Protect Your Home Against Weather Disasters

The recent destruction caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita serves as a reminder of the type of havoc Mother Nature can cause. Water, wind, fire and earth movement can be hazardous to your home, perhaps your most cherished and largest investment. But, there are actions you can take now to protect your property and prevent major damage should one of these elements strike. Depending on the age of your home and the building codes in your area, some of these improvements may already be in place.

Water

Apart from major flooding, most damage occurs when water seeps in through cracks and leaks. Make sure that windows and doors are well sealed. Seal any cracks and holes in the foundation and exterior walls. Repair or replace roof shingles around any area that allows water to penetrate the roof sheathing. Check for holes or air leaks in the attic and basement. Your basement windows and doors should have built-up barriers or flood shields. Inspect your sump pump regularly to make sure that it is working properly. Install or make sure that the flashing, a thin metal strip, around the doors, windows, thresholds, chimney and roof are in tact.

Wind

Minimize the damage by keeping the wind from getting inside your home. Windows and glass doors should be fitted with impact-resistant laminated glass or covered with impact-resistant shutters. Consider solid wood or hollow metal doors, which are more likely to resist wind pressure and flying debris. There are also roofing products with high wind resistance available.

Wildfire

Some inexpensive home improvements that you can make include installing a spark arrestor on your chimney, eliminating brush and debris from around your property, and modifying your attic, sub-floor and b5B4asement vents. More expensive improvements include replacing single-pane glass windows, doors or skylights with tempered glass, recovering your exterior walls with a more fire-resistant material, and re-roofing your home with a Class A roof covering.

Earthquake

California isn't the only earthquake zone. Other zones include the New Madrid region, west and just east of the Rockies, the southern Appalachians, New England and Alaska. Steps you can take to protect your property and possessions include anchoring appliances, water heater, dressers, and other heavy items to the wall. Attach your TV, computer and other small appliances to desks, tables or countertops. Secure ceiling lights, chandeliers and other hanging items to the permanent structure of your home. Apply safety film to windows and glass doors. It is also a good idea to install a main gas shut-off device.

Of course, there may be times, when no amount of prepping can protect your home. However, homeowners insurance can help protect you financially in case something happens to your property or its contents. Most standard homeowners insurance policies include structural coverage and personal property coverage. Depending on your location, you may also need additional coverage against earthquake, hurricane and fire.

Be aware that flood damage is not covered under the traditional homeowners insurance policy. Flood insurance needs to be purchased separately 5B4through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a federal program. It is available to nearly 20,000 communities across the U.S. and its territories that participate in the NFIP. Flooding can be caused by heavy rains, melting snow, inadequate drainage systems, failed protective devices such as levees and dams, as well as by tropical storms and hurricanes. So, although you may be in a low to moderate risk area, you may still want to consider this coverage.

Periodically review your homeowner's insurance policy to make sure that you are adequately covered to rebuild your home and replace your contents. If there is ever damage to your personal property, having a home inventory can make it easier when filing an insurance claim. Start with a sheet a paper for each room in the house. Go around the room and list every item. Dont forget the attic, basement or other storage places. For each item, write the original cost, purchase date, replacement cost, model number, brand name, where purchased, and a general description. In addition, take photos or video of each room for visual documentation. It is also a good idea to arrange valuable collections, silver, jewelry, etc. and take close up photos. Make sure you update your home inventory photos and list at least once a year.

When weather-related disasters strike, what's most important is your safety and that of your family. However, by taking precautions to protect your home, 584you can possibly help keep damage to a minimum; or in the case of severe damage, make sure that you have the financial means to rebuild.

For more information go to www.ibhs.org or www.fema.gov.

Neda Dabestani-Ryba is a licensed Realtor in Maryland. She is a member of the President's Circle of Top Real Estate Professionals. She can be reached at (800) 536-3806 or visit her website for more information: http://neda.dabestani.pcragent.com/ Prudential Carruthers REALTORS is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential Financial company. Equal Housing Opportunity

Shaped Wood Shingle Siding

The Value Of Security Cameras Around Your Home - An Introduction To Home Surveillance

Is there something strange happening around your home? Whether it be a cat burglar, or simply just a cat, a home surveillance system may be just what you need! This article presents a brief introduction into the world of security cameras, i.e. what options are available to you and the pros and cons of each alternative.

Framing Garage Corner

Investing Secrets of the Wealthy

My favourite subject. Investment. Investing in your own ecommerce business is the best, most time efficient way to make money. But to grow real wealth you need to diversify into other investments as well. Your ecommerce business (or other business / high paying job) provides the cash for investing. It is the interest earned of those investments however that pays for your luxury lifestyle.

1. Real Estate investment.

The most important and first investment you should make is to buy your own home. Initially live off your income from your ecommerce business by paying yourself a modest wage. Save the rest for a deposit on your own home. Decide where you want to live and go house hunting there. The real estate market moves in cycles.

The top of the cycle is definately not the time to own investment residential property. If you own it, sell it, especially if you have a mortgage over it or you may end up owing more than the property is worth. Remember if your equity in a property drops below a certain level the bank can foreclose on your property even if you have never missed a payment. Many people have come undone that way.

When it does become time to invest in property again, seize the day! Investing in property can be very lucrative as you can be paid four ways -

If you buy below market value (as you always should) you make immediate equity.

If you buy a positive cashflow property you get paid weekly. A positive cashflow property is one where the money you collect in rent is more than the outgoing expenses for the property.

In many countries you can can tax advantages by owning property using depreciation.You can gain capital growth by buying a fixer upper and renovating. You also get capital growth over time if you buy at the bottom of the cycle.

Factors that affect the property cycle include -

supply and demand

interest rates

migration & population

economic growth

inflation

zoning and planning

what returns are being had in other investments

and confidence which is affected by positive or negative media reporting on property.

When buying investment property never, ever buy on emotion. Emotion IS a factor when you are buying your family home, you have to love it. But emotion has no place in investment decisions. Buying investment property is all about the figures. Never be afraid to walk away from an opportunity as there are always plenty more. Don't buy property at auction as the emotions of the participants often push the price too high. And you don't need to live in an investment property so don't impose your own personal standards on it, your tenants will accept a lower standard of living than you will.

Always do due diligence on any potential property purchase. This includes a building inspection5B4 by a qualified builder and also get a pest inspection done. When you decide to buy and you hire a conveyancer to handle the legals always make sure the contract you sign is subject to legal due diligence. That way if your conveyancer finds some legal problem you can get out of the deal.

I recommend you set the following rules for yourself when buying investment property. Buy at a minimum of 10% under market value, only buy properties that are positive cashflow and/or high capital growth, buy properties that can be value added with a cosmetic makeover and only buy houses or blocks of apartments because the land it sits on is what gains value. The buildings themselves depreciate over time.

So how do you find below market investment properties? Look for sellers who are selling because of death, divorce, bank forclosure, because they are moving and have a deadline or sellers who don't know what they are doing. I'm not suggesting you rip people off but equally you are not their mother, your responsibility is to you, they can look after themselves. If they accept your low offer price that's their business. Hot deals can often be found in the local newspapers, look for words in the ads like urgent, desperate, heavily reduced, well below valuation, transferring overseas, vendor has already bought etc.

Investment property hunting can be a long frustrating business but it's more than worth it. I follow the 100-10-3-1 r5B2ule. Look at 100 properties, put offers in on 10, have 3 accepted and buy 1. If you don't review enough properties you will not understand enough about the market values and returns in any particular area to pick a winner.

Whatever you do, be careful trusting real estate agents. Many agents will do whatever it takes to earn their commission check. They often recommend auctions as they shut out other agents, unlike general listings. Always remember agents work for themselves not for you. Be prepared to be knocked, mocked, spoken to in a condescending manner and generally treated as though what you want is unachievable. Buy privately if at all possible.

Do use agents to manage your tenants for you though. Tenants are an even bigger pain in the neck than agents. Also if a tenant does something illegal in your property you as the owner don't want to also be the manager or the police will try to implicate you in the conspiracy so they can sieze the property.

The wealthy don't follow the crowd. They buy when shares, property etc are unpopular and cheap after they have identified the future trends based on what is going on in the world around them. The wealthy sell when the crowd wakes up to late and jumps on the bandwagon. The wealthy are contrarian investors. Most investors are afraid to invest in this way because at first they appear wrong. It takes guts to invest this way but you always get the last laugh.5B6

This is why the luxury lifestyle is enjoyed by so few in society. Don't be a sheep, be the wolf. Hunt, don't follow. Seek out the best advice, ask yourself.....does this fit into my personal circumstances? If it does then act.

2. Shares

With shares, always employ risk management strategies. Always use stop losses on any investment you make. Decide in advance how much you can afford to lose on any one investment. If your investment drops in value by that amount (I recommend a 15% stop loss in general for shares) sell it. Don't hang in there hoping it will get better. Cut your losses. Not even the best investment gurus get it right everytime. Also use position sizing in your investments. Invest the same amount of money in every share investment. If you have $10,000 to invest in 10 companies, then invest $1,000 in each. Don't put more in one company because it appears to be doing better than the others. Don't put too many of your eggs in one basket. These two tips are the basics of all risk management strategies of the successful investor. You can't always win but you can control how much you lose. In the above example if you invest $10,000 in 10 companies ($1,000 in each with a 15% stop loss) and two of your stock picks turn out to be duds you limit your losses to $300.

3. Final advice

If I had to choose the 3 most important things I have learned from the wealthy they would be these.

Do59Dn't spend money on depreciating assets until you are spending your interest from your investments. Then you can live a little. Certainly never borrow money to buy depreciating assets.

Limit your losses. Ask yourself what is the worst that can happen. Manage that risk to a level you feel is acceptable then go for it. Stick to your risk management plan when you make a mistake.

Learn from your mistakes and more importantly learn from the mistakes of others.

Happy investing.

Dr Gregory Lipke is the CEO of Cyber Publishing Ltd. He has a Doctorate of Business Administration & a Bachelor of Science as well as years of experience in Private Investigation, Personal Protection & Security. He is the author of Your Luxury Guide .

Bathrooms

What Are Your Options For Consolidating Your Debt?

It just is not any fun having a lot of debt. It does not take long before you get tired of not having enough money each month, and the bills just do not stop. Perhaps the collection agencies are already calling. When any of this starts to happen, it is time for you to consider consolidating your debts. Here are a few options that you have available.

A New Balance Transfer Credit Card

This kind of credit card will be useful to you if your overall debt is not very large. By getting a new balance transfer credit card, you can put balances on other credit cards on to the new one. You will want to find one with an introductory offer of 0% APR interest, which means you pay no interest for the length of the introductory offer. Some of these credit card offers last up to 15 months. You will need good credit to be able to get the lowest interest rates. Be careful not to make any late payments, or you may find that your introductory offer ends immediately.

Secured Personal Loans

This kind of personal loans will enable you to consolidate your debts and get a reasonable interest rate, too. It will depend on your credit score, though. You can put all your debts into one easy monthly payment that should be low enough to handle comfortably. A secured loan will require that you put up something for collateral, like a car or your house.

Unsecured personal loans mean that there is no collateral against the loan. This will result in your having to pay a higher interest rate, and you will most likely be given less time to pay the loan back.

Home Equity Loans

If you have lived in your own home for a while, then this is an option you need to consider - especially if you have a lot of debt. This type of loan, usually a second mortgage, will provide you a lower interest rate than most other forms of credit. It will also enable you to potentially get a large amount of cash, depending on how long you have lived there.

A home equity loan is a convenient way to be able to consolidate your debts, and it could enable you to get some extra money for some renovation project around home, too. You will receive your money from a home equity loan in one lump sum, and you could possibly get up to 15 years to pay off the loan.

Whatever form you use to consolidate your debts, be sure to shop around. You can find some excellent deals, or get ripped off on interest rates if you are in too much of a hurry. Compare quotes and interest rates, as well as any fees that may apply. If you decide to get a home equity loan, you will also want to be careful about choosing an adjustable rate mortgage or a fixed rate mortgage. Since you must choose one, make sure it is an informed choice.

Joe Kenny writes for Rebuild.org, offering consolidate debts, or for UK residents, consolidate debts now.
Visit today: Loans for debt consolidation from Rebuild.org

Landscaping Stairs Made

5 Steps to Building Better Credit

A recent study by PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) found 70% of credit reports contained serious errors or mistakes.

It's a well known fact that having low credit scores costs consumers money. Credit ratings are the No. 1 determinant in a bank's decision to extend or decline credit. If your scores are low but still qualify you for credit, you will undoubtedly pay higher interest rates. Complete recovery may be a long and tedious process, but here are some steps you can take to ease the restoration of an acceptable credit rating.

1. Decrease Your Balance. High balance to limit ratio lowers your credit scores. Pay down your credit cards below 50% of their credit limits. Any revolving debt which balances are 50% or more of their limit reports as being maxed out. Do this and your scores will instantly improve.

2. Maintain Credit History. Do not close old accounts. Credit repositories take into consideration the length of time you have established your credit.

3. Get Secured. Can't qualify for a credit card? A great way to rebuild your credit is to open a secured credit card. This offers the same benefits of a regular card and will also give you the option to convert to unsecured credit in the future. Another great way of re-establishing your credit history is to obtain a savings account secured bank loan. Most banks won't run your credit when you apply for these loans and they rank high in credit scoring. If you have a few hundred in cash on hand, this is an excellent way to establish perfect payment history.

4. Piggyback. If you know someone with a good credit history and score that would be willing to add you to their account, become authorized buyer. This will immediately raise your score.

5. Opt Out. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies are permitted to include your name on lists used by creditors or insurers to make firm offers that are not initiated by you. The FCRA also provides you the right to "Opt-Out:, which prevents Consumer credit Reporting Companies from providing your credit file information for Firm Offer. Opting out at www.optoutprescreen.com has shown to increase scores as much as 15 points.

Blane Russell, President of Eagle River Mortgage. Established in 1997, ERM is now the largest independent brokerage in Idaho. Blane specializes in residential and commercial mortgage solutions. He is also a preferred lender with multiple resort communities across the northwest. His early experience in debt collections has provided a knowledgeable foundation for his continuous efforts in helping consumers repair their credit, gaining back the credit-worthiness they deserve.

Big Mold Problems

Highrises - Fact, Fiction, Fun, and For Sale

Unlike the term "skyscraper", the term "highrise" has a fairly widely accepted definition, though the definition DOES vary somewhat depending on the perspective of the definer. According to Emporis, a real estate data firm headquartered in Germany, a highrise is a multi-storied building with a minimum of 12 floors, OR reaching a height of at least 115 feet. While these are probably the most widely accepted requirements, there are others.

The International Conference on Fire Safety in High-Rise Buildings defines a highrise as "any structure where the height can have a serious impact on evacuation", while many in the construction industry consider anything between 75 - 491 feet a highrise, and anything over 492 a skyscraper. Regardless of the minimum height, the maximum height is going UP all the time, so, if living above the city - or even above the clouds - is you thing, read on.

Highrise history goes back a long way, back at least to the Romans who had buildings up to 8 stories high, despite the fact that technology did not allow for water to be pumped up that far. Walled cities in the middle ages meant city space was limited, giving "rise" to highrises from 11 to 14 stories in 16th century Britain. One of the big drawbacks about these historic highrises was the obvious lack of elevators, forcing the unlucky residents to climb many, many steps. The 202 foot London Monument, completed in 1677 (and still standing!), has 311 steps winding up its spiral staircase, while Toronto's CN Tower, completed in 1976 boasts a ridiculous 2,579 stairs - the tallest metal staircase in the world! Not surprisingly, it was the invention of elevators, along with water pumps, steel, and steel-reinforced concrete that gave us the modern highrise.

Steel was very important in the development of the highrise. In 1884 Architect William Le Baron Jenney designed a building whose entire weight was supported by a steel frame. It was Chicago's Home Insurance Building, only ten stories high, but the first of its kind: the world's first skyscraper. At around this time, England was also building towers and highrises, including Shell Mex House which actually measured taller than the Home Insurance Building. A complaint from Queen Victoria soon put a stop to English highrises, however, but by this time Chicago's attention had turned eastward, to what would become the tallest city in America.

While Chicago has the tallest building in the U.S. (the Sears Tower - 1,729 ft) New York City has the most tall buildings - a whopping 195 buildings OVER 492 feet. And while New York will be challenging Chicago's tallest building title with the construction of Freedom Tower (1,776 ft), Chicago will trump that in 2010 with the construction of the Chicago Spire (2,000 ft.). And on it goes. While Chicago and New York have the tallest and the best, most North American cities have a couple of noteworthy skyscrapers. San Francisco has the regal Trans America Pyramid, Atlanta has the 1023 foot Bank of America Plaza, Philadelphia has the new deco style One Liberty Place, and Cleveland - yes, even Cleveland - has the lofty Key Tower.

While the bigger skyscrapers have traditionally been built as a combination of office space and a massive symbol of a city's economic power, today, many of the nation's tallest buildings offer condominium and loft space. Some, like Chicago's Spire, with 1,200 luxury condos, are completely residential, others, are a mix of condos, hotel suites, and retail space. Las Vegas's City Center is a prime example of the latter type of real estate development: four unique and spectacular towers, offering a range of luxurious condos atop 500,000 square feet of retail space, services and amenities. These are just some of the more extravagant examples of the types of amazing homes available today in America's highrises.

Brian Enright is a representative of Highrises.com your first stop for Chicago Condos and Las Vegas Condos. Highrises.com provides customers with all the information they could ever need to find the perfect highrise condo.

Big Mold Problems

The Heavenly Realms

The grace heaped and lavished upon Christians is so great that Paul invented a special term to describe it.

In the Heavenly Realms is used five times in the book of Ephesians. It occurs in 1:3, 1:20, 2:6, 3:10, and 6:12. These words are found no place else in Scripture. You have permission to publish this article.

The word, Realms refers to an environment, obviously a spiritual one. The church is certainly a different environment than the world. There is more meaning than simply belonging to a local congregation of the church here. These heavenly realm verses project Christians as already being in heaven. It is a special preview of the glory the Almighty bestows on us.

In 1:3, Christians are blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

All spiritual blessings are in Christ. There are none outside of him.

In 1:18-21, Christ is exalted into the heavenly realms.

Christ was raised from the dead, and seated on Gods right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

He has an even higher status than before his earthly experience. They sang a new song in Revelation 5:9. You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God. Worthy is the lamb who was slain (Verse 12).

Chapter 2:six & seven describes believers exaltation and enthronement into the heavenly realms. Gods elevation of Christians is compared to the raising of Christ into the heavenly realms.

God raised us with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Christ is exalted to the heavenly realm, and thus those who are in him belong to that heavenly realm also. The record of the saved is there in the book of life.

God is giving us a strong incentive to anticipate heaven. He wants us to dream about heaven and do some spiritual salivating to keep heaven as our ultimate goal.

Chapter 3 verse 10 is making Gods manifold wisdom known to the powers in the heavenly realms. There is no purpose or explanation given and we can only speculate on what it means. Some scholars think it is about good angels, some bad angels, some think it might be about converted Jewish rulers.

The Great Commission teaches that the business of the church is to save souls (MT 28:19-20).The book of Romans in 15:2 speaks of the edification or building up of the members of the church. In Ephesians, another purpose for the church is given, revealing the various aspects of Gods wisdom to the powers in heavenly places. Whether it is to disclose the truth to them before they are condemned, or to give them a chance to repent we have no way of knowing. It indicates that when we meet together for worship, angels are observing.

The powers were created by Christ to be his helpers, but they apparently desired the glory of God and rebelled against him. Their creation is described in Colossians 1:15-16. He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation. For by him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by him and for him.

Angels are uniformed about the great salvation. First Peter 1:10-12 indicates that the prophets in the Old Testament were curious about the salvation they were prophesying, and the angels are apparently looking into it.

In Ephesians 6 12, we learn that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. According to First Corinthians 6:3, Christians will judge angels!

What does all this mean? It means we are involved with angels without being aware of it. It means that we need to develop a healthy respect for our spiritual birthright.

The blessings of the New Testament far exceed those under the Old Covenant. Jesus affirmed that among those born of women, there is none greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom is greater than John (MT 11:11). The book, Climbing the Heavenly Stairs, develops the depth of spirit required to appreciate this honor. Soar with God in the Heavenly Realms. Learn what it means to live life to the full. Get acquainted with the Godhead and how they made us a royal priesthood. Read more at: http://thelynnbradleybook.com .

Corrugated Metal Roofing
Seamless Metal Roofing

The Castle on the Hill

When you think of castles, such places as Windsor, Sterling, and London come to mind. One might not expect that San Francisco, California should be added to this list. Julius castle on beautiful Telegraph Hill is a little known secret; a treasure hidden away at the end of a secluded San Franciscan lane.

This castle was never used to defend a city. No King or Queen ever ruled from a throne here. However, a feast fit for royalty is prepared every night within this modern fortress. Looking out on the water from the Golden Gate to the Bay Bridge and beyond, Julius Castle provides one of the most amazing views in the city. If the food were not quite so delicious you could easily find yourself lost in a trance staring out at the rolling hills, slow moving ferries, and untouched islands.

Built to resemble a castle using Redwood trees, and maples from the Pan Pacific Expedition, Julius Castle dates back to the 1920s. An Italian immigrant Julius Roz envisioned a castle on the hill, and his vision became reality when the doors opened in 1922. Patrons of the castle have watched the scenery outside its windows slowly change since then as the Bay Bridge began construction in 1933, and Treasure Island was literally built from the earth at the bottom of the bay for the 1939 Worlds Fair.

In 1947 the film Dark Passage displayed the castles neighborhood for the world to see as Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall sought to help the falsely accused character Vincent Parry evade police, former friends, and small time crooks. The movies setting takes place only feet from where the castle stands and to this day a cut-out of Bogart watches diners as they approach the entrance.

If you find that you have enjoyed too much of the fine food and wine within the castle you may seek some after dinner activity by either venturing further up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower, or down the hill via the Filbert Stairs. Located at the very peak of the hill Coit Tower overlooks the city both from its base, and even more spectacularly from the tip of its tower, another 63 meters high. The tower, which was built in 1933 with funds donated by Little Hitchcook Coit, offers more than just the scenic views outside. Painted murals adorn the interior of the structure depicting scenes from California during the great depression and other historic periods.

If climbing the hills of San Francisco has quickly lost its charm then traveling in the opposite direction down the Filbert Stairs may be a good choice. These stairs wind down to Sansome Street, right off of the famous Embarcadero through pristinely kept gardens and beautiful homes. As you marvel at the views on your 377 step journey down the hill make sure and appreciate that you are taking the only means of arriving at the 19th century cottages you pass, as there is no road access! Once you reach the bottom you are a short walk to the San Francisco ferry building, or Fishermans Wharf.

As you go off to explore these other exciting attractions, try not to forget that you just dined at a world class castle, right in the middle of modern California.

Nate Soule is a travel enthusiast and helps maintain the travel website AcrossDistance.com (http://www.acrossdistance.com).

Concrete Countertops
Decorative Concrete In Tradition

Save on Carpet Installation Do It Yourself!

Carpet installation by professionals may cost you more than you thought. If you look at the itemization on the bill youll find something that may look like this: $2.40/sq. yd. For old carpet removal, $4.75/sq. yd. to install new carpet, $10.25 (each) to install carpet on stairs, $30 per hour to move furniture, $.20 per linear foot to replace tackless strip and so on. You get the picture.

Tools & Equipment

So heres a short primer on how to install carpet yourself. Although its not an easy job, its not brain surgery, either. Youll need include a tape measure, utility knife, hammer, heavy-duty stapler, chalk line, duct tape, gloves, carpet seam tape, safety goggles, and kneepads. Rental equipment includes a knee kicker, a carpet stretcher, a seam cutter, seaming iron, seam roller, wall trimmer, and strip cutter.

Getting Ready

First remove all baseboards and cut manageable strips of the old carpet (about 2' wide) with the utility knife. Loosen it from the tackless strips and roll up. Remove the tackless strips and the old carpet underlay. Vacuum area thoroughly.

Install new tackless strips around the perimeter of the room with teeth facing the wall. Using a block of wood as a spacer, leave about a space between the strip and the wall.

Laying Underlayment & Carpet

Beginning at a corner and hooking it over the tackless strips, lay new underlay strips right next to one another, but dont overlap them. Staple along the inner side of the tackless strip and then trim excess. Duct tape the seams.

Roll out the carpet and fold one end over itself. Mark the measurement of the longest wall plus 6 on both edges of the carpet. Using the chalk line, join the two marks. Place scrap piece lumber the carpet youre about to cut (so you dont accidentally cut through the carpet underneath!) and use a utility knife and straight edge to cut off the piece youve just marked.

Using Knee Kickers and Carpet Stretchers

Place the toothed end of the knee kicker into the carpet about 3 from the wall and push your knee with as much force as possible into the padded end of the kicker. The idea is to stretch the carpet over the tackless strip where the teeth of the strip will grab it, holding it tightly in place.

Place one end of the carpet stretcher against the wall where youve attached the carpet with the other end of it about six inches from the opposite wall. Pushing the lever on it, stretch the carpet to fit snugly over the tackless strip on the opposite side of the room. Work your way around the perimeter of the room, trimming the excess carpet at the edges with a wall trimmer.

Working With Seams

Overlap the first piece of carpet by 4 to 6, and with the seam cutter, cut through both layers, making sure the edges match exactly. Pull back the seam and center (adhesive side up) a strip of seaming tape on the floor beneath. Run the seaming iron along the tape to activate the adhesive and then replace the two carpet seams down onto it. Go over the seam with a carpet seam roller.

Tuck down the carpet between the wall and the tackless strips using a stair tool and hammer. Trim carpet at doorways with centered edges and install door-edge strips. Replace baseboards, andyoure finished!

Learn how to make your own carpet kicker and save even more on your carpet installation tools.

Home Mold Test Kits
Home Mold Test Kits

If This Is True, Then

Newly released scientific data concludes that we, earth and our solar system are aliens to the Milky Way galaxy. In a study conducted by the University of Massachusetts called the TWO-Micron All Star Survey it was concluded that our solar system was actually born in a galaxy called the Sagittarius Dwarf. This small galaxy, some 10,000 times less dense than the Milky Way, was actually orbiting the much bigger and stronger Milky Way. Over time, the power of the Milky Ways gravitational force began to pull in and pull apart the dwarf. We were actually created in that dwarf galaxy and have been sucked into the Milky Way. Ever wonder why the Milky Way appears at right angles to the earth?

This finding solves the mystery. We actually are a part of the Sagittarius System and rather than circling around the Milky Way we have been moving somewhat perpendicular. But now our home system is so depleted and torn apart it is near its end as the Milky Way consumes the stars.

If this is true then our entire way of thinking about our place in the Universe must be revisited. We are not from where we think we were from. We have been part of a different galaxy that has been trapped nearly destroyed by the Milky Way. We are only just now settling into our new position that is aligned with the ecliptic of the Milk Way and our solar system is being exposed to massive amounts of new cosmic energy.

There is a lot of science going on here and I do not pretend to fathom all of its implications. What is certain is that science will have to think anew about thinks like dark matter and the way in which galaxies merge.

Are there implications for earth? The study says yes. Since we are now in a more energetic system, our sun is burning hotter. Recent changes have been observed on Pluto, new auroras have emerged on Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have undergone polar shifts, Jupiters energy is growing, biosphere quality is changing on Mars, and an early stage atmosphere is appearing on our moon. Basically, energy shifts are occurring throughout the solar system and we are not immune.

The study says that we of the Sagittarius Dwarf have only just now settled into the powerful arms of the Milky Way. We will experience higher energy levels and do not rule out the current global warming as a partial consequence of being adopted into our new home; all the more reason not to exacerbate the problem with our polluting ways. It is even suggested that the Mayan calendar may end in 2012 because they did not know the consequences of entering into our new home. Is polarity shift possible? It has happened on two other planets so there is no reason to think it will not happen here. Actually, new NASA information has already picked a movement in the Earths poles.

Is all of this the End of Days? The answer has to be yes and no. It is the end of days as a solar system in the Sagittarian Dwarf, but is the beginning of a new day in the more energetic Milky Way. One cannot help but wonder why this information is not getting more air time on the news. This is a happening on a galactic scale but little seems to be in the news. What do they know that we dont? I would suggest that we all hold on to our hats as we may be in for one hell of a galactic ride.

Mr. Harris was born in Massachusetts. He attended The American University in Washington, D.C. and received his degree in Political Science. His graduate work was done at the University of Northern Colorado and Howard University. While in D.C., he spent several years working for local and regional government agencies. Upon moving to Maine he worked with three governors and served as the Assistant Director of the Maine State Planning Office. He worked on a White House Task Force for the development of a National Rural Policy and later served as Rural Policy Coordinator at the Federal Regional Council of New England. He has worked on gubernatorial and senatorial political campaigns and currently works in Special Education.

Mr. Harris is co-author of the novel WAKING GOD and is a nationally syndicated and featured writer for The American Chronicle. He is working on Book II of the Waking God trilogy and writing features for literary E-zines. His second novel, A MAINE CHRISTMAS CAROL has been released by Cambridge Books. Contributing writer for UPI's Religion&Spirituality web site.

Landscaping Stairs Made

Build A Wind Generator

When our family decided that our small solar panel array just wasn't big enough to power our off grid home we had to make some choices on what to do. Learning how to build a wind generator was not at the top of the list at first, but it soon developed into the best option.

We could either diversify our Renewable energy System, a choice between hydro power from our small stream or put up a wind generator. We also had the option to just buy more solar panels. We decided to learn how to build a wind generator and here is why - You may want to build your own wind generator too.

There are times of the year when even a hundred solar panels and 10 times our present battery storage would not run our home. In the fall and winter the sun may not shine for weeks at a time. Thus, no power is produced from the solar panels, no matter how many we would have. We really wanted to smooth out the wrinkles in our charging cycle as well as produce more power for our home, that meant adding more solar panels just wouldnt work for us.

Hydro power is probably the most cost effective option if you have enough running water with an adequate drop to produce power. Water power will produce 24/7 , but we had a problem with this option. From November until April our stream freezes solid and in order to produce power we need running water. Unless we could figure out a way to run ice through the hydro turbine that is.

That left us with the wind generator option. A quick assessment of our site told us we had wind energy potential. Open space and a site that was free of obstructions for over 300 yards. We would only need a 40 foot tower to get up to the good wind.

So, we started shopping for a wind generator. The wind definitely went out of our sales, so to speak, when we started looking at the price of new and used wind generators.

During our search for a wind generator a friend of ours suggested why not build a wind generator. He had done just that recently with some plans he had downloaded from a website called Off Grid Living. We took a look at the nice job he had done on his wind generator and decided to download our own plans.

They cost us $19.95 , but compared to the price in the thousands for a new or used wind generator to meet our needs it was a real bargain. The plans were simple and easy to follow and provided sources for all of the material we would need.

Once we knew where to look, the DC motor used for a generator was quickly located, as well as the free PVC pipe we used for the blades. Our family is quite happy learning how to build a wind generator. It produces about 600 watts of power at 24 volts.

Our family has been living off the grid since last year, and loving every minute of it. You can find some really helpful information at the Off Grid Living website that we found, you could even learn to build your own wind generator - Here is a link to the article on how to http://www.off-grid-living.com/node/80

Big Mold Problems

An Introduction to Brick Building

Fired clay bricks remain one of the most enduring building materials known to the world wide building industry. Some might argue that it is also one of the most beautiful and that it adds character to any building with its colour, strength and texture. Clay brick dates as far back as the Egyptian age and connects us with the history of our ancestors.

Being such a versatile building material and because of its very good climatic characteristics, it remains the material of choice for residential buildings in South Africa. Bricks have an excellent fire rating, it is weatherproof and has really good acoustic properties and is almost soundproof, and best of all it amount to only about 10 per cent of the total cost of a typical residential building. Homebuyers will almost always prefer to buy a house constructed out of clay brick as it does not deteriorate over time and has a higher resale value.

Bricks vary quite significantly in because of the diverse manufacturing processes and types of clay used in their manufacture in various regions. Often potential home builders make the mistake in thinking that all bricks are the same and there is no need to shop around for different finishes and colours. This can be costly as the quality of different brick manufacturers vary considerably as will also be reflected in the price. A very cheap brick might be of un-even size or may warp making building with them a lot more difficult.

Face brick

The use of face brick is often used in residential architecture for its low maintenance properties and often the aesthetics is overlooked completely. Face brick can be very aesthetically pleasing with its rustic look and a good architect might combine face brick with plastered areas to come to more a balanced aesthetic as face brick in its single form can be a bit overwhelming. When opting to build with face brick make sure you appoint a good builder with a good face brick portfolio as the jointing of a face brick wall can make or break the aesthetic of this type of construction. Also make sure you order sufficient bricks the first time as, because it being a natural material can vary noticeably per batch.

Cement bricks

These bricks are similar to a clay stock (plaster) brick but are more often used in regions where clay might be in short supply. There is usually not a big price difference between cement and clay plaster bricks and cement brick is mostly used as a substitute. When ordering cement bricks make sure that they are properly cured and dry before using them. If more that 5 per cent breaks upon delivery, have a knowledgeable person check the quality of the bricks.

Plaster (Stock) bricks

Cheaper than face bricks, a plaster brick still is manufactured to high standards to ensure uniformity of size and structure, but have to be plastered and painted thereby cancelling out the cost saving and has to be maintained at fairly regular intervals. Often great aesthetics can be achieved by combining plastered walls with face brick walls.

Written by Jere Botes, architect & founder of http://www.dreamhouses.co.za, a website dedicated to provide home builders, home renovators, home owners & developers with free professional advice on all aspects of home design, building & diy. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a link pointing to http://www.dreamhouses.co.za

Big Mold Problems

Logo - The Graphics Which Drive Your Company

The bright red of Coca Cola, the bull head of Chicago Bulls, the big arched "M" of Mac Donalds - dont you recognize them the moment you see? Thats the power of logo. Whether you're in a competitive industry or not, whether your business is small or big it doesn't matter! The fact is that your customers remember your business when they see your logo, regardless of how hard you try to convince yourself otherwise. A good logo makes not just a first impression, but a lasting one as well.

The symbol, the color, the font, the text, the size, the precision etc all count towards bringing the attention of your potential customers towards your company, and creating your companys image and finally its brand. Get a custom logo for your business that best reflects your company's spirit! It is very essential to choose what type of logo suits your company's business. Most of the large international companies have pretty simple logos because research says not to overload the consumers with too much information. And yes a lot of research goes into creating these simple logos. Each of these logos has its own specific font and size, and exclusive color combinations that make them unique. Every single symbol and icon used together with the logo has a significant meaning.

But there are a few important things that should be kept in mind while selecting or making a logo for your company to create that recognition in the market. You have to create a unique and special icon together with your logo including your website or company name in that. A logo should have a peaceful combination of colors and not more than two or three colors should be used at a time. If you are hiring a logo design company then it is better to get it done by a professional logo design company with loads of experience. Before you take the final decision of launching your company logo you should test it once in a trusted circle. And last but not the least is to have a striking tagline to accompany the logo. The resultant logo should convey the right message to the people. You got to have an idea for the vision you want to create in the people's mind. The key to the success of a company's identity depends to what extent you can give your logo the recognizable look.

The graphics of your logo should be communicated purely in visual terms, to the right brain hemisphere of your customers. It should not depend on verbal or intellectual interpretation. If it is a word mark, it should be recognized by its form alone. For example, you don't have to "read" Adidas's logo more than once, to recognize the famous brand. The three parallel stripes mark became the worldwide Adidas corporate logo - a name that stands for competence in all sectors of sports throughout the globe. Think of the future and avoid being too trendy. A good logo will last your company 15 years and give your customers a chance to burn the image into their brains. Even with these tips, it's important for a company to get outside help unless it has in-house designers who have experience with logos as well as the time to devote to the project.

Logo designs form the energy, the feeling and the passion of a business. It's what makes us care. It is more than research and strategy. Good design is exciting - it shouts- it demands that you remember it.

Jennifer is an expert Internet marketing professional with years of experience in various industries such as: Business, Finance, Logo designs Real Estate, Web-Design, Health & Medicine and many more.

Home Building Links

PopularMechanics.com - Home Journal: Home Improvement

Informative articles on automotive technology, car parts, do it yourself repair, and used cars.

Are you interested in relocating to the Florida area or even just buying a new home in the state of Florida? If you are, do you know if you would like to buy a home that is already listed on the Florida real estate market or would you like to have your own home built? If you are interested in having your own home built, you will need to use the services of a new home builder in Florida.

The first step in using the services of a new home builder in Florida is to find a builder to do business with. When it comes to finding a new home builder in Florida to do business with, you will soon see that you have a number of different options. Before you familiarize yourself with those options, you may want to think about what type of new home builder in Florida you want to do business with. For instance, there are some individuals or companies who are referred to as home manufacturers and there are others who are referred to as custom home builders. Custom home builders allow you to take part in the design of your home and home manufacturers tend to only build pre-designed homes.

Once you have decided which type of new home builder in Florida you would like to do business with, you can begin to start searching for a professional. One of the easiest ways to go about finding a new home builder in Florida is by using the internet. Online, there are a number of different approaches that you can take. You can try to find a new home builder in Florida by performing a standard internet search. When performing a standard internet search, it may be a good idea to search with a phrase like Florida home builders, or something else along the same lines. Your search results will likely lead you to the online websites of local Florida home builders.

In addition to performing a standard internet search, you can also use online phone books or online business directories to help you find a new home builder in Florida. The only downside to using these online resources is that the information given to you is minimal. Often times, you will only get the name of a new home builder in Florida, their business address, as well as their business telephone number. This information is similar to what you would find in your local phone book. In fact, you may also want to think about using your local phone book to find a new home builder in Florida.

Although the above mentioned approaches are ways that you can go about finding a new home builder in Florida to do business with, there is an even better way to do so. That way involves using the assistance of a professional real estate expert. A professional real estate expert is often referred to as a buyers broker or a real estate agent. These types of professionals can not only assist you with finding land to build your new home on, but they can also help you obtain the needed financing, as well as a quality new home builder in Florida to do business with.

Laurence Hammond is a writer for New Home Firm . org where you can find accurate information about a New Home Builder in Florida and other related information.

Water Test Kits Help Identify Water Problems

Water test kits are a great way to figure out what kind of unseen substances and contaminants might be swimming in the liquid that comes into your home. Most people use these kits primarily for testing the quality of their drinking fluid. However, others uses, like testing for fluid hardness or for other factors that can have negative effects on gardens, ponds and pools, are also a consideration.

Just having hard liquid can cause a number of problems, both for the people using the fluid and for the piping system or equipment in the house that either moves or uses the water. Water test kits can help you avoid unforeseen problems. Mineral build up is the most common problem that comes along with hard liquid and this can cause problems with clogging and damage to the plumbing system.

Just as there are a variety of assorted reasons why people buy water test kits, there are also a variety of kits available for different specific purposes. Therefore, it is best to know beforehand which of the fluid based issues you need to address. Following are some of the different issues for which you may wish to use a fluid testing kit.

If your laundry is starting to look very dingy, or your laundry detergent does not bubble up well, or your soap or shampoo doesn't lather up nicely, then these could be signs of hard fluid. In this case, you will want to purchase water test kits that are designed to test for the hardness factor of your liquid.

Such tests can be as simple as taking a test strip and dipping it into the water. You should know the results in about 20 seconds, as the test kit will come with a key which will tell you what the test result means. If the test reveals that you do indeed have hard liquid where you live, then you can start to look for equivalent softener solutions to relieve this scenario.

Another common scenario for using water test kits, is to screen for harmful chemicals that may be present in the drinking fluid in your home. For instance, if you have a new baby in the home and you want to mix formula using tap water, you may be concerned that it is not pure and free of chemicals that you do not want in the formula.

While you can easily add a drinking water filter to your kitchen faucet, it may also be a good idea to take the extra step and test the liquid so you know that the type of filter you choose can handle the type of contaminants in the fluid. There are many purity testing kits you can get just for testing drinking liquid quality.

These will warn you if there are particularly high levels of any contaminant and the results will be a valuable guide in choosing the proper house filtration system for your family.

There are water test kits that are designed to be used to test the quality of fluid in aquariums. The primary purpose is to get an indication of the amount of chlorine and ammonia in the liquid since both are harmful to fish. Other kits can be used to test the liquid in spas and pools, and still other tests are useful to test the fluid in various kinds of ponds.

Discover more information about water test kits from Mike Selvon educational portal. We appreciate your feedback at our water filter systems blog.

Big Mold Problems

Young Brits Looking To 'Safeguard Finances Before Starting University'

Young people are taking more steps to secure their financial future, new research has indicated.

In a study carried out by NatWest, a rising proportion of school leavers considering taking a gap year before starting university are looking to use the time to work so they can save money to help alleviate the cost of further education. According to the financial services firm, more than 50,000 new students are set to take on work in the 12 months prior to beginning higher education and will earn some 212 million pounds. This in turn could well help them to manage their money better while at university and foster a better attitude towards applying for and paying back personal loans and other forms of borrowing in later life.

Mark Worthington, head of NatWest Student Banking, said: "It is easy for students to get caught up with the excitement of taking a gap year and forget about what great money-saving opportunities it can present. It is therefore encouraging that young people are thinking ahead and using their gap years as a valuable opportunity to save for their future studies."

Meanwhile, research from the firm also showed that school-leavers are more concerned about the monetary pressures of going to university than they are about getting good grades. Overall, 55 per cent of school leavers believe that they are not adequately prepared financially for higher education, while 17 per cent believe that it will take them more than ten years to pay back their student debts. Those graduating, meanwhile, believe that they will owe an average of 15,000 pounds after leaving university. The study also showed that a third of graduates claim that they would have re-considered about whether to go to university if they knew beforehand about how much debt they would be in.

"As the anticipated cost of university continues to increase and following the recent rise in tuition fees, school leavers are becoming increasingly forward thinking and enterprising during their gap years. They recognise the huge strain that university puts on their finances and are starting to take preventative action," Mr Worthington added.

Meanwhile, research carried out by Halifax earlier this month revealed that a number of parents are set to apply for a secured loan to help their child meet the costs of going to university. According to the financial services firm, just over one in ten (11 per cent) of mums and dads are considering getting such a loan to pay for tuition fees. However, parents living in Northern Ireland particularly have their hearts set on taking out a loan as 24 per cent of those in the principality are prepared to do so in a bid to financially aid their offspring.

The study also showed that one in ten mums and dads are considering remortgaging their home, while 59 per cent are set to raid their savings accounts. Neil Chandler, head of Halifax Unsecured Personal Loans, warned parents that as committing to financially supporting their children can last several years, they should take the time to consider the full impact such a move can have on their own finances.

Abbi Rouse writes for AllAboutLoans.co.uk, an online loans comparison site, visit us today for information on all loan topics including secured loans UK applications and homeowner loans from all leading UK providers.

Landscaping Stairs Made

5 Steps to Building Better Credit

A recent study by PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) found 70% of credit reports contained serious errors or mistakes.

It's a well known fact that having low credit scores costs consumers money. Credit ratings are the No. 1 determinant in a bank's decision to extend or decline credit. If your scores are low but still qualify you for credit, you will undoubtedly pay higher interest rates. Complete recovery may be a long and tedious process, but here are some steps you can take to ease the restoration of an acceptable credit rating.

1. Decrease Your Balance. High balance to limit ratio lowers your credit scores. Pay down your credit cards below 50% of their credit limits. Any revolving debt which balances are 50% or more of their limit reports as being maxed out. Do this and your scores will instantly improve.

2. Maintain Credit History. Do not close old accounts. Credit repositories take into consideration the length of time you have established your credit.

3. Get Secured. Can't qualify for a credit card? A great way to rebuild your credit is to open a secured credit card. This offers the same benefits of a regular card and will also give you the option to convert to unsecured credit in the future. Another great way of re-establishing your credit history is to obtain a savings account secured bank loan. Most banks won't run your credit when you apply for these loans and they rank high in credit scoring. If you have a few hundred in cash on hand, this is an excellent way to establish perfect payment history.

4. Piggyback. If you know someone with a good credit history and score that would be willing to add you to their account, become authorized buyer. This will immediately raise your score.

5. Opt Out. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies are permitted to include your name on lists used by creditors or insurers to make firm offers that are not initiated by you. The FCRA also provides you the right to "Opt-Out:, which prevents Consumer credit Reporting Companies from providing your credit file information for Firm Offer. Opting out at www.optoutprescreen.com has shown to increase scores as much as 15 points.

Blane Russell, President of Eagle River Mortgage. Established in 1997, ERM is now the largest independent brokerage in Idaho. Blane specializes in residential and commercial mortgage solutions. He is also a preferred lender with multiple resort communities across the northwest. His early experience in debt collections has provided a knowledgeable foundation for his continuous efforts in helping consumers repair their credit, gaining back the credit-worthiness they deserve.

Big Mold Problems

Hardwood Flooring-Advantages & Disadvantages

Having constructed a New House, or renovated an Old one most of the People are confronted with a variety of flooring materials to choose. But none will ever come close to the good Old Hardwood which happens to be the best Flooring for more than Hundreds of years. The time has tested many Hardwood Floors laid Centuries ago still keeping very good shape, color, and strength for centuries to come.

Many conventional alternatives to the Hardwood as a Flooring material are relatively new on the Market, and they can never come near the Hardwood Flooring which adds unsurpassed beauty and value to the House as time passes.

When compared to Hardwood Flooring the best next alternative is the Carpet. It has many problems like trapping of dust and dirt in it making cleaning difficult and slowly the carpet start looking bad and aggravates peoples allergies over time. Next choosing a carpet of light color will also create difficulty in cleaning and maintaining. Light color carpets get stained quickly by dropped food or drink, even expensive cleaning products will not help over here.

Its totally different with Hardwood Flooring, because it is easy to clean and maintain irrespective of its color. It is no problem whether it is a light colored or dark colored or any color, the color remains the same in wood for a very long time. Unlike in Carpets and other floor Coverings dirt and stain never stick to Hardwood. Hardwood Floors that also tend to have interesting natural patterns, which are usually much better than the flowery or swirl-patterned carpets they replace. Hardwood is very strong and tough and even if heavy objects are dropped or placed on it, it never gets dent or scratched.

There are disadvantages in using Hardwood Floors too. That is, it is expensive, because only natural materials can be used instead of synthetic ones. It takes time to set Hardwood Flooring in the house as it has to be laid in Strips or Planks. Moreover the Wood loses its shine over time, giving a dull look to the Floor. Sometimes the Hardwood flooring becomes slippery and dangerous to walk on in Socks.

Many people like Hardwood Flooring than other flooring, because there is more advantages than disadvantages. The Hardwood Flooring is the highest quality floor and the Wood you use for the Hardwood flooring must be of the highest quality if not the amount spent to maintain the Floor, will be many times more than the amount saved by going in for a lesser quality Hardwood for the Flooring.

John Gibb is the owner of hardwood flooring sources

For more information on hardwood flooring check out http://www.Hardwood-Flooring-Sources.Info

Homeinspectionmisconceptions

Electric vs Hydronic Radiant Heat

If you've decide warm floors would be nice and you are thinking of installing a radiant heat system, you already know it's not quite that simple. If you've typed radiant heat into Google you may become quickly confused at all of the options. Which is best? Electric radiant heat or hydronic radiant heat. The answer depends on what type of project you are doing.

Each system has a type of installation that it's best suited for. So let's have look at both electric radiant heat and hydronic radiant heat.

Hydronic radiant heat is actually the oldest of the radiant floor heating systems and it still remains the most popular. The system is made up of a boiler or hot water heater, manifolds, pumps, thermostat, pex tubing, and either gypcrete or wood panels.

Although hydronic radiant heat is the most popular it is also the most complex system requiring professionals to both design and install the system. Hydronics can be installed under any flooring type. But the biggest challenge has always been getting the hot water tubing installed in the light concrete bed and sometimes the floor height must be adjusted. Recently there have been some new products that are both lightweight and allow the tubes to be fitted into pre-cut wood panels that make the entire installation much easier.

If you want to heat a small area like a kitchen or bath, then hydronic radiant heat is not always the best choice. This is a cost and complex system that has long-term maintenance and thus is much more suited to installation into a larger area. Smaller areas are more suited to electric radiant heat.

Electric radiant heat is quite often called a line voltage system and they are really gaining in popularity recently and it is perfect for areas up to 300 square feet like kitchens, sunrooms, and bathrooms. The system is made up of heating cable and a thermostat. These systems are considerably less expensive and the way they are installed allows you to lay the install out just how you like it. You can even cover every inch of the floor if you like.

All cable systems have the same effectiveness, which leaves you with examining other elements before you make your choice. Consider warranty as well as how easy the installation process is, and of course price.

One last system, which we'll briefly mention, is the low voltage radiant heat, which is perfect for areas ranging from 300 to 3000 square feet. This is a very low profile system. It's beginning to catch on and one reason it's appealing is the size range it can be used on. It uses a 12" wide wire mesh that looks like the material used in a screen door. The appeal is because it's so thin that it means there is no big problem with having enough clearance or having to install into concrete. Rather the mesh installs directly to the tile, carpet, or hardwood.

Now that you have a lot more information on electric radiant heat and hydronic radiant heat, you are in a much better position to decide what's right for you.

Terry Fitzroy is a professional author and heating specialist with expertise in radiant heating, in-floor heating and radiant floor heating.

Building Your House Help

New Construction Windows

Hello, my name is John Rocco.I grew up around the window and door business. My father owned a glass shop that dealt in every aspect of residential and commercial glass.Naturally, when it came time to choose a profession, i wound up in the window and door business.I have been in the business for about 27 years, and i have been self employed for 20.

One of the things that separated my company from my competitors was my willingness to show my customers how to replace their windows themselves. Whenever i would encounter a customer with a curiosity or willingness to learn how to install their own windows,i would offer to sell them the labor on one window,using them as my helper.Then,they would install the rest of the windows using the knowledge gained from helping me install one.Most window companies would never do this because there is so much money made on the labor.But i was always so busy,i never felt like it was costing me money.

Eventually, i made an installation video for those homeowners who wanted to do their own windows.While the video is for sale on my website, i decided to take excerpts from the video and write an article once a week covering some part of the window replacement project.This article is going to cover the difference between window frames used in new construction homes, and the window frames that are used to replace existing aluminum or wood windows.

When a new home is being built,the windows are nailed to the wood studs that make up the house frame.In order to accomplish this, new construction windows have a fin around all four sides of the frame that rests against the outside of the stud and nails are driven into the studs through the nailing fin. After that,flashing paper is applied to prevent water leaks,then the exterior material is applied. That material can be stucco, brick, siding, etc.

Now,imagine 10 or 20 years later when you want to replace those windows. If you were going to install your replacement windows the same way the original windows were installed, you would have to remove the exterior material around each window in order to get to those nails holding the frame in there. You can see how this procedure could cause many problems, not to mention all the labor involved. I have seen homes in california with stucco exteriors where the homeowner had the stucco cut out in order to remove the old windows.The problem was they were unable to match the stucco colors after patching. Its just not a very efficient way to replace windows. So the replacement frame was designed.

In most parts of the country it's simply a new construction window frame with the nail fin removed. In the west, where stucco is a common home exterior,a retrofit frame was designed. If you're going to be replacing the exterior material on your home, then you might want to consider going with the new construction window since the nailing fins will be exposed anyway. Also, chances are that a contractor will be doing your exterior replacement,and it would be wise to let the contractor install the windows as well.Since my installation videos deal with window replacement only, these articles will focus on replacement frames and retrofit frames. Using these two frame styles,a do it yourselfer can replace their old windows without any damage to existing interior and exterior surfaces. And the job can be done using common tools such as a drill,tape measure, and caulking gun.

In next weeks article,we will discuss the replacement of wood sash windows.

John Rocco has been installing replacement windows since 1978

To learn more, visit http://www.vinylwindowsforless.com

Pressure Treated Lumber

If you are building a deck, retaining wall or a swing set for the kids it is highly likely that your material of choice is pressure treated lumber.

Pressure treated lumber, if installed properly, should provide a 40 year useable life. However, there are some things about pressure treated lumber that you have to know, in order to obtain that life and not have your project fall apart in a few years.

To create pressure treated lumber, raw lumber is impregnated with two waterborne compounds that are copper based chemicals. The amount of copper basically determines the usage and all pressure treated lumber, sold in the US, is supposed to have a tag stapled to the end of the board signifying its pounds of preservative per cubic foot of wood product:

0.25 Above Ground

0.40 Ground Contact

0.60 Permanent Wood Foundation

2.50 Salt Water

Because the lumber is impregnated with Copper, the choice of fasteners becomes very important. When two dissimilar metals come in contact with one another a galvanic reaction is created, the outcome is that the materials corrode and disintegrate. The higher the levels of copper in the lumber the faster that the corrosion will occur.

Although most people realize that they must use corrosion resistant fasteners and connectors many do not consider items such as flashings and light poles that are also in contact with the pressure treated lumber. Of course the best metals to use for fasteners, flashings and anything else that comes in contact with the deck is stainless steel or copper whenever possible. Stainless steel is expensive and copper is not conveniently available at your local lumber supply so the next best material is steel that has been galvanized.

Galvanized fasteners come in different grades (the thickness of the coating), better manufactures mark the box with a G rating. The higher the G rating, the more zinc used. You shouldnt use less than a G-90 rating and engineers are now suggesting the use of G-185. If the box is not marked it is probably a G-60 or less and this will not provide enough zinc coating to prevent galvanization from occurring. Cadmium plated nuts, bolts and screws do not provide any protection from corrosion whatsoever.

Some manufactures have created composite coatings for use with pressure treated lumber. Read the label on the box and make sure that what you are buying is suitable for the job.

Do not use aluminum flashing, deck flashing must be stainless steel, galvanized or copper. Aluminum corrodes very quickly when in contact with copper. This also means that metals items that come in contact with the pressure treated lumber must also be protected, items such as outdoor furniture, and barbeques should have rubber or vinyl feet or wheels.

For additional information on pressure treated lumber for your home or other renovation projects, visit Renovation Headquarters.

Galvanized Pipe Handrail

Step Ladders

Stepladders are ladders with wide steps that are specifically designed to provide foot comfort while climbing or standing. Stepladders are mostly used for painting, repairs, industrial work and household jobs. They come in an A-shape model with either one side having steps or both sides having steps. They are made from steel, wood, aluminum or fiberglass. The steps are lined with corrugated rubber or have slip-resistant texture. Generally, the depth of steps ranges from 3 inches to 10 inches. If the steps fold up, it becomes compact to store the ladder. The foot of the ladder should have slip-resistant molded footpads or rubber cups for better grip. Usually step ladders range from 18 inches to 20 feet height. Stepladders can carry up to 375 lbs of weight, depending on the model.

Some stepladders have a high railing for support at the top and wheels for rolling at the bottom. A few have an adjustable height of about one foot that can be incremented or reduced per requirements. A platform on the stepladder provides an ideal working place to keep tools and materials. Most stepladders can accommodate accessories that can be used while working. The assortment of accessories consists of paint can/bucket hanger, conduit holder, tool holder and ladder caddy. A special type of stepladder that can fold up to the length of a step is known as the Telescopic stepladder. It uses a patented lock and release mechanism for opening and closing the ladder.

Even though stepladders provide a better standing space, they must be used carefully. There should not be any extra loading on the side, since they can easily overturn. Stepladders can be purchased at a hardware store or over the Internet.

Ladders provides detailed information about ladders, pool ladders, boat ladders, step ladders and more. Ladders is the sister site of School Playground Equipment.

Toxic Mold Problems

Buying the Right Ceiling Fans For Your Home

The two primary concerns to address when looking for the right ceiling fans for your home are style and function. A related concern is the quality of the ceiling fans because these fixtures have a wide range of prices available and the price usually reflects the quality.

Even if your home has central air conditioning, ceiling fans can be an attractive, elegant, and cost-saving addition. If your home is constructed with wood as the primary material and you have wooden flooring, ceiling fans with wooden blades that complement the type of wood used as flooring can add a real touch of class. A lighted ceiling fan mounted over the dining room table with wooden blades that match the table can provide the right decorating touch to make the dining experience more comfortable and relaxing. The light breeze generated by the fan can provide additional comfort when you are serving a number of people in a small area such as the dining room.

Ceiling fans can be used throughout the house. In a family or living room they can provide a soft breeze and even additional lighting to make reading or other leisure activities more enjoyable.

Bedrooms are ideal locations for ceiling fans. A soft, comforting breeze can help you relax and fall asleep and can provide an enjoyable experience when you wake up in the morning.

Look in a variety of home and garden magazines for ideas regarding where and how to use ceiling fans throughout your home. Check the Internet for ceiling fan manufacturers websites. Many offer tours though a home that highlight the multitude of uses for ceiling fans. Let creativity and personal taste be your guide when deciding how to equip your home with these elegant fixtures.

Air conditioning provides cooling but it doesnt give you the cool, comforting breeze you get from a ceiling fan. A reversible ceiling fan will provide a cooling effect in the hot summer months and push warm air down from the ceiling in the cold winter months, helping you save on heating costs.

As you survey each room you are considering for a ceiling fan, keep in mind several factors. Make sure the size of the room dictates the blade width of the ceiling fan selected for that room. A lighting store, home center or Internet website that sells ceiling fans will be able to guide you in selecting the right size fan for the square footage of a particular room.

Decide if you need the additional light that is provided by a ceiling fan that includes lighting fixtures. When in doubt, select a fan that has a separate lighting kit available that can be added at a later time should you decide that you need more light.

Check out the ceiling height of the room. Low ceilings will limit the type of ceiling fans you can choose while high ceilings may require some modifications such as a down rod to install the ceiling fan so it is only 7 or 8 feet from the floor.

Make sure that the style of ceiling fan complements the dcor of the room. Ceiling fans come in a wide variety of styles and themes and you should have no trouble narrowing down your options. Finally, seriously consider a fan that can have its rotation reversed. The benefits include better cooling in the summer and better heating in the winter.

Once you have made the necessary decisions with respect to the type of ceiling fan(s) you need, its time to go shopping. There are a number of places that sell ceiling fans. First, there are brick and mortar stores that specialize in lighting. Many carry only one or two brands and this will limit your choices. In addition, lighting stores usually arent large enough to have all the models displayed, which further limits your choices. Also, keep in mind that many lighting stores need to sell at or close to retail in order to pay for the overhead it takes to operate a store.

Finally, you need to be cautious when dealing with salespeople. While many are conscientious and put the customers needs first, there are some that will try to push an overstocked model on you or sell you a fan that gives them a higher commission. On the positive side, when you are dealing with a local brick and mortar store, customer service is usually good and you can often get some pretty good advice from employees that are familiar with these products.

I have mixed feelings about buying ceiling fans from home centers. Many home centers appeal to buyers because they believe that this is the place to get discounts and save money. While this may be true, the quality of the merchandise that is available may be the trade-off.

Home centers often buy in large lots and get a good wholesale discount from the manufacturer. However, many specialize in the lower cost (and perhaps lower quality) fans. The selection is often limited and the expertise of the salespeople is often limited as well. You might get lucky and find just what youre looking for at one of these centers, but my guess is that what they have available will dictate what you will more than likely end up purchasing.

The Internet has some definite advantages when shopping for ceiling fans. It also has some disadvantages. On the positive side, you can find just about every make and model on any number of websites. Because its relatively easy to list an item, many websites display everything the ceiling fan manufacturer has to offer. Most good websites will also provide specifications and other relevant information about each listing.

Being sensitive to the overhead issues at brick-and-mortar stores, some manufacturers and drop shippers who wholesale to websites, add a percentage onto the wholesale prices they offer to make the website pricing somewhat more competitive. Still and all, you can usually get the best price for a specific ceiling fan on a website. Most websites make it easy to buy and many transactions can be finalized in just a few minutes.

On the somewhat negative side, when you are dealing with a website, you have no face-to-face contact with the seller and so that intuitive sense of trust or not to trust is missing. In addition, while most websites have come a long way in trying to build buyer confidence in their integrity and reliability, this is sometimes still a factor.

Also, it may take a week or so to get what you paid for when you order a ceiling fan online.

Customer service is the final issue. When you have a problem, how do you know whether or not the website vendor will be responsive. Make sure there is a telephone number on the website that will allow you to talk to a live person. This will go a long way in building trust and getting problems resolved to everyones satisfaction.

Whatever you decide to do in terms of buying ceiling fan(s) keep in mind that it is a great investment in a whole variety of ways.

LightnBreezy.com is a well-known source for Westinghouse ceiling fans LightnBreezy.com features hundreds of products to choose from. To order your discount ceiling fans visit us at LightnBreezy.com.

Home Remodeling Ideas

Home Improvement Ideas That Won't Break the Piggy Bank

An attractive kitchen is one of the things a person notices and remembers about a home. Rather then spending large amounts of cash having cabinets and surfaces replaced, try picking up new doors and hardware, and maybe a can of wood stain or paint. Old cabinets can be freshened up with a brush and screwdriver in an afternoon for a lot less than a complete overhaul. The same tricks work for appliances which may feature removable plates. New plates can be ordered in different colors or materials. Some may even be reversible already, so if you want to remodel a white kitchen darker you only need to loosen a few screws.

Light fixtures can be changed by following the included directions. Old styles can be made modern in a half hour. Using eco-friendly fixtures can improve a room's attractiveness while adding cleaner light and lowering your electric bill. Doorknobs, handles, and other hardware throughout the house can be retouched for a better look.

Landscaping can be done with nothing more than a hand spade. Local gardeners and groups may meet and share plants. Some species that are commonly used spread, and a neighbor may want to get rid of some beautiful plants. Ask around and improve the outside of your home without having to sell off the furniture inside. If you already do some gardening, check on line for a seed exchange. The price of postage may be all it takes for you to trade vegetable seeds for a tree seedling or a small shrub.

Flooring is normally the realm of experts, but kits exist that are installed over existing floors. Several hundred dollars can be saved by doing the work yourself while getting rid of worn out floors.

If your carpet is looking used but you can't afford to lay new carpeting, rent a shampooer and purchase the cleaning agents for it. Using it in a high traffic room can put new life into it and put off replacement.

Adding a new toilet seat in the bathroom and a few new towels can give a newer look to you bathroom. Replace chipped tiles around your bathroom and clean the group to complete the look. A new sink may not be difficult for a DIY-er to handle either.

Hiring a professional to inspect your home and take care of small repairs can be a good thing as well. When small details like wiring and water fixtures are reseated and touched up it tells visitors that you care about your home. The price of a pro for a few hours may be more than enough to make up for the equipment and tools you would have to purchase yourself.

Watch your front door. A loose handle and cracking paint around it will be the first thing to greet visitors. Adding stronger fixtures, a new light kit, or paint to the frame can do wonders for the image of your home. Metal frames can be painted over as well, without requiring a new frame.

New curtains on your windows present a better image. Anyone driving by can see your windows so if the colors are off or they are getting tatty, just hanging a new set will make everyone feel better.

If you don't have enough space for a proper garden behind your home, consider flower boxes. Installing them underneath a window is easy and small flowers growing inside them makes a home warmer. If you enjoy cooking you can install one near the kitchen as a boxed herb garden.

TC Thorn writes home and garden and remodeling articles for Home Improvement Ideas Visit the bathroom remodeling and kitchen remodeling sections for more ideas.

Front View Of Wood Siding Bell
Architecturalstairs

Home Improvement Contractor Is He Qualified

I am a general contractor in the state of Michigan. In other words I fix, build, or remodel anything pertaining to residential homes. The purpose of this article is to inform home owners about a growing problem in the construction/remodeling industry. That problem is the increasing numbers of unqualified individuals that are entering the field.

Due to the struggling economy and recent lay offs, many conversations around the kitchen table go something like this: What are we going to do now Jane? Well John, you helped my brother roof his house that one time and you fixed the door on our shed and you like working around the house...why dont you put an ad in the paper as a roofer or a carpenter? Hey Jane, thats a great idea. I can get business by offering a really low price. Yea, that's what Ill do!

Now I feel for a guy that is out of work. I really do. But when an unqualified individual decides "hey I'll be a contractor", all to often this results in nothing but trouble for the customer. What happens if John falls off the roof or drops his hammer on the hood of your brand new car? Is he insured?

What about warranties? If he says I will guarantee this roof wont leak for 5 years, and then it does, will he still be in business? Statistics say no. As a matter of fact, most of the people entering into business today will not be in business 1 year from now, much less 5 years from now.

Of course there is the most important question: does he know what hes doing? Does the fact that John helped his brother roof a house make him a qualified roofer?

There are insurance considerations as well. For example, lets say a home owner hires an individual that is not licensed to install a new furnace in his home. If the furnace starts a fire and burns the house down, some insurance companies will deny the claim. The reason is since there is no record of a permit(which there would not be as an unlicensed individual can not obtain a permit) they assume that the furnace could have been installed incorrectly. Now a home owner is left with a huge loss and all because they wanted to save a few bucks on the installation.

Do yourself a favor and stick with a pro. If you conduct a proper contractor interview, then you know that you are going to get a quality job by a licensed and insured individual who offers a warranty..and honors it. If you are not sure how to conduct a proper contractor interview, you can find information on this and other subjects at my web site.

My name is R. Paul Phillips. I am a co owner of Tanner-Phillips Properties, which is a new construction/remodeling business in Lansing, Mi. I have a free home improvement information website located at http://www.greater-lansing-home-improvement.com While my site is tailored for the Lansing area, the majority of the information is useful to anyone interested in home improvement tips, product reviews, how to screen contractors......etc. I also have a contact page so you can ask questions specific to your project.

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