Removal of Asbestos Garages Or Corrugated Asbestos Roofing Sheets

There is a common misconception that only a licensed removal agency or local authority can remove your tired asbestos garage.

If you are contemplating replacement of your present prefabricated garage then it is very likely that this building contains asbestos cement or Chrysotile ('white asbestos'). Asbestos cement normally contains from about 5% of white asbestos by weight.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which was used within the concrete garage sector up until the late 1980s. Modern concrete garages no longer contain asbestos within their roof structure preferring to use reinforced cement fibre. Neither material can be identified by any markings and only chemical analysis will prove that asbestos is present. Dedicated asbestos skips are available but are extremely costly since they are designed to be secure and lockable and their tipping rate is by weight so you will be paying asbestos rates for all the wood, steel and concrete placed inside the container.

The mere presence of asbestos does not necessarily create a health risk and the removal of asbestos cement sheets is not governed by any regulatory body although it is strongly recommended that you/your appointed contractors adheres to safe working methods.

Thoroughly douse the material before starting work. You are advised to introduce a suitable wetting agent such as washing-up liquid, into the water before saturation.
Operatives are recommended to wear RPE/PPE (Respiratory/Personal Protective Equipment) to protect from inhalation of dust particles.
Avoid breaking asbestos panels unnecessarily but if this is necessary continue to wet down the area that you are working.

Many suppliers of concrete sectional buildings can offer the service of removal of your old asbestos garages at a reasonable rate.

Background: The author has almost 20yrs retail experience in the concrete garage trade. As well as advising on the most suitable building per application advice is also tendered on groundwork preparation and all aspects of planning and building control. The writer resides in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK and operates from one of the regions largest concrete garage showrooms. See their WebPages at http://www.4concretegarages.com

Problems With Black Mold

Can You Help Us with Your Remodeling Experience

To would appreciate any home remodeling tips for ideas that you have that could help other homeowners, building contractors and other people involved in home remodeling. Post all your comments below.

Home Carpet Books
Landscaping Books

How to Repair Vista Registry?

We're all familiar with a computer's File System; the hierarchy of drives, directories, and individual files that organize the programs on a computer. Have you ever wondered though how all of the files know how to relate to one another? Well, there's also a massive hierarchy of commands and instructions that governs how a computer acts. It tells programs how to relate to one another, where to find resources, how to interact with hardware, and how to display user preferences This command structure is the Registry. It's similar to the File System except, instead of files, it has instructions. These Instructions are called Registry Entries.

With all of the commands and priorities being held in the Registry, it's easy to see how having an unclear set of instructions can cause problems. What if you've got two Registry Entries that give a program conflicting commands? What if you have a program that needs to access certain resources, but the Registry doesn't know where to find them? When these things happen the result is a host of applications that don't know how to behave. When Registry Entries become unnecessarily altered, removed, or duplicated, it causes problems. The entries at fault are said to be corrupted.

When a program is uninstalled, it usually leaves Registry entries behind. Those entries have no purpose, but they linger on. If a newer version of the program is later executed, it puts a duplicate entry into the Registry. Later, when it accesses that command, it doesn't know which instruction to follow, the old one or the new one. Hence, the normal acts of installing and un-installing software adds errors to the Registry. Adding and removing hardware, changing user settings, adjusting user profiles, all of these day-to-day actives create a cumulative littering effect in the Registry.

To correct Registry Errors you have to not only be able to detect them, but to also determine which superfluous entries are actually causing harm. ErrorFix was designed to take the guess work out of Registry analysis. It's advanced scanning engine can assess the extent of any Registry Corruption as well as the best way to fix it. Its cleaning engine then repairs the mis-matched or mis-directed entries in seconds.

For more Windows Vista Registry Repair information and downloads see our web site at www.vistaregistryrepair.org.cn

l love healthy life.

How to Prevent Roof Ice Build-up From Causing Major Damage to Your House This Winter

You've seen it many times - a mass of heavy ice collecting at the eaves of a roof. But did you ever wonder why these hazardous (and dangerous) ice masses and icicles form? The answer is simple: Trapped heat in your attic melts the snow on your roof. The melting snow then trickles downward to the edges of the roof and re-freezes, over and over again, continually adding more ice mass, and eventually results in extreme havoc to the structure of your roof. You might not know the extent of the damage until it is way too late: Damage such as warping and detachment of eave troughs, fascia board warping, roof wood rot, and melting ice leaking into your house resulting in drywall and plaster stains. Why does this happen? You might be surprised by the answer. The power of ice is tremendous. When water freezes it expands and creates a huge force that pushes against anything in its way. This unstoppable force can bend steel like bubble gum. Imagine this huge level of pressure pushing against soft materials such as wood, aluminum, asphalt shingles, or bricks, concrete, and stone walls (all easy prey for ice dams). Clearly, the damage could be enormous.

What is the answer? Here it is: The only lasting solution to prevent roof ice damming is proper roof ventilation. Why? Because proper roof ventilation removes the trapped heat in your attic (the very heat that causes ice dams) and studies prove that a cool attic during winter stops the thaw/re-freeze cycle and thus stops the melting snow from re-freezing at the roof edges. But how does roof ventilation specifically prevent ice damming? The answer is to create an attic temperature that is close or the same to the temperature outside of the attic using specific roof/attic ventilation procedures such as soffit roof ventilation and ridge roof ventilation. Let's expand on these two types of roof ventilation. Soffit ridge ventilation is a system of openings along the perimeter of your roof. These openings are referred to as intake vents. Their purpose is to allow air to easily enter the underside of your roof which will then travel skyward to the top of your roof directly beneath the roof boards. Ridge ventilation (at the top of your roof) will now complete the process. Ridge ventilation is a continuous vent that is installed along the entire ridge (or top) of your roof, referred to as exhaust vents.

Using the wind, ridge ventilation pulls air out of the attic using an energy-free power source, namely Mother Nature. Wind creates a negative pressure that effectively pulls a constant stream of new air into the soffit vents, along the entire surface of the attic roof boards, and is then expelled out through the ridge vents. The outcome is substantial. With fresh air constantly being pumped throughout your roof's attic spaces, any trapped heat is removed. When this heat is removed, the temperature of your attic becomes close or equal to the outside temperature. The result is no melting snow that will dribble down and re-freeze at the eaves of your roof. As a final word of advice, be sure that the ridge vent is baffled. A baffle is simply a small curve on the ridge vent itself that creates the negative pressure that sucks the trapped heat out of your attic much more efficiently than ridge ventilation without baffles. Without this baffle, the effect will be minimal. Lastly, the ratio of soffit and ridge ventilation should be 50/50 for optimal results, meaning 50% soffit intake, and 50% ridge exhaust.

William Woolsey is the owner of Brookside Roofing and a Roofing/Attic Ventilation Specialist Serving Toronto Home Owners for Twenty-Five Years. Brookside Roofing Offers Residential Roofing Services for Asphalt, Slate Tiles, and Cedar Shake Roofs.

Stud Spacing And Wall Framing

Shed Maintenance

Once your new garden shed has pride of place in your garden it is a mistake to just assume that your shed will withstand whatever the elements throw at it without showing signs of wear and tear.If however you decide to invest a little time and effort with minimal cost you can save yourself from the hassle of having to replace your shed early.

The wooden shed you purchase is usually supplied completely untreated except from the floor joists,it is highly recommended that you treat your shed within 2 weeks of it being installed.Treatments are available in a wide range of colours; remember however that the resulting colour will vary according to which kind of timber your shed is made from.If you are overly concerned or wish your shed to match existing wood such as a fence or patio set, it is wise to test the treatment on an inconspicuous area and check the colour result when dry.

When selecting the treatment for you shed check that the one you select is suitable for panelled wood and not intended for sawn timber.When actually applying the treatment make sure that all corners and crevices are coated with the treatment by using a stippling technique, this will prevent any moisture from seeping in.

As timber is a natural material it will alter with changes in humidity and temperature, if the weather remains consistently dry for a long period of time cracks will appear between the wooden boards.These cracks normally disappear when the weather returns to normal and cannot really be avoided.These small cracks do not affect the static load bearing capacity of the shed.

If you notice gaps appearing between the boards of the shed this can be a tell tale sign of bolts being over tightened during the sheds assembly.Loosen the bolts to prevent the problem recurring and using a mallet and wooden block tap the boards back into the correct position.Another possible cause of gaps between the shed boards is that the timber has been prevented from moving naturally, this would occur if fixtures are installed within the shed.

When treating your shed ensure that you treat the windows and doors as the function of these can be severely affected by humidity and changes in temperature.If the weather conditions are wet the timber will expand and if the conditions are dry the timber will contract, which can result in annoying ill fitting doors and windows.

It is recommended that treatment be carried out annually unless the treatment you use suggests otherwise.When carrying out your annual maintenance routine do not neglected the roof of your shed which is usually covered in felt.Roofing felt is affected by changes in temperature as well as any movement; these changes often result in a rippling effect but do not in any way reduce the effectiveness of the roofing felt.

Making sure you carry out maintenance of you shed may be a bind but a well cared for shed will function without any problems for many, many years.It is similar in some respects as looking after your trusty vehicle, if you don't bother with maintenance you will simply run it to the ground.It will cost you more money and you will end up buying a new one anyway.

Jenny Austin is an expert in Sheds, for further information on how to choose your Wooden Shed, or which Garden Shed service to choose please visit beastsheds.co.uk.

Painting Metal Siding

Sunroom Design - Plans And Ideas For A Do It Yourself Sunroom

So you have decided to add a sunroom enclosure to your home. Now what? Where do you start? Here are some great tips for how to get started on your sunroom design and plans.

The first thing you should do once you have decided to add a sunroom enclosure is to set a budget. How much money do you want to spend for this home improvement project? Research sunroom prices. Be sure that your estimates include costs that are often overlooked the windows, the flooring, the roofing, and the money you must pay a sunroom contractor if needed.

Get ideas. Look at pictures of sunrooms to help you decide exactly what you want. Do you want a formal room or a more casual atmosphere? Decide on a plan that will fit your needs.

Select a sunroom plan. There are many plans available, and you need to select one that is suitable to your budget and to your needs. Consider the size of the area you are looking to build a sunroom and find the sunroom design that will be enough space. Look at the prices versus the space you get. For example, what is the price difference of a design that has 50 extra square feet?
Would the difference in cost be worth the extra space, or is the sunroom design that is 50 less square feet enough? For a great list of questions to consider before selecting a design, check out this website:

Finally, begin construction. If this isnt going to be a do it yourself (DIY) sunroom, hire a contractor and get a date set for construction to begin.

Create the perfect indoor/outdoor living area with a great sunroom design Learn more about sunrooms including information about sunroom windows, furniture, and more. Click on the link to get all the facts and info today at http://www.need-info.com/sunroom

Painting A French Door

How to Prepare Your Home "For Sale"

The first thing you need to do is decide that this is no longer your home and de-personalize your home. By packing up things you solve two things. You begin the de-cluttering and making your home look like a model home and you get a head start on your packing. Here is a list of things to do:

Take down all your family photos, buyers need to be able to imagine themselves living in the home.

Repair any holes from the hanging photos and be sure you repaint those repairs with matching paint, if it was flat paint use flat, glossy, use glossy--it is easy to see repairs if not done correctly.

De-clutter your home by removing unnecessary knick knacks, pack them up and store them in a rented storage facility or neatly in the garage.

Clear counter tops including, kitchen, baths, dressers and tables.

Clean out closets and give away or garage sale unnecessary items and have cabinets and closets neatly arranged--top to bottom.

Dust everything and keep it dusted, high shelves and air vents as well as baseboards often get forgotten. A clean and well maintained home makes the buyer see that you have taken good care of the home and they realize unseen things are probably well taken care of too.

Let's Talk about Paint

Although you and your family may love the various colors in your home buyers want to be able to see the home with neutral colors so they can re-paint or decorate to their liking. Many buyers just can't see past the loud colors and although it is easily changed want a home that is ready to move into without a lot of changes. Fresh paint also cleans up the walls and baseboard to a brand new condition. Don't forget to check the exterior paint as well, including any wood trim for rot and discoloration.

Repairs and Cleaning:

Repair leaky faucets

Doors that squeak or don't close properly and don't forget drawers as well.

Replace cracked tiles

Re-paint or replace rusty screen doors.

Repair broken shutters and chipped walls.

Replace light bulbs and be sure they are clean.

Replace worn out linens on beds, windows and decorative towels.

Wash all your windows; make them sparkle, inside and out.

Clean everything top to bottom, baths, kitchen, all rooms

Keep floors clean and vacuumed daily

Keep all beds made and laundry and toys put away

Caulk any tubs, showers or sinks that need it.

Clean out your refrigerator

Ceiling fans need to stay clear of cobwebs and dust

Litter boxes should NOT be in the home

Pet odors MUST be eliminated

First Impressions:

When a prospective buyer comes to the home they usually have a minute or longer to stand outside your door and look around while the real estate agent is getting the key and unlocking the door. You must give the best first impression possible so they don't make up their minds before entering.

Freshly paint the front door if needed, minimally keep it clean.

New handles if they are looking worn.

Fresh pot of floors by the front door is a great first impression.

Clean/new welcome mat

Front landscaping should be maintained throughout the home selling process. Make it jump out and look the best it can, green grass, flowers, trimmed foliage, swept walkways etc.

If you know you are having a showing it is also a good idea to bake some fresh cookies, the smell will feel like home and your guests would love a plate left out for them to munch, it also tends to keep them in the home a little longer.

In general, your home should look as much like a model home as possible, guests can easily maneuver through rooms so they don't feel cramped and having minimal furniture makes rooms look larger. In a model home you only see decorative items and everything is clean and smells fresh. Odors are the biggest no no's in showing a home.

Nancy Niblett is a highly successful Real Estate Agent specializing in the Gilbert and Mesa areas of Metro Phoenix. She credits her success to hard work, integrity and honesty. Clients continue to refer her over and over again. Nancy is one of the most successful award-winning agents with Keller Williams Realty, East Valley. She was awarded the Silver Top Producing individual agent in 2004, Double Gold individual in 2005 and the annual Spirit and Integrity award in 2005 and 2006. Her most cherished moment was bestowed on her in 2006, the Regional "Culture" award, which is the highest attainable honor given.

In 2006 and 2007 she received the Silver Top Producing Individual Award and the Association of Realtors Presidential Multi-Million Dollar Producer Club Award for the past 7 years straight. For several years she has been part of the Agent Leadership Council. She has served as the Chairperson for the KW Cares Charity Organization and has raised thousands of dollars for Hurricane Katrina victims as well as for Make-a-Wish Foundation and other charities.

Check out her Gilbert Property Listings or Mesa Property Listings on the internet.

Window Screen Repair Video

Great video on how to repair a window screen.

This video was made possible by Greg Vanden Berge who is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Religious Education And Fear

Understand Major Parts to a Home Insurance Policy

When you are out in the market looking to buy a house, monthly mortgage is not the only item for budgeting your monthly cash outflow. In addition, you have to pay for property tax, house maintenance and maybe some repair, and most importantly, your home insurance.

Your house, needless to say, is the roof over your head. Fire, storms, floods and other natural and not so natural disasters can happen and they do happen. You must be prepared for those times. And that means an adequate home insurance policy.

Might want to be discrete

Here's how to make sure you get the right coverage. While plans may vary from insurer to insurer, a standard homeowner's policy generally has some distinct components to it.

You might not want to get all kinds of insurance that I have mentioned here, but it is better to feel safer now, knowing that you are adequately protected, than feel sorry later. If it can happen to people in a far away land, it can happen to any of us living anywhere.

Word of caution

Every kind of insurance has to be explicitly stated. What is covered and for how much? There should be no ambiguity whatsoever in any statement and you must understand it. If not, then hire a reliable and trustworthy lawyer, with good and established references, to go over the policy with you.

Shop around

When buying a policy, be sure to shop around, since prices can vary considerably.

• For starters, check in with the insurer that covers your car. Companies often give discounts to consumers with multiple policies.

• Check in with neighbors and ask them about the company they use and how satisfied they have been with the service they have received.

• Go to a large Web site like InsWeb.com or Insure.com, to compare policies and prices.

Insurer's background check

When you have a few reasonable quotes, do a background check. Ask the companies what kind of ratings they have from the leading firms like Standard & Poors or Weiss . And remember, it's not all about the bottom line. If a company takes months to process your claim or is in financial trouble, a price break may not be worth it.

Structure insurance

Some say this is the most important coverage that you must have.

• Physical damage It covers physical damage to the structure of your house from fire, storms and other disasters.

• 100% rebuild-cost The best thing you can do is to insure your home for 100 percent of what it would cost to rebuild it. In the case of fire, if the house is destroyed completely to the ground and it has to be rebuilt, you will then have adequate funds.

• Determine rebuild-cost To determine what that amount would be, hire a local builder who can give you an estimate. Some Home Depot and Lowe's stores might be able to help you determine the rebuild-cost.

• Books & Software In addition, Craftsman has Try it/Buy it software that you can download as well as a book-series for building and rebuilding.

Contents insurance

Most plans will also cover the cost of replacing your personal belongings if they are stolen or lost in a fire or other insured disaster. The standard coverage limit is equal to 50 percent of the value of the structure of your home.

To make sure this is adequate, make a detailed list of the contents of your home, including furniture, clothing, tools and appliances. Or you can download software from Insurance Information Institute's free home inventory software.

Flood insurance

Homeowners insurance does not provide coverage for flood damage. But you must have flood protection, if you live near one of these areas:

• Riverbank
• Ocean
• Low-lying area - near a creek
• Other similar areas

Most companies that sell homeowners insurance also sell flood insurance, so try contacting your own insurance company for more information.

Federal flood insurance is available to communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. You can purchase a policy directly from your insurer. If you are not sure what your risk may be, you can assess it at the government's flood insurance program's site.

Also, make sure you are covered for earthquake damage as well.

Liability insurance

A standard policy covers you in three ways.

• Other people's property It covers damage to other people's property. If your son accidentally throws a ball through your neighbor's window, your policy will cover the cost of the damages.

• Personal liability It covers personal liability. If someone sues you or the courts find that you are legally responsible for someone else's injury or property damage, your policy pays for both the cost of defending you in court and any court awards - up to the limit of your policy.

• Medical expenses It also covers medical expenses for injuries suffered by others. If a friend or neighbor is injured in your home, he or she can simply submit medical bills to your insurance company.

Disaster living insurance

Should a fire or any other insured calamity destroy your home and force you to leave, your plan will cover your expenses.

In general, this coverage includes hotel bills, restaurant meals and rental car bills. Many policies provide coverage equal to about 20 percent of the coverage on your house.

Auto insurance

If you are ever in an auto accident that is the result of your negligence, all of your assets - including your home - could be subject to liability claims if the claims exceed the liability limits of your auto insurance policy.

• You should re-evaluate the existing liability limits on your auto insurance policy to make sure that you have adequate coverage to protect your home.

• Personal Umbrella Liability Policy Talk to your insurance agent about separate umbrella liability policy. In general, the personal umbrella policy is excess liability insurance that provides protection that is over and above that provided by auto, home, and boat insurance. People with significant assets need an umbrella liability policy to cover lawsuits that can sometimes amount to millions of dollars.

Disability insurance

Would you be able to make your monthly mortgage payments if you were unable to work due to an accident or illness? A disability insurance policy will pay you a monthly benefit to replace a portion of your income until you are able to work again.

Many employers provide disability insurance for their employees. If your employer does not offer disability insurance or if you are self-employed, you can purchase an individual disability policy.

Life insurance

What if you were to die before your mortgage was paid off? Would your family be able to keep up with the remaining mortgage payments? Life insurance can provide your family with the funds to pay off their debts, as well as replace a portion of your income.

While many employers offer some level of life insurance coverage to their employees, this amount of coverage may not be enough to provide financial security to your family.

Deductibles

Go for a high deductible. A policy with a $1,000 deductible will be considerably less than one with a $500 one, and the odds are that you will not be making many small claims.

Discounts

Be sure to ask your insurer about discounts. If you have protected your home by installing smoke detectors, an alarm system or fire retardant roofing material, you may qualify for a lower premium - but you have to ask. In addition, if you are over 55 and retired, you may be able to get a price break since mature individuals are considered a lower risk.

Keep your policy up to date

If you remodel your kitchen, buy an expensive new painting, or add a new wing to your home, let your insurer know and adjust your coverage accordingly. But if your home's market value falls, don't rush to lower your coverage. The cost to rebuild will probably not change.

In a Nutshell

Any kind of insurance is for future protection - yours and your family's. Do research. Obviously, you have access to the Internet. Use your favorite search engine to search for all kinds of insurance. Educate yourself before you talk to your insurance agent.

This article is brought to you by http://www.mywebsiteworkout.com/personal-finances/

Advantages Framing With Steel

Investor Credit Repair Coach Explains The Golden Account

The Most Essential Key to an 850 Credit Score

The most common mistake that even the most savvy investor makes is closing unused accounts. This can impair them from ever reaching an 800 or higher credit score. You should almost always leave open older accounts because they may be what we call "Golden accounts."

The Coveted Golden Revolving Account

The big difference between a 700 credit score and an 800 credit score is usually the length of time the revolving accounts (i.e. credit cards) have been open. Once you have an account that has been open for 7 years or more you should never close it. This is because that account will help you achieve an 800 credit score. One of the most effective credit raising strategies is to obtain two to four Golden Revolving Accounts in your credit report.

Too Many Open Revolving Accounts Can Hurt

This is where it can get a little confusing. If you have too many open revolving accounts (credit cards) in your credit report and you already hold four Golden Accounts, you can close those cards (revolving accounts) that have been opened the most recently. In addition, you need to always hold on to at least one bank or national credit card open with your file.

To say it in simpler terms: The only occasion that you should start closing credit cards is when you just show too many but you also have 4 or more Golden Accounts and 1 or a couple national or bank credit cards to show valuable credit once the frivolous cards are closed.

Home Buddies is a investor credit repair coach for real estate investors. Home Buddies develops and implements a customized strategy to improve credit and builds a business development strategy to help investors or homeowners overcome obstacles to financing real estate and growing their portfolio.

Rusted Electrical Box Exterior

Where to Find Obsolete Appliance Parts

As the economic recession deepens, more and more people are becoming reluctant to buy new appliances. They would rather have their old ones repaired and re-done than by replacing them with new and more expensive units. During this trying time, any suggestion to save money will be most welcome. For broken home appliances, submitting it to necessary repairs will come to mind. However, the option to repair broken home appliances poses some problems. Of course, having sufficient skills in doing repair is an advantage; it certainly yields huge savings by becoming free from repair costs and for being able to paid repair services for other people. But sometimes, broken appliances would need its worn, blown and damaged parts replaced. This is actually not a problem for more recent appliance models. However, whatever happens if the replacement parts needed are already obsolete?

In many cases, broken down appliances are caused by a single blown or damaged part. Naturally, that part will be discovered as the repairman thoroughly examine how far the damage has got into the appliance. Although he is skilled enough to salvage that appliance, he will need to have the damaged part replaced to fully restore its mechanisms. Without a replacement part, any repair attempt will be like a 'house of cards going down'. Unless that part is supplied, the appliance will be rendered beyond salvage. And the problem triples if that single part is found to be obsolete.

So what exactly is an obsolete part? What makes a part obsolete?

For a specific model of a home appliance, such as refrigerators, televisions and washing machines, is usually assembled from a unique set of parts and system of mechanisms. These components are the secret to its powerful cooling, cleaning and other functional mechanisms; claiming advantage over its competition. Appliance manufacturers normally put their appliances under a series of performance tests, which help determine or estimate service life of their appliances. That span of time also allows them to determine for how long they will need to manufacture spare parts for those appliance models. Once the manufacturers stop producing spare parts for a particular model of appliance, its parts will be rendered as obsolete.

In some cases, a well maintained appliance outlives its estimated service life. With that, certain problems will be faces once they start stalling. Very old appliances usually have obsolete parts. This makes it harder for a handy man or repair man to locate an exact part replacement for the damaged parts. Unless an exact part replacement is found, the repairs needed by a broken appliance will never be completed.

Where to shop

For years now, the internet has become extremely helpful in locating hard-to-find trinkets. With that, it has extended help in locating obsolete parts. There are a number of websites that feature stocks and listings of obsolete appliance parts. Collectively, these websites have created a helpful inventory on the surplus parts of very old appliance models. All you need to do is determine the part number of the replacement part that you needed to make the search easier. Antique parts are no exception. For very very old part models, replacements can be found on specialty online shopping stores or even in auction sites. Now, finding those obsolete switches, light bulbs, gears, and other machine pieces is made easier. You are only but a few mouse clicks away to finding the obsolete parts that you are looking for. All you need to do is mark your purchase's shipment date and wait for the package to be delivered right at your doorstep.

Eric Stein is the eCommerce manager for Midwest Appliance Parts, which specializes in helping people find the appliance parts they need to cost effectively repair their appliances by themselves. MAP has a huge inventory of new appliance parts for all the latest models and also obsolete appliance parts. So next time your machine has a problem, save time and money by starting your search for appliance parts at Midwest Appliance Parts! http://MidwestApplianceParts.com

Stucco Paint Water Damage

Post Your Ideas Here On Deck Building

Do you have any ideas for building or repairing wood decks . We would love to hear from you in the comment area. Any useful comments that you can make on deck construction or deck building will help our blog readers.

Home Electrical Books
Home Building Books

Bathroom Remodel Budget In Vista California

As a bathroom remodeling contractor, I get calls from people, that have no idea what they want or how much anything is going to cost. Here's some simple tips that can be very helpful when planning a bathroom remodel budget.

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

In 2008, the average mid-range bathroom cost around $16,000 and you could recoup around $12,000 of your original investment upon the sale of your home. According to a popular remodeling magazine, larger bathrooms using expensive fixtures, tile, bathtubs, woodworking, toilets and showers had an average of $52,000. Upon the sale of a home, you could recoup around $36,000 of your original investment.

Finding out How Much Things Cost

My first suggestion, would be to visit your local home improvement center, lumber yard or plumbing supply warehouse. Larger stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, seemed to provide you with value pricing but don't have a large selection. While doing some research on the Internet I noticed that some of their pricing is outrageously, outrageous. Some plumbing supply warehouses can provide value but beware others won't.

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

You can get a good idea of your bathroom remodel costs for your budget by making a list of bathroom parts with pricing and then adding them up for a grand total. If you're a total bathroom remodel budget is $15,000 and you have a $6,000 bathtub with $4000 worth of tile, you could have a budget problem.

Figuring out the Labor

You will have to contact a contractor to get an actual cost for the labor. Sometimes you can double the cost of your bathroom remodeling parts to get a rough idea. If you have a list or a couple of lists and a few pictures of some sample bathrooms, this will make the contractor's job easier and often they can give you a labor price within a few days.

Give Yourself a Cushion

I would suggest leaving yourself a small financial cushion for any additional remodeling items. For example, you could see a different toilet, or instead of painting the walls, you now choose to wallpaper, you could incur additional expenses that you haven't planned for. If you know exactly what you want and stick to the original bathroom remodeling plan, you shouldn't need the cushion.

Financial problems often transfer into construction problems, so spend some time figuring out, how much money you want to spend on the bathroom remodel and try not to go overboard on the budget. I hate to see homeowners struggling with home improvement loan payments. Try to create a bathroom remodeling budget that is realistic and will not create a financial burden upon you or your family.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

Mold On Sub Floor Block
Wet Insulation Paper

The Best Upgrades For Your New Home

Upon the purchasing of the home, you are likely to purchase many other items that will go into the home. Some of the items are permanent fixtures, some are removable. Those items that are removable are typically furniture, lights, rugs and more.

When you are looking to finance items in order to cover costs into your home, you need to think about it carefully. Any time you finance something, you are actually going to be paying more for that item rather than paying for it outright with cash. Being that you will be paying interest rates on these items, they need to be able to hold their weight in that respect.

For instance, if you need to fix things around the home, make sure you are financing costs that are associated with just that. There is no need to finance items such as a couch into your home loan. You will be paying for that couch 100 times over by the time the interest and the years get tacked on to it. Meanwhile, the couch that you financed into your home is not making your home any money. This means, it is not increasing the resale on the value of your home. A couch and such items should never be assumed in financing.

Items such as cabinets, flooring and roofing are all items that are perfectly acceptable to add into the financing of the home. These are all items that are adding to the homes actual physical structure. When that is done, the home is actually increasing in value. This makes perfect sense; for when you resale the home, it is now bringing in profit to pay for itself and possibly more.

If you need assistance in purchasing home decorations and furniture, a much more sensible approach to covering those costs is to put it on a credit card. If you do not have a credit card that is high enough in limit, you can take out a loan. This loan is different than your mortgage because it is weighted less and not added to a large amount already existing. It will act as its own separate entity and payment. Doing it this way will ensure it does not affect the equity in your home negatively.

Some good improvements to increase the value of your home that will pay for themselves are outlined below:

1. New roof: A new roof on a home ensures that the home is protected well. A roof is an important aspect of a home. A newly replaced roof is a big plus on a home when you are looking to sell it.
2. Cabinets: Upgraded cabinets are a great investment in a home. Many people are very partial to upgraded cabinets and can be the difference between one house and the next. Kitchen upgrades have always been a win-win situation when looking to increase the value of the home.
3. Bathroom Upgrade: This is possibly one of the easiest, quickest and most effective.
4. Flooring: Adds a great touch to the whole home at a reasonable cost.

Learn more about the Alaska Real Estate market or search Anchorage Real Estate on Ryan Tollefsen's Alaska Real Estate web site.

Turnkey Website: Turn The Key & Earn The Benefit

There are many people who are making website and getting online to sell their produces. This has been a great business for many people who are in the field of Internet business. But what about the people who dont know how to create website and get online or who dont know how to access an Internet but want to get into the online business. I know the confusion starts from here for most of the people. But not to worry because that is the place where the term Turnkey is applied.

A turnkey website is mainly meant for e-commerce and shopping website building. It is basically a website that takes just a single day to build the whole website and made the entire online business opportunity easy and simple. Remember, just a single day! With the help of turnkey website, you can quickly establish your site from day one as creditable and professional. You dont have to worry about any part of its designing, development and hosting. All you have to do is to approach for a turnkey.

A turnkey website is sold as a completely functional, operating site with hosting and pre- installed interactive script for forms, shopping cart (products, images, description and prices), affiliate programs etc. All the buyers need to do is to turn the key and earn the benefit. In other words with turnkey you are ready to do business in the field of e-commerce.

Turnkey website solutions are becoming more and more popular for webmasters who would like a customized website, without having to do it themselves. Until turnkey solutions were brought about, webmasters were faced with the problem of hiring coders to privately customize their pages for their website. And, the services of a professional coder can be very expensive, the cost of paying someone to customize a website can be anywhere very costly. A customized website done this way can cost a few thousand dollars at best.

However, the turnkey website also enables you to harness the power of word of mouth promotion form the visitors of your site and generate the free traffic and free one way links to your site. It does not involve any costly network to support and there is no need of expensive technology staff to hire. Therefore, the whole infrastructure and technology of your business starts with a very low expense and comes under your budget.

Today, Turnkey websites are the hottest selling items on the Internet. With this there is no longer a question of worry about all the issues that comes along with setting up a website, such as where/how to host the site. You just need to turn the key and earn the benefit.

REPRINT RIGHTS statement: This article is free for republishing by visitors provided the Author Bio box is retained as usual so that all links are Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.

Author Rajesh Srivastava is associated with website builders. Turnkey Websites Provider provides complete website designs solution.

High Tech Solution to Calculate Construction Costs

If you are planning to build a house, then the first thing you have to do is to calculate construction costs. Although you can easily ask for estimates from builders and contractors, it is still best if you can determine the actual expenses of materials you will use for the project.

Here is a high tech solution to accurately estimate the construction costs for any house building project.

Using Architectural Design Software

In the past, estimating construction costs was very expensive. First, you need to hire a licensed architect to design the house structure. Professional fees of architects are costly and this could take away significant portion of your budget for the project.

After getting the final blue print of the house design, then you have to ask several contractors to give you an estimate for the construction costs. However, most estimates will exceed your budget which could dent your finances.

By using architectural design software, you eliminate the need to hire an architect and you can easily determine the actual cost of materials for the project. There are lots of user-friendly design applications you can use and some of them you can download for free.

The Process of Computer-Aided House Design

The first thing you have to do is to select a house building and design application that would be easy to use. This way, you will not spend much time learning to use the software.

You have to find a construction design application that has a drag and drop utility. This will allow you to simply point and select the types of building materials you will use and drag-and-drop these to create a house structure.

All the elements of house building will be included in such applications. You can start by creating the structure of the house. Then you have to build walls, floors, windows, and roofing.

Once you created the basic house design, you can now switch to interior design mode. You will be able to select floor tiling, kitchen construction, plumbing, electrical wiring, and other aspects of house building.

If you can master the software, you will be able to create a complete house design with accurate measurements of dimensions in less than a week.

Automating Construction Costs

Now that you have a complete house design, the next step is to estimate the costs of materials you used on your design. You can run a complete inventory check from the software.

The design application will generate an accurate count of materials used for the design. You will get a complete accounting of materials that will be used for the house down to the smallest kitchen tiles.

Once you have the data, simply print out the list and start calling several construction material stores. You can also use to Internet to get different pricelists of house building materials. Base on the prices you gathered, you can now calculate the actual cost of your project.

Estimating construction costs nowadays is easier and faster if you utilize computer aided design software. All you have to do is to add the labor cost and other contingency expenses and you will be able to get an accurate estimation of the entire construction costs.

George Edmondson is an accomplished writer on construction costs estimation. There are numerous articles and resources about construction costs that you can find. Simply visit http://www.aboutconstructioncosts.com and learn how to accurately estimate construction costs.

DIY Bathroom Remodeling Or Hiring a Contractor

The first question you need to ask yourself when remodeling a bathroom is can you actually do the work yourself or do you have someone that can help you with the remodeling. If you don't know anyone and can't do the work yourself, I would suggest hiring a contractor with experience remodeling bathrooms.

If you can do the work yourself or think you could do the work yourself, why not give it a shot. Any experience you have in construction or home remodeling, is going to be beneficial to your bathroom remodeling project. There is plenty of information on the internet or in your local libraries on bathroom remodeling and these often prove to be great resources for do it yourselfers.

As an experienced contractor I have gathered a great deal of information through books, at work and watching local home improvement shows. The biggest problem with the show's and quite a few of these books, is they don't provide enough information. Most of the time they provide you with the basics of bathroom remodeling and you could soon find yourself in trouble or seeking the advice from a home improvement professional.

The largest benefit for doing the bathroom remodeling project yourself, could be the money you save, along with the satisfaction of completing the project. It makes homeowners feel good when they've completed a large home remodeling project, like a bathroom remodel.

If you don't have the time, lack the experience or a combination of both, I would suggest hiring a contractor to relieve you from the stress and frustration of your bath remodeling project. The more complex your bathroom remodeling project is, the greater the degree of difficulty, the longer it will take to complete the project. Some of these projects can take up a lot of your time.

If you're working on galvanized water supply pipes or old cast iron waste pipes, you could find yourself hiring a plumber to install your bathtub and fixtures. These old pipes create problems for most do it yourselfers and I would suggest hiring a professional, whenever you run into a problem you don't feel comfortable with.

Choosing to tackle some of these difficult problems yourself, could lead to water leaks and more damage to the home eventually costing you even more money than the original cost of hiring an experienced plumber in the first place. When it comes to water, structural framing and electricity, think twice, especially if you're not experienced in these areas.

My advice to do it yourselfers is to hire a professional if you're not comfortable or seek the advice from a contractor or someone with considerable experience bathroom remodeling.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more House Remodeling Pictures or home building ideas.

Older Homes With No Dryer Hookup

Remodeling Professionals Needed

How would you like to help other contractors, home improvement specialists, builders, real estate professionals and anyone else involved in home remodeling. If you have any tips or home improvement advice to you would like to share with our readers, it would greatly be appreciated. Leave all comments below.

Home Repair Books

Solar Garden Lamps

Everyone seems to be in harmony these days when it comes to making your home environmentally friendly. Outdoor solar garden lamps light up your garden in the most eco-friendly way.

Solar power is the answer to landscape lighting that is free and earth friendly. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, outdoor solar lights use solar cells to convert sunlight to electricity, storing that electricity in batteries during the day for use at night. The department adds that outdoor solar lighting systems and solar-powered products will only perform well if they receive the manufacturer's recommended amount of daily sunlight. So as your garden lamps stand in the garden throughout the day, they receive the power they need to shine for you at night.

Products that power themselves from natural sunlight are becoming more popular and are moving beyond the basic.

Solar strings lights are a fun way to accent your patio lighting and are fun for entertaining as they come in the form of flowers, butterflies, and ladybugs.

The solar powered address stone offers an illuminated way to show off your street address with a natural looking stone finish.

The garden gnome has always been a popular garden accessory, and now you can get garden gnomes in the form of solar garden lamps.

Animal statues are becoming extremely popular. Add an animal statue holding a solar lantern and you have some very sweet lighting solutions. You can get these statues in the replica of your favorite dog. Other animals are also available such as turtles, bears, bunnies, and much more.

Solar lighting is also available in the watertight version. This is especially nice for floating lights on a pond or a swimming pool. This makes a great accent for a poolside dinner party.

The traditional solar garden lamps come in stainless steel, copper and also plastic. You will find that these lights are so easy to install. Basically, you just stick them in the ground and leave everything else up Mother Nature. Solar garden lamps usually come in sets of 2, 4 or 6, however because they are relatively inexpensive, purchasing a fair amount won't break the bank and the more you have the better the ambiance and the illumination.

You will find an endless variety in style and usage of solar outdoor lighting. You will also find it to be versatile. It is easy to pick up your solar garden lamp pieces and move them from place to place because they are light and portable and you will never have to worry about re-wiring them or needing an outlet close by.

The solar lighting that you find in the marketplace today is a much superior product to when they were first introduced to the consumer. In the past, they major complaint was that the illumination was weak. Well that is a thing of the past. So with brighter illumination, sleek and diversified styles, plus the added value of eco-friendly, powered by the sun capabilities, the solar garden lamps are the perfect choice for your landscape lighting need.

Robin Buckley is a nationally known wedding photographer who has photographed hundreds of weddings and whose work has been published in countless wedding magazines.

Robin brings her experience and advice to her own wedding magazine, The Brides Best Friend. A free copy can be obtained at http://www.TheBridesBestFriendMagazine.com

For Garden Lamps see http://www.gardenlampsplus.com

How To Replace Your Windows

Termites: Unwelcome Guests, Part I Wood-boring Insects & Fungi

Mold and mildew can occur in your home at almost any time of the year, if the moisture content of building materials is twenty percent or greater. (You should start to notice mouldy odors.) A good plan of attack begins with decreasing dampness and increasing ventilation. Maintain a negative slope away from your house; and ensure that evestroughing, down-spouts and drains are free of debris, and properly directing water away from your foundation wall.

Wood-decaying fungi attack wet wood, or wood in extremely humid, unventilated areas. They can cause serious damage to wooden structures. To inhibit rot, remove the source of moisture and improve ventilation, the same as for mould and mildew. Wet rot is characterized by dark, spongy wood, and members infested with dry-rot become brittle and cracked.

Subterranean termites are found in Southern Ontario and British Columbia, where they feed on wood and can damage houses. Termite colonies nest underground, foraging for wood to satisfy their appetite for cellulose. Termites can travel above ground, and often into houses, via shelter tubes constructed of sawdust and saliva. Termites are similar to ants, but with straight bodies and antenna.

Carpenter ants and powder-post beetles are also common in Southern Ontario. They don't ingest wood as termites do, however colonies nesting in wood can cause considerable damage. Look for sawdust and frass (excrement) near exit holes in wood. Carpenter bees are similar in appearance to bumblebees, and nest in exterior spaces such as behind fascia, soffits or other trim.

Make your house less accessible, by avoiding wood-earth contact around the house and keeping exterior trim in good repair. Keep shrubbery trimmed back, remove tree stumps and inspect regularly for shelter-tubes or any signs of damage, especially in dark, unventilated areas. Pay particular attention to wooden decks and stairs, and areas where the structure rests on the foundation wall, and especially in crawl spaces or any area with an earthen floor. Probe wooden structures with a sharp tool, as termites often leave no surface indications.

Look for shelter tubes, seal cracks in foundation walls and check where pipes enter exterior walls. Termites swarm to create new colonies closer to sources of cellulose; so be on the lookout, especially in the spring, for large numbers of flying insects or discarded wings.

If you suspect a colony, especially of termites, contact your local environmental agency, or call a licensed, professional exterminator.

Copyright Gil Strachan - All rights reserved.

Gil Strachan is a professional home inspector, representing Electrospec Home Inspection Services in east-central Ontario, Canada since 1994. Visit http://www.allaroundthehouse.com to learn more about home inspections.

"The Home Reference Book"
You can probably find a home inspection for a little less than what we ask, but you probably won't find the Home Reference Book. A $60 value, this solutions-oriented reference tool comes free with every inspection we perform.
It's the first tool you should have around the house!

Looking for Some Good Contractors

I would love to hear your good contractor stories. I'm so tired of hearing about contractor nightmares, is there anyone out there that has a good contractor story. Place it in the comment area underneath this question.

Home Siding Books

Wooden Garage Doors

Despite a multitude of doors to choose from today, the traditional wooden garage door remains the most popular selection for homeowners. The following are a few of the reasons the wooden garage door remains a favorite choice.

Price
The cost of wooden doors is generally lower than doors made of steel or other materials. Painted, flat-panel wooden doors are the least expensive garage doors. Wooden doors with raised panels are more expensive than flat-panel garage doors but are still more affordable than doors made of other materials. Homeowners have a wide range of prices to choose from, and there is a wooden door to fit every budget.

Wood Choices
Wooden garage doors are available in different grades of wood. The most popular and least costly choice is painted wood. Manufacturers usually offer painted garage doors in several colors, and the homeowner can always choose to paint the door another color as a do-it-yourself project. Stain-grade wood is more expensive than painted wood and adds an elegant look to a home.

Insulation
Wooden doors provide better insulation than steel doors. Weather stripping can be added to the door for even better insulation. Wooden doors are excellent choices for garages that are used for play or utility areas because of the good insulation they provide.

Styles
The two basic styles of wooden doors are the roll up and the tilt up door. The roll up door provides a tight fit between the door and the door opening because it is installed behind the door opening. Roll up doors have four or more horizontal sections that are hinged together and roll on a track to open. Tilt up doors are installed inside the door opening, and the entire panel tilts out and then is pushed up to open. Tilt doors are a cost-saving option and are typically up to 35% cheaper than a roll up door.

Customization
The combinations of features for wooden doors are endless. The following are a few of the features available for wooden doors.

Windows: Some homeowners want solid wooden doors, and others want doors with windows to allow more light to enter the garage. Wooden doors can be made with any size, style, and number of windows.
Panels: Homeowners have a choice of no panels, rectangular panels, or square panels. The choice depends on the taste of the homeowner. The panel selection should complement the other garage door features as well as the home.
Special designs: Carriage and barn doors are two specialized wooden doors that give homes a unique look. Both doors appear to open by swinging open or sliding along a horizontal track, but they open the same as a traditional section garage door.

There are many different wooden doors with specific features available from manufacturers. Be sure to consider all the available options before selecting a wooden door for your home.

If you fancy some entrance doors or any other garage doors visit the website.

Four Bolt Shear Wall Hold Down

Walking on Your Roof Safely

Here's some things to think about before walking on the roof of a house. If you slip and fall off the roof you could get hurt seriously. For your own safety if you have no experience walking on a roof use extreme caution. I would even suggest using a ladder and moving the latter around the perimeter of the house if you are inspecting the roof for damage.

Here's some things to keep in mind before walking on a house roof.

1. If the building is above two stories hire a contractor especially if you think the roof has building damage.

2. If the roof is too steep stay off. This could be extremely hazardous to your health.

3. If the roof is severely damaged and has loose shingles or tiles, this could create a safety hazard as you slip on one of these loose shingles and possibly fall off the roof.

4. You should stay off the roof at all costs if there is snow or ice. Ice obviously is extremely slippery and would be difficult to walk on. The difficulty would be increased if the roof has a steep slope.

5. Now last but not least if the roof is wet you should avoid walking on it until it is dry. I have been on wet roofs before and personally slipped myself losing my balance but not falling off of the roof.

Climbing up on a roof and walking around is not child's play and should be left to an experienced professional . If you feel comfortable walking around on any roof please use caution. If you slip in the middle of the roof there is a good chance you will be able to regain your balance or have time to stop yourself before falling off.

I would suggest using caution near the edges of the roof. If the roof is too steep or you don't feel comfortable, why risk serious injury. Use common sense along with the proper ladders to ensure your safety and "Think before walking on a house roof."

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Interior Decorating Books

Fixing Problems When You're Remodeling Your Bathroom

No matter how much you have studied for your bathroom remodeling project, chances are good that something will go wrong. Through no fault of your own, you will probably encounter some detail or flaw in your planning that causes your bathroom project to look less than appealing. And while it might be tempting to give up your bathroom remodeling project altogether, it's actually easier than you think to fix your mistakes. No matter if you're dealing with bathroom vanities, bathroom mirrors, or other parts of your room, you can make things better.

When the problem is small

Everyone has spilled paint or misaligned something when they were remodeling a part of their home. No matter how cautious you are, these little slips do happen. What can you do when you notice these small slip ups? First of all, you need to address them immediately, before the paint or glue has set. When you notice a paint drip, be sure to wipe it up immediately and thoroughly from the surface. If the paint has fallen onto a porous surface, you will want to get out a paint remover to make sure the residue has been removed. When you notice that stray paint has fallen onto another painted surface, you might want to wait until it dries to remove it, as this will lessen the damage to the already completed surface.

Other small problems like misalignment of bathroom mirrors are also easy to fix when you notice them. Simply change the position of the mirror by measuring it with a level and then put into the proper position.

When the problem is not-so-small

But then there are times when something goes wrong and you don't notice it right away. For example, you may have placed your bathroom vanity into place, but after the glue and the other pieces have settled, the vanity is not straight in line with the mirror. Though this doesn't happen often, you can encounter this if it's your first time placing a cabinet into the proper position. If you find that your vanity cabinet is secure in place, but not in the right place, you have several options:

Remove it entirely to reposition it
Call a professional to adjust it
Find a way to bolster up the side that is lower

Other major problems that may occur lie in the plumbing of many modern bathroom designs. Because the plumbing system is more complicated with showers and hot tubs, it's easy to have major leaks not spring up until the very end of the project. To help correct these problems, be sure that you know exactly how to turn off the water to the area in case of leaks in the first place. When you do notice a leak, try to find out the source of the problem first and then begin to take steps to correct it. If the water is beginning to flood your home, this is no time to try to fix the problem yourself, but rather you need to call in a professional plumber and fast.

Whether you have major bathroom remodeling plans or you simply want to fix a few things up, knowing how to handle problems is the best way to keep your bathroom project on track.

Dave Robert is a VP at Discount Bathroom Vanities Publishing, and an avid fixer-upper who's been restoring old houses for more than twenty years. Readers can tap into Dave's knowledge about home remodeling, and kitchen and bathroom design, at: http://www.DiscountBathroomVanities.com

45 Degree Door Header

Build Deck Stairs in 3 Easy Steps With Adjustable Stair Brackets Vs Traditional Stair Construction

Adjustable brackets have many advantages compared to conventional stair building. With adjustable stair brackets, you can custom fit deck stairs into an exact area, forming any rise or run required. Traditional stair building is rigid and not forgiving. If you miscalculate or need to make some adjustments, then you have to throw out your materials and start all over again.

The adjustable bracket method also differs from conventional stair construction with its ease of installation. The automatic adjustable system only needs 3 saw cuts per stringer and you can make your deck stairs up to 7 feet wide. Only 2 stringers are necessary. No center stringers are needed at all because riser acts as a load-bearing joist, spanning across the stair between the two stringers, giving you stronger stairs. Literally, in 3 steps you can build deck stairs. With the traditional method you must custom cut, align and support several stringers as needed for the stair width. This requires a high degree of skill.

There's a lot less waste of wood too. With traditional stringers you cut away half the strength when forming the stair. Also, you don't have the frustration with math and all the mistakes that come from mathematical error with the new building method. In most cases, a simple adjustment will eliminate the error. This will save you a lot of time.

Adjustable brackets not only adjust, but are also approved as 'joist hangers'. This allows you to attach 2" thick risers that span across the stair like floor joists, every 10" or 11" between the two stringers. This eliminates the need for several center stringers running down the stair as in conventional construction. Since there are only two stringers, you also eliminate the need to align and attach several cut stringers in order to build your stair.

Another benefit to using brackets is that they provide 'code compliant' rail post support. According to the accredited testing, the brackets are used to provide rail post support for any type of wood stair which meets the code requirement for 200lb. Lateral load at 42". Conventional stair building doesn't have a good solution for this rail post attachment problem. If a big person presses on the railing in traditional stair framing, it can easily give way.

In addition to deck stairs, the brackets can be used for interior stairs: basement stairs, tongue and groove stairs, and even concrete formwork.

This is how it works:
Step one: Set the brackets on the two 2x6 stringer members using the spacers and pivot screws.

Step two: Remove spacers and rotate brackets to adjust stair height.

Step 3:Fix brackets in position, attach risers and treads.

Before you begin, determine the exact number of steps you need and exactly how wide you would like your steps to span.

In summary, 8 reasons why adjustable brackets are superior to traditional stair building:
1- Allows for a custom fit.
2- Ease of installation: 2 stringers, 3 saw cuts each
3- Less waste of materials.
4- No math skills required.
5- Simple adjustments correct errors.
6- Approved as joist hangers.
7- They provide 'code compliant' rail post support.
8. Big time savings in comparison.

EZ Stairs products allow builders to build stairs with a wide range of materials such as redwood, cedar, tropical wood, treated wood, untreated wood, vinyl, steel, and composites. This stair building system allows for customized rise and treads configurations which can be adjusted to meet all building codes for any interior or exterior application- ICC approved. It is the only adjustable stair bracket system available anywhere. To help you figure out how many stairs you will need, the website provides a free stair calculator as well.

EZ Stairs introduced the new patented adjustable dual-purpose exterior/interior brackets in 2003. In 2004, it won Pro Sales Magazine's Editor's Choice award for new product innovation in the construction industry. In 2005, it introduced its composite deck compatibility solution and was chosen for LBM Journal's 'Hot Products' Award at the 2005 International Builders Show, and again voted one of the fifty 'Hot Products' at the 2008 International Builders Show.
For more information, visit the ez-stairs.com website or call 866-693-9570.

Transform Your Bathroom - Home Tips

When you don't have room in your budget to completely renovate your budget, it is amazing what installing a new bath vanity will do for the look and feel of this room of your home. The simple task of changing the cabinetry in the bathroom will make it look as if you have redone the whole room. Simply adding a few different accessories, such as changing the color of the towels of the shower curtains will enhance the effect.

A bath vanity does not have to be an expensive proposition with the many styles of discount vanities available. You do have to look at the size of your bathroom so that you get a vanity that will suit the space you have. For example, adding a large vanity to a small bathroom will make the room look crowded.

The vanities available in MDF are not expensive and require assembly. However, the detailed written and visual instructions that are included will make the assembly quite easy. Even the tools you need to put the various pieces together are included. All you have to buy extra is the sink and countertop, but there are some models that have this included as well.

The bath vanity is the central focus of a bathroom. This is where you will spend time grooming yourself in the morning before you go to work and when getting dressed to go out at night. You do need to have drawers and shelves where all your grooming aids are close at hand.

You can blend the old with the new by using an antique style that has a wash basin type sink that sits on the countertop. You can choose from a wide variety of colors, but the best rule of thumb to follow is to have a vanity that is of a neutral color. You can add contrast in the faucets and colors of linens that you use.

You do have to make sure that the bath vanity of your choice is sturdy and durable. You will not save any money by buying a vanity that is really cheap only to find that you have to replace it in a few years. A lot of the furniture manufactured today is eco friendly using glues that will not emit any harmful fumes into the air when they come in contact with water.

Even the smallest bathroom can have an elegant bath vanity or even a glass sink. A stone vanity, for example, can measure only two feet wide and will make a bold statement in your bathroom as well as make it look larger than it is. A vanity made of stone with teak cabinetry inserted in the center is also a viable option if you are looking for durable construction that will last for many years to come.

When you shop for a new bath vanity you can do so in many different ways by focusing on any of the following aspects:

Size

Shape

Material

Price range

Obviously the price will be the bottom line for you, but you will find that there are vanities to suit every taste. Browse the sites of the many online retailers just to get a glimpse of the wide assortments you can choose from. This will give you ideas to work with when you are contemplating making changes to your bathroom.

Allison Ryan is a freelance marketing writer from San Diego, CA. She specializes in home remodeling and interior design. For a beautiful bath vanity or glass sink for the bathroom of your dreams, please visit http://www.mybath.biz/.

Landscaping Books

Learn What the US Marines Know About Building GREAT Teams

Adapt the Marine Corps' model of leadership, decision-making, team building maneuvers, and execution to your business. This course is designed to prepare organizations to thrive on the economic battlefield and calls for teams to engage and learn the maneuvers, strategies, and tactics of business WARFIGHTING. This conference comes at a time when organizations must rely on their teams to compete at peak levels to ensure its future. The warfighting strategies for teams outlined in this conference breaks inherited ways of thinking, cultural assumptions and rules, and provide patterns for charting the complex organizational situations and competitive scenarios associates may face along their journey of becoming a great team member.

Participants will gain tools to:

- Drive results and change amidst uncertain market conditions
- Decentralize decision making capacity across their organizations in order to compete in

today's critical markets and overcome the economic perils they face
- Target critical vulnerabilities that drive results and change using the GREAT

team's "Memorandum of Understanding"
- Create uniqueness into ultimate power
- Learn the seven WARFIGHTING competencies of GREAT teams
- Understand how to integrate the strategies inspired by two great warfighting classics, "The

Art of War" and "The 36 Stratagems" to win the currently engaged economic battlefield
- Drive results and change using the 8-WARFIGHTING strategies for successful cultural

transformation

TURN UNCERTAINTY INTO A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR YOUR TEAMS AND BUSINESS

Introduction to the seven guiding principles of Business WARFIGHTING For GREAT Teams as applied to business: Review "how-to" prescriptions that illustrates guiding principles (target critical vulnerabilities, Decentralize decision making, boldness, surprise, focus, tempo, and combined arms) to create uncontested market space, make the competition irrelevant, and increase the team's "intellectual and emotional thought space" for value creation.

Introduction to the leadership pillars of Business WARFIGHTING For GREAT Teams as applied to business: Examine "The Law of the Bank" to identify the critical leadership principles that are driven by GREAT teams in successful organizations (binding and trust, transactional leadership and management, depth of character, interpersonal relationships - respect and fair treatment, integrity, and unselfishness).

Introduction to the Five Paragraph Order of Business WARFIGHTING For GREAT Teams as applied to business: Learn to understand "how-to" integrate the "SMEAC" acronym to resolve conflict to any situation, business, organization, personal, and professional (understand the "situation" and plan a course of action, identify a clear "mission" - SMART goals and successful objectives - to engage high and low ground, target critical successes and "execute" towards the Future Picture - expect the unexpected and deal with it accordingly, remain fluid in your priorities to ensure "administrative/logistics" are firmly being acknowledged and achieved, complete the succession process through "command and control" measures; document lessons learned to ensure generational excellence).

The concept of business WARFIGHTING can be used in any industry, in any organization, and on any team. Heavy emphasis is placed on interactive discussion throughout the course (i.e., "how can you apply these ideas in your organization" immediately upon your return?) This conference, and its accompanying publication "Business WARFIGHTING For GREAT Teams" by authors Damian D. "Skipper" Pitts and Jason G. Brown, illustrates how to use its strategies to develop extraordinary teams from ordinary ones, while operating within great team environments to impact the future. Used appropriately, individuals and teams will be able to manage their way to victory in any competitive scenario, whether at a business engagement, departmental, or personal level. In times such as the economic perils ongoing around the world, there is no better role model for the warrior culture and warrior nature that is hidden within every individual than the one described and articulated on the pages of this timeless text and deployed within the instruction in this conference.

For additional information, please contact Solutions@thebisongroup.com, REF: Business WARFIGHTING "Mission Brief."

Damian D. "Skipper" Pitts, A United States Marine turned business professional is co-author of Business WARFIGHTING For GREAT Teams (Book Surge Publishing, 2009) and Founder and Chairman of the Bison Group Corporation, a management consulting and training firm. He is the author The Process of LeaderShaping, a cultural transformational program and university course of study and has consulted or presented to numerous leading U.S. and foreign corporations, helping them to realize increased integrated talent management strategies, team building maneuvers, and decision-making skills to compete in today's highly uncertain business environments.

He has also authored four additional publications with his most successful title, The Art of Detachment: Breakthrough Principles to Transformational Leadership (Kendall Hunt, 2007). His works allowed him to be chosen as the technical, military and development specialists by the U.S. film industry to the feature film "Stateside" that released in theaters in May 2004 where he trained and acted onscreen with "A-List" talents Val Kilmer and Jonathan Tucker along with 75 -other actors, teaching them the principles of leadership, team development, and influence for the production. He is now teaching his programs at Temple University.

Horizontal Or Vertical Drywall

How to Choose a Home Builder

Buying a new home is a major decision. Choosing a good home builder is also very important. You will want someone who is established and can be trusted, someone has the knowledge and skills in constructing a new home, someone who can manage team of craftsmen skilled at building a quality house. It's very important that you develop a good relationship with your home builder.

When you look for a new home builder, there are several things that you need to consider.

First of all, you should always ask for references and check for qualification. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find good constructors. You can ask your friends, family and coworkers whether they have any good construction companies to recommend. Here are some questions to ask for a builder: Are you a professional builder or only a part-time constructor? How long have you been in this industry and what experience do you have? Can you give us references from your past clients? You can contact your local licensing board to make sure that builder is licensed. You can check with the Better Business Bureau to see whether any complaints have been made against that builder.

Also, you want to find a builder that constructs the type of homes that you want to built. Different builders have different areas of expertise. You should make sure that you have chosen one with the right expertise.

Besides, you should ask a constructor whether you can get a warranty with your new house. A warranty will help to protect your investment in your new home.

You should also ask what kinds of after-sales services they provide. Good builders always provide after-sales services that fix minor problems and they usually respond quickly to their clients' requests.

When you are ready to sign the contract, make sure to read the contract carefully to make sure it's detailed enough to cover everything.

Choosing the right home builder is crucial in building a new house. By following the right steps you can find a good builder that helps you to build your dream home.

Brian Walker is a freelance Internet writer. You can find more articles on home builders on http://www.myfavoritebuilder.com.

What Causes Attic Odors And Stra

Modular Homes - Total Cost of Construction

So you are looking at property and have decided to build a modular home. You may have even decided to act as your own general contractor. You are now putting together a budget. It is fairly easy to get the prices for the land and the modular home, but it is not as cut and dry to piece together everything else that will be needed at your job site.

I built a modular home about two years ago and went through the same process. I had a difficult time finding ballpark figures for many things when trying to budget my project. Below is a list of things to keep in mind when putting together your budget:

1. Utility hooks ups and your distance from existing utilities (electric, natural gas, propane, water)
2. Excavation for foundation/basement
3. Foundation and basement
4. Driveway costs
5. Electrician to wire up basement
6. Plumber to do rough plumbing under basement floor prior to setting house
7. Concrete flatwork (basement floor)
8. Plumber to do finish plumbing (hook home to rough plumbing)
9. Electrician to hook house to utilities
10. Plumber and electrician for a septic tank (if needed)
11. Carpenters for a deck
12. Contractor for a patio

It is important to get multiple bids when costing your project. Another thing to keep in mind is that you should not necessarily choose your contractors because they are the cheapest. You must check with references, view previous work they have done, verify that they are insured and licensed to work in your city. I met with my foundation contractor at a job site he was working on and was so impressed that I chose him even though he was the highest of my three bidders. I could have saved a couple of thousand dollars with someone else but I doubt it would have been worth it.

If you do not feel that you have the time or expertise to manage the contractors involved, many modular home builders will act as your general contractor for a fee. This may be the route to choose if you do not have time to meet with all of your contractors at the job site.

Tim Montey is a modular home enthusiast who built his first modular home two years ago and detailed that experience, lessons learned and costs at http://www.modularhomechoice.com

Find more detailed information on the total cost of a modular home at the above link on the Financing page.

What Does A Gfi Do

Creating Your Electricity

Creating your own electricity and generating your own power has always been one of my dreams. Having a self sufficient home, not only a house that takes care of itself by generating its own electricity through windmills or solar panels but the satisfaction knowing that no matter what happens to the electrical companies you will always have electricity at your home.

What a wonderful feeling it would be to get a check back from the utility company instead of paying them every single month. I don't know about you but my utility bills are ridiculous and seemed to be going up in price constantly. I can't believe all the fees they have been charging for years to all of their customers. If you add all the fees for every person in the city or county this comes to a large, a very large number and it's getting worse not better.

Generating your own electricity with solar or wind power is definitely green thinking. This is going to be the wave of the future as fuel used to create electricity continues to rise in price. I really can't imagine what the price of electricity is going to be like in 10 years as the mass consumption continues to rise in developing countries.

We have got to start taking care of our own needs through solar or wind power. We have got to start creating our own electricity to become self reliant. The more self reliant we become as a nation the less dependent we will be on major corporations, especially large power conglomerates.

Creating our own electricity can also be used for electrical cars that can be purchased in the future. Think of the money you will say in fuel costs as the price of gasoline continues to increase as well as less pollution into our environment.

This is definitely the wave of the future and common sense tells us this. I suggest you read this article again if you haven't figured out some of the problems coming our way in the future.

Think green and together we can start saving the planet.

While searching for new alternatives and trying to get some advice on creating your own electricity I came across a book you can purchase in digital format. This book seems to have quite a bit of information on creating your own electricity for a totally self sufficient home.

This book has been created in digital format to reduce the consumption of trees and the waste involved in creating a regular book. What a wonderful idea for helping our environment in quite a few ways.

While searching for new alternatives and trying to get some advice on creating your own electricity I came across a book you can purchase in digital format. This book seems to have quite a bit of information on creating your own electricity for a totally self sufficient home.

This book has been created in digital format to reduce the consumption of trees and the waste involved in creating a regular book. What a wonderful idea for helping our environment in quite a few ways.

For more information visit http://www.gregvan.com and look for Get Earth4Energy Here Create your own electricity! Save 1000's with Earth4Energy

How to Install a Ceramic Glass Tile Backsplash

Ceramic glass tile backsplash are used to give a unique look to your kitchen. You may spend lot of time and money in decorating your kitchen. Ceramic glass tile backsplash is considered to be the best option for decorating your kitchen. You will varieties of tiles that would suit the design of your kitchen. You will find various kinds of patterns. You will have to decide the best design and pattern for your kitchen.

There are various types of ceramic glass tile backsplash. Before installing ceramic glass tile backsplash you need to choose the tile that would fit into your need and demand. You should choose a color and pattern that would match with your existing decoration. These patterns would help you to give a new and unique look to your kitchen.

After choosing tile for your kitchen you should take the measurement. You should take proper measurement. Before purchasing your ceramics tile you should take the measurement of your room. Then decide the number of tiles that you need for your space but don't forget to leave some space for grout.

After purchasing your tiles try to gather your tools. Try to gather all the tools that you need for installing the tile. You may need material like pencil, cutter and many other things for attaching your tile. You should gather your tools before starting the procedure of installation.

After gathering the tools cut the tiles into pieces. You need to cut these tiles before you start attaching these tiles. Remember that all tiles should be of same size. There should be no difference in the size of the tiles. You should use ceramic tile cutter to cut these tile. Don't forget to wear your goggles before you start cutting. If you don't want to be injured then learn to use your tools before you perform the activity of attaching your tiles. You should be careful while using your equipments.

Now you may start installing your ceramic tile. After preparing all the tools that you need for installing ceramic you may start the procedure of installing the tiles. Don't forget to turn of your electricity. You may get electric shock if you put your tool in the socket. After attaching your tiles wash the wall with the help of soap and warm water. This would help you to clean your wall.

Before moving towards the next step makes sure that the wall is dry. Next step is to spread the adhesive with the help of an applicator. You should follow the instructions of manufactures if you want to successfully attach the tile. Now you can start laying down the tile. Always prefer to start from the center of the design and then move outward. When the adhesives dry you may start attaching tiles on the grout. Follow the directions that are provided by the company. Follow the rules of mixing.

These tiles would help you to give a unique and exclusive look to your house. These tiles would help you to fulfill your dreams.

Mike X Smith is a leading writer and businessmen in the field of glass tile backsplash. Check out the new line of glass tile backsplash! Many colors to choose from!

Tile Shower Pan - 3 Different Types

Your tile shower pan can be of three types. If you are considering installing a new shower you should know your choices. If you have problems with your current shower leaking, knowing how the shower is put together helps you talk to a tradesman who will work on it.

Traditional Tile Shower Pans

Most likely your existing shower pan is made using traditional methods. That means the shower floor is built up with masonry or a cement mix. The concept used for this method is simple, but there are several tricks and some art involved. This method if properly done will produce ceramic showers that work great for many decades.

Very briefly the traditional pan is built as follows. First, set a special shower drain in place with the drain top at the height of the finished floor. Make sure you have a good solid sub floor topped with roofing felt. Then pour in mortar mix and slope it to the drain. The next layer is a waterproof vinyl membrane. This sheet is the waterproof barrier which is glued to the drain. Above the membrane or liner goes the top layer of masonry sloped to the drain. Then finally install the tile and grout to finish the floor.

Know that the masonry and grout in a shower floor are not waterproof. Only the vinyl liner is waterproof. If installed properly, you have a long-lasting set-up. If mistakes are made, you have a problem. Also the shower floor is not maintenance free. The joints at the floor to walls must be checked regularly and may require caulking from time to time.

Fiberglass Shower Pans

A quick and easy way to build a shower pan is to install a fiberglass pan made for this purpose. These are the pans you see at building stores. Tile cannot be installed on these pans. It's fast and relatively easy but fiberglass pans have negatives. These pans do not last as long as traditional pans. They are easily scratched and damaged. And a fiberglass shower pan does not have the luxury look and feel of a ceramic tile shower.

Tile Ready Shower Pans

There are several systems now that make installing a shower pan faster than the traditional way. All the systems use a vinyl pan with an integral drain designed for installation of ceramic tile over the top of the pan. Methods vary, but systems contain material to line the walls and make a completely waterproof shower. Some systems use a mortar base for the shower pan to sit on. Others use a special foam base.

The advantages of these systems over traditional systems is speed. No waiting for mortar layers to dry. Also the level of art and skill for the installer is less. The disadvantage is cost. Typically the tile ready showers are far more expensive than a traditional tile shower pan.
The material is sometimes as expensive as the whole job cost the traditional way.

Puzzled about how to build a ceramic tile shower? Need more information? Visit our site for tile shower pan tips.

We invite you to visit http://www.installingceramictile.net for answers to your ceramic shower questions.

Considering Home Painting

When remodeling a house, homeowners should not forget the importance of painting their home's exterior. With expert help, homeowners can get a paint job that will allow the rest of the remodel to come together nicely and compliment the rest of the work that has been done. Exterior painting is often the factor that brings the remodel together and gives the house the best chance of looking great.

When considering home painting, homeowners should realize the importance of a good paint job. Simply painting the house is often not enough to make the house look its best. The homeowner should ensure that the job is left to the most qualified person possible. When things are left to the experts, everything else will just fall into place. Simplicity when it comes to handling these complicated jobs is something every homeowner can smile about. Realizing that they cannot handle home painting and other complex jobs themselves is the best realization a homeowner can come to when remodeling.

Contractors are their best bet in getting the results they are expecting or hoping for. The work of an amateur is just not up to par with the work of a professional. Professionals simply have too much training and experience for amateurs trying to emulate their work. Home painting can be tricky, so this training and experience will come in handy for sure. When the painter does not possess these qualities, they will often fall short of the expectations that have been laid upon them.

More information on College Works Painting home repair for your home is just a click away.