expert from day 1 and learning is half the fun of of home ownership. You WILL make mistakes. Thats how you learn. We are here to help you with problems or questions you may have. As you go, you will acquire new tools for whatever you need to do.
When you decide on how you want to finish off the basement, ask what you need to do. We have experts who will guide you through whatever it is you need. You will probably install drywall on the walls with insulation and vapor barrior. At the top of all the forums there are "stickies" that answer frequently asked questions. Read these and you may get an answer without asking. Still need help? ASK. Good luck with your projects and your new home.
#3
01-08-05, 08:14 PM
Majak,
Thanks for the future help. When we figure out how we are going to do it, I am sure we will ask questions and will check out the FAQ. Is there a website I can go to, to get ideas on what we might want? I think I tried Homedepots website and stuff, but they don't show much ideas or are hard to find. I am guessing we will probably do the dry wall thing, not sure yet... Any way, enough of my blabbing lol... thanks again and God bless!
Thanks for the future help. When we figure out how we are going to do it, I am sure we will ask questions and will check out the FAQ. Is there a website I can go to, to get ideas on what we might want? I think I tried Homedepots website and stuff, but they don't show much ideas or are hard to find. I am guessing we will probably do the dry wall thing, not sure yet... Any way, enough of my blabbing lol... thanks again and God bless!
#4
01-13-05, 06:45 AM
Buy the tools!
AV1611 -
Welcome to the wonderful world of home ownership/home improvement. You will find that there is ALWAYS something to do around the house. And you can save a bundle and take pride in doing things yourself.
One mistake I made when I was starting out was to try to save money by not buying the right tool for the job. The rest of you guys know what I mean...a screwdriver looks an awful lot like a chisel or a paint scraper. And remember...when the only tool you have is a hammer, EVERYTHING looks like a nail.
I learned my lesson trying to replace a bathroom faucet without a faucet wrench. After about my third trip to the store, I spotted one for about 6 bucks, so I bought it. After that, the rest of the job was a snap. Ever since, I LOOK for a tool while I'm at the store buying supplies for a job. It's ALWAYS been worth it, even though most of the time it will sit there collecting dust. When you need it, you need, it, and you already have it. I think I've only replaced one other faucet since I bought that thing, but it was worth it in time savings. And the savings in bandages for scraped knuckles will pay for it! Not to mention the thanks from your wife for not cussing so much. And the kids don't laugh at you so much either!
Good luck with your project. Let us know how it goes.
Welcome to the wonderful world of home ownership/home improvement. You will find that there is ALWAYS something to do around the house. And you can save a bundle and take pride in doing things yourself.
One mistake I made when I was starting out was to try to save money by not buying the right tool for the job. The rest of you guys know what I mean...a screwdriver looks an awful lot like a chisel or a paint scraper. And remember...when the only tool you have is a hammer, EVERYTHING looks like a nail.
I learned my lesson trying to replace a bathroom faucet without a faucet wrench. After about my third trip to the store, I spotted one for about 6 bucks, so I bought it. After that, the rest of the job was a snap. Ever since, I LOOK for a tool while I'm at the store buying supplies for a job. It's ALWAYS been worth it, even though most of the time it will sit there collecting dust. When you need it, you need, it, and you already have it. I think I've only replaced one other faucet since I bought that thing, but it was worth it in time savings. And the savings in bandages for scraped knuckles will pay for it! Not to mention the thanks from your wife for not cussing so much. And the kids don't laugh at you so much either!
Good luck with your project. Let us know how it goes.
