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November 30, 2006
Your Home's History
We've touched on what to expect when living in a historical district but what if you just want to determine the history of your home whether it's 20 or 200 years old. WikiHow provides some steps for you to help determine when your home was built, who built it, and who may have lived there.
Posted by at 1:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usPower Drill Pencil Sharpening
While this may not be the most practical use of your power drill it may be the most fun.
November 29, 2006
Holiday Sales I
Our first round of holiday sales includes 10% off from Snap-On Tools [via] and 30%-60% off Hampton Bay fans and lighting fixtures through Home Depot.
Posted by at 11:27 AM | Permalink | post to del.icio.usNovember 28, 2006
Holiday Plumbing Tips
Many of us entertain guests for Christmas parties or have family spend time in our homes during the holidays. These extra people create more stress on the systems of your home, in particular your plumbing. To avoid plumbing nightmares during your party or your guests stay follow these tips and implement them before anyone arrives.
Plumbing tips to keep your Christmas drain-free [aboutproperty.co.uk]
November 27, 2006
Ceiling Medallion
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. We spent ours in sunny Southern California and finally got a chance to visit our brother's sweet flat in Hollywood. Built in the 20's this historic building began life as a hotel that housed the stars of Hollywood's golden age. It has now been converted into charming apartments that still retain arched entries, wood floors, tile bathrooms, and built-in vanities. There was also crown molding throughout the apartment and he is keen on installing a hanging chandelier in the main room but we suggest adding detail to the ceiling with a ceiling medallion which can adorn the ceiling alone or compliment a chandelier hung from the center. The installation is a fairly simple process but if you aren't comfortable with the wiring then call in a professional.
November 20, 2006
DIY Flatscreen TV
What some homeowners will do for a flatscreen tv.
(more after the jump)
Poor Man's DIY Flat Panel TV [Gizmodo]
Easy Access Attic
Do you wish you could use all of that empty attic space for storage or even build an extra room? This article from the SF Chronicle answers this exact question. The problem with most attics isn't necessarily the space but the access to the attic. Many times the opening into the attic is just a small cutout through the ceiling that's located in a closet or sometimes a hallway. These openings typically require the awkward use of a ladder in a narrow space. Instead re-frame the attic opening and build a proper attic ladder.
Creating easier access to attic [SF Chronicle]
Install Attic Ladder [HGTV]
November 16, 2006
Squeaky Floors
Living with a squeaky floor is an unnecessary annoyance. Whether you've got hardwood or carpet floors there's a simple solution to eliminate the squeak in just a few minutes.
Your squeak is most likely caused by a loosening of the floorboards or subfloor and the sound they make rubbing against the flooring nails.
If you've got hardwood floors first determine the exact location of the squeak and try to locate an adjacent joist below the floorboards by tapping along the floor (this may be difficult if there is a solid subfloor). Then use a product called Counter Snap which comes in a kit that contains special flooring screws that are designed to snap off once fully drilled into the floor leaving the screw countersunk 1/8" below the surface. You can use a colored wax crayon to fill in the gap.
For carpeted floors there's a similar product called Squeeeeek No More. It operates on the same principle as the Counter Snap by driving a screw through the carpet, and securing the subfloor to a joist below. The head of the screw then snaps off leaving the screw countersunk into the floorboard beneath the carpet leaving no exposed screw head.
Posted by at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usNovember 14, 2006
Protect Your Home from Flooding
Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and rain storms, aren't the only way water can enter your home and cause damage. You should also inspect and repair the points of entry that water already has into your home such as your refrigerator, dishwasher, sink, clothes washer, water heater, and air-conditioner. As well as shore up your exterior water run-off system which includes your gutters, downspouts, and windows.
November 13, 2006
Home Depot and Lowes
Gone are the days when Home Depot ruled the roost and was the only option for DIY homeowners. Lowes has been making steady progress in terms of reach and customer satisfaction and a recent study states that shoppers spend more money at Home Depot but enjoy their shopping experience more at Lowes. Home Depot has more than 2,109 stores in the U.S., Mexico and Canada while Lowe's has more than 1,300 U.S. stores, but continues to expand.
Posted by at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usNovember 10, 2006
Dream Garage
Cleaning out the garage is always on the to-do list and maybe if you could get past the garbage cans and boxes you could actually get to that great toolbox of yours. But if you had gleaming garage cabinetry like these from Vault you might be less apt to cover it with junk, actually who are we kidding, your garage would still be a mess but at least it look good [via Shelteriffic]
Posted by at 1:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usNovember 8, 2006
Replace a P-Trap
That u-shaped piece of pipe under your sink is called a p-trap. It's design has two purposes: First, to allow the water from the sink to flow out and keep noxious gas from coming in, and second, to catch items that might go down the drain (wedding rings) before they are swept away. Over time this p-trap can become plugged with hair, dirt, and other debris and the sink will start to drain very slowly.
Draino or liquid plumber can sometimes help dislodge a small blockage but a better option is to use a snake or something called a zip-it. We don't recommend using a plunger as that can push the blockage deeper into your plumbing. When you've exhausted these options you should check out the p-trap. In less than an hour you can remove the trap, clean it, and re-install it. Just follow these steps:
Replacing the P-Trap [KPTV video]
Installing Dual P-Traps [HGTV]
How to Rescue an Item From the Sink [EHow.com]
How to Clear Clogged Drains [Readers Digest]
Replace a P-Trap [DIY Network]
November 6, 2006
Gutter Tongs
In addition to the resources found on our gutter cleaning guide we present this new tool from Brookstone, the Gutter Tong. With it's 12' reach you should be able to clear your gutters without having to get out the ladder but we really only recommend this tool for gutter maintenance throughout the year as a thorough season cleaning will probably require a visual inspection of the gutter and spouts that only a roof or ladder view can provide. [via Uncrate]
Posted by at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usDIY Stained Glass
The Brooklyn Rowhouse have shown that designing and creating your own stained glass is possible. With the help of a beginner stained glass course at Albert Stained Glass, they created the glass for their front door and now have the skills for other stained glass projects. They believe that "Stained glass fabrication is something that almost anyone can learn to do and there are tons of books with tasty stained glass patterns available so it's almost like paint-by-the-numbers. Just take a class to learn the basics and let your imagination loose on your home."
November 3, 2006
DIY Workshops and Clinics
It's likely that you live near a Lowes or Home Depot as both retailers have conspired to takeover the world, sorry Starbucks has beat them to it, but both stores have more to offer than just tools and materials. Lowes offers instore how-to clinics that cover subjects from designing for the holidays to installing tile. There are no prices listed on their website but you can sign-up online. Home Depot also offers weekly clinics as well as online workshops and how-to clinics for kids age 5-12.
We also encourage you to explore your local community center, YMCA, or community college as many of these organizations offer DIY and how-to classes that are reasonably priced or even free.
Posted by at 1:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usNovember 2, 2006
Pulling Carpet
Got carpet to rip out? Make sure you use the right tools and take the proper safety precautions.
