Category Archives: General DIY
Installing efficient basement waterproofing is essential to keep your basement and the rest of your home dry and warm. Any below grade concrete floors and basement walls are going to be prone to damp. In fact the vast majority of homes with basements will have a moisture problem at some time. It is calculated that among homes built in the past few years, over 85% will have a problem with water damage to the basement in the first three years … Continue reading
When you have little space you need to know how to make the most of a basement by focusing on adding light, adding color and making it as organized as possible. The best small basement remodeling ideas I can give you are these: Use flooring to brightens up the space. Do not use heavy or dark colored highly textured carpets with busy patterns. Keep it simple with hardwood, light colored ceramic tile or neutral tone carpet. Spend your money on … Continue reading
Homeowners everywhere can benefit by learning a few plumbing tips that can help avoid a call to your local plumbing company. Whether you are trying to avoid the need to call an Atlanta plumber or a plumber somewhere else in the country this information can save you serious money. Tip #1: Make sure that all of your drains have screens. This is a very important but often overlooked way to prevent the need to call a plumber. Without screens drains … Continue reading
Installing a shower requires some careful planning and preparation, and the two most important factors are the water pressure and the pipe work. Water pressure comes from the tank, and many homes suffer from low pressure due to the height of the storage tank. You can increase the water pressure by raising the tank height. In many cases this only needs to be elevated by 200 millimetres or so. Remember that you will also need to lengthen the pipes that … Continue reading
The whole house surge protector mounts at your breaker box and serves as a protective device against electrical damages from power surges, which often result in hundreds of dollars worth of damage. These central unit surge protection devices provide much more protection and ultimately reduce the risk of damage far more often than common line conditioners and individual surge protectors. The largest advantage provided by whole house surge protectors remains the unsurpassed protection that it provides to households and expensive … Continue reading
So, you are in the market for a home improvement contractor to do some remodeling on your home. First and foremost, you need to make sure that the person that you are hiring is reputable, trustworthy and capable of completing your job in a timely fashion and meets all of the requirements of your town, village or city. Word of mouth is still the best way to find contractors, electricians, plumber and mechanics. You need to trust the people you … Continue reading
While chimney sweeping as a profession may not be considered a modern way to earn a living, chimneys that are above fireplaces that are actually in use still need to be cleaned out regularly in order to keep them from catching fire and destroying the chimney and possibly the house. If you decide to do it yourself, or make it your new small business, you will need to know something about chimney sweep brushes. The two basic types of brushes … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Nowadays old equals cool, and this is certainly the case for vintage door knobs. I love going on the hunt for vintage door knobs. There are tons of places you can find them, but I’ll share my secrets with you in this article. When I’m looking for vintage hinges or door knobs or anything old, for that matter, I’ll start at my local antique stores. I honestly don’t have much luck finding them at these stores, but what I do … Continue reading
Porcelain door knobs are the perfect classic American look for any home. I, personally, love these door knob in bathrooms. It’s really the perfect fit, and even better when paired with small tiles on the bathroom counter or floor. They don’t only have to be used in the bathroom, they also work very well in every other room of the house. As if finding porcelain door knobs wasn’t already tricky, finding them in a color other than white is even … Continue reading
Butt hinges are the King Kong of the hinge world. The most common use of a butt hinge is a truck tailgate, but they have tons of other uses. These hinges are almost always welded on, but there are also some that come with holes for bolts or screws. These are primarily for industrial use, and generally not recommended for home use, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t use them. You have to be ready for a heavy duty … Continue reading
Shutter hinges are the perfect accent to any window. They may seem small and unnoticeable, but a shuttered window with plain hinges will stand out like a sore thumb. Taking the time to find the right ones will give your room a completed feel. Exterior shutter hinges have to be high quality, if not they will rust and break in just a few years of weathering. There are many exterior hinges that are handcrafted by blacksmiths on the East Coast … Continue reading
Garage door weather stripping is dual function tool that helps protect your home and save you money. The main purpose of this type of weather stripping is to keep the elements out of your garage. Rain and snow can seep under an unprotected wooden garage doors and get all of your good stuff in the garage wet. This is especially problematic if the door into your house is the same level as your garage floor. Water can easily make its … Continue reading