Important Do-It-Yourself Home Remodeling Advice

Often I'm asked by homeowners, if they think that they can build something on their own. Often I end up explaining the process to them and it's pretty confusing. I would like to give some homeowners and construction handyman some do-it-yourself home remodeling advice, about projects that I think they should avoid and the reason why.

1. Working on Electrical Service Boxes

I really don't recommend, anyone who lacks experience working with electrical, to be working on it at all. When it comes to the electrical service box repairs, if you don't have any experience working in this specific area, I am suggesting this to all homeowners and do-it-yourselfers, stay away from electrical service power boxes. Electricity can be extremely hazardous to your health, so take my advice, this is coming from an expert on the subject.

2. Plumbing Water Supply Lines

I don't recommend, anyone who doesn't have any experience working with plumbing water supply lines, because if they break, or if your repair, doesn't hold properly, you could destroy a large portion of your home. Picture this, you just got through putting a new faucet in, everything looks great, but it's time for you to go to your baseball game. You come home about four hours later and the entire house is flooded with water.

This kind of stuff does happen and you need to take the advice of an expert here. It has even happened to me and I understand the process, pretty good. If you plan on fixing any plumbing water supply lines, make sure that you can spend the time, keeping an eye on your new home repair. If you're going to have any problems with them, they will usually happen within the first few hours of use.

I hope this helps, sometimes it's better to pay a professional, but I can understand, every intelligent person, is interested in saving a few dollars and learning new skills.

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link Home Repair Pictures and Advice. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

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

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Home Purchasing Checklists Provide Protection

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for consumers with useful information for future home repairs or current home repairs that will need to be done before the home is sold. Home inspectors often use checklists like these, while they're inspecting the home.

If more home shoppers used home inspection checklist while shopping for houses, we would probably have more satisfied homebuyers than dissatisfied ones. Recently just purchasing a home, we had our real estate professional, the previous homeowner's real estate professional and a mortgage lender, involved in the purchase of the property.

There was a home inspection report from the current homeowners, available for us to look at. It provided us with the damaged parts of the home that were repaired or replaced. Some of these repairs were from termite damage and it was stated so on the report. This was helpful information for us as we walked around the home inspecting it for damage.

The work that was repaired to look satisfactory and the rest of the home had minor damage. Listening to one of the real estate sales people that were involved in the transaction, you would've thought we would get in the deal of a lifetime and they had nothing but good news to say about the product they were representing. I easily understood that, this person could have influenced some one into believing that the home was in great shape, if they didn't have a home inspection checklist with them.

The home had been re-carpeted, painted and was in generally good shape. The problems with the home, were the old windows that were hard to open, the heating unit leaked gas, the tile flooring that ran through the kitchen and a large room addition looked great, except for one thing, they installed the tile over linoleum.

This eventually will have to be replaced as the tile starts to separate from the linoleum. While I'm writing this article, there's about 40 square feet of tile that needs to be replaced, because it's popping up and cracking.

A home purchasing checklist does not guarantee that you will find everything but can't eliminate some of the things that homeowners have the biggest problems with. If you could just eliminate one of these problems, the small price of purchasing, one of these checklists would be worth it.

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for the shopper and I would recommend, never shopping for a home without one.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

By Greg Vandenberge

What is a Three Way Home Electrical Light Switch?

A three way home electrical light switch is a special light switch that can be used in your hallways, large rooms and stairways. These light switches are specially made to operate one light or a group of lights from two different locations.

They are most commonly found in hallways and provide a homeowner with the option of turning the light on at one end of the hallway and turning it off, when they are finished walking through the hallway and are about to enter into another room.

Before three way home electrical light switches were made, people would turn the hallway light on and leave it on or they wouldn't turn the hall light on at all, because they knew that after they walked down the dark hallway, they wouldn't be able to turn the light off at the other end.

Three-way light switches are also used in stairways. It makes a lot of sense, to be able to turn your stairway light on, at the bottom of the stairs and then after you have walked up the stairway safely, you can simply turn the stair lights system off.

As homes become larger, it's not going to be uncommon to find three way light switches being used at either end of large rooms. If your living room or family room was located within the center of your home and had an entrance at each end, it wouldn't be a bad idea to install a light switch at each end, for travelers who are simply walking through these room.

Remember that three-way light switches, are used to operate lights from two different locations.

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link Great Home Repair Advice. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link Encinitas Home Remodeling Contractors

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

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Building Codes - Stairway Construction

The stair building code was created for building safety. Before the building code and local city enforcement (Building Inspectors), anyone could build a house. This meant Uncle Earl who had just watched a couple of his friends build a house down the street construct some sort of a dwelling. The next step for Earl would be to help these guys for a day and now he is a professional home builder. You get the point.

Stair Building Codes create the safety needed for one of the most hazardous areas of your home. You might know someone who has fallen down a stairway?

I lived in a house I built for 15 years and I redesigned the stairs from a winder design to a T shaped set of stairs. Both sets of stairs were built using the local stair building code for my city.

Wow I could not believe how many times my family members fell down the stairs. I even fell down once. I was amazed. When I switched from the winder to the T shaped stairway there were less accidents. My point is that even using the stair building codes this is a dangerous part of your house.

Having a professional stair builder install your stairs is great advice. Take it. For example this happened to me on quite a few jobs. I get a set of plans from a architect who has been designing houses for over 40 years. I looked at the stairway to find out that he has designed a stairway that is too small for the length of this part of the home. If I build the stairs using the plans that by the way were approved from the local building department, I could have a problem.

You are probably asking yourself how does this happen. Aren't these people experienced professionals. Of course they are. They probably have the U.B.C. (Uniform Building Code) in their office somewhere. Everyone makes mistakes here and there but this is one area of the home where safety is a big concern.

Just look at it like this. The stair building code was designed to improve the safety and reduce the number of accidents while using the stairs. Over the years I have seen stairs poorly designed and constructed. These stairs create problems for the owners of the buildings not just the people that use them. Did I mention lawsuits. This is one area where a lawyer will have a field day.

As a building professional I advise you to use the stair building code first for safety and second to avoid lawsuits. Get an idea from some of the pictures I have taken over the years on problems with stair building.

Use common sense while building or remodeling your home. It goes a long way.

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

Retaining Walls Suffer From Moisture Problems

Whether you're driving down the road or through a neighborhood and you notice a retaining wall that has large cracks in it, or is severely discolored, or one that has white calcium deposits from moisture covering the entire wall, you've got problems with moisture.

The retaining wall is designed to hold the dirt back, that's it's sole purpose. It's not going to hold any moisture back unless someone has installed a waterproofing membrane to separate the soil from the concrete block wall. If the soil isn't ever going to get wet, then you probably don't need to waterproof the retaining wall.

However that's normally not going to be the case. So we need to waterproof the interior of our retaining walls to eliminate future moisture problems that could eventually, deteriorate as moisture starts to accumulate, inside of our block wall for a longer periods of time.

If you don't know anything about waterproofing, I would suggest that you hire a waterproofing expert. Waterproofing looks easier than it actually is, and might be out of your scope of work.

I'm not going to suggest that you use waterproofing paints, because I haven't seen great results with these products. However, if you're not that concerned about your retaining wall and are looking for a cheaper way to apply any waterproofing materials, these paints might not be a bad idea. Sometimes, Something is better than nothing.

If you live in a relatively dry climate, it might not be necessary to waterproof your retaining walls. But if you live in a damp or moist area, especially an area where the ground is moist all year round or more than six months out of the year, I would suggest that you waterproof the back of your retaining walls.

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link House Basement Repair Ideas. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

Dryer Vent In Basement Window.

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

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Don't Let This Happen to You - Home Computer Electrical Damage

If you've read any of my other articles, you know that I am always coming up with great ideas, tips and even a couple of stories that can save homeowners lots of money. Here's another one of those stories, that involves a friend of mine who asked me if I could fix his outdoor electrical outlet.

I was over at his house one day, and told him that I could probably fix the electrical outlet and if we needed any parts, we could run down to the lumber yard and pick them up and his problem would be solved within a few hours. This two hour repair was about to cost him the hard drive on his computer, but neither one of us had any idea what was about to happen.

We each agreed to give it a shot, I told him to go over to the electrical panel and turn off the breaker that went to his outdoor shed. He proceeded to turn off the breaker and yelled out," It's off, try it." I plugged in an electric drill and it was still working, as he was walking around the corner, towards me, I showed him that the drill was still on and he hadn't turned off the right electrical breaker.

He went back and turned off a couple of more electrical breakers and the drill was still running. Now he frantically started to turn off one electrical breaker at a time, until I yelled out," It's off, the electrical power is, off you can stop."

I repaired the electrical outlet and he went back to turn every electrical breaker back on that he had turned off. We were proud of ourselves and he now had electrical power, back to his shed and he was happy.

Now for the bad news, his computer was running and when he turned the electricity off and on, it must've done something to his computer hard drive and it now needed to be replaced.

The moral to the story, isn't that you shouldn't help your friends. It's that you should, make sure that your computers are safely off, before you attempt to do any electrical work to your home.

It wouldn't be a bad idea, to have a battery backup, for your computer, if you use it often, just in case there is an electrical failure or something happens like the story above.

If your really interested in saving money on your home electrical bills - Energy Saving Books

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

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link Home Repair Advice. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

10 Things a Homeowner Won't Tell a Contractor - Common Courtesy

I've been a contractor in the state of California for over 20 years and there are some things that a homeowner won't tell a contractor. These are a few things that a contractor might want to hear, but a reluctant homeowner, might have second thoughts telling their contractors how they really feel.

1. We are happy with all of the work that you did in a timely manner and we appreciate your services.

2. We are happy with the way you performed your construction tasks, efficiently and we appreciate your services.

3. The work was done by a true professional and we would recommend you to any one of our friends.

4. The payment plan that you created in the contract worked out perfectly and never made us feel uncomfortable. It never seemed like you had too much of our money or we were putting you in a bad spot financially.

5. Thanks for keeping the job clean, it meant a lot to us, because we have seen other construction jobs that look like a tornado ran through them.

6. Thanks for helping us with our design. Working with your contractor on a daily, weekly or monthly basis can be frustrating or joyful. Let the contractor know either way how you are really feeling.

7. You and your crew are extremely hard-working and we appreciate the simple fact that you didn't come to work late or leave early.

8. Thanks for the reasonable priced estimate on our project. You helped us say a lot of money and we appreciate that sincerely.

9. Thanks for doing the extra work at a reasonable price. You could have gouged us at certain times, but you chose to be fair and work things out, in a way that would benefit both of us.

10. This one is the most important and often overlooked by homeowners and it's simple and easy to do. Thanks for doing what you said you were going to do and actually doing it.

Just a simple thank you and paying them on time, for a service well done is enough for most contractors. However, a little common courtesy can go a long way, even in the construction industry.

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link Home Remodeling Contractor

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

Click here if you're looking for additional Homeowner Contractor Advice. If you're interested in gathering more information on how to hire a good contractor, make sure that you visit our website.

Take Pictures of Your Growing Foundation Damage Or Cracks

I champion people and try to get them to look at their house, at least once a year. One of the easiest ways to inspect your home is to use a home inspection checklist and if you really want a good home inspection checklist, there's a good chance that you are going to need to purchase one. You get what you pay for and don't ever forget that.

Foundation repairs usually start with a small crack and that's no joke. If you notice a crack, take a picture of it and save it somewhere. If you think, that the crack is actually getting a little bigger or starting to separate, you can simply take another picture and compare the two photos.

I would like to give you an example of what I'm talking about. Sometimes we look at something and we think that it's getting larger, but we don't have anything to compare it to. As time goes on, we think that the crack is still getting larger, but our mind is creating an optical illusion. This happens to a lot of people.

If you had a picture, from a few years ago, you could refresh your memory and this could be very helpful in reducing your anxiety or jumping to conclusions about foundation damage. Trust me, sometimes, I'm like a medical emergency crew, going to visit a homeowner to relieve their foundations stress. People panic over foundation cracks and I'm the doctor they call for any one of their home emergencies.

I would also advise you to take pictures of the rest of your home. How hard would it be to take about 300 pictures of your home each year and store them on your computer or on a disk, for easy access later? A picture is worth a thousand words and don't ever forget that.

Click Here for Some More Great Foundation Repair Solutions.

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

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link Home Repair Problems. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

Cost Plan For a Sunroom

According to National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) price of sunroom ranges from $12,000 - $70,000. NARI estimates that the sunrooms can save up to 70% of the investment cost. The cost that is incurred in the construction of a sunroom includes the material cost and the labor cost. It has been projected that on average the material of a sunroom may cost up to $10,400. Constructing the deck, may require approximately $1500 of material. For the construction of the stairs the estimate material cost can be near to $270 figure. Construction of roofing system, floor improvements and all other material costs for the construction of an average sunroom can be very near to $13,500 - $14,000.

The second main aspect that should be considered while chalking out the cost of sunroom is the labor cost. For the construction of an average sunroom the labor charges can exceed $11,000 figure. For the construction of the deck, the labor cost is estimated to be around $1650. Likewise, construction of the stairs may cost from $200 to $250.

If we merge these costs with the flooring, roofing system and the total labor cost which is not less than $12,000 we can get a big figure of around $25,000. So it is obvious that only the construction of an entire sunroom can cost up to $25000. It is commonly seen that the sunroom prices can vary because of the material used in the construction work.

Many people like the aluminum work for their sunrooms and it is also widely accepted material for sunrooms construction because it makes the sunroom very beautiful. But on the other side many people also use wooden material in the construction of the sunrooms which may reduce the beauty of the sunroom as compared to the aluminum work. An aluminum sunroom can be constructed with energy proficient exterior and interior with panes that are thermally broken. A sunroom with wooden panels can also be constructed with beams that can give your sunroom a classic touch. Sunrooms that are covered with vinyl shell are commonly used in the building of the Victorian and Georgian Art schools.

The type of fixture that is used in the sunroom can increase its total cost. The types of windows and doors that are planned to be fitted are the main factors that may increase the costs. Sliding doors with dual locking system can also be fitted that are widely used because of childproof handles. The style of the sunroom also plays an important role in increasing the cost or reducing it. There are various roof designs that are introduced for sunrooms; include cathedral, straight, curved and conservatory. The roofs of sunrooms are normally made-up of aluminum with a coating that helps in restricting the injurious ultra violet rays of the sun from entering in the room. Aluminum costs are surely more than vinyl but vinyl provides more insulation that does the aluminum. If you are building a wooden sunroom then keep in mind that it can cost very much to you because it requires the proper maintenance and care. Make sure to build a budget for this project before you select designs for your sunroom.

Andrew Caxton is a freelance writer. Learn more about sunroom addition and patio enclosures at http://www.allsunrooms.com/enclosures.html

Wood Flooring Problems In Bath

In Search of Vintage Bathroom Vanities

Do all things with a nostalgic echo stir up some wonderful memories in you? Do you earnestly believe that classic pieces are defined by unparalleled elegance and charm, and that one must celebrate their timeless intrigue?

Thankfully, you are not alone in your attempts in taking a trip down memory lane. And before you are convinced that your dreams of recreating that magic of yesteryears will remain nothing but a black hole, take time off to admire some simply breathtaking vintage bathroom vanities.

They manage to infuse life into bathrooms that seem to be floundering for breath with impeccable refinement and unmatched sophistication.

That Unmistakable Regal Touch

Antique looking classy bathroom vanities are crafted from solid antique wood, with a detailed china top. That's really the secret to their intriguing, almost bewitching beauty. Modern-day advances ensure that the magnificence of exquisite, intricate carvings and etchings are protected with the help of chemicals.

If there's even an iota of doubt about the quality of these vanities, here's a pronouncement that is sure to gladden many hearts. The quality of these antiques is exemplar par excellence, as they are carved from high density fiber board that is further enhanced with a superb stain finish. Antique water faucets and antique brass and ceramic hardware only add to the ethereal appeal.

And before you make snap judgments about the functionality, or rather the lack of it, these vanities surprise you with an enormous amount of storage space.

Selecting One Could Take You Ages

You may find it rather hard to resist the exceptionally beautiful appearance of these bathroom vanities, but there's something else that you are sure to find more arduous. Just try your hand at picking your favorite, and you'll be able to comprehend the enormity of this decision.

There's the Antique Oak Record Cabinet for bathroom vanity that takes your breath away with its sawn oak construction, smoldering bronze faucets and pristine white sink. It is a spectacle that promises pure, unrestrained happiness. For those that believe in uninhibited opulence, the Marble Top French Dresser is both unique and rare.

Whatever you choose, you are sure to have a bathroom that will become the cynosure of all eyes.

Here's exactly how you can generate 100's or even 1000's of positively brilliant Bathroom Remodeling Ideas... FAST ! And you could easily increase your home's value by several $1000s fast with these 25 street-smart tips for Dirt Cheap Home Improvement

Concrete Patio Gofer Damage

Installing Home Windows - Home Remodeling Help

Most carpenters and construction workers understand one thing about eye level. It had better be straight, square and plumb. My dad could walk into a room take a quick glance at a wall and notice almost every single flaw in that wall. I was always amazed at his ability to find problems so quickly.

I have never quite developed the ability that my father has in noticing construction defects at his level. But I can tell you this most people notice a majority of flaws at their eye level. What does this mean? Quite simply if you are 4'6" tall you will notice every flaw possible between 3'6" and six foot.

If you are 6 feet tall you will notice every flaw between 5 feet and 8 feet. You might not notice the window apron but you will notice the window header if there are any problems.

Now the problem is installing windows at eye level and making sure that the window sill is level and the jambs are plumb. Windows seem to get used a lot and therefore will be looked at often. The more we look at something the more we will notice the good and the bad about that object.

Does the window slide easy, does the window lock easy, does the window close and open with little effort? If the window has grids this could be a bigger problem. If you are sliding the moving panel of the window passed the fixed panel of the window and the window is not level or straight you will definitely see it.

If you are installing Windows above 8 feet you could probably get away with the window being a little bit out of level or plumb. If the window is a two-story house and you can view it from upstairs you could have a problem if the window is out of square or not level.

Keep in mind is very important and not hard to do when installing the windows during construction or remodeling to keep them plumb and level. I know a lot of carpenters and window setters that slapped the windows in, eyeball them for straightness and move on to the next window to perform the same task.

Every person's eye level range will vary. A taller person will notice most mistakes five foot and above. A smaller person will notice mistakes five foot and below. Working at someone's eye level is a mistake. Your work should be quality and when setting windows should be done to the best of your ability.

You might ask why it matters. Because you never know when someone smaller or taller is going to be walking through the house and notice some simple problems that could have been fixed easily during the construction process. Now the window will have to be repaired which could be a costly process.

I like to build things right the first time. Take your time, double check everything and assemble with pride.

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

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes in Installing Windows in Your Home

Simple Light Switch Replacement

The Versatility of PVC Railings

Vinyl Railings for Your Home

For many years when we thought of railings and appropriate materials, wood always came to mind as the material of choice. While wood is still widely used because of its beauty, whether in the home or out, vinyl railings are being a great alternative to wooden railings. Many companies that deal in deck and railing products sell PVC (synthetic resin) railings. These are very popular because they are sturdy and resistant to fading from sun exposure. They also will not rot or warp like wood deck boards and furniture tend to do as well as requiring regular maintenance.

Why Use Vinyl Over Wood For Railings?

Vinyl railings are very convenient to use because they are lightweight and often come in easy-to-assemble kits. The parts can also be customized to your preferences of sizes and shapes. Because they are so light, the shipping is going to be relatively cheap. Unless you get really close to the vinyl railings, you won't be able to tell them from wood railings. Vinyl railings are not just popular in homes, but also in agricultural and commercial uses. The beauty of vinyl railings, their warm inviting look as well as low maintenance have made them very popular. With the rising cost of lumber, vinyl railings are the ideal choice because of their low life cost for maintenance.

As we said, vinyl has an appearance very similar to wood. You'll often see vinyl railings in high-rise apartments as well as expensive buildings. Another advantage of vinyl railings, which makes them so perfect is that they come in a variety of styles including colonial, contemporary, standard or even custom styles. Many architects or contracts will recommend vinyl railings because of their durability, resistance to weather conditions and their little or no maintenance requirements.

The one characteristic of decks that must be considered when purchasing materials is the amount of time they will be outdoors in the many elements of weather. For this reason, people are choosing the material that will last the longest in all types of weather, which is why vinyl railings are chosen most often today. They can be subject to many different weather conditions and still look great. If they do fade in color, they'll fade evenly. They also will not blister, rot, rush or peel, which are qualities you see in wood decks and products. Rock salt or other products you use for ice and snow removal also will not affect vinyl. Most importantly is the fact that vinyl is not a fire hazard. PVC vinyl railings are used in some of the most influential homes in the country.

Cost & Time For Installation of Vinyl Railings

Installing vinyl railings is very similar to installing wooden railings. With both products, you need to attach the post to the post mount, followed by the installation of the bottom horizontal rail. Next comes the pickets and then the top railing. The vertical pickets secure the bottom railing. The top railing secures the pickets and vice versa. You may think vinyl railings are very expensive when you start pricing them. While they may appear to be more expensive at first, what you save in maintenance costs will more than make up the difference.

Adam Peters is the editor of many articles on vinyl railings published at http://www.deck-porch-railings.com - A website with tips on PVC railings and PVC

Pocket Door Problems

DIY Home Improvement at the Tip of Your Busy Fingers

Do it yourself projects should be doable, easy and ultimately useful. The following are some practical DIY tasks that you can try if you have free time at home.

Wiring a plug

Wiring a plug only requires basic know-how to carry out. First off, why would it be necessary to wire a plug? Sometimes, appliances' plugs become brittle, and break. It is dangerous to use broken plugs. Broken plugs can result in electrocution and in some rare instances, death.

In some cases, the wires inside the plug becomes disconnected. The first thing to do is to unplug the device to be repaired from the power source. With a screw driver, remove the cover of the plug and proceed to clear the terminals of any dirt.

This applies to new plugs. The only difference would be the insides of new plugs are clean. Proceed to separate the three distinct wires. The neutral wire, the earth wire and the live wire. All three are important, don't leave anything behind.

Attach the three distinct wires to the proper terminals inside the plug. Most plugs are uniformly built, so you won't have any trouble carrying this step out.

The brown wire, which is the live wire should go to the portion of the plug marked "L". The neutral wire, which is often coated with blue plastic should go to the "N" terminal. The third wire, the earth wire goes to the topmost region of the plug.

The copper wires should be wound around the proper terminals, or they should at least pass through. Some plugs require wounding while others do not.

Be careful with the fine strands of copper wire. Any loose strands should be fixed. Remember, loose strands can cause fire from shorts once you plug in the appliance.

Fixing a leaking faucet

You do not need a plumber to fix a leaking faucet. Often, leaking faucets can easily be remedied with the right tools. The first step to fixing a leaking faucet would be to turn off the water valve.
Leaky faucets are often due to brittle or broken rubber washers. These rubber washers are simple enough to be installed by anyone. Unscrew the top of the faucet after the water supply has been turned off.

Remove the broken washer and inspect the area. Clean the top portion of the washer of any kind of dirt. Molds should be removed with a clean sponge.

Place the washer and proceed to re-install the handle of the faucet. If all goes well, you would be able to screw the handle quickly. If the washer's size is right, the leaks would no longer appear. Turn off the water supply once again and test. A clean stream of water should appear.

In case this approach does not work, there is a possibility that there might be cracks or fissures on the faucet itself. Turn off the water supply once again, and inspect the faucet for minute cracks.

If there are minute cracks, purchase generic sealants. The sealants do not have to be expensive. Sealants like Epoxy Steel can be used.

The author of this article is Benedict Yossarian. Benedict recommends Roof Bond Foam Roof Insulation and Dekorbeton Concrete Stamping for your DIY needs.

Getting Rid Of Horrible Attic Sm

Does Your Thermostat Read Temperature Properly - Homeowner Tips

Through out my career as an air conditioning, heating and refrigeration technician, I have seen thousands of jobs with the same problems over and over and over. I have seen just about every mistake you can imagine. I've been in the field going on 23 years now.

I came across one job a few years ago where the contractor (so called professional) installed a replacement digital thermostat in the same spot where the old unit was located. In between two door jams in a hall way. This guy used the old wires that were attached to the old thermostat, which is not a problem in it self, but the location of the wires is where he ran into trouble. The problem here was the person who installed this thermostat, installed it sideways because it was too long for this location. Instead of telling the customer he needed to go get a thermostat that fit the application or moving the wires to accommodate the thermostat he had on his truck, he installed what he had with him at the time and he told the customer "that was how these new digital thermostats needed to be installed" so they could operate properly. Of course the customer was a senior citizen in her late 80's and he had no morals or values. The funny thing is that this digital thermostat would have actually worked properly installed this way, because the sensor was a solid state device on a circuit board. Except for reading what the display said and reading what the buttons said, this thermostat actually operated correctly. You should have seen the way he installed the duct work but that is another story.

The reason the lady called was because it seemed to her that the furnace would always shut down too early or it would sometimes run for a long period of time making the room warmer than she wanted. I had to laugh when I arrived on the job and saw what this guy had done. The biggest issue mechanically with this thermostat was not the way it was mounted, but that it was mounted and covering a very large hole, where the thermostat wires came though the wall. The sensor was very near the hole on the wall and it was reading the cold inside wall cavity temperature. I removed the thermostat and installed a new one for her, free of charge and then filled the hole with sheetrock mud to stop the stat from reading the wall cavity temperature.

The customer wanted to pay me for my trouble and my materials but I told her that the next time she came across someone that needs a new furnace or air conditioner that could could simply give my name and phone number out and that would be enough. She agreed and thanked me for my trouble.

I still get referrals from her today. It has always bugged me to see someone take advantage of elderly people, especially when they have no business doing the work in the first place.

The digital thermostats today can do a lot and they are generally pretty reliable, most of the time its either that its installed wrong or programmed wrong, wired wrong or there are not enough wires to it. Maybe the thermostat needs the common wire from the thermostat hooked up to operate properly. The majority of these problems are the result of poor technical knowledge on behalf of the installer, or perhaps they simply don't care enough to read the installation instructions. Sometimes people get into the trade and learn how to install duct work and put sheet metal screws in with a drill gun and bam they think they have enough experience to go out and become a contractor.

Unfortunately home owners have no way of knowing whether or not the service company they chose has enough experience or knowledge to do the job right. The NATE Rating is about as close as you can come to being sure you hire the right people. However" I was trained a long time ago in a technical school that focused on the theory and operating principals of electrical, refrigeration, air conditioning and heating. Long before the NATE Training certificate came about. My schooling was 990hrs and the course took place over 9 months. I don't have the NATE certificate badge myself. I guess I should go get it to look more legitimate and I probably will get it as that seems to be the standard today. I have not looked into the certificate yet but eventually will.

You can contact me by email located within my site or you can post questions in our forum and I will respond fairly quickly. Maybe you had a new system installed and are having problems that the installer can't seem to fix. I would be glad to give it a shot. I specialize in residential gas/propane forced air heating systems, heat pumps, air conditioning and zoning.

John Grisler
Specialist in Environmentally Friendly High Efficiency Residential Air Conditioning and Heating Systems
Graduate Universal Technical Institute February 1986
23 Years Experience Residential/ Light Commercial Heating Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
US Patent 7234318 Multiple Stage, Single Pass Refrigeration System. June 2006
Designer of the Self Contained Air Conditioned Chair -see grizzco@feeservers.com

my web site is http://greenfeetco2.com/

Problems With Black Mold

Solar Power Generator - Home Tips

The sun is by far the biggest energy resource that is known to man and available for use right now. The fact that we get most of our energy through the unsustainable mining and misuse of planetary fossil resources is unacceptable when you understand just how much energy is emitted by the sun and how easy it is to capture and turn into usable electrical energy for our homes. On an annual basis, enough solar energy reaches the surface of the earth to cover more than ten thousand times the annual global energy demand and reserves. It is more than time that we started to use this solar energy to its full potential and stopped the needless destruction of our planet.

There is a distinction that can be made between direct solar energy and indirect solar energy. If you are interested in building a solar generator for your home, then it is direct solar energy that can be converted into useful energy and used for electrical or heating purposes. Wind, rivers and plants are examples of indirect forms of solar energy and can be used to generate electrical energy as well, although that is another subject matter. These technologies all use direct solar energy in one way or another:

: solar thermal power plants.
: solar water heating systems.
: passive heating by solar.
: photovoltaics or solar cells that produce electricity.

All of these technologies are important in the overall scheme of renewable energy solutions for the planet, however, if you are interested in generating electricity for your home, it is the technologies relating to solar cells or photovoltaics that will be of interest to you. It is much easier to produce your own solar energy system than you would ever imagine, all it takes is a small initial investment and a little time and motivation.

Building a solar power generator is an interesting, fun and important project that can reduce your energy bills and help you to save the planet at the same time. There are some fantastic online guides out there that can provide step by step instructions to help you to become more energy efficient and carbon neutral than you probably thought was possible. By beginning to use the sun more for our electricity needs we can all benefit along with our planet - so get yourself a guide and start building your solar power generator today.

Greg Morgan is a professional writer and blogger who is passionate about green issues and DIY technology. Please visit this blog - Make Your Own Energy to learn how to get started on your path to generating your own electricity.

Buying A Functional House

Proper Maintenance For Your Natural Gas Furnace

Having a natural gas furnace offers plenty of convenience and savings for your home over the other types of heating systems including electricity. It not only works quickly to heat up water but it offers you a reliable method for meeting the needs in your home without pollution or being expensive. You probably are aware of these facts though and many of them probably played a role in your decision to purchase a natural gas furnace.

To keep your natural gas furnace operating as it was intended you need to be conscious of the routine maintenance to be performed on it. Don't simply take it for granted and then give it attention when problems develop. If you take care of your natural gas furnace it will work better and last years longer.

The air filter on your furnace should be replaced every other month. If you live where it has to be operating daily then you will want to change the filter monthly instead. Once a filter gets clogged you won't have as much airflow coming out. This causes the equipment to work harder to produce the same amount of heat for you. As a result more energy is consumed and you will see your heating bills increasing. You may find replacing the air filters for your natural gas furnace is expensive but it will cost you less than the additional fuel consumption.

Periodically check each of your heating ducts and registers for blockage. If any of them are blocked remove the objects so the air flow can happen freely. Don't place furniture in front of places where the air comes out or your natural gas furnace will have to work harder.

It is a common practice to use duct tape so you can seal all the seams on the duct work of the natural gas furnace. A better alternative is to use aluminum foil because duct tape will dry out. This will leave a brittle mess and it won't be sealed off like it should be. Aluminum foil tape is more expensive than duct tape but it works better and lasts for a very long time.

It doesn't take much time or effort to properly maintain your natural gas furnace. Keeping it in top working condition will ensure your home stays warm when you need it to be without costing you more money to operate it. You will also have to repair or replace your natural gas furnace less often.

If you found this information on Natural Gas Furnace useful, you'll also want to read about Natural Gas Detector.

Useful Tips to Remember When Remodeling Your Home

Once in a while you need to indulge in a remodeling or redecorating project in your room to give a whole new look for your house. If you plan this, you need to have enough money on hand because remodeling projects can typically costs more than tens of thousands of dollars especially if you would want to include areas such as the flooring, cabinets and new appliances. If finances are not a problem, then feel free to go out and buy the furnishings such as Tiffany table lamps and materials you have been saving for in years.

Although money may be no object for you, you still have to take your time when purchasing for the right supplies, furniture and selecting contractors. Determine your budget beforehand for each piece furniture or service and stick with it. At this rate, you will not find yourself going over the intended financial arrangements. The secret lies in spending only about 70-80% of your budget to buy everything you desire for your house. In this fashion, you will still have money to spare when unexpected surprises happen. This will prevent delays that often happen when a contractor unknowingly discovers a termite colony in the process of renovating.

Naturally, people will most often spend their budget on windows, flooring and fireplaces. The expenses in these areas will usually exceed the budget and tends to leave limited choices for other important home accessories such as furniture and lighting. This is not a good idea. You should always put into consideration and include in the budget these important aspects.

For the furniture, always begin with large items such as sofa, chairs, coffee tables and matching accent tables. It is entirely possible that you will over budget in buying these key pieces but it is better to invest in high quality furniture than risking it on poorly made ones that you will surely regret later on. In the long run, you will end up saving money and will wind up with a more complete and durable furniture pieces.

On the other hand, you should also consider the three types of lighting to provide your home with a more comfortable and appealing look. The three types will include the ambient, task and accent light. In the ambient lighting, there is an overall illumination of an area. In contrast, the task lighting is intended for specific tasks and is more concentrated. It has less ambient lighting that is often used for reading and other related tasks. The third type is accent lighting which is light often left in the middle of the night to prevent us from bumping into things. Whenever possible, it is advised to use these types of lighting fixtures to provide a more balanced lighting effect. A living room can therefore be designed to have flush mounted ceiling fixture for ambient lighting, a couple of tiffany table lamps atop accent tables for task lighting and maybe some wall lamps for the accent lighting.

Remodeling and renovating your home will take a lot of effort and patience. As this is an immense project and will most likely be expensive, you should never purchase items such as furniture on impulse. Plan everything ahead of time to harmonize everything and stick with your budget. Surely in the end, you will appreciate the overall look of your new home because of your persistence and hard work.

For more tips and information about tiffany table lamps, please check out http://www.mylampselections.com.

DIY Solar Energy - How to Build Your Own Cheap Solar Panels

Its no secret that solar energy has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent times.

With increasing power costs and decreasing incomes in these unstable economic times people are looking for ways to save some of their hard earned and increasingly hard to come by dollars by slashing their power bills.

One of the long standing problems with employing solar energy for out energy consumption needs is the large initial expense we must out lay to have a solar energy system installed (this cost is often in the high thousands of dollars).

It was with this in mind I set out on a journey to try to discover a way to build cheap solar panels.

I fired up Google and entered "cheap solar panels" in the search field and proceeded to be amazed by the number of search results, there were literally hundreds of companies selling guides to build your own homemade cheap solar panels.

The First link I clicked through lead to a page that proclaimed to have a simple step by step guide to building your own cheap solar panels for under $200!. After a bit of humming and haring I figured I would give it a try. I downloaded the guide, printed it out and headed off to the hardware store. Some 20 minutes later I walked out of the store armed with materials that came to the total of a tad over $200 (the price you pay for living in a small town).

Over the course of the next week, in my spare time, I put together my very own solar panels. The process was relatively painless for a DIY project and I recruited my youngest son, which made the process a breeze and a lot of fun. The guide was very informative, set out in a manual type of format, that included a lot of clearly drawn diagrams and photos as well as videos from the vendors site.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised at the whole experience, I've bought things online before only to find they fail to deliver what they promise, but in this case it was an easy and painless process that fulfilled its promises, I now run several appliances off solar energy, including the laptop I'm typing this up on, and intend to add a lot more, the sense of freedom you get from knowing that your energy usage is unmetered and free is very satisfying. Perhaps one of the best things that result from building my own cheap solar panels was the awareness it raised in my son, he now drives us crazy with telling us off for leaving the lights on when we have left the room!.

If your reading this article you more than likely are looking into ways to build cheap solar panels, my advice to you would be not to hesitate, it really is s fun and educational experience you can share with the whole family, not to mention the fact you are doing your bit to help the environment. The following link will take you to a site with reviews of DIY solar power kits as well as a plethora of information on solar energy. Cheap Solar Panels guide.

If your serious about saving money on your energy bill and you want to do your bit for the environment, check out the following link DIY Solar Power Kits reviewed.

Jon Elsdon is a Solar Energy Consultant and Environmentalist. Jon is editor of DIY Solar Power

Ranch House - Renovation Best

What is the common dream which motivates people to boost income? Undoubtedly, to live a comfortable life in a lavish house with an aura of opulence all around. So they aim at furnishing their nest in a manner that would set it apart from the rests. A ranch house could be the ultimate image make-over of a house. A ranch house is simplicity at its best. It is a one-storey building in a picturesque backdrop. This particular type of house serves two purposes at the same time: it adds up to the beauty of the house and looks after the utility aspect as well. But before setting up a house, one needs to know why he or she needs a ranch house and if it is necessary or not.

Before going deep into the details, the basic idea of ranch house and its renovation should be apparent enough. The mandatory components of a ranch house are several bedrooms, cooking area, washroom, a drawing area and rooms for guests. Cellar and conjoined parking area with an entrance into kitchen are other basic features of this kind. So, if you want to renovate a ranch house, fence the terrace, add a gallery or erect a partition to divide a big room and you are sorted.

Before venturing you must be focused about your demand from this remodeling. Its sole intention should not be only to beautify the house but also to utilize the area properly and enhancing it. A little planning beforehand helps a lot. You can start with tracking down the drawbacks of the prevailing house and correct it as soon as possible. A wooden deck or something unique can be added to complement the rest of the decoration. Even a new and extra structure can be added to the main one. But it must be in accordance with the design of the rest of the house and serve the purpose of spending free time.

Even if you are happy with the look, space enhancement could be a necessity. In that case an additional library or bedroom can be spaced out. It will change the exterior look too. It will be good change in favor of the restoration. If the planning does not go down well with the present interior due space scarcity, the cellar can be divided to increase the area.

The general use of cellar is that of a storehouse, launderette and hot water reservoir. If you surrounded it with walls with enough room spared, the extra space can be transformed into children's recreation room or for relaxation of your entire family. So, the ranch house increases the value and utility of the house.

Harry Blackwell has been an avid design enthusiast for years. You can read his reviews on Curtains & Drapes, as well as tips on how to choose from high end as well as discount curtains...

Outdoor Shed Foundations - Home Building Tips

When looking to build your own outdoor shed the first place to start is with the shed foundation. Your storage shed needs to be built on a strong foundation. Whether it is wood or concrete your slab needs to be a firm base that your outdoor shed will be built on. If you don't have a good shed foundation then your shed will not last as long as it should.

Wondering when to use a concrete slab or wood for a shed foundation? Here are the two main reasons for choosing one or the other. A wood foundation for your outdoor shed will allow you to move it if you ever decide that your original spot is not right. If you use a concrete slap then you will not be able to move it at all.

After you figured out what type of foundation you want you need to start to assemble it. If you're going to use the wood foundation, make sure you use pressure treated wood. Any home improvement store will have it just make sure to ask for help if you're unsure of the type and size you need. Tell them you're building an outdoor shed and they will be able to point you in the right direction.

An easy way to build a nice strong shed foundation is to get a couple of skids. These can be found at just about any store and usually they are in the back and free. Lay the skids out and placing your pressure treated wood around the outside nail then together. Using 3/4" plywood for the floor will give your outdoor shed a very strong foundation. Using bricks under the skids will help level the shed floor off and also keep any moisture from getting into our wood foundation.

If you decide to use the concrete slab make sure you have picked out the correct location, as this will be a permanent structure on your property. If you need your outdoor shed to support a lot of heavy equipment then you want to use the concrete slab foundation. It will be able to hold a lot more weight than the wood foundation.

It's always best to have a plan of attack before starting any home improvement project: it can save you time and money. Think about what you plan to keep inside your outdoor shed, if its going to be heavy equipment and you know that the wood foundation is going to be raised up off the ground 5-8" you may need a ramp to get stuff in and out. A concrete foundation can be made to be ground level. Keeping all these things in mind before you start building your outdoor shed will make this go so much faster and give you less headaches.

Learn more about outdoor storage sheds & buildings

Parabolic Trough

The term "Parabolic Trough Solar Field Technology" is quite a mouth full. But what does it actually mean?

This article will explain what parabolic trough solar field technology is and how this form of alternative energy works to provide solar energy on a broad scale.

Parabolic troughs are a solar energy collecting devices which are used to concentrate sunlight on a specific point.

To understand a little more about this you have to know that solar energy is split up into several different fields or methods.

1. Photovoltaic Solar Energy: this is where solar panels are used to convert sunlight directly into electricity.

2. Solar Water Heating: This is a method of heating up water through the use of solar energy, usually done through flat-plate collectors on the roof of a house. It is a very efficient and energy saving way of heating water even in colder climates.

3. Concentrated Solar Power: Concentrated solar power is created by focusing (or redirecting) direct sunlight onto a certain area, in order to heat liquids or gases, which are then used to generate electricity. Currently this last method is one of the cheapest ways to convert solar energy into electricity.

Concentrated Solar Power

Parabolic troughs belong to the last category I mentioned, concentrated solar power. It is one of the ways of redirecting sunlight and focusing it on a central point.

The focal point (where all the sunlight converges) will become extremely hot, hot enough to melt steel if large enough parabolic reflector is used.

To utilize the heat generated by the parabolic reflector, a tube is placed at the focal point and a liquid is pumped through the tube. Due to the amount of heat generated, the liquid inside the tube is rapidly heated and turned into steam.

Steam then travels through a piping system to a steam turbine, where it is used to generate electricity. And that is what concentrated solar power is in all its simplicity.

Several different methods of achieving the same result have been developed, all of which fall under the category of concentrated solar power technology. Another good example are solar towers.

Parabolic Trough Solar Energy Plants

A parabolic trough power plant consists of a solar field, a number of parabolic mirrors in the form of troughs alongside each other. There are many parallel rows of these solar collectors across the solar field (see picture).

A heat collection element, in the form of tubing placed at the focal point of the troughs, fluid is then pumped through the tubing and is heated as it passes along the sections of parabolic troughs.

The heated fluid is then converted to steam and lead to steam turbines which in turn convert it into electricity.

That's the basic setup of a parabolic trough energy plant.

Anna supports the use of solar energy for a cleaner environment and a better future. To learn more, visit her website on Solar Power and Alternative Energy.

Modernized Bathrooms - A Profound Wish of Everyone

Everybody loves beauty and elegance. This wish is more evident when people think about having their own home.The home of their dreams, equipped with all modern amenities and beautifully decorated is an eternal wish of every human being. People spend a lot of money on making their dream homes. One of the most important sections of every home is the bathroom.

Every homeowner takes extra care in construction of bathrooms inside their homes. Different people have different expectations from their bathroom. Earlier bathrooms were the least used and most ignored area inside a house, however those are matter of past. Still bathrooms are least used area but, not ignored anymore. Now people make separate plans for development of their bathrooms.

Modern day's bathrooms are fitted with all latest products. They reflect the true wealth of their masters. Nowadays people say, if you want to guess how wealthy a person is, then the easiest way is go and peep inside their kitchens and bathrooms. This is not just a saying but a completely true statement, because you will find the best quality marble flooring in modern bathrooms, granite tiles and granite counter tops and wash basins are very common. Now people even use all branded products in plumbing. Designer faucets, sinks, bath tubs, wash-basins, showers and mirrors are essential elements for a new age bathroom.

Nowadays the time for conventional bathroom accessories of old times are gone, these days people only believe on deploying designer stuff in bathrooms of their dream home. Be it faucets, bathroom sinks or washbasins, toilets, bathtubs, showers, shower bases, bathroom mirrors, bathroom vanities or furniture, people simply want the best in terms of brand, appearance and reliability.

One thing that play very important role is the color combination inside home. People want everything well textured. The concept of matching colors and textured are applicable in look and feel of bathrooms too. People want their bathroom accessories matching with their bathroom flooring and tiles, or at least in contrast with the colors used in tiling and flooring.

To sever this purpose of people all designer brands engaged in manufacturing bathroom accessories are making different bathroom accessories in vibrant colors and textures. You will certainly find one matching your needs. You can even peep into the online stores dealing in bathroom accessories for getting the accessories of your choice.

Bathrooms.sg is Singapore's Largest & Only Online Bathroom Store to feature more than 500products and feature a Lifestyle Boutique Showroom just for its online shoppers & customers to have a touch and feel of the products. For information about accessories and furniture of bathroom please visit: - http://www.bathrooms.sg

Extra! Extra! Free Energy! - Not For Sale

To whom that waste today, may be left wanting tomorrow! If you are one of those people that use energy, not abuse it, but use it wisely. It may be beneficial to have a peep at this.

Most people go through life looking but not seeing. I use to be like that and I must admit that I have missed quite a lot in my day. I would also like to think that I have mended my ways and that the things in life that matter are no longer passing me by.

Lots of things have come to the fore that previously went by unnoticed. This could be seen as my personal account if so wished. During these holidays I visited my parents in the North Cape (South Africa). The towns and communities are small compared to the metropolitan areas ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand.

The active town population where my parents live number approximate 250 (not including the visitors/truck drivers). Therefore it astounded me to find people utilizing all forms of foreign energies in such a small place. The inventions appear to be quite successful and some even state their personal reputation on their inventions.

Foreign energies in my world would constituted anything that is not petroleum or electricity (from the filling stations or power points in the home of course). I encountered solar energy devises. These included solar cells, solar heaters, solar water heaters (that replace Geysers), solar cooking (brand new for me) and a number of other ways to use the sun in manors not known in my world.

Wind energy seems to be in its infancy at this time according to the people in the know (wise old men in the village). The prototypes for generating electricity with ordinary equipment found on the farm and in automobiles. I must say that I think it seems promising.

Being myself I had to see if I could find more information relating to this topic. Low and behold, it had been documented! Should you find yourself (as I did) intrigued by this you may want to investigate some more on your own.

Have fun with this one.

Hennie Stander is a new author that have seen the other side of green renewable energy and would like to make the facts available to world.

Energy Saving Tips

Astonishingly, Americans generally spend $1600 or more a year on their utility bills. Not only is much of this wasted energy, but more carbon dioxide is emitted into the air from one home than two average cars. The following tips will help you save energy costs both at home and in the car.

*Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer. Install a programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating and cooling system.

* Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.

* Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.

* Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.

* Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).

* Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

* Take short showers instead of baths.

* Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.

* Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline.

* Look for the ENERGY STAR label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Energy.

Energy Auditing Tips:

* Check the insulation levels in your attic, exterior and basement walls, ceilings, floors, and crawl spaces.

* Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets that can leak air into or out of your home.

* Check for open fireplace dampers.

* Make sure your appliances and heating and cooling systems are properly maintained. Check your owner's manual for the recommended maintenance.

* Study your family's lighting needs and use patterns, paying special attention to high-use areas such as the living room, kitchen, and outside lighting. Look for ways to use lighting controls - like occupancy sensors, dimmers, or timers - to reduce lighting energy use, and replace standard light bulbs and fixtures with compact or standard fluorescent lamps.

Insulation Tips

* Consider factors such as your climate, building design, and budget when selecting insulation R-values for your home.

* Use higher density insulation, such as rigid foam boards, in cathedral ceilings and on exterior walls.

* Ventilation plays a large role in providing moisture control and reducing summer cooling bills. Attic vents can be installed along the entire ceiling cavity to help ensure proper airflow.

* Recessed light fixtures can be a major source of heat loss, but you need to be careful how close you place insulation next to a fixture unless it is marked IC.

These tips, and more, are provided to you in a larger PDF file by the US Department of Energy.

David Tanguay is dedicated to providing research, reviews & helpful information to consumers and businesses. For more information related to Green Energy and Alternative Energy please visit http://greenenergyonline.org

Choosing Window Blinds - 12 Tips to Avoid Expensive Errors

Nowadays there are numerous designs of blinds suitable for almost every type of window. Here are some tips to help you select the most appropriate model for different domestic situations.

Windows with a beautiful view:

When you have a window with the view of a scenic landscape, seascape, pool, mountains, etc., you should consider a blind that pulls up as tightly as possible to minimise obstruction of the view. However, we often suggest that windows with a view are left unobstructed, perhaps only with a set of dress curtains to coordinate with the rest of the decor. Avoid bulky wooden venetian blinds.

Arched windows:

Arches can be a problem and are often treated as a rectangular aperture. To retain the arch you could consider pleated or honeycomb blinds which fan into a semi-circle.

French Windows (Doors):

French doors can be tricky because the blind or the controls can get blown around when the doors are open, or caught in the hinges as the doors are closed.
The key is to think of the door as a window, which happens to be in a door. It is usually best to use the same products as those already on windows in that room, for consistency of style. Wood Venetians work quite well because their weight flaps around less in a breeze. Roller blinds with a friction lock mechanism are good because they eliminate cords & chains.

Bay Window:

Most products will work in a bay, but care is needed in measuring and design. A bay will need between 3 and 5 individual blinds. Roman blinds need to allow space between each one to avoid contact and entanglement as they move up & down.
Skylights:

Consider using a highly efficient insulating honeycomb blind or a roller blind. These are available in different materials that can control the influx of heat and light. The honeycomb helps provide an extra degree of thermal insulation. Roller blinds fitting inside a skylight recess usually need to be compatible with the skylight; especially if it is an opening window. Blinds fitted outside the recess on a sloping ceiling need side rails or tension cords for support to prevent sagging.

All skylight blinds need a control mechanism such as a wand to activate them when you are standing below them.

Sliding Patio Doors:

Verticals are very popular for sliding doors, despite their diminishing popularity in general. They can be installed within the frame or over the glass, but don't necessarily choose a vertical if the other room products are something other than verticals. Consistency is important, too.

Very large windows:

Whenever a window covering is extremely large, its weight makes it difficult to raise and puts unnecessary tension on the strings (which may cause the strings to break). You may need to consider a special control option, or alternatively consider dividing them up into multiple blinds on a single headrail, or order multiple blinds and install them side-by-side.

Hard to reach windows:

Consider specifying extra long cords so you can open or close a product. Many blinds can be made with remote controlled motorised operation, though this is not cheap and you need to consider where to fit the mechanism.

Front of house windows:

It is common to want the front windows of your home to be as uniform as possible-just how consistent is up to you. What ever style of blinds you like, it should be possible to achieve this.

Windows with humidity:

All quality products should be water resistant. But high humidity or widely changing humidity can be a problem for wooden Venetian blinds, fabric Roman or laminated fabric roller blinds.

Harsh sun or bright outside light:

To eliminate glare on a TV or computer monitor, or to prevent a bright security light from beaming in to your bedroom, use blinds with no stitch holes. Blackout lining is also recommended. Honeycomb blinds provide superior insulation under harsh sunlight.

High activity areas:

If you have kids in your home, you should get the highest quality, sturdiest products. Also you should consider the safety aspect of pull cords and chains to avoid the risk of tripping or stangulation accidents.

Finally

There is a wide choice of blinds available, so much so that you might feel you are spoilt for choice. In that situation it is always prudent to seek advice from an interior designer. If you speak to a designer they will have the design freedom to suggest window dressings other than blinds, whereas if you speak to a specialist blind company be aware that they are out to sell blinds - indeed as many as possible!

Bronia Suszczenia is co-founder and Creative Director of Art from the Start Ltd a firm of interior designers in Yorkshire England. She has also recently established Fabric Gallery and Interiors a retailer of quality curtain fabric and designer wallpaper in York England

Going Green - Saving Your Business Time and Money

Not that long ago, the term "going green" conjured up thoughts of radical environmentalists going to extremes to save a forest in the name of "The Movement." Today, however, "going green" means so much more. As individual awareness has grown regarding how behavior affects greenhouse gas emissions or hurts local water supply; home recycling and home energy efficiency has grown from energy efficient light bulbs to entire energy efficiency home conversions.

As an extension of this personal environmental impact awareness, businesses are giving serious thought to how they can "go green" while continuing to make their businesses more efficient. Beyond in-office recycling and re-using coffee cups, companies are searching for solutions that provide the right combination of savings and benefits for both employer and employee, while enabling employers to give some intangible benefits to employees during tight economic times. One such solution is phone and web conferencing.

Phone and web conferencing by companies allows employees to hold virtual meetings from their own offices. It gives them instant access to co-workers, customers and clients without having to travel, thereby eliminating the environmental impact while lowering company costs. When you consider that a roundtrip flight from New York to Los Angeles emits 2.46 metric tons of CO2 -- the greenhouse gas that goes directly into the most sensitive portion of our atmosphere - you realize how much you can make a difference by simply introducing phone and web conferencing into your company culture. [1]

Phone and web conferencing also allows individuals to reduce personal stress and increase productivity by giving them the option to work from home on one or more days a week. Being able to meet virtually wherever they are located means they can still hold impromptu meetings or recurring ones with ease. Phone or web conferencing enables individuals to use their time more efficiently - scheduling and keeping other appointments becomes easier. Additionally, telecommuting using phone and web conferencing equates to cost savings on vehicle use -- less wear and tear on vehicles. The result of using phone and web conferencing is that employees strengthen the work-life balance and, ultimately, companies are able to hire and retain happier, more productive workers.

Environmentally speaking, encouraging staff to use phone and web conferencing has many benefits. Already 12 million employees and another 16 million self-employed people work at home at least one day a month [1]. Collectively, these home-based workers now save the equivalent of 24% of Gulf oil imports and avoid producing 33 million metric tons greenhouse gases a year [1]. Also, according to a report released in April 2008 by the American Electronics Association, if every U.S. worker telecommuted 1.6 days per week, an estimated 1.35 billion gallons of gasoline could be conserved annually.

The positive results that phone and web conferencing contribute to the environment and make in an employee's life is something that any company can feel good about. What's more, shareholders, clients, employees and investors, will feel confident supporting a company that employs such forward thinking, cost efficient and eco-friendly policies.

[1]- American Electronics Association Report- April 2008

For more information on Phone Conferencing and Web Conferencing, visit http://www.webpresentnow.com

Asphalt Shingle Roofing - Poway Home Remodeling

Is it any wonder why almost 80% of homes in North America use asphalt shingles as the roofing material of choice. The prevalence of asphalt shingles has created a vast assortment of fittings and fixtures designed to work with them. Items such as a multitude of flashing configurations, edge products, and almost every skylight manufactured has an appropriate base configuration for a weatherproof connection with asphalt shingles. All of the material that you need for a proper installation, such as the shingles, tarpaper, nails, vent boots and chimney flashing are available at any home improvement retailer.

The primary attributes of asphalt tiles are:

• reasonably priced (economical),
• require very little maintenance,
• versatile,
• provide excellent protection on steep sloped roofs,
• are weather and sunlight resistant,
• easy to cut,
• can be nailed by hand or with powered nailers.

There are two different types of asphalt shingle base material construction - composition and fiberglass. Composition shingles use a base material termed organic felt, which is a blend of paper and wood fibers. Fiberglass, on the other hand, uses a base that is comprised of a fiberglass mat. In both cases, once the base material is produced it is soaked in an asphalt compound. In numbers sold, fiberglass leads the market. They are less expensive, weigh less because they are thinner, have a longer wear life and have a better fire rating than the composition base shingles.

Average cost of a shingle roof is $50 to $150 per square, installed. Removal of old shingles will cost between $30 and $50 per square.

Both types of asphalt shingles are manufactured with embedded mineral granules. Seeing the granules in your eaves trough (after the initial installation) is a sure sign that you need to repair or replace the shingles.

Where just a few years ago asphalt shingles were only available in simple tab configurations in blacks, grays and browns, the manufacturers have expanded their product lines to include a vast array of colors, profiles and with the use of laminate coatings have created as assortment of eye pleasing textures. Special chemicals are also being blended into the shingles to make them mold and algae resistant. Although these additional features do increase the price per square, asphalt shingles are still the most economical roofing material available.

Drawbacks:

The serviceable life of asphalt shingles is the lowest of all the roofing materials. Although they are available in numerous grades designated by the expected life, from 15 to 50 years they often need repair or replacement long before their supposed life has expired. The hotter the climate, the shorter the life of asphalt shingles. Many of the asphalt shingle problems that are encountered by homeowners are a direct result of two factors:

• poor initial installation
• damage due to sever weather

Poor installation usually occurs in the area of deck preparation, and not providing adequate flashing around items that are protruding through the roof such as vent pipes and chimneys. Other poor installation methods are not using the required amount of nails per shingle and nailing in the wrong area of the shingle. There are many fly-by-night roofing companies that will quote low prices, because they won't be around to stand behind the workmanship. Choose a roofing contractor carefully.

Roof Repairs:

You should inspect your shingled roof and all the flashing at least once a year and after any major storm such as a hurricane. Hurricane winds will remove entire shingles and lift others. Sun and rain can cause asphalt shingles to crack. You should also go into the attic and look up, any sign of daylight means that there is a hole. When inspecting the roof look for shingles that have lost the granule minerals - bald spots, cracked and/or curled.

If you have to make a roof repair, choose a warm day so that the shingles will be flexible and unlikely to crack when lifted. The roofing cements also spread easier in warmer temperatures.

You will know when you have a roofing problem when you see beige spots appearing on ceilings and walls close to the ceiling. Beige spots are a sign of water damage.

Maintenance:

Roofing cement is the equivalent of duct tape for roofs. It will repair most leaks, cracked or torn shingles, patch flashing around vent pipes and chimneys. You can also use the roofing cement to cover nail heads that have been exposed.

Shingles fade with age so any replacement shingles used will most likely be visually obvious. Shingle over damaged ridge shingles, by nailing down all the corners of the old shingle first - do not remove them.

If you have to replace an entire shingle, lift each of the tabs and pry the nails out of the shingle of the one that needs to be replaced. Remove the top corners of the replacement shingle and very carefully, without damaging the tarpaper, slip it under the existing shingles.

Use roofing nails (large head, galvanized) to fix the new shingle to the roof decking. Use roofing cement to cover the nail heads.

Planning and knowledge are the keys to any successful home improvement, remodel or landscaping project!

For additional information on roofing materials for your home or other renovation projects, including landscaping, visit Renovation Headquarters

Ideas For Living on a Budget

Do you have to live on a budget because you do not make a lot of money? Maybe you just want to be able to save so you want to know how to live on a budget. There are plenty of things you can do to save some money. Here are 4 ideas for living on a budget.

First, go to the grocery store with a list. It is proven that if you go to the grocery with a list you will be able to save up to 40% on your grocery bill. As long as you stick to the list you will only buy what you need and you will be able to avoid the impulse buys.

You can also clip coupons and buy things that are on special. Many grocery stores have a membership card that is free and you can save a lot of money buying things that are on sale with their card. Sometimes they have 10 for $10 sales and if it is on something that you use a lot of you might as well stock up and save money.

Second, you can save money by using energy saving light bulbs. These bulbs are great for the environment and are proven to help you cut your energy bill. You can save a few dollars each month by using the light bulbs. On top of that you will not have to pay for as many light bulbs because the energy saving bulbs last up to 10 times as long.

The last idea for living on a budget is to get rid of your ATM card and put your money in directly into your bank account. If you have a checking account get rid of your debit card and leave your check book at home.

This will allow you to put money in the bank and have very little access to it. By eliminating the access to your money you will not be as tempted to spend it on things you don't need.

You can use these ideas for living on a budget to help you save money. You should also stop eating out as much and watch how much money you spend on things like beer and wine. Going out eats up a lot of peoples budget and with a little discipline you can live on a budget without any money troubles.

Discover more about Ideas For Living On A Budget by visiting the follow website:

Ideas For Living On A Budget

Do You Really Need to Get Building Permits?

When you are planning a home renovation project probably no other words form in your mind with a BIG dollar sign next to them as much as those two simple little words: Building Codes.

Depending upon your project you might find yourself dealing with inspections for foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, roofing, heating and air conditioning. Each of these could include inspections during the planning, rough in work, different stages during the actual work and of course the final inspections.

The minutia of items that an inspection can be failed for are seemingly never ending. And failing an inspection can easily result in unexpected extra costs or missed deadlines. If something gets done ahead of the inspection an Inspector can even require that the work be torn out.

Yet you can't blame a homeowner for being a little susceptible to the contractor who says, We'll just save you some money and do it on the sly without any inspections. (Wink, Wink)

In actuality, if any contractor suggests by-passing the required inspections, he should be politely shown off your property and never invited back.

Painful as they are, inspections are required for a reason. It may not always be apparent, but inspections are designed to protect your property and family. DO NOT ever try to skip by inspections.

Even if you aren't reported by a neighbor, or the work isn't seen by an Inspector driving by, not doing projects up to the local building codes can bite you in the *** when you try to sell your home down the road.

A lot of the mortgage companies require an inspection of a house before they will write the loan. Any decent inspector is going to notice work that was not completed up to code as a way to save money. You could end up spending thousands of dollars to have work redone to pass an inspection.

In truth, the only person who really benefits from avoiding the building codes is the contractor. That way he can cut corners that you can't see or don't know about. He also won't have to be as skilled or knowledgeable as the contractor who can make sure that everything passes building code inspectors.

So, it may cost you a little more initially, but it will pay of big time in the long run and potentially keep a disastrous accident from happening.

Bob Current writes on a number of his interests including home renovation. Check out his website at http://www.homeimprovementtips.info for ideas and resources.

Great Stair Building Books Can Make The Difference

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Benefits of a Home Wind Turbine

Home wind turbine technology has come a long way in recent years. Home wind turbines have been installed in almost every state as well as Canada and Mexico. Most homes with a single wind turbine will see a decrease in electric utility costs from 20 to 80 percent depending on the type of system installed and the area of the country. Homes located in windy locales and homes that do not have central air conditioning will see the greatest savings in utility costs following the installation of a home wind turbine system.

Home wind turbine operation generally requires sustained wind speeds of at least 10 mph. Excess power generated by the wind turbine is not stored so, if wind speeds are not sufficient to generate power, electricity must be purchased from the local utility. However, if the turbine generates more power than needed, the excess electricity is automatically sold to the local utility. Which means that not only will you save money on power bills, but actually make money from the electricity company.

The use of a home wind turbine is best suited to suburban and rural homes since it is installed atop an high tower. The height of the tower depends on whether there are any nearby obstacles such as tall buildings or trees. A turbine positioned well above objects on the ground will be able to take advantage of maximum wind velocity, thereby generating more power than a turbine closer to the ground. Despite the reliance on high wind speeds to operate, wind turbines operate quietly with virtually no maintenance.

A variety of systems are available on the market. Turbines with smaller rotors and blades can be installed on short towers; however, these systems will not generate as much power. A full sized system requires a larger, taller tower, but will generate the maximum benefit in energy savings. The price, with installation, can range from $5,000 upwards of $20,000. Most systems come with a 5 to 10 year warranty and consumers can expect a new system to last up to 20 years.

The other option is to find a DIY project for you r home wind turbine - this will not only save on set up costs, but will repay it's installation costs even faster.

Home Wind Turbine - Start saving on your power bills today.

Home Wind Turbines are simple, affordable and anyone can do it.

Great Stair Building Books Can Make The Difference

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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