Tag / hardware store

by Ted

Revamp Your Home With These Fantastic Home Improvement Tips

Improving your home with well-thought-out home improvement projects has many advantages. Updates and renovations can add, not just to home aesthetics and usability, but also to the home’s market value. Home improvement projects can be both fun and profitable. Here are some ideas that you can do in order to maximize your home improvement project.

Light-colored roofing is a great investment. By using a lighter color you can reduce the amount of heat absorbed into your attic. This ensures you’re not spending a lot on air conditioning.

You can use your floor joists or ceiling rafters as a good place to store building materials. Large materials and long items can be tucked away easily. You can easily hammer in furring strips across a couple of exposed rafters or floor joists and put in the material that needs to be stored.

TIP! Store material that you’re using for building between floor joists or ceiling rafters. Molding and pieces of wood can be conveniently hidden out of eyesight.

Weather Stripping

Weather stripping installed around doors and windows can make your home energy efficient. Weather stripping can be purchased cheaply at your local hardware store, and is easy to apply. It’ll keep hot and cold air sealed out, meaning that the systems you use to heat and cool your home will be more effective. You will notice, too, that you can cut down on the drafts that you feel on those chilly nights.

Before beginning a home improvement project in your kitchen, fireplace or any part of your house with a gas line, be sure to turn off the gas at the shutoff location before starting. Exercising extreme caution will keep you and your family safe. Starting a fire or causing an injury during your project is undesirable.

TIP! If you are doing a project in a room that has gas connections, such as a fireplace or a stove, shut off the gas before you begin working. The utmost care must be taken in these situations.

If you find that you’ve tried just about everything to make a door stop creaking or squeaking, it’s time consider buying a new hinge for the door. You can buy one at a hardware store. Disassemble the hinge. Then attach the new one to your door and wall. Make sure the hinges line up and slip in the pins.

If you’d like to make an old bathroom look modern and new, look into buying matching metal fixtures. You can find shower curtain rods, cabinet knobs and towel racks in a lot of different styles. A lot of home improvement stores have these fixtures and they are easy to install in a short amout of time.

Keeping everyone in your home safe is easy if you take the time to make an escape plan. People often incorrectly assume that discussing an escape plan isn’t necessary, because everyone will know what to do during an emergency. Preparing escape routes in advance gives your family something to focus on when confronted with fire or other dangers. So get together and plan a route and think of all possible outcomes of each one.

TIP! A great way to improve your households safety is to discuss with the entire family the different escape routes available if needed. There is every likelihood that someone will panic when confronted with a tragic situation.

You kitchen is a great place to start improving your home. Start by cleaning your walls. Eliminate the grease and any excess paint on the walls. Re-painting your kitchen with tan colors will amaze you, since it will have a totally different look when the painting is completed.

Shut off your house’s water supply when your home improvement work takes you into the kitchen or the bathroom. Find the shutoff for water in your home before you begin any kind of work on rooms that use water. This will ensure a flood does not happen.

Remember to put good ventilation (e.g. a window) in your bathroom. Hot water and humidity can cause dangerous mold to grow. Even if you keep repainting your bathroom walls, it still won’t sufficiently kill off the mold. Instead, you need to try things that get rid of it once and for all. Try putting in ventilation or a window in order to dehumidify the area.

TIP! Be sure to include a window or other ventilation mechanism with any improvements to your bathroom. Mold can grow quickly in the moisture left behind by daily showering.

If your work takes place anywhere near a gas line, such as a fireplace, dryer or the kitchen, turn the gas off before getting into your project. Even if the gas is turned off, you should still be very cautious when working under these conditions. You do not want to start a fire or get hurt during the course of your project.

If you feel you need to spruce up your living room, add a bold print to give it some style and personality. Add zebra or leopard print accessories to a living room, such as chair cushions, area rugs, decorative pillows, or wall art.

When the budget is flexible, use natural materials when doing home improvement interior projects. Genuine building materials such as stone, wood or ceramic are nearly always superior to the synthetic versions. They last longer and are better looking too. You will find that you will save money by not having to replace them over many years.

TIP! Try to make room in your budget for natural building materials. Genuine building materials such as stone, wood or ceramic are nearly always superior to the synthetic versions.

Wall Board

When performing home improvements in areas with heavy plumbing, (e.g. kitchens and bathrooms) replace ordinary wall board with water-resistant wall board. This water-resistant board is commonly referred to as “green board” by contractors and those in the industry. It can tolerate moisture rich environments, and will resist mold as well as water.

Install cedar fences around your home when you live in a dry area. This is recommended because it is durable and it has a distinctive aroma. It is safe for areas that may be plagued by wildfires.

TIP! If you’re living in an area that’s fire-prone and you’re considering fencing, opt for white or red cedar. Cedar is durable and provides a great fragrance, while also providing terrific fire safety.

When you can afford to, stick to natural supplies. Genuine building materials such as stone, wood or ceramic are nearly always superior to the synthetic versions. They are not only visually pleasing, they also provide durability that can’t be beat. Costlier natural products are likely to generate savings in the longer term, since synthetic materials will need frequent replacement.

Select the colors you want in your room. If you are redecorating a formal area, such as the dining room, try using complementary colors. A color wheel displays color choices that complement one another in opposite positions on the wheel; such as red and green, or yellow and blue. This type of color palette looks good and works well.

Homeowners who hire a private contractor to do a large-scale home improvement project should listen carefully to the contractor’s advice but avoid taking it as gospel. If you know what you are talking about you are less likely to get taken advantage of. Be sure to verify all the potential problems that a contractor mentions a home having.

TIP! Quotes and feedback from contractors should be viewed with a degree of skepticism. Even top-notch contractors with great reputations will work in their own best interest when dealing with homeowners that are intimidated, uninvolved or overly agreeable.

Keep your focus tight and your pennies pinched when you’re remodeling a bathroom. Even a limited budget can produce a really big impact. Get new toilet paper holders, light fixtures, mirrors, and towel bars. A new coat of paint could make a big difference too. You can modernize your bathroom without spending a bundle.

The lowest price may not be the best deal when it comes to building contractors. It may seem lucky, but some people promise low prices and ramp them up once they have the job. Others may give you poor quality work in keeping with a low bid. Therefore, research what each contractor offers and ask for referrals.

If you are in a rush to get home improvement work done, you should be prepared for the high costs involved. Contractors will usually be eager to work harder on a project. They’ll think the pay should be altered to more for this. Fast work is usually more expensive.

TIP! If you are in a rush to get home improvement work done, you should be prepared for the high costs involved. Contractors will charge more when deadlines are tight.

Change window treatments for an instant facelift. Curtains don’t cost a lot, and there are a lot of patterns you can select. You can use a seasonal look or customize in a different way; it’s up to you!

After a homeowner has successfully completed a few home improvement projects and enjoyed their tangible benefits, confidence grows, which can sometimes encourage more ambitious projects. This can never hurt. Never limit yourself; if you set your mind to it, you can achieve anything!

Do you hate your old bedroom furniture? You don’t have to live with old furniture the way it is. Sanding and refinishing will give them a fresh new look. If you refinish your furniture, you save hundreds of dollars and get a new piece of furniture that looks great. Old furniture can be stained in many new color options.

TIP! Do you hate that old dresser in the corner of your bedroom? You can bring those old funky dressers and nightstands back to life simply by sanding them and giving them a refinish. Not only will it instantly bring an old item back to life, you will have saved all the money you would spend purchasing a replacement.

by Ted

Super Advice On A Terrific Home Improvement Project

Home improvement is a popular topic among any homeowner. Everyone wants to have a beautiful home, but the thought of going through with home improvement projects is horrifying. This article can give you what you need to start basic improvement projects.

Your air conditioning filters should always be kept clean. If it isn’t clean, it will use more energy to clean the house. The unit will also run for a longer period of time. Each month, switch out the filter to avoid problems.

If you are renovating your home, consider whether the cost of adding your personal touch will be recouped when you sell it. The more personal your renovations, the less likely you will have buyers that wish to purchase it for the price of your work.

TIP! Often it can seem gloomy if the room is small; this does not always have to be the case. Get more light into the room! Always make sure that the windows are clean so light shines in more effectively.

When improving your home, give the most visible areas the most attention. Your potential buyers have no choice but to judge your house by what they see, and having things such as peeling paint and overgrown hedges may cause you to lose the sale. While true that may improvements are not usually the most obvious ones, when you are selling the home it is the ones you can see which are most important.

Don’t buy expensive supplies. Instead, shop around and look for the best deals on home improvement materials. For example, quality home flooring can be expensive, but if you shop around, you should be able to find the flooring in your price range. Shop at discount home supply stores and find stores that offer bargains.

Before you install paneling on your walls, paint stripes! Even the most meticulously installed paneling tends to show small areas of the old wall beneath. This can be prevented by taking a few minutes to measure the area in which the panels will adjoin. Use a color that will match the paneling and paint the areas where the paneling will meet.

TIP! If you’d like to get your garage organized, purchase a few clear plastic storage containers and start sorting items by type and frequency of use. Label your plastic boxes, and make sure they’re stack-able.

One great way to save money on winter heating costs is insulating your attic. Because heat rises, many homes with poor insulation lose heat through the roof during the cold weather months. Pretty much any hardware store will carry this insulation and installing it is simple.

Putting on a new roof is one of the major expenses of home ownership. Get more than one estimate and don’t forget to look at references. There are a lot of choices available for roofing, from metal to lightweight tile, although there are still the traditional choices like composite shingles and wood shake. A contractor can help you make the right decision.

Bleach is a great tool for cleaning toilets. Although you may dislike the smell of the bleach, you can rest assured the toxic chemical is killing germs and leaving you with a shiny clean toilet. You may want to use scented bleach if the odor is offensive.

TIP! See to it that all the spaces in your house have a defined purpose when you’re selling your home. Buyers shouldn’t have to guess what a space is supposed to be; have appropriate furnishings and accessories in each room.

Imagine the best use of your outdoor areas. The living space of your home can be extended into your backyard. A backyard patio is the perfect space for relaxing, barbecuing and entertaining.

Replacing your front door for one that is nice looking and well made can boost the value of your home substantially. You can customize your door with new knobs or locks, which are fairly inexpensive. There are many options as far as finishes and shapes.

It is not unusual for chair caning to sag. There’s an easy way to revive the caning in your chairs. Get a sponge and get the caning’s underside wet. Only use warm water. Let everything sit for about 12 hours. Be sure and repeat the process until caning is tightened again.

TIP! Be aware of the type of product you are using to clean out stubborn clogs. All cleaners are different.

For more curb appeal, think about painting the door of your garage. The harsh heat of summer and the icy cold of winter both take a toll on the look of any garage door. New paint instantly transforms the look of a home and increases it’s value. Choose a new color that blends in better with the palette of your house instead of sticking with the original, standard shade.

Home builders will often install solid wood cabinets without hardware as a way to save on costs. It is easy to find the knobs, pulls or handles you need at any good hardware store. You can purchase any style or design of knobs that you wish and install them in a minutes.

Any painting job requires you to estimate the amount of paint you require. Don’t guess about the costs because that can end up costing you big time. Figuring out how much paint you will need can save you time and money.

TIP! Stain basement floors for a better look. If you stain a concrete floor, it will end up looking really nice and cost a lot less than if you were to replace it entirely.

Shop around for the best estimates and compare your contractor candidates carefully. Create a solid list of the things around your house that you want worked on and do not alter that list between contractors. If you change things you want for each contractor, it will be tough to compare between them.

One home improvement project that you can complete in a flash is a new paneling job. This will help you make your home feel and look newer. If you do not enjoy the look of the paneling, it is easy to get rid of.

Don’t be fooled by the style and affordability of individual solar lights for your driveway or walkway. If you truly need lighting that will highlight a walkway and illuminate your path, invest in electric models. Although the equipment is more expensive and the installation is more complex, these lights are far more reliable and durable than their solar cousins.

TIP! A good insulation for your plumbing will help you prepare for the cold weather and also keep the water hot running into your sink. Weatherizing tape is widely available for purchase, and insulating your pipes is a simple process.

Be as generous as possible when you draft your home improvement budget. Any additional expenses can start adding up and quickly eat into your budget. Planning your budget for things that can go wrong will help you be much better prepared to deal with changes.

When looking for assistance with your home improvement projects, look for friends that have already been through their own projects, so that they can offer help and support if necessary. Otherwise, you may find yourself high and dry with no help in sight. That applies here as well.

When you remodel a bathroom, be sure to have enough light. The main focus for many people when remodeling bathrooms is fixtures, but the lighting needs just as much attention. Add lights around your bathroom mirror as well as replacing the bathroom’s ceiling fixture.

TIP! Before starting on a significant remodeling or demolition project, considerate homeowners notify the neighbors of the project schedule. It can be irritating living right next to major construction.

Draw a benchmark line around your kitchen before installing new kitchen cabinets. This line helps give you a reference for measuring when you install both the base and wall cabinets. Start at the high point of the floor and draw your benchmark line.

Old toothbrushes work great for cleaning. They are great for cleaning grout and any area that has crevices. The best part is that they cost nothing! Why pay for a brand new cleaning brush when an old toothbrush will work just as well. Go ahead and save your money for another project.

If your kitchen is looking old and worn down, you should try putting a new sink in. A new sink can completely make-over a kitchen. Sinks come in many different colors, styles and shapes.

TIP! If you’re doing some home improvement, look into plumbing and rewiring issues first. Since most of these repairs need to be done by going into your walls, you should take care of them first.

As this article has shown, many home improvement projects may be completed yourself once you have knowledge. Home renovations not only improve your home’s value, but also improve the comfort of your home. By following the tips from this article, you will help equip yourself with the knowledge necessary to take on your next project.