Hiring a Contractor For Bathroom Remodeling - Remodeling Contractors

Well here's the age old question, how do we go about finding a decent bathroom remodeling contractor.

Here's some things you will be looking for in a contractor.

1. Is Your Contractor Fair and Honest?

2. Does Your Contractor Have Experience Remodeling and Designing Bathrooms?

3. Can You Actually Find a Contractor Who Will Complete the Job in a Timely Manner?

4. Do You Think the Workers Will Be Able to Clean the Job up Daily?

5. Will the Contractor Show up on Time?

6. Is the Contractor Going to Work At Least Eight Hours a Day?

7. Does the Contractor's Crew Have Experience?

8. Is Your Contractor and His Crew Courteous?

If you find a contractor for your bathroom remodeling project that has answered yes to all questions above, hire that person immediately. Most contractors can sincerely answer yes to half of the questions above. If you're looking for the ultimate bathroom remodeling contractor, you could be searching for quite a while, you're looking for some one that is competent and you feel comfortable with.

When hiring a contractor, look for someone who has your interest in mind first and not theirs. Find someone who is willing to help with the designed process of your bathroom and the remodeling. If you find a contractor to be arrogant or controlling, there is a good chance, your bathroom might not turn out the way you envision it.

When hiring a contractor for your bathroom remodeling project or any home improvement project, the most important thing to keep in mind is, whether or not you feel comfortable with this person or not. Never hire a contractor you're not comfortable with.

If a contractor is referred to you by someone you trust, this does not guarantee you will be happy with the bathroom remodel. Most referrals that I have gotten over the years are like rolling the dice, I believe I would have done just as good picking a name out of a hat.

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

Toilet Tank Lid Cracked

Framing Basement Walls Can Provide Warmth and Comfort

If you have any experience at carpentry working with framing basement walls can be fun and save you a lot of money. If you have no or very little experience with carpentry you can still learn with the right desire.

So you have an unfinished basement in your home and would like to create another room like a recreation room or laundry room or basement study you can do it. The first thing you need to do is know there are two areas that you will be framing, the outside walls of your basement and the inside walls to create the rooms within.

The outside walls or perimeter walls are the walls that you can either construct to provide warmth and added comfort or just construct as walls to provide added pleasantness to the basement. Framing Basement Walls to provide warmth and comfort is the best way to go if you plan to use the rooms in the basement as part of your living area.

If you want the basement room to be warm and comfortable, you will need to use 2 X 4 wooded studs for your framing around the perimeter. This will let you use insulation between the studs to provide the warmth required between the outside foundation and the inside wall.

The interior walls will also be constructed of wooden 2 X 4 studs, but normally don't require insulation between the studs. If you want added noise protection adding insulation to the inner walls can help deaden sound.

When you spend time framing basement walls correctly you will have a more functional basement area to add value and comfort to your home.

Looking for ways to have an artful and creative basement wall? Discover practical basement remodeling ideas online and turn cheap basement ideas into dream basements at a budget.

Electrical Wire In Living Room

Do it Yourself Home Security Systems Comparisons - Research the Products and Options

The modern world for all its fascinating advances still can be less than safe. There are lots of dangers out there that may present themselves to our lives at some time. This is why many people install a security system for their homes and their possessions. There are many different systems available to consumers today, so it is important that you learn how to do 'do it yourself home security systems comparisons'. Renters as well as homeowners can benefit from the safety offered.

It's obvious to anyone who looks that home security systems vary widely. For example, do it yourself home security systems comparisons might search for the best wireless home security systems or a wired alternative. It's always best to make sure you know what's available before looking for the best of those systems. You can do so by conducting your own research.

Lots of firms provide installation at no extra charge on a high proportion of their security systems. One can economize by buying diy wireless home security systems too. They are not as expensive as the ones from services which include installation with no fee added. This is their best feature of all. They may come with cameras, alarms, motion sensors, and fire detectors. Some of them can be turned on and off by remote control or telephone. In addition, there are models which automatically notify the homeowner if something bad happens.

Do it yourself home security systems comparisons are available online. The topic is addressed on various websites through reviews and articles. It is helpful to read what others have to say so that you can learn from their experiences and hardships. Learning by following the advice of others is crucial to your success in any area of interest.

You are not able to put a price on the safety of you and your family. That is why home security systems are so important to you and your loved ones. Purchasing a security system is like purchasing peace of mind. Such peace of mind will allow you to worry less about someone breaking into your home or perhaps harming your family!

Plenty of reliable security systems are out there, you'll find - the most important thing is to find one that meets the needs of your unique situation. For example, if you have the ability to complete the installation yourself, then your needs will be different from someone who is searching to hire an installation or monitoring company. In either case, plenty of worry can be averted through do it yourself home security systems comparisons.

Nowadays, shoppers can choose from all sorts of security systems, so you should learn how to perform do it yourself home security systems comparisons and contrasts. Even rental tenants derive advantages from the extra safety these systems provide. As you research the various models, be sure to check out the outstanding wired ones as well as the best wireless home security systems while you're at it. You can also save some money by purchasing a system known as diy wireless home security systems. You will see that these systems really cost less than those from companies that offer free installation.

Dryer Vents - Reduce Fire Danger

The dryer vent pipe is an often overlooked fire hazard and energy eater. Moisture and lint can gather in the folds causing a potential fire hazard and restricting air flow making your dryer run longer consuming more natural gas and electricity. I see over 200 houses every year and one of the most common and potentially dangerous problems are incorrect dryer vents.

You need to replace your dryer vent pipe if it

• is made of flexible plastic or foil
• has more than two 90 degree elbows
• is more than 12 feetlong
• uses metal screws
• the laundry area is moist, humid and covered in lint

Flexible foil or plastic vent pipe looks like the arms on the robot from the TV show Lost In Space. People use these because they are so easy to install. Every turn or elbow will slow the exhaust air. Longer lengths will cause moisture in the air to condense giving lint a chance to catch and build up in the pipe. The longer length will also make your dryer work harder. The sharp point of metal screws in the pipe will catch lint. If there are leaks in the pipe the added humidity will provide a perfect environment for mold and mildew growth and Carbon Monoxide will also be pumped into your house if you have a gas dryer. Asthma and allergy sufferers should pay special attention to the dryer vent pipe.

A proper dryer vent will

• be made of solid metal pipe
• not have more than two 90 degree elbows
• not be more than 12 feet long (check local building codes at your city building inspection department)
• use metal tape to seal and secure all joints

All the supplies and tools can be bought at the local hardware store. Aluminum pipe is much easier to work with. It comes flat for cutting and then is rolled so one edge can be inserted into the other crimped edge. Pre-made elbows are used. The pipe and elbows both have one end crimped so you can fit the smaller crimped end into the larger non-crimped end.

The metal tape has a backing that peels off and sticks to the pipe holding it securely. You will need to buy tin snips or aviation side-cutters (this type looks like it has a 45 degree bend and will keep your hands above the material) and a crimping tool to reduce the diameter of cut edges. Remember to fit the small end of the pipe into the large end so the edges do not block air flow and catch lint inside the pipe!

I once saw a condominium with a vent pipe that was over 30 feet in length. You may have to move the dryer across the basement near an outside wall which would mean the gas and electric supplies will have to be altered by a licensed contractor. Homes with first or second floor laundries may need special attention. And never exhaust the dryer into a garage or attic!

Frank Kalinski is a licensed builder in the State of Michigan and has run a gutter repair service for five years. Now doing home residential rental inspection for property owners he has seen many homes and how people live in them. He sees many products and designs years after construction; some things work well and some not. Simple, basic, tried and true generally last the longest and are most economical. Please visit my new web site at http://frg-s.com/

Painting and Decorating Your Home

Growing up, I had a good friend named Reggie who lived in a house that was always clean, always well decorated. Due to this fact, painting and decorating has always come easy for me.

His mom liked to do a quick re-paint of their whole house every spring. She and Reggie (his dad died when he was young) would take a whole week to give everything a fresh coat of paint. His mom was a very clean women. She was raised on a farm and I guess people back then farm kids were raised well.

Because my best friend and his mom would take a few days to go throughout the house painting, no doubt this made an impression on me. I would come into the kitchen or go through their house and everything was nice and new. A nice lifestyle. Something painting decorating is all about - it adds flavor to our lives.

As I got older and found a wife, I moved into one of my grandfathers apartments. I noticed that he was a good painter also. He painted white ceilings with pastel color walls and the woodwork trim was enameled white also. So from these two experiences alone I learned how to be a good painter decorator.

Basically if I was to do a custom interior paint job, I would get custom color charts from the paint store. Paint stores have historical custom color charts with three-color schemes. This helps to take the guesswork out of matching and choosing colors as well as planning out a color scheme for each room.

From there all you have to do is pick your curtains, bedspreads, carpeting, rugs etc. and match them to your new paint job. That's basically all there is to doing interior decorating as far as I see it. Then comes the talent. Some people have a knack for putting colors together that it looks really good.

If you just moved into a new house and there is existing carpeting that you don't want to change, tile floors, stained woodwork or painted woodwork that you plan on keeping the same, you simply have to match up new colors to those existing items.

I painted for an interior decorator off and on for a few years until they moved to another city. I painted most of her house inside and some of the outside. She had a real knack for pictures, wallpaper and furniture. She also had the money to do it all.

Painting decorating the outside of your home can be mentioned here also. There are exterior custom color charts that show three-color patterns or scenarios, even historical colors.

It can get rather pricey to live life at its best when it comes to painting and decorating your home. If you do a little bit at a time it can be a fun hobby. One thing that I highly recommend as a painter decorator is to use quality paints and wall coverings. Never skimp on these things. After all, why waste your precious time and resources on inferior materials? Especially if you have to live with it.

I like to see people put different colors in every room so that every room that you enter is a treat to the eyes and the emotions. I like to see colors that gradually flow from one room to the next gracefully. It's the little things like that that create the nicer lifestyle. There is power in color. Colors effect our moods.

Some people that I have painted for will put the same drab color in every room throughout the house as if they got a special deal on the paint or something. And some people never paint any rooms until they move out. They never get to enjoy the paint job.

Now I'm not all that good at choosing colors. I remember a friend in school that had some of those doodle art pens and was coloring a psychedelic VW Beetle. All his colors he chose were amazing. They all went together so well and they were bright.

As long as I use a custom color matching chart from the paint store I can do a pretty good job when painting and decorating houses. Nonetheless some people have real knack for making awesome colors flow.

Lee Cusano has owned his own successful painting decorating business since 1991. He has also helped many others to start their own painting business with his "Paint Like a Pro Estimating and Advertising CD-ROM". Lee also offers a new free report titled "How To Quit Your Day Job This Week and Double or Triple Your Income". To get it please go to http://www.painting-business.com

Remodeling Green Takes the Right Mindset

To a real estate investor remodeling green may mean the money they are going to make from renovating that ugly house they just bought for a SUCH A DEAL price. To others, it means they want to preserve the earth and not waste energy, building materials or resources when they remodel their home. Some homeowners and contractors look for and use only products that are advertised as being green, or being manufactured in a way that is as non-toxic as possible. They may put in new appliances and HVAC units that are energy efficient. And build new properties with an eye to energy efficiency in the construction methods applied. That's all good.

Another way to remodel green is to think about what may be thrown in landfills when it could be used again. Some demolitions are done too quickly and roughly to save much of anything. Taking some time there can keep hundreds of pounds of good building materials out of the waste stream. I once had someone tease me on a job site because I was taking some time to remove a few nails from lumber. I had found some 14 foot long hardwood 2x6s with no knotholes and two or three nails in each of them. Hey, I'll spend 15 minutes any day to save $100 worth of wood from being dumped. I doubt you could get lumber that good anymore in most places without paying a stiff premium price. Bring me a truckload, please. You woodworkers know what I'm talking about. Yes, there IS wood pretty enough to admire and remember. Think about each component that you are removing, or working on, during a renovation and decide on a way to remove it with the least damage. Someone may want it if you don't. Haste DOES make waste!

One of the tricks I've done is to keep the area of a countertop that has to be cutout for sinks, etc. I install legs using common items I may have recycled from somewhere else and add those little caster wheels that can be bought cheaply in most large home improvement stores. The ones with locking mechanisms are nice. All you have to worry about is smoothing the cut edges and installing edging or simply routing the edge into a nice shape. You can have a matching rolling portable countertop space without spending much time or money. Oh yeah, don't forget to see if someone can use the old countertop and sink for a garage parts washing basin, garden potting center or maybe a fish cleaning station for the outdoors folks.

If you cruise the tool aisles, I'm sure you know about the great numbers of handy dandy gadgety items for sale. Nail sets are nice, but if you don't have one, try using a nail with a slightly larger head than the one you are driving. A tap or two with the nails head to head and your nail is set. Ever seen one of those plastic nail holders that keeps you from banging your fingers and waking the neighborhood cats with your wailing? Try a small piece of cardboard instead. A little notch and your fingers can be protected. Or the plastic spreaders sold to apply many materials. You can use the plastic lids found on many food containers in the grocery store. You can cut a round lid in half and have a nifty spreader of a custom size. Or the plastic pans sold to hold a small amount of the liquid materials for outrageous prices. Try one of those plastic tops they use on bakery cakes, or the microwave convenience food plastic bowls instead . Instead of buying a sanding block, why not try using a small scrap piece of wood from your projects? Egg cartons can be used to organize small items. It's my mission not to let any plastic have only one use in my household. Only problem is, if it is a while before you need them, these saved treasures may change your nickname to pack rat, but multiple use recycling is remodeling green so who cares? You get the idea. Go for it!

For more interesting information and resources visit us at: http://www.mynetmagic.com

Caveat Scriptor: Use the Advice of Those Who Know Before You Build a Site

~A man [woman] is a success if he [she] gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he [she] does what he [she] wants to do. Bob Dylan~

Im smart. Wicked smart. Too smart for my own good. At the same time (as they said when I was as kid and as it still applies), Im too big for my own britches.

So I put those prissy pantalones to some good effort and I teach others how to write. I win a few awards, send a few hopefuls off to higher learning institutions where they in turn win their own awards and accolades. I do this till my seat gets burned one too many times by the politics of academia, and I go into freelance writing.

I research for 1000s of hours, submit to literary contests and magazines, start working writing gigs, and keep researching. I build a web site. With what it costs to maintain an ISP and web hosting account and little else, I create this ambitious masterpiece, believing I am now a self-taught web host, writer, teacher, and confidant for academic writers, mental disability writers, and elder memoir writers.

But as your confidant, I have to confess: as much as Id like to think those 300 hours of study and application for usability, keyword-rich, to-the-letter-of-the-law of interstate/inter-country/internet navigation design and creation make me a self-taught smartass, I did little but the legwork by myself. Actually, five virtuosos of the web world made making a website possible:

Jakob Nielsen After creating a really bad mess of a site overloaded with spinning, flashing, color blobs of coolness, I discovered www.useit.com/alertbox and Dr. Jakob Nielsen. His stellar advice, delivered in a no-nonsense tone, is backed by his many years of theoretical and practical work. After reading and studying articles such as the following, I completely reconstructed my site:

Current Issues in Web Usability

Misconceptions about Usability

Ten Most Violated Homepage design Guidelines

Top Ten Web Design Mistakes of 2003

Usability for Senior Citizens

Writing for the Web

Ed Zivkovic As I was catching on to using the experts to build a user-friendly, usable site, I was catching on to the language that indicates the writer knows what hes talking about. This is the redeeming value of Ed Zivkovics site, Tips for Work at Home Webmasters, at www.ezau.com. He uses candor and directness. He provides technical content in understandable terms. And defying the popular and trendy, he tells you directly and honestly what is crap, what is not crap, what is effective website technique and what is a waste of dough. Try some of these instrumental articles for starters:

Domain Name and Web Hosting Hell

Exit Traffic Exchange-Traffic multiplier Alternative

R.I.G.H.T.S., www.rightsforartists.com As any artist/writer will attest, the work that goes into creation is an interminable challenge. But we do it because we like it, because we are good at it, and because we have to do it. We are compelled to create. But we do our own work, not the work (or art) of others. This site contains all of the legal and ethical guidelines for copyright; R.I.G.H.T.S., a coalition of contributing artists (rather than a corporation or organization, that is) thoroughly, relentlessly provides information, definitions, answers, and directions for copyrighting and protecting creative work.

Firelily Designs Just as much about the science of such vital concerns as color design for web users with color vision deficiency as about aesthetics of web design, this site practices what it preachesas it preaches, well, teaches, graphic design. I dont create my own web graphics. That would take me a year or two to master, when I have enough to do with getting words crafted into readable forms. But I found the advice on color at www.firelily.com fascinating and functionally useful.

Angela Hoy, Writers Weekly There are writers newsletters aplenty. And then theres Writers Weekly. What does the site and the owner have to do with web design, specifically? They are proactive protectors of writers and creative people, in general. Hoy stands up for the rights of freelancers by refusing the requests of tightwads who solicit her to recommend writers to work for 3 bucks an hour on copy for them so they can make millions while the writers starve. Hoy encourages the ethics of hard work by way of informative how-tos. And Angela Hoy, with husband and co-owner, Richard Hoy, pours an acid tongue on the plague that is the scamming POD publisher or the conniving money-charging agentin a section of her [their] site called Whispers and Warnings. For the newbie, novice, wannabe freelancer, or even for the work at home woman or man creating a website she or he wants safe from scummy scammers, www.writersweekly.com is an advisory imperative.

Robert Woodhead of Self Promotion.com Finding www.selfpromotion.com shaved centuries off of not only my design and development but my publishing and promoting the site. With uncluttered pages and cutting-edge (constantly updated) information, Woodhead (who even makes self-effacing jokes about his name) walks a web wannabe through every stage of the process, and then provides [shareware] support by helping you submit your site to hundreds of search engines and indexes that you need to have crawl your site for rankingsthe latest (2004) must-have for any online business.

Of course, if you were to look at my Favorite Files, at the 900+ categories, subcategories, and links, you would find that many others pulled my smart ass up by the seat of the pants. I name a few of these helpful gurus here, too:

Andrew Starlings Top Ten Sites Compared, in the Web Developers Virtual Library at www.wdvl.internet.com

Jill Whalens www.highrankings.com

Jim Heath at www.viacorp.com

Keith Instones www.usableweb.com, 970 Links about Web Usability

Kevin Lees Free Keyword research Tools and Keywords revisited at Click Z Network, www.clickz.com

The PSP Interactive Zone, www.pspiz.net

www.smallbusiness.sbc.yahoo.com

Assistant Professor Stan Ketterers Design Fundamentals News Writing/ Newsletter coursework at www.cas.okstate.edu

Stephanie Hetu at www.stephaniehetu.com

Sumantra Roys SEO course, Choosing the Correct Keywords for a Site, at www.thejunglemarketer.com

Karen Zoldan of www.bridgemarketing.com

As you might have figured out, I write this not to share any of my own personal technological truthswhich are wanting. I write this not to embellish the careers of any affiliates. I dont have an affiliation with nor do I know the people in the Top Fivewho do not need my small time embellishment or exposure. I write this not to create an entity I had no previous knowledge of creatingthough how I do like to brag.

I compose this guide to humble myself to the fact that I was flying by the seat of my pants in most casesexcept where I was lucky enough to intuit some strategies (which are still in the making, so dont get an attitude when you visit my site and find it still needs work: I know it does).

I compose this guide to honor those who put in way more than 300 piddly hours of research, study, and practice to find out what works to make it work even better.

And I compose this guide to help you avoid even 300 (not so piddling when you are doing it yourself) hours of stitching and tearing out the stitches of the britches of a tailoring project. Smarty pants just had to do it the hard way. May your way be easier.

N.H.-born prize-winning poet, creative nonfiction writer, memoirist, and award-winning Assoc. Prof. of English, Roxanne is also web content and freelance writer/founder of http://www.roxannewrites.com, a support site for academic, memoir, mental disability, and creative writers who need a nudge, a nod, or just ideasof which Roxanne has 1,000s, so do stop in for a visit, as this sentence cant possibly get any longer.

Property Inspections Are Important

Purchasing a home is quite possibly the biggest physical investment the average person will make in their lifetime. We pay mechanics to examine the insides of our cars, so why not pay an expert to examine the insides of our properties (certainly a far more valuable asset)? The cost is generally in the low hundreds, but could end up saving you thousands. A pre-purchase building inspection could also see the price tag lowered on your dream home.

A property inspection involves a qualified professional thoroughly examining the building for defects and structural problems. Such defects could include water damage as a result of shower leaks or any other leaks, termite damage, timber decay, moisture in sub-floor, poor brickwork, cracks in bricks and walls, roof and footing defects and any other structural problem that may exist. A property inspector can also check for illegal building practices.

All potential home buyers should arrange a building inspection before purchasing property. Of course there are already enough costs associated with buying a house, but it works out a lot cheaper in the long run if you discover a termite infestation or shonky brickwork before signing anything. Building inspections are also useful for settling disputes between neighbors about possible construction work damage, as well as buyer and seller disputes.

Quality property inspection companies will also offer additional services such as pest inspection. A pest inspection may reveal unwanted guests such as cockroaches, mice and wasps nesting in a hidden location. Or worse: termites. Termite damage has the ability to destroy houses before a problem is even realised. Unfortunately they are usually not visible to the naked eye. This is where additional pest inspections can really come in handy.

All good inspection companies will use moisture meters, listening devices, and most importantly, a thermal camera to seek out potential termite infestations. Basically, this camera will detect higher temperatures within the walls of your home, which indicates that termites may be nesting in these areas. Pest inspections will also reveal whether there has been past termite activity in the building.

Some things to check for before buying a house include moisture and mold on walls and ceilings, flaking paintwork, rotting timber and cracks in brickwork and walls. However; arranging a building inspection is the best way to get definitive answers and repair quotes. A good building inspection company will offer a detailed report citing the damage found and estimate repair costs. Images of the defects and expert advice are an added bonus. Make sure that the property inspectors you hire are licensed and have their own indemnity insurance.

This article was provided by Childs Property Inspections: Professional building inspectors who provide a wide range of property inspection reports for Australian homes including Dilapidation Reports Pre-purchase Building Inspections and Termite Inspections.

Wood Beam Repairs - Home Repair Tips

If you live in a moist climate in the winter and a dry climate in the summer and you have exterior wood beams exposed to these elements. You could develop wood beam problems over time. If wood beams are properly maintained and painted often they could last for a long time. Wood beams can last many years if properly taken care of.

Exterior wood beams that are used to hold up roofs, patios and decking can suffer from wood rot if not taken care of. Let's take for example a wooden beam located in a patio holding up a section of a large roof. The span of the roof being is only 10 feet long. As we look at the exterior wood beam. We noticed the upper corner of the beam is soft and rotted.

The beam damage is roughly the size of a baseball. The wood beam itself is a 6 x 10. Do we need to replace this beam even though the damage is not real big. The answer to this question is yes, any amount of damage to a wood beam takes away from its structural strength.

If you have a wood beam holding up the roof and the beam fails you could end up replacing a large section of your roof as well as the damaged beam. Replacing the damaged beam is usually a difficult task. The beam is usually sandwiched between two walls and will have siding or stucco around it.

If you're lucky enough to have the wood beam sitting in a saddle or on top of a wood post this will make your job easier and will require less skill. If however the beam is located between two walls this will require shoring up the roof and removing the beam.

Beam replacement should be left to professionals. This is not often as easy as it looks and could create a safety hazard if not done properly. I have seen beams replaced by homeowners or handyman and the damage that was done after the repairs, was worse than just leaving the beam alone in the first place.

The biggest problem with exterior wood beams is that they are usually holding up large amounts of weight. If the beam is removed without the proper bracing and shoring of the roof or floor area you could have a larger problem than you started with.

Exterior beams over time seemed to develop large cracks or splits in dry weather. These large cracks and splits weaken the structural strength of the beam adding more stress to the beam itself leading to structural failure eventually.

Extreme climates where temperatures very over 40 in one day seem to suffer the most damage to exterior wood beams that are not properly maintained. Beam maintenance will require painting and keeping moisture away from them.

Be aware of structural beams in or around your house. A little painting now and then can save you thousands of dollars over the life time of your house.

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

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

Visit us now for Vista Home Improvement.

Electrical Wire In Living Room

Exterior House Painting Projects - Remodeling Tips

Fixing up your house can be a fun and exciting time, as you decide on a new look for your home. Designing and planning home projects is both complicated and time consuming, but if done right the results are very rewarding for you and your family.

Exterior house painting is one of the quickest and most surefire ways you can change the look of your home. Painting it a different color or just mixing up the color schemes can give your house a fresh new look. Be sure to consult experts, or do your own research, when deciding on color schemes, as certain colors do not mesh well.

It is better to do this research prior to painting, so time and money is not wasted learning the hard way that certain colors clash too hard for your home. Exterior house painting is not Chinese algebra, but doing your homework never hurts.

Contractors' opinions are useful as well, as they have probably been in the business for some time and have experience with color schemes. Consulting a skilled contractor is a good idea before making a final decision on your exterior house painting choices.

Hiring a contractor is wise as well because of the time and headaches you will save while getting a professional job at the same time. Many people take home projects lightly and end up paying the price later, whether it is a monetary price or just the hassle that comes from disappointment in your decision. Taking some time for planning and design will probably help you to avoid these messes.

More information on College Works Painting exterior house painting for your home is just a click away.

What To Do If Your Home Floods

How to Build a Room in Your Garden - Home Tips

Need extra living space but don't want to move? Building a room in the garden is a clever and cost-effective solution. Creating a separate room in the garden gives you a great getaway for work, hobbies, or just some piece and quiet.

'A garden room adds appeal to a house, making it attractive to all types of buyer, and a real draw for families,' says James Redington from Foxtons.

What are my choices?

The simplest cabin or summer house is similar to a shed, with either shiplap walls and cedar roof shingles or a log-cabin construction. These are usually supplied in pre-fabricated panels and, if you're a skilled DIYer, you could put one up yourself. More advanced ones, with sliding glass doors or a deck, for example, will need to be built on site by a specialist. Once the concrete base or piles are in, installation can take from one day to two weeks.

Limitations and security

Avoid positioning the garden room near growing trees, and ensure there's access for maintenance. You'll also need to think about access for delivery, though panels could be carried through the house.

As for securing your garden room, it's best to fit locks on doors and choose toughened glass. Check that the locks comply with your home insurance requirements. It's worth considering external lights, a burglar alarm and Venetian blinds to prevent anyone seeing in.

Can I use it all year round

If you insulate well and fit double-glazed windows, you'll be fine for the colder months. An electrician can run a cable from your house to the room to power lights and heating. In some cases, downlighters, sockets and wiring may be pre-installed in the panel walls.

How to use your garden room

Plan your room to ensure it's fit for purpose.

Home office Companies such as Henley will kit out your office with fitted furniture.

Gym Equipment can be bulky, so you'll need a large room. It's also an investment, so ensure your security is up to scratch.

Games room

You'll need plenty of space to play table games - L247cm x W153cm for a table tennis table, for example.

Music room

Use a company that specialises in sound-proofing.

What permission do I need and how much will it cost?

If your building is away from the house, takes up less than 50% of the garden and is smaller than 15sq m, or in some cases 30sq m, you're unlikely to need planning permission or Building Regulations Approval. However, there are exceptions - such as if you intend to use the room for sleeping - so check online at planningportal.gov.uk, and consult your local council's planning department.

Prices start from 439 for a Buckingham summerhouse (H213cm x W198cm x D205cm) from B&Q to around 22,600 for a bespoke design from Inside Out.

You can find more information on interior design ideas at house to home, helping you create a look you'll love.

Sump Pump Damage

Developing Wealth Building Habits

If you want to be successful, you need mentors or in other words find people that have succeeded. These people can include the ultra rich like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, but don't forget about the people around you that have created good wealth building habits.

Some of the people have great advice and will need to be listened to very intently, while others need to be put on a list and never spoken to again. If you're going to be developing wealth building habits, you're going to need some advice from wealthy people. Let me make myself clear, when I'm talking about developing wealth building habits, I'm not talking about spiritual, knowledge, Biblical or religious wealth. I'm talking about making money, as much money as you desire or feel you need.

Wealth building habits start with you. Ask yourself this question "how bad do I want or desire wealth?" Really, really, really bad or are you the kind of person that would like to be rich, but that's as far as it goes. Developing any of these habits does not include sleeping in until 11 o'clock in the morning and then complaining the rest of the day about your finances.

Bill Gates used to work 16 hours a day. How many days a week did he do that? These are the questions you're going to find the answers to. If you're interested in making $50 million, you need to find someone who can teach you, how to make $50 million.

It won't be necessary to contact Warren Buffett but I would advise you to gather as much information about him as possible. Wealth building habits start with learning about wealthy people. If they get up at four o'clock in the morning and read the newspaper until six o'clock, then exercise for 30 minutes and start working at seven o'clock, you need to start doing this also. Developing good wealth building habits over time are what most successful businessman and women have been doing for years. Study their habits and start changing yours.

If you do something every day, it will usually become a habit within 30 days.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a self help video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Moisture On Vapor Barrier

Post Your Ideas Here On Home Remodeling

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

Door Fill In With Damage

Hiring a Contractor For Bathroom Remodeling - Remodeling Contractors

Well here's the age old question, how do we go about finding a decent bathroom remodeling contractor.

Here's some things you will be looking for in a contractor.

1. Is Your Contractor Fair and Honest?

2. Does Your Contractor Have Experience Remodeling and Designing Bathrooms?

3. Can You Actually Find a Contractor Who Will Complete the Job in a Timely Manner?

4. Do You Think the Workers Will Be Able to Clean the Job up Daily?

5. Will the Contractor Show up on Time?

6. Is the Contractor Going to Work At Least Eight Hours a Day?

7. Does the Contractor's Crew Have Experience?

8. Is Your Contractor and His Crew Courteous?

If you find a contractor for your bathroom remodeling project that has answered yes to all questions above, hire that person immediately. Most contractors can sincerely answer yes to half of the questions above. If you're looking for the ultimate bathroom remodeling contractor, you could be searching for quite a while, you're looking for some one that is competent and you feel comfortable with.

When hiring a contractor, look for someone who has your interest in mind first and not theirs. Find someone who is willing to help with the designed process of your bathroom and the remodeling. If you find a contractor to be arrogant or controlling, there is a good chance, your bathroom might not turn out the way you envision it.

When hiring a contractor for your bathroom remodeling project or any home improvement project, the most important thing to keep in mind is, whether or not you feel comfortable with this person or not. Never hire a contractor you're not comfortable with.

If a contractor is referred to you by someone you trust, this does not guarantee you will be happy with the bathroom remodel. Most referrals that I have gotten over the years are like rolling the dice, I believe I would have done just as good picking a name out of a hat.

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

Start Liking Yourself First

Painting Hardwood Floors the Easy Way

Painting a hardwood floor can cover up any marks if the floor is damaged and make it last longer. It can also end up looking better than a laminated floor or tiled floor. Using a thick, brightly colored paint is a good idea, one that will cover the original grain in the wood. You need to use a lot of urethane at least three coats. This increases the durability of the floor and makes it shiny. The paint itself is not resilient to a lot of foot traffic but the wood beneath it is. If you do not use urethane or you do not use enough, the floor can lose its luster and look dull and neglected. The urethane also protects the hardwood floor from contaminants such as water and dust.

If you are going to paint your hardwood floor, the first thing to do is to make sure it is clean and dry. Make sure there are no hairs, dust or other particles on it. Sweep or wash the floor well. If there are seams, dents or large holes in the floor, you might need to fill these with plastic wood type fillers before starting any painting. You can get plastic wood type fillers in hardware stores or home renovation shops. If you mix them with water, the result is a hard, heavy surface.

The next thing to do is to prime the floor before painting it. The function of these sealers is partly to hide the wood grain that might show through the paint. If there is already urethane or a varnish finish on the wood, you should sand it well before applying primer. If you get stuck, you can ask for help in the hardware store or get a list of all the compatible primers which would work with specific coat paint products. A lot of manufacturers have these lists available already in the stores so you can check what is compatible with what before making a purchase.

For floor painting, oil paints seem to work best usually because the oil resins adhere well to the hardwood. With water-based paints, this is not always the case. Oil paints also harden and dry quicker so your floor can be ready sooner. When the paint is dry, you can add patterns or designs in the form of stencils or something from your imagination. You can make the floor look exactly as you want.

Rob Buenaventura has worked in the home improvement industry for several years. Learn more about hardwood floor refinishing, cleaning hardwood floors and other home remodeling ideas at HomeImprovementTouch.com

Skylight Framing With Light

Hiring a Contractor For Bathroom Remodeling - Remodeling Contractors

Well here's the age old question, how do we go about finding a decent bathroom remodeling contractor.

Here's some things you will be looking for in a contractor.

1. Is Your Contractor Fair and Honest?

2. Does Your Contractor Have Experience Remodeling and Designing Bathrooms?

3. Can You Actually Find a Contractor Who Will Complete the Job in a Timely Manner?

4. Do You Think the Workers Will Be Able to Clean the Job up Daily?

5. Will the Contractor Show up on Time?

6. Is the Contractor Going to Work At Least Eight Hours a Day?

7. Does the Contractor's Crew Have Experience?

8. Is Your Contractor and His Crew Courteous?

If you find a contractor for your bathroom remodeling project that has answered yes to all questions above, hire that person immediately. Most contractors can sincerely answer yes to half of the questions above. If you're looking for the ultimate bathroom remodeling contractor, you could be searching for quite a while, you're looking for some one that is competent and you feel comfortable with.

When hiring a contractor, look for someone who has your interest in mind first and not theirs. Find someone who is willing to help with the designed process of your bathroom and the remodeling. If you find a contractor to be arrogant or controlling, there is a good chance, your bathroom might not turn out the way you envision it.

When hiring a contractor for your bathroom remodeling project or any home improvement project, the most important thing to keep in mind is, whether or not you feel comfortable with this person or not. Never hire a contractor you're not comfortable with.

If a contractor is referred to you by someone you trust, this does not guarantee you will be happy with the bathroom remodel. Most referrals that I have gotten over the years are like rolling the dice, I believe I would have done just as good picking a name out of a hat.

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

Stop Feeling Guilty Part 1

Bathtub Repair is One Thing You Can Do by Yourself

Expenses should be weighed very carefully. Every expense should be categorized into a want or a need. This is to manage the household budget more efficiently and to have money when rainy days come. We can never tell when we need to fix something in the house. We never can tell whenever a need, a big need, comes along. Repairs in the house almost always is a big expense and is always categorized as a need.

However, there are ways by which you can cut down on house repairs expenses by doing it yourself. It does not necessarily mean when your bathtub is broken, you will replace it immediately. Maybe you can do a little bathtub repair. Fix it up a little and save yourself some money.

Bathtubs get a lot of abuse over the years. You will see a little discoloration here and there. You will notice a little crack. The faucet may need to be replaced. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with your bathtub. You can always do it yourself but in order to make your bathtub look as new, you might need to hire a professional. Look at it this way, you have already saved yourself a lot of money by not replacing your bathtub. So maybe you can spend a little more by hiring a professional. So your bathtub will look good as new.

However, it will ultimately depend on the house repair budget. If you need your bathtub to be fixed right away and you do not have the budget for it and the repair is minimal anyways, why don't you do it yourself? In this way, you can still use your bathtub. After a couple of months, when you already have the money,why don't you reevaluate if you still want to hire a professional to redo your bathtub.

It is all about re-evaluating a little and choosing the cheaper option to save some money for the rainy days.

Cheryl Forbes owns and operates the website http://www.bathtubspecialist.info

Plant Covering Window

Easy Tips For Epoxy Floor Repair

If you think it's hard to repair epoxy floors, think again. This may seem to be quite a task to some homeowners. But then, if you have the makings of a handyman, things like these can be easy as pie. It's not hard to follow the steps of epoxy floor repair. In fact, anybody can actually do it if they try.

Buy epoxy floor repair kits from the hardware or anywhere else that sells home improvement tools and products. You will be given a complete package and it would contain everything that you need to repair your epoxy floor.

There would be epoxy patches included, and they would be the ones you have to put on the damaged areas. These kits work with almost all types of concrete floor, regardless of the use and traffic it gets.

Epoxy paints used on floors are quite easy to repair. This is one reason why a lot of people prefer to use this floor covering option. While the initial application of epoxy paint may take too much of your time, repairing it would take just a few minutes.

If you use paint on the floor, you don't have to break the tiles or concrete just to repair it. This may happen with tiles but never with paints. The process of repair is so easy you can do it yourself. You surely don't need a handy man to mix solvents together and apply the paint on the affected areas.

Just follow the instructions on the label and you should be all set. Buy repair kits from trusted sources and go for the ones that are odor-free for ease of application. Another good thing about it is that these repair kits dries out easily.

As such, your garage won't experience downtime, to say the least. Apply the repair putty tonight and everything should be fine tomorrow.

If you want more expert advice on garage flooring and other garage floor covering options, then be sure to check out epoxy floor repair info.

Old Electrical Wiring

PS3 Repair - Learn to Fix PS3 Problems Yourself

Many people around the world have made life easier for themselves by using well written PS3 repair instructions to learn how to fix their own PS3 consoles. Alot of people are unaware that most PS3 errors and problems that occur can in fact be repaired by yourself at no cost! Unfortunately most PS3 gamers panic and take their console back to shop or if they did not pay for a warranty sent it to a technician only to pay hundreds of dollars to get it looked at and fixed.

However, the good news is there are lots of information available on the internet that can walk you through the process on how to fix any PS3 problem or troubleshoot that you might come across. Certain PS3 support sites can show you step by step with detailed diagrams,videos, and pictures how to tackle any problem that you might think is beyond you.

You can fix problems like:

-How to clean the Blu-Ray lens in your PS3

-Fix the Blinking PlayStation 3 problem

-fix the PS3 Bluetooth controller issue

-Freezing games - and Movies

-No - Display

-Other common video issues

The list above are only some of the issues that can occur, but with a good easy to follow instructions you can have your PS3 running in no time and not spend a dime while doing it!

Don't be afraid to repair your own PS3 , with a well written instruction manual any person young and old can learn how to repair a PS3, you don't have to be a certified technician to perform these jobs!

Another bonus to learning how to repair a PS3 is reselling broken PlayStation 3 consoles and making a killing on ebay, or just fixing your friends and PS3 users systems for a fee.

There are some many benefits to fixing your own PS3 console, please visit my site for more information on how to fix your own PS3 -> PS3 repair guide

Wet Insulation Paper

Energy-Star Appliances Can Help You Save Money

Your household appliances are responsible for a large percentage of the energy consumed in your home. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approximates that kitchen appliances account for almost half of the $2,000 that most average families spend on utilities each year. In addition, appliances that are over 10 years old use more energy than their newer counterparts.

The Energy Star classification system was created by the EPA and the US Dept of Energy (DOE). This system identifies home appliances that decrease energy consumption, lower your utility bills and improve the air quality in your home. Energy Star appliances are usually more expensive than traditional models but the savings in daily energy usage will help them pay for themselves in the long term. Some Energy Star appliances can even save you up to half of the energy you use each day.

Understanding Your EnergyGuide Label:

All Energy Star appliances are required to have an EnergyGuide label. This label displays the model number, features, size and capacity of the appliance. In addition, the label estimates the average energy usage and operation costs of the model per year.

Each label also displays a range of energy used per year by similar models so that you can comparison shop and determine if this particular model meets your needs.

Standard Features of Energy Star Appliances:

Refrigerators:

Use up to 40% less electricity.

Savings of up to $150 each year.

Dishwasher:

Use 50% less water.

Use over 40% less energy.

Save $90 over the lifetime of your dishwasher.

Clothes Washer:

Use 50% less water.

Reduce drying time by extracting more water in the spin cycle.

Less wear and tear on your clothing.

Use up to 40% less electricity.

Savings of up to $110 each year.

Dehumidifier:

Use between 10 - 20% less electricity.

Savings of approximately $30 each year.

Household Air Conditioner:

Use 10% less energy.

Save approximately $250 over the lifetime of your air conditioner.

Investing in Energy Star appliances will help you save on monthly utility costs and reduce emissions in your home and the environment. It's an easy way to save yourself some money plus do your part for the environment.

Gwen McIntyre is a Marketing Manager for PartSelect.com. PartSelect.com is a provider of appliance repair parts to help repair your home appliances. Partselect has a full selection of appliance parts for all major appliance manufacturers.

Building a Deck Steps & Stringers Video

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

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

Stair Building Help

Elegant Limestone Tiles
Kitchen And Bathroom Marble Tile

Difficulties with Building Contractors - Building Contractors

Sometimes as contractors we get in a hurry and we just want to finish the job. We told the homeowner we would be done in three months, at the same time the homeowner keeps adding new work to the list.

I ran into a problem like this on one job where the contractor was in a hurry to finish the flooring and chose to go right over the existing floor that was out of level. He told the homeowner he didn't have time to repair that section of the floor. He was installing half-inch plywood over 1 x 6 diagonal floor sheeting to strengthen up the floor.

This floor was going to require quite a bit of attention from the contractor and his crew. The homeowner should have hired another contractor to repair the floor while the original contractor finished the house remodel. When your contractor gives you that much grief about any work, you need to start thinking about hiring another contractor or at least finding one to complete the task your original contractor has no interest in.

I felt sorry for the homeowner because this was not what he wanted and he was upset with the contractor but the job was done. This is my warning to any contractor, handyman or home repair specialists. When installing a new plywood floor over an existing floor to strengthen it up, use some common sense and repair the floor correctly or don't do the job at all.

I wrote this article for contractors to have a little more sympathy for the homeowners you are working for because sometimes they can't see the whole picture like you can. I also wrote this article for homeowners to listen to your contractor carefully when he is explaining a potential problem that you can't visualize further down the road. Any contractor with over 15 years experience remodeling homes has a pretty good idea what's going to happen next.

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

Drywall Ceilings Water Damage