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June 29, 2007
Mice and Rats and Squirrels - Oh My!
Here are some links with helpful tips for preventing pests from entering your home as well as what to do if they've already made a home in your home.
Dealing with Mice, Bats, Deer, and Other Pests [Real Simple]
How to Keep Pests Out of Your House [This Old House]
Controlling Pests: Roaches, Mice, Rats [Children's Environmental Health Centers]
June 28, 2007
Electric Lawn Mowers
Wired Magazine reviews some of the latest electric lawn mowers and their top choice is the Sunlawn. It's manageable weight, easy storage, and simple battery replacement give it the top scores and we also think it wins in the looks category with it's throwback green handles and red blade. But don't forget the push mowers which offer the ultimate "green" solution for tending your lawn.
Posted by at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usPopcorn Ceiling Removal
We agree with Jason who states "Popcorn belongs in a movie theater bucket drenched in butter, not on a ceiling. Cottage Cheese? Well let’s just say it’s something I never want to see in large quantities when I look up."
Popcorn ceilings are widespread in homes built during the 60's and 70's and may contain asbestos which makes their removal a more costly and difficult process. If you no longer want to live under a veil of cottage cheese then these step-by-steps from DoItYourself.com and Jasongraphix should be enough to convince you to remove or keep your textured ceiling.
June 27, 2007
Wood Floor Covering
This wood floor covering from Ruckstuhl is gorgeous but I'm not sure of it's real world applications. Bamboo floor mats are great because they are durable and light but "oiled-oak" doesn't sound too appealing. The polyurethane added may be the special ingredient that makes these floor coverings work.
[via Materialicious]
We also love the coir and sisal floor coverings.
June 26, 2007
Adirondack Chair Plans
Among The New Yankee Workshop Projects we like the most are the classic Adirondack Chairs and Loveseat. For a sustainable touch use reclaimed wood such as old deck plank boards like the chairs above.
June 25, 2007
Cool Down Without AC on Curbly
We're finally on Curbly which according to their founders is a "Web community for people who love where they live and is the best place to share pictures of your home, find design ideas, and get expert home-improvement advice."
We contributed our first post which links to some sites that can help you cool down without the help of air-conditioning, thus saving energy and money.
We've found many great articles with ingenius DIY inspiration. One of our favorites is this DIY Key Rack and Tips for Finding Extra Storage.
Installing Cabinets - Uppers or Lowers First?
Here's a great question posed by the users of the Woodweb forums
Who out there installs uppers first and why? And if you install lowers first, what are your reasons? I always install lowers first and lately the question came up in the shop.
All Types of Ottomans
Finding the right ottoman that is both comfortable and stylish is proving to be difficult. We need it to work with our room but it doesn't have to "match" anything in particular. It must also be very durable as we sometimes use it for a seat. There are many places to look online and here are some of our favorites that are priced right.
All Coffee Tables (free shipping and no tax outside of MA through June 29)
Overstock.com
Crate & Barrel
JC Penney
Target
June 22, 2007
Green Kitchen Remodel
Back on the subject of kitchen remodels, over at Lime.com, Philip Higgs states,
Kitchens are a big energy sink – you’ve got five or six appliances sucking electricity, plus hot water and heavy lighting demands – so remodeling one can chop your energy needs considerably if you do it well.
There is also some enlightening information about bamboo flooring, so follow these steps to creating a "greener" kitchen and you'll save money too.
Posted by at 2:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.us$2,000 IKEA Kitchen
Yes it's possible to completely remodel your kitchen for under $2,000. A graphic designer for IKEA decided to remodel his entire kitchen using only IKEA furniture, fixtures, and appliances. His budget actually came in at $1,400 but he did receive a 15% discount and he knew where to look for the best deals (the clearance table just like Home Depot).
Here are some other folks who make the most out of our favorite Scandinavian retailer.
IKEAHACKER
IKEAFANS
OHIKEA
Positive Fanatics
June 21, 2007
Outdoor Sound Systems
The LA Times has an informative article regarding setting up your outdoor sound system. Not only has the sound quality increased in outdoor speakers and are now on par with their indoor counterparts, they are also completely weatherproof and you can probably find a speaker design that will work seamlessly with your landscaping.
Here are some links to more outdoor speakers.
Bose Free Space 51 Environmental Speakers
Boston Acoustics Voyager Outdoor Speakers
Acoustic Research Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Speaker
Niles RS6 Rock Speaker
Niles PS6Si Planter Speaker
And after the jump are some tips for building your audioscape from Jeff Spurrier
You need not go to a sound garden consultant to bring enjoyable music to the outdoors, but there are some basic rules to follow:
More speakers: "The biggest mistake is not getting enough to cover the area. People underestimate and put one speaker in a 20-foot-by-40-foot area when they should use two or three," says Michael Strange of Boston Acoustics.
Heavier wire: The longer the run from the amplifier to the speaker, the better the wire should be: Monster Cable, 14 gauge or 12 gauge. Lamp cord (16 gauge) is not suitable for outdoor speaker hookups.
Position your speakers low: No higher than 15 to 24 inches above ground if possible. The higher they are off the ground, the more sound dispersion there will be to your neighbors.
Use the garden's hardscape: If you are using a subwoofer, rely on walls, rocks and fences to ricochet the signal back into the garden. Position the speaker at a 15-degree angle above level ground.
Balance the sound: To get a deeper sound image in an enclosed area such as a gazebo or grill-bar island with a roof, do not turn the volume higher on the closest speakers to you (either above or below). Instead, turn up the volume of the speakers that are out in the yard. The sound coming toward you from the wider dispersion can produce a near perfect close-in live effect, deeper and more "real."
Alternative shopping: Visit marine supply stores and chandleries for deals on outdoor speakers that can take a beating. Much of the current outdoor audio gear originated from boaters' needs.
Posted by at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usScoring Deals at Home Depot
Toolmonger has a great tip for saving money on your next trip to Home Depot.
Choose the Right Caulk
Selecting the right caulk for your job is important and it may be a bit intimidating to see the variety available at your local hardware store. Silicon Caulk is by far the most popular type of caulk that can be used in many different applications but is has it's drawbacks such as it's difficult removal and bad odor. Here are some other caulk alternatives and how to use them.
DIY Caulking [repair-home.com]
How to Clean Up Silicon Caulking [eHow]
Choosing The Right Caulking [ezine]
How to caulk or recaulk a bathtub or shower enclosure [Natural Handyman]
June 20, 2007
Kitchen Countertop Decisions
Chowhound has opened up the comments to help them decide what type of kitchen countertops they should install during their renovation and the people are talking. We've found some resources that can help with your decision, here and here.
Posted by at 1:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | post to del.icio.usForeclosures Nationwide
A study for CNNMoney lists the zip codes with the highest number of foreclosures and here's a list of the top 500 foreclosure zip codes. Many predicted we would see this if the market cooled considering the record number of ARMs that were being used to finance homes.
Rebuilding in New Orleans
We would all hope that the reconstruction of sections of New Orleans would have been further along (almost two years since hurricane Katrina) but unfortunately it's not and now homeowners are facing another hurdle in rebuilding their homes because the city requires additional permits to reconstruct in historic districts.
It's important to maintain the integrity of a historical neighborhood but quite another to deny a homeowner the right to rebuild their bathroom wall or front porch because they don't have the money or patience to search out a period specific hinge or siding. There must be a happy medium here. Your thoughts?
Landmark requirements increase rebuilding costs for New Orleans
Posted by at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usJune 19, 2007
Leaded Glass Windows
Leaded glass windows are often referred to as 'stained glass' but typically are not colored at all. The trend towards hand-blown glass windows is surging and according to the LA Times
Whether for a faux chateau in Encino, a pseudo palazzo in Beverly Hills or a super-sized Craftsman in Venice, custom stained-glass windows made with handblown glass are now considered the ultimate finishing touch in some of L.A.'s most lavish new homes.
We feel these windows look best in period homes where the original glass would have closely resembled the new custom glass which tends to have the imperfections such as tiny bubbles and waviness that pre-industrial revolution glass would have.
Posted by at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usHiding Ugly Windows
An undesirable view, utilitarian casements, or ugly shutters can all be cause for you to hide your windows. As a homeowner you may have more options to replace windows or make changes to their appearance, but renters probably have to live with what they've got. Here are some tips that focus on deflecting attention from your windows not covering them up.
June 18, 2007
Top Ten of 2007 (so far)
It's hard to believe we're about half-way through 2007 but in the last six months our traffic has more than doubled thanks to you. Here's your Top Ten Favorites for the first half of 2007 (which includes some posts from 06').
1. Drywall Repair
2. Subway Tile
3. Replace a P-Trap
4. Building and Demolishing an Interior Wall
5. Real Estate Comps
6. Building and Installing a Screen/Storm Door
7. Weather Vanes
8. Installing Wood Stair Railing
9. DIY Granite Countertops
10. Build a Sandbox
Kitchen Inspiration
For our money one of the best sources of inspirational kitchen photos comes from someone who knows what their talking about, The Kitchen Designer, her collection of Scandinavian kitchens are spectacular, but there are plenty of other websites that will satisfy your kitchen viewing jones. Check out Flickr, Webshots, Google images, and Yahoo images.
The traditional home sites also provide some gorgeous photos, the best of which are HGTV, Domino, This Old House, AOL Home, Kitchens.com,
Coastal Living, Home Depot, Lowes,
More DIY Videos
DIY videos are available online from AOL, Easy2DIY, Expert Village , and the venerable YouTube. But not so new entrant VideoJug has upgraded and focused their DIY channel to include some great videos from amateurs and professionals who may hold the key to helping solve your house or garden dilemma.
Posted by at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usJune 12, 2007
Staircase Storage
These pull-out staircase storage drawers are an incredible idea and a feature we can see used in many homes especially those short on space. I doubt they interfere much with under the stair storage since that space is always so tight and difficult to properly fill.
Home Design Software
PC Magazine reviews a home design solution called Professional Home Design Platinum from Punch Software. You can download a feature-limited demo to try for 15 days or purchase the entire suite for $99.99.
You start from the ground up by laying out your floorplan then add walls, doors, and windows. From their you'll be able to render your plan in 3D and you can add other home features like gardens and landscaping.
There's a free program from Google called SketchUp but it's nowhere near as full-featured as the Punch software.
Posted by at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | post to del.icio.usJune 11, 2007
Taping Drywall Joints
Here's a visual how-to for taping drywall joints.
Posted by at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usJune 8, 2007
The Shelter Life Backhouse Project
Our friend and neighbor, Alex Bandon is a senior editor at This Old House and is also the voice behind The Shelter Life. She recently completed her backhouse renovation project which has taken 11 months of diligent work and patience which is no small feat considering the intricacies of acquiring New York city construction permits and the fickleness of an 1840's building.
Here are the details of the project and the all the people that made it happen.
Congrats!!!
June 7, 2007
House to Home
Shelterrific has turned us onto another great site called House to Home out of the UK. They are published by IPC Media which is a part of the Time Inc. family just as This Old House is. Whilst I was at This Old House we knew that IPC was up to some interesting things online and I think they've hit the nail on the head with their new site, especially their use of decorating tools and inspirational photos which are both prominently displayed on the homepage.
Posted by at 2:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usStop the Toilet Hiss
If your toilet continues to run and make that hissing sound long after you've flushed you've probably got a faulty stopper that needs tweaking. Here's the fix you've been looking for.
Haunted by the Toilet Hiss? [Northwest Renovation]
Posted by at 12:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usJune 6, 2007
Decorating a Deck - in NYC
We've got some precious outdoor space that consists of a landing and a small balcony that serves as the entrance to our 2nd floor apartment. We get about 2-3 hours of direct sunlight in the summer and maybe 1/2 hour in the winter and there is barely enough room to fit one folding chair.
The New York Observer tackles this dilemma and offers a few suggestions.
Rate My Space
Shelter website redesigns continue to rollout and HGTV.com is just the latest. The clean and easy to navigate site has a feature that is particularly interesting called Rate My Space. It seems like a mashup of Hot or Not and Digg, whereas you can upload your own photos of a room and users vote on whether they like it or not as well as add comments on each photo. The "most viewed" and "top rated" remain on the main page.
We think this will be a popular application that involves the community and allows people to share and receive feedback. Keep an eye out for more of these type of features from other sites.
Posted by at 1:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | post to del.icio.usJune 4, 2007
Landscaping Tips to Sell Your Home
It's proven that curb appeal counts a lot towards how soon and for how much your home will sell. CNN Money breaks down 7 steps to improving your home's exterior that will most certainly result in a net gain when selling your home.
Posted by at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usCustom Carpenter
Our free local fishwrap, AM New York, spotlights a local custom carpenter, Alan Moshe, who quit his day job at a tech-startup and now makes more money and has more business while being his own boss. He attributes his success to the unique needs of New Yorkers and their small spaces that require a custom build of cabinets, entertainment centers, and storage, that can't be found off the shelf.
If you've got a local carpenter that you'd recommend to others, give them a shout out in the comments.
Posted by at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.us
