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.
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 Old outdated brick from the 70's with dark mortar joints go a long way to dating your home's decor.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.
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.
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.
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.
How much natural and artificial lighting is available in your kitchen? Just having a light stain does not a bright kitchen make. If it's more closed in, rather than open, consider creating a window to take advantage of lighting in adjoining rooms, or add reflected lights from your cabinets.
Other types of built-ins may give the home additional seating like a window seat in a bay window or a banquette which is a built in bench that is added to a windowless nook; either type of seating can be constructed to have an additional storage space underneath.
In 2009, the industry dropped again to $272 billion. However, it is projected that as various economic stimulus plans gain momentum, and people build cash flow, this number will increase to $290.8 billion in 2010, $321.2 billion in 2011 and continue increasing to 2013. The projected 12% increase for 2011 will be the first double digit increase since 2004.
The home is noteworthy because of its incredible construction and attention to detail. Although the house itself is extreme in its security measures, elements of its design can introduce the average homeowner to eco-friendly materials and security measures he or she may not have thought of before.
For an unusual wallpaper alternative, there is a marble faux finish paper that is unique in that you don't hang it in strips. Instead you tear the paper and wet it, then overlap the pieces. This gives the wall no seam lines and makes it a lot easier to hang by yourself. The product claims to cover narrow groove paneling with no filling as well, making it a good option for anyone tired of dark wood walls.
So you’re selling your home. And you’ve had a real estate agent come to your home and say you need to get some things fixed, replaced, or cleaned. And you’re thinking, 'I don’t have the time for this. I need to sell!' But yet, in your heart of hearts, you know the agent made some good suggestions. So what do you do?
In most of the U.S. and parts of Canada, winter vegetables can thrive, given a little thought as to the location and preparation of the garden. Hardy vegetables can thus be produced in the winter and spring with relatively little effort. The winter months are also a good time to grow vegetables with less effort, as weeds are less likely to compete with your vegetables for the soil and are easy to remove.
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