Q:Our (rented) townhouse has a very bleak cement block basement. Right now the blocks are painted white and cream (and not in a pretty pattern) and the floor is painted dark gray. We want to use the basement as a fitness room and a crafting area for scrapbooking. The lighting is also terrible. What are some ways we can brighten up the space and make it more hospitable without doing any permanent construction (remember we are renting) or spending a lot of money?

get some cheap floresent light fixture at lowes or home depot get lots of them get some heat lamps and some potting mix and large pots and start your own basement marijuanna farm and rake in the dough then with the money by your dream home

Q:Iam building a dry stack wall and the home store said to use cement broad and wire mess .

I assume you mean cement board and wire mesh. I would use the mesh - it's cheap and it will improve the stability of the finished construction.

Q:How to open the cement board

We are the first to draw a good position with a hand drill drill holes in the use of curved saws [hand saws] slowly saw the round hole out, that slot machine can also be used;

Q:Cement fiber board now market price?

See what you want what manufacturers out of the specifications. I see the same brand, 20 and 15 of the difference between the price of it, 20 of the 41,15 of 27. But also to see where you are, the amount of size, with more words, naturally you can bargain ah!

Q:or can i leave the seams alone? if i have to tape them what tape do i need and what compound do i need? thanks for any help!

There's no need to tape the seams of cement board, as long as you get a good close fit it should be ok. You've made a wise choice using cement board, at least on the lower half of the shower enclosure area, greenboard, while being somewhat moisture resistant is not impervious to water damage. It should be used above the cement board and will do a good job there. The seams in it will need to be taped, at least above the top edge of the surround.

Q:Attic with a channel steel structure, covered with aluminum instead of wood multilayer? Is it feasible?

Do not need such a complex, directly in the steel structure on the shop 20-24MM thick fiber cement board, and then directly to the floor can be, the floor has a moisture barrier the best pad a layer of moisture, one moisture,

Q:The tile guy that I am using has never worked with stone, so I am worried. Can you please give me some insight on some things I should know about using stone (slate) for wall tile in a shower/bath.

You would use cement grout. If its in your house, i would consider then laquering it to make it nice and shiny and stop water sitting in cracks and creating mould.

Q:I have a small bathroom approximately 4'x8' and I laid down and screwed in cement backer board. However, in my attention to detail I neglected to put down thin-set mortar underneath prior to screwing and taping down the board. I tried to pull the cement board up but I cant get under the tape that I mortared down to get to the screws. Am I in trouble here or can I go ahead and skip that and continue to tile? Please help...

I have used a modified thinset to ..... set the cement boards and it didn't stop a crack from forming at a beam. SO I guess what I'm saying is. move on using a GOOD modified thin set mortar. you will be fine. But stuff happens. you are skipping the safety...... but I would live dangerously.

Q:What is a cement board?

There are many kinds of cement board, according to the grade is divided into ordinary cement board, fiber cement board, fiber cement pressure plate; according to the intensity is divided into non-pressure plate (ordinary board), fiber reinforced cement board, high density fiber cement pressure plate; Mainly divided into chrysotile asbestos fiber cement board and non-asbestos fiber cement board.

Q:If properly waterproofed/installed, will extreme temperatures still gradually warp cement backer boards and crack tile flooring? Thank you.

Ya don't need backer board for tile floors. A good coat of floor leveling mix (definitely not self-levelling whatever the name says) and a good mortar base with 1/4 trowel will work just fine. But durok is a cement product so it would only distort due to expansion and contraction which proper installation would minimize.