Pondless Waterfalls Exposed

Why are waterfalls so popular? Could it be the symphony of sound produced as the water cascades over the rocks? Or maybe it's the mesmerizing sparkling dance of the water as it splashes its way to the pond. Amazingly, the major attribute of a waterfall is not what you can see or hear. In fact, its greatest attraction does not involve the five senses at all; yet, it makes the greatest impact. What does? Negative ions!

You will find this same characteristic at the ocean shore. How do you feel as you stand on the beach - relaxed, calm, peaceful, tranquil, and yet exhilarated? Do you feel the anxiety, stress and worry melting away? Why is that? Is it a result of watching and listening to the waves crashing on the shore? Yes, this gives pleasure to the senses, but the source of well-being is derived from breathing the air at the ocean and around waterfalls.

The friction of the ocean waves slapping the shore and of water running over the rocks of a waterfall releases negative ions into the air, and your body responds positively to the negatively charged air. You may have heard of ion generators for the home or office. Another great source of negative ions is a thunderstorm. Have you noticed how fresh and exhilarating the air is just prior to, during and following a thunderstorm? This, too, is the result of the same process.

The best way to enjoy this healthy, relaxing and stress-relieving phenomenon is to own a back yard waterfall. A waterfall alone is not that expensive compared to a pond. In addition to the construction costs, there is usually a considerable amount of long-term maintenance and upkeep involved with a pond. Another factor is meeting all the city, county and state building codes that are related to ponds. Some of the issues involved here are set-back, depth, fences, special gates, engineering, door alarms, and supplemental homeowner's insurance covering the added liability.

So, is there a solution to all this? Yes, I discovered a way to solve most all of these issues back in 1984. A client wanted a waterfall in his front yard. So as to eliminate all the liability issues a pond creates, I decided to eliminate the pond, replacing it with a covered catch basin. This design would eliminate the possibility of a drowning hazard for children or pets. I called it a "child-proof waterfall."

In the early nineties, flat rubber roofing material became popular as a pond liner and, several years later, someone adapted the liner to a basin pond waterfall and called it a "pondless" waterfall. But the major drawback to using liners is that they are susceptible to leaks from many sources: sharp objects, animal claws, rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers, chipmunks, tree roots or heavy rocks that eventually stretch and rip the liner. Even a pin hole will produce a leak that amounts to five gallons in 24 hours.

A properly constructed concrete waterfall will last for decades and never crack or leak. Concrete waterfall shells only cost ten to fifteen percent more, depending on the size. In many cases, when comparing smaller water features, the concrete construction was actually cheaper.

If you are interested in a temporary or short-term waterfall and need to eventually move it, a liner is the best route to go. Otherwise, I recommend concrete construction. You should make sure it is 3500 psi with stealth fiber added and reinforced with rebar 8-10" on center. The concrete shell should be sealed before placing the rocks and applying Thoroseal, which prevents lime leaching and leaking. (This product is sold nation-wide.) After following these basics, you will have a waterfall that will give you decades of pleasure.

Warning: stay away from sump pumps! They are not energy-efficient and create extra maintenance. Use an out-of-pond pump (centrifugal); they operate on sixty percent less energy and have triple the warranty. Sump pumps were never designed for extended use and only last one to two years. Plus, you need to continually lift them out of the pond to pull the leaves and debris from the intake.

The rocks of a rubber-liner waterfall are loose, resulting in a hazard for unsuspecting children (or adults) climbing on them. With a concrete liner, the rocks are securely mortared in place, keeping the shell covered up. With liners, the rocks can easily shift, exposing the unsightly liner. Last but not least, do your homework. Google "pond liners vs. concrete" and make your own decision.

To ensure the best results in creating your water garden, take your time, plan it out, do your research, ask many questions of professionals and you will increase your chances of ending up with a trouble-free, backyard vacation resort.

For a limited time I am offering my Pond and Waterfall Construction Manual ($249 in bookstores) for only $39.95 in a pdf format. Purchase now at: http://www.watergardenauthority.com/Waterfall___Pond_Constructi.html

Douglas C. Hoover; CEO of Aquamedia Corp, Master Waterfall Builder, architect, engineer, freelance writer, author, designer & builder of well over 1,900 waterfall and ponds in CA (26 years). Author of "Waterfall and Pond Construction Manual" and developer of the "Water Feature Digital Design Library 4.0" Free downloads, no sign in- http://www.askdoughoover.com

Simple Light Switch Replacement

Comment on Wood Deck Repairs

Do you have any ideas for building or repairing wood decks . We would love to hear from you in the comment area.

Drywall Books
Kitchen Books

Hanging Drywall

Also called wallboard, gyproc, or plasterboard, it is used to cover interior walls and ceilings, and sometimes as an underlay for ceramic tiles. Composed of gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate) sandwiched between two layers of kraft paper, it has a fire rating of approx. 30 minutes, and offers reasonable soundproofing, especially when installed in two layers.

Hanging drywall can be fairly heavy work, but not overly difficult to master. It ranges from 1/4" to 5/8" in thickness, with 1/2" being the most common in residential work. The sheets are normally 4 feet wide and 8, 10 or 12 feet long, conforming to standard measuring increments, such as framing studs placed at 16 or 24 inch intervals.

Standard drywall sheets have tapered long edges and the shorts ends are squared off. One face is rough, and one face is smooth, for painting and papering. Water resistant drywall also has tapered edges, and is used for kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms. Use cement-based backer board under tub surrounds or ceramics, in tub and shower areas. Some drywall comes pre-finished in different textures, colors and patterns, and some are vinyl-coated.

Wallboard (drywall) sheathing has tongue and groove edges, and is used under exterior claddings, including masonry to provide water and wind protection.

Wallboard sheathing and water-resistant drywall will both sag if used on ceilings - use standard drywall on ceilings, and cover with alkyd primer to water-proof the surface.

Drywall must be carefully measured and cut, before fastening to wood or metal studs, preferably with special drywall screws applied with a drywall gun or a drill, fixed with a drywall "dimpler" to properly counter-sink the screws. Use Type W screws for fastening to wood studs, Type G for fastening one sheet to another, and Type S for fastening sheets to metal studs. The joints are finished with joint compound (mud) and tape (paper or fibre mesh). Outside corners are covered with a metal corner (drywall "bead"). A T-square and utility knife are used for cutting, and a drywall knife (a smooth, broad spreader) is used for applying the compound.

To estimate quantities, add up the square footage to be covered, and divide by the number of square feet in a sheet (eg. 32 for a 4X8 sheet). One pound of nails or 1/2 pound of screws will fasten 200 square feet of drywall. Have a friend help you with the heavy sheets, especially when hanging a ceiling!

Drywall is easiest to install and finish if you hang it sideways, although if your ceiling is higher than 8'1" you might be tempted to hang the sheets vertically.

CAUTION

If hanging sheets vertically, you will be screwing very close to the tapered edge, and if the framing is not perfect, your vertical joints might be weak, or not line up at all!

Copyright Gil Strachan - All rights reserved.

Gil Strachan is a professional home inspector, representing Electrospec Home Inspection Services in east-central Ontario, Canada since 1994. Visit http://www.allaroundthehouse.com to learn more about home inspections.

"The Home Reference Book"
You can probably find a home inspection for a little less than what we ask, but you probably won't find the Home Reference Book. A $60 value, this solutions-oriented reference tool comes free with every inspection we perform.
It's the first tool you should have around the house!

Adirondack Chairs - An Awesome Place to Sit and Enjoy the Weather

When you want to enjoy the outdoor weather, you need a comfortable place to sit down and that is exactly what Adirondack chairs provide. What makes Adirondack chairs such a must have selection is their design that features a slanted backrest, sloping oversized seat, and larger armrests. It will also sit lower to the ground so that when you sink into it, you can spread your feet out onto the floor. However, what would be even better than that would be to rest your feet on an ottoman. There are options that are specifically designed to match the curves of this chair, providing you with one posh spot to unwind in luxury.

Adirondack chairs are a great choice for adding to any outdoor area. Take the deck by your pool as an example. One would be a fantastic spot to take it easy either before or after you take a refreshing dip, especially afterwards since it is a nice way to dry off while basking in the sun. Another wonderful spot where you could put one is on a balcony, like if you live in an apartment complex or condos in the city. You could just put a few in place, maybe add an end table so you have a nice spot to set down a drink or snack or something, and you could even add an umbrella into the mix to give you some relief from the sun if you need it.

These are just a few of the places where Adirondack chairs would be a great fit because you can use them in other areas throughout your outdoor space as well. Those other places include on a patio, in a garden, on a boat dock to take in the boaters passing by on the lake, on a front porch, and you could even place one in a four seasons room too.

When purchasing Adirondack chairs, there is one thing that you really need to remember and that is to get ones that are crafted out of materials that can take a beating from the outdoor elements. This is extremely important because if you go with ones that are made out of something cheap, then it will probably end up breaking down and will have to be replaced only after a short time. So, go with something high end and some of the best options include those made from Redwood, Teak, and thicker, durable recycled polymers and plastics.

To easily check out the many Adirondack chairs that you could purchase for your space, just turn on that family computer and log onto the World Wide Web for some online shopping. In no time at all will you be able to browse what is available. Plus, if you do buy something, whether it is this comfortable seating option or a brand new pair of shoes, it will then be shipped right to you, which means you do not have to waste any money or time driving somewhere to get it.

Ultimately, if you need a relaxing place to sit outdoors, purchase some Adirondack chairs. It is a seating selection that will be sure to please.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of many niche online stores like http://www.eadirondackstyle.com that provide online consumers not only with products, but information relating to furnishing and decorating indoor or outdoor living areas. Whether you want to revamp your living room or build the ultimate outdoor environment perfect for entertaining, there is a lot of helpful advice to take advantage of to make it happen. Today, she gives insight when purchasing comfortable Adirondack Chairs. One is a must have outdoor item

Materials For Stair Treads

Industrial Painting Contractors - Safety Certification For Painting Contractors

Whether you're an owner of a massive facility that's about to undergo a restoration or you're a small business manager who's contracting out a warehouse refinishing job, you want to know that your industrial painting contractor is properly trained in safe and effective painting practices. Fortunately, the Society for Protective Coatings (SSPC) has developed a sophisticated set of certification programs to help business owners like you make smart, safe decisions about their hires.

SSPC Safety Certifications for Industrial Painting Contractors

• QP1: Industrial Coatings, Steel Surface Prep
• QP2: Hazardous Paint removal
• QP3: Indoor Facilities Surfaces and Coating Apps

The SSPC Safety Certifications break down into three main classes - QP1, QP2, and QP3. A QP1 certified individual is deemed safe to do work relating to industrial coatings and surface prep for steel work. QP2 certified painters are qualified to remove hazardous paint. QP3 certified industrial painting contractors are qualified to prepare surfaces and coating applications for an indoor facility (open or covered).

SSPC Specialty Certifications for Industrial Painting Contractors

• QP6: Thermal Spray Prep/Metallic Alloys
• QP8: Polymer Coating/Cement Surfaces

The SSPC offers additional certifications for specialized industrial painting contractors, as well. The QP6 designation deems an individual safe and capable to perform work relating to prepping thermal sprays and coating surfaces of certain metallic alloys, such as aluminum and zinc. The QP8 certification, on the other hand, relates to an individual's ability to manage polymer coating and cement surface jobs acceptably.

You can also look to other work certification boards, like OSHA (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration) to determine the "safety IQ" of a given industrial painting contractor. Of course, the SSPC and OSHA are only two of many organizations designed to promote and objectively evaluate industrial safety.

If you're hiring an industrial painting contractor, get a full report on their team's safety training. Also, be sure to provide information on special hazards or potentially dangerous materials at your facility. If necessary, get a lawyer to read over your contract and advise you.
Remember - a single accident or careless error could potentially lead to a series of lawsuits that can harm your business. Avoid the headaches by choosing an industrial painting contractor with an outstanding reputation for safety and the certifications to back up that reputation.
Whether you are the owner of a small office building or the facilities manager at a large office complex, you want to know how to forge lasting bonds with your industrial painting contractor. Changes in personnel cost your company time and reduce the efficiency of your painting projects. One way to prevent this from taking its toll on your company is to carefully select industrial painting contractors with a stellar safety record.

Steve Parker, Sr. Estimator, RaiderPainting.com - the preferred painting contractor for building owners and facility managers of commercial and industrial properties nationwide. Call 877-724.3371 for a free Estimate. And check out the Raider Painting Blog.

Painting Metal Siding

To Install Gutters Or Not to Install Gutters

They divert rain water away from your foundation and landscaping. They protect the ground around your home from erosion. They keep water from pouring on your head as you enter and exit your home. They can be used to collect rain water for watering your lawn and plantings during drought times. Why wouldn't you want to install gutters on your home?

They leak. They clog. They overflow. They rob the plants around your home of a good soaking. They can cause tremendous erosion at the base of downspouts. They're ugly! They require maintenance from a dangerous rooftop or ladder. Why would you want to install gutters on your home?

There is no easy answer to the simple question: "Should I install gutters on my home, or not?" You'll simply have to weigh the pros and cons for your particular situation and decide for yourself.

The first thing to consider in making this decision is do you really need them? Take a look at the ground around your home. Does it slope away from your foundation? If it does you don't need gutters to keep water away from your foundation. If it doesn't you should probably look into some grading work before worrying about gutters anyway.

Next, take a look the landscaping surrounding your home. Can it be damaged by rainwater falling from the edge of your roof? This may be a tough question to answer at first thought. Go outside and inspect the areas under your eaves. If you find bare ground, mulch or lawn you should definitely consider gutters, or a change in ground materials that your rainwater will fall upon. If you find mature shrubbery, stone or any variety of hardscaping you probably don't have to worry about erosion. Consider the height of your roof. Water falling from the edge of a two, or three, story home will cause far more erosion and water falling from a single story home.

Do you have trees around your home? Are they taller than your roof? Will they eventually be taller than your roof? If you have, or someday will have, trees that will shed leaves onto your roof you should seriously consider making do without gutters. Consider installing an alternative to gutters, or invest in one of the better products designed to keep leaves and other debris from entering your gutters. And don't be fooled into thinking that coniferous trees (e.g. pines) don't count. They drop as much, or more, material onto your roof as do deciduous trees.

A clogged gutter or downspout is not only useless, it is dangerous. The overflow is likely to find its way into the fascia board to which the gutter is secured causing rot and possible infiltration into walls and other structural members of your home. Where the collected water hits a clog it overflows, pouring onto a concentrated area of your landscaping or hardscaping causing damaging erosion. Water is heavy. A full gutter can break free damaging your home, or worse.

Do you live in an area that compels you, or forces you, to ration water use? This factor alone can trump all others. Collected rainwater is superior to any other source of water for lawns and other plantings. It can be used to wash your cars or fill pools and other water features. You use it for washing clothes and bathing, even for drinking with proper treatment.

Can you get by with a simple diverter over your entryways allowing water to fall to one side or both? Can you simply deal with a bit of water shedding onto your head during storms? Can you deal with the mundane appearance of traditional gutters and downspouts? Granted, half-round copper gutters and round copper downspouts add elegance to Victorian and Gothic architecture, but standard aluminum "K" gutters and rectangular downspouts can do more to break the clean lines of modern houses than any other exterior accessory items.

Chances are you live in a home that already had gutters installed either for need or as an afterthought of conformity. If you are looking at having a new roof or siding installed think hard on all of these points before making a blind decision to replace your gutters and downspouts as well. If you are building new, consider the site and talk to your neighbors, especially if you are moving to an unfamiliar area. In the end, the decision is yours and yours alone. Make an informed one.

Mike Hudecheck
Pro-G Contractors
Roofing Siding Windows Doors
Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; New Castle County in Delaware; Cecil and Harford Counties in Maryland
http://www.progcontractors.com

Electric Dryer Gas Conversion Ki

How To Tile - 5 Top Tips For Preparing A Wall Surface For Tiling

For anyone who is learning how to tile, here are five easy tips on surface preparation that will help you achieve a professional finish.

Tip 1: Tiling Over Tile

Use a tile scriber to score tiles in both vertical and horizontal lines. This will help the new tile to stick to the old one. Also use an adhesive specifically designed for use when tiling over existing tiles.

Note: it's usually best to remove existing tiles. If you tile over tile then the wall thickness is affected; consider the impact if you are tiling right up to door edge. Finished result is so much better if you remove old tiles. It really is worth that extra time and effort.

Tip 2: Tiling Over New Plaster

Ensure wall is completely dry. This can take ten to fourteen days. Always check manufacturer's instructions.

Tip 3: Cement Backer Board

For a strong, highly water resistant base cement backer board is an ideal choice. Ensure any exterior wall is insulated first. Fill all seams with wall adhesive or silicone caulk and tape with fiberglass mesh tape. Use backer board screws if you want to secure to metal or wall studs ensuring screws are flush.

Tip 4: Ensure Surface Is Smooth

Remove any residue such as glue, putty, paint or any other material that could affect the correct laying of the tiles. Repair any cracks with appropriate filler. Allow to dry completely before laying tile.

Tip 5: Ensure Surface Is Clean And Free From Dust

Thoroughly clean the wall surface that is going to be tiled. If necessary, use a suitable detergent. Allow to dry completely before you begin tile laying.

Make no mistake about it, learning how to tile will be a lot easier if you get your surface preparation right.

Get it right first time, learn how to lay tile with this set of instructional videos from a tiling pro.

Discover how to achieve a professional finish when grouting tiles.

Save hundreds of dollars by learning how to tile using the top tricks of the tiling trade.

Window Repair Video

Great video on how to repair a window screen.

If you're thinking about buying a home, check out this home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping. For under $15, you can save yourself a lot of frustration and money.

Sai Baba Spiritual Leader

Sky Lights

Commercial skylights are great way to not only let the sunshine in, but to reduce energy costs for your company as well. Skylights have been used in homes around the world for many years and are rapidly becoming an integral part of commercial roofing projects as well. While at first glance for many, only desirable for their aesthetic features, the inclusion of roof skylights offers many other benefits. in addition to reducing your need for additional lighting and electricity usage; it provides a natural feeling of spaciousness and a great source of ventilation. Another reason to consider skylights in Australia is because a skylight of relatively small square footage can produce lighting many times its own size, saving you space and time, and maximizing your investment.

When selecting commercial skylights it is important to consider the type of roof you have, the locations of the skylights, the climate and seasonal weather conditions in your region, and the effect that the skylights will have on the overall appearance of your building. When considering the installation of commercial skylights, the best way to ensure that you make a knowledgeable and wise decision for your business, is to first have a consultation with qualified skylight contractors. During this consultation you will be able to narrow down the type of skylights that will serve your building's needs best, work well with your roof type, and get an estimate on the cost and timeframe for installation. It is also important to work with contractors that are licensed and able to provide you with a respectable portfolio of skylight installation work they have done for other businesses. Working with a qualified company can save you time and unnecessary repairs due to skylight replacement down the road.

Once you choose to install skylights in Sydney you have a large number of options at your disposal. Skylights come in a variety of sizes and shapes, allowing them to fit any type of roof which is admirable for most business owners, whose roofs are often occupied by large objects such as air conditioning units. Skylights can be installed that are flush with the roof of the building, dome shaped or even custom made in both shape and size, all depending on your needs. Many modern skylights are also designed to minimize solar radiation from ultraviolent rays, are strong-wind and hurricane resistant, and designed to control the movement of water away from both the skylights and the roof of your building.

Mark Andrews is Marketing Manager at Commercial Roofing - specialists in commercial flat roofing Commercial Roofing Australia offer professional skylight installation

Extreme Temperature Building

Brick Repair - Tuck Point Mortars

The truth about mortar is scary. Most contractors mixing mortar have no idea what they are actually mixing. This is a result of trying to make the process easier and faster. However, it made the tradesmen less knowledgeable.

One hundred years ago, it was required knowledge for masons and their mud-tenders to know the exact proportions of Portland cement and lime to mix for the needs of the mortar being produced. At that point in time, there was no such thing as pre-blended mortar of any type. All mortars were field mixed and most were dominantly lime mortar.

In the last one hundred years, the most commonly used mortar shifted to Portland based mortars. The two most commonly used are type 'N' and type 'S' mortar, as these mortars became more popular due to their durability. Many companies began to produce them in pre-blended bags.

This change in the market was intended to make production faster and more consistent, and it did. There were other results from their production as well. Since there was no longer any need to field mix mortars, and it was easier to use the pre-blended bags, knowledge in the field was slowly lost. Contractors began teaching and passing down the knowledge of how to use pre-blended mortar mixes instead of how to blend them.

Eventually, the understanding of what actually created these blends was lost within the industry. This became a major problem that most contractors today are still not aware of. Many of them have been in the industry for many years, and believe they know it well. This is unfortunately not accurate, because the information they learned was incomplete and in some cases completely wrong.

Mortar repairs have been performed as long as there have been mortar bonded structures. This was easy when mortars were composed of only lime. It was still fairly easy until pre-blended mortars were produced because the contractors possessed the knowledge needed to blend mortars. Now however, repairing mortars is not as easy as most people think.

Most contractors believe that they can perform these repairs using portions out of these pre-blended bags of mortar mix. Many of them think that they can mix small amounts of these bags to match the aging of mortar (match the grey tone). Both practices are wrong. These pre-blended bags contain proportions of Portland and lime that require mixing of the full package to maintain this ratio. Therefore, mixing small amounts from these bags is not acceptable and will not maintain the same ratio of Portland to lime that the bags will accomplish when mixed properly.

This ratio within these bags is required to meet the ASTM standards that regulate this industry. Each bag is labeled with instructions to mix the full bag with up to 3 cubic feet of sand. This works well for producing large amounts of mortar, but is not designed for smaller projects. These bags only come in one size (70 pounds or 1 cubic foot).

In addition, these bags of mortar mix are only available in grey and white. This is because they were only intended for new construction. Repair mortars require finer tuning and are generally produced in much smaller volumes.

At the time these mortars were produced, the knowledge required in the field to produce tuck point mortars was common. However, in today's market that knowledge is not as common and it has become necessary to develop new products that are made for repair.

I don't know that the market will ever truly regain the knowledge that has been lost, but through products like Tuck-Point Mortars the quality of these repairs can be maintained.

Some companies produce a variety of products specifically for tuck pointing and repair. They produce different tones of mortar between white and grey, and these mortars come in a one gallon bag. This is a fairly small volume of mortar mix and is perfect for repair projects.

In addition, there is no need to re-blend them to achieve different tones of grey. You simply get the tone you need, and add pigments as needed to match the original mortar.

While the knowledge lost from the industry may never be regained, through the use of products like these, the quality can be restored. Not just any mortar can be used for repair, and you should choose the proper materials for the type of project being performed.

If you would like more articles and information about tuckpointing mortars, visit http://AlamoMasonryRepair.com or ask for them at suppliers near you.

Copy write, September 2008 James Nech

James Nech is a Masonry Repair Contractor in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. His company has repaired thousands of homes restoring them to their original beauty. When he is not repairing Brickwork or other masonry he can be found talking or writing about it. For more articles on brick repair visit his website at http://www.alamomasonryrepair.com

Behind Wood Lath Plater

5 Ways Landlords Can Curb Maintenance and Repair Costs

Real estate investing involves acquisition, holding, and sale of rights in real property with the expectation of using cash inflows for potential future cash outflows, and hence, generating a favorable rate of return on that investment.

In other words, real estate investing is the act of purchasing real estate with the goal of making a profit and acquiring wealth. Real estate investors invest in real estate to make money, bottom-line.

With that said, there is a crucial need for income property owners to reduce and eliminate money wasting property maintenance and repair expenses. It's one thing to collect substantial rents, but landlords who turn a blind eye to maintenance and repair costs can find that their cash flow is surprisingly lower than expected and their profits bitterly disappointing.

Okay, let's look. Here are five ways landlords can curb maintenance and repair costs, and perhaps increase the profitability of their real estate investing business.

1. Buy low-maintenance properties. This might seem obvious, but investors sometimes purchase strictly on the basis of price or curb appeal (with no regard for maintenance). Always prefer properties that are constructed with materials and fixtures that require less maintenance, and are built to last with minimal care. The same applies to yards, shrubs, and landscaping.
2. Toughen your tenant selection. Apartment buildings are not the only part of your investment that is low and high-maintenance. There are also low-maintenance and high-maintenance tenants. The idea, of course, is to avoid the latter and select the former. Watch out for chronic complainers and people who show no "house sense." You might be surprised to discover that you can eliminate up to one-half of your maintenance, repair, cleaning, and wear-and-tear costs simply by selecting tenants who demonstrate personal responsibility. Bear in mind that things seldom break by themselves and toilets do not just stop up and overflow.
3. Impose stricter repair clauses. A good way to promote tenant responsibility a bit further is to shift the first, say, $100 of every repair cost onto their tenants' shoulders. You might also want to favor high security deposits.
4. Enlist a handyman. Build a relationship with a person on whom you can regularly depend and trust. Employing a trustworthy and competent all-around handyman (or persons) to take care of your property maintenance and repairs will do wonders to ease the drain on your time and pocketbook.
5. Engage in preventive maintenance. Apply the same principle to your income properties that you would to your car. Anticipate and alleviate repairs when the cost is relatively small and always ask your maintenance experts how you might replace high-maintenance items with low-maintenance items.

About the Author

James Kobzeff is the developer of ProAPOD - superior real estate investing software since 2000. Do a real estate analysis today. Discover how to create cash flow, rate of return, and profitability analysis presentations for any-size rental property in minutes at => http://www.proapod.com

Floor Baseboard Drywall Problems

Wood Deck Repair Ideas

Do you have any ideas for building or repairing wood decks . We would love to hear from you in the comment area.

House Painting Books
Landscaping Books

Home Improvement Books Can Solve Problems

The other day, I was surfing the Internet and came upon an online home building bookstore that put together a website with the best-selling home building books on the market today. These books range from basic carpentry to advanced structural engineering and everything else you could possibly think of that could be related to the home building, selling, remodeling and construction process.

I couldn't believe the simple and easy to use. Here's a list of some of their books selections.

Photo Guide to Home Repair - The most up-to-date, complete, and useful guide to home repair a homeowner can have. With more than 350 projects and 2300 photos, virtually every home repair challenge.

Exterior Siding, Trim & Finishes - This first ever compilation by Fine Homebuilding on the popular subject provides builders with ideas for choosing the correct finishes for home exteriors, plus solid how-to information.

Flipping Houses - This book is designed for realty investors who want to profit from buying below market, making cosmetic improvements to add value, and then quickly reselling.

Bathroom Remodeling - Remodeling a bathroom is a challenge - it's action-oriented and requires extra energy and stamina. But you, undoubtedly, realize it's a challenge you want to take on.

One $20 home building books or home repairs book, can save you lots of money, if you're willing to do a little research and the labor to complete almost any home building project.

By the way, if you're interested in learning how to repair a roof, build your own house, interior decorating, structural engineering, building a deck, gathering some more information about home painting or even remodeling your bathroom. Our online home building bookstore can save you money if you're willing to do the work.

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

If your looking for some more House Remodeling Pictures or home building ideas.

Leaking Heating Duct
Wood Post In Dirt

Guitar and Bass Repair - Perfect the Tuning of Your Instrument - Intonation Troubleshooting Part 2

Your guitar won't play in tune because of faulty intonation. You have tried sacrificing your favorite effects pedal to the guitar gods and donating gig money to orphanages, but nothing seems to help. You were ready to take up the Theremin until you found articles like this one that describe practical ways to fix intonation. Part One of this article explained how to fix certain factors that corrupt the intonation of guitars and basses, such as faulty nut slots or excessive neck relief. Part Two will discuss how to fix a few more issues that cause flawed intonation. For a review on how to properly set intonation, refer to the Xylem article Guitar and Bass Repair - Beyond Basic Tuning - Intonation, What is it and How Does it Work?

High Nut

(Please follow the link at the bottom of the article to view the associated figures)

If the first several frets of your instrument play sharp, regardless of intonation settings and tuning, the nut may be too high. The taller the nut the more the strings stretch when fretted. The more the strings stretch, the sharper the pitch. To check if your nut is too high, tune your instrument to pitch and make sure the neck relief is set properly (refer to the Xylem Truss Rod Articles parts 1-3 for a review of setting neck relief). Next, fret the lowest string at the third fret. If you can fit more than one business card between the bottom of the string and the top of the first fret, the nut is too high.

A high nut must be removed and the extra height sanded away. To remove the nut, place a wood block against the side facing the fretboard (Figure 1). Gently tap the opposite end of the block of wood with a hammer to knock the nut free. Most instruments should have only a small amount of glue holding the nut on so it may be removed this way without causing any damage. If the nut does not come off after a few gentle taps, consider asking a luthier or repair tech to remove the nut.

Once the nut is free, mark it to indicate how much material should be removed, keeping in mind that removing 1/8" is a lot. While sanding, make sure the bottom of the nut remains flat and square to the side that touches the fretboard by checking it with a square frequently. Sanding the nut with a jig like the one depicted in Figure 2 will help it stay flat and square (make sure your jig forms a perfect right angle). Start with a coarse grit sandpaper between 100 and 150. The final sanding should be done with a grit between 320 and 600. Sand away material in small increments and check the height of the nut occasionally with the third fret method described above. If you sand away too much material you may have to replace the nut.

Once the nut is the proper height, clean up any excess glue where the nut was seated on the neck with a chisel, file or sandpaper wrapped around a small square block (if you don't have much experience with a chisel, stick with the file or sandpaper). Make sure the nut's seat stays square and flat. Place a small drop of hide glue or white glue on the nut's seat. Place the nut in its seat and tune the instrument to pitch (the strings will act as a clamp). Make sure that the nut does not wander while tensioning the strings. Wipe away excess glue with a moist paper towel and allow it to dry for about 12 hours before playing the instrument. You've just improved both the intonation and the action at the lower frets!

Maxed-Out Compensation and Instruments with Fixed Saddles

Some instruments' saddles may be adjusted all the way back or forward but they still do not intonate correctly. Other instruments with incorrect intonation have fixed saddles so their compensation cannot be adjusted easily. The intonation of these instruments may be improved or corrected in one of the following ways, depending on action, relief and string tension.

In general, a guitar or bass with high action, excessive relief or lower-tension strings will require more compensation, as all these conditions require the strings to stretch further when fretted. Instruments with the saddles adjusted all the way back (or a fixed saddle) and sharp intonation may have their action lowered, relief reduced or higher-tension strings installed in an effort to correct their intonation. Conversely, instruments with saddles adjusted all the way forward (or a fixed saddle) and flat intonation may have their action raised, relief increased or lower-tension strings installed to improve or correct their intonation. If you are not familiar with adjusting action or relief on your own, consider taking your instrument to a luthier for these adjustments.

As always, thanks for reading. See you in a month!

Copyright Anthony Olinger, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars 2009.

Follow this link to view the figures for this article.

If you have any questions or comments about this article please visit the Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars website and follow the "Contact" link on the navigation menu on the left.

Learning Internet Marketing Today

The times we live in are definitely remarkable. Technology is making the world an easier place and also a more confusing place to live. Internet Marketing is the pinnacle of confusion for the unsuspecting soul.

All to often people will become involved with a money making program only to find out it was a scam. Internet Marketing is not a scam but the vehicle that most businesses are using to promote and communicate with to the customer. The possibilities with Internet Marketing are simply tremendous where any program can touch millions within minutes if properly applied.

It is very easy to see why Internet Marketing and anything associated with it are great skills to add to your knowledge base. However, there is a huge difference between real internet marketing and the kind some of the opportunity programs teach. There are many ways to tell the difference and here are a few to help:

Never trust a site that is promising large amounts of return on your investment overnight.

Never fall into the use other peoples money to fund your venture. (Buying with credit is one of the worst mistakes you can make. Fund your venture as you are able and set realistic goals.)

Remember even a great money making program requires traffic to the site. (This traffic does not come on its own it must be driven to the site. Driving traffic takes money or time and sometimes both.)

Web development is very technical and requires absolute accuracy or something is not going to work right.

Internet Marketing at its best brings all the online elements together such as sales copy, web design, SEO, multimedia, and social networking to name a few.

Internet Marketing is like any other skill it is learned through a series of experiences, and some that are complete failures. The key to learning this fascinating and ever changing trade is to keep trying. Specialization in Internet Marketing is also a key to success so consider picking a more targeted approach to what it is you will do. If you like writing then focus on writing great sales copy. If you like web design buy great tools and build beautiful web applications. The key is to pick an area and get started. I can assure you that something's are better to outsource.

So where does this leave the person who is looking to break into the Internet Marketing scene? It leaves that person the same place as anyone else, just starting. When starting anything a teacher or mentor is the fastest and most effective way to learn anything. Seek out a mentor who is interested in more than your money. A true mentor is one who builds a real and lasting relationship with the student not one who takes the money and runs. Be prepared to pay for the knowledge you seek but be prepared to receive as well.

"A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you." - Bob Proctor

Best of luck to you and your Internet Marketing experiences. May your failures be fast and your successes be lasting.

"In the cocoon of failure await the wings of opportunity."
William Muncrief 2007

Horizontal Or Vertical Drywall Application

Let's start with the basic eight-foot sheet of drywall. Most drywall contractors apply drywall horizontally however I have seen some contractors working with metal stud framing install 10 foot sheets of drywall vertically.

The reasons for installing the 10 foot sheets of drywall up and down or vertically in this situation are quite simple. There is no structural strength required in these walls because they are simply partitions dividing rooms and usually the drywall only needs to be finished up to 9 feet. This is the only time I have seen drywall ran vertically.

In a wood framed house the drywall actually adds a little sheer value to the home itself.

The manufacturer suggests installing eight-foot sheets of drywall horizontally. The horizontal application of drywall means installing the 4 foot side of the drywall up and down and the eight-foot side of the drywall side to side.

What is the reason for installing the 4 x 8 sheets horizontally?

When it comes to finishing the drywall the 4 foot seams that run up and down or vertical will not be as noticeable as a seam running up and down the entire wall. If you haven't read one of my last articles on eye level window setting then let me give you a brief eye level education.

A person 5'8" in height will be more apt to notice things between 4'6" off the ground and 6'6" off the ground. If we ran the drywall vertical there is a good chance the eyes would be able to pick up any finishing flaws in the drywall. Running the drywall horizontally will just put us a little out of range from the lower eye level of 4 foot six with our finish.

Another reason for installing the drywall horizontally is there is a good chance your eyes would be able to pick up four foot lines in the wall going from floor to ceiling quite easily. On older homes you will see lines in the ceilings about every 24 inches. This is because the plaster or drywall ceilings is starting to sag in between the ceiling joist.

These lines are difficult to do anything about once the drywall is finished. The only alternative you would have is to remove the ceiling and re-drywall and finish it.

Drywall ran vertically will tend to crack easier than staggered drywall ran horizontally. The four foot section of drywall is stronger than the 8 foot section. If you stagger your drywall breaks every four feet this will increase the strength of your wall as well.

Try not to break the drywall at any door openings. The door openings seem to crack easily from the corners working their way towards the ceiling. Let the drywall run over the doorway and then cut the doorway out leaving the rough door opening during wallboard installation.

If you have ever seen a house that was drywalled by a professional crew the waste is unbelievable. The reason for this is simply that the drywall contractor does not want to come back and patch cracks in the walls three or four years after he is done. It can be quite labor intensive installing scrap pieces of drywall versus using larger sheets to cover the same area.

Don't forget and always remember that. Horizontal installation of drywall is recommended by the manufacturer.

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

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 Vanden Berge

Buying A Functional House

Wood Deck Repair Ideas

Do you have any ideas for building or repairing wood decks . We would love to hear from you in the comment area.

Home Fence Books

How to Prevent Roof Ice Build-up From Causing Major Damage to Your House This Winter

You've seen it many times - a mass of heavy ice collecting at the eaves of a roof. But did you ever wonder why these hazardous (and dangerous) ice masses and icicles form? The answer is simple: Trapped heat in your attic melts the snow on your roof. The melting snow then trickles downward to the edges of the roof and re-freezes, over and over again, continually adding more ice mass, and eventually results in extreme havoc to the structure of your roof. You might not know the extent of the damage until it is way too late: Damage such as warping and detachment of eave troughs, fascia board warping, roof wood rot, and melting ice leaking into your house resulting in drywall and plaster stains. Why does this happen? You might be surprised by the answer. The power of ice is tremendous. When water freezes it expands and creates a huge force that pushes against anything in its way. This unstoppable force can bend steel like bubble gum. Imagine this huge level of pressure pushing against soft materials such as wood, aluminum, asphalt shingles, or bricks, concrete, and stone walls (all easy prey for ice dams). Clearly, the damage could be enormous.

What is the answer? Here it is: The only lasting solution to prevent roof ice damming is proper roof ventilation. Why? Because proper roof ventilation removes the trapped heat in your attic (the very heat that causes ice dams) and studies prove that a cool attic during winter stops the thaw/re-freeze cycle and thus stops the melting snow from re-freezing at the roof edges. But how does roof ventilation specifically prevent ice damming? The answer is to create an attic temperature that is close or the same to the temperature outside of the attic using specific roof/attic ventilation procedures such as soffit roof ventilation and ridge roof ventilation. Let's expand on these two types of roof ventilation. Soffit ridge ventilation is a system of openings along the perimeter of your roof. These openings are referred to as intake vents. Their purpose is to allow air to easily enter the underside of your roof which will then travel skyward to the top of your roof directly beneath the roof boards. Ridge ventilation (at the top of your roof) will now complete the process. Ridge ventilation is a continuous vent that is installed along the entire ridge (or top) of your roof, referred to as exhaust vents.

Using the wind, ridge ventilation pulls air out of the attic using an energy-free power source, namely Mother Nature. Wind creates a negative pressure that effectively pulls a constant stream of new air into the soffit vents, along the entire surface of the attic roof boards, and is then expelled out through the ridge vents. The outcome is substantial. With fresh air constantly being pumped throughout your roof's attic spaces, any trapped heat is removed. When this heat is removed, the temperature of your attic becomes close or equal to the outside temperature. The result is no melting snow that will dribble down and re-freeze at the eaves of your roof. As a final word of advice, be sure that the ridge vent is baffled. A baffle is simply a small curve on the ridge vent itself that creates the negative pressure that sucks the trapped heat out of your attic much more efficiently than ridge ventilation without baffles. Without this baffle, the effect will be minimal. Lastly, the ratio of soffit and ridge ventilation should be 50/50 for optimal results, meaning 50% soffit intake, and 50% ridge exhaust.

William Woolsey is the owner of Brookside Roofing and a Roofing/Attic Ventilation Specialist Serving Toronto Home Owners for Twenty-Five Years. Brookside Roofing Offers Residential Roofing Services for Asphalt, Slate Tiles, and Cedar Shake Roofs.

Decking Parts And Structure

How to Prevent Swallows From Building Nests on Your Home

Here come the Swallows, it must be spring. Each year these beautiful birds begin to build their mud nests on our buildings, barns, homes and other areas like bridges. The eave of your home provides the perfect nest building spot for swallows; providing protection form the elements and predators. Each year homeowners are plagued with swallow nests and the mess and debris they bring with them.

It is worth noting that in the United States, all swallows are classified as migratory insectivorous birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Swallows are also protected by state regulations. Once the birds have begun to build their nests it is too late to get rid of them. Control methods should be enacted before the swallows return. This will guard against potential fines for disturbing nests or injuring the birds.

Nesting Sites:

Swallows will usually build their nests in a nice shady spot such as under the eaves of a home, bridge or overpasses, and other areas with right angles to the walls. The swallows will choose a wall texture that is easy to "stick" their nesting material to such as wood, stucco, masonry and concrete.

Damage:

Swallows like to nest in colonies thus causing a large problem for building and homeowners. Thousands of dollars of damage is caused each year from their droppings and nesting debris. Not only is the droppings left behind by swallows unsightly, it can be hazardous; carrying diseases that can be transmitted to humans. The nests will eventually fall to the ground where there is a chance that the bugs, fleas, ticks and mites found in them can spread to domestic animals such as dogs and cats.

How to Deter:

Exclusion is the best method of deterring pest swallows. You must make it impossible for the birds to build their nests. There are several methods of exclusion that can be used.

Bird Netting: A plastic netting with a 3/4 " mesh can be hung from the outer edge of the eave of the home down to the side of the wall creating a 45 degree angle. This will keep the swallows from getting into the favored sheltered space under the eaves of homes and buildings to build their nests. Note: Install the netting before the swallows arrive. It may be left up all year or taken down after the nesting season.

Bird Spikes: Installing plastic or stainless steel birds spikes at the junction where the wall meets the home keep the swallows from getting a foothold on the wall and attaching their nesting material. Bird spikes are easy to install using adhesive or screws.

Slippery Panels: There are products available that create a smooth surface under the eave of your home so that the swallows are not able to "stick" their nesting material to it. These products are generally made of a PVC plastic that is attached under the eave with adhesive. Creating a slick surface on the nesting walls will discourage the birds and they will look elsewhere to find a good nesting spot.

NOTE: Do not use a sticky gel to deter Swallows. The gel should only be use for ledges where birds land, not walls.

The best advise to keep swallows off of your home or commercial building is to do something before the swallows arrive. Put up netting, bird spikes, slippery panels or other means of deterring nest building before the swallows begin to build. Once the birds arrive and start building their nests, it is nearly impossible to get rid of them. Some will try to hose down the nests at they are being built to no avail. The swallows are tenacious birds and will just keep building and building if the spot is ideal for them. You must also be aware of the laws that protect these birds; you do not want to be fined!

Need help to get rid of pest birds? Contact Bird-B-Gone, Inc. the experts in bird control solutions since 1992. Call today 1-800-392-6915 or visit us at http://www.birdbgone.com.

Good San Diego Contractors

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

Stair Building Books

Teak Cleaning and Teak Care Essentials

The sun is shining and it's time to go outside and enjoy your new teak outdoor furniture. Now that you own this beautiful addition to your patio or garden, do you know how to care for it? Teak cleaning and care is really quite simple. Following these easy tips should ensure that you continue lounging on your stunning teak patio furniture for years of great use.

The Teak Weathering Process
Assuming that you leave your garden teak furniture outdoors, it will naturally weather in about three months time to a silver, gray color. Within six to nine months, it will be completely weathered and will possess the coloring that it will then maintain for years.

Maintaining the Original Teak Look
Should you decide that you don't want your outdoor wood furniture to weather naturally, you can curb this process. Following these teak care tips should help your outdoor furniture to maintain its original color. Ensure that the furniture is dry and dust free. Apply one coat of teak oil with a clean cloth or brush and wipe off any excess oil. Repeating this process once a year should help your teak furniture to maintain its original coloring. Make sure, however, that you don't apply the teak oil over accumulated dirt or oil, as it will cause the furniture to darken and even to blacken.

Teak Care Tips
Assuming that you do let the teak wood furniture weather naturally, these are easy teak cleaning tips for you to use. Once a year, use soapy water to scrub your furniture and to remove accumulated dirt. You can do this process by hand, or you can use a pressure hose set at 60-80 bar or 900-1200 psi. Keep a distance of six to eight feet between the nozzle and the surface that you are cleaning. Keep the hose at the lowest setting and use a steady jet pressure. This is the only maintenance that your teak furniture should need to maintain its durability and beauty.

Teak Wear and Tear
Throughout the years, you may notice small checks or surface cracks on your teak furniture. Don't despair. These are completely natural and are due to the moisture that the wood furniture absorbs and releases with the changes in weather conditions. These cracks will not have any affect on the durability of the wood or on the strength of the furniture.

Use these teak care tips to maintain the lovely look and durability of your teak outdoor furniture. Your time in the sun will be that much more enjoyable with your well-maintained and beautiful teak outdoor furniture.

Romi Sussman has written dozens of articles about teak outdoor furniture and outdoor furniture care. She loves her patio furniture and she waits each year for the warm weather to arrive!

Shear Wall Header

Home Building Books and Construction Help

If you're a do it yourself or or a homeowner who every once in a while, once to tackle a small or large project but doesn't know where to begin, can gather useful information from home building books. I have been using these books for years and may have been worth their weight in gold.

I started my career working for my father and my father worked for his father as a Carpenter. Our job was to frame the house and we built a Lotta homes. I learned how to frame and developed some great carpentry skills from my father and working with other skilled carpenters. Over the years, if you're paying attention, even a monkey can figure out, how to assemble almost anything.

The only problem that I faced, was learning how to build the rest of the home. I would often ask questions to other building trades like plumbers, electricians, roofers and construction superintendents. Some of these people were helpful and others were not. When I was in my early 30s, I purchased my first book on home building. This book lead to other books and soon I found myself with more home building knowledge that my father.

I had about 50 books on home building and soon found myself doing large home remodels, with no formal education. I would attribute almost everything that I learned outside of house framing to books. These books have proven invaluable to me over the years and with a relatively small investment. I couldn't have spent over $200 purchasing these books but have used the knowledge from them to save myself thousands of dollars.

One $20 home building books or home repairs, can save you lots of money, if you're willing to do a little research and the labor to complete almost any home building project.

By the way, if you're interested in learning how to repair a roof, build your own house, interior decorating, structural engineering, building a deck, gathering some more information about home painting or even remodeling your bathroom. An online home building bookstore can save you money if you're willing to do the work.

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

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

Pest Control Books

Home Remodeling - Stress-Busting Ideas

Stress is a common thing that everyone encounters in the City that Never Sleeps-New York. With the never-ending hustle and bustle, you are sure to get a good dose of stress-inducing factors. The effects may range from depression to health issues like migraine and high blood pressure. The most ideal place to help us recover from its preying claws is our homes. But what if this silent predator has already invaded your home? Then it is high time to implement some home remodeling ideas to help reduce, if not totally rid your home of stress.

Home remodeling can do fantastic things not only for you but also for your home's value. Though stress can affect people in different ways and just the same, people also have varying ways of fighting it; the following are general home remodeling projects that are great as stress-busting ideas:

De-clutter

Numerous studies have proven that disorganization is among the major triggers of stress. Just imagine having to go home with a disarray of everything piled up wherever. This not only makes things unsightly but also causes the area to not be as functional as it is essentially meant to be. What you can do first is to minimize your belongings by going through them and deciding whether to keep them, sell, giveaway or throw them out if they are already in very bad condition. The rest of the things that you decide to keep should be put in storage. If you think storage areas isn't enough then, add innovative storage solutions into your home.

Exercising in the Comforts of Your Own Home

Exercise is another great reducer of stress. An exercise room can be a great addition and home remodeling project. Other than saving considerably on gas and fitness club memberships, this is also a great way to get yourself some privacy while exercising. The feel of the outdoors is another idea that you could add into this home remodeling project making an additional sunroom to be used as exercise area ideal.

Avoid Sleeping Problems

To prevent stress, it is important that we are able to get enough sleep. When home remodeling, a good area to focus on with stress-busting in mind is the bedroom. Make sure that the lighting, noise level, and temperature in this room are well controlled, promoting a good sleep. Comfort should be at its highest level here.

A Personal Spa Out of Your Bathroom

The bathroom is where we start our early morning routine and end our day to get ourselves ready for a peaceful slumber. This makes it a vital stress-reducing area and a great focus of your home remodeling. When wanting to achieve that utter comfort in your bathroom remodeling result, you have to consider warmth, and stylish functionality. Floor heating system and towel warmers are excellent in optimizing comfort even after stepping out of the shower or tub. Depending on your budget, and preference complete relaxation can be achieved through a steam shower, home sauna, or whirlpool tub.

Eugene Makeev has been in the home improvement industry for a while. His skills and expertise, which have been polished through time, are now used to help New York home owners avoid the common pitfalls in home improvements by matching their needs with pre-screened Staten Island Contractors. For more, visit Remodeling Staten Island.

Soft Stucco Stucco Damage

Styling Up Your Outdoor Patio is Tiring Yet EXCITING!

Outdoor events are taking over as the in thing everyone will be up for. You can have twice the fun outside than you do indoors. The cool ambiance will turn everybody's mood into a good one and the fact that it is closer to nature makes it a blast. You need not worry about food, as they are of course within your reach. Just lie back, enjoy the sceneries with friends and family while lying down on patio furniture and the warmth of patio heaters that will surely be relaxing.

Contrary to popular opinions, setting a patio is not that difficult at all. You can have a patio makeover with half the price. All you need is to put in essential pieces of furniture in the patio. You should also remove anything that is distracting to the eye. Setting up a focal point should be for the purpose that it can grab the attention of those who are in the patio. An outdoor market umbrella is essential as it will protect you and the guests from climate changes. As for the temperature at night that can be a bit chilly, an outdoor patio will solve your problem.

Nature's theme is a popular choice because everyone loves being in nature where there is lush greeneries, clean and unpolluted environment. Nature inspired theme will be more comfortable which is one of the reasons why people build patios in the first place. Outdoor market umbrella will provide shades from the piercing rays of the sun at the middle of the day. It can be decorated to appear like giant palm trees that offer shades for lost travelers.

Plants and flowers is an added advantage to creating an ambiance of nature. Flowers can match your preference. There are certain flowers that makes people amazed and interested, on the other hand there are also flowers that can annoy people and make them feel edgy. The plants and flowers would naturally need watering and sunlight. Place them in areas where they can be exposed to sunlight and a bit further from outdoor market umbrella. However, during rainy seasons, they can be placed under the umbrella to avoid them from drowning.

A focal point can be placed in the middle of the patio where everyone could see it when they enter the patio, or at an interesting spot that makes it shine most among the other elements in the patio. The focal point is like a main attraction that catchers everyone's attention and will be well remembered by everyone who came by as the item or structure they'll look forward to the next time they come and visit. A focal point can be a fountain, a painting, a large stone with symbolic meanings, a lush flower garden, or even a stone statue with your own portrait.

The patio covers are important. They are there to help protect your furniture from the damages caused by the weather. Outdoor market umbrella can guard your outdoor furniture from the unexpected weather change and with a portable and easy to install and uninstall, consider your problems solved. The patio heaters also serves you well when you need to lay down or sleep outside even if the air is cool.

Outdoor parties need not be extravagant and filled with too much food that's impossible to totally consume. What's important is your camaraderie with your friends and family, and the bonding moments that will be created and treasured in your outdoor patio event. It's not bad to impress your friends with your patio furniture and decorations, but it's better to amaze them by your willingness to accept them into your home, sharing all you resources just to make them feel at home and at ease.

Kenny Leichester is a foremost expert in the interior design industry specializing in the outdoor or patio settings using outdoor patio furniture, patio umbrellas, outdoor cushions, patio heaters, patio lighting and so on to create exquisitely beautiful layout. His articles and work is widely distributed and is a regular contributor to PatioShoppers.com.

Home Furnishing - Give Your Home A Facelift

House is just a structure made of bricks and cement. It is how you put your personal stamp on it that makes it a home. Furnishing your house to your taste is one such stamp. It is not only a personal but also very exciting. Before embarking on a shopping spree to buy furnishings for your home, some basic things have to be kept in mind. These include the utility, style, taste and above all your pocket. Function and fashion are the main guiding factors in choosing home furnishings.

Function is the first and foremost criteria to be kept in mind for a person before he goes hunting for the basic furnishings. Table, chair, bed, cupboard, curtain, carpet, wallpaper and so on, should be primarily chosen for their utility. A bare home, without furnishings, is unfit for living. The furnishings in a house reflect the lifestyle of the owner. Along with the function, the latest trends should also be studied. But it is not advisable to follow the fashion eyes closed. Look at what suits your home and personality and only then make a decision. Compliment the style and colour of the furnishing for fabulous results.

There are various materials being used now days to furnish the homes. These include wood, cane, stone, metal, textile and silk. With innovative ideas and technology, you can make your habitat as comfortable as you like. Once you have determined what you are looking for, you can buy wisely at auctions, estate sales, straight from the showroom floor or on line. Doing your homework before and during the purchasing process surely pays off. All furniture and home decorating stores have their own websites where you can actually see pictures of what they are offering. Special attention must be given to bedroom furniture. since a person spends some of the most relaxing moments there.

Hence, with a little bit of effort you can furnish your house and make it a home worth living.

Jayson Pablo, a dedicated writer of Rupizcompare.co.uk which provide information on home furnishing accessories like home decor.

Home Mold Solution Books

Free House Building Plans

Free house building plans is a great way to see the many floor plan layouts available for a given square foot home. You can quickly see how many variations there really are. Choosing a floor plan that is customized to your family size and daily functions is the perfect way to get the most from your new house.

House plans as well as garage plans can be under rated and over hyped, if sold based on square footage alone. Many home builders focus entirely on getting the most overall size in a building, when the real bargain is to get the most functionality in a given space. By choosing to go with layout rather than total square foot, you can actually get more house for the money.

House plans are designed to be a planning tool, not the finished and unchangeable layout. You want to choose house plans or garage plans that first fit your lot or better yet the contour to your building lot. You have seen houses that were designed for a full size basement and yet it was built on a level lot. This takes away from the curb appeal and those house plans just were not right for that lot.

The architectural detail in your house plans is key to getting the final look of your new home. It's the details that actually can get the visual look, equal to the appeal and the price you paid to achieve the look. House plans should have building lot recommendations for each set of plans to ensure the best final results you are hoping for.

Floor plans layout in your house plans should give alternate choices depending on how versatile the set of plans are that you have selected. You may want to consider moving a door or even adding a door where the house plans have them positioned. This arranging or rearranging of the house plans is the best way to get the most house for your money.

To learn more about choosing the best layout for your new home, see the free house plans you can choose, arrange, and customize for your building lot. The better you plan, the better the outcome. http://wealthsmith.com/house-building-plans.htm

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Pergola Plans Makes Building Simple

Many homeowners can build their own pergola. This project can be built without plans. But to eliminate all the guess work, trying to design it yourself, you should look for some. There are many sites that have free plans. If you can't find what you need with free ones, consider buying some. Most are very affordable and they will eliminate a lot of work.

Plans will come with a material list, and this is a great way to estimate what this project will cost you. Of course, building it yourself will save you money, but is it possible to do it yourself? If you are capable of using a jigsaw, more than likely, yes. It is not a complicated structure. Square and rectangle designs are the easiest to build. This project can be done in one or two weekends. With the help of some friends this can be a fun weekend project.

Where do you begin? The first thing to do is to find out of any requirements by visiting or calling the building department. If digging will be involved, call the utility department to find out if there are any power, water, or electrical lines that might get damaged while digging. Once you have found the spot to build, measure and find the appropriate plans. Study the plans and material list, make sure you understand the process of building it. Study the material list and all the cuts you will be making. Once you get familiar with the design, and the building steps, you are ready to begin.

See my list of free woodworking plans, including pergola plans at http://www.MyBackyardPlans.com

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Luxury Home Plans 101

Often your house is the largest asset you will ever own. You spend everyday in your home so it should fully meet all your basic needs. Luxurious homes with alluring amenities are more attainable than you think. You don't have to be a wealthy celebrity or billionaire mogul to live in a luxury home. Customized floor plans make it possible to live your dream life without breaking the bank.

While posh homes are often spacious, any size home can include gracious amenities to improve your lifestyle. Sparkling bathrooms, a fantastic family room, a functional kitchen and plenty of storage space make any home more appealing. Of course larger homes offer additional opportunities for guest rooms, a library, a recreation room, outdoor living areas and other exciting additions.

There are a variety of beautiful luxury home plans to choose from. Popular luxury home styles include Victorian, Mediterranean, European, colonial and traditional. Each type of home has its own unique design and features.

Victorian homes have multiple roofs, paned bay windows and dramatic turrets. The streets of many major cities throughout the United States are lined with lovely Victorian homes. Just as their name implies, Victorian homes named for Queen Victoria. Since the 19th century, Victorian homes have been associated with affluence and superior design. Gingerbread houses is a term often used to refer to highly decorated Victorian homes.

Mediterranean style homes emulate popular designs originating in Spain and Italy. Often you see Mediterranean homes in the south and southwestern regions of the United States. Mediterranean homes often have stucco exteriors, red tile roofs, columns and arches. Usually there are plenty of spacious outdoor living spaces such as wrought iron balconies and covered decks overlooking lush gardens.

European luxury house plans feature high ceilings, fireplaces, open rooms, French doors, gourmet kitchens, master bedroom suites and plenty of open floor space. Architectural styles included in European home plans include Tudor, Georgian, Italian and French.

Colonial homes originated in 1640 as early European settlers brought their various housing styles to America. Popular colonial home styles include Spanish colonial, Dutch colonial, French colonial, German colonial and Georgian. With clean, simple lines and quality craftsmanship, colonial homes remain a popular choice today.

Traditional homes appeal to every budget and taste. Based on a variety of architectural designs, traditional homes can be a ranch or two stories. Because of their versatility, traditional homes are easily customized to meet every possible desire. Add multiple car garages, outdoor living areas and a pool for completely gracious living.

Often contemporary homes are also consider luxury homes. With their signature oversize windows, contemporary homes offer the benefit of panoramic views from every room. Spacious contemporary house plans also include all the modern amenities discerning homeowners crave.

Make a list of everything you want in your luxury home plans then shop around online to choose from hundreds of different ideas. Your luxury house plans may have Victorian, Mediterranean, European, colonial or traditional influences. Dare to be different and select luxurious contemporary house plans with huge windows and modern lines.

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Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

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

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

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

Finding out How Much Things Cost

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

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

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

Figuring out the Labor

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

Give Yourself a Cushion

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

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

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

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

Figuring the Lumber For Interior Wall Framing - Home Remodeling

Framing a new wall, anywhere in the home will not be very difficult to do. However, removing an interior wall on the other hand could be an enormous task and create some big problems, especially if you remove a loadbearing wall. A loadbearing wall would be something that is holding up another section of the home, like the roof or the floor.

If you're not removing or moving a wall, framing a new wall is a task that most homeowners with very little skill can do quite easily. Let's start with the basics, most walls are built from 2 x 4 framing lumber, which can be purchased at any lumber yard or home improvement center.

Let's start with measuring the length and the height of the wall. For example let's say that the wall you intend to frame is going to be 8'7" long and 8 foot tall. If I was going to figure the lumber for this wall, or how much material I would need. I would start with some simple arithmetic.

We need one bottom plate and one top plate. This would be the lumber that's going to run horizontal or right to left in our wall. So now we know that we need two pieces that will be 8'7" long and since they only sell lumber in 2 foot increments, our choices will be narrowed down to a couple of 10 foot two by fours.

The height of the wall is 8 foot tall and will require us to buy 8 foot two by fours. Now how many two by fours am I going to need? Most walls require 16 inch on center placement of the vertical two by fours, or in other words the two by fours that go up and down will be spaced 16 inches apart. If I was to divide 16 inches into 8'7", that would require 7 - 8 foot two by fours.

It's pretty simple math and don't forget to convert your measurements into inches to make the job easier. 8'7" can be converted to inches by multiplying the number of feet times 12, 12 times eight and then adding 7 to it will give us 103 inches. We can now divide 16 into 103 inches to give us the amount of vertical two by fours needed to frame our interior wall.

Don't forget there's 12 inches in a foot.

House Wood Damage or Wall Framing Tips

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

Dimmable Fluorescent Lighting And Home Automation

One of the first things you will want to do using home automation is to dim all your controlled lights to preset levels to set the so called scene. One problem is that you can't dim a fluorescent light fixture.

The main reason is that dimmable home automation modules work by sending signals through the bulb and in a fluorescent light there is a ballast resistor that prevents this also the fluorescent light is actually similar to a controlled lightning arc i.e. very high voltage and it will fry any digital (low voltage) electronics attached to it.

Some background on fluorescent lights

A fluorescent tube works by heating liquid mercury until it becomes a vapour and ionizing a gas (usually argon). The ballast device produces extremely high voltage to kick start the ionization process (and once started the voltage falls back to a low level).

Note: This is why the tube flickers on start up - the automatic switch within the tube electronics detects if current flows and re-tries the start process until it does.

Once started the tube settles at its own current level limited by the ballast device. This current level depends on the design of the ballast device and the AC current frequency 120Hz and the specifics of the tube - all these are fixed.

Since the tube contains mercury never break open a fluorescent lighting tube mercury is poisonous (but there is only a very small amount inside).

One of the reasons the fluorescent tube is so popular is that it is extremely efficient since once the arc is created inside the tube (and it generates ultraviolet light) the white coating on the inside fluoresces due to the ultraviolet and radiates visible light. This process generates no heat so most of the electric energy is converted to light.

In comparison a normal light bulb (incandescent light) is designed to operate by burning a metal in an inert gas and this generates lots of heat as well as a little light.

Note: A fluorescent light is about 5 times as efficient as a normal bulb (this is also why you can buy a 15W flourescent that outputs the same light as a normal 60 watt bulb.

Dimmable fluorescent light

Because of the way the fluorescent lights work you can not dim them but you can use an appliance module to turn them on and off. An appliance module has a relay inside that switches the power to the fluorescent bulb independently from the home automation electronics so that the sensitive electronic circuit is protected.

There's more information about X10 and dimmable fluorescent lights on the website.

John Main's website http://www.easy-home-automation.com shows you how easy it is to control electronic devices within your home by using affordable home automation modules.

Bathroom Remodeling With a Shower Curtain

In bathroom decorating, the shower curtains tend to be the focus of the room in most cases. The great thing is that there is a wide variety of choices that you can choose from to enhance the look of your bathroom and your home. From simpler, more sedate shower curtains to unusual and unique shower curtains, you are sure to find just the right look and personality of curtain for your bathroom remodeling. This is a low cost way to undergo bathroom remodeling if you are not able or willing to redo the entire room. You can choose shower curtains that coordinate with the rest of your accessories to give the entire room a new look and feel.

How Do You Choose Shower Curtains?

There are many different choices in shower curtains for your bathroom. From unique styles to more traditional, simple styles, you will be able to find just the right style and color of shower curtain for your bathroom. After you have chosen the fabric and design of your shower curtain, then you can move on to the curtain rings and rod. Be sure that you choose wisely, because these choices can make the room look complete or it can detract from the whole look.

Shower curtains come in many different waterproof materials, including PVC coated, vinyl coated, and nylon to ensure that they are durable in the shower. Even if you find a curtain that is not made of a waterproof material and it will work great for decorating your bathroom, you can still use it with a plain vinyl shower curtain. This can give you the exact look that you are desiring and you will still have the durable, waterproof protection.

Shower Curtains Made By You

If you just cannot find the right look or style for your bathroom, then you will be happy to know that you can create your own. Whether you are a sewer or not, there are a wide variety of different instructions to enable even the most craft-challenged of us to create designer shower curtains. Use your imagination and create the perfect look for your bathroom.

Keeping Your Shower Curtains Clean

The number one problem in the bathroom is mold. Your shower curtain will be no exception to this problem, simply because mold loves the warm and damp environment of your shower. In some people, mold can trigger health problems, which is why it is very important to you're your shower curtain as clean as possible.

To clean your shower curtain you want to use a cleaner that is specially made to clean and kill the mold. Most of the time, shower curtains can't be cleaned in the washing machine, but you will have to check the tag on your particular curtain to be sure. If you can wash it in the washing machine, then wash it using hot water and bleach to kill the mold and germs. If not, then you can wash the curtain, apply lemon juice to the mold, and then place it in the sun. The sun and lemon juice together will kill the mold.

After the mold is killed, you want to keep it away. To do this, you want to keep your bathroom ventilated by opening a window or opening a vent and you can soak your clean shower curtain in salt water, as this can help inhibit mold growth.

The free-lance writer John Bakers is especially interested in themes similar to designer draperies and designer curtains. Recording his experience in detailed writings like http://www.curtains-drapes-coverings.com the columnist expressed his experience on ideas related to designer shower curtains.

A Plan For Home Renovation

You have come to the decision that you want to renovate your home. Maybe you were planning to sell your home and move to a more updated house, but the slow housing market has put a damper on that idea. Or maybe you have been in your home for twenty years and think that a "facelift" is in order. Whatever the reason for your home renovation, you need to have a plan before you jump into the actual renovation process. The following tips can help you navigate your home renovation project.

1. Be prepared to supervise the renovation work. Even though you will probably have a contractor coordinating the various renovation activities, you will be the head project manager. You will need to know how to communicate and act professionally as well as solve problems that arise. Be honest with yourself and decide if you will be able to handle the inevitable stress that comes with home renovation. You can also ask someone else, such as a relative or trusted friend, to help you oversee your renovation project.

2. Plan how you will adjust to the renovation. Depending on how extensive your home renovation project is, you may need to live somewhere else while the work is being done. This is an option for those that want to renovate several areas of their home or the entire home in as little time as possible. If you plan to renovate one area at a time while you remain in the house, you will need to think ahead to how you will manage this. Make sure you know how you will prevent the dust and other debris from settling into your living areas. To avoid becoming overly frustrated, plan on each individual project taking longer than the estimated time. Kitchen renovations will have the most impact on your daily routines, so spend ample time determining your strategies for living with either no kitchen or a partial kitchen.

3. Decide which projects you want to do yourself and which ones you want to hire out. There are some renovation projects that you can easily do yourself or with the help of family and friends. Sometimes homeowners can be a little too enthusiastic and try to complete renovation projects that are too difficult for them. This is especially true for electrical and plumbing work. If you have any doubt that you can complete a project and be happy with the results, hire a professional to do the job.

4. Make sure you have the necessary permits for any renovation work you plan to do. The rules and regulations regarding building permits vary from state to state, so check for building laws that cover your area. If a contractor is handling the project, he or she will be responsible for obtaining any permits, but you may want to verify that all the paperwork is completed on time. If you are part of a homeowner's association, make sure your home renovation does not violate any of the association's rules.

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