Archive for October, 2008

How To Install Foundation Vents

Water is one of the most destructive things to your home. While most homes are built and protected to deal with water on the outside of the home, water and moisture inside the home can become trapped. Most older homes have air holes and cracks that allow some of the moisture to evaporate. But, many newer homes are so well insulated that they’re pretty much air tight and there’s no air circulating to dry up moisture or water.

One way to help keep moisture out of your home is by installing vents in the foundation. Your home needs to be able to breather to stay healthy! Around seven to ten gallons of moisture is generated each day inside your home. While moisture can cause rotting and mildew, trapped moisture becomes laden with vapors that can be harmful to your health.

A lot of emphasis is being placed on insulating homes to reduce energy costs. It is true that adding vents to your homes foundation will slightly increase your heating bills. But, it can help prevent costly repairs for moisture damaged wood and also keep your family healthy by reducing mold and mildew.

Moisture gathers inside the home from numerous sources including taking showers, washing clothes and cooking. It can create odors, condensation that forms on windows during cold weather and stale unhealthy air in general.

If your home has a block foundation, you might think that it’s too late to install vents. But, you can easily install vents even into an existing foundation. The general rule for installing vents is to add a one foot square vent for each 150 square feet of your homes floor space. But, if the crawl space has a dirt floor, or if you live in an area that is shaded by lot’s of trees, you might want to add a few extra for more aeration.

Once you’ve purchased your vents, measure and mark each place on the foundation that you want to add a vent. With a drill and a masonry bit, drill holes close together all along the outline. Be sure to wear safety goggles, the drill will throw bits of masonry into the air.

Take a cold chisel and a hammer and go along the drilled holes to break up and remove the masonry. You want the hole to be as smooth as possible, so once all of the block is removed, use the chisel to chip off any rough edges that remain sticking up. It may take awhile to get it smooth enough for the vent to easily slide into the opening.

You can test the edges by sliding the vent into place to make sure it has a good fit. After you’ve got the hole ready for the vent, use a small trowel and place cement all the way around the inside of the opening. Place the vent into the cement bed and finish up the seal with a coating of cement on the outside surface around the edges.

When you apply cement around the outside of the vent, be careful to not fill the fins on the vent and clog them up. The best type of vents to use are the ones that have adjustable fins. With adjustable fins you can have the option of opening the vents more or less depending on the weather. Open them more if you’re experiencing a rainy spring and then adjust them if you’re having a dry summer.

How To Build A Wheelchair Ramp

If you have a disabled family member, a wheel chair ramp is a necessity. But, Wheelchair ramps aren’t just for wheelchairs. While some elderly people don’t have any trouble walking, climbing steps can prove to be a challenge. A wheelchair ramp can make it much easier for them to leave or return to their home.

If you have rental properties, you must follow certain codes and guidelines, but whether it’s your home or one you rent to someone, you need to follow building codes. Not only is it the law, it will make a much safer ramp for anyone that is disabled or elderly to use.

A wheelchair ramp should always have a level landing area at the bottom and top of the ramp. There should also be a level area anywhere that the ramp changes to another direction. If the ramp is going to be over 20 feet in length, you should add another level section in the middle. This will give them a flat place to stop and rest a minute if they need to.

The levels areas that you place in the ramp should be the same width of the ramp itself and they’re suppose to be at least five feet long to allow lot’s of room for the wheelchair. The length is to provide enough room for someone to turn the wheelchair around and to keep it away from the edge of the level area.

The best width for a wheelchair ramp is three feet and handrails should be installed on each side of the ramp. The ideal height for handrails is three feet, but it’s preferable to have a rail also located at 18″ for anyone that has trouble reaching up to the higher rail. The handrails need to be along the entire length of the ramp.

The perfect sloping angle should be one foot for each twelve feet of ramp. For instance if the ramp is twelve feet long, the highest part should not be more than one foot off of the ground. For porches that are higher than one foot off the ground, the ramp should have levels. One twelve foot length of ramp, a flat section and then a turn to go up another section of ramp.

Having a wheelchair ramp with several sections and landings is much better than having one with a really steep incline that someone disabled won’t be able to climb. Another option would be to place the ramp at which ever porch is the lowest to the ground. Some homes have a higher porch in the front than they do at the back of the home.

As an added safety feature, a 3″ curb should be added to the bottom of the ramp. This curb will prevent the wheels of a wheelchair from slipping off of the ramp. The curb can either be placed on the ramp floor or incorporated in with the bottom handrail. But, if you’re going to use the bottom rail as a curb, it shouldn’t be any more than 3″ above the floor of the ramp.

Wheelchair ramps can be made from any material, wood, steel and concrete all make excellent ramps. Just make sure that the entire surface is slip resistant. The level areas of the ramp should be checked to make sure that puddles of water don’t form that can be slick or even freeze during the winter.

How To Keep Your Wood Burning Fireplace Safe

If you have a wood burning fireplace, then you already know how important it is to keep them well maintained. After all, you’re literally setting a fire inside your home, a fire that can quickly get out of control if your fireplace isn’t properly cared for.

The most important step in fireplace safety is to never, ever leave a burning fireplace unattended. whether you are going to bed, just going outside or down to the corner grocery to make a pick quick up, make sure that you totally extinguish the fire before leaving the house.

You should always keep a fire extinguisher somewhere close to the fireplace and make sure it’s easy to get to quickly. And, you should always replace it if it’s expired. Although, a fire extinguisher can still work even after the expiration date, it’s much better to be safe than sorry.

A spark arrester screen can help keep sparks from flying out into the room and starting a fire. And, you should never overload the fireplace with logs. The higher you stack the logs, the less stable they become and can easily roll out of the fireplace into the room. All it takes is a small piece of wood to start an enormous fire.

Soft wood, pine or other items like bundles of newspaper should never be burned in a fireplace. And, never use any type of chemical to start the fire or to get it burning larger. Large fires increase the build of of creosote in the chimney which can catch fire quickly. And, fuels like gas or lighter fluids can cause a sudden burst of flames that can shoot out of the fireplace.

Any type of flammable liquids such as kerosene fuel, lamp oil and even alcoholic beverages should be kept within a safe distance of a fireplace. Even items like drapes, carpet and furniture should be at least four feet away from the fireplace to be safe.

It is highly recommended that you have your fireplace and chimney inspected on a yearly basis, especially if it’s several years old. And, you should also have it inspected if you’ve just purchased the home. Unless you have some way of knowing when it was last inspected, the former owners might not have had any inspections at all!

During an inspection, the fireplace should be checked for any cracks in the bricks or mortar. The flue should be carefully checked and there shouldn’t be any of the flue tiles cracked or missing. The flue should also be checked for clogs or to see if it’s covered in creosote. If there are any cracks in the chimney, you or a contractor can cover the inside with a special concrete that is light weight and can withstand high temperatures.

The height of your chimney must follow a code, regulations state that the chimney should be at least two feet higher than the highest part of your homes roof. The chimney should also be equipped with a spark arrestor cap, the cap will also keep birds, bats and other animals such as squirrels out of the chimney.

Your fireplace hearth should extend out into the room at least 16″ and it should extend past the firebox at least 8″ on each side. It needs to be at least three inches in thickness and be made out of a fireproof material such as brick or stone.

The best way to stay safe while using your fireplace is to just make sure that anything that can burn is kept away from the fire. Take extra pre-cautions when even standing in front of the fireplace in your warm winter robe or long nightgowns. And, never use it for an incinerator for trash!

How To Make Your Outdoor Furniture Last Longer

Your outdoor furniture can be a large investment and most people can’t or don’t want to have to replace it every spring. Outdoor furniture can last for many years if you take care of it properly. Patio furniture comes in several types of materials and each needs to be cleaned in the correct way.

If you store your patio furniture out of the weather during the winter months, it’s the perfect time to clean it before putting it away. But, to keep it looking it’s best, most manufacturers recommend that you clean it once a month or so.

Most outdoor furniture can easily be cleaned with a little warm water and soap. You can get the furniture much cleaner if you use a pressure washer, but only use PSI from 1200 to 1350 so that you don’t wash the paint right off. The lower pressure you use the better, of course using a pressure washer depends on the materials that your outdoor furniture is made of.

Wicker is very popular for outdoor furniture, but it can get really dirty. Dust and grime flying through the air can get trapped inside all the little holes and be very hard to get out. If the wicker isn’t excessively dirty, you can usually just clean it with a water hose.

If you need more than just water to get it clean, use a mild soap in cold water and a sponge or soft brush. Once you’ve gotten it cleaned, allow it to completely dry then apply a coat of paste wax to retain the shine and help it resist water. Wicker should at least be well covered during the winter months, but it’s best if you can store it in a shed or garage.

If you have wood furniture that has been varnished, soapy water will generally clean away all the summers dirt. Make sure that you rinse all of the soap off of the furniture and let it thoroughly dry. Wooden furniture also needs to be stored inside through the winter, the damp, cold weather can cause it to start rotting pretty quickly.

Hammocks and other items made of fabric such as chairs, can almost always be washed in the washing machine. Make sure that you use cold water to minimize shrinking. You can also place the fabric back on the furniture frame to dry to keep it from shrinking. Wash fabric items on the gentle cycle, with a mild detergent and you can add a little bleach to white items. Clean the frames depending on the material and store fabric items indoors.

The umbrellas on your patio table can be cleaned with a soft brush and mild soap in cold water. Umbrellas require a little extra care as their joints will also need oiled. You can use a spray lubricant, but you have to be extra careful to not spray any on the fabric. Just use enough oil as needed for the shape that the joints are in, if they’re really stiff and looking like they’re starting to rust, apply several coats of oil over a few days.

Always remove acrylic furniture cushions before cleaning them. And, only spot clean them if you can. Some soapy water and a soft brush or sponge usually will be sufficient to remove the dirt. When you store your cushions for the winter, never place them in plastic bags, it will cause them to mildew and rot.

Some newer patio sets and outdoor furniture pieces are made of resin. Resin requires less maintenance than any of the other materials. You can usually just spray the piece with a water hose, but if you have any scuff marks, use a soft cloth with a gentle abrasive to remove them. If there’s any mildew, add about one cup of bleach to a gallon of water and two cups of soap.

If you have wither iron, steel or aluminum outdoor furniture you can generally clean it with just soap and water. Most newer metal furniture is treated to be rust resistant. But, if the set or pieces you have weren’t treated or their older pieces, you can apply some paste wax to restore the shine and protect them form moisture.

How To Test And Change a Circuit Breaker

Circuit breakers trip as a safety feature, sometimes for one reason or another they just get over-loaded and the breaker will kick off. All you need to do is to go to the breaker box and turn it back on. But, what do you do when you turn it back on and there’s still no electricity?

I’m going to explain how you can test the circuit breaker to see if it’s the actual breaker that’s bad, or if it’s the wiring that has became faulty. To check the breaker you’ll need to turn off all of the power by throwing the main breaker to the home.

You will need to have easy access to the breaker to test it. Remove the screws in the breaker box panel and remove the entire front panel so that you can see the breakers. It’s very important to remember that even though you’ve turned off the main breaker to the home, there will still be electricity on the wire running to the main breaker. Keep your hands and tools away from the area where the main breaker is located at all times!

To check the breaker you’ll need a test meter called a ammeter. It will have two test leads attached to it, place one on the metal screw that is in the circuit breaker itself and the other one on the neutral bar that is inside the panel. To identify the neutral bar, make sure that it’s the one that has all white wires going into it.

Set the ammeter to voltage and position it on 250 volts to test the breaker. You should not see any reading on the meter when testing the breaker. Regular breakers are single width, if the breaker has a double width it’s a 220 volt breaker. In this case, you’ll need to place both test leads on the breaker. Attach one lead to each of the metal screws on the bottom of the circuit breaker. Again, there shouldn’t be any reading.

If the ammeter hasn’t shown a reading, it’s safe to remove the circuit breaker. You will need a flat screwdriver to loosen the screws to remove the wires from the breaker. The hot wire will usually be either black or red and located on the left side. Once you’ve got the wire loose, pull it to the out side of the panel just enough to keep it from falling down inside the wall.

Use the screwdriver to gently pry out the breaker. Just insert the screwdrivers end about 1/8″ behind the breaker. Don’t pry to hard or you will crack or damage the breaker next to the one your removing. You just need to pry it up enough so that you can get hold of it with your fingers and pull it out. Pull the breaker towards you and slightly tilt it to the left.

Once you’ve removed the breaker, push the switch all the way to the off position then all the way to the on position. If the switch remains in the on position without kicking off, the circuit breaker is good. If it kicks off, you’ll need to replace it with a new one.

You should take the breaker with you if you need to purchase a new one to make sure that you get the right size. Repeat the above steps in reverse to install the new breaker. Make sure that the breaker will slide back into place and the push firmly until it fits flush with the rest of the breakers in the box.

How To Stain A Concrete Driveway

A paved driveway is a great convenience, it allows you to get in and out of your car without having to trudge through mud. But, plain old concrete isn’t very attractive and when you’ve spent lot’s of time and money on making the outside of your home beautiful, concrete just looks so plain!

You can easily transform that cold, hard concrete into a driveway that looks like warm, inviting stone. You can stain concrete in many different ways, you can just give it some color or you can actually make it look like stone. Todays products make it much easier to give your concrete driveway a finished desirable look that will compliment your homes exterior.

When you shop for stains, try to avoid acid based stains, they’re much harder to apply than other types. But, they usually provide a much deeper, richer color. Water based stains aren’t just easier to use, they’re also much safer. But, water based stains can also come out looking opaque sometimes.

You can simply measure the length and width of your driveway and take the measurements with you when purchasing stain to make sure you buy enough. The very first thing you’ll need to do is to make sure that your concrete is as clean as possible. Any grease, dirt or grime on the concrete will keep the stain from adhering and it will quickly peel or flake off.

A good quality degreasing product is usually sufficient enough to clean the concrete properly. The best way to clean it is with a pressure washer, if you don’t own one, many home imporvement stores rent them. Once you’ve cleaned the entire driveway, let it dry throughly and then sweep it to get off any remaining dirt.

You should never try to stain concrete that hasn’t been poured for at least 28 days, it will need time to cure. Cover all of the items surrounding the driveway with a plastic sheet or even large drop cloths. If your concrete has powdery, white stains it’s a sign that salt is seeping up through the concrete from the soil. A efflorescence blocker should be applied before applying the stain to prevent the salt from coming back through.

You can apply the stain by hand, but it’s much faster and easier if you use a paint sprayer. If you want to achieve the look of stone, you’ll need to apply several coats of the stain. Start in one of the corners of the driveway and spray the first coat in a nice even layer. Follow the directions for drying time, usually about an hour, but it could be as much as 24 hours.

Continue spraying the stain on the driveway in the same way. But, to get the appearance of stone, skip some areas with each coat. You want the layers to have a mottled look to give it shading. Make sure that you let the stain dry good between each coat and just keep applying the stain until you achieve the look you want.

When you’ve finally got all the layers looking just the way you want, let it dry for at least 24 hours. You’ll need to try to block the driveway off to keep any animals or visitors from walking on your newly stained surface.

Now you’re ready to apply a sealant with a low napped roller. Just like there are different types of stains, there are different types of sealers. Some sealants will give the concrete a wet, shiny finish, it looks good, but will be very slick when it’s raining. There are slip resistant and non-skid sealants available that can help prevent falls.

How To Choose a Big Screen Television

More and more people are creating their own home theaters these days. While they might seem like a luxury, a home theater is the perfect place to relax and unwind after a stressful day. And, as the prices are coming down on big screen televisions more people are purchasing them.

Any television, whether it’s big screen or not is a considerable purchase and you want to make sure that you’re going to be happy with the one you choose. There are some simple tips to help you in shopping for a big screen television.

While it might seem the bigger the screen the better, size is the main issue that you need to really think about. Having a television that is way too big for the room will make watching it pretty uncomfortable. Decide where you want the television to be, then measure the approximate distance from there to where you’ll normally be sitting.

When you shop for a television, measure off the distance and stand there to see how the picture looks. The largest screen you can find might be nice, but if your room only allows you to be six feet from the screen, you might not enjoy the gigantic movie! A good rule to follow on screen size is to be three times the size away from the screen. For example, if the screen is 3 feet in height, you’ll want to be nine feet away from it.

While flat panel televisions will fit into almost any room and look really great, they’re much more expensive than a big screen television. So, unless you’re willing to pay a lot more for the convenience, you might want to avoid them.

You’ll also need to decide what format you want. There’s widescreen and letterbox. Most television shows are still in letterbox format, but almost all of the new movies are being done in widescreen now. Eventually, widescreen might be the standard format for all television shows and movies. But, the format choice is just a matter of personal preference.

Now we move on to all of the technical jargon, CRT, LCD, DLP and of course HD. Most people already know that HD is high definition, but few people are familiar with the other terms. Purchasing a television that doesn’t have HD can save quite a bit of money and the picture will still look good. Again, it’s a matter of preference and affordability.

Your old television set is most likely CRT. The first big screens were CRT, if you ever saw one you probably noticed that if you were sitting to the side the picture quality was fairly bad. With CRT’s unless you’re sitting pretty much in front of the screen, you may just see dark! But, again it’s the difference in prices that you’ll have to consider.

The same goes for LCD and DLP, when viewing at odd angles. The picture  quality with DLP is excellent, unless you’re sitting off to one side and then it will be slightly dim. And, in both types, the bulbs can burn out and be really expensive to fix.

How To Install A Surround Sound System

Adding a surround sound system can really make a big difference in the quality of your television and entertainment systems sound. It can actually make it seem like the sounds are surrounding you! But, knowing the right way to set the speakers up, can increase the sound quality even more.

Most 5.1 surround sound systems have five speakers and one subwoofer. Your main speakers will be the right and left front speakers. Around 70% of the sound will be coming from these speakers, so the correct placement is crucial. These speakers should be placed in front of you and at the center of the television.

The center channel needs to be placed in the exact center of your room and as close to your television as you can get it. The center channel speaker is where all of the voices will come from, so the closer it is placed to the television set the clearer and more vivid the voices will be.

You can place your rear speakers on either side or behind you. They should also be placed an equal distance from the rooms center. These speakers actually provide the special effect sounds, you’ll almost think that those bullets are really blazing right by your head!

However, as nice as they are, rear speakers are the most difficult to position. If you’re not lucky enough to have a home theater room that was designed for rear speakers, it can be really frustrating to install them. It’s very hard to keep them sounding good, while keeping them hidden from plain sight.

If you’re creating your home theater room and haven’t installed carpeting yet, you can run all of the speaker wires before laying carpet. You can purchase special wire that is thin enough to not even be noticeable underneath the carpeting. Decide where you want all of the speakers to be, run the wires, lay the carpet and then use speaker stands to mount your speakers.

If you’re installing a surround sound system in an upstairs room and have access to an attic, you can run the wires up in the attic and through small holes in the ceiling. You can even install the speakers into recessed areas of the ceiling so that they’re flush with the ceilings surface. You can also purchase universal mounts to attach the speakers to the ceiling.

If you’re willing to invest an extra $100 or so to get the sound quality that you want, you can opt to go wireless. The speakers aren’t actually wireless, but you can buy a kit that will create a link from your receiver to the back of the room so that you don’t have to run wires across the entire length of the room.

The kit contains a unit that connects into the rear terminals of your receiver, a second unit is then connected to the rear speakers and plugs into an electrical outlet. You can use speaker stands or towers to place the speakers where ever you want them, or hang them on the wall.

The last speaker you’ll need to install is your subwoofer. Luckily it doesn’t matter where you put this one. The subwoofer supplies all of the bass and can be positioned anywhere that’s convenient. But, to get the best quality sound, don’t block or cover the subwoofer.

How To Clean and Care For Oriental Rugs

An Oriental rug can add elegance to any rooms decor. They come in so many colors and designs, that it’s easy to find one that will compliment your existing room accessories. Oriental rugs can be used as the focal point of your room to add splashes of color, but they’re also very functional.

Most Oriental rugs are fairly expensive, so when they need cleaned, you need to take a little extra care. But, cleaning them isn’t hard as long as your careful. Keeping them clean can add years to their life and beauty when done properly.

Using a vacuum to clean Oriental rugs is the best way to keep them looking new longer. But, when you do vacuum it, you need to be gentle. Set the vacuums brush to a setting that is barely touching the surface of the rug. And, make sure that if your rug has fringed edges you keep the vacuum away from the fringes. If the fringes repeatedly get sucked up into the vacuum, it can cause them to fray.

Any type of rug on the floor is vulnerable to spills and stains and no matter how careful you are, accidents can happen. The best way to clean Oriental rugs is to use a little bit of club soda and just a small amount of a good quality carpet cleaning solution. Use a soft rag to just blot the stain or spill up, rubbing it will only press it deeper into the rugs fibers and you might not be able to get it out.

Another really good way to keep your Oriental rug looking newer longer is by rotating it on a regular basis. The wear on the rug will be more even and less noticeable if you turn the rug now and then. How often you should rotate the rug will depend on how much traffic the rug gets. If it’s in a high traffic area, you need to rotate it more often. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of rotating it each time you vacuum.

While rotating the rug can reduce the chances of showing signs of a walking path, it will also help prevent fading. Sunlight coming through any nearby windows shining directly on the rug will eventually fade the colors. By rotating the rug, you can help prevent light areas and keep the colors brighter and more vibrant.

Always try to avoid letting ORiental rugs get wet. While you may not have any choice but to use water or club soda to clean up a stain, there is a chance that the colors in the rug might bleed. Anytime your rug gets wet or you have to clean it, make sure that you soak up as much of the liquid as possible and place the rug where it can get air to dry quickly.

If you need to store the rug for an extended period of time, wrap it in a sheet or large piece of cloth. Never put it inside an airtight bag, it can cause the rug to rot and mildew. And, they should never be stored anywhere that is hot, humid or damp, or in a place that doesn’t have good ventilation.

If you have furniture sitting on the rug, it’s enevitable that you’re going to end up with flat spots in the rugs pile. Moving the furniture now and then can help prevent crushing of one spot. But, you can use a soft brush to gently brush the fibers and fluff them back up.

Preventative Maintenance For Your Driveway

Having your driveway paved with asphalt is quite an investment. It’s an investment that you will want to do all you can to protect. Right now is the perfect time to do some preventative maintenance to help your driveway survive the harsh winter weather. With a little preventative maintenance, your asphalt driveway should last for years.

Even the asphalt used on highways deterioriates with wear and weather, but the grade of asphalt the is most commonly used on driveways is much worse.
One of the cheapest and easiest ways to protect your driveway is by sealing it. The heat and use during summer can damage your asphalt, but the freezing and thawing during the winter can wreak havoc on your driveway.

Your driveway should be sealed at regular intervals to protect it all year round. There are many benefits that come with sealing your driveway. It will make your driveway water resistant, it can help repel both rain and melting snow and ice. Water is the most destructive element for driveways, it can cause cracking which allows even further water damage.

The hot sun can also damage your driveway, it causes it to become overly dry and makes it more suseptible to cracks beneath the heavy weight of vehicles and also allows water seepage. But, even air can damage the surface of your driveway by causing corrosion.

Most professionals recommend that you apply a new coat of sealant to your driveway every one to three years. But, you can often tell when sealer is needed just by the color of your asphalt. If it appears to look really dried out, it’s time to add a new coat of sealant.

You should never apply driveway sealant to any new asphalt surface. When first paved you should allow the asphalt at least six months before applying a sealer. It generally takes that long for all of the oils in the asphalt to evaporate. And, as the oil evaporates out of the asphalt, your driveway will become harder and much more durable.

Applying a sealant will prevent the oil from being able to evaporate and the asphalt will remain soft. You also need to apply sealant only if the temperature is at least 50 degrees. In weather that is below fifty, the sealant won’t be able to adhere properly. Once applied, the sealant needs at least 48 hours to properly dry. So, you should also check the weather to make sure that you’re going to have several days of dry weather before sealing your driveway.

Before sealing your driveway you should also inspect it for any signs of cracking and repair them if you find any. You can purchase products to repair cracks in your asphalt, or call in a professional to do the work. Either way, it’s vital that any cracks or holes are properly repaired before sealing.

Applying a sealant to your asphalt driveway offers other benefits besides protection from the weather. It will also make your driveway much easier to clean and sweep. And, it will create a repellant for oil and other chemicals that might get spilled onto the surface.

Advantages Of Electric Fireplaces Over Gas

It’s that time of year when many homeowners are thinking about how they’re going to keep their homes warm through the winter. If you’re considering adding a fireplace to your home, you really should think about all the advantages that electric fireplaces provide.

Fireplaces add so much to the beauty of a room and with all the designs available today, you can choose from rustic to elegant. Traditional fireplaces leak much of the heat they generate and although they will keep your home warm, much of the wood or other substance that you use is just wasted into the outside air.

Conventional fireplaces are also messy, you have to deal with soot and keep them cleaned out. You also have to clean the chimney regularly and inspect it for any damaged or blockages. With an electric fireplace you don’t have to worry about a chimney, soot, ashes or smoke.

With an electric fireplace, you won’t have to have some where to store firewood. And, you won’t have to go out in the snow to bring in more firewood. And, unlike gas fireplaces, you’ll never have to worry about carbon monoxide fumes being released into your home. Electric is not only much cleaner than gas, it’s also much cheaper.

Another big difference in an electic fireplace and conventional fireplaces is that you have control over the temperature. You can adjust the setting to the temperature that you want for the room and it will save lot’s of money on electricity. Having a thermostat and temperature control let’s you maintain the correct temperature.

Most types of electric fireplaces can be set up and heating your home in just minutes. The set up is pretty much just placing it where you want it and plugging it in! And, if you decide you want to move it to another location in the room or in the home, you can easily put it anywhere that you need it.

With the advancements made today, electric fireplaces can even create realistic flames. Some even come equipped with sound so that you can hear the crackling of the fire. Some models actually look and sound so real, guests might not even realize that it’s not a conventional fireplace!

Another really great advantage of electric fireplaces over gas, is that you can install them in any room of the home. You don’t have to worry about venting them or running gas pipes, all you need is an electrical outlet and you’re fireplace is ready to go. You can also find them in a variety of sizes to fit any room.

There are so many styles of electric fireplaces to choose from. Some even double as entertainment centers, with shelves for all of your media equipment. They also come in many different looks such as stone, wrought iron and wood. They’re a really good way to add charm to your homes decor as well as keeping it warm and cozy.

How To Install Under-Cabinet Lighting

The kitchen is one room of the home where bright light is very important. Most homes only have lighting fixtures in the ceilings of kitchens which make it hard to see if the light is behind you. But, you can easily add lighting under neath the cabinets to provide light exactly where you need it most.

There are various types of under cabinet lights to choose from and they come in various types of materials such as plastic and brass. So, finding some that will match your kitchen shouldn’t be hard. And, depending on how the bottom of your cabinets are made, some lights won’t even show.

With all the emphasis on making homes greener, LED lighting is becoming very popular. However, they are still quite expensive. The green side to LED lights is that they use very little energy and provide lot’s of light. Most have settings that allow you to go from low to high depending on what you need.

Both fluorescent and halogen light fixtures are also popular for under cabinet fixtures. Fluorescent lights are probably the most common, the bulbs are long lasting and while the light is bright it’s not blinding. Halogen bulbs generally last about one fourth as long as fluorescent and touching the bulbs will cause them to burn out even faster.

Puck lights are great choices for areas that require extra light, but don’t have the space for large fixtures. Some puck lights are just an inch thick, they’re very compact so they can be used in the smallest of places. They hook together in a string similar to Christmas lights.

They are usually sold in packs of two, but you can find them in larger packs. You just mount them under the cabinet and then connect them together. Fittings are included with the lights that just snap together with the last fitting having a plug-in. Puck lights can be found in several colors and materials.

Before you actually install the light under your cabinet, you should plug it in and move it around to get the best location. But, most manufacturers will recommend that the light be installed as close to the front of the cabinet as you can get it. Once you’ve found the position for the light, mark the screw holes on the cabinet bottom with a pencil if you can get to them.

Many light fixtures even come with paper guides to show you exactly where to make the screw holes. But, if the one you purchased don’t have a guide, then you’ll have to measure and mark the holes yourself. It’s much easier to get the holes right if you draw and outline of the fixture on the bottom of the cabinet.

Once you’ve got the cabinet marked, measure down from each end of the light to the hole and then measure across. Make the same measurements on the diagram and make pilot holes for the screws. Some cabinet bottoms are fairly thin, if yours is too thin for the screw, you can add some washers to keep the screw from going up inside the cabinet. You can also purchase shorter screws instead of using the ones that came with the light.

After you’ve got your pilot holes drilled all that’s left is to install the light fixture. Just follow the instructions to properly attach the light to the cabinet. One thing that you should consider before deciding where to put the light, is how you’re going to plug it in. Unless you want to run wires to the fixture, try to install them as close to plug-ins as you can.

Ways To Use Seashells In the Bathroom

Since most bathrooms are fairly small they are often one part of the home that gets a little neglected during decorating. But, your bathroom can be turned into a relaxing, seaside retreat with a few simple ideas, a bunch of seashells and some water themed accessories.

Seashells are generally cheap and easy to find and you can often find them at thrift stores for almost nothing. And, if you live near the ocean, you can create a wonderful design with shells that you’ve collected yourself.

I probably have way too many seashells in my bathroom. Each one just has their own beauty and I seem to want to add them all to my bathroom decor. It would be pretty aggravating dusting all of them if they were other types of items, but since they’re literally water proof, you can just lay them in the tub and spray them each time they need cleaned!

I found some really pretty seashell border on sale and put it half way up the bathroom walls. But, you can add border either there or at the top of the wall. I put it about five feet up on the wall because you get to see it more there. Border up at the ceiling doesn’t get to be enjoyed as much in a small room.

The border has seashells of various sizes all over it, so I cut out several of the designs. I used the cut-outs as accents, I applied some to the front of the toilet tank. I didn’t really expect those to stay on very well, toilet tanks are bad for condensation and I figured it would just get damp and fall off. But, it’s been there for almost a year and still looks really good.

I also applied some to the mirror, which makes it match the bathroom. Then I applied some to the wall just above the back of the tub and shower. I didn’t use any special adhesive to attach them, I just wet them and pressed them on with a soft cloth, just like I did on the wall.

I had ran across some starfish and I just hung them on nails beside the sink in a diagonal line. You don’t even have to make a hole in the starfish, the nail will fit right into the opening on the back. I also used a few pieces of natural coral that are aquarium decorations. My shelf is all made of wire, so I laid some pieces of clear glass over them to place all of the shells and coral on.

If you’re going to have seashells you’ve got to add some sand. I just purchased some small bags of sand that came from the craft section, but you can use any type of sand. While I choose the natural sand, the crafting sand usually comes in several colors, so you can even have it match your color scheme.

I poured some of the sand into a little glass boat and laid seashells all inside it and it sits on the bathroom sink. It’s a simple idea, but it looks really nice and everyone loves it. I did the same thing in a small globe shaped bowl and set it on the shelf along with the larger shells.

To blend a trash can in with the theme, you can hot glue small shells onto it. And, you can do the same with a hand soap dispenser or any other item that you use in the bathroom. Small seashells can even be glued to the front of a soap dish and to the back of a hand mirror.

I have a solid color shower curtain and didn’t want to purchase a new one, so I spiced it up a little. I’d found a planter hanger made of seashells and took it apart to use the shells. I used some twine and strung up several seashells on lengths of it and tied them around the shower hooks. Leave the string long enough so that the shells dangle.

You can find nets made especially for decorating that you can hang all sorts of sea life on. And, you can add shells to almost anything to add to the decor. You could even hot glue some seashells over the vanity knobs. Hot glue is the best to use for projects like that because it’s not permanent. If you decide you want to remove the shells you can just pull them off. And, you can easily pull any remaining hot glue off of non-fabric items as well.

How To Replace a Broken Tile

The kitchen is often the most abused room in the home. With all the traffic and cooking, accidents can happen and things get dropped. If you have a tile floor in your kitchen, a heavy pot or pan could easily crack one or more of the tiles if it falls. Tile flooring is pretty sturdy, but sometimes things just happen.

If one of your tiles has gotten cracked, it won’t just make your floor look bad. It will also allow water or other liquids like juice or milk soak into the wood underneath if it gets spilled in the area. Fixing a cracked or broken tile as quickly as possible can actually save a lot of water damage to the flooring.

To get the tile off the floor, you’ll need to crack it even more with a hammer. Place an old rag or towel over top of the cracked tile and tap it with a hammer hard enough to break it into several smaller pieces. The rag will help keep little shards of tile from flying up in your face as you break it.

Also, to keep the shock waves created by the hammer from damaging other tiles next to the broken one, you’ll need to remove all of the grout from around the damaged tile first. You can use a grout saw, which can be purchased at most hardware stores, or a rotary cutting tool. No matter what you use, wear safety glasses to protect your eyes.

It will take a little time to cut through the grout, it’s been down for awhile and has probably gotten quite hard. Just take your time and do it carefully so you don’t damage other tiles. Remove as much of the grout as possible, all of it if you can. After the grout is removed, use the hammer and rag to break the tile.

If the pieced of tile have sharp edges, use gloves to remove them from the floor. You will have to use a chisel or some other tool to pry most of the pieces up off of the wood surface. Once all of the tile pieces are up, you need to remove all of the old adhesive.

Use the chisel to pry the adhesive up from the wood, vacuum the area so that you can see what is loose and what is still stuck to the wood. If you don’t get the wood clean of all of the old adhesive or debris, the new tile won’t stick properly and will eventually just come loose from the floor.

If you’re lucky, you installed the tile after you moved into the home and have a few spare tiles stored back. If not you’ll probably have a hard time finding tile exactly like the ones on your floor. It will especially hard to find a match if the tiles have designs. If you can’t find an exact match, choose the one that’s the closest to the flooring.

Use a putty knife to apply tile adhesive to the back of the tile that your using. After you’ve applied the adhesive, use a notched trowel to spread the adhesive in a smooth, even coat on the entire back of the tile. It’s important to cover the whole area with the adhesive, but make sure that the edges are well covered.

Place the tile onto the floor and tap it with the handle of the hammer. You want to firmly set it on the floor surface, but don’t tap it so hard that it cracks. Position the tile in place so that the gaps around the edges are even. You don’t want to forget to leave room for grout around all of the edges.

The new tile will need at least 24 hours to dry before you can apply the grout. Once it’s dry and you start to grout the edges, make sure that you get it way down into the gap. You can use a grout float to press it down into the gap properly. Once you’ve applied all of the grout, use a damp rag or sponge to wipe up any excess grout before it dries on the tiles.

Understanding Home Decorating Themes

There are many types of decorating themes to choose from when you decide to re-decorate your rooms. While you might not really care what your particular style is called as long as you like something, if you’re really serious about interior design it really helps to know the specific terms for themes.

Formal traditional says it all in the name. It’s formal atmosphere that is very traditional. It refers to designs that originated from eras such as the Victorian, Renaissance, Georgian and Greek. The style is refined and elegant all the way to the window treatments.

Informal traditional is almost the same as formal traditional, except the style is a little more comfortable. There are more earth tone colors in informal traditional and the furnishings have a slightly softer, inviting touch.

Environmental just simply refers to furnishings and design that include textures, patterns and colors from mother nature. And, international modern design has a simplicity with smooth surfaces and hard lines. Unusual textures are also combined with abstract patterns.

The design referred to as primitive or ethnic has more of a masculine touch. Styles can range from South Sea, American West or African themes. The textures are heavy and patterns have a lack of sophistication that is charming.

Romantic Victorian is a favorite design style,it has lot’s of patterns, lot’s of florals and beautiful colors. Pattern is the main goal in this theme, with the walls and accessories having lot’s of designs. There are so many patterns that it almost creates a cluttered look, but it’s a look that works very well.

American country includes furnishings that can be designed after styles from the 17th century to modern day. Hand crafted work is evident in this very popular theme. There are several other design themes including shabby chic that is pretty much just a mix of whatever you like.

Before you start any decorating project, you should set a realistic budget and stick as close to it as you can. Setting a budget ahead of time and adhering to it can keep you from be disappointed by getting half way through your project and running out of funds to complete it.

Also, decide what the most important change you want to create is. Do you want the walls redone? Maybe you want a new sofa or lamps. Decide what will be the most expensive and most important part of your project and purchase that item first. If you do run out of money, you can always add accessories later, as long as you have your main decorating done.

You of course, need to decide on the style you want to accomplish before you make any purchases. If you’re still undecided about the total look that you want to create, browse through some home decorating magazines to get some ideas. Even if you don’t like the entire room in a magazine, you can get ideas from individual pieces of furniture, accessories or even the color scheme.

Choose what you want to use as the focal point of your room. The focal point could be a fireplace, a special antique table or even a beautiful painting. Maybe, the focal point is the object of your desire to redecorate. If so, decide what you want to use as the point of the room before shopping.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when decorating is not choosing pieces that have the right proportions with each other. If you’ve ever really like a room, but there was something that was just not right about it, it could be as simple as the tables being too large or too small for the sofa. Proportion is a very important aspect of having a well balanced room.

« Older Entries