Aug 14 2010
We are looking at an 80 year plus old home that has what looks like a retaining wall at the front property line, however, it is really just local stones piled on top of each other. It looks like it is holding back the dirt like a retaining wall of block would. Is this safe? [...]
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Tags: 91001, 91016, 91104, 91105, altadena, arroyo, Ask the Architect Contractor Realtor, character home, Curt Schultz, Dickson Podley, dry stack wall, General Contractor, historic, historic wall, Pasadena, Realtor Architect, Realtors, retaining wall, sale home, scholtz, schulz, sell, shultz, Sierra Madre, south pasadena, vintage, wet stack wall
Jan 10 2010
I am looking at a home to buy which has a large addition that was built without permits. The Realtor said the addition was definitely built to code and should not be an issue for us should we buy the home. We asked if the seller is willing to obtain the permits as a condition [...]
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Tags: 91006, 91007, 91016, 91030, 91101, 91104, 91105, addition, altadena, Architect, arroyo, building code, building department, built, buy, city, condition of sale, Curt, Curt Schultz, Curt V. Schultz, Dickson Podley, home, homes, illegal addition, Kirk, Monrovia, non conforming, non permitted, Pasadena, permits, pony, president, real estate agent, Realtor, Realtors, schulz, shultz
Jan 08 2010
My Ceilings are a mess!
I have a home built in the late 40’s and the inside is plastered. I keep getting cracks in my ceilings, which I patch and a few weeks later they come back. My neighbor told me I should tape the cracks which I tested out in few places but I can [...]
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Tags: 91007, 91011, 91016, 91030, 91104, 91107, 91108, altadena, Arcadia, Ask the Architect Contractor Realtor, ceilings, character home, cracks, Curt, Curt Schultz, drywall, enamel, General Contractor, historic, home, Monrovia, paint, Pasadena, plaster, plastered, pony, president, Real estate, Realtor, Realtors, repair, scholtz, schulz, sell, shultz, vintage
Dec 30 2009
I saw an ad for carpeting that comes in 18”, 24” and 36” squares. They can create great patterns and I think I can install it myself and save some money. Is there a down side to carpet squares?
Thanks,
Eric S.
Response
Dear Eric S.
Carpet tiles today are intended mostly for commercial applications. They have minimal padding and [...]
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Tags: 91001, 91011, 91016, 91024, 91101, 91104, 91105, 91106, 91107, 91108, altadena, Architect, Ask the Architect Contractor Realtor, buy, cabinet doors, Cabinets, carpet, carpet tile, character home, Curt, Curt Schultz, Curt V. Schultz, Dickson Podley, flooring, General Contractor, historic, home, homes, Kirk, la canada, Monrovia, Pasadena, pony, president, Real estate, Realtor, Realtors, repair, sale home, scholtz, schulz, sell, shultz, Sierra Madre, south pasadena, squares, vintage
My wife and I are looking at buying a house in Pasadena or Monrovia. My husband insists on a home with a tile roof and that has made it harder to find a house. He says a tile roof is better and he doesn’t want roof problems.
Thanks, DF
Response
Dear DF,
There are several factors which would need [...]
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Tags: 91001, 91016, 91104, 91105, 91106, altadena, Architect, Ask the Architect Contractor Realtor, character home, comp, composition, compostion, Curt, Curt Schultz, Curt V. Schultz, Dickson Podley, General Contractor, historic, home, homes, house, Kirk, Monrovia, Pasadena, problems, Real estate, Realtor, Realtors, repair, roof, roofing, sale home, scholtz, schulz, sell, shultz, Sierra Madre, south pasadena, tile, tile roof, vintage
Jun 30 2009
My house must have 3 or 4 different wall textures, one looks like an orange and another is clearly the original plaster with the “popcorn ceiling”. Can you explain this, why the different textures?
Tony B, Pasadena
Response
Dear Tony B,
I am guessing your home is an older home with lath and plaster interior finish and has been [...]
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Tags: 91001, 91007, 91016, 91024, 91101, 91104, 91105, 91108, accoustic ceilings, altadena, Architect, Ask the Architect Contractor Realtor, baseball, buy, Cabinets, ceiings, ceiling, character home, Curt, Curt Schultz, General Contractor, historic, home, homes, Kirk, Monrovia, orange, Pasadena, plaster, pony, popcorn, president, Real estate, Realtor, Realtors, repair, sale home, scholtz, schulz, sell, shultz, south pasadena, textures, vintage
Jun 12 2009
How does the hole in the ceiling over the range work. I am looking at buying an old house and it seems a strange way to vent cooking smells and smoke.
AL
Response
Dear AL,
This was the typical manner of venting over a kitchen range in an average home before sometime in the early 1950’s. It is surprisingly [...]
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Tags: 91001, 91011, 91016, 91101, 91104, 91105, 91106, 91107, 91108, altadena, Arcadia, Architect, Ask the Architect Contractor Realtor, buy, cabinet doors, Cabinets, character home, Curt, Curt Schultz, Curt V. Schultz, Dickson Podley, Exhaust vent, General Contractor, historic, home, homes, Hood, Kirk, Kitchen, kitchen vent, la canada, Monrovia, Old House, Pasadena, Real estate, real estate agent, Realtor, Realtors, repair, sale home, scholtz, Schultz, schulz, sell, shultz, Sierra Madre, south pasadena, Vent fan, vintage
May 10 2009
I have an electrical outlet that has a green wire ran from it to a bracket attached to the washing machine water supply pipe. The house was built in 1920 and the electrical service panel appears to be no more than 5 years old. I have never seen a wire from an outlet to a [...]
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Tags: 91001, 91011, 91016, 91101, 91104, 91105, altadena, Arcadia, Architect, Ask the Architect Contractor Realtor, character home, Curt, Curt Schultz, Dickson Podley, electrical, General Contractor, historic, home, homes, Kirk, knob and tubing, la canada, Monrovia, old electrical wiring, old wiring, Pasadena, pony, president, Real estate, Realtor, Realtors, repair, sale home, schulz, sell, service panel, shultz, vintage, wiring
Apr 04 2009
Our shower is made of granite and the color of the stone is spotty and changed. Clearly, it is wet under the surface and I am afraid there may be standing underneath, especially under the seat if the granite is not sealed correctly. We have not used it for several weeks and it appears to [...]
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Tags: 91001, 91016, 91024, 91101, 91104, 91105, altadena, Arcadia, Architect, Ask the Architect Contractor Realtor, character home, Curt, Curt Schultz, General Contractor, historic, home, homes, Kirk, la canada, leaking, Monrovia, Pasadena, pony, president, Real estate, real estate agent, Realtor, Realtors, repair, sale home, scholtz, schulz, seal, sealing, sell, shower, shultz, vintage