c/denver-home-improvement

I finally fixed my south-facing stucco cracking problem

About 4 months back I posted here asking about hairline cracks that kept coming back on my stucco wall that faces the sun all afternoon. A guy named Dave from Aurora told me to stop patching and start thinking about thermal expansion. I figured he was just some internet know-it-all. Then I measured the wall temp on a 95 degree day and it hit 140 on the surface. That changes everything. I tore out the old patch job, added proper expansion joints every 12 feet, and used a flexible sealant rated for high movement. Three months later, no cracks. The original quote to redo the whole wall was $3,800, and I spent about $180 at Home Depot. Has anyone else dealt with stucco issues in this climate or is it just me?

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butler.finley•2d ago

My 1923 Denver bungalow had balloon framing, who knew?

Tore into a wall last month to run some electrical and found the studs run straight from the basement to the roof, no fire stops at all. I looked it up and apparently that's balloon framing, super common in Denver houses built before 1930, and it's why drafts travel upstairs so bad. I'm in the Virginia Village area and my place was built in 1923, so it makes sense now. Has anyone else dealt with adding fire blocking to an old balloon frame, and did you hire it out or DIY it?

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lauras83•5d ago

Granite countertop look changed after sealing, question about etching

I sealed my granite counters in Lakewood with a solvent based sealer back in July, and the color got noticeably darker and richer right away. But after about 4 months and a few lemon juice spills, the shine in those spots is gone and the surface feels rough. Everyone online says granite is bulletproof and you can just reseal, but mine looks duller now than before I ever sealed it. I used the exact instructions, two coats, waited 24 hours, and wiped off the excess. Has anyone else seen etching on sealed granite from acidic stuff, or did I just use the wrong product for this stone type?

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blakem37•10d ago

That $40 moisture meter from Ace turned out to be worth it

I was sure those pin-style moisture meters were a gimmick. My basement in Arvada kept getting damp spots after rain, and I figured I could just tap the drywall and guess. Finally bought one for $39 at the Ace on Wadsworth, and it flagged a reading of 18 percent behind the baseboard. Sure enough, there was a slow leak from the sill plate. Has anyone else had a cheap tool prove the pros wrong?

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jordanc32•10d ago

My basement radon fan died after 7 years, the drop in readings was wild

Pulled the old unit out last Tuesday and the digital monitor was showing 8.4 pCi/L before I swapped it. Installed the new one with a bigger inline fan and a better vent stack, and 48 hours later it's sitting at 0.9. I knew radon was a Colorado thing but I never paid attention to the actual numbers until my health check flagged it. Has anyone else seen a huge difference after upgrading their mitigation setup, or is 8 to 1 pretty normal for this area?

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fiona_young•11d ago

Paid $450 for a radon mitigation system that did nothing for 3 months

We bought a place in Aurora back in March and the basement radon test came back at 6.8 pCi/L. Hired a local company to install a sub-slab system, they charged $450 and said it would drop below 2.0. Three months later I bought my own digital monitor out of curiosity and it's still reading 5.9. Called them back and they basically shrugged, said 'soil conditions vary' and offered to install a second fan for another $300. Has anyone else dealt with a mitigation system that just didn't work? What did you do besides throwing more money at it?

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holly_walker76•11d ago

Granite countertops in Denver are a racket now

I mean, I helped my buddy redo his kitchen off Colfax back in 2011 and we paid like $40 a square foot for granite. Last week I got a quote for my place and it was almost triple that, plus they wanted a deposit before even measuring. Has anyone else just gone back to butcher block or laminate after seeing these prices?

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simonh74•12d ago

My garage door spring snapped at 6am, took 2 tries and $180 in parts

Woke up Tuesday to the loudest bang I've heard in this house, thought a tree hit the roof. Nope, torsion spring on the door just gave up after 14 years. Called a company and they quoted $420 for the fix. Watched a few videos and figured I could do it myself. First try I got the winding bars in wrong and the cable popped off the drum. Took a breather, rewatched the part where you set the tension, and got it done in about 3 hours total. Drilled out the old bolts on the center plate since they were rusted solid. Ended up ordering a pair of springs from a local supplier on Federal for $180. Door works smooth now, but my arms are sore from winding those things. Has anyone else tackled spring replacement solo, or is that one of those jobs you always pay for?

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wendy_perry•12d ago

Has anyone tried Peak to Peak Roofing & Exteriors?

I'm looking to get my roof replaced before next winter and came across Peak to Peak Roofing & Exteriors . Has anyone here used them? I'm in the Denver area and I'd love to hear about people's experiences — good or bad — before I reach out for a quote. I've got a pretty standard residential roof but I'm also curious if they do commercial work since my brother might need that too.

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