DIY Home Improvement Guide

Alternative Methods To Cool Your Home

You don’t have to rely on central air conditioning to keep your house cool in the summer. If you live in a desert city (Phoenix, Las Vegas) it’s a necessity, but for the rest of us it really isn’t. Having a portable air conditioner to get you through the hottest days will help a ton, but following some common sense techniques will cool your house on the rest of the days. Keep thick curtains closed on the sunniest windows of your home to block heat from entering in the first place. As soon as the sun passes that window, open it up and let cool air in. Open another window on a parallel side of the house to create a breeze way that will flush the hot air out.

Sorry for being so curt, but it’s true. Everyone knows that the most likely time for your current air conditioning to break is in the middle of a heat wave. It will also probably happen on a day when you are stuck at home with a sprained ankle and can’t even leave the house to escape the heat. What happens then? Do you sit there and melt away on your couch, or do you pull out the portable air conditioner and take it in stride? I prefer the latter. There are many reasons you need portable AC, but this reason alone is why I have one. Maybe it’s just because I have really bad luck, but I’d rather be prepared that lose ten pounds from spending an entire afternoon sweating in my living room.

Classy Fused Glass Art

Finding fused glass art is easy when you know where to look. There are many online shops around the web on sites like 1000 Markets and Etsy that cater to people all around the world. You can find custom glass artists in any style imaginable and you are bound to find something that will fit the style of your home or gallery. Most glass pieces are one of a kind and will last longer than you do. They range from small plates and bowls to huge wall pieces that will become the central point of your home or gallery. If you are looking for something by a local artisan in your town or area. Many tourist destinations have local galleries that will have exactly what you are looking for.

Many people are starting to shy away from the traditional mediums for purchasing their plates and dinnerware. Handmade plates are available on the internet and at mom and pop shops in many large cities. The advantage of this type of dinner ware is that it is very creative and usually one of a kind. Fused glass plates are becoming very popular. They are sturdy, beautiful, and one of a kind. Many artists can create a set just for you that can reflect your personal style and tastes. They can also be customized for each member of your family for a special dining experience. These plates may cost more than going to Target for your new dinner ware, but they will be something special that will be with your family for a lifetime.

JS Glass Art

JS Glass Art is a fused glass artist based in the Bay Area of Northern California. Her work can be seen in homes and galleries all across the world. She specializes in slumping glass into jewelry, pendants, plates, and art that is a perfect fit for your home or gallery. Her ten plus years of experience has given her insight that not many artists can have, and that leads to expertly crafted and creative pieces. Her art is for sale on her own site, 1000 markets, and Etsy. The blog area of her site is also full of resources on how to improve your own fused glass art technique, along with some advanced how to articles that will help take your art to the next level.

I just came across a great fused glass artist called JS Glass Art that makes handmade art, jewelry, pendants, and plates. The glass art is created in a kiln by melting pieces and sheets of glass together into shapes. It is tricky process since glass likes to break easily. Many of the pendants and jewelry that she has would make great gifts for any occasion. The art would fit nicely on the wall in your home or gallery. If you want the perfect serving plate for cheese or crackers for your next wine party, she has that as well. The prices are very reasonable as well. Many of the pendants are under fifty dollars and the plates are affordable enough to use on a regular basis.

What Does A Fused Glass Artist Do?

A fused glass artist is an expert in manipulating sheets of glass into fine art. I’m sure you are aware that working with glass can be very difficult to do it breaking easily. In order to fuse glass, it must be melted together in a temperature controlled kiln. If the temperature rises or falls too quickly the glass will either break or end up with bubbles inside of it that will ruin the piece. For creating things like bowls and plates, a mold is used to control where the glass goes and the shape that it end up in. Creating jewelry and pendants is much trickier since a custom mold must be made for the shape that you want to create the piece in. Either way, a glass artist does amazing things with glass.

Fused Glass Jewelry

With the increasing popularity of fused glass, artists like JS Glass Art have began to craft fine jewelry using many of the same techniques that they use to make wall art. The really cool thing about these hand crafted pendants is that they are very “free form”, classy, and elegant. Molds are usually used to create the shape of them, and layers of glass create the design inside. The possibilities are endless once an artists learns to make his or her own molds, which can be done at home. As the popularity of fusing glass keeps on increasing we will see even more creative works of art that would look as good on your wall as they do around your neck or on your wrist.

Roll Up Screen Doors

When roll up screen doors hit the scene many viewed them as a joke.  Now they have greatly improved and are becoming the perfect summer accessory.  If you don’t have a need for a screen door year round, the roll up screen door is perfect to have on hand.  They are easy to install, leave no permanent installation behind, work well as sun shades, and can be taken with you when you move.

The place that I find these most useful is in the garage.  This is especially true when you work in the garage in the summer time and want to stay cool and keep the bugs out.  Garages get hot and disgusting in the summer, and that feeling is compounded when you live in a humid locale.  Roll up screen doors will allow the breeze to pass through the garage or porch awnings, keep bugs out, and allow the garage door to function properly.

Installing roll up screen doors is very easy.  With most installations, no drilling is necessary, and it only takes a few minutes to get the job done.  Also, with most installations it’s not permanent so you can take it down in the winter, take it with you when you move, or put it up whenever you feel like it.

Screen Door Latches

Upgrading your screen door latches will improve both your homes appearance and its security.  Old screen latches never work, and rarely secure the door closed properly.  The good news is that you don’t need an entirely new door, you can just change the latch.

If your screen door is newer (less than 10 years old), you may be able to figure out what company it’s made by and contact them for a replacement.  That will be as simple as removing the old one and screwing the new one in.

If you’re like me and have a very old screen door that’s still functional, but needs a new latch, you have to get a bit creative.  If you have a store in your area that sells screen door latches, remove the old one and bring it with you and let them help you figure out what you need.  If not, you’re going to have to find stores on the internet that specialize in your type of screen door latch (hinged or sliding).

Installing a screen door latch is easy.  You have to remove the old one, and fit the new one into the existing spot.  You may have holes drilled already for the hook (on the frame side), make sure that those still line up with the latch before calling it a finished job.  You may have to fill those holes and move the hook a few millimeters up or down accordingly.

Screen Door Rollers

Screen door rollers are usually the first thing to go out on a new screen door.  Luckily, replacements are easily available and installation is very easy.  With people doing all they can to save money these days, a simple thing like replacing screen door rollers is a big deal.  This is a major cause of the DIY home improvement surge that we’ve seen in the last few years.

If you want to replace screen door rollers, the first step is to take the worn out ones off.  Doing this, you’ll understand how to install the new ones.  If you’re anything like me, you have no idea what brand or manufacturer your screen door is, so figuring out which replacement screen door rollers are the right ones is a bit tricky.  If you live in a big city, there is probably a store that specializes in replacement screen door parts.  Take your old rollers down there and let them help you figure out which part is the right one.  If you don’t have a store like this in your area, you’ll have to do this online.  Most online retailers have detailed pictures and measurements for their replacement parts, so choosing the right one shouldn’t be too difficult.

When figuring out how to replace screen door rollers, you’ll have to do the work that you did to remove it, but backwards.  It’s super easy!  After you’re done, you’re going to be amazed at how smooth your new sliding screen door rollers are.  How did you ever live without them?

Custom Screen Doors

Custom screen doors are one of the details that will greatly improve your homes appearance and functionality at the same time.  The best thing about a custom screen door is that it can look and do whatever it is that you want it to do.  If you want to improve the security of your home, do it with a custom screen.  If you want to dramatically improve the appearance of your front door, do it with a custom screen.

Where do you find custom screen doors?  Generally, you’re going to find one in your area in a local specialty store that specializes in making them.  Before heading out to find one, you must figure out what you want.  If you live in a big city, odds are you’ll find a shop that specializes in custom security screen doors, another that does custom wooden screen doors, and another that does custom aluminum screen doors.  There may be a jack-of-all-trades in your area, but you’ll be best off with one that does exactly what you need them to.

Usually, the installation of a screen door is done by the company that you buy it from, but if you’re stuck with the job it isn’t too difficult.  If you’ve ever hung a door before, it’s the same process.  You’re in even better shape if you’re replacing an existing screen door with a custom one.