Q. Does anyone know of any good home contractor in MD? How much would it cost to renovate basement of 500 square feet. I would like to renovate existing bath by replacing upright shower, install new sink, replace toilet and put dry wall and door to separate from the laundry room and also carpet the floors. Is $5000 or under reasonable?

A. If they are in your area, I used to work for a company in Parkville, MD, called Post and Beam Construction. They are a top quality, customer oriented company, that will work within your budget. Check out their web site. The owners names are Scott and Bill, and their phone is 410-515-6464. Good Luck

Q. Hi I am an 18 year old female. I am going to college an hour away from home and want to transfer to my same school but in a closer campus so I can live at home. Basically in order to do that, I want to fix up my basement (I gave my sister my room when I decided to dorm here) I was wondering if anyone knows general price ranges of fixing up a basement. Its a very small room (enough for one person though) with a kitchen and bathroom. I would need to remove mold, (its not a big mold problem but because of a flood we had in the basement its very damp) Also, re-do the carpet, repaint the walls. If I want the bathroom I think I think the shower needs to be re-tiled--but thats not a big deal I could always use the one upstairs. And I would also need to buy a bed and maybe a mini-fridge, everything else I have from when I dormed. I have about $600 in a check, and get paid about $140 every two weeks. I can save my money, but I would like to know if anyone has expierences with this, they can share their story. In order to get this done I want to show my parents that I am serious about it and did some research. Thank you for your help.

A. Ok like with most renovations the kitchen and bathroom are going to be the most expensive thing to do so if they are useable for now then maybe forget them and focus on the rest of the room. so first thing youll need to do is clean and prepare the site for your work so as you suggested getting rid of the mould is very important, its very important to find where the moisture is coming from and then fix that to prevent any further leakage, if you can or can not fix it an important thing is ventilation, just make sure fresh air is circulating through the room, even use normal house fans to keep things fresh. to save money on the carpet i would suggest getting an overall measurement of the room and look on ebay to find a roll that will fit the room, often people sell their used carpet when their renovating their house, you will also need carpet spikes which are nailed around the edge of the room and then the carpet grips to that lastly youll need under lay as well which goes on the concrete slab and then the carpet is rolled out on top of that, sadly youll need a carpet layer to do the final cut and install but by purchasing everything he needs youll save money. as for painting ill leave that to you as it doesnt take a genius to figure that one out, $600 isnt much to work with but with the right preparation and doing as much yourself youll save alot. the bathroom and kitchen are a little more difficult but if you have some spare cash to throw at them you can email me at cheerscraigo@yahoo.com and ill tell you about tiling and replacing the shower head and taps.

Q. Will be remodeling a bathroom in my home and have narrowed it down to these designs. Which style bathroom do you like best and why? (never mind the colors in the bathroom in photos) Thanks. http://www.dongardner.com/images/plans/interiors/746bath3.jpg http://www.dongardner.com/images/plans/interiors/964bath.jpg

A. Everyone is looking at the colours of the bathrooms and you asked not to, so I won't. I like the layout of the first one. I do not like the glass shower for either of them...to keep this clean will be a nightmare (just had to let you know this). I do not like the odd shape of the second one...I suppose the odd shape would be alright if the placement of the fixtures were different. I think most people are used to more of a square room and not a pentagon shaped one like in the second picture. I think both rooms are about the same size, so that doesn't make a difference. Both are similar in style, (same tub/fixtures/shower), so it is the layout of the room and room shape you have to choose from. I would have to see the adjacent room to say which looks better.

Q. I am remodeling the bath and took up the old 12x12 sheets of flooring. It now smells like dirt and mold and the floor is black. It is a slab home so it is concrete there. How do remove the smell?

A. Luckily it's concrete... Open the window or run the fan even place an extra fan if you have one or can borrow one. Vacuum the floor. Scrape up what you can wearing protective gear. Then Fill a spray bottle with bleach ****dress in disposable clothing and remove any towels or shower curtains or other objects that can get hurt by an over spray **** Spray the floor and let it dry..continue to spray the floor lightly over the next few hours until the mold disappears. Put a towel at the outside entrance to the bath so the bleach smell does not permeate the house. It may take 3 or more spray applications. Keep the window open and run the fan during this time. When the mold lightens you needs to scrub with a stiff utility broom then rinse the floor with a galley mop and HOT water. You can do this between applications to allow use of the bathroom. When the floor is to your approval you aren't finished...You will need to wash it with detergent and again rinse it clean. The floor must be thoroughly dry and clear of mold before putting a new floor down. I suggest doing this over a course of several days to allow use of the bathroom when you aren't treating it. Also to insure that the floor is 100% clean and dry before laying the new floor. There are 2 options if the floor is not responding. Muriatic acid - This may not even be available where you live. And sealer - Sealing the concrete before applying your new floor is highly recommended. Consider using Dricore as a sub floor before your new install. http://www.dricore.com/en/eIndex.aspx

Q. My parents are looking to replace their old tile & grout with something else. One contractor recommended replacing the old tile/grout with a 3-piece acrylic unit, and putting down an acrylic liner over the old tub & replacing the fixtures. Another contractor recommended putting up cement board, covering with new tile, and replacing the tub & fixtures. The second guy said he quit using the acrylic because it didn't work well (leaky, adhesive would come undone after a few years, etc.). Personally, I don't want to deal with cleaning the tile and grout, but if the acrylic is going to fall off the wall in 5 years, I don't want to go that route either. Anybody have any knowledge of which is the better system? - P.S. - We're not interested in getting fancy w/ the design; just plain boring white will be going up either way. Thanks!

A. "Best" is a matter of opinion. Some people would never consider anything but ceramic tile, others might opt for acrylic panels. Another option: Companies that make solid surfacing (e.g. Corian, Swanstone, etc) often make panels and molding designed for lining shower and tub surrounds. The panels I've seen are stiffer than typical acrylic panels. If you want to tile around a tub, here's how to do it: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,672069,00.html?xid=yahoo-answers&partner=yes

Q. Jet tub - shower - double sink - lighting and mirrors - tile floor

A. I am a retired remodeling contractor. My cheapest bathroom job was $3,000, and the most was $65,000 in South Central Pennsylvania.

Q. I'm remodeling the 1st fl bath & don't know if just a shower would limit resale value.

A. It is hard to predict what a possible buyer may or may not want in the future; opinions vary too much from person to person, and to family to family. All you can do is what you think suites the needs and wants of you and your family; and hope, if you ever do sell, that you find a buyer that has similar tastes and needs.

Q. I'm remodeling my bathroom and looking for the correct term/keywork so I can do on-line shopping. I've seen built-in (indent, push-in, lodge-in?) shelves for holding bottles/soap on the shower/bath wall. It usually comes in two shelves so I can put "into" the wall to save space. Does anyone know what it calls? Many thanks.

A. Also try "recessed"