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How to Do Home Window Installation



How to Do Home Window Installation 

Replacing and installing windows can seem like a daunting and expensive task, but it can actually be incredibly simple to do yourself. When you do your own home window installation, you’ll be greatly cutting down on the costs since most of the cost of having windows installed is the labor. If you have a basic toolbox, you can easily replace windows, or install brand new windows if you can cut out a rough opening.

If you want to replace your windows, the easiest way to go about it would be to get the model of the windows you currently have installed. If you can, also be write down the measurements of the window and get them to be as accurate as possible. Any home window installation place or home improvement store will have information about your window and can help you find another window that will fit in the same space. If for any reason they don’t have your window model in their registry, the measurements you took will be able to help them find the right window for you. To install brand new windows, you might find it easier to buy the window you are interested in first and then measure out what you are cutting based on the measurements of the window.


Read Also : Closing Down a House for the Winter

Either way, you’ll need moisture seal to place around the edges of where you will be mounting the new window. Make sure the seal goes all the way around the edges and goes right up against the inside edge near the opening. You’ll then want to install shims at the base of where the window will go. They must be level and cut to be even with the opening. If there are already shims in place, you should examine how they look before removing them so you know what yours should look like. Even if there are already window seals and shims in place, you will want to replace them with new ones each time you do a home window installation.

Once you’ve got your foundations laid out, it’s time to put in the window. Place the window in the certain of the opening. Make sure it is as even as possible on all sides and use a nail in one corner of the trim to help keep it in place. When you have the nail in, you can take the time to see if the window is level. Your home window installation should be as accurate as possible so you don’t need to redo it later on.

When the window is level, you can continue nailing the trim. You will want to use caulk around the edges to fill in any holes or cracks that might be left between the siding and the window. Every window is slightly different and there may be special instructions for your window and how to properly caulk it. After the caulk is dry, go back through one more time to ensure that there is no air getting through the window when it is closed. If there isn’t you can remove any protective coverings your window might have had because you have successfully installed your window.

Read Also : The Basics of Drilling How To Operate The Drill


The Basics of Drilling How To Operate The Drill

The Basics of Drilling How To Operate The Drill

The Basics of Drilling How To Operate The Drill 

Hold the drill properly! If you want to drill a much straighter hole and to avoid breaking your drill bits, you need to hold the drill in such a way that the force you are exerting is going to help you push the bit directly straight into the wall. You should be placing the palm of your hand so that it is line with the drill chuck and you should be extending your index finger so that it is along the length of the body of the drill. You should pull the trigger using your second finger rather than your first.

Keep the drill level! You will find that newer power drills often come equipped with between one and two levels built in, in order to help you drill holes that are straight and perpendicular. To upgrade a drill that is older, simply cut the hooks off of a mason's line level and then attach it right to the top of your older drill using common every day duct tape.

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Hole Starters: In order for you to keep the bit from skating all over the place when you are starting a hole in most types of materials including wood, you can draw your cross marks where you are planning on drilling. Now use a center punch to create a dimple right where the cross marks intersect. Now you can use a star drill if you are dealing with masonry building or any other drill to suit your needs. If you are working with ceramic tile on the other hand then what you are going to want to do is to use a carbide masonry drill bit to scratch an x where you want the drill to create a hole.

How deep to go? When you are drilling to a specific precise depth, you should be marking the depth on the actual Drill Bits">drill bit using a small piece of masking tape. You can cut the piece long and then stick the overlapping ends to one another in order to create a little flag. When you have reached the right depth with your drill, the flag will automatically brush the debris away for you, serving two purposes at once.

Choosing the right sized bit. If you need to drill a clearance hole to suit a bolt or a screw, but you do not have a drill gauge at hand, what do you do? You can use the fastener itself along with the chuck of the drill in order to gauge the right diameter for the bit that you need. Chuck the fastener just lightly into the drill that you will be using, and then remove the fastener without making any adjustments to the chuck's setting. You can dry shanks of different bits until you find the bit that fits in snugly and securely.

Read Also : Closing Down a House for the Winter

Closing Down a House for the Winter

Closing Down a House for the Winter


Whether you have a vacation home that will not be in use for the winter, or you will be gone from your home for an extended period of time this season, it is a good idea to properly close up your home for the winter. This is not difficult and the steps you take here can save you thousands of dollars by preventing burst pipes, water damage and other damage. Here is a quick checklist to help you get prepared.

1. Drain the water heater and the pipes.
This is something that many homeowners forget, but it is the most important step to take and should be done before anything else. If you don’t get rid of excess water in your pipes, plumbing and water heater, there is a chance that they could freeze. Since you won’t be at the home, you may never know what happened until it is too late. If you are not used to flushing your home’s plumbing system, you can easily hire a plumber to help with this job. Once everything has been flushed, double check to make sure that the main water line to the house has been shut off.

Some people recommend adding antifreeze to toilet water, but this is a hazard, particularly if you have pets and small children. It is best simply to flush the house system and close down the water line for the winter.


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2. Seal all the windows.
In order to keep the temperature at a constant level, it’s a good idea to seal up and winterize all of your windows and doors. This can save you money on heating an extra home throughout the winter and will help keep the interior less dusty. You can purchase window and door sealing kits at your local hardware store and do this on your own.

3. Set your furnace to the desired level.
If you don’t mind heating the house all winter long, or if you haven’t completely flushed the house water system, you will need to make sure that you leave the heat on. Most people prefer to set the heat at about 50 to 60 degrees to keep it above freezing. This should reduce the cost for heating the house throughout the winter. If you prefer to just turn everything off, double check and make sure that no water is left in the pipes before you do.

Turn off the electricity.
If you will not be using the heating system, you can simply turn off the electricity for this portion of the year. Many people feel more comfortable doing this, since they won’t have to worry about electrical fires if something happens when they are not at the house. Talk with your power company about shutting down for the winter. If you have propane or natural gas lines in the home, you should also have those shut down for the winter.

These easy steps will help you make sure that your house is safe and sound for the winter and will be ready for you next spring.

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The Basics of Drilling: Buying A Drill


The Basics of Drilling: Buying A Drill

DIY Home Repair. A good basic style electric drill is going to have a 3/8 inch chuck and VSR or variable speed reversing capabilities. Such a drill should be able to accept bits that have shanks up to the 3/8 inch point, and it should also allow you to control how fast you are going to drill things with. You should be buying the best and the most powerful model that you can reasonably afford at the time of purchase. Make sure that the drill you choose is capable of fitting comfortable within your hand. Another handy feature that you may want to consider is a drill that has a level built in.

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Cordless drills tend to be extremely convenient, but they also tend to be slower in nature and less powerful in comparison to the types of drills that plug into the wall. Additionally, cordless drills are going to require recharging which can take as little as fifteen minutes or as many as several hours. As a result, the best thing that you can do is have a plug in drill as well as a cordless drill so that you have the right drill to meet different purposes. This way, when you need portability, the cordless drill will steer you in the right direction, but when you need power or speed, the plug in drill will give you what you need.

There are three different categories that cordless drills are available in, which are light drills, screw drivers and full sized drills or drivers. Screwdriver drills live up to their name, but they do not do much more than that unfortunately. Then you have light drills, and they tend to be more powerful and more capable of being handled overhead, but unfortunately a charge is only going to power approximately 10 to 15 minutes worth of drilling time, and most light drills have slow recharges as well. The full sized drills and drivers on the other hand are going to offer more features in comparison to the light drills, including typically the presence of a detachable battery, and they also tend to be powerful enough that they can handle most of the drilling jobs that you would need to contend with. They are also excellent at driving screws, as well. If you want to buy a second battery pack, then having a full sized drill / driver cordless drill is going to be even more useful since you will be able to charge one of your battery packs while you are putting the other one to good use, and that means that you can drill as long as you need to or whenever you need to without worrying about the integrity of the battery.

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6 Inexpensive Ideas for Living Rooms


Many ideas for living rooms involve changing the walls from paint to a textured look to wallpaper, or remodeling a fireplace. Most of the remodeling options for living rooms are large and expensive, like new flooring, windows or even new wall framing. But there are several things you can do in your living room to give it a new, updated look without spending very much money. Here are 7 ideas for living rooms that are inexpensive or free, that can give the room a remodeled look.

Furniture Arrangement
Moving the furniture to create a conversation grouping, especially if you've had furniture lining the walls, will make a big difference. Get the furniture away from the walls and set it on the diagonal in a group. One of the most simple and free ideas for living rooms involves just turning everything around to face the opposite direction. This will instantly change the look of the room, and might make you see some things you didn't before.

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Add Mirrors
Mirrors are a decorator's trick to make a room look much bigger than it is. If you've got a spot of blank wall, hang a pretty mirror. Even a small space can made to look roomier. The mirror doesn't have to be huge and hanging over a mantel. The smallest spot of wall can benefit from a mirror. One of the best ideas for living rooms is to arrange a mirror where it reflects the outdoors through a window, the room will feel even more open.

Paint One Wall
If your walls are off-white or any neutral color, pick one wall and go wild. This is one of the most popular ideas for living rooms today. A contrasting color, particularly a bright one, will give the whole room a fresh, new look. Don't leave the wall bare, or it will look like an anomaly. Hang mirrors, artwork or photographs.

Change Your Curtains
If you have dark curtains up, go with light sheers. Go from light sheers to a colorful pattern or a floral. This one change can make a huge difference because it changes the quality of light in a room and makes the windows disappear a little or stand out.

Use Slipcovers
A new couch is expensive. But you can get a "new" couch by using a slipcover for a fraction of the cost. The more different the slipcover is from your actual couch, obviously the bigger the difference in the room will be. Slipcover chairs with complimentary colors and patterns for a coordinated look.

Use Throws and Accent Pillows
Throws and accent pillows in contrasting colors will update the look of your couch and chairs. This works best if you have neutral colored furniture. Choosing bright or contrasting colors, even a few different colors, will make your furniture pop out. It's a little more expensive, but choosing artwork that incorporates the colors in your furniture and/or rug will give the room a pulled-together look. These ideas for living rooms are great inexpensive options when you don't have a large remodeling budget.


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How to Lay A Tile Floor

How to Lay A Tile Floor

There is nothing quite like a tile floor. They look nice, they're pretty easy to maintain and they are reasonably easy to install. You need only a basic amount of do it yourself experience to lay your own floor and it can give you a great feeling of accomplishment when you're done. You will need a few tools and materials to get started. They include:
  • caulk
  • floor cement
  • lathe
  • scraper
  • the tiles
  • a wetsaw or tile snipper
  • some gloves
After the essentials above you should also consider a couple of other items.  Knee pads since you will be spending a lot of time kneeling on the floor and since tiles are hard, this can get pretty painful after awhile. DIY is fun and rewarding, but professional design can improve the outcome of your DIY project, for professional help with floor plans, try Donald Gardner

You'll need to decide whether to rip out your old floor or put your tile above it. We recommend completely removing the old floor for the best results. If it is an old tile floor, you'll need to spend some time chipping and chiseling away. For carpet, pull up the carpet and pad, to reveal the subfloor underneath. Sweep up any debris and sand down any rough spots. For floors with linoleum or peel and paste tiles, you'll need to rip all of these up. It's actually more work to remove the old flooring than it is to lay the new one, so don't worry, it gets easier from here.

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Once you've got the floor bare and prepared (ie: sanded, scrubbed and swept) you're ready to start. Remember, you don't want to cement yourself in a corner. Don't get too carried away - just take it one row at a time. By taking your time and laying each tile carefully, you'll be a lot happier with the results. Measure off each row and determine how many tiles you'll be using. This will change since there will be some space in between, so don't cut any tiles to fit just yet.

Mix your cement and spread it on the subfloor for the first row. Take your first tile and carefully place it into the cement. Press down firmly and move to the next tile. You should leave a little room in between each, but no more than ½ an inch. Put this tile down and continue until you reach the end of row. Ideally, it will be a perfect fit, but this rarely happens. Measure off the space and then either cut the tile in the wetsaw or use your snipper. Place this piece in and move to the next row.

Keep going until you have the whole room finished. If you're going around curves or fixtures, you may want to get a template to make cutting the tile easier. Plan this out ahead of time so you don't end up with any surprises. The amount of time it takes for the tile to set will depend on your cement. Make sure that you follow the instructions and leave the floor alone to cure - no activity on it until it is done! Caulk any sides that may come into contact with water, and if necessary, caulk any gaps in between the tiles.


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Add Paint or Wallpaper to your home’s walls?

Add Paint or Wallpaper to your home’s walls?

When it’s time to add a new look to your home’s walls, you usually have two choices – paint or wallpaper. This can be pretty depressing, but the good news is there are a lot of new paints and textures you can try to make your home look much more interesting. There are a few guidelines to remember however, as well as some tips that will make the choice a lot easier. Let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of both.

Wallpaper
With today’s new peel and remove wallpaper, the old days of standing with a steamer and a scraper for days are pretty much over. If you haven’t looked at wallpaper in the past few years, take the time to rediscover it. There are so many new textures and options that wallpaper has become fun again.


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The main problem with wallpaper however is that it tends to look dated. It’s really easy to go with a trendy color or pattern and then end up hating it in just a few years. While it’s easier than ever to remove, it’s still a lot of work that can be avoided with the right selections. Pick colors that you know you’re going to like for a long time and avoid the trendy trap. Go with classical textures and patterns, or stick with a solid that will wear for a lot longer.

When it comes to borders, they are pretty much done, unless you’re working on a child’s room. If you plan to sell your home, borders can really throw a buyer off and they just aren’t current enough to warrant the time and money it takes to install them. If you must have a border, go with one in a very timeless pattern that won’t look dated or chintzy.

Paint
Painting your home’s interior has become a lot easier thanks to better paints, and a whole lot more tools. There are new rollers and sprayers that will get the job done in half the time and produce much more professional results. The newer paints also have a lot less odor and you won’t have to worry about passing out on a ladder thanks to the fumes. Low or No VOC paint (Volatile Organic Compound) has little or no volatile organic compounds. VOC's are known carcinogens and cause most of the paint fume smells.

When it comes to picking paint, go with one that is rated for your type of room. That sounds pretty elementary, but many people make the mistake of choosing the wrong kind of paint. Go with a medium gloss finish for walls, and leave the ultra gloss for the trim. Matte tends to look dull and dirty after awhile, so it really is best to have a medium gloss for most walls.

Accent walls are pretty tired now when it comes to design, so if you’re going to have one, use a paint color that is timeless and avoid the bright and bold colors. Again, if you’re planning on selling your home, it’s best to stick with colors that will not turn off your buyers.

As for texture painting – it’s done, dated and completely over. Don’t waste your time.

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