I love my finish nailer. Well, I don't really love it, but I like it, I enjoy it, I find it useful for creating the world's most perfect crown molding corner (a future blog post, for sure).
But do I bring out the pancake compressor and finish nailer to drive a single finish nail into my son's train table? Do I go through 5-10 minutes of set-up when just grabbing a finish hammer and a nail set would do the job in 2 minutes? Of course I don't. And neither would you. Why? Because even though I find my finish nailer very handy for certain jobs, it is not meant to be used every time a finish nail is encountered.
The same can be said for a professional designer, or a myriad of professionals for that matter. They are very useful and necessary, but not in every situation.
So how do you decide if you need a design professional? It really comes down to your skill and the risk level you are willing to take. The following scenarios usually require a design professional, which is a general term I use to encompass architects and engineers. Upon reading this post you will have a better idea of when you should, and possibly should not, use a the services of a design professional.
Scenario 1: Structure Will be Affected
Any time your work will affect a load-bearing wall, column, or floor, you will likely need to consult an architect or engineer. It's simply not worth the risk to save money on this element of the project. Perhaps if your affect to the structure is minimal, you can have a designer address just that issue and you can take the rest on separately.
Expect to spend a minimum of $450 for a designer to analyze your project and draw details for the building department.
It's decorating season and it starts for some by putting up amber and orange twinkle lights for Halloween then continues into late December with hanging Christmas lights. Toolmonger shares these holiday light string hooks that are so small and unobtrusive that you can leave them out year round which would make hanging holiday lights much easier year after year.
The rounded hook prevents the lights strings from being blown down by the wind but the design allows for easy entry and release.
Available from Lee Valley & Veritas
Fall is always a great time to bring out the candles. The warm flicker softens any room or outdoor area. ShelterPop highlights some make your own candle projects and our favorite are these diy hanging lanterns from Craftynest.
According to the website for WellnessLight KIDS, This is no ordinary light bulb. It sure isn't. Now that we are finally recognizing the dangers of indoor air pollution, it's time we seek solutions to eliminate these dangers and the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) from WellnessLight KIDS is a leap in the right direction.
This 25-watt CFL serves two purposes in your home and specifically a child's room. It claims to clean the air and provide a full-spectrum of light. Sounds like a tall order but apparently when the proper CFL is coated in naturally-derived nano-TiO2 photocatalytic it works with the power of light to create oxidizing agents and works as nature's own air cleaner and the high-quality, full-spectrum light which simulates the natural light of the sun and has been shown to improve school performance and enhance general health and overall well-being.
Wouldn't your Dad be happy this year to find out you've got him the SKIL cordless tool set of his dreams or maybe a $100 gift certificate to use at Home Depot or even an Energizer Professional Hard Case flashlight?
This Father's day we've teamed up with SKIL, Home Depot, and Energizer to offer 3 lucky winners a chance to win one of these prizes and bring a smile to your Dad on his day.
The Design Dish has come up with a chic spin on construction safety lights. Why not use a bunch of them to pull together a utilitarian looking chandelier! They've priced out some options and if you decide to make one send us photos and we'll post them.
Once you get past the somewhat cheesy opening intro, this virtual lighting application from GE is really cool. Like most virtual applications, they serve as fancy window dressing to a manufacturers product but in the case of GE which totally dominates market share, its likely we'd be purchasing a GE bulb anyway so if this lighting style app helps us choose the right bulbs for our mood, taste, or room, then we are all for it.
We love natural Christmas trees but everyone should remember that they need care to last as well as remain safe in your home. There is no greater danger than a tree that has dried out. Read this article from the New York Times for more information about caring for your Christmas tree.
Last holiday season there were about 200 Christmas tree fires in American homes, caused primarily by faulty lights and resulting in 10 deaths and more than $10 million in property loss, the commission says. Another 14,000 house fires are started yearly by misplaced or mishandled flame candles, causing 170 deaths and $350 million in property loss. And about 10,000 people are treated at emergency rooms for injuries from falls, cuts or shocks while hanging lights or decorations.
Change the atmosphere of your living or bedroom by adding a dimmer switch for the lights. Dimmers can help save electricity and prolong the life of your light bulbs. First decide what type of dimmer will work best. Your options include a dial, a touch pad, a slide and more.
Last week Home Depot announced it would accept all CFLs (compact flourescent lightbulbs) for recycling. This is great news considering the hazardous properties of disposed CFLs which contain trace amounts of mercury. The use of CFLs continue to rise and with most people in America living near a Home Depot there is no excuse for dumping irresponsibly.
Kudos to Home Depot.
