Coating and Caulking Tip – Choosing the right product
Friday, January 25th, 2013
While coating or caulking a building choosing a product that has a 10-20 year life span is important as labor is generally the most expensive part of the job. That $12 tube of caulking may give your sticker shock, but it is likely worth it in the end.
The Best Hand Tools on the Market
Thursday, January 24th, 2013
So you are thinking of doing some light fixing around your home and discovered you are missing some of your tools or they are completed outdated. Are tools just tools anymore? You get what you pay for, but what are the best hand tools on the market? Here are a few you may want to consider purchasing for your tool box:
- Nail Sets
- Screwdrivers (In a variety of sizes)
- Sliding Bevel
- Block Pane
- Level
- Utility Knife
- Chisels
- “6 Speed Square
- 25′ Retractable Tape Measure
- Claw Hammer (Finish Head)
Thanks to www.hand-tools.us for this updated list. With these 10 types of tools in your tool box, you are good to go, whether you are a professional or not.
What’s in your tool box?
Source: www.hand-tools.us
Image courtesy of Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Items to Recycle in the Home
Monday, January 7th, 2013
Is your home an Eco-Friendly environment? Some steps you can to help the environment is pretty simple. Recycling. What items are recyclable? Here is a list that may help you on your quest to living a “greener” lifestyle.
- Paper: Cereal boxes, computer paper, newspapers, egg cartons, cardboard, etc.
- Metal: Aluminum cans, tin cans, soup cans, etc.
- Glass: Pickle jars, jelly jars, liquor bottles, etc. Keep in mind light bulbs and mirrors cannot be recycled.
Recycling is an amazing concept. So many products can be made out of recycled products. Here are some ideas:
- Shoes
- Clothes
- Cars
- Appliances
- Bicycles
The list realistically could go on and on. Are you ready to recycle if you don’t already?
Ready, Set…Recycle!
Source: www.ehow.com
Image courtesy of Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Types of Garage Doors Suitable for your Living Space
Friday, December 28th, 2012
Well, 2013 is rapidly approaching and most likely you have started a list of resolutions before we tip our hats to 2012. Maybe this past year you have wanted to replace your garage door, but never really gotten around to it. Now it’s time and you can move forward with this task. Here’s why. Maybe you were intimated by the types of garage doors available and just not quite sure which one to choose. Here is a brief list of the types of garage doors. Maybe this list will help you in you decision to get a new quality garage door to accent the appeal of your home.
Types of Garage Doors
- Roller Garage Doors- Have a short or narrow driveway? Roller garage doors are the answer for your home. This is even helpful if you find your garage space is on the smaller side of things.
- Sectional Garage Doors-These types of doors “open upward toward the ceiling space of the garage.”
- Up and Over Garage Doors-These swing towards the driveway and then upward. These are suggested for homes with long driveaways.
- Swing Hung Garage Doors-These doors are in need of space in the front of the garage. Most definitely not recommended for those with short driveaways.
As you can see, it’s best to choose according to space and the length of your driveway. This helps in making your decision much easier.
Source: Homedit.com
Image: Wikimedia Commons-Oleg Alexandrov
How to Cut Down on Christmas Lighting Costs
Tuesday, December 18th, 2012
It’s that time of year where Christmas lights illuminate from homes throughout the country. Have you ever considered the costs of using Christmas lights? It can be very pricey. What are some ways in which you can cut down on Christmas lighting costs? Good question. Here is what I found.
Using LED (Light Emitting Diode) Christmas Lights cut down significantly on costs all the while being helpful more than harmful to the environment.
Here are some statistics I found thanks to www.gogreeninyourhome.com:
“200 LED lights use 12 watts of power. So we will use 500 lights as we did when calculating the incandescent Christmas lights. So 500 LED lights will use 30 watts of power. We will also use the same amount of time and days used in the incandescent calculation.”
“40 days x 9 hours = 360 hours of use 360 hours x 30 watts / 1,000 = 10.8 kWh 10.8 kWh x $0.10 per kWh = $1.08″ ~ Go Green In Your Home
These statistics are quite impressive as you can see, LED lights are indeed better and will certainly cut down on costs. This is also a great alternative if you are practicing an Eco-friendly lifestyle.
If you found that your lighting costs were high so far this year, consider making a switch next year to LED. Even though they may be more on the pricier side in some places, they are well worth it when you receive your bill in the mail.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Source: Go Green in Your Home
Image: Wikimedia Commons-d3b…*
Fixing Loose Bathroom Tiles
Monday, December 10th, 2012
Upon entering your bathroom, you may notice that not only does your bathroom need a little updating decor wise, but you are also sporting some loose bathroom tiles. While this can most certainly be an annoyance, it can be fixed and easily. Here are a few tips to get your bathroom tiles back on track.
- Use a grout saw to dig out any grout from the loose tile. Press the straight blade against the tile moving it back and forth. This way you can ensure you are getting out most of the grout.
- Tap chisel with hammer at the base until the tile pops out completely, do this with each tile that is loose.
- Clean out area where tile sat as well as the back of each tile. Residue from old mortar may be present.
- Apply a layer of mortar at about 1/8 inches thick. Press back onto surface where it was before. Repeat with all the other tiles if any.
- Let the mortar set overnight. You will want to re-grout the spaces between the tiles where it was originally removed. You may need to use a towel to force the grout into the tile lines. Use a damp cloth or sponge to remove any excess grout.
Hopefully these tips will be helpful to you as you fix loose bathroom tiles.
Source: eHow
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Top 5 Tiles for your Kitchen
Thursday, November 29th, 2012
Are you looking to update your kitchen floor, but not sure which type would be best for your kitchen? The popular choice for kitchens is tiles. To help you out, I have compiled a list of the best tiles out there.
- Granite
- Ceramic
- Travertine
- Saltillo
- Slate
Granite is easy to clean and very durable. It is a natural stone similar to marble. Ceramic is the most popular and most widely used on kitchen floors. Travertine is a limestone that varies in color. It absorbs water and other liquids and is also high maintenance. Saltillo is not a natural stone. This is for kitchens that offer style and not comfort. Slate is a natural stone for heavy traffic in the kitchen. It is a non-slip surface.
As you can see, the tiles work for whatever kitchen style you prefer.
Source: Kiss the Kitchen
Image: Wikimedia Commons:Parvathisri
Hurricane Sandy Relief
Monday, November 5th, 2012
As you all know, the east coast was just recently hammered by Hurricane Sandy. The damage and loss of lives is so very devastating. The recovery response has been overwhelming to all the victims who were impacted by this natural disaster.
If you would like to be of help as well, there are three ways:
- Donate Blood
- Cash and or Clothing Donations
- Volunteer
Volunteer opportunities are very widespread right now and could use you. If you would like to be a part of the disaster response and recovery team, just fill out the widget below and share.
For more information on Hurricane Sandy Recovery, visit usa.gov
Source: usa.gov
Image: Wikimedia Commons-Vicpeters
Prevent Wind Damage to Your Home
Monday, October 29th, 2012
With Hurricane Sandy slamming the east coat, I thought it fitting to do this post on wind damage prevention. In case the hurricane swirls in this direction. Here are some important steps you can take to prevent or reduce damage to your home before the storm even starts. Take notes, this is good stuff.
According to accuweather.com, “Hurricane winds can damage homes by entering weak areas of the house such as windows, doors, roofs, and garage doors.” This is a very important piece of information to understand before taking steps to prevent wind damage. Here are those tips:
- Use shutters or reinforced glass on your windows. Wood shutters can protect your windows from breaking. Make sure they are properly anchored so that they work properly. No Shutters? No worries. Plywood can be boarded over your windows for temporary protection.
- Make sure entry and garage doors have three hinges to withstand the wind otherwise solid wood or hollow steel should be strong enough to handle rough hurricane winds.
- If you have a gabled roof, these are at risk of major damage and collapse during a hurricane. Before any predicted storm, have a professional come out and inspect your roof and make any alterations and repairs necessary to protect your roof. If there is is not enough time to do a thorough roof repair, quick-setting asphalt cement will keep your shingles secure during the storm.
Sending thoughts out to the east coast during Hurricane Sandy. May everyone stay safe.
Source: accuweather.com
Image: Wikimedia Commons-NASA/JPL-Caltech
How to Effectively Touch up Painted Walls
Monday, October 22nd, 2012
So it’s been a few years since you painted your walls. Could it use a touch up? I found some excellent tips on how this can be achieved effectively without going overboard. Maybe you have scuffs or paint chips, etc., these tips will help you take care of the problem in a heart-beat.
Touch Up Tips
- You will want to prime and seal any spots on your wall that will need to be repaired. Use a latex primer if there is drywall involved.
- If possible, use the original paint from paint cans. It’s nearly impossible to find the exact color from the original job. Always store original paint if there is any leftover from the previous job.
- You should reduce the paint by about 10 to 15 percent using a reducer per your budget. Do not add it to the paint can. Shake or stir the paint first. Poor in a paint tray then poor in the reducer.
- Whatever painting tool you used for the previous job, be sure to use it again to get effective results.
- Try to paint in weather conditions like that of the previous paint job. This will cause the touch up paint to look like the old paint without ugly patches.
- Apply reduced paint to the center of the touch up area. This helps in touch up transition.
- Let the paint dry, then thoroughly examine the job. Try different lighting, etc., until you are sure the touch-ups were effective and are even and flat.
Source: eHow
Image: Wikimedia Commons:Ahybusybee
