Why Use GRP For Roofing Features?

Over a period of more than 20 years in the GRP roofing and architectural features industry, there have been many advances in the manufacturing process and use of GRP within the construction sector.

An abbreviation for 'glass reinforced polyester', GRP is a light, durable and astonishingly tough constructional material which can be molded and fabricated into all manner of products. GRP is a composite of a resilient durable resin with an immensely strong fibrous glass. Polyester resin is the main component and just as concrete may be reinforced with steel rods polyester resins may be reinforced with glass fibers to form GRP. The benefits of a very strong and light weight construction material are particularly relevant when designing and manufacturing structures and roofing features.

GRP has opened up many new avenues for Architects and creative designers, its unique physical properties allow it to be easily tooled, molded and manufactured to meet almost any specification. The final finish can be made to emulate any number of naturally occurring surfaces, such as timber, tile, stone or lead and because there are few constraints on size, shape, colour or finish, this can deliver great design and appearance whilst being cost effective.

One example of this is the traditional clock tower. When manufactured in GRP one side is firsthand crafted in Ash timber from which a mold toolis produced. The mold is coated with a release agent before a very durable polyester gel coat is applied and allowed to cure before reinforcing with layers of glass mat impregnated with polyester resin to achieve the required thickness. When cured the laminate is extracted from the mold and the process is then repeated. The components are then joined together to complete the body of the clock tower.

Ash timber is used for the original pattern to ensure the finished product has a beautiful realistic wood grain. Likewise one side of a roofis first dressed in lead over a timber pattern, a mold produced and four sides manufactured to give the finished product an authentic traditional appearance of a genuine lead roof but without the high cost and weight of the real materials.Another benefit of using GRP over traditional materials is that the molds can then be cleaned and reused many times over enabling identical units to be produced and in a very short space of time.

GRP is also very strong and has almost seven times the flexible strength of steel but is extremely lightweight, which makes installation much simpler than its traditional material counterparts, saving costs and helping to reduce Health and Safety issues on site. GRP structures also have an exceedingly long life span with low maintenance requirements and in a half-century of composite development, well designed GRP structures have yet to wear out.

GRP is non-corrosive and has a much longer life expectancy when compared to a variety of other construction materials. In highly corrosive environments it is the perfect choice over metal, wood, or plastic. A popular choice where exposure to harsh environments is a concern, GRP can provide resistance to ultra violet light, salt air, and a variety of chemicals and because it is chemically inert and corrosion-resistant it offers an economical alternative to stainless steel. It also offers high levels of water resistance and will not buckle or distort in high temperatures.

An amazing level of detail can be given to the molding ensuring that the original style, surface finishes, colour and even aging effects are maintained. The greatest advantage of GRP over conventional materials however is the ability to design and build large structures conceived as a whole and not as an assembly of parts which have to be jointed together. For example a 5m diameter dome requires none of the conventional support structure inside the building, enabling a large open area within the building and space directly beneath the dome. The self supporting structurecan also beeasily lifted into position and installed using minimum man power and a crane within only a few hours.

So not only does GRP save time and money in the construction of the roofing feature, it reduces installation costs and ongoing maintenance fees too, making it an excellent cost effective roofing material for today and the future.

For 20 years Good Directions has been building a reputation worldwide as one of the market leaders in the design, construction and installation of GRP architectural features including roof turrets, cupolas and exterior clocks. As well as a large standard range of GRP products Good Directions is always very keen to work with clients on bespoke projects to help them achieve their own unique designs.

Article by Paul Mordecai, Managing Director of Good Directions Ltd. http://www.good-directions.co.uk/ Based in Southampton and Derby Good Directions supply across the UK and export Worldwide.

Fixings Squeaking Stairs

Professional Advice on Home Building

If you're a do it yourself or or a homeowner who every once in a while, once to tackle a small or large project but doesn't know where to begin, can gather useful information from home building books. I have been using these books for years and may have been worth their weight in gold.

I started my career working for my father and my father worked for his father as a Carpenter. Our job was to frame the house and we built a Lotta homes. I learned how to frame and developed some great carpentry skills from my father and working with other skilled carpenters. Over the years, if you're paying attention, even a monkey can figure out, how to assemble almost anything.

The only problem that I faced, was learning how to build the rest of the home. I would often ask questions to other building trades like plumbers, electricians, roofers and construction superintendents. Some of these people were helpful and others were not. When I was in my early 30s, I purchased my first book on home building. This book lead to other books and soon I found myself with more home building knowledge that my father.

I had about 50 books on home building and soon found myself doing large home remodels, with no formal education. I would attribute almost everything that I learned outside of house framing to books. These books have proven invaluable to me over the years and with a relatively small investment. I couldn't have spent over $200 purchasing these books but have used the knowledge from them to save myself thousands of dollars.

One $20 home building books or home repairs, can save you lots of money, if you're willing to do a little research and the labor to complete almost any home building project.

By the way, if you're interested in learning how to repair a roof, build your own house, interior decorating, structural engineering, building a deck, gathering some more information about home painting or even remodeling your bathroom. An online home building bookstore can save you money if you're willing to do the work.

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 home inspection or home building ideas.

Pest Control Books
House Attic Books

Free Grant Money For Home Improvement?

Did you know that there are grant programs that will provide homeowners with free home for their home improvement projects? These programs are offered by some local and state governments and many organizations that provide free grant money. Once obtained, these funds may be able to help you finance the materials and labor with the home improvement projects for your house.

Depending on the specific grant you apply for and receive, these funds can be used to help you purchase new appliances, pay for the expansion of your home, finish your basement, or any other job that will either increase your property value or allow your house to run more efficiently. In addition to the funds that you get approved for, you may be able to claim additional tax exceptions on your year-end taxes as well.

Because home improvement grants are not loans, your application does not generally require a credit check, down payment, or any kind of collateral. As long as you are an American citizen and at least 18 years old, you can submit a grant application to obtain some of this government money and private foundation grants.

As you search the grant database by clicking the links below, you will quickly realize that there are thousands of grant programs available. While many are specifically for small business owners and students, there are many that individuals can apply for to help pay off debt and finance other personal goals you may have in mind. Billions of dollars in free grant money is given away every year, but you have to ask for it.

Instantly access to the database to get your free grant money. See how much you can qualify to receive and obtain your check in as little as 7 days just by asking for home improvement grants.

Don't Overlook Downspouts and Gutters

When the rain starts to fall, the downspouts are there to whisk away the threat of leaks and damage to your home. They provide a fundamental service to your home that can minimize the risk of damage to basements, crawl spaces and even foundation shifts. Faulty gutter and drainage systems can also damage your roof and erode your landscaping. By regularly maintaining and inspecting your gutters, however, you can minimize the risks of damage.

The best place to start is with a simple cleaning to make sure your gutters and downspouts are operating properly. It is a good idea to have your gutters cleaned near the end of each spring and fall, when debris such as limbs and leaves are at their heaviest amounts. Obviously, the extent and frequency of cleaning can be adjusted based upon the proximity of large trees to your home and property.

While cleaning them out yourself is a viable option, hiring a professional can help in making sure the gutters and spouts and completely clear and operating smoothly. The cost of having gutters cleaned professional varies based upon the size of your home, ease of access to the roof and number of trees nearby. Periodic checks are also an important element of routine maintenance, such as tightening the screws that attach gutters to your home. You may also find that your downspouts can get periodically clogged, which can be remedied by running a garden hose down the length of the spout to clear the obstruction. As a general rule, if you can keep the entrance holes of the downspouts free of ice and debris, they will function extremely well.

No matter how well you maintain your gutters and downspouts the day will eventually come when they need to be replaced. The investment is worth it when you consider the consequences of a faulty system. As an added advantage, installing new gutters can also enhance the appearance of your home. Homeowners often try to install the gutters themselves, but a professional typically handles this project the best. If the gutters are not installed properly, it can lead to overflow back into the overhang and cause serious damage to your home. Hiring a professional may also allow you to take advantage of seamless gutter offerings, which minimize leaks that can drip down onto your landscape and foundation. Instead of hanging ten foot sections of guttering on your home, a seamless gutter is produced by a machine in a solid piece up to 100 feet long.

In addition, while popular opinion regarding their performance may vary, a variety of gutter covers are available to keep leaves and other debris from falling into your gutters. While some gutter covers do not prevent all debris from getting into the gutters, they do prevent larger debris and leaves from making their way into the gutters.

Ki lives, and works, in Austin, Texas. His website focuses on Austin real estate. It includes a search of listings in the Austin MLS

What Kind Of Wood Rot

Work With Junk Removal Experts

The term junk can be applied broadly to everything from tree branches to old paint, creating a problem for one-size-fits-all disposal methods. While homeowners may be familiar with removing small tree branches and leaf piles, they may not be aware of places to take hazardous junk once it is removed. Debris removal companies can assess your junk-removal needs and handle disposal in a responsible manner.

Our dynamic approach to junk removal demonstrates our experience with residential and commercial clients in Detroit, MI. We have boarded up buildings after major storms and cleaned hazardous materials from commercial properties throughout southeast Michigan. Your family's junk-removal needs can be fulfilled with the same attention to detail if you work with a debris removal company.

We know that contractors sometimes overcharge most of the customers in the past. These contractors stretched out pickup and removal services in order to earn higher per-hour rates for each project. Our professionals respond quickly to service requests and complete projects as swiftly as possible, without sacrificing quality. You can also rent dumpsters!

Good debris removal companies can take care of your trash pickup and disposal needs if you live in southeast Michigan..

While some debris removal companies are skilled at rubbish removal and disposal, our services extend to protecting corporate buildings and homes. You can work with our skilled experts if you need structural support, tree removal and winterization.

Your property's structural integrity can be compromised by broken windows, damaged foundations and worn roofing tiles. We offer the following repairs to customers who need help beyond waste disposal:

- Roofing repair, including tile replacement

- The affixing of wooden boards before window and door replacements

- Temporary fencing to keep people away from your newly repaired property

Article by Dave Morrow for http://onsite24hrs.com the metro Detroit area's top company for affordability, customer service, quality work and quick responses. http://www.dmomembers.com your choice for the best e-mail solutions. We offer a unique learning course and at the most reasonable prices.

Electric Dryer Gas Conversion Ki

Do I Need a Building Permit? (Residential)

When building new homes or room additions you will need a building permit. On smaller projects such as kitchen and bathroom remodels, it's not always clear if you need a building permit for the work. The IRC (International Residential Code) 2006 defines the need for a permit as follows:

R105.1 Required. Any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by this code, or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit.

Here are some general guidelines to follow that will help you determine if you need a building permit.

1. Modifying any plumbing sanitary sewer lines that are not exposed (i.e. inside walls, ceilings, attics, foundations, and yards) will require a permit.

2. Modifying any plumbing water or gas lines that are not exposed (i.e. inside walls, ceilings, attics, foundations, and yards) will require a permit.

3. Any electrical work other then changing out existing light fixtures, switches, and outlets.

4. Replacing the entire H.V.A.C. system including equipment and ductwork.

5. Modifying any existing structural framing.

6. Pouring concrete slabs/foundations and patios. Some local municipalities require stamped and sealed foundation plans from a structural engineer. Engineers typically charge $300-$600 for this service.

7. Installing any structures on your property such as fences over 6 feet tall.

8. Replacing a roof based on your local municipality. Some municipalities do not require a permit for roofing.

*Note: Ordinary repairs to your plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems will not require a permit as long as you are not cutting away any walls, removing structural beams/supports, or changing the any required means of egress.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your project. If you need a permit, add a budget line item for permit fees/inspections and re-inspections. The cost of permits vary from each municipality and are generally determined on the dollar valve of the project and/or the scope of the work. Permits will increase the time it takes to complete your project. Once you have your permit in hand, the municipality will typically tell you what inspections your project will need. The general rule of the thumb is to add 1 day to your project timeline per each inspection that is required. Additionally, add a few extra days, to account for any re-inspections, just in case you fail one. Municipalities will sometimes require that you make upgrades or correct previous work that is subpar or not up to code. It's a good idea to add some money in the budget for these unforeseen items.

Permits are not just another avenue for the municipality to generate revenue. Permits are in place to enforce minimum code requirements, good workmanship, public safety, and proper licensing of contractors as required. Overall permits are good for the consumer and in most cases required by the municipalities ordinances. Remember to always check with your local municipality if you're not sure if you need a permit prior to starting any work.

Watermark & Co.

http://www.watermarkandco.com

Window Header Framing Problems

Dryer Parts - Generic or OEM

Dryer running too hot? Not hot enough? Not heating at all? Taking forever to dry? Sounds like you are going to need some dryer parts. But what the difference between Generic and OEM?

When you are shopping for parts the price should not be the only thing that makes your decision for you. Sure a great price is wonderful but the quality of the parts is really important to.

After all if you save a few dollars but the part lasts for only a short period of time then youve save nothing. Remember if the pricing sounds too good to be true it most likely is.

Quality of the parts is also dependant on the manufacturer. Reputable companies produce reputable parts and you can still get a great buy just by shopping online.

OEM stands for original equipment manufacture. That means the parts are supplied by the actual manufacturer of the dryer and they are sold as OEM replacement parts. This is always your best option whenever possible.

Time shows flaws in material and design and as these flaws become apparent the manufacture will modify parts and alleviate any problems that have arisen.

OEM tracks and records failure rates and a host of other information which help them determine if changes need to be made. Even simple parts like washers or belts can have special design needs to provide satisfactory operation. Gone of the days of improvising with a pair of panty hose.

If you decide to use replacement parts on a dryer that still has warranty realize you could void your warranty. If the dryer has an extended warranty you will void this too. So be careful what parts you use on a warranty appliance.

After your dryer is off warranty you might decide you like the savings. In fact some replacement parts can cost as much as half of the OEM part. Thats substantial. And there are many excellent replacement part manufacturers too, even if the OEMs would like you to believe otherwise.

There are actually a limited number of appliance manufacturers with many mergers between big and small occurring over the years. Today many of them produce products under many different names.

Many times the only difference is cosmetics while the actual mechanics is the same. It pays to do a little research so you know who makes parts for whom.

When buying parts its important to be aware of return policies. Its not unusual to not be able to return parts. Those that do take returns often have a restocking fee of 15% to 20% and many online merchants require an RMA number before they will accept returned goods.

While buying those parts you might consider picking up a dryer repair manual. You can save yourself a lot of time and money by having the directions and it will not only help you do a repair it will help you diagnose a repair.

Whether you have a Hotpoint, Kenmore, Whirlpool, Inglis, Maytag, or GE to name just a few, the repair manual will be a big help!

So when it comes to repairing your dryer you can get dryer parts and manuals online.

Timothy has owned and operated his own laundry mat for the past 25 years. Consequently, he is also a part-time washer and dryer repairman and with http://www.lcasurf.com , he gives reviews of portable washer and dryers and states common problems that he encounters with each one, with solutions!

Fixing a Hole in Your Wall Home Repair Video

Great video on how to fix a hole in your wall .

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 home inspection or home building ideas.

Pay Attention To Your Intuition

Affordable Home Insurance - Always Getting Value at the Best Rates - Part 2

We have previously looked at how reviewing our home insurance policies regularly can result in a lowering of our rates. Leaving it just at that could be misleading. Why?

When you review your home insurance policy, you do not only discover things that have lost value. You only discover things that have appreciated in value. Do you gain anything by hiding these? No you don't. We talk of affordable but adequate home insurance coverage. Whatever you do, you need to have adequate coverage otherwise why bother at all? You can only get adequate home insurance coverage when your home and valuable are adequately covered. This means that if you insured your home when it was valued at $5000 and and your rate was x amount every year and now it is valued at $10,000 and your rate is still x amount every year meaning the new value has not been taken into consideration, if anything happens and you make a claim, your claim would be based on $5000 which would not be adequate compensation for your loss. So you were not adequately covered.

Reviewing your home insurance policy can show you things you need to remove and can also show you things you need to add. Your focus should be getting affordable but adequate home insurance coverage.

Never be under-covered. Get adequate coverage but get it at an affordable cost. Like I mentioned in the last article, get a CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) It would help you save a great deal.

Also do not joke with comparing quotes online. Its a very simple process that would save you tremendously. Visit between 3 and 4 free quotes sites and compare quotes to get affordable home insurance coverage.

Here are two very great free quotes comparison sites. You can start right away.
Insureme Quotes
Hometown Quotes
Chimerenka Odimba is the publisher Several finance based sites.

Simple Light Switch Replacement

What You Need to Know About Air Conditioner Repair

Does it not feel nice to return home and relax in the comfort of a cool and dehumidified environment? It has been a long time since you have faced the horrors of returning home after a hard day at office and then swelter it out in the heat and humidity of a typical summer evening. Those were the days you shudder to remember and just cannot imagine how you had spent them. Ever since you had asked your friend about the best and cheapest air conditioning unit and had purchased the same, life has changed.

You had been wise enough to select a good make of air conditioner and for quite some time it had provided you with good and efficient service, but for the past few days you have observed that the unit is not chilling the room as much as it used to. All things, both electronic and mechanical are bound to fail at one time or the other and it seems that such time has also arrived for your loyal air conditioner. You have no blame against it. After all, it has provided you with years of faithful service and you did not spend any cash for its upkeep apart from changing the filter just once.

Now that you can feel that there are some problems, it is best to call in the experts. Your best option would be to get in touch with the same shop from where you had purchased this air conditioner and get it repaired via them. Chances are that you might get a special discount. If you have gone in for an extended warrantee and your air conditioning unit is still under warrantee, you need not pay any money to get it repaired. But, if the warrantee period of the air conditioner is over, you might have to pay the costs for getting the same repaired.

As mentioned above, your best option is to get it repaired from the same shop from where you had initially purchased it, but what if you have shifted to some other town. In such circumstances, your best option is to search the yellow pages or search the internet for air conditioner repair shops that are located close to your residence. It is wise to take quotes from a few different organizations and pass on the air conditioner to the one who quotes the cheapest cost for repairing your air conditioner.

There are some other options open for you too. From time to time you will see special offers on the TV and in local papers and magazines. There are special exchange offers by many air conditioning organizations and these offers provide you a great option for obtaining a brand new air conditioner for a relatively low price. These advertisers will take back your old air conditioner, assess its condition and give you a new one in exchange for a discounted price. You shall also get a warrantee of approximately one year with the new air conditioner too.

In this short article, we discussed only one aspect of air conditioning: air conditioner repair. If you want to learn more about this topic, e.g. when air conditioning was invented, visit our website now for a historical excursion.

Bird Poop On Concrete Porch

Buying & Installing Wall Paneling

As its name implies, wall paneling is simply panels of wood or other material that makes up the inside wall of your home. Wall paneling is available in both solid colors and designs, which can be coordinated with the decor of your home.

If you are in the market for wall paneling, a large number of home improvement stores carry sheets that you can view in person. If the kind of wall paneling that you want is not in stock, the salesperson will likely be able to provide you with a book that shows all of the different colorations and designs that are available. All wall paneling is pre-cut to measure 4x8 and can be delivered on site for an additional delivery charge.

For the do-it-yourselfer, wall paneling can be easily installed if you have basic knowledge of carpentry. If you arent familiar with the process or simply do not have the time to devote to installing your wall paneling, a professional contractor or home repair specialist can install it for you. In addition, the home improvement store that sold you the wall paneling can most likely handle the installation for an additional fee.

When doing any work on your home, be it construction or otherwise, always be sure to wear the proper protective gear. This may include goggles to keep anything from getting into your eyes and gloves to protect your hands from injury. It is also a good idea to have a friend or relative with you while you are doing any type of construction on your home. Even if the job is fit for one individual and you do not require the help of another, its a good idea to have someone nearby incase of a mishap or unexpected difficulty that you may encounter when installing your wall paneling.

As for its appearance, wall paneling is smooth and easy to clean. Any store that sells wall paneling should also have a product that can be used to clean it, along with instructions on its use. It is important to follow cleaning guidelines carefully, which will benefit both you and your home. Wall paneling is reasonably priced, which makes it easy for even those on a budget to decorate the home of their dreams at a price they can afford. And best of all, there arent any dangerous paint fumes that often result from trying to get the walls of your home to match your decor. With wall paneling, everything is pre-cut and constructed and all that is required is the proper installation.

Want to learn more about wall paneling? Make sure you visit our site at: http://www.wall-paneling-guide.info for access to additional wall paneling tips and information.

Mold Under Floor Tile

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.

Patio Books
Deck Building Books

Interior Wall Framing Help For Home Owners

Framing a new wall, anywhere in the home will not be very difficult to do. However, removing an interior wall on the other hand could be an enormous task and create some big problems, especially if you remove a loadbearing wall. A loadbearing wall would be something that is holding up another section of the home, like the roof or the floor.

If you're not removing or moving a wall, framing a new wall is a task that most homeowners with very little skill can do quite easily. Let's start with the basics, most walls are built from 2 x 4 framing lumber, which can be purchased at any lumber yard or home improvement center.

Let's start with measuring the length and the height of the wall. For example let's say that the wall you intend to frame is going to be 8'7" long and 8 foot tall. If I was going to figure the lumber for this wall, or how much material I would need. I would start with some simple arithmetic.

We need one bottom plate and one top plate. This would be the lumber that's going to run horizontal or right to left in our wall. So now we know that we need two pieces that will be 8'7" long and since they only sell lumber in 2 foot increments, our choices will be narrowed down to a couple of 10 foot two by fours.

The height of the wall is 8 foot tall and will require us to buy 8 foot two by fours. Now how many two by fours am I going to need? Most walls require 16 inch on center placement of the vertical two by fours, or in other words the two by fours that go up and down will be spaced 16 inches apart. If I was to divide 16 inches into 8'7", that would require 7 - 8 foot two by fours.

It's pretty simple math and don't forget to convert your measurements into inches to make the job easier. 8'7" can be converted to inches by multiplying the number of feet times 12, 12 times eight and then adding 7 to it will give us 103 inches. We can now divide 16 into 103 inches to give us the amount of vertical two by fours needed to frame our interior wall.

Don't forget there's 12 inches in a foot.

House Wood Damage or Wall Framing Tips

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.

Odd Drywall Damage
Plaster Wall Moisture Problem

Tips to Repair Your Basement Floor

If your basement is leaking then you can possibly resolve the problem by applying waterproof masonry sealer. This is available from your local hardware store, it comes in powder form and is mixed with water. When this is applied to the wall it will act as a barrier.

Before applying the solution it is very important that you thoroughly clean the area. After you have mixed the sealant follow the instructions exactly.

You can use masonry sealers to fill any cracks and holes in your walls. This is very easy to do, once it's mixed just cover the holes with the masonry mix. It is very important to fill any holes before you start painting or decorating.

There are a number of useful tools when you are doing any project around your home, including wired brushes, sponges, paint thinners, cement, sand, and trowel.

If your aim is to protect brick work and concrete walls then simply coating them in Masonry paint may be enough, this will prevent the walls from leaking. Before applying any paint you must make sure the walls are cleaned. You should use a wired brush to clean the walls, and then move onto using a drill with a wired wheel on the end. Once you have prepared the walls you should paint the walls with a primer before you paint your top coat. This will help the top coat to last much longer and also create a smooth finish.

These small projects can improve your home and help to protect it from hash weather conditions. When you are repairing your home you should plan enough time to do it so that it gets done properly. Restoring homes is an important way to make your life more comfortable.

All of these improvement projects will increase the value of your home, in the very least they will make your house much more desirable to people that take a look around.

Lots of people don't bother to look after their home correctly because they think it will be very expensive. Many home owners may take out a second loan in order to improve their home, this isn't the best idea as it can create a spiral of debt. In fact you don't actually need to spend huge sums of money, sometimes these projects are so small they will only take a little of your time and a few dollars. There are expensive projects, but these are normally limited to the kitchen and bathroom.

Expensive parts are defiantly cheaper than letting your basement leak. Almost all of these projects can be done by yourself without any expert help or guidance. Even if you wanted to install a shower you can do so for less than five hundred dollars, plus they are very easy to install. They come with user manuals which are aimed at home owners rather than professionals.

Jerry Blackburn repeatedly pens articles on areas relating with kitchen remodel and small kitchen remodeling. His abstracts on small kitchen remodeling are found on his internet pages.

Take an Active Role In Your New Home Design

Whether you know a lot about home building or just have some ideas of how you want your new home to look and function, you are an important member of the team designing and building your home. Contributing to the layout and building plan in the design phase will ensure that you realize your dream of living in the perfect home for you and your family. Increasing numbers of new homeowners are taking this approach by actively working with their building contractor and designer.

You may already have some good ideas of what you want to manifest in your design, or you may be starting from scratch and in need of inspiration. Outlined below are some sources of ideas for you to see what is available and how it would work for you.

Visit Open Houses

This first step can be a fun way to spend an afternoon on the weekend, as well as a free source of good ideas for your project. You can check out houses in your price range, as well as those that are more expensive, just to see what an additional investment can buy. Some ideas in very high-end homes can be adapted to other price level building with little or no loss of quality. You can also see what appeals to other potential buyers who are touring the same home, and what pitfalls to avoid. This can be important in terms of preserving market value in your new home design. You may also have access to the expertise of a wide variety of realtors and agents in terms of what works for most families and what appeals to the real estate market. Don't be afraid to pick their brain!

Magazines and Stores

Think of those glossy home improvement and lifestyle magazines as compact stores for you to window shop in from the comfort of your living room. These magazines were created to give you ideas for your design and should be considered even if on the surface they seem out of reach for your lifestyle.

You can tear out and collect pages that have elements of what your are looking for in your new home, and the juxtaposition of different magazine photos can stimulate brand new ideas that have never before been seen in any magazine or in anyone else's home. Isn't this ability to be one of a kind an important reason you decided to build rather than purchase an existing home anyway?

For a "hands-on", three-dimensional feel for what different elements look like and how they work, nothing beats a visit to your local home improvement store. They have set up mock kitchens, baths, and entryways to give you a real feeling for how their products function together in a realistic setting. As they say, take what you like and leave the rest.

Rather than sitting back and waiting for someone else to come up with the home of your dreams, isn't it time to get out there and participate in that once in a lifetime opportunity to create the perfect space for you and your family to live and enjoy life? With a little work and imagination, your dream home can become a reality.

Cadell Derbing's newsletters can be encountered on a large number of online sites with reference to homemade window coverings subjects. You might come across his publications on window covering idea at http://www.curtains-drapes-coverings.com and other sources for window covering idea information.

Five Principles of Green Home Design

A green home minimizes the negative impact on its environment through its home design. Here are a few considerations an architect takes into account when designing a green home:

1. Site: Evaluations and analysis of access, slope, ledge, soil, bodies of water, and vegetation in order to limit the home's impact on the site environment. This includes the site location (farmland, wetland, protected species habitats) and proximity to public transportation, parks, schools, and stores.

2. Size: A green home is efficiently designed to keep the square footage to a minimum. This reduces the amount of energy to heat and cool the home, lighting, and the quantity of building materials used, and also controls costs and reduces site impact.

3. Solar: Whether or not there is a plan to install a solar energy system to heat the water or produce electricity, there are several other solar considerations in green home design. Designing the home for passive solar makes the most of solar energy by harvesting it into the homes' natural energy flows. Passive solar systems include day-lighting strategies, heating and cooling control techniques, and natural ventilation. When a whole-building approach is taken, energy savings can be great both in terms of reducing the home's carbon footprint and the costs associated with heating, cooling, and maintaining the home.

4. Energy: Lighting, heating, and cooling systems are an important consideration in green home design. Renewable energy systems such as solar, wind, and geothermal systems use the earth's natural energy to heat and cool the home, as well as provide electricity to run appliances and technology..

5. Water Conservation: Building a new home presents a unique opportunity to save water. Two money and energy-saving strategies which can be easily incorporated into an energy efficient home design are 1) reducing the overall water using in the home by specifying low-flow water fixtures, low-flush or composting toilets, installing aerators on all taps, and installing low-flow showerhead nozzles; and 2) specifying a plumbing system that reuses grey water (wastewater from domestic usage such as dish washing, laundry and bathing) for flushing toilets, watering lawns, etc. (note: some grey water systems require approval by most local building jurisdictions, your architect will verify this prior to design).

Of course, a new home should use minimal amounts of fossil fuels, last a long time, and cost less money. Many home design strategies don't cost a dime in materials but can save hundreds of dollars on heating and cooling costs. The result is a beautiful, healthy home - for both the homeowners and the environment.

About the Author: Jeremy Bonin, a principal partner of Bonin Architects & Associates (http://www.boninarchitects.com), is an award-winning green architect and the author of TIMBER FRAMES: Designing Your Custom Home. With a special interest in sustainable design and green homes, structural insulated panels (SIPs), as well as timber frame construction, Jeremy incorporates renewable energy practices where possible, including geo-thermal, solar, radiant heat, and energy-efficient foundation systems.

Finding Homes Using the Internet - Home Shopping

You can simply type the words real estate or homebuying into any search engine on the World Wide Web and you will come up with hundreds, maybe even thousands of websites that are extremely helpful and full of great information. Like the one you're on right now.

Finding homes with the internet, combined with a skilled real estate salesperson, provides you with the most effective technology available today. Most websites start out, having you select a state you would like to search in and then, select a city, with your price range.

By answering their questions, this narrows the search down to all of the homes available in the area. The internet has made home shopping very simple. Considering what you had to go through in the 1970s. You found a realtor or by looking in the yellow pages, sometimes you found a good realtor and if you are lucky, maybe you would find you a good home.

Most of the time, the first homes you would look at, were owned by the real estate professional you were working with.

There are however a couple of problems with using the internet to find your dream home. Some of the verbage used and photographs taken can create a wonderful illusion of a tropical paradise but the reality, it's a regular home in a decent neighborhood.

Some of these photos are taken by skilled photographers who take advantage of every angle and tend to give an illusion of grander. When you actually start driving around and looking at these homes, only then will you get a reality check, of what the home actually looks like. You'll get used to it.

After you've looked at a few of your future dream homes, you will get a better idea of what I'm talking about with these wonderful pictures and the extraordinary home descriptions like "Beautiful Three Bedroom House with an Ocean View." When reality it's a two-bedroom house with an extra closet for the third bedroom and the ocean is 45 miles away, but you can see it on a clear day if you actually climb to the top of the largest tree on the property.

Take your time when searching for your dream home and don't let any one push you into making a decision if you're not ready. If you find your real estate professional a little too aggressive or pushy, get out of your contract, if you've signed one and find another, more helpful real estate salesperson to help you with your home purchase.

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

Find other real estate tips and great advice, from another one of the Internet's best website creators

Buying A Functional House

Checking Your Building Foundation

The most important thing when building a home is the ability to keep everything as square, plumb and level as possible. Starting with the foundation, if the foundation is not square or level, the rest of the house is going to be out of alignment.

You've probably heard the saying, start with a good foundation. This applies to the building industry as well. There are quite a few ways to build a square foundation, it all depends on what kind of tools you have, to build it with.

Some of these tools can be quite expensive but it used every day can save you a lot of time and of course time is money.

You don't need expensive tools to build a square foundation. You could actually build a square foundation with less than $100 worth of tools. It might take you a little longer but could be done.

Let's start with the 3 - 4 - 5 rule.

Okay lets see if I can explain this in layman's terms. If no West side of the foundation is 3 foot and the north side of the foundation is for foot, then the diagonal measurement from the southwest corner to the northeast corner would be 5 foot. Out of square building can create foundation problems

This can also be done using 30' x 40' should equal 50 foot. You can use this if the building is large and you need to check it for square.

By measuring the foundation diagonally from each corner, the measurement should be exactly the same. If it isn't, the building is out of square and should be adjusted before the concrete is poured. This measurement should always be checked before you get too far along in the form building process.

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 having problems in your attic, find out more at concrete contractor basics and home building ideas.

Slate Tiles For Bathroom

Metal Stair Tread Brackets - Stair Building Safety

Metal stair tread brackets are used instead of wood cleats and for plenty of good reasons. These often become a safety hazard over time, as the wood starts to deteriorate. Metal, will not disintegrate as fast as the wood it is normally attached to. In most cases the wood stringers and steps will suffer from wood rot or termite damage before the metal brackets become a safety problem.

Metal stair brackets, often require lag screws instead of nails or screws to attach the stair step to the stringer. These lag screws are normally an inch and a quarter for the stair treads, if they are built from 2 x materials. For example a 2 x 12 or 2 x 14 stair tread will require lag screws that will not go through the wood step. A 2 inch like screw will easily go through an inch and a half stair tread. If you're building a stairway, this will be useful information.

Some metal stair connectors have four holes on each side of the metal bracket for the lag screws, while other metal stair brackets have three holes on each side. This normally depends on the thickness of the stair tread and the use of the stairway. Public stairways will normally require the stronger stair tread connector.

During my career of building stairways, I have seen quite a few metal stair tread brackets. Some builders had custom made brackets to meet specific stair tread applications, while others used Simpson products, that are more readily available to home builders and contractors.

One of the biggest problems I have noticed, using metal stair parts is the lag screws can loosen up over time, creating a safety hazard. Warping treads, along with stair steps that split where the lag screw is located, seem to be the biggest problems associated with metal brackets. There are stair building safety codes that should be followed when building or remodeling stairways.

Staircases are normally high traffic areas and should be maintained regularly. Public stairways with high traffic areas should be maintained more often. Anyone walking up and down the stairways should notify the building owner of any problems, to prevent accidents in the future.

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 building straight stairs and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

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.

Landscaping Books

Patio Decorating - Fundamental Points to Get the Results You Want

When it comes to outdoor patio decorating there are literally hundreds of different themes that you can use to make your outdoor space individual and unique. But no matter what style of decor you decide on, there are several rules that expert designers say you should always keep in mind namely,

Keep the outside design in balance with the inside.

If your entire house is decorated in a very modern style, then a Victorian patio decor would surely be out of place and you probably would not want to hang out in the patio very much. You don't have to make the patio look like the inside of your home but it is sensible and wise well to keep the different decors balanced. You can make the decor on the patio different from the rest of the home but try to stay within the basic overall feel so that the house interior and patio flow together.

Work with the patio you have, not the patio you want.

Is your patio small? Or maybe it's huge and it's hard to make it feel like a warm, intimate space? Regardless of your patio space, you need to work within the confines of what you have and not dream about the ideal patio that you wish you had. No matter what the size or shape of your current patio, you can certainly find a way to decorate it that will make it a fun, practical space for the enjoyment of the whole family.

Use high quality materials.

When you are decorating for outdoor patio, it is preferable use the highest quality materials you can afford. That means the best furniture you can afford and also the most luxurious tablecloths, napkins, cushions and other textiles within your budget. A patio or outdoor space should always feel luxurious and lavish, whenever possible.

Don't let the flaws of your patio stop you from enjoying it.

This happens quite often and true. People that have a patio that looks directly into the neighbour's yard, or a patio that faces another building think that they can't enjoy their patio, therefore they don't even bother to fix it up. Conversely, you can make any patio space useable. When you don't have the greatest view, hide it with lots of potted trees and lush tropical plants. There are ample solutions to work around whatever flaws your patio has, you just have to be imaginative and creative.

Keep the decor practical and comfortable.

Your outdoor living space is a place to relax no matter what type of decor you choose. So, make sure the furniture, fixtures, accessories and fabrics that you pick to decorate your patio are both practical and comfortable in order for you, your family and friends to enjoy and spend time out on the patio.

You will be able to read more about patio decorating ideas at http://www.aboutpatiodesigns.com

Stair Stringer To Landing Framing

Home Additions - Seeking the Most Ideal General Contractor For Your Project Online

Admit it-you may do the home remodeling or the room addition on your own, but if you want to have perfect home renovations, you'd certainly look for a general contractor. He doesn't only have the skills, but he also possesses the experience to make sure that the project is going to be successful. But how do you exactly look for one, especially online?

1. Check out different general contractor websites. There are a variety of general contractor sites that you can find in the World Wide Web. Members are usually professionals who have experience in home renovations and home construction.

2. Sign up for membership. There are some sites that may require your membership first before you can fully make use of their list of general contractors. Normally, they don't require any upfront fee, so you can definitely sign up. Make sure that every mandatory field is filled out and that the information are all true. They will be used to communicate with your prospective general contractors.

3. Post your project. Whether it's a kitchen remodel or a bath remodel, post your projects. This way, you will be able to attract the attention of the right general contractor. Now, it's very important that you will screen every applicant. They may all have the experience and the technical skills, but there will always be one or two will qualify or satisfy your preference and your need.

4. Ask for portfolio, if they have any. When you're looking for credentials, make sure that you can include their portfolio, as well as references. You need them to confirm the information they have included in their profile.

When you have chosen the right general contractor for your home remodeling, make sure that you can keep all communication lines open. As a matter of fact, make it a habit to personally meet them and tour them to your home.

Do you want to save a lot of money on your general contractor for your home remodeling? You can look for the best handyman, home builder, or other professional for a home construction, or just a kitchen remodel or a room addition right at http://www.contractorjoint.com/

You don't need to pay for anything when posting your project. Furthermore, you can specify the job site and the category of your project, making it also easier for professionals to search for the right project for them.

http://freelancernetwork.org/ is another construction resource that has construction, home remodeling and bathroom categories. It is more concentrated in Programming, Web Design and SEO.

Water Damage Repairs

How to Use Stones in Building Your Home and Getting Acquainted to Its Various Effects

You can use various materials in building your home, at the same time making sure that they look beautiful at all times. The outside of your home is just as important as the interiors. Building a home, is not about making sure that only one part is a beauty. If it is your home, you will definitely ensure that every room, every side or every angle can be functional at the same time appeals to your eye.

The way you mix and match materials in your home is one of the main factors in making your home look great at all times. From traditional home designs to modern architecture, it has always been a practice that the proper calculations of the sizes and the effect of the materials are considered. One of the famous materials used in homes are stones.

Stone creates a natural look in your homes. It is usually used as part of the walls. It can have a smooth finish or it can be slightly textured to emphasize its nature. Nowadays, its color also varies to add a modern touch on its final effect. Buildings, hotels and other establishments, use them to give a professional look. Therefore, this means, using this kind of material is not longer primitive. In fact, it is already innovative.

One of the greatest uses of stones is a pool finish. Yes, it has an important role in creating effects on the waves of the water or even its colors. Definitely, they are always even and smooth. You do not want to have a rough surface to step on right. Definitely, this finish has an effect in bringing the all elements together to make your backyard look lovely. Whether day or night, with a combination of lighting, these materials create a lovely effect that can surely give a WOW effect to your homes. For whatever kind of occasion you are planning to celebrate in your homes, your pool can be the centerpiece of your party themes.

Stones are also famous for creating great walkways. They create a good contrast to your plants and flowers. It is gives you this country effect and just being surrounded with anything-natural gives a breathtaking scene for your homes. Cobblestones are one of the common designs that we see everywhere. On top of that, do you know that walking on cobblestones can be healthy? If you have read an article published by USA Today last July 2005, a survey was conducted and it showed that people who walked on these paths have lowered their blood pressure. This additional thought can help you push on going for this material in making those walkways. The added functionality can be a great health benefit for your family.

You see those things that you just see with the dirt, have great effects for walls, pool finishes and even walkways. Stones can be tweaked according to what is popular nowadays. It can bring nature inside your homes or even enhance what is outside. Smooth finish, textured, all natural, you name it; it is possible.

Chris Turley is a consultant for Wet Edge Technologies, supplying a wide variety of pool finishes with industry leading technology to support them.

South Western Shower Curtains

Having a bath is very important. It allows you to feel clean and refreshed. It is therefore important that the bathing area is made as beautiful as possible. South Western shower curtains are based on a theme that involves warm earthly colors. This theme can be used to decorate the whole house. However, you can mix different themes.

These curtains come in charming colors. Some of the colors include: rust colors, colors of oak leaves, silver, brown and golden sand. Your bathroom will look stylish and elegant. South Western shower curtains are available in different designs. The Mexican type of curtains have spicy designs and colors. If you love excitement, this is a choice you should consider taking.

Other types of curtains include the Spring Creek Run type and the Oak leaves type. It is advisable to add matching accessories that will ensure complete transformation of your bathroom. The earthly themes are sure to liven up your bathing experience. Besides, your bathroom will be a place to relax and unwind after a long sweaty day.

South Western shower curtains can be found in shopping malls or a local departmental store. If however you do not feel like going to these places, you can use the Internet. It will allow you to view various designs and compare prices accordingly. You can also order online for the curtains. Some companies can allow you to customize the curtains to whichever design you want. You simply need to contact them. Most companies offer discount especially during the festive seasons. At least your pocket will not have to strain much.

Peter Gitundu Researches and Reports on Shower Curtain. For More Information on South Western Shower Curtains, Visit His Site at SOUTH WESTERN SHOWER CURTAINS

You Can Also Add Your Views About South Western Shower Curtains At My Blog here SOUTH WESTERN SHOWER CURTAINS

Home Repair Books

Perfect Summer Home Plans

That is what many people want as a get away when the summer hustle and bustle gets to be too much. In the southwest this is especially true. The summer heat gets to be unbearable and the weekends are for heading out of town and up to the cool country. There are many other places in the country that this phenomenon is true as well. It may not be the heat that people want to have a house built from small cottage home plans to which to escape. It may be just getting out of town and away from the city. It may be just to get to another place to escape.

Often people in the city want to have a house built from a country home house plan so it feels like they are escaping to the country even if it is not quite country. Some go as far as to have a log cabin built to make it feel very country. It depends on the area of the county in which you reside.

A house built from a prairie style house plan may look a little out of place in Hawaii but would look great on the plains of Nebraska. An east coast style house would not fit into the desert look in the southwest but does it really matter? Should you be more worried about fitting in or building the house of your dreams. If you are going to live the rest of your life in that house, go for it. Build whatever you want but if you have to worry about resell values, think twice about what you build for your perfect summer home.

If you would like a large selection from which to choose, go to House Plans And More to see what your perfect summer home could look like. There you will find a variety of small cottage home plans from which to choose. If a country home house plan or a prairie style house plan is more to your liking you will find a large variety of these as well.

Older Homes With No Dryer Hookup

Booming Green Building Market Continues to Grow

Make no mistake: the "green building" market is not only here to stay, but it's also the wave of the future. In just the next five years, the market for buildings that incorporate alternative energy and conservation techniques will increase some $10-20 billion dollars. Yet the green building market only constituted about two percent of new construction in 2004. By 2010, that figure is expected to jump to 5-10 percent, which still represents only a tiny fraction of the immense potential of the green building market.

A recent survey showed that more than 70 percent of the architects, engineers, contractors and building owners interviewed expect a significant increase in their income from green building. Of those surveyed, some 60 percent of those industry professionals are now regularly including green techniques in their new construction projects.

Although they cost a bit more to construct, once the buildings are completed, they can save their occupants 8-9 percent in operating costs vs. conventional buildings, which can add up to significant savings over time. Recognizing the trend, builders, architects, and manufacturers are rushing to get in on the boom, which will ultimately bring down prices for consumers.

This is no longer just a few environmentally-minded homeowners placing solar collectors on their roofs to heat water. The boom is being driven by giant corporations like Ford, GM, and Adobe, companies that have incorporated green techniques into their buildings to improve their overall bottom line through increased energy savings. That trend proves that green buildings are no longer just a fad, and are definitely here to stay, because if companies can realize a quick return on their investment, they're also quick to jump on the green building bandwagon.

Green building isn't just the wave of the future. Green building is also the hottest "new" thing in current construction. There's an organization called the U.S. Green Building Council that actively promotes the usage of green building techniques. If you or your company are interested in incorporating green features in your next building project, you'll find lots of information at www.usgbc.org.

It all adds up to a win-win situation for everyone concerned. The building industry gets increased business, occupants save significant amounts of money, and the environment is impacted less and less. And the trend should only gain momentum as new technology makes green buildings even more efficient and less expensive.

Copyright 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Jeanette Fisher has researched the effects of environment on emotions for over 15 years. She teaches interior design college courses and seminars. Free interior design reports: http://www.designpsych.com

Long Dryer Vent Problems

The Essence of Natural Body Building

What is natural body building? Why do most specialist body building consultants always recommend natural body building as the best quest for body builders? Natural body building is an abstract term used to refer to the process of developing a pack of well-built and definitely sculpted body muscles using natural methods specifically through rigorous exercises, predetermined dieting and a controlled augmentation of specific natural body building supplements.

At the most basic level, natural body building efforts solely relies on progressive weightlifting workouts as the most natural means of initiating muscle growth, structural strengthening of muscle tissues and compact toning of the body. It is based on a common believe the body naturally adapts to weight lifting workload, by developing extensive muscle fibres and strengthening body ligaments.

Natural body building workouts are simultaneously combined with a diet rich in solid carbohydrates and proteins so as to quicken metabolism process that help burn body fat. A healthy diet targets to comprehensively eliminate solid body fat from muscle cells and consequently to condition the body to develop new muscle cells using a process of converting all available calories to muscle fibres. Natural body building is therefore an attempt to deplete all body fats that lie idle in the muscle cells, and convert them into muscle tissues, while creating room for further growth of muscle cells as facilitated by an adequate healthy diet.

The endeavour of naturally build large, powerful and well defined muscles may sometimes be complimented by the use of natural body building chemical and dietary supplements especially those containing organic and naturally pure ingredients. Examples of such naturally pure dietary supplements include all the essential nutrients mandatory in the body like proteins and minerals salts.

Supplements are also used by natural body builders to replace pivotal nutrients that may be lost after intensive workouts. The catch word though in natural body building accepted supplements is usually that they deliver realistic and impressive benefits to a body builder's regimen. Their advantage is that they are natural food extracts and usually come in concentrated doses for easy absorption by the body.

Another of the common and essential supplement for natural body building is called Creatine which is often assimilated into a body builder's workout regimen coupled by a well balanced and healthy diet. The focus of natural body builders should at all times be maintained on a disciplined adherence to the workout scheme. But even so, the natural body builders must allow adequate time for sleep and relaxation, for it is only during moments of rest and deep sleep that muscles cells grow and renew their tissues. A training program featuring too frequent intense weight lifting exercises often does not help contrary to popular believe.

The choice of appropriate natural bodybuilding supplements should not only be determined by its cost, advertising slogan or fame, but a conscious decision born out of knowledge. It is always sensible when a body builder seeks the professional opinion of diet experts or does thorough research onto the natural supplements most suitable, effective and safe. Upon identification and appropriate use of a natural body building supplement, numerous benefits are accrued and reflected in brain power and functionality, enhanced digestive and blood circulation, beneficial sleep and relaxation, increase in amount and efficiency of bodily energy and ultimately, huge muscles.

Dane Fletcher is the world's most prolific bodybuilding and fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for BodybuildingToday.com. If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit http://www.BodybuildingToday.com, the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.

Resolving Home Remodeling Anxiet

Window Header Framing Problems

As a building contractor it is my job to assemble the house to meet the specifications from the architect and the structural engineer. I do this by looking at the building plans and installing the specified lumber sizes. I can take it upon myself to install a larger size wood beam or window header adding an additional cost to the job of course. I don't think so.

It's not uncommon for a framing contractor that has an additional 5 foot scrap piece of 4 x 8 left over that he now has no use for. He can then choose to use the 4 x 8 instead of a 4 x 6 for the window header. This type of building is common and acceptable.

If the structural engineer calls out for 4 x 6 window and door headers do not take it upon yourself to replace the 4 x 6 with a 4 x 4. I have seen too many framing contractors or carpenters make an on-the-job judgment like this.

A good example would be a single story house with 2 foot wide windows that require a 4 x 6 window header. As the carpenter builds homes over the years he can come to his own conclusion that a 4x4 will work fine for this application. Again keep this in mind as a framing contractor and a carpenter you are assembling the home not designing it.

Do not change the sizes of any headers or beams.

A long time ago carpenters used a standard rule of thumb, you could go up two sizes larger than the window opening for your header. Let me give you an example of what I'm trying to explain.

A 4 foot wide window opening would require a 4 x 6 window header. A 6 foot window opening would require a 4 x 8 window header. This should give you an idea of what I mean by going up two sizes larger than the window opening to figure out the lumber necessary to use for your window header.

This rule of thumb does not necessarily apply in today's building industry. The reason for this is structural changes from earthquake damage. The structural requirements that are required for building a home require a lot more metal bracing and strapping. Therefore some of the lumber requirements for beam sizes and window headers will be different.

This message is for general contractors, framing contractors and carpenters. When installing a window header and you take it upon yourself to change the size you also assume the responsibility if the building fails. This type of mistake is common and you guys know what I'm talking about.

It's not worth it. Keep in mind you are the assembler and not the designer of the building you are working on.

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 and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and House Framing Structural Repairs

How to Create a More Luxurious Master Bathroom

Your bathroom is your sanctuary, a place for you to escape from the children, the laundry, the dishes, or the guests that just won't seem to leave. Shouldn't you consider upgrading your home and spending a few hours dedicated toward bathroom remodeling? If there's little to no difference between the bathroom you use and the one the children use, then your bathroom is in definite need of a makeover. Follow these steps and you'll transform your boring bathroom in to a luxurious, spa-like getaway.

Color Says It All

Most bathrooms are adorned in blindingly white fixtures. From white tiled floors and walls, to too bright lights and even white cabinets and sinks, the word "sterile" comes to mind. Color sets the mood and feel of the room. A deep, richly colored paint such as a calming blue or green will give off a sense of relaxation and serenity, as opposed to the stark, harsh neutral white tones.

Soften It Up

Just as most bathrooms are decorated in white fixtures, so too are most bathrooms covered wall to wall in hard surfaces. To give off the feeling of "luxury", add soft touches. Plush area rugs and hang towels are ideal purchases to create a lavish feel.

Also, instead of typical white or neutral colored cabinet hardware, opt for a trendy marbled pattern that rivals even the priciest hotels in the nation.

Fancy Faucets & Fixtures

What's a fancy master bathroom without top-of-the-line tubs, faucets and showers? Upgrade your current tub with a jetted bath tub. For the ultimate relaxing soak, purchase a spa pillow. If you've got a standing-only shower, purchase a detachable showerhead.

Newer sink models offer electronic faucets; these high-tech fixtures will avoid overflow as well as diminish the amount of water wasted while you're brushing your teeth, or washing your hands. Additional sink models also feature designer ceramic, stone or marble vessel sinks. These sinks can be mounted above, partially above or even below the cabinet fixture.

Another way to transform your bathroom is by installing a new, advanced toilet. Some models come with automatic flush sensors, heated seats and lids, rear and front washing fixtures, air dryers and even deodorizers. When replacing or updating your toilet, also purchase new toilet paper holders in dark finishes to complete your bathroom's inviting look and feel.

Warm & Cozy

Many master bathrooms have cold hard-tiled floors. In addition to plush rugs, consider purchasing heated floor maps placed below your flooring to keep your toes toasty warm. These heated mats work with tile, stone, laminate and even wood surfaces. If this option seems a little too luxurious, consider purchasing heated towel bars instead. This way, you can enjoy the pre-heated towel immediately after soaking in the tub or shower.

Illuminate the Room

Any bathroom needs good light fixtures. Install new light fixtures above or to the sides of your vanity and mirror. This way, you'll reduce the amount of shadows on your face so you can properly apply makeup or shave your chin. Also, choose the right wattage of bulb. Avoid harsh overly strong bulbs as they may just look scary! By installing a light fixture with a dimmer switch, you can control how much you can or cannot see-and is ideal for setting a relaxing tone for a bath!

Cool Gadgets

Hotel master bathrooms feature nifty gadgets and tools that most homes do not have. Why not add these items to your bathroom as well? Fog-free mirrors are ideal for the on-the-go individual or family that needs to shower, dress and get ready quickly. Instead of airing out the bathroom or waiting for fog to clear, these fog-free mirrors eliminate waiting time, getting you out the door faster. Another bathroom gadget is a tooth brush sanitizing unit. These compact, decorative units eliminate germs and grim typically found on everyday toothbrushes.

Tori works for Your Home Supply (YHS) the definitive website for home improvement tools, and gardening supplies. Your Home Supply offers a wide range of bathroom lighting to help you create a more luxurious bathroom. Visit them now at http://www.YourHomeSupply.com

Which Stove Cooktops Are More Energy Efficient?

When it comes to designing a green kitchen, evaluating stove cooktops for their energy efficiency can cause you to make a decision between convenience or your preferred method of cooking and being eco-friendly.

Unless you are going to cook in your fireplace over an open flame, you've got to consider the energy usage of the model of stove or cooktop that you buy. Most cooks prefer a gas cook top. With gas, the heat is easier to control and this can make cooking a lot easier.

However, gas stoves are powered by natural gas which is a fossil fuel and, as we know, fossil fuels are not that environmentaly friendly. On the other hand, the electricity that powers electric cook tops comes mainly from coal burning power plants which, once again, are not that environmentally friendly.

When it comes right down to it, choosing stoves and cooktops that are practical and good for the environment boils down to one thing - the efficiency of energy usage.

Which Stove Cooktops Are Most Energy Efficient?

When looking for energy efficiency, the electric cooktops are going to beat the gas once hands-down. But, there are many different types of electric cooktops that you'll need to evaluate for your green kitchen. In today's electric cooktops, there are many choices between the surface elements. These include induction elements, halogen elements and the traditional electric coil that seemed to be almost old-fashioned today.

Needless to say, the newer technology cooktops are going to be more costly but theye will also be more energy-efficient. The induction stove is the most energy-efficient because it transfers energy electromagnetically right to your pan. Of course, these of the highest priced. The ceramic glass cooktops that use halogen elements are the next best, however if you don't have very flat pans, you will be wasting energy because they do not work efficiently if there isn't good pan to cooktop contact. The least expensive - the electric coils are also the least energy-efficient.

When considering stove cooktops for your kitchen, you're going to have to weigh your budget with your desire to lower your carbon footprint. Going with a higher-priced and more efficient model might cost you more upfront but can save on your energy expense as well as your impact to the environment over time.

To find out more about which stove cooktops are more energy efficient as well as get more tips for an eco-friendly green kitchen, visit http://www.greenkitchendesignguide.com

Small Basement Remodeling

Space is a common housing issue especially in big city living. As the song popularized by Frank Sinatra goes, I want to be a part of it... New York, New York. Most everybody still wants to experience and live through the action of the never-sleeping city. So if you do live in New York, there is still another option to consider other than just learning to live with how things are. The answer to your space crunch lies through looking into the possibilities unused areas has to offer. This makes small basement remodeling one of the best home improvement projects to undertake.

Why small basement remodeling?

- When thinking of adding square footage to your home's living area, this is a more cost-effective alternative than having a home addition where you would need to extend. This would cost you only a fraction of what you will be spending on the later with most or all of the same features. One of the reasons for the great savings is that the structural necessities are already there like the ceiling, flooring, and walls.

- Another benefit for undertaking a small basement remodeling is the ideal location of the area that promotes fewer hassles posed by home improvement works to the family's daily living.

- Since the nature of the space is underground; it is typically warm during colder months and cooler on summer. This factor helps you enjoy the small basement remodeling project results with less energy costs.

There are many ways that you could come up with a finish your small basement remodeling and this depends on your personal needs and preferences. The isolation and originally compact masonry of the place makes it ideal to be turned into a home office, playroom for the younger children, game or recreational room, home theatre or an exercise area. Because plumbing is readily available and easily accessible, the area can also excellently make up for a sauna, additional bathroom, or large custom shower. Other popular small basement remodeling ideas include: a wet bar, kitchenette, and additional room for guests.

When we think about our small basements, the most natural thing to come into out minds is their dungeon-like features. To bring out the most in our remodeling project, you can play with certain elements to make the space as inviting, comfortable and more spacious to look at.

- This area would naturally require heavy lighting compared to most areas in the house. You can provide fixtures promoting intense light as well as maximize the use of windows to let in more natural light.

- Carpets have been a popular choice but are you aware that tiles could do better as flooring? Aside from the durability that it offers, it is also low maintenance. As your small basement is prone to moisture and water problems, this would serve as the better alternative. To make up for the hardness and help with the over-all room design, you can also put beautiful area rugs.

- Light paint colors, horizontal designs and diagonal patterns are great in making the small basement remodeling finish seem much wider.

Eugene Makeev has been in the home improvement industry for a while. His skills and expertise, which have been polished through time, are now used to help New York home owners avoid the common pitfalls in home improvements by matching their needs with the right, prescreened Basement Contractor New York. For more, visit New York Contractors

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Creating Your Own Home 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

Bathroom Wall Framing

How in the World Do You Decorate Your Bathroom?

If you're bored with the cold winter months and want to do something to put a little spice in your life, you might consider doing some remodeling in your home or apartment. Nothing will perk you up like having bright, fresh rooms to come home to. As the two most important and used rooms in any home, the needs of your bathroom and kitchen are the first ones you should look into.

As we said, these rooms see more use than most of the other rooms do; however, they are often the most neglected and rundown, too. Think about how long its been since you made any attempt to make over one of these rooms. When you think about it, you're probably going to realize that its been a long time since you even considered it.

Even if you have noticed things around the bath that you thought looked kind of bad, you probably shrugged and went about your business saying you didn't have time to undertake a room overhaul. And back whenever you thought this, the room probably didn't look nearly as bad as it does now. Things like this tend to creep up on you. Even if you've been keeping your rooms white-glove clean, there are still things that get worn and outdated.

I dare you to go into your bathroom and take a really close look. So what do you see? Maybe the curtains look limp and worn, and the bathroom rugs are getting a bit threadbare. Are those soap dishes you're still using those two-piece plastic models that were popular back in the '70s? As I'm sure you've heard before, they don't make things the way they used to, and if you look at your outdated items, you'll probably see why.

Start by getting rid of all the unnecessary junk, and buy yourself some new, updated accessories. There is an amazing selection to choose from these days. You may have even been eying a gorgeous bathroom set in a store. By getting rid of the old junk, you'll have a reason to go out and treat yourself to it.

Make sure that whatever you buy is sturdy and water resistant. After all, these items are going to get a lot of use, and they're going to be exposed to water, soap, and other spills. You'll want your rugs to be machine washable so that when they get dirty you can just pop them into the wash and have them come out looking like new.

If you'd like to find some new, innovative ways to decorate your bathroom, there are numerous places you can draw inspiration from. For instance, there are mail-order catalogs with everything you could possibly want. It's possible that the catalogs will give you ideas you can use in order to substitute a less-costly item for the one they have pictured.

All it will take to get you going is some catalogs or websites where you can start getting ideas. Then your own ingenuity and creativity will start coming into play as you begin designing the ideal spaces for your kitchen and bath. What started as a small change could end up snowballing on you, and, if it does, you're going to love your gorgeous new rooms.

Have you considered any bathroom decor ideas lately? How about a Lladro Bathroom? It doesn't have to be expensive. Find out more at http://www.bathroomstyleguide.com

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Procurement Definition

Procurement can be defined as the purchase of merchandise or services at the optimum possible total cost in the correct amount and quality. These good and services are also purchased at the correct time and location for the express gain or use of government, company, business, or individuals by signing a contract.

The process of acquisition of goods or services required as raw material (direct procurement) or for operational purposes (indirect procurement) for a company or a person can be called procurement. The procurement process not only involves the purchasing of commodities but also quality and quantity checks. Usually, suppliers are listed and pre-determined by the procuring company. This makes the process smoother, promoting a good business relationship between the buyer and the supplier.

The synonyms for procurement, which are gain, purchase, buy, and acquire, can throw light on the meaning of procurement. The process of procurement may differ from company to company, and a government institution may have a slightly different procurement process compared to a private company.

Procurement can also be simply defined as the procedure in which goods or commodities are bought when prices are low. Procurement is advantageous if the goods are bought in bulk. E-procurement is another method in which the electronic media is used for acquiring or purchasing goods. Everything is processed electronically, from the search for the right bidder to the delivery and payoff.

The procurement procedure may differ according to the product and the uses of the product. Healthcare equipment needs to be efficient and reliable, and the procurement process is carried out meticulously in order to avoid the purchase of faulty apparatus. Another important factor that is usually included in the definitions of procurement is the amount in which the product is bought. This is important because the amounts of goods bought are inversely proportional to their cost.

Thus, procurement is a process that is carried out by almost every company and individual for its own personal gain or for profits, which involves buying of commodities by choosing the appropriate bidder.

Procurement provides detailed information on Procurement, Procurement Software, E Procurement Solutions, Procurement Management and more. Procurement is affiliated with India Offshore Outsourcing.

Home Building Books For Contractors

If you're a do it yourself or or a homeowner who every once in a while, once to tackle a small or large project but doesn't know where to begin, can gather useful information from home building books. I have been using these books for years and may have been worth their weight in gold.

I started my career working for my father and my father worked for his father as a Carpenter. Our job was to frame the house and we built a Lotta homes. I learned how to frame and developed some great carpentry skills from my father and working with other skilled carpenters. Over the years, if you're paying attention, even a monkey can figure out, how to assemble almost anything.

The only problem that I faced, was learning how to build the rest of the home. I would often ask questions to other building trades like plumbers, electricians, roofers and construction superintendents. Some of these people were helpful and others were not. When I was in my early 30s, I purchased my first book on home building. This book lead to other books and soon I found myself with more home building knowledge that my father.

I had about 50 books on home building and soon found myself doing large home remodels, with no formal education. I would attribute almost everything that I learned outside of house framing to books. These books have proven invaluable to me over the years and with a relatively small investment. I couldn't have spent over $200 purchasing these books but have used the knowledge from them to save myself thousands of dollars.

One $20 home building books or home repairs, can save you lots of money, if you're willing to do a little research and the labor to complete almost any home building project.

By the way, if you're interested in learning how to repair a roof, build your own house, interior decorating, structural engineering, building a deck, gathering some more information about home painting or even remodeling your bathroom. An online home building bookstore can save you money if you're willing to do the work.

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 home inspection or home building ideas.

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Best Features and Benefits of the Rain Bird ESP-4M (Outdoor) - 4 Station Controller

The Rain Bird ESP-4M (Outdoor) - 4 Station Controller is a great mid to upper level irrigation control system for home and business landscapes. Its capability for expansion makes is perfect for new systems where all needs may not yet have been identified. Here are the best features and benefits of this controller, explained.

Modular Capacity
If you have a homeowner that can't quite make up their mind, or is constantly adding and re-arranging the landscape, the modular capacity of the ESP-4M controller saves a lot of time, cost and headaches. The controller comes equipped to handle four stations at a time, but can expand with the click of an additional module to accommodate 12 irrigation stations and an outdoor lighting station for automatic control.

Did We Mention the Outdoor Lighting Capacity?
What could be more convenient than managing outdoor lighting schedules along with the irrigation system. With this controller, everything can be maintained and timed in one convenient control panel.

Fuseless Circuit Breaker Keeps things Running
If one section of the irrigation systems becomes unable to function due to an electrical problem, the fuseless circuit breaker keeps the rest of the system running, isolating the problem area until it can be fixed. This feature is great for people who travel frequently-it gives peace of mind that the landscape will stay (mostly) watered, if part of the system goes down. There's nothing like avoiding total system failure during 100 degree summer days!

Contractor Default Program
Sometimes and overeager homeowner will try to tinker with the irrigation system, even if he or she doesn't have a clue what they should be changing or adding. For times when a client calls the irrigation maintenance firm and says "Help, I changed the program!" the Contractor default feature is wonderful. Rather than needing to re-program the entire system, the contractor can simply recall the original program from memory and make adjustments from there.

Advanced Sensors Conserve Water
Water restrictions are becoming more necessary and more highly regulated. Several options on the Rain Bird ESP-4M controller let homeowners modify or pause programs due to water restrictions. There is also a "permanent off day" feature as part of the programming capability to keep the system entirely shut down during mandatory no-water days.

Features for Easy Installation
Ease of use for the homeowner is great; however, these irrigation controllers are also easy to install and maintain. The cabinet is roomy, with plenty of space to maneuver within. Ribbon cables provide better visibility. You can "hot swap" or add additional modules without cutting power to the system, saving valuable time. A valve test system helps contractors see which valves are connected to which station for ease of programming. An added plus is the ability to program the controller using a 9 volt battery for power before installing the controller on the wall.

A Great Controller for Highly Varied Landscapes
Four different program cycles and the ability to serve so many stations makes the Rain Bird ESP-4M (Outdoor) - 4 Station Controller a top choice among landscape and irrigation professionals.

Richard Gilliland is VP of GreenMarkIrrigation.com one of the largest online wholesale dealers and distributors of Rain Bird ESP-4M and sprinklers.

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