Metal Siding Painting Advice

Painting metal and aluminum siding can become a nightmare if not done right. Over the years I have worked on and repaired many homes with metal siding. Metal siding is real common in mobile homes. Most older mobile homes use aluminum paneling for their exterior siding.

Most painted metal siding seems to last at least 20 years. The reason for this is the paint is baked on in a factory giving it a high quality and nice looking surface. This baked on method is used for painting aluminum and most metals siding that gives the product a long life.

I lived in a mobile home park for a few years and my next door neighbor's mobile home had never been painted and was over 45 years old. He would go out and washed the mobile home once a year with some TSP soap while using a brush on the end of an extension pole to clean the home.

His mobile home might not have looked brand new but it was definitely in great shape. Over the years he had developed a few scratches and some dirt that was hard to wash off but that was about the extent of the damage to the painted metal siding.

Well we painted our mobile home and used an expensive metal primer along with some expensive paint from Dunn Edwards & Co... This paint worked great. We lived there for around four years and never had any problems once the home was painted. Having been in the construction business I knew we had to use a good metal paint primer in order for the paint to stick to the baked on paint process for the metal siding to look good.

Here's my advice to you when painting metal siding.

1. Make sure the metal siding is clean. Use TSP soap along with a scrub brush and scrub that baby clean. The cleaner the metal surface the better the new paint primer will stick or adhere to the old paint.
2. Follow the instructions carefully on the paint primer can when applying the primer. Do not paint below or above the recommended paint temperatures.
3. Make sure you explain to the paint salesman at whatever store you're in that you are going to be painting metal siding. Get the right paint primer.
4. I would love to recommend a paint primer but cannot because I don't want to get a phone call from anyone a few years from now telling me the paint is peeling off of their home. Let that responsibility become the paint manufacturers.
5. Let the paint primer dry for the recommended time as per the directions on the paint primer can. I prefer letting the paint dry at least one week. The reason for this is some paint primer's stay soft for a while and if you paint over them immediately they doesn't seem to bond as good and sometimes will stay soft for a long period of time.
6. Apply your final coats of paint following the manufacturer's instructions on the paint can.

There you have it painting metal siding is all in the preparation of the surface you are painting.

Have fun painting and always read and follow the manufacturer's recommended instructions for the products you are using. These people test their products constantly and know the best way to apply them to any surface.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on different Types Of House Siding

Wood Repair
Flooring Books

How to Fix a Drippy Faucet - House Repair Tips

The primary cause of faucet leaks or drips is a bad rubber washer.Sometimes the bad washer is accompanied by a bad faucet seat as well.In single handle faucets the cause is the same, the solution is different.

The small rubber parts that seal the water in your faucet wear out.They get crushed between the faucet stem and the seat over and over again, and as they age, they get crushed harder and harder as you tighten the knob tighter and tighter to make it stop dripping.Name brand newer faucets have attempted to solve this problem by making ever more complex stem systems, but they are nonetheless dependent on rubber seals to stop the water.

This article will address the older style, two handle faucets, and touch on the newer two handle styles as well.Single handled or lever type faucets will be looked at in a future article.

Older two handled faucets use pretty much the same style of stems, all based on the Price Pfister design.There are variations, but the principle is the same.The knob is attached to the stem.When you turn the handle, the threaded stem moves up or down inside the faucet body.

At the end of the stem is a rubber washer.When turned all the way in, the rubber washer seals against a brass seat which has a nice edge on it to ensure a good seal.Over time the rubber gets brittle and breaks, gets crushed so hard against the seat that it cuts, or just gets so pitted that it won't seal any more.

To solve the leak you will need the following tools:

1. A screw driver to remove the handle after gently prying out the button which covers the screw.

2. An adjustable wrench to remove the stem.

3. A faucet seat tool, available at most hardware stores for around $12.00. Pick it up when you go to get the parts.

Turn off the water by closing the angle stops under the sink.By turning off one side at a time, you will be able to determine which one leaks, but I always just replace them both.

Once the water is off, open both hot and cold sides to bleed off any water still in the lines, then remove the knobs.I always put the screws in the knobs and set them away from the sink.

Next you will remove the stems using the adjustable wrench and turning counter clockwise.Be sure to save the nylon washers which seal the nut to the faucet body.

Once you have the stem out, you can look at the rubber washer on the end.Notice how it's all messed up?Next stick your pinky finger down into the hole the stem came out of.You will notice a rimmed seat the rubber closes against.The top edge of the seat should be smooth.If it is rough or has chips in it, you'll need to replace the seat too.

Inspect the end of the stem.If the brass is damaged, you will need to buy a new stem.If this is a newer model faucet, the rubber will be facing up and caged inside the stem assembly, and the stem closes against the rubber.In that case there is no seat.

In plastic faucets, there are a number of different stem designs, but once they start to drip, you basically need to replace the stem cartridge.

In all three cases, I recommend you take the old parts with you to the hardware store, in order to ensure you get the right parts.

When you get back, reassemble the faucet in the reverse order.If you need to replace the seats, they come out by inserting the tool through the hole in the middle and turning counter clockwise.For some reason they always seem to have been installed by Hercules.When you put the new ones in, make sure they are set tight.

After reassembly, remove the aerator from the end of the faucet arm.Then turn on the water and check to see that the drip is cured.Let the water run for a minute while you clean the aerator.Reinstall the aerator after it is clean.

Now you know how to fix a drippy faucet!You don't have to pay a plumber or handyman to do it for you.You have saved $80 or $100 or so, so you should be proud of yourself.Now you can splurge on a new pair of shoes or a new fishing pole.

Noah Moise is a thirty year veteran of the home building and repair trades, having served as both a technician and supervisor. He has brought his wide experience and training to the public through his website:
http://www.thefixitteacher.com.

Steps to Consider When Building Deck Stairs

Are the stairs for your patio deck suffering from wear and tear, and maybe even becoming dangerous, causing you to stumble and even fall? Maybe you are thinking about replacing your damaged patio deck stairs, but are put off by the cost of hiring a professional carpenter to do it. By doing the work yourself, you can save yourself a lot of money, and it isn't actually as hard as you might think.

All you need to do to build a set of stylish, sturdy stairs yourself is to acquire some basic carpentry skills. This will also mean that you can build stairs to your own design and therefore have them just as you want them, rather than having to follow someone else's ideas. All you have to have is the right plan, some tools and a little guidance.

For any job to be successful, planning is important, and making stairs for your patio deck is no exception to this rule. So have a careful look for the best design for your space, to suit your patio deck and which will be robust. Have a proper plan worked out in your mind, and make up a blueprint for the whole process. This will make the entire building job much easier to carry out. Below is a process you can follow to help you to create this plan.

1) Position:

The first thing to do is to decide exactly where you are going to place your stairs. Think carefully about this, because the location is important. You don't want the stairs to be placed where they are in the way of where people usually walk, so try to find a spot around your patio deck which is not normally used.

2) Step width:

When deciding how wide your steps should be, take into consideration the amount of traffic the stairs will need to carry. If your family is large, then make the steps wide enough for two people to walk side by side on them.

3) Number of steps:

This is a more complicated decision, because your steps need to be evenly spaced. Measure the overall height of the stairs, and work it out mathematically. For example, if the height is 48 inches, then you could have eight steps, with a six inch gap between them.

4) Space between steps:

This is another important decision, because it will impact on people's comfort when they walk up and down your stairs. Smaller spacing makes for smoother movement up or down, but it can make stumbling more of a hazard.

These are the main considerations which will help in planning and building your own useful, sturdy and stylish stairs for patio decks. You can improve still further on the appearance of your patio deck stairs by making additions such as attractive railings, or by painting them. Patiodecks.FAQ-guide.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Patio Decks.

Tract Houses Framing Problems

The house you live in was probably a mass produced home built as part of a housing track. The track home is a rapidly built house in phases. These phases if possible will over lap the other home building trades. If possible you will have the plumbers working on the same house as the electricians and the framers. This is called fast tracking.

Fast tracking a house is building a home as fast as humanly possible. So you can imagine the pressures put on all of the people involved in building a track home.
The pace is so fast sometimes that I have seen job superintendents and foremen look like they were actually going to blow up. I mean explode from the pressure they where under.

Framing the stairs on the job was the same experience for me most of the time. Sometimes I had three jobs going at once. Think about it. At the most, I could only go to each of the jobs twice each week. That involved working on Saturday of course. This made a lot of framing foremen extremely upset. They had full time crews on their jobs always working five days a week. If I missed one day of work. I was behind for the rest of the job.

Now it rarely happened but if I did miss a day of work I had to make it up some how. The only way to make it up was by working late or on Sunday. Well most of the time I worked six days a week from 7:00 in the mourning until 5:00 at night. So working late meant sunrise to sunset. Oh did I mention that I did have a family. This wasn't easy for them either.

One time I got so far behind on a job that I was putting stairs in while they were roofing the houses. Talk about one unhappy foreman. I think you get the idea about the pressure I was under to install these stairs on time. My experience building stairs on track built homes taught me to build homes extremely fast while being proficient.
I'm not interested in working like that anymore. My life is simple now and I want to keep it that way. The next time you see a construction worker working late on a Saturday show some compassion. Maybe by reading this article you will understand some of the pressure he is under.

Building tract homes is hard on you mentally and physically.

Happy Home building.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry. Stairway Safety

Missing Kitchen Outlet Covers

Repairing a Leaking Toilet - Home Repairs

Let me explain how a toilet works. First when you go to flush the toilet a little arm pulls a rubber flapper up and lets the water drain into the toilet bowl. The water draining into the toilet bowl forces the old water out along with the number two or number one waste and extremities.

If the toilet sounds like it is running there is a good chance that the seal between the rubber flapper and the plastic rain at the bottom of the toilet is broken somehow. The sound you are hearing is water running around this ring and in to the toilet bowl.

This leak is actually causing no damage to the toilet itself but is wasting water. Hence the water bill will be a little higher if you don't fix the leaking toilet. The best way to find out if this is actually your problem is to take the toilet tank lid off. Then stick your hand down into the toilet bowl and press gently on the rubber flap.

If the water stops leaking or starts running faster this is your problem. Turn the water off to the toilet. There will be a shut off valve on the wall under your toilet bowl in the bathroom. After you turn the water off removed the plastic flap and examine it.

You will be looking for a warped toilet flap or of some sort or grooves on the flapper itself. Take the toilet flapper down to your local home improvement store and buy a new one. Go home and replace the new toilet flapper and this should solve 90% of your leaking toilet problems.

There is one more thing it could be. With the toilet tank lid off, check to see if water is overflowing into the little round plastic pipe. This plastic pipe should have a small hose running from the float valve assembly into it.

If the water is over flowing from the toilet tank into this little plastic pipe you will need to adjust the float.

First thing you will need to do is while the toilet is running lift up on the float lever arm. If the water stops you can simply bend the metal arm of the float lever. The purpose of bending the arm will force the float deeper into the water there for stopping the water from rising over the small tube in the center of your toilet.

There are few parts to a toilet and most parts can be purchased at your local hardware or home improvement centers. Toilet repairs like this can be made simple and the parts used to replace are inexpensive.

Happy Toilet Repairing.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more House Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Some Great Plumbing Ideas

Notched Or Blocked Stringer

Lemon Juice As a Natural Cleaning Product

One of the most popular cleaning products is lemon juice. Lemon, aside from being a very healthy citrus fruit, also makes a very good household cleanser. This is because of the acidic content found in its juice.

There is myriad of ways of how to use lemon juice as a green cleaning product. It can be used as a stand-alone - which means that it can clean areas in the home just by itself, not combined or mixed with other products. Also, lemon juice makes a very good ingredient in natural cleaning solutions that you can make at the comfort and safety of your very own home.

There are so many reasons why you should opt for lemons as a part of your household cleaning regimen. The smell of lemons has already been closely associated as the scent of cleanliness. There are so many cleaning products that are sold commercially that mimic the smell of lemons for the buyers to enjoy. However, nothing still could match the natural smell of fresh lemons.

Lemons are naturally acidic. The natural acids that they have are one of the major reasons why they are considered good green cleaning products. The acid provides antiseptic and antibacterial properties to be used for cleaning.

So how do we clean with lemons? What are the household problems that we can solve using these natural cleaning products?

Copper

You can clean pots and pans made with copper using lemon juice. Copper-bottom pans can easily be transformed into spotless clean bottoms in no time with lemon juice. Other materials that are made of copper can also greatly benefit from a thorough and proper cleaning power of lemon juice extracts. All you have to do is cut the lemons in half. Dip the half in a little table salt and you can use that half to rub on the copper fixtures or copper pots.

Countertop Stains

Stains in countertops can easily be removed by letting lemon juice sit on the countertop stains for a few minutes. The minutes can range from 15-30, depending on the size of the stain and on how stubborn it is. After waiting, you can scrub the affected area with baking soda. The cleaning combination of baking soda and lemon can easily erase these stains, leaving your countertops looking brand new and spotless clean.

Drains

Lemons also make a great household deodorizer. You can freshen the drains in your home through lemons. Lemon rinds can be placed in the garbage disposal area in order to make that area smelling fresh and clean all day, every day. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice into hot water and use this solution to pour down the drain. These technique can help clean and leave your drain smelling fresh.

Bleaching

Lemon juice, with its acidic property, also acts as a powerful natural bleaching agent. You can place lemon juice in your white cloths, clothes and other fabrics and let them dry out in the sun. This technique is effective in removing stubborn stains away from your clothing and also has a very efficient and powerful bleaching effect.

Vinegar Smell Neutralization

Vinegar is another known natural cleaning product. But some people don't like using vinegar because of its awful smell. This is when lemon juice comes in. You can add a few drops of lemon juice into your vinegar solution to neutralize the strong smell of vinegar. Lemon juice will not just take away the vinegar odor, it can also add a nice citrus smell that you will surely love.

Lemon juice is a good green cleaning product. Discover other natural cleaning products that you can use right from your kitchen cupboards.

Lemon Juice As a Natural Cleaning Product

One of the most popular cleaning products is lemon juice. Lemon, aside from being a very healthy citrus fruit, also makes a very good household cleanser. This is because of the acidic content found in its juice.

There is myriad of ways of how to use lemon juice as a green cleaning product. It can be used as a stand-alone - which means that it can clean areas in the home just by itself, not combined or mixed with other products. Also, lemon juice makes a very good ingredient in natural cleaning solutions that you can make at the comfort and safety of your very own home.

There are so many reasons why you should opt for lemons as a part of your household cleaning regimen. The smell of lemons has already been closely associated as the scent of cleanliness. There are so many cleaning products that are sold commercially that mimic the smell of lemons for the buyers to enjoy. However, nothing still could match the natural smell of fresh lemons.

Lemons are naturally acidic. The natural acids that they have are one of the major reasons why they are considered good green cleaning products. The acid provides antiseptic and antibacterial properties to be used for cleaning.

So how do we clean with lemons? What are the household problems that we can solve using these natural cleaning products?

Copper

You can clean pots and pans made with copper using lemon juice. Copper-bottom pans can easily be transformed into spotless clean bottoms in no time with lemon juice. Other materials that are made of copper can also greatly benefit from a thorough and proper cleaning power of lemon juice extracts. All you have to do is cut the lemons in half. Dip the half in a little table salt and you can use that half to rub on the copper fixtures or copper pots.

Countertop Stains

Stains in countertops can easily be removed by letting lemon juice sit on the countertop stains for a few minutes. The minutes can range from 15-30, depending on the size of the stain and on how stubborn it is. After waiting, you can scrub the affected area with baking soda. The cleaning combination of baking soda and lemon can easily erase these stains, leaving your countertops looking brand new and spotless clean.

Drains

Lemons also make a great household deodorizer. You can freshen the drains in your home through lemons. Lemon rinds can be placed in the garbage disposal area in order to make that area smelling fresh and clean all day, every day. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice into hot water and use this solution to pour down the drain. These technique can help clean and leave your drain smelling fresh.

Bleaching

Lemon juice, with its acidic property, also acts as a powerful natural bleaching agent. You can place lemon juice in your white cloths, clothes and other fabrics and let them dry out in the sun. This technique is effective in removing stubborn stains away from your clothing and also has a very efficient and powerful bleaching effect.

Vinegar Smell Neutralization

Vinegar is another known natural cleaning product. But some people don't like using vinegar because of its awful smell. This is when lemon juice comes in. You can add a few drops of lemon juice into your vinegar solution to neutralize the strong smell of vinegar. Lemon juice will not just take away the vinegar odor, it can also add a nice citrus smell that you will surely love.

Lemon juice is a good green cleaning product. Discover other natural cleaning products that you can use right from your kitchen cupboards.

Easy Bathroom Remodeling Solutions

Here's a list of problems that contractors run into when designing, planning, and remodeling bathrooms. These bathroom remodeling solutions listed below, often create problems for homeowners as well as contractors. Some of these problems have created contract disputes and could have been solved if the contractor or a homeowner was informed properly.

1. Problems with Old Galvanized Water Pipes: This is one of the biggest problems with older homes. Metal rusts and water running through these metal pipes will speed this process up, considerably. The problem arises when the galvanized water supply pipes cannot be taken apart or unthreaded, to add new plumbing fixtures or pipes, during the bathroom remodel.

Solution to the Problem: Experience contractors should inform their clients, about problems like this and what they propose to do, if they run into a situation where the galvanized water pipes are badly damaged. There will usually be extra work, which leads to extra money and this could create a problem between the contractor and a homeowner.

2. Problems with cast-iron drainpipes: these pipes often rust or become separated at the joints, creating water leaks and even areas for tree roots to enter the drainage system. These tree roots of course will cause the drainpipes to clog and eventually will have to be cleared in order for the drainage system to work properly.

Solution to the problem: informed the home owner of problems with cast-iron plumbing. If the contractor explains to the homeowner, any problems that could arise and a solution, you will find the process of bathroom remodeling a little less stressful. This stress can be eliminated or the contractor and a homeowner with a little preparation.

If you're a remodeling contractor, it wouldn't be a bad idea to make out a list of potential problems for the homeowner. List as many of the problems as you can think of, that you have ran into in the past or have heard other contractors and homeowners talking about. These lists can be given to your clients when you sign the contract.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors

If you're really interested in learning more about remodeling, new home construction, home maintenance, home repairs and really want to get the nuts and bolts of home improvement. Visit our web site and select from the best-selling home building books on the Internet

Broken Stair Step

Stair Handrailing Or Guard Rail

Before the 1980s most stairways had a handrail and to this day, most stair handrails are not considered guard rails. Well things have changed and now most stairways require a guard rail and it gripable handrail.

What's the difference between a stair handrailing and a stair guard rail, quite frankly about 6 inches. Your stair guard rails have a minimum requirement of 42 inches where stair handrails built before the 1980s had a handrailing for protection with a minimum requirement of 36 inches.

This does not mean that older stair handrails that are 36 inches tall will need to be removed and replaced, because the new building codes have changed. If you were to rebuild the stair handrail or do any work on the stairway that required a building permit, they could have you change your stair handrailing to meet current building codes.

I was helping another guy frame a new house in 2005 and while I was on the job I would mention to the owner, certain concerns of mine with other parts of the job. After a while he realized, that I knew what I'll was talking about and started to pay attention when ever I mentioned anything related to home building.

He asked me if I would be interested in building the stair handrailing system and at the time I was too busy. I reminded him of the minimum requirements for the stair guard rail, it was no longer referred to as a stair handrail and would need to be at least 42 inches in height and include a gripable handrail.

Well as you guessed it, the next time I walked into the home, I noticed a 36 inch high stair handrail. I reminded him and he wasn't too concerned, because he hired someone that knew all about building stair handrails.

The building inspector made him remove and replace the stair handrail, before he would approve the home for final inspection. Don't make the same mistakes, learn a little more about stair handrail safety and don't become another statistic in the home building industry.

Always check with your local building department, whether you're reading articles like this or asking questions to experienced contractors. Everybody makes mistakes and sometimes their information is out of date, according to new home building practices or building codes.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors

If you're interested in building stairs, whether you're a professional or a do it yourself homeowner, you should make your stair building and other construction projects as simple as possible. Check out the latest stair building tools, some of these tools can make even the average homeowner look like a building professional

Escondido Remodeling

Mistakes in New Kitchen Design

Every designer and contractor experiences them, a kitchen that they wish would just go away. One small mistake snowballs into a full blown catastrophe, leaving everyone involved yelling at everyone else or maybe only speaking through lawyers. But most of the mistakes that cause such disasters are completely preventable. What follows in this two part article are some mistakes we've seen that you'd do well to avoid.

Cabinet Glazing

This is a process subject to varying results, and not everyone understands that. Basically what happens is this: cabinet manufacturers wipe an already stained door with a darker color paint, filling in all the cracks and crevices. Then they wipe this off, leaving the paint in the gaps and low spots. Sometimes, depending on how heavy the wiping hand was, there are traces of the paint left on the flat parts and each door or cabinet ends up being unique. Even though a set will consist of all the same colors, each cabinet will look a little different from the others. Some people don't understand this. Nowadays cabinet manufacturers make customers and designers sign a disclaimer stating that they understand things will look a little different than the door sample they saw.

Accurate Floor Plan Measurements

It is imperative that these are spot on. Many projects crash and burn because whoever took the measurements was just "pretty close." If measurements are underestimated, things may be ok; there are always filler strips. But if the designer thinks he's working with 6'-3" and there is really only 6'-1 1/2" available, there may be a problem. A workaround might be one smaller cabinet and a filler strip. Replacing a lazy susan corner cabinet farther up the line with a blind corner cabinet, and bumping it out the correct difference, is another idea. It all depends on how creative the designer is with the space kitchen area, and what sort of changes the homeowner can live with.

Remember the Ceiling

Utility cabinets are usually available in 84", 90", and 96". If someone has an 86" ceiling, they're all set, right? Not necessarily. How are they going to tip it into place? More than one screaming match has started over the best way to fit such a monster in a low ceilinged room. Is there another room with higher ceilings you can tip it up in? From there, it might be carried upright to the final resting place somehow, provided there are no low doorways on the way. Some manufacturers let you ship the toe space loose, effectively making it a 91 1/2" (in the case of a 96") cabinets. Once in place you can slip blocks underneath the cabinet up to attach the toe space and toe kick.

So far, I've shown you three problems that can lead to disasters in new kitchens and kitchen remodeling projects. While there are workarounds for each problem, it's best not having them in the first place. Stay tuned for Part II.

Craig Parker is a kitchen designer and performs Linux sysadmin duties at http://www.thecabinetfolks.com
The Cabinet Folks strive to provide quality kitchen and bath cabinets and stellar customer service at fair prices.

Property Inspections Are Important

Purchasing a home is quite possibly the biggest physical investment the average person will make in their lifetime. We pay mechanics to examine the insides of our cars, so why not pay an expert to examine the insides of our properties (certainly a far more valuable asset)? The cost is generally in the low hundreds, but could end up saving you thousands. A pre-purchase building inspection could also see the price tag lowered on your dream home.

A property inspection involves a qualified professional thoroughly examining the building for defects and structural problems. Such defects could include water damage as a result of shower leaks or any other leaks, termite damage, timber decay, moisture in sub-floor, poor brickwork, cracks in bricks and walls, roof and footing defects and any other structural problem that may exist. A property inspector can also check for illegal building practices.

All potential home buyers should arrange a building inspection before purchasing property. Of course there are already enough costs associated with buying a house, but it works out a lot cheaper in the long run if you discover a termite infestation or shonky brickwork before signing anything. Building inspections are also useful for settling disputes between neighbors about possible construction work damage, as well as buyer and seller disputes.

Quality property inspection companies will also offer additional services such as pest inspection. A pest inspection may reveal unwanted guests such as cockroaches, mice and wasps nesting in a hidden location. Or worse: termites. Termite damage has the ability to destroy houses before a problem is even realised. Unfortunately they are usually not visible to the naked eye. This is where additional pest inspections can really come in handy.

All good inspection companies will use moisture meters, listening devices, and most importantly, a thermal camera to seek out potential termite infestations. Basically, this camera will detect higher temperatures within the walls of your home, which indicates that termites may be nesting in these areas. Pest inspections will also reveal whether there has been past termite activity in the building.

Some things to check for before buying a house include moisture and mold on walls and ceilings, flaking paintwork, rotting timber and cracks in brickwork and walls. However; arranging a building inspection is the best way to get definitive answers and repair quotes. A good building inspection company will offer a detailed report citing the damage found and estimate repair costs. Images of the defects and expert advice are an added bonus. Make sure that the property inspectors you hire are licensed and have their own indemnity insurance.

This article was provided by Childs Property Inspections: Professional building inspectors who provide a wide range of property inspection reports for Australian homes including Dilapidation Reports Pre-purchase Building Inspections and Termite Inspections.

Tile

Remodel Instead of Selling Your Home - Home Tips

Why sell your home when you can remodel and create the home of your dreams

After living in your home for a long time, you may end up getting bored looking at the fixtures and decor of your home. The options you have for a change are to either sell the house and buy a new one, or a better option which is to remodel and create your dream home.

Buying a new home does not always prove to be a practical choice as you may have to shift the kids' school, spend more time commuting to your workplace, need more time getting accustomed to the stores and markets near you and of course, get your old home sold for the right price.

Keep your budget in mind

When remodeling your home, you will first have to keep your budget into consideration, if you have any additions or requirements to be added to your home and any particular style that you intend to implement in the house. The rooms that need most attention when remodeling are bathrooms and kitchens as these are the most used rooms, and have new accessories coming up that will make your rooms look much better than they were before.

Like if you lack a room for your kids or a guest room, consider adding this by perhaps adding an extra room to your home. You could consider transforming a basement to a game room or your garage into an apartment to give that extra space to your family.

If you like outdoor entertaining, you could consider adding a patio or deck to facilitate this. And if you are suddenly involved in becoming environmentally conscious, you could consider using environmentally friendly products in the remodeling of your home.

You get better rates by meeting neighborhood standards

Instead of just renovating and remodeling your home to your ideas and budget, with some research, you will be able to find out what changes will bring the best rate to your home in the future.

If you find out that your home is the only home that has only one bathroom, you could consider adding a bathroom to your home when remodeling. This is because if you can meet the neighborhood standard, you will be able to get a better rate for your home when selling it.

If you plan any additions to your home, make sure it is in proportion to the house. It should be an accent to the house, and not end up as a focal point. Your remodeling should always work to your benefit as it is not always that home buyers will like the house the way you have remodeled it.

Remodeling your home gets a better resale price

Remember that though you may be selling it in the future, you have to remodel it so that you are all comfortable in it till you sell it. It is not necessary to spend a fortune on remodeling; you can make quite an impact with a restricted budget.

Not only do you get a new home by remodeling your home, you also get extra years of pleasure, which may in turn increase the value of the home. This will fetch you a better price, if you intend to sell the house in the future.

James Tyler is the owner of Ace Builders, a residential remodeling company serving the Raleigh, North Carolina area. Tyler writes about issues relating to all types of remodeling and home improvement projects.

For more information, tips and advice visit http://www.acebuilders.net

Wood Stair Cleats Problems - Stairway Remodeling

I would imagine most people don't even know what it wood stair cleat is, in construction we have so many words that describe the same thing. A stair cleat is another word for a thread bracket. In other words it's the part of the stairway that connects the stair stringer to the stair step. These have been used for years and over time, most of them will develop the same problem.

Most wood stair cleats loosened up and create a safety hazard. If the stairs are located outside in extreme weather conditions, for example, if it rains or snows a lot, extremely humid humid weather, or extremely hot and dry temperatures, your staircase might not last that long, if it is or isn't maintained properly. It's not a bad idea to use steel or concrete for stairways in these climates.

If you're ever walking up a set of stairs with wood cleats and the stair steps feel a little loose or wiggly, make sure you examined the stair cleats for safety. It's not uncommon for someone to be walking up or down a set of wood stairs and having the stair step or tread giveaway because the wood cleats has loosened.

If the wood stair cleats are nailed to the stair stringer, the nails can loosen up, causing it to become loose, as you walk up and down the stairs applying pressure to the stair cleat, this will create movement in between the stair step and the stair stringer. This could cause the cleat to crack, break and separate the connection between the stair step in the stair stringer.

I would suggest using metal brackets instead of wood cleats. The metal brackets will not crack or disintegrate like some wood cleats. Stair building brackets of course can loosen up and should be maintained regularly.

If you decide to use wood stair cleats, I would suggest using screws instead of nails and drilling holes in the wood stair cleats, most of the time this will prevent cracking the cleat. Try to use a thicker material for the stair cleat, for example using a 2 x 4 with lag screws and washers would be better than using a 1 x 4 with nails.

If you're walking up a set of stairs and a stair step feels loose, contact the owner of the property and let them know, they have a problem with their staircase.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more stair building books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Stair Building

Solar Lights - An Easy Way to Outdoor Lighting

Solar lights are the safest and easiest kind of outdoor lights to install. Each fixture contains a scientifically designed solar collector panel that converts sunlight into electrical energy. The energy is stored in highly efficient rechargeable batteries which light the fixture at night.

There are some differences between solar lights and incandescent or fluorescent lights. Solar lights are equipped with LED's which stand for light emitting diodes. An LED is a semiconductor device that emits visible light when conducting current. Because of this, solar lights give off a different type of light than incandescent or fluorescent lights. You should not compare wattage in LED units versus incandescent and fluorescent lights. Wattage is a function of power consumption, not brightness. LEDs may not be as bright as a conventional incandescent or fluorescent light.

Solar lights are usually not as bright as other forms of outdoor landscape lighting. The benefit though is that they give off a softer, more subtle accent lighting that makes your outdoors look attractive in the dark.

An advantage of buying solar lights is that LED bulbs will never burn out during the lifetime of the product. Low voltage incandescent and fluorescent systems need bulb replacements often and add cost and inconvenience to the product.

The length of time that the lights stay on is dependent on the amount of sunlight received during the day. This will vary during the seasons and whether the part of the country gets inclement weather. With fully charged batteries, most solar lights stay lit for up to 10 or more hours.
One big advantage of solar lights is that they require no wiring and are very easy to install. Because they run on the sun's energy, they cost nothing to operate. They are environmentally friendly, and help us conserve our fast-depleting regular energy resources.

The only maintenance required for solar lights are occasional cleaning of the panel surface to keep it free of dust and dirt, regular battery checks, and replacing the batteries when required. The batteries are designed to withstand a minimum of 1000 deep discharges which is at least 1000 nights of light. They are readily available and easy to replace, rechargeable batteries.

The LED's in solar lights are not replaceable. However, their life expectancy typically exceeds 25 years, based on running 10 hours every night. With this durability, LED bulbs will never burn out during the lifetime of the product.

Jerome Sturgeleski started a website in May of 2005 when he decided to share his passion for enjoying his yard after hours. He thought that if his newly renovated landscaping project could be lighted after dark it would be enjoyable even in evening hours. He started small and is now offering many different types of solar lighting that would fit in in any number of applications.

Bathroom Contractor Safety - Remodeling Contractors

This article isn't about contractors using the bathrooms safely, it's about contractors working on someone's house, remodeling a bathroom. When working on any part of the home, a contractor and his workers should think and work safely on any project, but working in a bathroom with more than one person can become a contractors safety nightmare.

I was working in a kitchen one time, with 11 workers. I finally couldn't take it anymore and left the job. This did not make the general contractor very happy but it saved me from getting into a fight with one of the other workers. Whenever you're working in a confined area like a kitchen, bathroom, crawlspace or attic, safety is going to be a priority and should not be overlooked, because someone else wants to get the job done two days sooner.

Most accidents happen working in confined areas because of poor time management or someone else is in a hurry. Whenever you start to speed the destruction or assembling of any part in the house, you're increasing the risk of an accident. Most accidents happen from people in a hurry or poor planning.

As a bathroom remodeling contractor, you should plan properly and only use the minimum amount of people necessary to work in confined areas. If you are tiling the bath tub surround, one to two people is more than enough. If you're tearing the bathroom apart, during the demolition process, a maximum of three people should be used. During the demolition process, make sure your workers are thinking safely and clearly. Ripping a large piece of plaster off of the wall, that has wall anchors in it could grab a hold of something like an electrical wire or plumbing pipe. This of course could cause damage to the home, as well as a risk of electrocution.

Use your head when working in the bathroom and you will greatly reduce the possibility of any accidents. Accidents can easily be prevented my working cautiously on anything.

Bathroom Remodeling Contractor

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors

If you're really interested in learning more about remodeling, new home construction, home maintenance, home repairs and really want to get the nuts and bolts of home improvement. Visit our web site and select from the best-selling home building books on the Internet

Acoustic Ceiling Removal - Popcorn or Texture?

The decision to attempt acoustic ceiling removal is not something most people jump into without a bit of forethought. There are both pros and cons to consider before making a choice to either keep that popcorn ceiling or scrape it off and replace it with some type of wall texture. I have tried to cover the most important issues in this article to help you make the choice best for your situation.

The Pros of Acoustic Ceiling Removal

• The money: Acoustic removal usually increases the value and marketability of your home, sometimes dramatically. A textured ceiling is by most opinions far more appealing and buyers will pay for what they like.
• Removal reduces the nesting places for bugs such as dust mites and spiders. In my experience, it is more likely than not to see spider webs on close examination of an older acoustic ceiling.
• Because the rough acoustic ceiling texture tends to trap light and create a shadowing effect replacing with modern knockdown or similar texture can make the room appear much brighter and more open.
• The new ceiling can be painted the same color as the walls or a different color if you desire. You are not stuck with an "acoustic white" or one of the shades of yellow acoustic tends to turn over the years.
• Cleaning the dust and dirt that accumulates around ceiling vents and ceiling fans is next to impossible with out damaging and/or creating a mess of acoustic kernels on an acoustic ceiling.

The Cons of Acoustic Ceiling Removal

• The money: Removing a popcorn ceiling, repairing the drywall, applying texture, priming and finally painting can be very expensive if done by a contractor.

• Sometimes acoustic is applied because that gnarly texture hides damage. Hidden drywall damage usually means more time needed from the crew's drywall patch masters, along with additional material which of course equals more money out of your pocket.

• The removal process can be a lot of work if done yourself. There is a lot of information out there on the web to help guide you through the process. In fact, our site, BigRehab.com, has a systematic manual on the process. Removal is hard work that requires a certain level of skill, skill that only comes with experience. Before taking on the removal of an entire home, I highly suggest you get started by doing a small bedroom or office to size up what you are getting into. Many errors in coating the drywall or applying the texture will not be seen until the paint is applied and has dried.

• Some popcorn/acoustic ceilings contain asbestos. If your ceiling contains asbestos above the threshold level you must follow your state and local laws regarding removal and disposal of this hazardous waste product. This will include multiple air samples, protective clothing and respiration gear, specialized sealers, portable showers, heppa air filtration, etc. Can you see the dollars piling up yet? Asbestos removal is very expensive.

Popcorn or Texture

As you consider these issues and come to a decision do not overlook one of the most important factors: You. Is looking at those ugly ceilings something you want to do for the rest of the time you own your home? Ultimately optional home improvement projects such as removing your popcorn ceiling come down to what your desire is for the home you live in.

For further information on acoustic ceiling or popcorn ceiling removal, visit the author's website. It is a wealth of information and includes free do it yourself manual that outlines the acoustic removal process in easy to follow steps.

Humana Building of Louisville - One of the 10 Best Buildings of the 1980's

One of the memorable visits we made when in the US in 2006 was to an important landmark in the face of downtown Louisville, the Humana Building, a skyscraper located at 500 West Main Street. This towering 27-story structure is headquarters of the Humana Corporation now one of the leading companies in the US offering affordable and flexible health-care plans to millions.

This large, prosperous corporation in seeking to build a headquarter structure that would stand as an eloquent statement against the prevailing conventional, modernist corporate architecture, sponsored an architectural competition from which to determine the best design. Michael Graves the famous New Jersey architect, emerged as the selected architect from a competitive pool of some of the most famous architects.. Scale models of those designs are shown on display in a vestibule located directly above the Main Street entrance of the building

The Humana Building is the largest and most ambitious work so far of an architect whose career has taken off with astonishing speed. Amongst his works are: the Portland Building in Portland, Oregon., the San Juan Capistrano Library in southern California, the new museum for Emory University in Atlanta and the expansion for the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

The construction of the Humana Building which began in October 1982 was completed in May 1985. Occupying an area of 588,400 square feet it has been built to accommodate 1,650 persons at an approximate cost of 60 Million dollars. It is one of Graves' best known projects. For, in addition to receiving The American Institute of Architects National Honor Award in 1987 TIME Magazine listed it as one of the 10 best buildings of the 1980's. It is also widely recognized as one of the most distinctive skyscrapers in America, as well as a textbook example of Post-modernism. It is a richly colored composition made up of abstract, highly personal variations on classical forms, a kind of collage of modernist and classical elements, put together in a way that is like none of its influences but establishing its unique post-modernist identity.

Graves in designing the building wanted it to fit within the context of downtown Louisville, taking cues from the Ohio River, its bridges, and the 19th-century streetscape and skyline of Main Street. It is pleasantly amazing how neatly this building harmonizes with the streetscape and skyline of Louisville. " This is a tower built to sit on a city street, not behind an empty plaza, and it relates easily to its neighbors.".It is indeed a great accomplishment fitting it so well to the other structures which are mostly three- and four-story 19th-century commercial structures, many of cast iron, Louisville's real architectural treasure. "A full block of these old buildings sits along Main Street just west of Humana, and the base of the new tower joins them as neatly and gracefully as any tall building has ever met a group of smaller ones.The small old buildings and the large new one meet comfortably, the new one never in direct imitation of the old, but its shapes, colors and details set in careful accommodation. The mutually supportive relationship these buildings have stands in stunning contrast to the way in which the immense, mute tower of black glass that sits on Main Street on the other side of Humana relates to its neighbors. That cold box, utterly aloof from all that is around it, is an anti-urban legacy of Louisville's last architectural generation. Humana is a response to all that that building stands for, and it cannot but be a civilizing presence in Louisville." Materials used on it are expensive--pink granite for most of the surface, with several other polished granites. .

Each side of the building is designed slightly differently, up to a sloping pyramid style for the upper few floors. Like many post modern skyscrapers, it uses the classically-based tripartite division with a strong sense of a base.--the 8 story loggia extending in front of the office structure, a shaft, and a top.at the same level as the height of the nearby structures. This eight-story base of flat pink granite has an open arcade, of square, deep red granite columns occupying the first several floors. Above the base, but set back considerably from it, rises the main slab of the tower, sheathed in pink granite and punctuated by relatively small, square windows, with a shaft of solid glass running up the center. Rising further up, the square windows give way to a large expanse of glass for several floors. A huge metal truss, projecting out of the building supports a huge, curving loggia, a kind of flying balcony at the top of the building. This large, curved portion towards the top of the building is an open-air observation deck with. the outermost point of the circle providing space for a few people at a time surrounded by glass, to have a spectacular view of the Ohio River and down Main Street. Grave's inspiration for this curved balcony came from a Victorian engraving of a family admiring the Ohio River from an old water tower. Above the loggia, the top of the building slants inward as a kind of gabled crown.This ziggurat--or notched gable-is -topped by a curved roof. The main points of interest in the building include this loggia, the waterfall, the lobby, the Rotunda, the Mezzanine and the 25th floor.

The Loggia has a 50-foot waterfall as an architectural gesture to the Ohio River a reminder of the city of Louisville's origins at the fall of the Ohio more than 200 years ago. The open-air front portion of the loggia contains a large fountain. The loggia's columns are clad in pink and green granite and are decorated with gold-leaf colour.

The entrance is set in a curved wall with waterfall fountains on both sides. This curved six-section water dam or water fall is an architectural gesture to the nearby Ohio River .Giant columns surround the entry area.50 feet down the granite pilasters on opposite sides of the main entrance. Eight vertical fountains in front of the pillars complement the waterfall. The front of the building features an outdoor atrium with a skylight high above the main entrance

The lobby, built of granite of different colors from different parts of the world is like the loggia a public space designed to welcome visitors. First there are white and grey granite from Italy and black marble from France. These are beautifully detailed, richly colored and combined deftly enough to provide visual variety at no cost to overall coherence with a calm, and self-assured hand. The lobby is reached from Main Street through a 450 pound weight bronze entrance door which is itself another valued feature.

The Rotunda, a classical architectural structure, is another point of interest in the building. Also on the first floor, access to it is gained through the lobby or through the Fifth street entrance. The rotunda features the building's directory, an information desk and two striking and original Roman marble statues sculpted approximately 1,970 years ago. The one nearest to the information desk is titled "Roman Statue of the Goddess Fortuna." The second is called "Roman Statue of a Goddess" Marbles flank the vestibule at the Main Street entrance leading to the other point of interest in the building, the Mezzanine to the south of which you will discover a seated statue which is claimed to be an 1,800 year old marble from the Roman Empire.

The 25th floor features the sun room in the faade of the building. Each floor has its own glass-enclosed, curved-fronted sun-room facing south serving as an employees' lounge. The large pyramid-like shaped ending of the terrace represent the dam at the Fall of the Ohio. This could be easily accessed from the reception hall. The terrace on the faade is supported by a steel gridwork truss as an architectural symbol of the many metal truss bridges spanning the Ohio.just beside the building's site. The bruised steel sculpture in the reception hall is entitled "Constructed Head 2" and is said to have been done by a Russian-born artist Naum Gabo in 1918

The building also has much deft use of space. The superb public space at the base and the great, columned arcade are most exciting. Its square columns are articulated in gold-leaf fluting, and the space has a gentle curve to it to accommodate a waterfall and fountain on either side of the main entrance There are well measured sequences between all the spaces. The front door leads to a small vestibule, which in turn opens to a large, roughly square lobby; that leads on to a rotunda, and only after the rotunda come the elevator lobbies. But the sequence is clear, and the movement direct and simple. And the large, three-story-tall lobby, surrounded by a second-floor arcade of its own, provides welcome breathing space and freedom.

On the whole as Paul Goldberger appreciates it in The New York Times:

It is a compelling form - exerting a powerful visual attraction. Humana is a warm and inviting building. It is both serious and visually alive. It is neither a deadly bore nor frivolous. It is neither boring nor silly -it is at once a building of great dignity and a building of great energy and passion.

Not far from this building are other structures owned and occupied by Humana: the Waterside Building at 1st and Main, and the Riverview Square at 2nd and Main Streets. Humana which leases space in three downtown buildings-National City in the 400 block of Main Street, the 515 Building on Market Street, and the ISB Building on Magazine Street has plans to lease more space in the Waterfront Plaza East Tower in the 300 block of Main Street.

Humana recently undertook the historic preservation of a city block of several 19th Century buildings located besides this headquarter building. It is working with preservation experts to ensure that the historic integrity of the block is maintained. With more than 8,500 employees in downtown Louisville Humana justifiably so aggressively pursues its dream of not only altering the face of downtown Louisville but also to reattract habitation and provide accomodation for its growing staff nearby. It has remained committed to and involved in improving the quality of life in various cities, just as they're committed to improving the health of their plan members. Excited about bringing all of their Jacksonville employees together in a premier downtown location, giving them great potential for continued growth,Humana purchased the largely vacant Jacksonville Center in April 1998 for $32 million with plans to renovate and relocate its then-1,200 employees scattered throughout the city in seven buildings. The employees comprise one of Humana's four major regional service centers, handling claims processing and customer service functions for the company's southeastern-U.S. members, as well as the company's Jacksonville health plan administrative and sales staffs.So in effect the Humana building is just the hurb around which spins the multifarous interests and involvements of Humana in health care, insurance, art collection, performing arts, charity, the creation of a vast expanse of parks and the endowment of sterling efforts amongst Americans especially.

Sources:

A guided tour of the Humana building in June 2006

AN APPRAISAL;THE HUMANA BUILDING in LOUISVILLE: COMPELLING WORK by MICHAEL GRAVES By Paul Goldberger, Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES

www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/kentucky/louisville/humana/humana.html

Arthur Edgar E. Smith was born, grew up and was schooled in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He has taught English since 1977 at Prince of Wales School and, Milton Margai College of Education. He is now a Senior Lecturer at Fourah Bay College where he has been lecturing English, Literature, as well as Creative Writing for the past seven years.

Mr Smith is widely published with his writings appearing in local newspapers as well as in West Africa Magazine, Index on Censorship, Focus on Library and Information Work amongst others.

He was one of 17 international visitors who participated in a seminar on contemporary American Literature sponsored by the U.S.State Department in 2006. His growing thoughts and reflections on this trip which took him to various US sights and sounds could be read at lisnews.org.

His other publications include: Folktales from Freetown, Langston Hughes: Life and Works Celebrating Black Dignity, and 'The Struggle of the Book'

Plumbing Repairs - Money Saving Tips to Help During the Recession

Van Nuys plumbers face a serious challenge during the recession - how to help their clients prevent costly plumbing repairs during tough economic times. Instead of trying to increase the number of plumbing and sewer repairs they typically do, they are spending time educating consumers on how to prevent costly repairs. Here are some ways you can do the same thing for your home or commercial property.

Toilets cause plumbing problems on a regular basis, and a leaky toilet can waste enough water in a year to fill up a swimming pool. To conserve water, save money, and do your part, be sure to have some replacement parts on hand. The most common cause of a leaky toilet is a faulty flapper or tank ball. You need to have a supply connection, fill valve or cock assembly, flapper or tank ball, and a flush lever or handle in order to keep your toilets running in good order at all times.

Most of the homes in Van Nuys are at least forty years old, making it necessary to replace fixtures as they age. Plan to do this annually so that you won't be hit with a larger bill than you had budgeted for. Older homes require more maintenance in general, and your plumbing system is no exception to this rule. Put a few dollars aside each month in an interest bearing account to be better prepared.

Even in Van Nuys, where the weather is typically mild, plan on insulating pipes next to exterior walls in case you experience a colder than normal winter. This will also save you money on plumbing and sewer repairs.

And now I invite you to learn more about caring for your own plumbing system by visiting http://www.LosAngelesPlumbingandSewer.com to see how you can benefit from the expertise of Schuelke Plumbing, a family owned and operated full service plumbing and sewer repair company.

Gable Roof Framing With Flat 2 X

Bathtub Surround Installation DIY Guide

You can install a tub surround kit over your regular walls, whether they be tile or any other hard, solid material. Typically, you want to consider bathtub surround installation if the current walls of your bath area are dated or unattractive.

Generally, you'll need a small screwdriver, pencil, pocket knife, tape measure, level, and a jig saw. You'll also want to make sure that you have an installation kit, adhesive with the proper applicator, coarse sandpaper, and caulk.

When using a tub surround installation kit, each will have their own directions specific to that product kit. You want to make sure that your read the directions carefully and thoroughly.

You'll want to following the following general directions when installing your tub surround.

First, you'll want to remove the spout, faucet handles, and all accessories from around the bath tub, and set them aside.

You'll want to go ahead and repair the damaged areas on the current walls that surround the tub, and if you will be installing over ceramic tile, you'll want to use the coarse sandpaper to enhance the grip abilities of the adhesive.

Clean the area between the tub and the wall, and re-caulk if you need to.

Next, you'll want to mark the bathtub surround installation area, including the location of the faucet, spout, and whatever else will stick out of the wall; cut out the areas on the template and use them to mark the location on the tub surround panels and use the jig saw to cut out the holes.

You'll want to next hold the panels in place according to the manufacturers instructions and mark the location of the top and sides on the wall so that you can make sure that the panels will be level.

Next, apply the adhesive according the the manufacturer's directions, paying close attention to the time you should expose the glue before affixing the panels because if you don't allow enough time, the adhesive will not bond properly.

Once you attach the panels to the wall, according to the manufacturer's instructions, you'll want to let the tub adhesive dry properly before turning on the water. Go ahead and replace the faucet, spout, and other accessories at this time.

Lastly, you'll want to seal all the joints with caulk and letting that dry before turning on the water to the tub.

Bathtub surround installation is a pretty easy do it yourself project. Just make sure that you have help with the project, and if you get lost call a professional. Source: Bathtubinstallationinc dot com, Louis Zhang

Get a free guide on bathtub installation. Find out how to install bathtub surround, drain, shower head, faucet, plumbing at http://www.bathtubinstallationinc.com

Home Remodeling Pictures

How to Install a Swimming Pool Liner

Above ground pool owners know a lot about the time and expense associated with maintaining their backyard oasis, more commonly referred to as the swimming pool. In order to get the maximum life expectancy out of the pool liner itself, great care must be taken to maintain the chemical levels and prevent the build-up of debris and minerals in the pool. But what happens when the pool liner has outlived its usefulness and it is time to replace it before a leak or tear threatens your property?

There are several options available for the homeowner to address this situation. One could pay a professional to install a new liner, but that expense may be prohibitive considering the cost of the liner itself. You could hire the neighbor's kid to do the job, but then a poor installation could damage the liner and cost you more. If you were able to do it yourself and save the money and headaches, would you? The job is not as difficult as it may seem, and I can tell you how!

As always, the first step is preparing the pool for the new installation. This involves draining the water out of the pool, removing the old liner, and making arrangements for the purchase of a new liner. Draining the water will depend on the particular situation of the pool. It may require renting a submersible pump and discharging the water to the nearest storm drain. Be sure to check the local codes for this procedure. Removal of the old liner involves disassembly of the top cap of the pool wall which secures the liner in place. Once this is accomplished, discard the liner in an appropriate manner. Inspect the pool walls for damage or rust which may in turn damage the new liner. Make repairs as necessary to ensure a successful installation. When procuring a new liner, take note of the pool diameter (or length and width as the case may be) and the depth. These figures will determine the correct size of liner to request. Do not assume that the cheapest liner is the best value. The thickness of material ( mil thickness) will correlate to the expected life of the liner as well as the warranty provided. Liners may be available in 20 mil or more. Thicker liners will provide longer service, but will cost more initially. Be wary of a liner that is less than 20 mil, as they are less resistant to tears and chemical damage.

Once you have the pool prepared for the installation, unpack the new liner being careful to remove staples from the box or any other hazards that might damage the vinyl. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for liner positioning inside the pool itself. Be sure that the liner seams meet where the walls and floor (ground) intersect. Do not be too concerned about minor wrinkles in the liner as these will be smoothed out when the pool is filled.

Once the liner is positioned properly, it is time to prepare for filling. This is accomplished by evenly pulling the liner over the pool walls until just a small area in the center of the liner remains touching the ground. The liner will be draped over the side walls for now. Replace the top cap of the pool wall over the liner but do not fasten it in place. This will support the liner during the filling process. Begin adding water. At regular intervals (when the water level begins to pull on the liner) remove portions of the top cap and allow more of the liner to come in contact with the ground. Do this evenly around the entire circumference of the pool. This will remove any wrinkles in the liner and assure a smooth pool floor. Reposition the top cap for support. Repeat this process until the entire floor of the pool contains water. Check the seams again to be sure they meet at the walls, and make any necessary adjustments. Once the entire pool contains 6" of water, and the liner is satisfactorily positioned, the top cap of the pool wall may be fastened permanently to hold the liner in position. Continue filling the pool to the specified level.

As a side note, before starting the pump, it may need to be primed. Avoid running the pump without adequate water as damage could result.

Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. You now have your oasis restored and can begin to enjoy the benefits of your pool.

For more great tips on pol care Go HERE!

Ferrel Kenda is an Internet author and webmaster specializing in Internet marketing and promotion and has 10 years experience in swimming pool care and maintenance.

Porch Ceiling

Discount Wood Blinds - What You Should Know

All too often, people make the mistake of thinking that wood blinds are just too expensive to fit their budgets. The truth in most cases is just the opposite. Try searching for discount wood blinds and you will find wood blinds that are not only attractive, but will fit your budget as well. Here is a closer look at ways of finding discount wood blinds.

Before you begin your search for any type of wood blinds you need to do a little prep work. You will need to how many windows you wish to cover as well as get all your measurements written out. This will come in handy later.

Next, get a good idea about the different styles and brands of wood window blinds by doing a little window shopping at some of your local stores. Why is this important? Well, many times what you see online may not look the same in person.

Finally, have a budget in your mind so you know what you can spend.

Now, it's time to begin your search for discount wood window blinds.

As you were window shopping so to speak I am sure you also took the opportunity to check out the prices on various blinds. Perhaps the store even had a clearance sale going on. This is a great way to find big discounts on wood blinds. You will definitely want to keep an eye out for any sales.

You may also find a one of a kind closeout sale of sorts. This can be a great way to get a good deal, but be careful that the blinds aren't damaged or defective when you are in the store. Often times these bargains are offered at a no return policy.

Shopping at websites online is another great way to find discount wood blinds as well. Online stores such as Levolor, Hunter Douglas, and many others all have sales at various times of the year. Even beyond that, doing a search for discounted blinds will bring up many other options.

The important thing to keep in mind with buying wood blinds online is to be sure of their return policy. You never know if you might want to return them and you don't want to find out later that you are out of luck. Any reputable dealer will have a good return policy.

These are just a few ideas on how to find discount wood blinds. Like most anything you want, the key is to take your time and search things out. By doing so you will find exactly what you want at a great price!

By the way, you can learn more about Discount Wood Blinds as well as more information on everything to do with wood blinds by visiting http://www.WoodBlindsA-z.com

How to Fix a Leaking Shower Head - Secrets From the Pros

How would you describe a dripping shower head- galling, grating or excruciatingly painful? The constant drip has the remarkable alacrity to get on one's nerves pretty quickly. But what most homeowners are not familiar with is the fact that this mundane leak in the bathroom can cause a severe drain on your resources and finances.

And before you begin to flip the yellow pages to ferret out details of a plumber, let me tell you that one does not require the competence or the efficiency of a plumbing professional to fix a leaking shower head. A brand new washer from a hardware store near your house, a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench are your tools in this war against the leaking shower head.

Tackle The Leak On A War Footing

So you believe that instead of burying your head in the sand in true ostrich fashion, the need of the hour is to plunge headlong into this pretty intractable situation? Well, your consternation can be attenuated to a considerable degree if you understand the root cause of the problem.

The leak could occur either at the point where the pipe and the shower head meet, or a clogged shower head may be the villain of the piece.

No matter what the diagnosis is, here's what you should do to ensure that the situation does not assume rampaging dimensions:

• Remove the shower head, at times with some help from an adjustable wrench.
• Remove and check the condition of the rubber gasket inside the shower head. If this part leaves a black residue on your hands, it's hinting at replacement.
• Using the right size, push the new part into place. The ring must be placed flat inside the shower head assembly.
• A few wraps of Teflon tape around the pipe threads in the same directions as the threads is important.
• Thread the shower back into place until it's fairly tight.
• It's now time to check for results. In case there's no leak, Bravo, you have succeeded.
• But if the leak persists, you may have to unscrew the head, and screw it back.

What remains is to enjoy the silence of empty (read: drip less) solitudes.

Learn exactly how to generate 100's or even 1000's of positively *BRILLIANT* Bathroom Remodeling Ideas ... FAST ! And here are 25 Dirt Cheap Home Improvement Ideas that could increase the value of your home by several $1000's ...

What Does A Gfi Do

Stair Building Books

Where do we go to buy stair building books? Do we go to the major retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble? I have found over the years the information in most of these books I have purchased from these stores has a lot of fluff with very little common sense stair building application.

I bought one stair building book that had information on handrails. The front cover looked great and I thought this was going to be a great book reading the reviews from Amazon. When I finally got the book in the mail, I would say about one third of it was math tables for building elaborate wooden hand railing's. These tables were not easy to understand along with the rest of the book.

Back when I bought the book on building stair handrails it dawned on me that most of the construction workers I have met during my 30 years of working in the field were not very good outside of basic math. Now I knew a lot of carpenters that could read a measuring tape and use a framing square pretty good. But when it came to advanced geometrical construction projects like a stair hand railing system this was out of our league.

Reading this book or should I say parts of it gave me an idea to write a book of my own, starting with basic stair building I took all the fluff or the hard to understand advanced stair building applications out of my book, How to Build a Straight Set of Stairs.

I put a lot of time into creating an illustration for every possible part of building a simple set of stairs. I have probably built over 2000 sets of stairs during my lifetime and have explained and taught basic and advanced stair building to other carpenters. Understanding what parts of the stair construction process they understood, I was able to improve my skills as a stair building teacher.

Most people do not need advanced stair building skills to construct a simple straight set of stairs. If you are building a straight set of stairs and would like a stair building book with lots of easy to understand illustrations along with simplified directions you have found it.

We're building more stair building books to help contractors, carpenters, handymen and homeowners understand the stair building process.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Moisture Against Gravity - Destroying Walls

Well I'm going to start this article with a little information on a job I did once.

I had been repairing a rental house for one particular homeowner for about three years when all of a sudden I got a phone call from him telling me the rental house was destroyed and he had never seen nothing like this. He sounded so upset over the phone I told him I would meet with him immediately.

On my way to the house I was trying to get an idea in my head what the house was going to actually look like. Since I have been repairing rental properties for over 20 years at this point of my career, nothing really shocked me. I had pretty much seen everything that could possibly be done to rental property by the tenants that lived there. There is a lot to be said about taking care of it as if it were your own.

He was waiting for me at the front door and he looked thoroughly disgusted. As I approached him he was shaking his head and yelling at the same time can you believe these people, can you believe what they did to my house. I was expecting to see the front door ripped off and all the windows broken out of the house but this wasn't the case.

As he led me through the home and I could see the usual clothing on the floor, broken cabinets, a few holes in the walls and of course that awful smell of mold and mildew. All of this stuff was nothing new to me because I'm the guy they call to fix it when a renter moves out of the property.

As I entered one of the bedrooms I got my first glimpse of something I had never seen before but heard stories about and could not believe my eyes. Looking at the walls in the bedroom about 3 feet from the floor all the way around the room, the plaster was soft. It actually looks like someone shoved popcorn into the wall somehow.

The homeowner wasn't even looking at this because of the rest of the damage in the home. I started to explain to him I'd never seen nothing like this but I could guess it was water damage somehow since the plaster was soft. I could actually stick my finger into the wall, that's how soft the plaster was.

My first thought was to examine the carpeting a little closer to see if it was wet. Well it was damp but it wasn't as wet as I would've expected it to be with the amount of water in the walls. With a little more home inspecting I had found the culprit, it was a broken water bed. The water bed was now in the backyard looking innocent.

I couldn't believe a broken water bed could do this much damage so I looked around for broken or leaking water pipes and could not find any. The other bad news I had to inform the homeowner was that the water had damage the bathroom and closet walls also. These walls of course were on the other side of the bathroom walls that were damaged.

Well the point of this story is that water will actually wick its way up or worked its way up into a wall. I had to remove 4 feet of drywall all the way around the room. The plaster or drywall actually acts like a sponge pulling the water into the walls. Hard to imagine that gravity in this case seems to reverse. I would've never thought that water would've traveled so far up the walls creating that much damage.

To repair the rental property I had to remove the damaged drywall, remove the carpeting, dry the wood framing out and put the whole thing back together.

I'm still amazed and will remember that project for as long as I live.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on House Water Damage

Wall Intersection With 4 X 6

New Versus Old Lumber - Structural Failure

During my 30 years of remodeling and building new homes. I have ran across quite a bit of structural framing failures. I find myself answering this question a lot when explaining to a homeowner about the structural failure I am repairing on their home, "Why Didn't They Use Better Lumber" or " Why Didn't They Use Larger Lumber." I really have a hard time answering these questions because I honestly don't know the answer.

However I can try to use some logic and reason to give these people an answer that seems to make sense to both of us. Why didn't they use better lumber, quite simply because, with most older homes that were built before the 1970s they actually do have better lumber. Now you're probably thinking how can these homes have better lumber when the lumber is old versus the new lumber used in a brand new house.

Most of the structural repairs I have made over the years has nothing to do with the lumber and whether it was new or old. A large number of these repairs were caused by neglect and poor maintenance.

The lumber in most older houses are from older growth trees. Some of these trees were extremely large and only the premium parts of the trees were used. The premium lumber is cut farthest away from the center of the tree. Now the larger the tree it makes sense that there will be more premium lumber.

A large majority of the newer lumber used in home construction comes from trees about 6 inches in diameter. Now you're probably wondering how can they cut a 2 x 8 piece of lumber out of a 6 inch tree. Of course they cannot, the larger lumber comes from larger trees.

Most 2 x 4's that are less than 8 foot long can be cut from these trees. This scrap or waste that comes from cutting these two by fours will now go into engineered building materials like particleboard, oriented strand board and engineered beams. Another name for an engineered been would be a paralam.

I hope you're starting to get the picture now when it comes to using new or old lumber. There are companies that are going into old logging rivers and retrieving old growth lumber. These were logs that sank to the bottom of the river's and were never retrieved because it was too costly.

The old growth lumber is quite expensive. Who's to say what problems we will happen in the future from the newer products created with modern day technology. When it comes to building houses it is not an exact science and as contractors we have been repairing the damage from poor engineering for years.

When I use the word poor engineering I am not pointing fingers at engineers. We now have more knowledge about home construction then we had years ago.

New versus old lumber, who wins the battle. Only time will tell.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Structural Repairs.

Wood Scaffolding

Tips For Dealing With a Manufactured Home Builder

If you are considering buying a prefabricated or manufactured home then you will be dealing with a manufactured home builder. They are much easier to deal with then your average building contractor is, but all the same you will want to get the best deal that you can get.

A Lot of Design and Decorating Choices to Make

One quandary that you will face is the astounding number of choices and options that you will encounter prior to your home being built. It's just not like it used to be, because todays manufactured home builders are all out to offer more then the next guy in design and decorating options.

Take Your Time and Study Your Options

The secret to making the right decisions is to first get yourself acquainted with the information. Also, do your absolute best to avoid any snap decisions that you may regret later.

Choices in Fireplaces

For instance, you will be offered any number of choices in custom fireplaces and mantels. If you have never owned a home with a fireplace then you must take into consideration whether you want a gas or wood fireplace, so give it some thought beforehand.

Take a Virtual Three Dimensional Tour

Another new marketing trend for todays manufactured home builder is three dimensional computer software that allows a prospective client to actually take a virtual tour of their home before it is even built. It's a great tool for helping a buyer to make the right choices when selecting out their options.

Study Up and Ask Questions

So study the process well and don't be afraid to ask some questions. Can they install speakers in each room of the home your are considering buying? Also, what types of security features can you get with the manufactured home that you are considering buying?

Written by Jayden Jefferson. Come visit my website for more info on modern modular homes as well as modular manufactured homes.

Advantages of Framing With Steel Studs

I have heard all sorts of stories over the years of the advantages in framing with steel versus wood studs. One time I even heard you could build an entire house with the amount of recycled steel from a large automobile such as a Cadillac. I find this hard to believe unless you're building a very small home.

My personal favorite for framing with steel studs is that they are extremely straight. I have built nonbearing partition walls using 12 foot 3 1/2 inch wide steel studs and after the drywall you can lay an 8 foot level to check it for straightness on the wall with amazing results.

If you use 3 1/2 inch wide steel studs with 5/8 of an inch drywall you will get an extremely durable and sturdy wall. Framing was steel studs is common in office renovations or remodeling. Most of the steel stud framing is done via the drywall contractors.

Steel studs and termites do not mix. You'll never have to worry about these little buggers or other uninvited house pests damaging your walls.

Over the years I have heard stories that steel framed buildings are earthquake and fire proof. They might be more resistant to fire than wood but keep in mind when metal is hot enough it will bend and warp making it unusable.

When I hear people talking about a fireproof building built with metal framing components my first thought is all of the other materials used in building the house that are not fire resistant. Don't get a false illusion when buying a house framed with steel studs and think it is 100% fire proof.

As far as steel framed buildings being earthquake proof this is another story. I really can't comment too much on earthquake damage to a steel building. The problem with earthquakes is they seem to create fires. So even if you're building does survive an earthquake it could get damaged by a fire in the area.

I have framed more wood homes than steel homes over the years and my steel stud construction is limited to nonbearing partition walls usually located in office buildings. I love framing with metal because of its light weight and ease of construction.

I still love framing with wood. There is something about what framing that I have always loved and always will.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as

well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on House Framing Ideas

Installing Ceramic Tile in a Shower

Installing ceramic tile in a shower starts with a proper foundation. The foundation consists of WonderBoard or Durock cement board on the walls and a Shower Pan Membrane Liner in the shower floor, if the shower floor is to be tiled too.

WonderBoard or Durock cement board, also known as backerboard, are resistant to water and are ideal materials for applying ceramic tiles to high-moisture areas. Durock can be applied directly to wall studs and ceiling joists using hot-dipped galvanized nails or galvanized wood screws.

Thin-set or an adhesive mortar can be applied directly on the WonderBoard or Durock cement board for attaching the ceramic tiles. However, fiberglass mesh tape should be applied over all seams and smoothed out with a latex thin-set prior to the application of ceramic tiles.

If ceramic tile is desired on the floor of the shower as well, then a shower pan membrane liner should be installed prior to the installation of the WonderBoard or Durock cement board.
The shower pan membrane liner is used to ensure a leak-proof shower. Shower pan membrane liners are used to funnel any water that seeps through the floor or wall grout to the shower drain below. The shower pan membrane liner is made up of a flexible type of plastic material that sits below a bed of mortar, and the tile, in the shower floor area.

Prior to installing the shower pan membrane liner, the floor of the shower needs to be pre-sloped to ensure that the water will flow towards the shower drain assembly. The pre-slope is accomplished by applying a layer of mortar to the floor of the shower unit area. The layer of mortar is troweled in such as way as to create a gentle slope from the shower wall edges to the center of the shower where the drain resides.

Once the pre-slope mortar has cured, the flexible shower pan membrane liner can then be installed. There are a couple of types of shower pan membrane liners on the market, with each having their own benefits. With either type of membrane, the homeowner needs to form and fold the material into the base of the shower area and secure it to the sides of the shower wall frame with staples and/or nails. In addition, an opening in the membrane should be cut out to allow the adjustable shower drain assembly to slip through.

With the shower pan membrane installed, the cementitious ceramic tile backerboard can then be secured to the framed shower walls. The backerboard is a rigid material that is ideal for attaching tile in wet areas such as a shower stall.

After installing the ceramic tile backerboard, a final coat of mortar needs to be applied on top of the shower pan membrane to protect it and to provide a solid base for laying the ceramic floor tile.

With the final coat of mortar cured, the ceramic tile can then be installed in the shower.

Once the tile and grout have been installed, the shower drain assembly should be adjusted so that the drain height sits flush with the finished ceramic tile floor.

For more information on installing a shower pan membrane liner, see the Shower Pan Membrane Liner Installation EBook from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Shower Pan Membrane Liner EBook will quickly teach you the step-by-step process for installing the shower pan membrane liner correctly. It includes instructions on framing the shower stall, pouring the pre-slope and shower base mortar, and installing the shower pan membrane liner.

Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement information visit http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

Home Electrical Books

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

As a bathroom remodeling contractor, I get calls from people, that have no idea what they want or how much anything is going to cost. Here's some simple tips that can be very helpful when planning a bathroom remodel budget.

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

In 2008, the average mid-range bathroom cost around $16,000 and you could recoup around $12,000 of your original investment upon the sale of your home. According to a popular remodeling magazine, larger bathrooms using expensive fixtures, tile, bathtubs, woodworking, toilets and showers had an average of $52,000. Upon the sale of a home, you could recoup around $36,000 of your original investment.

Finding out How Much Things Cost

My first suggestion, would be to visit your local home improvement center, lumber yard or plumbing supply warehouse. Larger stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, seemed to provide you with value pricing but don't have a large selection. While doing some research on the Internet I noticed that some of their pricing is outrageously, outrageous. Some plumbing supply warehouses can provide value but beware others won't.

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

You can get a good idea of your bathroom remodel costs for your budget by making a list of bathroom parts with pricing and then adding them up for a grand total. If you're a total bathroom remodel budget is $15,000 and you have a $6,000 bathtub with $4000 worth of tile, you could have a budget problem.

Figuring out the Labor

You will have to contact a contractor to get an actual cost for the labor. Sometimes you can double the cost of your bathroom remodeling parts to get a rough idea. If you have a list or a couple of lists and a few pictures of some sample bathrooms, this will make the contractor's job easier and often they can give you a labor price within a few days.

Give Yourself a Cushion

I would suggest leaving yourself a small financial cushion for any additional remodeling items. For example, you could see a different toilet, or instead of painting the walls, you now choose to wallpaper, you could incur additional expenses that you haven't planned for. If you know exactly what you want and stick to the original bathroom remodeling plan, you shouldn't need the cushion.

Financial problems often transfer into construction problems, so spend some time figuring out, how much money you want to spend on the bathroom remodel and try not to go overboard on the budget. I hate to see homeowners struggling with home improvement loan payments. Try to create a bathroom remodeling budget that is realistic and will not create a financial burden upon you or your family.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.