Electric Power Washer versus Gas Power Washer

Last year I bought an electric power washer and wound up returning it the same day. Last week I bought a gas power washer from Craftsman, and what a difference.

The electric power washer put out about 1600 psi of water pressure and came with only one attachment, whereas the gas power washer from Craftsman puts out 2200 psi using a 4.5 HP engine and came with 4 different head attachments for the wand. There is one attachment specifically designed for soap and three other heads for various uses; e.g. car washing, house siding, and sidewalk cleaning.

Besides the benefit of the higher water pressure, the gas power washer also has one less wire/hose to drag around (the electric extension cord), has a lower center of gravity and can be rolled around. The electric power washer on the other hand sat like your typical vacuum cleaner and tipped over easily. Also, the one plastic head clogged within 5 minutes of use and I spent much of my afternoon with it unclogging it.

The cost of the gas power washer was about 50% more than the electric power washer, but it was money well spent. The electric power washer was more of a toy than a tool and I spent more time playing with it than actually getting any work done with it.

The only downside I found with the 4 separate attachments is that you could loose them if you are not careful. I wound up keeping the soap and house siding attachments in my pocket and kept switching between the two as I power washed my home.

One final note: When using a power washer, make sure you use safety glasses. The high water pressure could seriously injure an eye if the wand/nozzle were accidentally directed towards your face and the trigger pulled. This is more likely to happen then you might think as you switch between the various attachment heads. The gas power pressure washer from Craftsman did have a safety switch to prevent inadvertent pulling of the trigger, but the user has to make a conscious effort to set the switch.

Unfinished Homes - A Great Way to Buy a Home

So you're looking to purchase a new home and contemplating on whether or not it makes sense to buy an unfinished home to save money.

An unfinished home is great way to get into a new home and save dollars. Buying an unfinished home can lower your initial investment and keep the monthly mortgage payment lower. In addition, you might be able to buy an unfinished home with a larger foundation size, such that someday when you finish the home you’ve gone from a “Starter Home” to a large highly sought after custom home.

Typically an unfinished starter home (e.g. Colonial/Gambrel/Cape of around 24x36 or 26x36) means that the upstairs is unfinished. How unfinished is a question of how much sweat equity you are willing to put into it. I have seen some unfinished homes where the only thing done to the upstairs was a framed center bearing wall to support the roof trusses. Others have included all of the rough framing, electric and plumbing. Based on my experiences, not finishing the upstairs will save you around 15%-20% of the finished cost of the entire home. For example, a normally finished home of $200,000 would cost you around $160, 000 to $170,000 unfinished (upstairs not completed).

If the homes you are considering have attached garages planned for them, you could possibly save another $25-30K if you were to forgo the garage. Also, if there is an attached family room planned, you may achieve similar savings as the garage by forgoing it as well.

Another possibility for savings, if the home is planned to include a fireplace you could suggest to the builder to forgo the fireplace for the short term and have him build a cap on top of the jog in the foundation for the fireplace. You may be able to save several thousand dollars by eliminating the fireplace.

You need to remember though, when builders get a piece of property to build a home on they want to do everything possible to make as much money on their investment as they can. So you might get them to accept some of these ideas but probably not all of them.

The other thing to be aware of is what the banks will accept. Assuming you get a mortgage, they will want to make sure the unfinished home is livable and to local building codes. Thus the downstairs will probably need to have a room that can serve as a bedroom (with a door and closet). This means your future dining room, den or living room may need to be designed and built to support a closet and door that they may not have otherwise had.

The banks will frown upon unfinished homes that they may have trouble selling/auctioning if you were to default. So typically the downstairs rooms will need to have flooring installed, trim installed, etc. This will also hold true for landscaping. You may be able to save a little money on landscaping, but the builder will probably need to satisfy the bank with at least spreading some topsoil and grass around a 50 foot radius of the home.

Buying an unfinished home is a great way to enter into the housing market and to get a piece of the American Dream. It allows the potential buyer to grow into the home as their family and financial resources do so. Talk with your builder about the options you may have for buying a home unfinished. You could save a bundle!

For more information on building a new home, see the New Home Construction Bid Sheet from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The New Home Construction Bid Sheet provides extensive and important advice to the future homeowner on how to work with a general home contractor and his sub-contractors in order to ensure your home is built the way you want it to be.

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

Changing a Toilet Wax Ring

If there is water slowly leaking around the base of your toilet, or you constantly smell a foul odor in your bathroom chances are the toilet wax ring has begun to fail and it is time for it to be replaced.

A toilet wax ring is pretty much described by its name. It is a 1 to 2 inch thick ring of wax, frequently found surrounding a plastic funnel. The toilet wax ring works by forming a water/air tight seal between the base of the porcelain toilet base and the toilet flange (plastic or cast iron).

If a toilet rocks when it is sat upon, over time the toilet wax ring will breakdown and fail. This failure manifests itself in the formation of small water and odor leaks around the base of the toilet. If left unchecked, damage could occur to the bathroom floor and unsafe sewer gasses may build up in the home.

A new toilet wax ring should also be replaced any time a toilet is removed (e.g. during the installation of a new bathroom floor).

Replacing a toilet wax ring is easy to do and can be done by the do it yourself homeowner with a little knowledge and some preparation. Replacing a toilet wax ring can be done in about 1 hour assuming there are no extenuating circumstances.

The basic steps required to change a toilet wax ring begin with turning off the water supply line and emptying the tank and bowl of water. The supply line also needs to be disconnected from the toilet.

Next the anchor nuts, secured to the Hold-Down bolts, need to be unscrewed.

The toilet is then lifted off the toilet flange and turned over.

The old toilet wax ring can then be scraped and removed off the base of the toilet, and the floor can be cleaned of any old wax ring residue.

The new toilet wax ring is then pressed onto the base of the toilet and the toilet is then reseated onto the toilet flange.

The anchor nuts are then re-screwed back onto the Hold-down bolts and the supply line reconnected.

The water supply line to the toilet can then be turned back on and the toilet is back in business.

For more help on changing a toilet wax ring see the Changing a Toilet Wax Ring Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Changing a Toilet Wax Ring EBook will quickly explain to you in detail the step-by-step process for changing the wax ring on a toilet and includes how-to pictures for every key step in the process.

Pool Maintenance And Care

Some general tips on swimming pool cleaners and maintenance. It is very important that you take good care of your swimming pool, naturally you should make sure that the water are safe, and match the level of maintenance to the level of usage, since there is little chance you could predict your pool use it is recommended that you do this regularly. You will want to test the swimming pool water in the evening. Check the water before you add any kind of chemicals to the pool’s water. Once tested you should also test the water in the morning, before anyone uses the pool – so you know that the water quality is good for the days activities. A PH level of 7.5 is probably best, that is considered to be the ideal level for swimming pool water.

Test the swimming pool water according to usage, if you use the pool every few days there is no reason for daily checks, just before you intend on using it. At some seasons the swimming pool is used more than at other seasons so make sure you adjust your pool cleaning and maintenance to the seasons and your pool usage. Make sure you check the pool in advance to ensure a safe and enjoyable pool. Check signs of poor water quality, in general swimming pool water should be clear and bleu, anything that is not blue and clear is a cause for concern and you should simply take a close look at the water to make sure there is no algae growth or cloudiness.

Pay attention to the weather, different weather conditions have a significant effect on the water quality and the pool cleanness. The weather conditions effect the swimming pool water quality too, strong sun reduces amounts of chlorine and rainy seasons may increase water lever or introduce parasites to the pool. You should consider checking the water at the return flow of water to the pool, check and add any chemicals to ensure that there is effective mixing with filtered water. Regularly clean the pool surfaces including the waterline to ensure that build up of sun-oils, body fats, algae, airborne pollution and other dirt is not left to build up. Pool surround paving slabs should be cleaned with a strong Chlorine solution, brushed away from the pool.

While pool cleaning and pool maintenance is something that seems to be simple and not complicated it is highly recommended that you study the manufactures instructions, and that you consult the manual whenever faced with problems, you can also call and ask the company for advice or consult a local swimming pool maintenance professional. Chemical agents need to be mixed with the pool’s water, it is strongly recommended that you read instructions carefully and make sure you mix the right amounts, be careful and use caution when dealing with chemicals, use gloves and do not inhale fumes. The pool cleaning products and chemicals should be kept away from the reach of children always, and when disposed off it should be done by a responsible adult.

If you follow all the instructions and common sense there is no reason that you will not enjoy a nice and clean swimming pool at all seasons, it is always better to know that its highly maintained and cleaned when you jump into the cool water of your swimming pool.

Avoid smoking or lighting fire close to chemicals, and keep the chemicals in a safe location, as far as possible from barbeque grills, fireplaces etc. after handling pool cleaning products wash hands thoroughly.

Swimming Pool Cleaners Advice - If chemicals get into any contact with skin or inhaled, call a poison center, and make sure you can provide all the details of the chemicals used (find the container and keep it with you). To ensure that your pool water are clean run these tests on a daily basis, PH and Chlorine levels using a test kit. Ensure pH is within the 7.2 - 7.6 range. The pool filter should run at least 8 to 10 hours per day (24 hours per day is best). Set your pool timer or remember to run the pool manually if you don't have a timer. If you are not running your pool 24 hours per day, it is best to have it running during the daylight hours (instead of night).Make sure your skimmer baskets are empty and clear of leaves or other debris. Chlorine must be added to the pool daily by dissolving chlorine tablets in the skimmers once per week or use an automatic chlorinator. Make sure the unit is full and that the dial is set to a level that gives you a good daily chlorine reading depending on how long you run your system. Swimming Pool Cleaners.

About the Author:David Evermon has been involved in many swimming pool construction and maintenance projects, David writes articles about pool maintenance for ZupaTips.com

Advantages Of Pre Engineered Wood Flooring

For starters, engineered wood flooring tends to be stronger than regular solid hardwood flooring. It can also be installed over just about anything - concrete slab, existing wood floors, ceramic tile, etc. This certainly makes it attractive to someone looking to put in a wood floor with as little trouble as possible.

New advances have made it possible to put real wood as the top layer of each engineered plank. This makes engineered flooring almost indistinguishable from traditional solid wood flooring. This also means less wood is required for each plank. And even better, the finishes used by the factory are generally more durable than a finish you would apply yourself if you were installing solid plank flooring.

Since the finishes are applied at the factory, that means you can avoid all the mess, extra time and vapors associated with applying your own finish. You also don't have to worry about sanding or taping plastic sheets up all over your house. With engineered wood flooring, you can walk on it as soon as it is installed. There is no waiting period, it's instant gratification. And you don't have to stain it!

The factory also puts multiple coats of finish on each wood plank which dries to a much harder protective layer than a finish you would apply yourself. This added protection means less maintenance for you over the years. It also means engineered floors are more scratch resistant than solid flooring. If you have kids or pets, engineered wood flooring is likely your best investment. It will save you time up front and over the life of the floor.

Engineered flooring offers strength, ease of use, and looks that rival solid wood flooring. In many cases the cost of engineered flooring is comparable to that of real plank wood. You can't ask for anything better.

About the Author: By Opal Victoria. Able Floors offers hundreds of articles and reviews of pre engineered wood flooring types and manufacturers to help you make the right buying decision for your home.

If you are in need of hiring a general contractor for your next home remodeling project visit HomeAdditionPlus' Home Addition Bid Sheets. Home Addition Bid Sheets include the tools you need to ensure you hire the right general contractor for you home remodeling project including a comprehensive checklist of questions to ask the prospective contractor, and cost and timeframe estimates. Home Addition Bid Sheets help ensure that your home remodeling idea and project will be accomplished on time and on budget.

Find A Wood Flooring Professional Installer

Want a new wood floor but either don't have time or just don't want to install it yourself? How do you find a qualified, affordable, reliable contractor to install it for you? You can ask people that you know or take a look at a few reputable places on the web for advice.

First, you should know what to call them, floor installers or floor layers are professionals who will come to your home and install your wood floor from start to finish. They come in, go over the entire floor and fix imperfections so the wood floor has a smooth, solid foundation to sit on. The measure out the space they are working in and ready their materials and cut the wood before beginning.

When the installation is finished, you will be sure to have a solid wood floor that fits tightly into the space. This type of full service can be rather expensive but if you don't have the time or will to do it yourself it is the surest way of getting an floor installation that you won't have to worry about except to clean it.

If you already have a wood floor that needs to be refinished you can find a professional for that as well. These people would be called sander and finishers. They come in and use specialized equipment to smooth out old floors and apply a finish to it to make it look younger than it actually is. This is more than cosmetic though, the finish on a wood floor protects the wood from stains and other permanent damage. Getting a stain or scratch out of a finished surface is a lot easier than getting out of the underlying wood.

So, if you don't the have time to be a do it yourselfer, and many of us don't, you'll find more using the web than your local phone directory. Use the terms above to search for and find a professional wood floor installer in your area. You can usually get reviews from other people who have used the service online as well.

About the Author: By Joshua Miller. Qualified contractors for wood flooring installation online, there is no charge for our advice.

Staining And Finishing Hardwood Flooring

Staining will help bring out your hardwood flooring's character and uniqueness. Before applying your stain you need to make sure your floor is completely free of dust, grit and other particles. Dust likes to hide deep in the wood grain, be sure to really get in there to get those dust monsters out. More tips for thorough cleaning can be found at http://www.layingwoodflooring.com.

Make sure the area you are working in is well ventilated. Inhaling fumes from the wood stain can cause you to pass out if you breathe them in for too long. Most stains are solvent based which makes them flammable. Do not smoke while you are applying the stain. If you are working near a pilot light take the precaution and extinguish it, it's better not to take the chance.

Wood floor stains are either oil based or water based. Oil based are most common and preferred because they are easy to use. Water based is a newer type which accounts for the difference in popularity. Always test your stain in a corner or, better yet, on a scrap piece of wood before applying it to the whole floor.

Make sure traffic is diverted from the area before beginning. No one should come near your floor while you are staining or waiting for it to dry. To apply the stain, work from the corners and rub the stain in using a rag. Go with the wood grain and wipe off any excess as you go along. Stain should not sit on the wood, it will raise the grain of the wood and show every imperfection when it dries.

It is a best practice to allow your floor to dry overnight before attempting to walk on it or apply any type of finish. Once you're sure your wood is completely dry you are ready to put on your wood flooring finish.

About the Author: More refinishing hardwood flooring information plus wood flooring care and maintenance tips can be found online.

Hiring A Roofing Contractor

Arguably the easiest way to evaluate the quality of a roofing contractor's work is to look at his past jobs. When you are choosing a roofing contractor, many will gladly provide you with a list of references if they believe that their work speaks for itself. You should look for references that are a few years old, so that you can assess how durable the construction is. It can also be important to find a contractor that is the right fit for you. Choosing someone that you aren’t comfortable with can lead to problems. Conversely, be selective and choose someone with excellent references, a proven track record and expertise. If you hear significant or consistent negative things about a contractor from references don’t ignore them. While every one seems nice at first, go with the facts you hear and see they seem legitimate.

While you should be cautious of roofing contractors who do not provide references, some roofing contractors may just be starting out. If references are not provided, you can check with the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed against the contractor. You should also make sure that the contractor is insured (worker’s compensation policy as well as liability coverage), as you may otherwise be liable for any injuries that workers incur at your home.

You may also want to discuss a good workmanship warranty with the contractor as a safeguard against any faults with the construction. When you begin to discuss your job, be sure that you receive a written estimate, including a listing of the materials that will be used and the manufacturers' warranties. The estimate should include not only the cost of materials, but also the costs associated with preparing the roof (either to remove the old roof or prepare for laying over the existing roof), as well as the costs of permits and clean up.

Finally, if your job requires a real specialist find some one that has done a similar type of job.

Hiring a Roofing Contractor Quick Tips

• Check References
• Hire someone you are comfortable with
• Find some one that has done a similar type of job
• Check with the Better Business Bureau
• Make sure there are no hidden materials or prep costs

About the Author: John Dudley Jr. is the owner of United Home Experts. United has a reputation throughout the roofing industry for providing both value and quality in their roofing installation. They are based in Massachusetts, but also serve Rhode Island and New Hampshire. For more information, visit http://www.unitedpainting.net/

If you are in need of hiring a general contractor for your next home remodeling project visit HomeAdditionPlus' Home Addition Bid Sheets. Home Addition Bid Sheets include the tools you need to ensure you hire the right general contractor for you home remodeling project including a comprehensive checklist of questions to ask the prospective contractor, and cost and timeframe estimates. Home Addition Bid Sheets help ensure that your home remodeling idea and project will be accomplished on time and on budget.

Homebuilding: Laying Tongue And Groove Plywood

You have just finished framing the first floor deck for a brand new home and your ready to start putting down the 3/4" tongue and groove plywood. If you framed it well and got your 16" centers laid out right, the process should go smooth as silk. The key to success is in the framing of the joists.

The first step in laying plywood over the floor joists is to snap a chalk line. This gives you a straight line to follow. I always snap this line at 48 1/4" in off the edge of the rim joist. This ensures that in the course of installation the plywood (which is 48" wide) will not hang over the edge of the rim joist. It doesn't matter whether you start in the front or back of the house. For best results, start where you have the longest run without a jog in or out in the foundation.

After you have snapped your line, determine which joist the first sheet of plywood will break. If the joists where laid out 16" o.c. (on center) from the end of the building, the edge of the plywood would split the joist at 8 feet. Sometimes the roof layout determines the floor joist layout. This is usually the case when the roof is a hip roof. In this instance start with the joist that will allow the plywood to cover all the joists, even if it hangs over the edge of the first joist. This will be cut off later.

After you have determined where to start, apply construction adhesive to the top edge of the joists. Apply no more than 48" the width of the plywood. Lay the first sheet in the glue with the groove edge on the chalk line. Holding the sheet to the line, nail the leading edge of the plywood to the rim joist so it splits the joist. You'll be covering 3/4 of an inch of the joist with 3/4" exposed. Still holding the plywood to the chalk line, put a nail in the rim joist at the first joist. Now put nails in the rim joist where the floor joists are nailed into it. When nailing off the field these nails can be used as a guide to find the joists.

Now the groove edge can be nailed. On the leading edge, move the joist so the edge of the plywood splits the joist. Once you have the joist where you want it, nail the plywood to it. Now taking your tape measure, hook the leading edge of the joist you just nailed, and pull it along the edge of the plywood. Mark 16" centers on the plywood and pull the leading edge of the joists to this mark and nail them. This will help keep the joists in line and will help make sure future course of plywood break on 16" centers no matter which joist you start with.

Glue up the joists for the next sheet. Butt the next sheet to the one previously installed, making sure to hold it to the chalk line and nail the groove edge corner. Nail it to the rim joist just like the first sheet. Once again move the joist so the plywood splits it. Hook that joist with your tape, mark centers and move the joists to the lines. Keep laying the plywood in this fashion to the other end of the building.

Your now ready for the next course of plywood. If I've started with a full 96" sheet on my first course, I like to start my second row with a 48" piece. This works great if the building length is in increments of 4 feet (24',28',32',36' etc.). This isn't always the case. If the building is an odd length you can usually use your ending cutoff to start the next course. Stagger the joints a minimum of 32" apart.

Start the next course by gluing the joists. Do not apply the glue more than 4' beyond the first course of plywood. Stand the sheet on its tongue edge next to the groove edge of the sheet you are standing on. Make sure its butt edge is lined up on the joist it is breaking on and let it fall into the glue. As it hits the glued up joists, step on it and try to pull it in with your foot. Only under the right conditions will the tongue go completely into the groove. Sometimes the sheet can be jumped into the groove. This involves standing on the sheet and jump with force towards the the sheets in the previous row. In most cases it takes a sledgehammer and a 4' to 6' 2x4 beater block to persuade the sheets together. The block keeps the groove edge from getting damaged by the sledge. This is a two person operation. One stands on the tongue edge of the plywood to guide the sheet into the groove while the swings the sledgehammer. This will be the process for the rest of the installation.

Once the piece is in place, nail off the tongue edge, making sure the leading edge is breaking on a joist. Move the joist so the groove edge breaks on the joist. Pull 16" centers from that joist, mark the plywood, move the joists if necessary, and nail them off.

To keep the joists at the ends of the building straight, do not glue or nail them. Ideally we'd like the plywood to be hanging over the ends. After all the plywood is in place, snap a line from one corner to the other and cut this over hanging plywood off. Move this joist to the cut edge to make it straight and nail it off.

Tips:
- Field can be nailed as you go (recommended to set sheet in glue) or after all plywood is in place.
- do not glue more than 4' out from sheet. Keeps glue off your tape when you pull centers.
- When nailing groove edge, nail at least 2" from edge to keep from collapsing groove.
- Before installing plywood, check for damaged grooves and tongues.

Mike Merisko (c) 2006
About the Author: Mike Merisko has been a carpenter for 26 years. Most of those years were spent in the homebuilding and remodeling industries. He was also in business as a carpentry and general contractor. http://www.sawkerfs.com/

If you are in need of hiring a general contractor for your next home remodeling project visit HomeAdditionPlus' Home Addition Bid Sheets. Home Addition Bid Sheets include the tools you need to ensure you hire the right general contractor for you home remodeling project including a comprehensive checklist of questions to ask the prospective contractor, and cost and timeframe estimates. Home Addition Bid Sheets help ensure that your home remodeling idea and project will be accomplished on time and on budget.

Selecting Wood For Your Custom Hardwood Floor

Selecting wood for your hardwood floor is often a confusing process if you don’t know what you should be looking for. The type of wood, it’s content of sapwood or heartwood, its durability, whether you’re using for indoor or outdoor applications-all these considerations matter when you’re selecting wood for your hardwood floor.

There are some general properties to understand before you purchase a wood floor. One such property is the amount of sapwood or heartwood in the product.

Choosing sapwood for your hardwood floorSapwood is softer and lighter, and can be more prone to damage. However, its loveliness and relative un-knottiness, plus its reasonable price, make it a popular wood.

Sapwood is also more prone to warping than hardwood, so this should also be a consideration when choosing sapwood for your hardwood floor.

Choosing heartwood for your hardwood floorHardwood is the most durable wood, and is an excellent choice for many applications, especially hardwood floors. It is made from the outer bark of the tree and is usually darker. It can be more expensive than sapwood depending on the type of wood involved, i.e. whether you choose an exotic wood (more expensive) or a domestic wood (less expensive).

What is the most commonly used wood flooring choice?There are many species and types of wood, but the most commonly used wood is oak. Oak is the standard that wood manufacturing companies tend to hold other species to, and they are rated on a “hardness” scale.

Choosing the color of your hardwood floorColor is also a consideration when thinking about selecting a wood for your hardwood floor. There is a wide palette of natural colors, ranging from pink and tan (red oak) to white/beige (beech, hickory, birch) and orange, gold and brown (teak), plus everything in between.Many woods have various colors; in general, the darker colors are usually heartwood, and the lighter colors are usually sapwood, although there are some exceptions.

About the Author:Diane Newsom writes for the http://www.fastfloors.com Fast Floors. Vist them for more information on http://www.fastfloors.com Slecting Wood for Your Custom Hardwood Floor.

Steps On How To Install Laminated Flooring

Laminated flooring is a great floor covering idea since it can provide the home with various look may it be rustic stone, soothing ceramic or classic wood laminated flooring is simply the best option. And the best thing about laminated flooring is that it is very affordable so you can have the quality, style and durability at prices that will not break the bank.

Since laminate is a floating floor, they sort of produce a slight tapping sound as you walk on it. If the tapping sound annoys you then you may place some acoustical padding to muffle the sound with varying results. To be sure on you may test the acoustical padding in your dealer display floor in order to provide you with the idea on just how it will sound in your home.

And remember to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when installing or making other decisions related to the installation of laminated flooring. There is an increase in the cost of hardwood flooring so covering an entire room is a really expensive project. But thanks to engineered hardwood flooring and hardwood laminate flooring you will still be able to cover an entire room with hardwood flooring at a reasonable price.

Hardwood laminate flooring makes use of a manufacturing process that sandwich a composite fiberboard material in between two sheets of melamine. One melamine layer is the upper layer and may contain a thin sheet of real hardwood. This provides the completed board the appearance of a real hardwood plank or strip. Complete laminate flooring may make use of an embossing technique that can create a real texture that is close to real wood grain. In fact you will find it hard to distinguish between real hardwoods and laminate flooring when it is fully installed.

How to install laminated flooring?

Trial layout

• For a cement floor, lay out the foam and seal the seams with duct tape. Likewise, for other types of floors you may lay the foam in the same direction as the planks, with no overlap. Then secure the planks with tape.

• Check the planks for damage. Don’t install damaged material, as it may void the manufacturer’s warranty.

• You should do a dry run of the first two rows. Lay the planks so that the tongue faces to the installer’s right. After you are through with the first row cut the plank to fit it. Then put spacers between the flooring and the wall. Be careful especially when dealing with walls that are not straight. Make use of spacers to keep the flooring straight.

• Use the leftover plank from the first row to start the next row. After you’re through, lay the remaining of the planks in the second row while ensuring that the rows are straight and that there are no gaps either on the side or butt joints. After the dry fit is accomplished, remove all the planks and start installing for real.

Actual installation process

1. First do a dry run, laying one row of boards with no glue to make sure everything lines up properly.

2. Start in a corner that’s not near the door, if possible. Lay down a row, groove side against the wall, without glue. Put distancing blocks between the boards and the wall.

3. If the wall is uneven you may have to cut the boards to fit it. Make sure to mark on the board exactly where it needs to be cut.

4. After you put the last board in place, use some kind of guide -- a level or a 2x4 -- to make sure the row is completely straight. Any unevenness can be adjusted with wedges.

5. Pick up all the boards except the corner one in the first row. Put glue on the short side of the board. Seal the end joints tight by pressing the boards together. Wipe off any excess glue promptly. The first two rows must be straight, or it will throw off the entire floor. The end joints must be very tight, too.

About the Author:Hannah Roberts has an interest in Shopping related topics. To access more information on laminate tile flooring or on laminate wood flooring, please click on the links.

Renting Tools For Your Home Improvement Project

If you are contemplating a one time home improvement project that you intend to undertake on your own, you may be wondering how you can save money on the tools that you will need for your project. If you are contemplating only one project, you likely would prefer not to have to invest a great deal of money in the purchase of tools for that endeavor.

In point of fact, there are options available to you short of running out and making the purchase of tools for a one time home improvement project. For example, rather than investing a significant amount of money in the purchase of tools for your home improvement project, you might want to give serious consideration to renting the tools that you will need for that endeavor.

In the 21st century, there are a number of different rental options available to a person who is looking for tools to undertake a one time home improvement project. There are resources available to a person looking to do some home improvement work in both the brick and mortar world and on the Internet and World Wide Web.

In the proverbial real world, there are companies or businesses in many cities and communities the world over that specialize particularly in renting equipment, including tools, to people who are interested in undertaking home improvement projects. Many of these businesses will rent tools and equipment to a person interested in doing a home improvement project for either a short or a long term.

In addition to stores or shops in the brick and mortar world that specialize in renting tools and equipment, many home improvement centers now offer these types of products for rent as well as for sale. (Again, many people are involved in one time home improvement projects.

Therefore, it makes more sense for these people to rent tools and equipment for the one time project rather than make the purchase of these items that they will not be using again in the future.)

Once again, if you are contemplating starting a home improvement project, consider renting tools, equipment and related items for your endeavor. In the end, you likely will be able to save a great deal of money on your one time home improvement project if you do rent tools and equipment rather than make a purchase of these items that you will not be using again in the future.

About the Author:James Brown writes about Save on Hardware Tools and Hardware Tools Promotions

Patio Heaters

Patio heaters are a fairly recent development. They can make life outside more enjoyable in those chilly evenings in late summer and fall.

A Barbecue in the evening is one of the summer pleasures of life. So many summer evenings turn cold though that you do not do this as often as you would like to. Imagine being able to eat outside for 52 weeks of the year if you choose. A patio heater will not do anything to protect you from wind and rain though, so to be realistic you could eat outside through many spring and fall evenings, rather than just the few weeks in summer.

I can still remember turning the spit on the barbecue by hand as a child, with a couple of chickens cooking slowly. There is nothing like eating outdoors to whet the appetite. The food and beer tastes so much better.

You may prefer to use your new heater just to admire the stars, of course, or for romantic evenings with your partner.

Once you have a heated outside area there are all kinds of uses that it can be put to. It really does extend your living space for a very small cost.

You could make a heated smoking area outside and ban tobacco smoking in the home. Many bars, hotels and theaters do this where there is a ban on smoking inside in public places.

You could use your barbecue outside, then eat inside. You could go out there and sulk in comfort. You could have a popcorn maker out there, in a covered area and have popcorn much more often.

You can choose between electric and propane gas fuelled patio heaters. Electric ones are suitable where they can be wired into a covered area, otherwise the propane fuelled heaters are more suitable for most people.

About the Author:Sebastian Romero works in security and drives 30K miles a year. Find more info here. Check out Patio Heaters or Outdoor Heaters.

Roofing Nail Guns

Roofing nail guns are some of the more extreme of DIY tools and are often reserved only for the professional contractor. If you are putting together a small chest of draws or a book case you only really need the effective and affordable services of a standard hammer but if you are attaching a roof to a 2 story house it could take you weeks to put a few nails in. Roofing nail guns take the burden out of this chore and make your job much quicker and much simpler so whether you are an amateur or a professional you should bear in mind that you won't get far without using roofing nail guns.

Why bother with roofing nail guns?
Roofing nail guns fire nails into wood or any other material they are specifically designed for meaning it takes a fraction of a second to 'hammer' in one nail. This takes away the hard work and the time normally involved in hammering large mounts of nails. While they are extremely useful they can also be quite dangerous if not treated properly.

Spring loaded roofing nail guns
Spring loaded roofing nail guns are the simplest and most affordable nail guns that you can buy. They are really quite simple in their ingenuity and they use some very high tensile springs to fire the nails out of the chamber and into the wood. Crude maybe, but highly effective definitely! These roofing nail guns do still use a little electric power to pull back the springs to such an extent that means they will effectively fire with enough pace to lodge into the piece of wood.

Solenoid roofing nail guns
Solenoid roofing nail guns are powered using electromagnetic polarization. When you pull the trigger the polarization in the gun reverses repelling the nail away from the mechanism and into the wood. This is a highly useful technique and is used in many different types of machinery and tools so are proven to work over long periods of time. There are very few pieces that are likely to break and leave you with powerless roofing nail guns, this durability is a distinct advantage over the relatively fast wearing spring loaded roofing nail guns.

Pneumatic roofing nail guns
The most popular and widely used type of roofing nail guns are compressed or pneumatic nail guns. By compressing air in a standard air compressor it can gather huge amounts of power. In pneumatic roofing hammer drills the pressure is used to initially hold the hammer in place so that the nail is not fired but when you pull the trigger this opens a passageway that lets the compressed air out and dispels the nail at great speed. These are the most popular form of roofing nail guns because they only need an air compressor to run. Air compressors can be powered through a number of different means and you do not need to plug pneumatic roofing nail guns into the mains power. This cuts down and cost and makes it reliable and much more convenient, not to mention safe when it starts to drizzle.

About the Author: Steven Briesemeister who is the owner of http://www.roofer911.com has 33 years experience in all types of roof repair problems and new roof installation for residential and commercial accounts. As a Long Island and Northern Virgina roofing contractor, we believe, "Quality Doesn't Cost...It Pays!

How Long to Install a New Roof?

The roof is by far one of the most important parts of your house when it comes to protecting the rest of the building and it's occupants from extreme weather conditions and many roofs are in a state of disrepair. Yet, despite this, they are left to worsen before people are willing to act and either pay for decent repairs or bite the bullet and have a new roof fitted. Paying for patched repairs or doing them yourself, when you don't really know what you are doing, may prove cheaper in the short term but it won't be long before you have to patch up the holes on a very regular basis. One of the most effective ways to lengthen the lifespan of any roof is with regular maintenance and checks conducted by a professional.

The life of your roof
Knowing how long to install a new roof really is a question of knowing how well looked after your current roof is. Many new roofs come with a life of up to 20 years and some more durable and hard wearing roofs will have a life as long as 40 or 50 years but if you don't care for your roof and regularly have it checked and maintained you face a very real risk of substantially decreasing this lifespan. When you have a new roof fitted you should, as far as possible, pay as much as you can afford to ensure that you get as long a life as possible with your new roof.

Taking the plunge
Having a new roof fitted will mean a fairly major upheaval in your life. It may be necessary for you to move out while it is being done so it is important to know exactly how long to install a new roof will take. Unfortunately, the answer isn't that straight forward. Everything depends on the size of the roof, the shape of the roof and exactly what you are having fitted. Applying a single layer of shingles on an existing roof is unlikely to take longer than a few days but having your existing roof completely removed and an entirely new one built can take a number of weeks. To get an accurate idea you should get a quote from a professional roofing contractor and ensure that this information will be included. Do be aware that things can go wrong and even when there is nothing wrong with the roof a sudden change in the weather can set the construction of your new roof back dramatically.

Start as you mean to go on
Once you have your new roof fitted you shouldn't just assume that because it comes with a ten-year warranty you won't need to do anything about maintenance for the first ten years. You should, wherever possible, have an annual check up just to make sure that everything is ok because if a small problem is found it can be fixed before the small problem grows into a much larger and more costly problem.

About the Author: Steven Briesemeister who is the owner of http://www.roofer911.com has 33 years experience in all types of roof repair problems and new roof installation for residential and commercial accounts. As a Long Island and Northern Virgina roofing contractor, we believe, "Quality Doesn't Cost...It Pays!

Installing Cedar Roof Shingles

When installing cedar roof shingles, homeowner's may sometimes be able to place the new cedar shingles over existing roofing material. Cedar shingles are durable and may resist insect damage. Cedar shingles are smooth and provide the home with a rustic appearance.

Before you begin, make sure that you have chosen a fair weather day. Avoid installing cedar roof shingles, or any other roofing material, if it is raining. Begin installation at the bottom and work your way to the top.

Steps to installing cedar roof shingles
First, apply building paper to the entire roof deck. When placing the first shingle onto the structure, take special care to ensure that the thick end of the shingle is pointing down toward the ground. When installing cedar roof shingles, it's advisable to use 2 rust-resistant nails per shingle. Make sure that the nail is placed 4" up from the thick of the shingle and 1" from each side. Wood naturally expands from moisture and, when installing cedar roofing shingles, each shingle should have up to a ¼" gap between itself and the neighboring shingles. With each shingle added, make sure that each lines up properly with it's neighbor. If you should have an excess piece of shingle on one end of the roof, trim it to fit.

The next row of cedar shingles will be placed above the first row. To ensure that each lines up properly, use chalk to draw a line signifying their placement. This should be a straight line atop the already placed cedar shingles. Install the 2nd row of shingles following the same steps as above, taking care to align each one horizontally. Continue each row of shingles atop the previous one as outlined.

Once you have reached the roof's peak, place building paper on the structure before placing another row of shingles on each side. Trim the edge of each shingle so they conform to the peak of your roof's structure. Installing cedar shingles properly will allow air circulation underneath the wood to prevent the shingles from becoming soggy or otherwise damaged.

Longevity of a Cedar Roof Shingles
Installing cedar shingles is a long term investment as they may last anywhere between 15 and 40 years. Their longevity depends on several factors, including climate and the roof slope. In general, a steep roof will allow less damage because the slope prevents rain and snow from gathering and causing damage to the wood. A flat, less sloping roof may allow elements to build up and cause added weight to the roofing structure. Excessive weight is not good for the structure and may cause a lot of problems, including the need to do an entire roof replacement.

Installing cedar roof shingles will give the home a natural covering, which can last for many years. Because wood is designed to withstand various types of weather and other natural occurrences, installing cedar roof shingles will require very little maintenance as the years continue. With age, they will develop a rustic look, which will add a touch of tradition to any home.

About the Author: Steven Briesemeister who is the owner of http://www.roofer911.com has 33 years experience in all types of roof repair problems and new roof installation for residential and commercial accounts. As a Long Island and Northern Virgina roofing contractor, we believe, "Quality Doesn't Cost...It Pays!

Why Would I Consider Installing Roofing Shingles in Cold Weather?

Unfortunately, your roof won't usually pick warm and clear days to break, obviously it is much more common for your roof to develop leaks and problems when the rain is beating down and the wind is blowing a gale. Even if the roof does get damaged on a calm day it is really quite unlikely that you will notice until the weather changes. At least without regular maintenance it will be. If you find it absolutely essential when installing roofing shingles in cold weather there are certain things you need to be aware of, although it is always better to fix your roof on a calm day; it may not seem necessary at the time but it is safer for you and your roof.

Installing roofing shingles in cold weather is dangerous.
Going up on your roof in cold weather, especially when there is ice or snow is potentially very dangerous indeed. Any traffic on your roof should be avoided wherever possible because a slippery roof is likely to result in a very serious fall. If you do have to go on the roof to conduct repairs you should always ensure that the roof itself, ladders and any equipment you will be using is dry and safely secured.

You can damage material if installing roofing shingles in cold weather
Removing ice or snow from the roof can cause serious and irreparable damage to the roof. Scarping away at anything on your roof can easily lead to you removing the protective surface on the shingles, and this surface is the best protection you can get against the elements. It prevents damage to the material itself and ensures that any water will run smoothly off your roof surface without collecting. Removing it means your roof is more prone to leakage. Also, the slightest knock to a freezing cold shingle is likely to break it very easily.

Things to consider when installing roofing shingles in cold weather
The most important thing to remember in the event that you need to install roofing shingles in cold weather is your personal safety. Traversing a sloping roof in icy conditions is near suicidal and should be avoided at all costs. There is a reason that you can't get a roofing contractor to come out and fix your roof in these conditions and it isn't because it's too cold to work. Snow is no better and even early morning dew can create a very slippery surface that is potentially lethal to anyone trying to walk on the roof. However, if you do need to replace a shingle try to remain on the ladder and be sure to handle the shingles with as much care as possible so that you don't break them. You will have to manually seal the tabs of the shingles down yourself, because the warmth of the sun normally activates the adhesive strips, but this obviously will not be possible in cold weather.

About the Author: Steven Briesemeister who is the owner of http://www.roofer911.com has 33 years experience in all types of roof repair problems and new roof installation for residential and commercial accounts. As a Long Island and Northern Virgina roofing contractor, we believe, "Quality Doesn't Cost...It Pays!

Information Regarding Roofing Permits

When considering any building work to your property it is always important to consider whether building permits are required for that particular work. Without the applicable building permits it is quite possible that the new extension, the new garage or the new roof are not legal. You may be required by county or state law to remove the building work or pay a fairly hefty fine. The state buildings department usually conducts the issuing of roofing permits and any other building permits and your builder or contractor will have more accurate details of the permits you might require and how to go about getting one. You should consult with a contractor first because this can save a lot of time and potential heartache at a later date.

Why is it necessary to have roofing permits?
Roofing permits have been introduced and have become much more stringent in a lot of states to ensure that you are having a suitable roof fitted to your house that will stand up to a reasonable amount of bad weather. The roof on your house is the one thing that protects the inside of the home, the contents and the occupants from serious injury or damage in the event of storms or other prevailing weather conditions so it is important that you have the correct roofing installed to prevent this damage. Roofing permits are granted fairly easily as long as you meet these conditions.

When might I require building permits?
If you are having repairs done to your existing roof it is very unlikely that any roofing permits will be required because you are not changing the layout or the structure of your building in anyway. However, if you are having an extra layer of shingles added to your roof then you should check whether you need roofing permits to complete this project. Also, if you are having an entirely new roof fitted you will definitely need to consult your contractor and ask whether you should obtain roofing permits.

Different states have different regulations.
Unfortunately, we cannot tell you the roofing permits you will require for your new roof because they differ from one state to the next. This is why it is so important that you do the research and find out for yourself. What could be correct for one person could be completely incorrect for the next person. Try contacting your local council or government and enquiring with them. Tell them that you are thinking of having a new roof fitted and you want to make sure that you are getting the correct roofing permits; they will be able to help you.

The roof on your house is your first line of defense and is a vital barrier in protecting you and the contents of your home against the elements. There will unfortunately come a time in the life of every roof when repairs become pointless and you are essentially forced to purchase a new roof. When this time does arrive you are better spending as much as you can afford on getting the best roof with the longest life. When you ask for a quote from a roofing contractor try to get an idea of the roofing permits that will be required for the work you want done because without the appropriate ones you could find yourself in a lot of trouble.

About the Author: Steven Briesemeister from http://www.roofer911.com has 33 years experience in all types of roof repair problems and new roof installation for residential and commercial accounts. As a Long Island and Northern Virgina roofing contractor, we believe, "Quality Doesn't Cost...It Pays!

Determine Roof Slope

If you want to determine roof slope, it isn't as difficult as you may think. In fact, it's quite simple and can be done in a very short amount of time with minimal inconvenience. This is not a project that should be intimidating, even though home improvement work can sometimes be stressful. The slope of a roof is measured as the length that a roof rises vertically over a 12" horizontal distance. You can do this job yourself, ask a friend to help or call a roofing professional if you are not comfortable doing the work yourself.

Determine Roof Slope, But Maintain Ladder Safety
To determine roof slope, place a ladder at the side of your house so that you may easily access the down slope edge of the roof. At this point, you should be in line with the roof's peak, which means the roof should slope up from left to right or from right to left, but not away from you. Before you begin, make sure that your ladder is secured. You will need to use both hands to determine roof slope and will not want to be distracted by a shaky ladder. This can be bothersome, but also very dangerous. When working on a ladder, make sure that it's perfectly safe. If you have trouble with heights and do not wish to climb the ladder yourself, ask a friend to help or call a roofing professional.

How To Determine Roof Slope Accurately
Now that you're ready to get started, it's important to know that you will not need to be on the roof to do this, which is ideal because walking directly on the roof can be dangerous. Begin by holding a framing square onto the roofline while making sure that the long end of the "L" is pointing toward the roof's center and the short end is pointing down toward the ground. The long end of the framing square should meet the edge of the roof at the 12" line. Level the square horizontally and read the measurement on the short end.

To determine roof slope, remember that rise is the measurement on the vertical leg while run is the 12" measurement on the horizontal line. If you are using a framing square, keep in mind that some have measurements on both edges. If that is the case with your framing square, consult the measurements on the inside edges for an accurate number. Remember that, if your roof rises 8 inches vertically for every 12 inches horizontally, then you can determine roof slope to be at 8/12.

A Few Options
If you do not have a framing square to measure roof slope, a ruler or tape measure will also work because the slope is measured based on a 12" horizontal distance. If you are using a tape measure, look for one that has a push lock. This will help avoid unnecessary problems with constantly having to pull the tape measure back out to double check the slope measurements.

About the Author: Steven Briesemeister who is the owner of http://www.roofer911.com has 33 years experience in all types of roof repair problems and new roof installation for residential and commercial accounts. As a Long Island and Northern Virgina roofing contractor, we believe, "Quality Doesn't Cost...It Pays!

Tips For easier Wallpaper Removal

Wallpaper removal is easy. Well, maybe it's not really easy, but I have good news for you. Yes, stripping wallpaper is messy and it is time consuming. You would rather do almost anything else. As a professional, my clients have often told me that if not for the wallpaper removal, they would have decorated the room themselves. It is such a deterrent.

While it is a hassle to remove, most people's real fears center around damaging the wall while stripping the paper. It's true. You can. I've spent as much time repairing that damage. There is no reason that it has to happen, though. Once you understand what is really happening below the surface, wallpaper removal becomes quite simple. Let me talk you through it.

First, KNOW that this is going to be a messy job. There is no way around that. Bits and pieces of wet paper, covered in adhesive, will end up stuck to everything that's not covered. Fortunately, it cleans up easily with some soap and water.

We can minimize the extent of the mess, though, by taking the time to place an inexpensive plastic drop cloth over the furniture. Lay a rubber backed runner along the wall. Remove everything hanging on the wall and make sure that the furniture has been moved back from the wall by at least three feet.

Okay, now that we have prepped our work area, what's next? We need to discover what "group" we're in. To do this, start by finding an edge and attempt to peel the paper off. Here's where we either sink or swim. Some of the heavy vinyl and fabric wall coverings will just peel right off.

Others will split, leaving a layer of plain paper on the wall. What happens then is that when you try to tear off that layer, it comes off in small pieces. A lot of specialty papers and papers that have been painted over fall into this group. There is a third group that we'll talk about in a few minutes.

If your wallpaper is in the first group, the wall coverings that just peel right off, enjoy the rest of your day. You got lucky. There are different strategies we can use for the other two groups that will save you both time and money.

Now, for the other 99% of us, there are a number of different products on the market that we could use to remove the wallpaper. I have tried them all. Save your money. All we really need is warm water.

Start by peeling off that top layer of paper. What's left on the wall will be a layer of plain paper and adhesive. Apply the water to the paper with a sponge, squirt bottle, garden sprayer or whatever you have handy that will accomplish the job. Use just enough to saturate the paper without water running down the wall and making a mess.

Now for the really big secret to wallpaper removal: WAIT. That's right, wait. Moisten the area again and wait some more. It normally takes about 20 to 30 minutes for the saturated paper to completely soften the adhesive beneath.

Next, use a 6" broad knife to remove the paper from the wall. It should come off easily and in long strips. If it does not, remoisten the paper and wait a few more minutes. Let the water do all the hard work! By wetting the wall ahead of where you are working, it is possible to move steadily around the room once you get started.

Now, about that last group. You've watered and waited and watered and waited. Frankly, this just isn't working and you're becoming impatient. The problem is getting enough water to penetrate the surface and completely saturate the core of the wallpaper. There is a solution. We need to break up the water resistant surface coating of the wallpaper without harming the wall.

Now you might be tempted to start gouging at the wallpaper or scraping it roughly. This is not a good idea. This is how you damage the wall. Then you have to spend more money because you have to call a contractor. You are also on his time schedule now.

There are special tools made should you run into this problem. I normally use a 36 grit sanding disc to abrade the surface by hand. NOTE: Using a disc this coarse with a power tool will destroy your wall. Make sure to use it manually only!

Rent a commercial wallpaper steamer. Steam passes through the perforations made by the sanding disc. It is absorbed by the paper and adhesive much quicker than water. Make repeated passes over an area with the steamer until the core of the paper becomes saturated and the adhesive softens. If an area is being particularly stubborn, try going over it again with the 36 grit disc to allow additional steam to penetrate the paper.

Don't waste your time scraping at areas where the adhesive has not yet softened. I cannot stress enough that this is how walls get damaged. Steam the paper until the adhesive softens. Remove the paper with your 6" broad knife. You should see good results with the steamer.

So wallpaper removal is not always easy, but nobody said that it has to be a painful experience either. Have a wallpaper removal party and invite all your friends. Treat them to dinner afterwards and make it a girls' day. Or how about a contest with the kids. Always keep a picture in your mind (or on the fridge) of how beautiful the job will turn out. Be proud! Life is too short, so don't sweat the small stuff. Now, let's get going!

About the Author: Patricia Tomaskovic is the President of http://www.goceilingmedallion.com Copyright 2006. Visit us soon and let us help you decorate with style. We look forward to serving you.

We are an on-line store offering home decorating products, specializing in ceiling medallions and crown molding, as well as numerous other decorative ceiling items, including tools and supplies for creating your own custom ceilings.

How to stop squeaking in hardwood flooring

A squeak in hardwood flooring is caused by two pieces of wood rubbing against one another. One way to stop the sound is by reducing the friction of the moving pieces using a lubricant. I'm not talking oil here, but rather a dusting with ultra-fine graphite powder.

This is available at your local hardware stores, and for the most part it's used to free lock mechanisms. But if you pour a tiny bit of it on the floor so that it can work its way into the squeaking boards, it could very well reduce or eliminate the sound.

If that fails, you can always try a pair of well-placed nails. You first need to pre-drill some slender holes into the wood, angled slightly towards one another. Then drive the nails in, being careful not to bang up the hardwood floor with the head of the hammer.

You can use an 8d or 8-penny finish nail, which has a very small head. Then sink it below the surface of the wood using a nail set. Now you can say good-bye to that squeak forever. You would need a hammer, a small drill bit, and a cordless drill. This would take no more than 15-20 minutes to complete.

Now after you get rid of all the squeaks, use a filler stick in the same color as the floor to fill any nail hole that are visible. When your floor is really starting to show its age, you'll be able to renew its surface for about a quarter of what it would cost to install a new floor.

You can sand and refinish them, usually up to a total of four times before so much wood is ground away that the nails holding it in place begin to appear. Your hardwood floor should be as good as new.

About The Author: Roger King has been occupied in home repairs for several years, and has been helping people with tips and advice to simple repairs to their homes. Visit his web site http://www.allhomerepairsyourself.com to learn how to do home repairs yourself.

House on the Market? How to Get that Extra Dollar!

First impressions are everything so you need to create street appeal, get into the garden, cut back any overgrown trees, shrubs or climbers. Trim hedges and make sure you can get to the front door. Hose down the house, get rid of all the dirt, cobwebs and anything else lurking under the eaves. Wash the windows, inside and out, repair any damaged glass.

Put good looking well cared for plants at your entrance. Perhaps some flowers in a pot, they always look cheery. Get rid of anything dead and give the entry a good sweep and hose down. If necessary, paint or stain the steps. Replace any broken tiles, or spray for mould or slippery greenery that may be living there. Make your entrance inviting.

Make sure you have done the dishes. Don't just hide them in the dishwasher, people look everywhere, and the last thing you want is last night's curry to scare them off! Give your cupboards a clean out, (saves time when you have to shift too!) it will give the impression that there is heaps of space if everything fits nicely.

Get out the duster and go in search of cobwebs, while you are looking, check out for any mould or childrens paintings on the walls! Then get rid of them.

Make sure all the curtains and blinds are open, an let as much sunlight in as possible. Be carefull with opening windows as you don't want the wind to come up and blast the prospective buyers away. Make the beds and put all your dirty washing in the laundry. A real turn off is the last weeks clothing all over the floor.

Keep the kitchen clean and tidy, add a bowl of fresh fruit or a vase of fresh flowers to create a pleasant aroma. Some say to put the coffee on, but that smell can be a little overwelming. If in doubt keep it simple. Play some soft background music, very quietly - better to be subtle with this idea.

Make sure all the door handles, and window catches work, and that they can be opened easily. It will give the impression of a well maintained home.

To make your house look that little bit bigger, remove most of your knick knacks off horizontal surfaces, this will create a more open look. Remove any excess furniture or clutter, Ie the exercycle in front of the TV (put in in the garage for a few weeks).

If you have kids, designate one area for them to play in for the duration your house is on the market (near impossible) but will save having to go through the whole house picking up toys when the phone goes with a prospective buyer to visit!

Pets - keep their food out of sight. This should hopefully keep away any passing flies or insects. Plus the smell can sometimes be unpleasant, especially if your cat loves sardines! Clear away any rubbish around the entire house, empty all wastepaper bins inside, nappy bins, recycling bins, green waste, and have a garage sale to get rid off all that stuff you've been hoarding to use on a rainy day!

Place fresh matching towels in the bathrooms, make sure mirrors are clean. Check that none of your taps leak. Don't have a shower before the buyers come through, this will make the room feel damp.

Light some mildly scented candles in the living room, scatter some designer cushions and a throw for effect, turn on your lamps for creating the mood.

If it is winter, have the fire going as this always make the home look cosy. No fire? - then have the heaters going to ensure the home is warm. (The opposite in the heat of summer obviously! Have the air conditioning or fans on to make the house feel comfortable before they get there).

Mow the lawns, trim the edges, chase out the weeds and you should be ready to get that extra few dollars for a well presented home.

Good luck and happy selling!

About the Author: Lee Brown is an experienced professional designer and co founder of interiordezine.com, a website dedicated to providing free interior design and decorating information. Go and look at interiordezine.com to see if you can answer some of your home decorating questions now! You can also get a free decorating ebook at free ebook

Yard and Garden Trends for 2006

Spring has sprung, and another exciting season of gardening is upon us! Gardening has made a huge resurgence in recent years, as the hobby of choice for thousands of homeowners across this great country of ours. Our task, in this article, is to document some of the hottest trends in yard and garden décor for 2006. Are you ready?

One thing we have noted over the years is the increasing use of yard space as an extension of one's home. With each passing season, more and more homeowners are treating their patios and decks as yet another room.

With the ever decreasing amount of land available for housing development, it would appear that the pleasure of having an extensive backyard space is becoming a thing of the past. So what is a homeowner to do? You have to make the best of the space you have available.

The whole notion of creating a backyard that is but an extension of one's home can be challenging to comprehend. In essence, this is a way to create a livable space that is both comfortable and low-maintenance. One of this year's biggest trends is to move towards these low-maintenance, attractive spaces. The best place to start, if you are considering this sort of backyard transformation, is to give some thought to "hardscaping".

Hardscaping (or hard landscaping) can be defined as creating the skeleton of your yard through the use of physical elements such as pathways, patios, and decks. To give yourself some idea of what the end result might look like, consider spending some time producing some sketches.

After the fixed elements are in place, it is simply a matter of accessorizing your new "room". You can approach this the same way you would approach interior decorating. Wicker and rattan furniture continues to be extremely popular, as it is both versatile and stands up well to the elements of nature. For an extremely fair price, you can find quality wicker or rattan furniture to meet your every need.

On the gardening side of things, the use of planters and pots has reached fever pitch. The wonderful thing about using planters and pots is that you can move them whenever the need arises. Another recent trend we have spotted this year is the creation of vertical gardens, employing the use of lattice and other materials. These garden types are especially useful when you have limited space to work with. Happy Gardening!

About the Author: Kate Robertson is an avid gardener, and a regular contributor to yardandgardendecor.com - a wonderful online gardening guide with extensive information about garden statues, stepping stones, sundials and more.

Remodeling a Bathroom and Refinishing and Restoring Baseboard Heating Element Covers

If you are considering remodeling your home's bathroom then you should add refinishing baseboard heating element covers to the list of tasks. Rusty baseboard heating element covers are frequent occurrences in older bathrooms.

The installation of new toilets, tubs, sinks, vanities, and flooring are typically involved in a bathroom remodeling job, however sometimes the heating element is forgotten. If not refinished, the rusty baseboard heating element covers can be even more unsightly when the rest of the bathroom is remodeled. Refinishing your Bathroom's Baseboard Heating Element Covers can play a major role in restoring a new look to your bathroom.

If your home is a few years old and has hot water baseboard heating in it chances are your bathroom baseboard heating element covers are rusted and in need of refinishing.

Bathrooms are more likely to see rusty baseboard heating element covers due to the high moisture levels and condensation that typically occur in them.

Refinishing or restoring baseboard heating elements is something simple enough for a homeowner to do (with the right knowledge) and can save significant dollars. The cost of installing a new baseboard heating element typically involves the purchase of an entire new heating element and a plumber.

For information on refinishing and restoring baseboard heating elements see the Refinishing Baseboard Heating Element Cover Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Refinishing Baseboard Heating Element Cover EBook will quickly teach you the step-by-step process for restoring baseboard heating element covers and includes how-to pictures for every key step in the process.

The Art of Replacing Screens

To remove a screen door lift up and simultaneously pull out the bottom. If it sticks you can take a putty knife, or a regular pocket knife, and on your knees, find where the two little wheels at the bottom of the screen door are. Slip the putty knife under each one and lift them off of their track. While you’re putting the putty knife under the wheels lift up a little on the screen door. Once you have them free you can lift the door out.

With windows there should be, but aren’t always, two little tabs at the bottom, side, or the top of the screen frame. If they’re at the bottom pull up on the tabs and free the screen frame. Sometimes these tabs break off or pull out if the screens are ancient, so you may have to push up and down on the screen frame to get it free.

Once you have the door or window out lay it down on the carpet, or wherever you’re working, and find the end of the rubber gasket which is called a spline that is holding the screen in. This gasket/spline is rubber and embedded in a canal on one side of the door or window. You’re going to find the end of this rubber spline and pull it out. It will come out fairly easy. Once you have pulled all of it out the screen will fall out. Now, if you’re working on a screen door you’ll have to unscrew the handle and lock assembly, which is no big deal. Just remember how yours goes back together. Sometimes you only have to remove the plastic piece that is on the side where the spline is, but each door is a little different so it’s difficult to say if the whole piece has to be removed. I’ve had it go both ways.

With the door or window laying on the ground roll your new screening over the top of it. You can get the screening mesh at your hardware store in different types of fabric and you can have it cut to order or buy a whole roll for future use. I prefer working with the soft dark plastic like mesh rather than the old stiffer metal like fabric.

Lay your screen material over the door or window frame. Now, there’s a little tool you need. It has two wheels on either end of it. One of the wheels has an indentation in it, and the other wheel does not. They are called a screen rolling tool, or a splining tool. You can get them at your local hardware store.
Now, here’s the tricky part. You want to push the new spline down into the canal with the new screen underneath it. Make sure your screen is laid out nice and even before you begin and continue to smooth it as you work. Push the end of the spline down into the canal, then with the rolling tool, using the wheel with an indentation, begin working the spline into the canal. As you work pull on your spline a little to stretch it out so that it goes into the groove a little easier, but not too much. The trick here is not to cut into the screen, and this takes a delicate balance and patience. If you cut into your new screen you have to start all over again.

If you’re right handed start with the left hand side of the window or door; that way you can work with your right hand, or if you’re left handed start with the right hand side of the window. You’ll see what I mean once you get started.

So, you’re working your way down the groove and everything is going okay and you come to a corner. Now, if you like you can snip off the spline, imbed it in the groove right up to the end, or you can round the corner, not cut the spline and work it in with your fingers, or sometimes I use the dull rounded tip of a pair of scissors, or straight slot screwdriver to push it in around corners, but be careful not to cut into your new screening material.

Keep stretching, pulling, and imbedding your spline while at the same time smoothing your screen so that it doesn’t have any wrinkles or creases in it. When you’re finished cut off your excess spline and you’re done.

You can use the other wheel on the rolling tool to push the spline deeper down into the groove, but I rarely if ever do.

Don’t forget to put your lock assembly back into place.

To reinstall the screen door place the top section into its track first and then once again getting down on your knees hold the spring loaded wheels up with your putty knife and try and settle the wheels, which have grooves in them, on to the rail they rest on. This can be maddening because they will slip from one side to the other of the railing, and if they’re not setting right on the track, then the door won’t open or close smoothly. The wheels fit on the railing just like train wheels fit on a train track.

The screen should roll smoothly and effortlessly. If not you’ll find some screw adjustments at the top and bottom of the screen door frame. Loosen the screws on one end or the other and adjust the screen frame so it fits comfortably.

Another thing that helps screen doors move smoothly is to first clean the tracks, sweep out any debris around them, and then spray the area with WD40. Often this has saved me the trouble of making any adjustments to the door.

When reinstalling the screen window find a side of it that will fit back into the window frame. It may be the top, or one of the sides or the bottom. Rock the screen back and forth until you maneuver it back into the window frame.

Some of these old window screens are warped and bent out of shape so you’ll have one side that is bowed and won’t fit in the window frame properly. If you find yours intolerable, you can go to your hardware store and purchase a new window frame kit, cut it to size, install a new screen in it, and install it in the window frame.

That’s it.

Here are the steps in review.
1. Remove screen door or window.
2. Pull old spline out of canal.
3. Remove handle in screen door.
4. Roll screening over door or window frame.
5. Push new spline into canal over new screen.
6. Reattach handle on screen door.
7. Reinstall screen door or window.

About the Author: From 'The Property Manager' by Jim Muckle
Jim Muckle is the author of The Property Manager, How To Find Jobs Teaching Overseas, Teaching In Saudi Arabia, Teaching in Japan, The Class Act Reading Game and The Stay At Home Dad. The contents of all of these booklets can be viewed at his web site at Booklets From Jim Muckle @ http://hometown.aol.com/jimmuckle/myhomepage/business.html

Remodelling - Partitions From Doors

These versatile barriers come in a bewildering variety of shapes, sizes and materials, but can be classified generally as accordion, bifold or sliding bypass doors. The accordion and bifold types make handier room dividers than the more cumbersome sliding bypass doors, which are usually used as closet closures, but all three types can be adapted to serve as room partitions.

The accordion door looks like the bellows of an accordion and is usually made of pleated fabric or vinyl stretched over a light metal or plastic skeleton. Closing the door stretches out the pleats into a substantial-looking partition; when the door is opened, the pleats fold compactly to one side. Accordion doors, which are hung on rollers from a single overhead track and attached at one side to a wall, are the easiest of the three types of track-mounted doors to install and once in place require little or no adjustment.

Bifold doors consist of wood, plastic or metal panels up to about 2 feet wide hinged together lengthwise, usually in pairs. Pairs of panels can be linked together to form one continuous surface. A bifold door consisting of one or more pairs can be mounted at one side of an opening and closed by pulling it all the way across, or the doors can be installed at each side of an opening and pulled together in the middle. An overhead track guides the bifold door but the weight of the door rests on a pivot that is attached to the floor on the wall side. A pivot at the top of the door holds the assembly upright.

Sliding bypass doors usually consist of two large wooden panels, each hung by wheels from an overhead track. The panels overlap by about an inch and when closed are kept vertically aligned by a small floor-mounted guide. All overhead tracks - whether they support or merely guide a door - sustain considerable stress when the doors are in use and should be attached to a level, structurally supported surface.

Occasionally a track can be fastened directly to the ceiling. But since folding or sliding doors more than 6 feet 8 inches high are seldom readily available and since most ceilings are 8 feet high, installing such doors usually involves attaching the track for the door to a header suspended from the joists, the structural beams that support the ceiling and the floor above.

The location of the joists helps to determine the position of the door. After locating the joists and marking the proposed position of the door, carefully calculate the vertical space needed for the door and its track. Design and construct a header suitable for the type of ceiling involved to fit in the space between the track and the ceiling.

To calculate the height of header to be suspended from a permanently attached ceiling, measure from floor to ceiling at several points along the proposed line of the door. Subtract from the shortest of these measurements (thus allowing for any unevenness in floor or ceiling) the height of the door and its track plus the thickness of the wallboard or other covering to be applied to the bottom of the header. The result is the height of the header frame; its length is the distance from wall to wall. Attach the header to the ceiling joists, fasten the track to the header and mount the door in its track.

For a door that is hung directly from the ceiling, locate the joists and attach the track directly to them through the ceiling material.

About the Author: Michael Russell. Your Independent guide to Remodelling

Techniques for Framing Partitions

Like a curtain, the frame of the new wall goes into place not from the floor up, but from the ceiling down. Only in the last stage of assembly is it fastened to the floor.

In the simplest building methods, most of the frame is assembled flat on the floor. It is lifted as a unit over a beam called a sole plate that is nailed to the floor. Once upright, the wall frame is fastened into place by nails driven through a second beam, called a top plate, into the joists hidden above the ceiling. Finally, the bottom of the assembly is secured by nails driven through the sole plate.

For this final step, in which vertical beams called studs are nailed to the horizontal sole plate, you must master the knack of toenailing - that is, of fastening two pieces of lumber together at a right angle by driving a nail through them at an angle of about 45 degrees. Toenailing a stud into a plate is easy after some practice, but at first you may prefer to make a path for the toenails by drilling starter holes downward through the stud and into the plate, using a bit slightly smaller than the nail.

Ideally, the new wall should run either across the ceiling joists or under a single joist, to that the top plate can be nailed directly to a beam or beams above it. Ideally, too, the outermost stud of the new wall should lie directly against a stud in the existing wall, for easy stud-to-stud fastening. These ideal placements are not always practical. When you must run a wall between joists or end it between studs, you will have to install short lengths of wood as nailing blocks between the joists or studs to support it.

Sometimes age and traffic will have caused the ceiling or the floor joists to sag. In these cases, you may have to insert shims between the top plate and the ceiling or between the sole plate and the floor to make sure that a plate is level and firm before nailing it into place.

The other decisions you must make will affect the interior and the sheathing of the wall frame. One has to do with electrical outlets. You can install them easily in the open frame before the wallboard is installed and place them wherever you please. Usually, power for the new outlets can be taken from an existing outlet box in a nearby house circuit. Turn off the power to the circuit and make connections from the hot, neutral and ground wires in the existing box to the corresponding wires of a sheathed cable. Then run the cable through holes drilled through the new wall studs to new outlet boxes installed on the studs, secure the cable inside the boxes with clamps and strip the ends of the cable wires. Do not install new outlets back-to-back: this arrangement is common when new wiring is installed in walls because it reduces the need for wall patching, but back-to-back outlets can increase sound-carrying problems in a house.

About the Author: Michael Russell. Your Independent guide to Remodelling

How to install a Shower Pan for the Shower Base in a Custom Shower Stall

How to install a Shower Pan Membrane liner in a Shower Base

Planning a custom ceramic tile shower and don't know where to begin? Not sure how to install a Shower Pan Membrane Liner. See [Shower Pan Membrane Liner Installation EBook]

Installing a Shower Pan Membrane Liner in the Shower base of a Custom Shower stall is something a homeowner can tackle with a little planning and knowledge.

The shower pan membrane liner is used to ensure a leak-proof shower base.

Shower pan membrane liners are used to funnel water that seeps through the base of the shower or wall grout to the shower drain below. The shower pan membrane liner is made up of a flexible type of plastic material that sits below a bed of mortar, and the tile, in the base of the shower area.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Planning a custom ceramic tile shower and don't know where to begin? Not sure how to install a Shower Pan Membrane Liner. See [Shower Pan Membrane Liner Installation EBook]

How to get a Construction Mortgage and Finance an Unfinished Home

I recently had a visitor to www.homeadditionplus.com who explained that she wanted to buy an unfinished home but could not get a conventional home mortgage because it was unfinished. As I indicated to her there are a couple of mortgage financing options to consider when wanting to buy an unfinished home.

The first choice is to visit a bank and inquire about obtaining a construction loan for the unfinished home. Many banks frown upon offering homeowners construction loans, however with a good building plan and cost estimates in place it is sometimes possible. The chances are increased if the homeowner plans to make the unfinished home construction project a full time job (e.g. working as the General contractor.)

The second choice is to find a general contractor that will purchase the unfinished home on your behalf, via a home construction loan, and then sell you the home upon its completion. Of course a contract needs to be in place between the general contractor and the homeowner.

Construction loans can frequently be converted over into conventional loans (e.g. 30 year mortgates) so this should be considered when applying directly for the construction loan or going through a general contractor.

5 Tips for Stretching Your Remodeling Budget

It's that time of year again, spring is in the air, and that means fresh thoughts, new beginnings, and ideas for home renovation start to take shape. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) reminds homeowners that May is Home Improvement Month, marking the time when homeowners across the country seek out contractors who can turn their dream homes into reality.

"Preparing for a remodeling project is a lot like preparing to buy a car," said Everett Collier, CR, of Collier-Ostrom Remodeling, and President of NARI, "you may know which room and style you'd like, but the options you choose may drive the price higher than you can reasonably afford." He adds, "However, there are ways to stretch your remodeling budget."
Below are NARI's tips for stretching that budget:

Getting Started
§ Hire a professional contractor who is familiar with the building codes in your area. Replacing work that does not meet code can be extremely expensive.

§ A well-written contract can prevent costly mistakes or additions to the scope of your project. It is a critical step in maintaining your budget.

§ Save money by planning ahead. Go through the design process with your remodeler first and choose everything you want to include in the new room(s), from appliances to light fixtures. This will define your budget and prevent hasty (and costly) changes later in the project.

§ Compare products and their prices carefully before you make final decisions. And keep an open mind when you discuss product and design ideas with your contractor.

§ Aside from product choice, another way to decrease the cost of your remodeling project is to pay attention to how labor-intensive some design features may be. For instance, laying a ceramic tile mosaic backsplash would be costly vs. a backsplash laid with conventional-sized tiles.

The remodeling market, a $275 billion industry in the U.S. in 2005, is expected to continue to experience significant growth. It is estimated that more than a million homes per year undergo major renovation or remodeling.

NARI is a professional association whose members voluntarily subscribe to a strict code of ethics. Consumers may wish to search www.RemodelToday.com to find a qualified professional who is a member of NARI. Consumers can also call the NARI National hotline at 800-611-NARI and request a free copy of NARI's brochure, "How to Select a Remodeling Professional," or visit www.RemodelToday.com and click on the homeowner's guide for more information.

About NARI: The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is the only trade association dedicated solely to the remodeling industry. With more than 7,000 member companies nationwide, the Association -- based in Des Plaines, Illinois -- is "The Voice of the Remodeling Industry."TM For membership information, or to locate a local NARI chapter or a remodeling professional, visit NARI's website at www.RemodelToday.com, or contact the national headquarters office at 800-611-NARI.

About the Author: Director of Marketing and Communications National Association of the Remodeling Industry

All Ceramic Floor Tile Is Not Created Equal

You've agonized over what type of flooring to install in your addition and finally you've decided to go with ceramic tile. So now all that's left is to zip out to the store and pick up some tile and grout, right? Not so fast, you might still have some decisions to make concerning your tile flooring.

Tile comes in many colors and styles and has a lot of advantages over other types of flooring. For one, it's readily available and doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg although you can buy upgraded tile if you want. For another it's easy to clean and very durable. On the downside, ceramic tile is not good for all spaces. Glazed tiles can be very slippery so is not the best choice to be used in entryways, baths or any place where the tiles might get too wet. Tile also holds the cold so you wouldn't want to use it in a basement addition or remodel.

Ceramic tiles come in different shapes and sizes and can range from one inch to two feet. Have you thought about what size would look best in your room? Common sense prevails on this decision. If you have a large room then small tiles will make the room look too busy, and in a small room the large tiles will lose their effect. Take a long hard look at your space and figure out what size tile will bet the most effective.

Not only is size a factor, but you want to choose a tile with a texture that suits your rooms decor. If you have a formal looking space then a polished marble tile might look great. If you have decor with a southwestern, Mexican or Italian flair then a rustic natural looking tile is best. Don't forget that a smooth polished tile will be slippery so take this into consideration when choosing the tile type.

Finally, you have selected the size, color and texture if tile that is perfect for your space so you're good to go, right? Nope. Now you need to pick a grout. Grout comes in many colors and you want to pick one that goes well with your tile. If you want the grout to stand out, pick a color that contrasts with the tile but if you want the grout to blend with the design of the tile, pick a color that is close to that of the tile. For ease of cleaning, I might suggest you go with a dark grout. I can tell you from experience that a white grout will get dirty very easily and will be a bear to keep looking crisp and white.

About the Author: Lee Dobbins is a contributing writer for www.dailynewz.info where you can find more articles and daily news about home improvement and remodeling.

All About Ceiling Tile and Armstrong Ceiling Tile

Ceiling tile is sheets of shock absorbing material that is put on ceilings and walls of buildings to reduce the sound or to decorate rooms. Most ceiling tile is made of fiberboard. Standard tiles measure 12" by 12". First they measure and mark the surface according to blueprints and drawings. Then they nail or screw moldings to the wall to support and seal the joint between the ceiling tile and the joint. Finally, they mount the tile, either by applying a cement adhesive to the back of the tile and then pressing the tile into place, or by nailing , screwing, stapling, or wire tying the lath directly to the structural framework. Placing ceiling tile is strenuous work. The workers spend most of the day on their feet, either standing , bending, or kneeling. There are many hazards which include falls from scaffolding and injuries from power tools and working with sharp materials.

There are many different finishes in ceiling tile. You can find geometric, orante or elemental ones. You can choose from plain , embossed or patterned finishes. Some are molded with special textures or squared edges, instead of the common beveled edges to make the seams barely visible when the tiles are in place. Acoustical ceiling tiles are made from the same fiber, but an additional manufacturing process helps these tiles absorb much of the sound in a room. A well designed acoustical tile absorbs up to 70 percent of the excess noise in an area.

Estimate the materials you need for tile installation. Most manufacturers provide charts to the retailer to help estimate the number of ceiling tiles, the amount of furring and the gallons of adhesive needed, based on the room size.

If you plan to do it yourself, you will need several tools. Here is a list to get you started: ceiling tile, nails, glue gun, steel tape, ladder, furring strips, stapler, caulking gun, border molding, straight edge, handsaw, staples, chalk line, utility knife , graph paper, hammer, hand cleaner, adhesive, folding rule, and tracing paper. Find someone to help you and the job will go much smoother.

Do you want an exceptional ceiling? Try Armstrong ceiling tile. Armstrong ceiling tiles are made of mineral fiber and up to 82% recycled content. Armstrong offers high performance resin and durable laminate plank ceilings made from wood fiber byproducts. You can even put insulation on the back of an Armstrong ceiling.

You can design quite a unique ceiling with Armstrong ceiling tiles. Do you think you might want to paint your ceiling? Armstrong ceiling tiles ( except fiber glass) can be painted with latex paints once the surface dirt has been removed. You should paint both the front and back of the panels. You can also paint your ceiling to mimic any metal such as copper, bronze tin or gold. You can also achieve the look of a wood ceiling without the added cost by using faux finishes , glazes and paint. Just use your imagination, add depth to your interior with your ceiling tiles.

You can install an Armstrong ceiling as a do-it-yourself project. Most Armstrong ceiling tile can be installed to an existing ceiling that is in good shape. You can install an Armstrong ceiling in most of the interior of your home. When doing the project yourself, there are many tools needed to complete the work. Most self-help home stores give classes and will guide you thru the process of installation. Also check online for step by step instructions on hanging ceiling tile.

Armstrong ceiling tile is a brand you can trust . It has been around a long time and will continue to be around. You won't have to worry about it going out of business in a week or month. Are you looking for tiles from the past? Armstrong carries quite a selection of discontinued ceiling tiles to match the one you are looking for. Many builders prefer to use Armstrong ceiling tile in their projects. They know they are getting value for the money and good material for their job. Check your yellow pages to find the nearest Armstrong building supply center . They are all over, located in every self-help store too.

About the Author: Having spent months of research on different subjects, for independant companies, Andrew Manifield has decided to publish his articles on many subjects at his own website, visit to learn more. http://www.qualified-publishing.co.uk/ceiling-tile

Honey Do Home Improvement Gifts for Father's Day

Fathers Day is almost here. Do you know what your going to get your hubby or dad for a Gift?

Most husbands or fathers, who are also homeowners know what a Honey Do is. But for those of you who don't, well it goes something like this: "Honey I need you to do the lawn." or Honey I need you to do the trash, or take the kids to the ball park, or to put up a fence, or to clean up the garage, etc.

Since it is unlikely his "Honey Do" list will go away or shrink anytime soon, at least for this Fathers day why don't you consider getting him a gift that will make his "Honey Do" home tasks easier.

Here are my top 10 ideas:

1) Sit Down Lawn Mower - "For what else - mowing the lawn"
2) Nail Gun with Compressor - "For building that new home addition"
3) Laser Level - "For hanging up the pictures"
4) Power Drill/Screw Gun - "For putting up the shelves in the Garage"
5) Sawsall - "For cutting away the old deck and replacing it with a new one"
6) Table Saw - "For building those book cases you've always wanted"
7) Motorized Edger - "To dress up those flower gardens"
8) Motorized Trimmer - "To speed up the lawn trimming - Okay, to just have him Trim the Lawn"
9) Socket Set - "For putting together that new grill"
10) Lamborgini - "To take 1 kid to the soccer practice"


If you have your own ideas feel free to add them in the comment section and I will also post them at www.homeadditionplus.com

Mark Donovan
Editor and Publisher of www.homeadditionplus.com and www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

Solid Wood Flooring vs. Plastic Laminate Pergo Flooring

Solid wood flooring and plastic laminate flooring, such as Pergo flooring, each have their pros and cons. Solid wood flooring is timeless and provides a look of elegance to a home that is unbeatable when it comes to flooring. However, solid wood floors are susceptible to moisture. Pergo flooring, or laminate flooring, on the other hand is lower cost and ideal for active families with pets, though it has a less elegant look and cannot be refinished.

Solid wood flooring is exactly that – solid wood. It is solid wood that typically comes in ¾” board strips and is available in many types of wood including Oak, Maple, Cherry, and Hickory. It can be purchased pre-finished or unfinished. It can also be sanded and refinished multiple times and can last many decades.

Solid wood flooring is susceptible to high humidity and moisture so it should only be used on ground or above ground levels. You should think twice before considering using it in a basement. Due to the fact that solid wood floors are moisture sensitive they can have the tendency to expand, contract or cup. The cupping action causes the wood edges to stick up, which can lead to floor damage and even tripping.

Solid wood flooring is also sensitive to scratches, though this can be mitigated with your choice of wood flooring as well as how you finish/seal the floor.

Solid wood flooring is typically more expensive than laminate flooring such as Pergo, however it is well worth the investment. Solid wood flooring is actually one type of flooring that can raise the value of your home. If you are building, or have a high end home, then you should definitely go with solid wood flooring as most high end home buyers will prefer solid wood floors over Pergo, or other laminate flooring.

Laminate flooring is basically made out of plastic with a photographic image of wood sandwiched in between the layers of plastic. Laminate floors are very durable and great for high traffic areas and active families, however they cannot be refinished once scuffed up and/or scratched. There are also limited colors/patterns to choose from. Laminate flooring can typically be cleaned with a damp mop, however excessive moisture can damage the laminate if water seeps in around the edges of the boards.

Laminate flooring is considered to be impervious to stains and dents and will not fade. Typically warranties on Pergo, or similar laminate flooring products, are 10 years or more.

Laminate flooring comes in various thicknesses from 6mm to 12mm. The thicker the material the longer it will last. In addition, the more it will simulate real solid wood floors, not just in appearance but also in sound when walking on it.

In regards to installation, a homeowner with a few basic tools can install both solid wood floors and Pergo laminate flooring. However, before installation a homeowner should first do their homework. Particularly with solid wood floors, it is important to allow for expansion of the material. Thus it is important to not butt the solid wood floor directly up against a wall.

Other laminate flooring manufactures besides Pergo include Alloc, Balterio, and Mohawk.

If you are anticipating only staying a few years in a home and have children and pets, laminate flooring, can make a lot of sense, particularly as it is typically lower cost than solid wood flooring. If you plan to be in a home for a long period of time and want to make a serious investment in the home, then consider solid wood floors.

Silestone Countertops versus Corian Countertops

Silestone vs. Corian Countertops, what should a homeowner choose for his or her new kitchen? Well, it depends on your tastes. Silestone, or engineered stone, is one of the most popular countertop materials on the market today. It has the appearance of granite, but also adds its own shimmering uniqueness due to quartz crystals embedded in the material. Corian countertops on the other hand have been around for many years and simulate a marble stone look. Both Silestone and Corian countertops have their advantages and disadvantages.

Silestone is basically made up of a composite of quartz material and plastic. Silestone consists of approximately 94% quartz stone material and 6% plastic. Silestone countertops are priced similar to Corian countertops. Silestone also comes in about 48 different colors. What makes Silestone rather unique is that the quartz material sparkles providing a glimmering radiance that is unmatched by granite or Corian countertops.

There are a number of other manufacturers of engineered stone countertops on the market besides Silestone. They include Granyte, Avanza, Cesarstone, and Zodiak from Dupont. All employ similar methods as Silestone in how they construct the countertop material

Corian countertops are constructed using 100% plastic (also known as resin). As the plastic is heated and processed, colors are added. Today Corian comes in 80 different colors. Corian is unique in that unlike Silestone, or even Granite, you can get Corian countertops in solid white, a countertop color still preferred by many. In addition, Corian can be designed and manufactured to be seamless in appearance.

Corian countertops are known to be more easily repairable than Silestone countertops just due to the fact that Corian countertops are 100% plastic.

However, Silestone (or other engineered stone countertops) are said to be more heat, burn, stain, and scratch resistant due to the fact that they are made mainly out of stone material. Scratches on dark Corian colors are said to be much more visible than lighter or speckled colors. If hot pots are left on a Corian countertop it is likely the countertop will be burned and the warranty put into question.