Burglars prefer to rob a home that is unoccupied, so anything you can do to make your home appear lived in will lessen your chances of being robbed. Install exterior motion lights, always have a car in the driveway, have radios and TVs on timers so that they may occasionally go on even when you're not home, and stop newspaper delivery when you're not around.
Many home owners steer far away from wall coverings for exactly this reason, in fact; while paint is easily covered up, wall paper needs to be stripped before either painting or re-papering the walls in your home.
Ceramic tile is one of the most durable, low maintenance floors you'll ever have. However, just like any well used surface, there are certain things you can do to keep your floor looking its best.
In order to paint a room properly, you should know how to paint a wall properly. Walls should be seen as a single job that you don't stop at until it's completed. A wall where the painting has been stopped and started tend to have a lot of interesting paint lines unless extra work and coats are applied.
They are looking to recoup their losses from subcontractors, insurers and others involved once they have concluded their investigation of how far the damage has spread. So far the builder hasn't found any evidence of the defective drywall in any homes outside of Florida during the same time span. However, 550 million pounds of Chinese drywall was imported into the U.S. from 2004 to 2006, and it is unknown how many homes were victims of the defective product.
A fence extension can keep your dog safely in your yard without you having to increase the height of the fence or resort to chains or shock collars. Fence extensions are not unattractive and many are easily removed and transported to a new fence if the owner needs to move. This is a great solution to the problem of dogs climbing or jumping fences.
Concrete or wood floors, cement walls, structural beams, exposed pipes and ductwork are all typically seen in today's lofts. These features would make a room seem unfinished and ugly in a traditional detached home, but they're seen as quintessential parts of the minimalist design and industrial flavor in a loft property.
A fireplace is usually the focal point of a room, but all too often it is the last area of the house to be updated. Old outdated brick from the 70's with dark mortar joints go a long way to dating your home's decor. Modernizing a fireplace does not have to be a major renovation, and there are plenty of small improvements you can make to bring it up to date.
It's dark and scary. You only go down there when you have to get the Christmas lights out for another year. Yes I'm talking about your basement. Check out this article for some tips on a basement improvement.
Inside your home is another great place for stone veneers. Many people opt for them on their fireplace but they can also be stunning in the bathroom, kitchen, or dining areas to give them that extra special appeal.
Although details may vary slightly from home to home, the average mobile home built up to the mid 80's is constructed with 2 x 4 in. exterior walls and RSI 2.1 (R-12) batt insulation. From the mid 80's to present day: exterior walls are 2 x 6 in. walls with R-20 batt insulation. Ceiling insulation is R-24 to R-34.
If you want to paint your Victorian home to reflect its heyday, you will probably want to use "authentic" Victorian-era colors and combinations. While many Victorian homes today are painted on neutral themes, this may not be the best course for a true Victorian atmosphere. "True" Victorian colors may surprise you, as they are not plain, nor always light.
Rest assured, the new wall coverings available are not the same as in years gone by, though some of the designs have a distinctly retro feel. Papers range from Victorian to geometrical, from vinyls to fabrics, and small repeats to entire murals. And as with all decorating elements, there is a product for every budget range.
Like so many other projects you may take on yourself, installing floor tile seems like it would be inexpensive. Stores advertise prices well under $1.00 a square foot. For a small bathroom, that comes out to less than $50.00, right? Wrong. The cost of the ceramic tile is just the beginning.
This is not so; there are many options out on the market! Look for a tub that is shorter but deeper, allowing you to soak comfortably while still fitting into your smaller space. Most smaller tubs will accommodate the same shower head as traditional tubs. If they are freestanding, they may require more in the way of curtains or panels to shield the walls and floor from water.
Leaks do silent damage to a home. Something as small as a loose trap or clogged drain can go undetected for months; leaking water into your cabinets, between your walls, or under your floors and causing extensive, costly damage. An external leak in an irrigation system can quietly waste more than 100 gallons of water each day.
Castor Bean seeds and the Rosary Pea are extremely dangerous to have around the house if you have pets and small children. It takes just a few seeds to cause death in both animals and humans. The berries on the ornamental Daphne plant are also very toxic—especially to children—and touching the twigs can cause skin irritation.
If you want to give your home a fresh, new look, you could already increase the appeal of your property with the use of various home improvement projects. If you want an extremely rewarding update for your home, you should try building a sunroom in front of your lawn. This area would give you the chance to observe your garden's beauty during your free time. In addition, a sunroom could also increase your time outdoors because it could shelter you from the harsh rays of the sun or even the angry drops of the rain.
Brick Path: Bricks are relatively inexpensive and provide freedom to create a path in a variety of shapes and sizes. Those set in sand are not as stable as bricks with a concrete base, but a bit of movement can be expected in a brick path.
Every so often it may be necessary to repair your driveway to keep it looking its best. Try to catch problems as early as you can to make repairs easier on you and your pocketbook.
When people think of home staging, they naturally think of well-spaced-out groupings of furniture, artwork, and fresh flowers. However, staging isn’t just for the lived-in areas of your home. Your basement and attic, though unused, should be staged so that their potential for a prospective home owner won’t go unnoticed.
If you have been considering replacing a kitchen or bathroom floor, you may have looked into vinyl or linoleum floors and may well have been met with a jumble of contradicting and confusing data on the details of these flooring options.
Your bathroom is one of the rooms where renovations definitely pay off. In light of appliance replacement and repair, paint may be a secondary item, but it is surprising how paint can pull a room together, especially a smaller room like most bathrooms tend to be. Choosing the right paint and color will take you a long way to producing an attractive bathroom that will leave a good impression with potential buyers of your home.
This Mother's Day, give mom a unique gift made especially for her. Instead of picking one of the ready made hanging baskets, buy all the ingredients and create your own basket or container that she can enjoy all summer.
Reclaiming grey water in your home can be as simple as scooping water out of a bathtub when you're done bathing or putting a bucket in the shower to catch extra water while you're washing yourself. It's easy to use this water to irrigate your flower beds with this water, just don't use it on your vegetable garden because of soap residue or microorganisms.
An alternative to the keypad entry system is the RFID or Radiofrequency ID electronic deadbolt. Simply push a button and wave a special card in front of the door to access entry.
Front Entrance: Add grills to your sidelights and transoms. Either paint your front door the same color or get a wood or wood-look door and stain a warm cedar color. Ditch the old screen door and replace it with a Victorian screen door. Re-use centers or salvage yards are great places to find bargains on wood character doors.
It happens to countless homeowners around the end of the year – you make the annual visit to your attic to collect the holiday decorations and what do you find? Spots and blotches covering the bottom of the roof sheathing. Worse yet – it turns out to be attic mold! Learn how to diagnose the common causes of attic mold.
Print This Article
Add To Favorites