Backyard Landscape Design

Have you ever thought you could never design anything? There are many people out there who don't think they have a creative bone in their body when they couldn't be more wrong. Challenge this thought by doing your own backyard landscape design.

Of course, as with anything it's helpful to learn the basics first. You have to know which plants can survive in the area where you live and during certain seasons. You also need to browse through different designs that professionals have put together. This can serve as a jumping off point for your own ideas.

After you're done thinking about how the professionals do it you can finally start drafting your own plan. This will include doing a total assessment of the current state of your yard. Just walk around and get an idea of any repairs that need to be made, trees that need to be cut down, and things of that nature. In other words, you can't just create beautiful new landscaping over the top of something that isn't so beautiful.

If necessary, you can do a clean up and stripping of sorts for your backyard. Get rid of the things that don't fit into what you envision in your head. Are there flowers you no longer enjoy? Get rid of them. Take this time to get out with the old and in with the new.

After that assessment, you should sketch your new design out on paper. Try to draw to scale or you'll have a mess on your hands! Speak with a local garden center about different options and browse through their isles to see if there are any plants and decorations that pique your interest. You may want to get a beautiful ground cover, or maybe you prefer vibrantly colored flowers, or easy to maintain shrubs.

Once you have your blueprint ready you can begin to buy all of the items you'll need. Gather up friends and family because the landscaping itself is even harder than the planning! Be prepared to dig in and get your fingernails dirty.

As you go, take note of things that aren't working as you envisioned them. That's OK! Just be flexible. Since you're the designer you can make design changes along the way. As long as you're happy with what you eventually end up with, it doesn't really matter if you don't stick to the original plan 100%.

When you're all finished you can really be proud of all that you have accomplished! It is truly admirable when someone takes action to do something that they have never done before. As you change things out for the seasons or try new things the process will go even better since you are experienced now.

Backyard landscape design is a lot of fun, and is something everyone can try. There is no limit to the beautiful designs you can come up with and create if you take the time to research and get your creative juices flowing.

Get ideas on how to create your own backyard haven

Fixings Squeaking Stairs

Asphalt Roofing Shingles - Popular For a Reason

Advantages of Asphalt Roofing Shingles

There are four basic reasons. Asphalt roofing shingles are:

Widely available
Inexpensive
Lightweight
Easy to install

You will never need to look for a specialist in exotic roofing to install and do maintenance on your roof is you choose asphalt roofing shingles. Any roofer will have plenty of experience working with them, while roofing materials like slate demand special training in handling, cutting, and laying on the roof.

Asphalt roofing shingles, like all types of roofing materials, are available in different grades. The higher grades of shingle, of course, cost more than the lower ones, but the wise homeowner will pay the extra expense upfront and avoid having to pay to replace damaged shingles in the future. Class IV shingles can stand up to hailstorms with no problem.

Asphalt roofing shingles now come in a wide range of attractive colors and not just the familiar gray, and are constructed of a combination of fiberglass and an organically produced blend of paper and felt with an asphalt binder. Organic asphalt roofing shingles will cost more than older ones, but they weigh more and are less apt to tear away from the roof in sever weather. If your home needs re-roofing, going with organic asphalt roofing shingles could pay off handsomely should you ever decide to sell.

Many asphalt roofing shingle manufacturers back their products with warranties which last for decades. If you have a favorite manufacturer of specialty asphalt roofing shingles, like eagle or Elk, you can request that your roofing contractor to order those

Maintaining Your Asphalt Roofing Shingles

You shouldn't expect, however, that your new asphalt Roofing shingles will last indefinitely without help from you, and you should take the time to inspect your roof every two years. That should be often enough to prevent minor problems from developing into major ones, as you discover any damaged or loose shingles. One of the big advantages of having asphalt roofing shingles is that they can be replaced very easily because of their wide availability.

Another factor overlooked by many homeowners concerned with properly caring for their asphalt roofing shingles is the ventilation in their attics or under-roof crawlspaces. There are times when the variance between your home's exterior and interior temperature will be extreme, making your roof shingles much colder on one side than the other. Continued exposure to wide temperature variances will put severe stress on your shingles. What can you do?

Create an insulated buffer zone between the underside of the roof and your attic or crawlspace, and you will effectively eliminate the stress on your shingles. But before you do that, you need to remove any traces of water, damp, or mold from your attic or crawlspace!

You can also find more info on Roofing

Roofingbliss.com is a comprehensive resource which provide information about roof.

Installing A 32 Inch Back Door

Asphalt Shingles

Asphalt shingles are the most commonly sold shingles in the industry, and statistics show that they can be easily termed the most dominant variety on the roofing market.

Relatively cheaper than most other types of shingles, (roughly at around $0.80 per square foot) they are vastly used all across the USA and Canada. But, as far as costs of asphalt shingles are concerned, they would generally vary according to geographical location, altitude of a building, and slant of the roof.

Asphalt shingles come in a wide range of colors and designs and most are quite durable. Records say that these shingles can me easily maintained and repaired as well.

Broadly available in two basic types like organic and fiberglass, they can be further classified into a number of other types like the basic three-tab shingle, the no cutout shingle, the dimensional shingle, the angle-lap shingle, the interlocking shingle, and others that look like cedar or slate.

Organic shingles are mostly used in colder temperatures like in North America and Canada. Fiberglass shingles, on the other hand are popular in warmer temperatures like in the southern and western American states.

Before making one's choice of asphalt shingles, it is extremely important to know and decide what one will be buying. Proper budgeting, the climates of the place, slope of ones roof, and other issues have to be carefully considered. The warranty of a particular product should also be reviewed and judged properly. It is always best to buy shingles that meet manufacturing standards perfectly. This may sometimes be heavier on one's pocketbook, but one should rather be safe than sorry.

Installation of asphalt shingles is fairly hassle-free. Although professional roofing experts should always be consulted, asphalt shingles maybe installed by the house owner himself, even if he isn't an expert. The shingles can be easily installed on any existing roof.

Asphalt shingles with their easy availability, durability, and fairly simple installation process, are quite naturally the most widely used and economically feasible roofing option for millions.

Shingles provides detailed information about shingles, cedar shingles, fiberglass shingles and more. Shingles is affiliated with Home Foundation Repair.

Stud Spacing And Wall Framing

The Importance of Cleaning Out Your Home Gutters

Taking care of and maintaining the gutters on your home can significantly extend the lifespan of your roof and its drainage system, in turn saving you a great deal of money in the long run.

Though a homeowner can inspect the gutters on their home, it is most often best to have a professional do the inspecting. Professional home contracting companies and exterior contracting companies specialize in these things and are able to make sure that the job is done properly and professionally. Whether you are doing the inspecting or you are hiring someone, the job should be done twice a year, at minimum.

If your gutters are not inspected then they will not get cleaned out, which then doesn't let them do their job. Gutters are made so that water from rain and snow is able to run-off the roof. If there are things such as leaves or other types of debris blocking your roof drains, then the liquid will just sit on your roof and gutters. A gutter that is clogged and doesn't allow debris to move along is more likely to rust, meaning it won't last as long as it should.

Since you should clean your gutters out no less than twice a year it is best to perform or have this job performed during the fall and spring months. During the fall leaves are falling from trees, so this is definitely a time that your roof drains are more likely to become clogged, especially if the lot around your home is filled with trees. If cleaning the leaves and such out by yourself you will want to safely use a ladder to climb so that you are at eye-level with your roof. Once you have reached the top or your ladder you can clean the roof drains out with your hands if you are wearing gloves. If you would prefer not to use your hands then you can use an object such as a rake of broom to remove all waste.

During the spring we see much more rain than we do the rest of the year, so gutters must remain unclogged and allow for the easy-flow of water. Debris can also accumulate during this time of the year so you want to make sure that it is removed so that water can run-off the roof and through the drainage system.

The lifespan of the exterior components of your home can really make a difference in how long it lasts and is able to house you and your family. If gutters are maintained, the life of your roof will be maintained for a longer period of time as well.

Kathleen Whitlow is a copywriter and marketing agent of Blue Ridge Exteriors. The exterior contracting company provides exterior home projects and services throughout the Richmond Virginia area. For more information on their Exterior Home Contracting please visit their website.

Electrical Outlet Problems

Stair Building Video For Great Advice

Stair building tips for installing lights and decking, handrail tips and some deck advice.

For more helpful home improvement information visit: http://www.gregvan.com

Stair Building Tips

Stop Feeling Guilty Part 1
Stop Feeling Guilty Part 2

The Three Minute Guide to Home Improvement Grants

In about three and a half minutes, you are going to be enlightened on how to achieve free government money to save, or even make money, on your home improvements. If you are a property owner in need or repairs, a family in need of more space, an owner looking to increase his rental units, or just want to give your place a facelift, there is great news for you. It's called home improvement grants, and most of you mentioned above may be eligible to receive them.

The government has a great interest in supporting urban development, keeping property values up as a means to boost the economy, and alleviating and preventing homelessness. These facts combined with the reality of the government being required by law to give away exorbitant amounts of free money in grant programs to American citizens each day makes home improvement grants a very attractive means of them living up to their fiscal responsibilities to our country. So here's how you take advantage of it...

If you'd like to just redecorate for your own personal satisfaction, you could be eligible for a moderate sum of free government money to finance a good portion of your expenses. Depending upon the size of your family, and your home, you may be able to qualify for the same types of grants, in greater proportion, to add an essential addition to enlarge your living quarters. And this idea is becoming increasingly popular among owners of larger properties that have smaller families. You may want to think about boosting your income by turning that oversized single family home into a duplex and renting out a portion of it. The government is particularly likely to approve this type of proposition for grant awards because it boosts the economy by providing you with an additional income (additional taxes), enhances urban development, increases your property value, and contributes to the prevention of homelessness.

There are numerous other reasons that home owners may want to consider government funded home improvement grants, but isn't that enough?

Apply for Personal Grants.

See how much money you qualify to receive today and never pay back. Get Grants for Individuals

Plaster And Drywall Cracks

Conveyor Belt Repair With Urethanes

Problem:Conveyor beltsreceive extreme wear from the impacting of large size aggregate. Mechanical clips can be used to temporarily repair torn or worn areas of the belt. Other options include vulcanizing or replacement. Both areexpensive and involve lengthy unscheduled shutdowns costing thousands of dollars per hour. In many cases, belts might not be accessible to repair equipment.

Solution:The damaged area, including the belt and mechanical clips were roughened using a grinding machine and wire wheel attachment. Surfaces were then chemically cleaned usinga degreasing solvent. Mechanical clips were then primed usinga urethane priming agent for metal. A coat ofurethane rubber primer was applied over the rubber section and allowed to cure for 15 minutes.Next, a urethane is mixed and applied over the complete repair area replacing the worn or missing rubber.The urethane is smoothed over with a putty knife and allowed to cure for 4 hours.

Urethanes are 100% solids and bond well to rubber and metal. Urethanes are very resistant to abrasion and in many cases will outwear the rubber belt material. Holes that do not damage the overall integrity of the belt can also be repaired by applying mesh material and coating the area with urethane. Urethanes are available in a wide variety of duromters and curing times. Urethanes can also protect equipment where there is sliding abrasion, vibration, expansion, or contraction.

Users should be make sure they have all materials on hand to make repairs before beginning the repair.Several "belt repair kits' are available commercially that contain all necessary materials for making long lasting, in-field repairs.

Larry Bly is the founder of http://www.thegluedepot.com and has over twenty years experience in repair and maintenance repair materials.

Roof Repairs

Prevention - Thawing and Repair of Burst or Frozen Water Pipes

Frozen Pipes - What You Should and Shouldn't Do

If you are experiencing the unfortunate dilemma of frozen or burst water pipes - or just the prospect of your pipes freezing in your walls, crawlspace, basement or cabin, there are a few things you need to know.

Thawing Frozen Water Pipes - SAFETY

We would like to remind everyone in the position of having to thaw or fix frozen water pipes that the use of electrical equipment and open flame always carries the extreme potential for fire. OPEN FLAME, INCLUDING PROPANE TORCHES, SHOULD NEVER BE USED TO THAW FROZEN PIPES. The potential for fire is highly likely, and high flame temperatures may cause the water in the immediately heated area to boil and burst the pipe while being thawed.

Always Know Where and How To Shut Off Your Main Water Supply

A common sense aspect of frozen pipe prevention is to learn how to shut off the water supply to your house. If you don't know where this valve is, find out immediately, before it is too late. Once you find the correct valve, actually close and open it to make sure it will operate in case of a water emergency. This will help you minimize the damage by shutting the water off quickly. If you can't find your shutoff valve, you can use the valve inside your water meter pit. This pit is usually located somewhere in your yard, probably near the sidewalk or street, under an iron cover plate, but again may be covered in snow or ice.

Preventing and Avoiding Frozen Water Pipes

POWER OUTAGE: If the power goes out and you are no longer receiving a water supply, the potential for your pipes to freeze is even greater. The best thing to do is to shut off the main water supply valve (coming into your home), then to open all taps so that the remaining water in the pipes trickles out and leaves no pressure in the system.

NEW HOMES: If you have the luxury of participating and/or overseeing the building of your home, make sure the plumber does not run any plumbing supply lines in the outside walls of the home. Even if he indicates he will wrap them in insulation, do not accept this compromise. Even insulated pipes in outside walls can freeze.

EXISTING HOMES: Assuming that your home's heat system doesn't fail, it is the water pipes located in outside walls, or in floors over unheated spaces, such as garages, that are in danger. Bathrooms over a garage are a common source of trouble. If you have an attached garage, keep your garage door closed. Unheated garages can be twenty or more degrees warmer than the outside temperature, and even if you don't have water pipes over the garage, keeping it closed will keep the adjoining rooms of your home warmer, too. Get in the habit of checking that the door is closed before you retire for the evening! If you have an existing home and there are plumbing supply lines running on the outside walls that you have access to, then insulate these pipes with pipe insulation or pipe heaters, available at most hardware stores.

If you're vacationing for the holidays, never turn your heating system off, or set the thermostat below 55 degrees. Regardless of how well walls are insulated, unless there is a source of heat for the pipes, they can freeze if the temperature of the room drops low enough. Typically, frozen water pipes occur in unused rooms whose heat source has been shut off, and from vacant homes and commercial buildings whose thermostats have been turned down or off. Arrange to have someone check on your home frequently if you are away from your home for a prolonged period during the winter.

If you have a pipe that freezes every year, try installing a louvered grille or some source of air flow between the the room that frequent freezing occurs in and a heated room. This will allow some heated air to get to the pipe and keep it warm. When insulating, look for small holes to the outside that let cold air access to the pipe. Some expanding foam will do a nice job of sealing out the breeze.

How to Fix a Frozen Water Pipe

NOTE:IF YOUR POWER SUPPLY IS OUT - WAIT! FOR MANY SAFETY REASONS, WAIT UNTIL POWER IS RESTORED BEFORE BEGINNING REPAIRS ON FROZEN WATER PIPES.

Prepping the Scene / Isolating the Damage

• Close the main water supply valve to your home and open the faucet at the end of the damaged pipe to allow all water pressure to escape.
• Examine the entire length of pipe looking for cracks, breaks, or holes, focusing on areas most susceptible to freezing pipes, e.g. crawl spaces, isolated basement rooms, garages, rooms over garages and outside walls.

Thawing Out the Damaged Frozen Pipe

• Once you have found the burst, crack, break or hole, try using a hair dryer or similar heat source to heat up the surrounding pipe area to get the water flowing again through the pipe. Pouring hot water on the frozen area of the pipe can also work, but water supply typically will be cut off (from step above) and can be very messy and is undesirable in most indoor areas. Check the faucet regularly to see when the water begins to flow again. Once the water begins to flow it is time to move on to the repairing phase.

Note: The amount of water flowing out of the faucet may be limited as the main water supply valve was shut off.

Repairing the Damaged Water Pipe

• Once the damaged area of frozen pipe has been thawed out, use a hack saw or pipe cutter (preferable) to remove the section of pipe that includes the broken or burst area.
• Measure a length of new pipe that fits the removed piece exactly (use the old piece of pipe as a guide).
• Clean the old pipe and the new pipe using steel wool or fine sandpaper (a kitchen SOS or Brillo scrubbing pad also works, remember to remove all traces of soap before soldering).
• Spread soldering flux on all open ends of pipe (4) and on the insides of the two (2) straight connectors
• Assemble the straight connectors and over the piece of pipe and connect to damaged area.
• Heat the straight connector with your torch or soldering gun
• When copper pipe appears to start to 'dry' or display a greeny haze, touch solder to edge where straight connector meets pipe until solder starts to melt ('sweat' the joint). Only a small amount of solder is needed and will leach into the joint between the connector and the pipe. Make certain to perform this on all edges of the connectors - this means 4 times, once on each side of each connector.
• Once all connections have been soldered, let the pipes cool down.
• Once cooled, try to run water through the pipe to test for any leaks.
• Finally, apply some pipe insulation and/or electrical pipe-heating wire around the repaired area to prevent the problem from occurring again.

More info from Ace Hardware on Soldering Plumbing Joints.

If you are not comfortable cutting and replacing the damaged pipe, pending the size of the crack or break you might simply wrap a sufficient amount of duct tape or electrical tape around the affected area for a temporary fix. Do not expect this to stop the leak! It is merely an emergency means of water supply! A certified plumber should be brought in as soon as possible to fix the leak permanently.

Dave Markoff is a staff writer for RemodelingMySpace.com, which features a remodeling cost estimator, measurement converters, localized resources and endless how-to and do-it-yourself articles for remodeling and home improvement.

Plant Attaches To Stucco

Pamper Yourself, Pamper Your Bathroom

Pampering yourself in the bathroom is about lifting your mood. Locking the door and concentrating on you. Spending time with all the bathroom has to offer so that when you emerge your skin, hair, muscles, feet, eyes and even mind are invigorated, lifted, better. So is it possible to pamper your bathroom in return? To spend time and thought on it, re-invigorating and lifting the entire room? Of course it is with the added bonus that small changes in the bathroom can be amazingly cost effective.

The pampering can be as little or as much as you like. Taking a couple of durable bath pillows and placing them at either end of the bath can turn the plainest of baths into the height of double ended pleasure. Add in a couple of wall mounted candleholders and an over-bath book rest and you'll never want to leave.

Swapping existing fixtures and fittings will make even the most dated bathroom feel brand new. Tarnished gold taps, wastes and showers can easily be replaced with modern strong chrome brassware. Even accessories play a part in the overall feel of the room, a co-ordinated set of toilet roll holders, soap dishes, towel rails and shower tidies will immediately tie the bathroom together in an eye catching display.

The innovations in designer bathroom lighting over the past few years now means that boring dull ceiling lights can be a thing of the past. Setting and changing the mood in your bathroom has never been easier than with Chromotherapy lighting. L.E.D's, spotlights and down lighters, all fully waterproof can now be fitted in the ceiling, walls, floor and anywhere else in between to elevate your bathroom to a whole new level of luxury. The remote colour changing options allow you to bathe your room in any combination of colours to reflect or reshape your mood.

Every makeover show around can tell you that sticking a mirror somewhere in a room will make it feel bigger and in most British bathrooms we all know space is of a premium, but mirrors don't need to be afterthoughts or thrown in to give the illusion of space. There are some truly fantastic bathroom mirrors currently on the market that incorporate strong design, long term guarantees and the best ones come with demista technology and lighting. The heated demista pads behind the glass make sure that no matter how steamy your room gets the glass remains pristine and clean, no wet finger marks when you are trying to see yourself. With the striking illuminated sections of the mirrors you can feel like you're in one of the world's most luxury bathrooms in your own home.

Perhaps the most gorgeous and yet one of the simplest ways put some of the wow factor into your bathroom is to swap your existing radiator with a stunning towel warmer. Running off the exact same pipe-work as your current radiator, towel warmers come in a huge range of styles, colours and prices to suit everyone. Serving the dual purpose of heating the room and warming your towels they provide any bathroom with a real feeling of decadence.

Pampering your bathroom is easy, in-expensive and good fun. The stress and cost of a full refit are eliminated and little by little you can achieve your dream look. So pamper your bathroom and benefit from the changes the every time you decide to pamper yourself.

Stuck for ideas for creating that designer bathroom look? Ocean Bathrooms is a leading luxury bathroom supplier that specialises in creating the ultimate bathroom experience. Check out the bathroom ideas and inspirations from our extensive range. New and used equipment.

How to Repair Damaged Skin and Have a Better Facial Look

We want to look great forever and have a young looking skin however is inevitable the signs of aging such as wrinkles fine lines, skin blotchiness, age spots, loss of radiance, sagging skin crows feet, etc. but we can do something about it and have a fresh and beautiful looking skin.

There are various reasons of why we experience the signs of aging even at a premature age, what most people dont want to understand is the most of the signs of aging can be avoided if you follow a healthy life by eating healthy foods, exercising, taking multi vitamins, protecting your skin from the sun, etc.

The problem is that we dont give proper care to our bodies and skin so the result is damaged skin The biological causes of skin damage are:

Free radical damage
Dehydratation of the skin
Changes in DNA
Degradation of elastin
Loss of collagen
Changes in fat content of the skin

To repair skin damage and recover the skins natural beauty is necessary to increase the building blocks of the skin fibers with are collagen and elastin.

When we are young our bodies produce enough collagen to repair the fibers of our skin easily, but as we age our body declines to produce collagen and it cant repair the skin damage easily.

Fortunately there are some natural ingredients that increase the production of collagen in the body. But be careful, there are some creams that contain collagen, but it does not work, because collagen can not be applied topically, the skin can not absorb the collagen molecules because they are too big.

Instead CynergyTk is a powerful natural ingredient that stimulates the growth of collagen in the body, as well as elastin. This way the skin will become more firm and elastic gradually without any side effects.

Click Here to Discover the Results of my Research on the Most Effective Skin Care health products. If you have unwanted wrinkles, fine lines, and damaged skin visit http://www.best-skin-care-line.com to discover the shocking truth that now one else wants to expose.

Remodeling Professionals Needed

How would you like to help other contractors, home improvement specialists, builders, real estate professionals and anyone else involved in home remodeling. If you have any tips or home improvement advice to you would like to share with our readers, it would greatly be appreciated. Leave all comments below.

Drywall Books
Building Contractor Books

Blue Card Australia - Easiest Ways To Get Your Construction Blue Card

To visit or work on a construction site in Queensland Australia you need a Blue Card. Australia has several different types of construction induction training course, depending on which state you're in, and the Blue Card course is the one you need if you live anywhere in Queensland.

In fact, you can't even get on to a construction site without one, so they're pretty important if you're a construction worker, labourer, tradesman, engineer, architect, project manager, soil tester, or a host of other occupations that need to visit construction sites!

There are two main ways you can go about getting your Queensland Blue Card. Australia in general offers mostly only face-to-face training, but in Queensland you can also do your course online.

Face to face training typically takes four hours of your day to do the actual course, plus travel time, parking etc. etc. and so it can be a real inconvenience, to say nothing of lost income and productivity. This has been the traditional way to do this kind of training.

Blue Card Australia - Online Options.

But in recent years online alternatives have sprung up. Doing your Blue Card training online means you can choose when you do it - you can even complete the training during evenings or on the weekend, out of work hours - if you want to.

The best courses allow you to complete the training in several sittings - the software remembers where you got up to, so next time you login, you just start where you left off last time - very handy!

Interactive, multi-media courses are much more interesting, and easy-to-learn with than boring text hand-outs and bored presenters... the ease and speed with which you'll learn and retain the important information is amazing!

Identification Requirement For Online Blue Card Australia Courses.

New regulations introduced into Queensland in January 2008 require trainees to comply with several identification verification procedures so that the issuing Registered Training Organisation can be confident the trainee is actually who they say they are! You will have to provide a certified copy of ID like your Drivers License, and also get a Statutory Declaration (provided) witnessed by a Justice of the Peace (J.P.), or a Commissioner for Declarations (C.Dec.). Such people can readily be found in shopping centres, Post Offices, and office locations.

If you need to get your Blue Card Australia we recommend the online approach for convenience, speed and ease-of-learning.

Complete your Blue Card Australia training online in around 2 hours with this highly respected and convenient course. http://www.bluecardonline.com

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

When I first started building in 1978 as a young carpenter and an apprentice to my father. I had the grand illusions of becoming what they call on the east coast a master carpenter and on the West Coast a journeyman carpenter.

Part of my training in construction was learning to use the proper adhesive and caulking for different parts of the building project. We used to use a standard solvent-based construction adhesive when we were building our stairs and they would also use this adhesive on the floors to eliminate squeaks.

This glue dried extremely hard and everyone thought the harder the better. This construction adhesive was great when I started using it in 1978. There wasn't the polyethylene super elastic expandable multi-use glue and caulking construction adhesives at that time.

We used this brittle glue and it always seemed like a waste of time. As the wood dried and started to shrink the brittle hard glue would crack and break away from the wood it was glued to. Normally the glue was breaking away from plywood floor sheeting. I have seen 2 x 12 shrink 3/8 of an inch before in as little as a few months during the summer.

Now as time went on the old construction adhesives were replaced with a new window sealant made by a company called TOPS. This stuff was the hottest and best product of the decade to me. I used this stuff for everything.

This new urethane glue was now being used for sub floors, stair treads, sealing the windows flashing and siding. This stuff is still in use today and is a great choice for all of the uses I mentioned above. The price for this sealant is about double that of most water-based or solvent-based glues. But it's worth it.

So there you have it I like the urethane glues because of their flexibility, elasticity, their ability to adhere to wood concrete or metal and their performance in the years ahead.

There is one thing to keep in mind when using construction adhesives. Most construction workers seem to ignore the fact that the wood needs to be dry and clean before applying the construction adhesive. There have been quite a few times I have witnessed carpenters working with me and ignoring my advice.

Don't put yourself into this category. Doing quality work and following the manufacturers recommended installation instructions for their product will decrease your liability if there is ever a problem. Read the instructions carefully on all of the building products you use.

The manufacturers of these construction adhesives have thoroughly tested them. So use them properly and follow all safety warnings.

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 Carlsbad Structural Repairs

Ceiling Water Damage

Lighting Creates the Mood, Visual Impact and in Some Cases the Actual Composition of YOUR Photograph

Lighting creates the mood, visual impact and in some cases, the actual composition of your photographs. Lighting is without question, the single most important aspect in photography. Today let's discuss how your camera sees light.

If you look at a standard gray scale one end is pure white and the other is pure black. Of the several shades in between, the one right in the middle is called "neutral or middle gray."

Middle gray is the standard used to determine a perfect exposure and is what your camera's light meter is calibrated to expose for. With each shot, the camera reads and evaluates the overall brightest and darkest area of the scene, then calibrates or averages the light (highlight) & dark (shadow) area of the image, looking for a middle gray exposure. Today's camera's are fairly accurate and this averaging metering system can produce good quality images in most cases. Or it will produce an exposure that you can at least manipulate to your liking.

Now under ideal lighting situations the averaging system that your camera uses to evaluate the lighting is fine. However anything less than ideal lighting is going to create some problems, when you use your camera, in auto exposure mode. A good example of this is, when you include, a large area of sky in your composition. The camera's meter averages the overall scene, and if your sky is considerably brighter than your main subject, or foreground area, you will end up with an under exposed subject or foreground. Now if you are trying to shoot a silhouette that's fine. But if your main subject is in the foreground you will need to make an exposure compensation, by increasing your exposure manually, or use a fill flash to get the proper exposure on your main subject.

Another difficult lighting situation is winter shots with lots of white snow. The camera will see all that snow and try to make the overall scene middle gray, underexposing the shot unless you make a manual adjustment to compensate.

Knowing how your camera works and how it does its calculations will help you "fool the camera" and correct the exposure when you want to have control over the final results.

When you're in a situation with a lot of snow, for instance, you can do a few things to compensate for the mistake your camera will be inclined to make...

The first and easiest solution is to see if your camera might actually have a setting for snow. If it does, then adjust your camera settings accordingly. This tells the camera to adjust for the scene being predominantly white. The camera will automatically make the adjustments and not try to make your snow middle gray.

The other, more advanced, thing you can do is adjust the camera settings yourself. In your camera's modes you can set your camera to take shots that will be 1-2 f-stops over or under exposed (read your manual for how to do this on your camera). Most SLR cameras have a + &- dial that you can make your adjustments with. Experiment and take a few notes. In no time it will become second nature to you and you will recognize when an exposure compensation is needed almost instantly.

Take a few test shots and look at your histogram - A perfect exposure will have a peak like a mountain or hill in the middle. If this peak is to the left it is leaning toward under exposure and if it is to the right it is leaning towards over exposure.

When switching modes and making these types of adjustments, be sure to change them back when you're done!

Terry Day is an International Hall of Fame Photographer. He has been a Master Photographer and member of the Professional Photographers of America for 30 years. You can sign up for his free photo tips and view a portfolio of his work @

http://www.photographylessoncenter.com/index.php

Can You Help Us with Your Remodeling Experience

To would appreciate any home remodeling tips for ideas that you have that could help other homeowners, building contractors and other people involved in home remodeling. Post all your comments below.

House Renovation Books

Mortar Repair - 4 Common Crack Problems on Your Home

It's a sunny morning and you're up early. You decide to grab your coffee and take a quick stroll around your homes' exterior to look for signs of wear. You find nothing and are pleased until you turn the last corner of your home and stop abruptly in disbelief!

There before you in the beautiful brick masonry of your home is a huge crack! How did it get there? What do you do? You wonder. Whom do you call?

Well take a deep breath and relax. You're not alone. Millions of homeowners have experienced this gut wrenching feeling as well. So don't grab the For Sale sign just yet! Read these handy tips to understand what may be happening to your home.

1.) Settlement Cracks - These common cracks usually manifest as a 'stair step crack' or a crack that steps up as it moves horizontally across the wall. Found at or close to the corners of the home, wing walls and quoin corners they are common and easily repaired. Just watch and expect additional movement if the settlement has not stopped.

Solution: Contact your local masonry crack repair pro to have these cracks repaired to keep water, bugs and reptiles from entering the home.

2.) Thermal Expansion Cracks - A vertical or stair step crack usually located in the upper portions of the masonry can be caused by thermal expansion. Bricks walls expand when heated by the sun and if expansion joints are not present, can cause cracks. These cracks appear anywhere within the surface of the sunny wall or in close proximity to abutting walls

Solution: Contact your local masonry repair pro and/or a structural engineer for an evaluation. Some cracks are simple for a repair pro to evaluate and others may require an engineers analysis and testing to determine the cause and recommend the type of repair needed.

3.) Steel Expansion Cracks - Another common crack occurs at the upper corners of doorways, garage doors, windows or any opening. The usual culprit is the steel that supports the masonry above these openings. This is due to the daily and seasonal differential movement between the steel and the brick materials which expand at different rates.

Solution: Contact your local masonry repair pro to have these cracks repaired or caulked. Caulking will move with the materials and help minimize future cracking.

4.) Bulging or Bowed Wall Cracks - Cracks can appear throughout an entire wall or the wall is bulged, bowed in or out or has sunken. This is a serious issue and is usually the symptom of age related failure or structural failure due to improper reinforcement of the masonry.

Solution: Contact a structural engineer immediately for an evaluation and recommended repairs.

It is a good idea to check your home annually for signs of cracking or structural damage in the bricks on your home.

Michael Olding is tradesman and consultant in the field of restorations and repairs and currently operates a restoration and repair business in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also a Master in the field of masonry construction, restorations and repairs.

In addition he is a writer and speaker as well as a marketing, training and business consultant for the contracting industry. If you interested in his services he may be contacted by visiting http://www.cincihomepro.com

Tile

Common Questions About Mole Control & Removal

If I get rid of the moles in my yard, what about the moles in my neighbors yard?

Moles are a solitary and a very territorial animal. If your neighbor moved out of their house, you wouldn't automatically move in, right? Of course not, because you have your own territory established, but at a later time, you might decide to expand your territory and buy their house and property. Moles operate the same way, they are always expanding their territory.

Can I ever be successful in getting rid of moles forever?

There are 2 ways I know of to get rid of moles forever but they both are not good methods. One is to pave over your entire yard and make it into a parking lot and the other is to kill every living organism in your yard that moles eat and the mole won't find your yard attractive, but you won't have much of a yard either. Getting rid of moles is a control effort.

Do moles ever come back?

Yes and no, Some yards may experience new moles coming back in as explained in the answer to the first question above. Other yards may have moles in them now, and once one has removed the problem moles, there may not be any more moles nearby that can expand to your yard. But there is not a product available to keep moles out for good, anyone who tells you differently just wants your money.

Why does everyone tell me to get rid of the grubs and I will get rid of my moles?

Grub control for mole control is the biggest myth out there. Out of all the yards we have and currently do service, about 80 percent of them never have grubs as they have either killed the grubs or didn't have them to begin with. Moles are in the yard for earthworms, all factual studies on moles always come up with earthworms as the main diet of the mole. 85 Percent of their diet is earthworms. They are strictly an Insectivore. If you think about it, businesses can sell grub control but can't sell earthworm control. No one would buy earthworm control as they are needed for the deep, natural aeration of your yard.

I must have over 100 moles in my yard right?

No, the typical acre averages between 3 to 5 moles. Moles are solitary by nature and extremely territorial. One mole can average 100 feet of digging new tunnels in 1 Day, 18 feet an hour when digging surface or deep tunnels, and can travel 80 feet a minute in tunnel already created.

Why do I have mounds of dirt in my yard?

As moles dig new horizontal, deeper tunnels, they need a place to put the dirt they are excavating. They bring this dirt to the surface. As they dig farther and farther, they make new mounds of dirt as the run gets longer. The bigger the mound, the deeper the moles tunnel is beneath the surface of the ground.

Why do all the poisons, home remedies, grub control, mole-tox, sound makers, vibration makers and other mole control devices not work?

Our answer to this question is simple, If all of these actually worked, we would not be in business. Ever heard the expression, cheaper is better? Not really is it, quality and factual knowledge beats cheap any day. Those things are there to hook the homeowner, not to solve your problem. Moles do not eat any form of grain or plant matter, they are strictly meat eaters. As to the sound, sonic, and vibrating devices designed to scare moles away, we have caught moles weekly fairly close to these types of devices.

I have never had moles until now, why are they in my yard?

As it has been said above, moles are solitary and territorial. When the female has babies and raises them til they are old enough to be on their own, she kicks them out, these "teen" moles now have to explore new areas and set up their own territories. As this process repeats itself, they will soon make it to your yard, especially if you might be in the middle of a new housing development.

Joshua S Jones is a Mole Removal Specialist with A All Animal Control of Tri-State servicing Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas. You can find him at http://www.WeTrapMoles.com He is a Certified Wildlife Professional and a Wildlife Management Academy Graduate. Josh is Currently the President of the Missouri Wildlife Control Operators Association and a member in good standing with the National Wildlife Control Operators Association. Feel free to email Josh at TriState@AAllAnimalControl.com

Good San Diego Contractors

I would love to hear your good contractor stories. I'm so tired of hearing about contractor nightmares, is there anyone out there that has a good contractor story. Place it in the comment area underneath this question.

Home Repair Books

To Seal or Not to Seal?

Sealing your pavers is a wise decision. Much like you should weather proof your wood deck with a product like Thompson's Water Seal, applying a sealant to your brick pavers will help prolong the life of your pavers.

Pavers are an aesthetic material. Functional, yes, however, most people agree that the primary value pavers bring to a home is their visual impact. Sealing pavers helps to add to this value. A sealer will protect them from premature fading due to strong or direct sunlight. You will be able to clean the pavers easier once they have a sealer on them. Water will bead on top of the pavers after a hard rain, just like it beads on your car after you've had it waxed. Mold cannot as easily take a foothold in the natural pours of the bricks, as those pours are now sealed. And most significantly, sealer will darken the pavers. When pavers are sealed, they have a wet look to them. Generally, the wet look is very appealing as it makes the rich, vibrant colors of the pavers stand out more prominently.

The sealing process normally takes two days. The first day the pavers will be pressure washed and cleaned. Any stains, mold, or mildew will be washed off of the surface of the pavers. Once they have been washed, it may be necessary to add more joint sand in between the bricks in order to stabilize the field. This step is not always necessary. Normally, newer installs will not require more sand as the pavers have recently been installed and there's a sufficient quantity. In older paver applications, a touch up of the joint sand is recommended after the pressure washing process. Next, the pavers must dry completely. Most paver sealers are solvent based, not water based. The use of a solvent based sealant requires a low moisture content. If the pavers are sealed, while damp, with a solvent based sealer, a white, cloudy residue will form on the surface of almost every brick. It is, therefore, imperative that the pavers are completely dry before the sealer is applied. The next day, the sealant is applied. To apply the sealer, we recommend using an air sprayer versus a paint roller technique. We apply two medium coats across the paver area, allowing about an hour between each coat for dry time. It is important to not apply too thick a coat as the sealer will not properly penetrate the pours. Once the second coat has been applied, let the sealer dry overnight before using the area.

When asked whether a sealer should be applied, we consistently recommend that it should. If you have recently just installed pavers or if you've had pavers for ten years and you want to freshen them up, cleaning and sealing them is a sound investment in their well being. It is not a necessary step to owning pavers, but one that will allow you to enjoy them looking beautiful for a long time.

To find out more about sealing your pavers, contact Florida Paver Sealers today!

Garrett McGinnis
407-575-6081
http://www.paverweb.com

Family Room Pop Out Wall Framing

Remodeling Your Home In Carlsbad

What you are thinking about remodeling your house and you live in Carlsbad. Let me give you some advice about some local contractors and some of the people involved. I used a company called Service Magic to find a local heating and air conditioning contractor. All I had to do was go on the internet , type in some information about my self and what I wanted to have done to my home. This didn't seem that bad of a idea at the time. But look what I found out.

I went to their web site, filled in my information and with in minutes I had received the names of at least 4 contractors. Wow this is neat. I didn't even get to start calling any of them when my phone rang. It was one of the contractors secretaries. She introduced herself and asked what would be a good time for someone to come out to look at the work I wanted done.

I was surprised at the speed things were taking place but in a way glad that I had a reputable contractor from one of the largest construction referral services on the internet. I told her 10:00 would be fine. I got a call shortly after that from one of the other companies. He wanted to meet me that mourning at 8:00 if it was Ok with me. I told him of course, let's do this. Then the next one called and I thought great you can come at 1:00. Well you guessed it the next one was coming over at 2:30.

The first contractor showed up as scheduled at 8:00. We talked about what I wanted done and he whips out his note book and starts figuring out a price. This took place around 15 minutes into the meeting. This guys good I thought. Being a General Contractor in Carlsbad myself, for a job like this I would go back to my office and figure out a price and then double check my figures for a accurate estimate. It took this guy less than 5 minutes to create a proposal of around 10,700 dollars for every thing.

Well I was thinking to myself, the job should be around 7,000 dollars but what do I know about construction. I informed him that I would think about it and that I was going to meet with a couple of other contractors that day. He ask me who the other contractors were. I proceeded to tell him that I probably shouldn't tell him who they were. Well your not going to believe this. He put on his physic hat and told me who was coming over. The only thing he didn't know was what time they where coming over.

Oh I forgot to mention before he left he told me he would knock ten percent off the job if I signed the contract right now. I pretended like I was excited just to see his reaction. He looked at me like he had won the gold metal in sales. I told him thanks but I bet your new offer with the ten percent discount will be good for the next few day. Right I asked. He wasn't looking that excited any more as he replied with a Yes it will be good for a while. I thanked him and he went on his way.

My 10:00 never showed but his secretary gave me the old, " He had to go do a emergency job and could he reschedule tomorrow at the same time. I said that would be fine. As a contractor myself I have always put the work I had to do first and foremost.

About 12:30 I get a call from my next heating and air conditioning contractor. He is running late but will be there at 1:30. I appreciate the call and I will see you then. The only problem now is that I have another contractor coming at 2:30. That give the next contractor less than one hour before the next guy shows up. I never liked going over to someone's house and running into another remodeling contractor.

The next contractor was very informative and knew his stuff. I listened and learned. He told me he was going to have to go back to his office and would have a price back in the mourning. Great I told him as I hurried him out the door.

The last contractor of the day shows up and wants to know whose been over to the house, was it these guys or those guys. I told him I wasn't going to tell him who was over. Now this guy was a salesman. He did a little more probing before he let me in on the fact that his company doesn't do complete home installations. He made up some story that his company only replaces the forced air units. I could tell he didn't want to do the job once he found out I knew what I was talking about. So I said my good byes to Mr. Salesman.

The bad part about him was latter on that week his company sent us some mailers. The kind that doesn't have your name on it and everyone in the neighborhood get's one. I couldn't believe my eyes when I started to read this letter. It said we would be glad to give you an estimate on all your heating and air conditioning needs or services. " We Do Complete Installs". I told my wife we could have used this a few weeks ago. Then I recognized the name of the company and now knew that the salesman had lied to me for sure.

That night I started to think about what was going on here it seemed like I was being set up. Everyone knew what was going on but me. It seemed clear to me that these people knew each other.

Well as time went on we ended up hiring the first guy that came over. He seemed to have the best product at the most reasonable price. His company also did a great job. Keep one thing in mind here out of five contractors that I gave the opportunity to bid the job. Only three showed up and from them I only got two bids. Why didn't I get more bids? Quite frankly I was to busy working at the time and of course the other two guys were always going to show up and that kind of strung me along. My mistake.

Here's the kicker to all of this. Service Magic calls me up one day to tell me they would like to start sending me construction leads as a General Contractor.

I listened to what they had to say and was almost ready to sign up with them again. That's right, I was signed up with them when they first started until they changed the rules on me. The salesman that originally contacted me said if I paid them the 100 dollar sign up fee they would let me pick what jobs I wanted to do. That lasted about 5 months before I noticed that they were not sending me siding referrals to pick from. I called them up only to talk to someone who didn't understand the State Of California Contractors Licensing Board.

Well I wasn't about to reinvent the wheel. I simply told them that I should a least get my money back, right. They said they would look into it further as I never heard from them again about my 100 dollars. Well things have changed at Service Magic since I was with them when they started.
As a home owner you don't think you are paying Service Magic because all you do is fill out a simple form giving some information about yourself.

I found out that Service Magic sent all four of these contractors my original information. Each contractor then had to pay 55 dollars each to Service Magic for a total of 220 dollars. All I have to say is how are they getting away with charging this much money for sending a out a simple referral to these contractors.

The contractor unfortunately passes this expense on to his customers. You as the home owners end up paying these fees as a cost of doing business with them. Some contractors think this is a great way of doing business but you might think differently in the future if you start paying over 100 dollars for a simple construction referral.

Greg Vanden Berge has been in the home building and remodeling business for over 30 years. With this knowledge he has created a few websites that provide useful information for home owners as well as contractors. His main goal is to educate professionals in the home related businesses, dealing with problems that can easily be avoided with just a little bit of information.

His website http://gregvan.com provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building issues that could create major damage as well as possible damage to your pocket book.

Visit us now for Home Improvement Tips

Walkways Books

Remodeling In Carlsbad - Home Improvement

What you are thinking about remodeling your house and you live in Carlsbad. Let me give you some advice about some local contractors and some of the people involved. I used a company called Service Magic to find a local heating and air conditioning contractor. All I had to do was go on the internet , type in some information about my self and what I wanted to have done to my home. This didn't seem that bad of a idea at the time. But look what I found out.

I went to their web site, filled in my information and with in minutes I had received the names of at least 4 contractors. Wow this is neat. I didn't even get to start calling any of them when my phone rang. It was one of the contractors secretaries. She introduced herself and asked what would be a good time for someone to come out to look at the work I wanted done.

I was surprised at the speed things were taking place but in a way glad that I had a reputable contractor from one of the largest construction referral services on the internet. I told her 10:00 would be fine. I got a call shortly after that from one of the other companies. He wanted to meet me that mourning at 8:00 if it was Ok with me. I told him of course, let's do this. Then the next one called and I thought great you can come at 1:00. Well you guessed it the next one was coming over at 2:30.

The first contractor showed up as scheduled at 8:00. We talked about what I wanted done and he whips out his note book and starts figuring out a price. This took place around 15 minutes into the meeting. This guys good I thought. Being a General Contractor in Carlsbad myself, for a job like this I would go back to my office and figure out a price and then double check my figures for a accurate estimate. It took this guy less than 5 minutes to create a proposal of around 10,700 dollars for every thing.

Well I was thinking to myself, the job should be around 7,000 dollars but what do I know about construction. I informed him that I would think about it and that I was going to meet with a couple of other contractors that day. He ask me who the other contractors were. I proceeded to tell him that I probably shouldn't tell him who they were. Well your not going to believe this. He put on his physic hat and told me who was coming over. The only thing he didn't know was what time they where coming over.

Oh I forgot to mention before he left he told me he would knock ten percent off the job if I signed the contract right now. I pretended like I was excited just to see his reaction. He looked at me like he had won the gold metal in sales. I told him thanks but I bet your new offer with the ten percent discount will be good for the next few day. Right I asked. He wasn't looking that excited any more as he replied with a Yes it will be good for a while. I thanked him and he went on his way.

My 10:00 never showed but his secretary gave me the old, " He had to go do a emergency job and could he reschedule tomorrow at the same time. I said that would be fine. As a contractor myself I have always put the work I had to do first and foremost.

About 12:30 I get a call from my next heating and air conditioning contractor. He is running late but will be there at 1:30. I appreciate the call and I will see you then. The only problem now is that I have another contractor coming at 2:30. That give the next contractor less than one hour before the next guy shows up. I never liked going over to someone's house and running into another remodeling contractor.

The next contractor was very informative and knew his stuff. I listened and learned. He told me he was going to have to go back to his office and would have a price back in the mourning. Great I told him as I hurried him out the door.

The last contractor of the day shows up and wants to know whose been over to the house, was it these guys or those guys. I told him I wasn't going to tell him who was over. Now this guy was a salesman. He did a little more probing before he let me in on the fact that his company doesn't do complete home installations. He made up some story that his company only replaces the forced air units. I could tell he didn't want to do the job once he found out I knew what I was talking about. So I said my good byes to Mr. Salesman.

The bad part about him was latter on that week his company sent us some mailers. The kind that doesn't have your name on it and everyone in the neighborhood get's one. I couldn't believe my eyes when I started to read this letter. It said we would be glad to give you an estimate on all your heating and air conditioning needs or services. " We Do Complete Installs". I told my wife we could have used this a few weeks ago. Then I recognized the name of the company and now knew that the salesman had lied to me for sure.

That night I started to think about what was going on here it seemed like I was being set up. Everyone knew what was going on but me. It seemed clear to me that these people knew each other.

Well as time went on we ended up hiring the first guy that came over. He seemed to have the best product at the most reasonable price. His company also did a great job. Keep one thing in mind here out of five contractors that I gave the opportunity to bid the job. Only three showed up and from them I only got two bids. Why didn't I get more bids? Quite frankly I was to busy working at the time and of course the other two guys were always going to show up and that kind of strung me along. My mistake.

Here's the kicker to all of this. Service Magic calls me up one day to tell me they would like to start sending me construction leads as a General Contractor.

I listened to what they had to say and was almost ready to sign up with them again. That's right, I was signed up with them when they first started until they changed the rules on me. The salesman that originally contacted me said if I paid them the 100 dollar sign up fee they would let me pick what jobs I wanted to do. That lasted about 5 months before I noticed that they were not sending me siding referrals to pick from. I called them up only to talk to someone who didn't understand the State Of California Contractors Licensing Board.

Well I wasn't about to reinvent the wheel. I simply told them that I should a least get my money back, right. They said they would look into it further as I never heard from them again about my 100 dollars. Well things have changed at Service Magic since I was with them when they started.
As a home owner you don't think you are paying Service Magic because all you do is fill out a simple form giving some information about yourself.

I found out that Service Magic sent all four of these contractors my original information. Each contractor then had to pay 55 dollars each to Service Magic for a total of 220 dollars. All I have to say is how are they getting away with charging this much money for sending a out a simple referral to these contractors.

The contractor unfortunately passes this expense on to his customers. You as the home owners end up paying these fees as a cost of doing business with them. Some contractors think this is a great way of doing business but you might think differently in the future if you start paying over 100 dollars for a simple construction referral.

Greg Vanden Berge has been in the home building and remodeling business for over 30 years. With this knowledge he has created a few websites that provide useful information for home owners as well as contractors. His main goal is to educate professionals in the home related businesses, dealing with problems that can easily be avoided with just a little bit of information

His website http://gregvan.com provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building issues that could create major damage as well as possible damage to your pocket book

Visit us now for Home Improvement Tips

Lowest Construction Bids

Fireplace Remodeling Ideas

When we moved into our new house there was a long list of work that needed be done in terms of updating and remodeling, but nothing stood out more than that ugly pink fireplace dominating the middle of our living room. It was one of our first projects and our neighbors were amazed at the difference it made in the way our house felt when you walked through the door. Since that time there have been many more fireplace remodels in our neighborhood. You can spend anywhere from $100 to $20,000 updating your fireplace, so it is best to consider both your budget and your goals. Here are some suggestions:

Painting the fireplace -- Do you have a tight budget? A fireplace that is made from brick can be painted whether it is in its raw brick form, or even if someone has already painted it another color. If you like the overall look of the fireplace, then painting is a good option. There are many colors available the will tie in nicely to the other colors in your room. Be sure to use paint that can hold up to high temperatures. One vendor that sells products specifically for painting a fireplace is Brick-Anew. Painting was not an option for our fireplace, as the tile hearth was chipped and needed to be replaced or repaired and we were not happy with the overall look of the fireplace. Also, there are a lot of people (including us) who don't really like the look of painted brick.

Another option that can sometimes work with the right house and the right fireplace is plastering. American Clay sells a natural clay plaster that can be applied to a variety of surfaces, including brick or even well-adhered paint when using their special primer. Unlike traditional plasters, the American Clay product an be reworked for quite a long time after installation, which makes it very forgiving for the amateur.

Refacing the fireplace -- If you want to take the project to a whole new level, you can drastically change the look of a fireplace by using different materials on the exterior face of the fireplace. You can create a high-end elegant look with marble slabs, a modern look with concrete slabs, or a Craftsman look with small tiles in different shades and complementary woodwork. You can either add a mantel or remove one. You can change the shape or the size of the mantel to provide different proportions to your fireplace. Another option is to sheetrock or plaster parts of the fireplace. If the mass of the fireplace is too much for the room, you can reduce it by adding sheetrock or paneling to the exterior. There are even veneer stone and brick materials that are fairly easy to apply that can give your fireplace a very traditional look.

The important thing to remember when refacing a fireplace is to understand your local code. Combustible materials such as wood mantels and paneling must be kept a certain distance from the firebox (generally 6 inches or more). The building code also limits how far these materials project from the face of the fireplace, how large the hearth extension must be, and so on. Codes vary around the country - it is important to evaluate your project relative to the codes enforced in your area.

This project can cost you anywhere from a few hundred dollars (to do yourself) up to $10,000 depending upon the materials you use and the extent of the work required.

Complete remodel -- Do you need your fireplace to become more completely integrated into your living space? Do you need ways to incorporate shelves, drawers, an LCD or flat panel TV, and audio visual equipment into your living space? You may want to build an entertainment center integrated with your fireplace. This is a high-end custom cabinet project and is your most expensive option, but the results can be stunning.

Regardless of the size of the project that you decide on, be sure to factor in any changes that you are planning to the living space. Are you planning on painting or getting new furniture? What is the style of your house and your existing furniture? Should the mantel be painted or are there other natural woods in the house that you would like to tie in with the fireplace? Tying the look of the fireplace into the style of your home makes it an elegant accent instead of oddity like our pink fireplace was before it was remodeled.

Reinhardt Quelle does fireplace remodels and custom cabinets in the San Francisco Bay area. After many years in technology, Reinhardt decided to become a full-time parent. Parenting had to share time with remodeling, however, since he and his wife had just purchased a fixer-upper. Reinhardt completely remodeled the house, knocking out walls, replacing the kitchen and bathrooms, and building a four-level deck in the backyard. But it was his remodeled fireplaces and custom cabinets really captured the attention of neighbors and friends and he quickly found himself employed full-time in the neighborhood and beyond.

After fielding requests for fireplace remodels from around the country he decided to write a book so that people could remodel their fireplaces on their own.

Here is an example of adding a TV over the mantel, creating custom cabinets for audio visual components, and incorporating the speaker into the mantel tv over fireplace gallery

Reinhardt has two websites: homebedazzle.com and builtinplans.com

Drywall Joint Water Damage

Quality Stair Parts Make Quality Staircase

Prioritization is an important skill not only at work but also in life. This is actually a principle which is applicable in many things. The same principle holds true when it comes to home improvement. Prioritization means being able to put first things first - thus, identifying those which are important to those which are not. It is important to note that there are different parts of our homes which need to be maintained and taken care of. Others may be big and some small, nonetheless, we would like to recognize and give equal importance to them.

A staircase is considered as an important part of the house - at least for people who have two or more floors in their homes. If you'd like to work on some improvement to this critical part of the house, then you'd like to focus on the stair parts that you are or will be using for starters.

Stair parts come in different materials and design. The overall look of your staircase would be dependent on your selection of these parts. First thing first is for you to become aware of the array of selection for your stair parts. It is best that you have a good background on them as this will serve as your foundation when you start working on selecting which parts to use and how they blend together. As you consider design, you might also want to make sure that you are looking after quality as well. Remember that: quality stair parts make a quality staircase. Design and Quality are two important factors to bear in mind.

Nailing down the design that you want will ultimately be based on the overall design of your house. You'd like to make sure that it fits well in the theme that you are observing or would want to achieve in your home. Having this information will make it easier for you to identify which stair parts to choose. This will also allow you to pay attention to the details and the intricacies included.

Bottom-line is: the quality and design of the stair parts you choose will narrow down to your own preference, requirements and specification. You would like to gather as much information as you can or creatively see how parts fit together and to your home design. After all, it would be hard to be constantly changing the design of your staircase. More than this process being tedious, it may turn out expensive and impractical for you to sustain as well. This is why it is important to get details first and then make informed choices. Ensuring that you do these things will ultimately lead to successful improvement your staircase.

Learn more about stair parts, feel free to visit http://www.elegantstairsandwoodfloors.com/
Eliza Maledevic Ayson writes for Jump2top.com - SEO Company

Tile Roof Stucco Damage

Motorized Shades Primary Benefits

1. Convenience. Raising and lowering a manual shade is easy enough if it is not too big. But if the shade is very large or there are 2, 3, 4 or more shades then it becomes more difficult and more time consuming. The convenience factors of motorized shades are important for several other reasons listed below.

a. Maximizing Views. Having motorized shades mean the difference between seeing a beautiful sunrise/sunset or missing it. Stunning vistas are rarely missed when opening or closing shades is as simple as pressing a button.

b. Security. Motorized shades can easily be set on a timer so that when guests are away from home for an extended period of time, shades are raised and lowered at various preset times. This gives the impression that someone is living in the house which deters would be thieves.

c. Conserving Energy. The heat gain from sunlight through windows during summer months is a major burden on air conditioning. The convenience of motorized shades makes saving energy much simpler. Preset timers obviate the need to remember to raise or lower shades for energy saving purposes.

d. Protecting Furniture, artwork and flooring. The sun's rays can do damage to interior furnishings, causing fading, cracking or warping. The convenience of motorized shades makes protecting furniture, artwork and flooring much simpler. Preset timers are also useful in this regard.

e. Many Windows and/or Large Windows. As the number and size of windows increases, the case for motorization becomes increasingly compelling. Some walls of windows are 20, 30 or even 60 feet in length which makes motorization a practical necessity.

f. Hard to reach windows. These skylight windows, second story openings or windows blocked by furniture or other obstructions are why motorized shades were first conceived. Obviously, these factors are still relevant today.

2. Child Safety. A shocking number of injuries and deaths result each year due to cords from manual window shades. The window shade industry's "Child Safety Month" is intended to address these hazards with safety clips and consumer awareness. The best solution is no cords at all, which is possible with motorized shades.

3. Unsightly Cords. Aesthetically, cords detract from the clean look of a window opening. Multiple shades mean multiple cords, pooling on the floor when fully open. Motorized window shades means no more unsightly control cords and open, clear views through windows.

4. Less Wear and Tear. Tangling and unfamiliar 'user abuse' to shades are the most common causes of service calls. The control mechanisms on manual shades, if used frequently (see convenience factor above), will break and can be costly to repair or replace.

5. They are cool! Functionally, motorized shades make a lot of sense and aesthetically, they are definitely preferable to manual shades. Let's not forget that they also have an impressive WOW Factor!

The author, Gavin Sword, is an owner of Automated Shading - New York Motorized Shades The company offers Motorized Shades in New York, Florida, (Miami, Naples, Tampa, Orlando), New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

A Few Sound Thoughts on Above Ground Swimming Pools

If you are like so many other people who have woken up to the concept of above ground swimming pools then there are a few things that you may want to consider before you get started shopping around. For one thing, above ground swimming pools offer far more affordable options than a standard cement built in and you may want to consider them all prior to making your purchase.

A Complete Above Ground Pool Kit

To start with, the first decision you are going to have to make is whether to purchase your pool and all its components separately or combined in a package. As far as savings go, you are much better off with a package. However; if you plan on adding custom features such as a solar pool heater you may want to opt to make separate purchases.

You May Want a Smaller Pool for Young Kids

People often tend to assume that bigger is better when it comes to above ground swimming pools but this is far too often simply not the case. For instance, if your pool is primarily to be used by younger children you may want to consider a smaller pool with no deep end.

Smaller Above Ground Pools Are Cheaper to Accesorize

You will not only save money on the initial purchase of a smaller pool but because of its smaller size it will be far more affordable to accessorize. A complete, prefabricated, natural wood, wrap around deck will be cheaper to buy as will the smaller safety cover for the pool.

Kids do Require Safety Features

Also, with the savings you can bring a nice pool slide as well as a custom "coral reef" pool liner into the equation which the kids will love. With these savings on the entire project you can well afford the safety features you will need for smaller kids such as a deluxe retractable pool ladder and a fence.

Take a Look Through a Child's Eyes

Then there are all the great pool toys that are now available to choose from. It is important to remember that kids have a completely different outlook on swimming pools that adults do. For kids above ground swimming pools are play areas and they often prefer a shallow pool that they can stand up in safely and comfortably.

Written by Joshua Wedelet. Now you can learn all you wanted about Above ground Swimming pools as well as ">Above ground pool liners

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.

House Framing Books

How to Make Money Online - The List-Building Way

How to make money online? The answer to the question is: Through Internet Marketing.

Making Money through Internet Marketing? Yes, it's simple and I can share with you the Secret.

The Secret is: The list-Building Way

In rare occasions, nobody really bothers about sharing on the essence of building a list. Because I believe it's important, let's define the meaning of a "list".

A list is a group of individuals that agree and are willing to receive information from you. This is so important that I cannot emphasize more. The list starts from ONE person who thinks your information is of value to him/her and thus decides to leave down his/her name and email address.

Why would anybody want to do that? The reason is simple: They are willing to do this because they believe in YOU that by trading their contact information, it is worthwhile after all as they would receive something of value such as a free video that would help to address a problem they may have.

As more and more people start to leave down their names and e-mail addresses, you are building your list! As you build and grow your list and begin to take these people for granted, it's time for you to THINK again.

One of the most critical elements to success in Internet Marketing is list Building which depends on how successful you are in developing relationships with the people on your list.

It is important to use our Heart and Soul to treat every person on the list with full respect as they believe you can provide them with a possible solution to a problem which they have been facing for a long time.

The list-Building Way advocates making money online with the end-user in mind. With this kind of approach and mentality, it's no wonder that you will grow your list so fast that you realise the value of having a list is literally thousands of dollars in the bank on a monthly basis.

How To Make Money Online?

It's not a SECRET anymore.

To help you with the process, you will receive 3 free internet marketing videos. To get your free videos and learn how to start building a list your way, click the link below. Make Money Online Tips

Jas Han loves to help others succeed and he believes you can do it too!

Buying A Functional House

NAHB's Voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines

The voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are designed to move environmentally friendly home building concepts further into the mainstream marketplace. Currently, there are approximately thirty communities throughout the U.S. that have green home building programs in place or in development. By developing the set of voluntary national guidelines, NAHB intends to help facilitate the adoption of green home building practices and the formation of additional local programs in the parts of the country not currently served by programs.

In the spring of 2003, NAHB approved a resolution supporting green building. In response to NAHB members requests to provide the membership with technical guidance to support the new green building policy, NAHB tasked the NAHB Research Center to manage a project to develop national green home building guidelines.

The NAHB Research Center worked together in an open, public process with over 60 Stakeholder Group members from the home building industry to create those guidelines. The guidelines contain six primary sections:

Lot Preparation and Design - With lot preparation and design, the builder has opportunities to demonstrate environmentally sensible construction practices. Even before the foundation is poured, careful planning can reduce the homes impact on vegetation, soil, water, plus a homes long-term performance can be enhanced. Such preparation can provide significant value to the homeowner, the environment, and the community. Included for the end user, especially developers, is a Site Planning Appendix that closely mirrors this section and provides additional guidance.

Resource Efficiency This section shows how certain framing techniques and home designs can effectively optimize the use of building materials. Construction waste management concepts are also discussed. In addition, information is provided on how a homes durability and the amount of time and money needed for maintenance are affected by how certain materials are used.

Energy Efficiency This is the most quantifiable aspect of green building. The information on this section will help a builder create a building envelope and incorporate energy efficient mechanical systems, appliances, and lighting into a home that will yield long-term utility bill cost savings and increased comfort for the homeowner. It contains the only requirements to participate in this voluntary program: compliance with the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code, use of ACCA manuals to size HVAC equipment, and 3rd party plan review to verify compliance with the section.

Water Efficiency/Conservation Although, the relative importance of water availability and usage varies from region to region, the concern with adequate supply of water is becoming more widespread geographically. Experience also shows that employing the line items from this section of the guidelines for indoor and outdoor water use can decrease a homeowners need for water and thus reduce utility bills, regardless of location.

Occupancy Comfort and Indoor Environmental Quality Details in this part of the guidelines will indicate how to effectively manage moisture, ventilation, and other issues in order to create a comfortable indoor living environment.

Homeowner Education - Given the level of effort a homebuilder goes through to create a well thought out home system, it would be a shame not to give the homeowner some guidance on how to optimally operate and maintain the house. Line items from this section show a builder how best to educate homeowners on a variety of homeownership matters.

Each section contains a set of provisions that explain how a builder can incorporate green building concepts into a project. In addition, local builders and green building program developers may apply points to the provisions to further define green building through a scoring methodology currently being developed. Local homebuilder associations will be given a user guide that will provide additional information and guidance on ways to customize the guidelines to accommodate local conditions.
The draft presented at Fall Board in Columbus, OH was a piloting version for dissemination amongst HBAs and builders for accuracy and practicality. A number of HBAs and High Production Builders have expressed an interest in helping NAHB to pilot test the document. The deadline for pilot testing was December 1st and the final version will be rolled out during the 2005 IBS in January in Orlando, FL. Currently, NAHB staff from the Energy and Green Building Dept. are traveling throughout the country presenting the guidelines to builders and HBAs who have expressed an interest in implementing green building in their respective businesses/communities. To date over 20 HBAs have voiced their interest and support, with many more to follow in the new year.

In summary, the voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are for the mainstream home builders, many of whom are already incorporating some green building methods and materials into their construction practices. These voluntary guidelines will help systematize the green design and construction process and assist the builder toward incorporating more green building features into homes. As NAHB Research Center data indicates that there is a growing number of green homes built annually, it is expected that these voluntary guidelines will help builders meet the needs of this growing market.

Neda Dabestani-Ryba is a licensed Realtor in Maryland. She is a member of the President's Circle of Top Real Estate Professionals. She can be reached at (800) 536-3806 or visit her website for more information: http://neda.dabestani.pcragent.com

Prudential Carruthers REALTORS is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential Financial company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

I Have A Squeaky Floor

Plans For Your Self Storage Building

You can have your own mini storage building as this is going to be great investment for you. Nowadays, storing has become a very common household problem faced by each and every family. Recent study showed that 1 of every 6 families lease a storing place for their items. They use this unit regularly, to store their seasonal items or to keep sporting goods. So, a well serviced facility will be of a great help to your neighbors. You can also generate profit out of this investment, by making it convenient with most of the service available in storing industry.

There are plenty of companies, who will provide you the service to build a mini storage building . They will customize the building to be a perfect fit to your land arrangement. Generally the building width varies from 10 to 60 feet and unit width to 15 feet. You may have a sloping roof along with unit stepping for inclined land. This type of structure makes the units adaptable at any climate. These pre designed structures are going to be strong, sturdy, secured and durable. You can customize them according to your choice making them to look attractive to attract more and more customers.

It is advisable to use steel as the main material for the mini storage building structure. Steel has many advantages compared to other materials like wood. A steel construction is erected faster, so that you can start the center as soon as possible. It saves up to 60 per cent on your construction and material price. You can always add new extensions to the existing facility, without any interruption to your business. You do not have to face any cracking or rotting problem with steel. This is also safe from pest and insects. There is no fire hazards associated to steel. The materials are fully recycled, thus you are also preserving the nature by not using wood from forests.

If you use steel as a building material for your mini storage building , you can save up to 40 per cent on the insurance premium. It is very easy to keep the units clean and dry. Usually, you will get 25 years warranty for repairing purpose. You can also save money to maintain the ideal storing condition. Steel also guarantee you the security of the stored materials. Once the building is erected, you can have beautiful surface textures and colors to apply on. Your customer will feel comfortable to keep their things at a unit which is built of steel.

Select an experienced construction agency to build your mini storage building . Keep your surveyed property plot plan handy for their requirement. You need to make a deposit on the fee, before they start looking into your project. The cost of construction will depend on the size and complexity of your project. If you are planning to build a large storing facility, better to hire a construction manager. He will look into each and every module until the building is completed.

You will find lots of construction companies, if you search online. Free instant building design is also available at their websites. You can also quote to calculate the cost of your project. At the website, you have the privilege to choose from more than 500 different type of building kit sizes and design arrangement. Once you finalize the company they will ship the drawings and plan as early as possible. The material will be shipped no later than one week.

Kamyar Shah writes about different topics including self storage, property management, secret shopping and management consulting issues.

Self Storage Building

Self Storage

Raised Door Threshold