Shower Power

We’ve been dealing with a bit of shower drama the last few days, but things to be on the right track, quite literally. We spent most of today measuring and cutting track and getting everything ready to install with ze caulk. As you can see by the pictures below, we’ve finished a great deal of the electrical work in the bathroom, including three outlets and a light switch. And yet, negotiations on what exactly we’re going to do with the vanity are still ongoing, making the choice of lighting in that particular area a bit of a sore thumb.

Still, I’m very excited how the tiles came out and the fixtures we have for the shower itself are on their way. An original concept had us adding a soaking tub to the side of the shower but those plans were abandoned upon further investigation of the budget we were working with. Plus, I’ve always enjoyed an open bathroom with space to spare, and that looks like what we’ll have at the end of this project. We’re also finishing up the divider tonight, if all goes according to plan. I will put up more information and pictures as I can get to them, ladies and gents. 

Home Visit: Step-by-Step in the Kitchen

As I mentioned last week, we’re working on a kitchen as well as a bathroom in the house that we’re currently working on. We’ve honestly just started the groundwork for the kitchen but I thought they were worth a look. As in the bathroom, we used mud setting underneath the tiling for the floors and have yet to finish the grouting completely. 

The room has a doorway entrance as well as an open entrance with divider coming off of a planned dining room that is nearly finished. You can see the paint tests being done in the dining room area and the dangling light that makes it look almost like where you would perform an interrogation. You can also see all the tiresome spackling that went on over the studs, the electrical work and, below, some of the plumbing going on underneath.

We’re still waiting on a word of what exact kind of oven will be put in but other wise, the plan for the room is set. I’ll be able to go into more detail once the countertops and shelves have been put in and are worth a look. But I am happy that this customer decided on a garden window, which is an amenity I’ve always enthusiastically suggested to customers. They always brighten up the room and I love the sense of extra space you get from them; perfect place for cactuses and other smaller plotted plants to give your room some more personality. Once these rooms have more personality themselves, I’ll be sure to post here.   

5 Reasons To Choose Blow In Insulation

Insulating your home is pure and simple the number one way to save money on energy costs. In the old days floors and walls were lined with just about anything to keep the moisture and cold air out of home. Renovations have revealed that even old newspapers were found packed into wall and floor boards.
Today insulating is a science all its own. There are R-factors assigned to different material and methods of insulating that give homes and buildings an appropriate amount of protection for their geographic region. The higher the R rating, the better insulated the home.
One of the top rated insulations is relatively new to the industry and probably no more than a couple of decades old and that is blow in type insulation.

The Benefits of Blow In Insulation 
There are several benefits to blow in insulation over rolls of fibreglass insulation. The benefits include the method of installing it, its energy efficiency and where it can be used. Here are the top 5 reasons to consider using blow in insulation:

1. Blow in insulation is adjustable. Depending on how much material is used, it can create a protection with an R value of 15-38.

2. Only virgin materials are used to create most blow-in varieties of insulation. This means there a reduced chance of allergies.

3. Blowing the material into the crevices allows for a tighter fit and seal. It can be directed around corners, beams, or wiring that may already be in the walls.

4. Installing blow in insulation is fast. A barrier, referred to as a blanket is stapled to all of the 2x4s to keep the material from floating away and adhering where it isn't wanted. Then a small slit is cut into the blanket. A hose is inserted and measured amounts of the insulation are blown into place.

5. This type of insulation is extremely energy efficient. As it is blown in it expands and adheres to the surrounding surfaces. It fills even the tiniest of cracks as it does this.

The Complete Installation Process 
After attaching the blanket to the surrounding boards, the small opening cut into it allows the hose to be pointed in all directions around the wall or ceiling. After the material is in place the blankets slit is closed and taped. This blanket does not act as a moisture barrier, it just control the spray. The material itself resists moisture.

Drywall or other wall materials are then installed right over the insulation blanket. In a renovation project this means that an entire wall would not have to be removed in order to insulation. Take an extremely old home for example. There may be no insulation at all. Instead of removing layers of plaster wall, you could simply make a hole, position the hose and fill the walls will energy efficient insulation. Then patch the wall and the job is complete. The blow in insulation is more expensive than traditional insulation. However, experts estimate that energy savings is so great that within 2 to 4 years those costs are recovered.

House Visit: My Name is Mud

We’ve been working on a house in the outer boroughs this past week, remodeling both a kitchen and bathroom from scratch. We were lucky enough to start with a blank slate and allowed to just go in and work with the homeowner on the design. The bathroom was the more urgent job in this situation, as you might expect – you can always order in, but you can’t always use your neighbor’s shower.

As you can see below, we just finished laying the tile in the bathroom and are awaiting the drying process to finish up before we get into the grout. You’ll see the separators keeping the tiles even in some of these pictures. We opted for mud setting over wonder board on this job, which is best for any tile work. A wonder board setting will often lead you to more cracks in your tiles and a lack of even pitching all around. The mud setting, for those who don’t know, is essentially a layer of cement with wire mesh and tends to make for solid, long-lasting floors in bathrooms especially.

We’re also waiting on some decisions to be made regarding the vanity mirror. As you can see, we already have made the recess but, to be completely honest, the vanity tends to be the least urgent part of the job in situations like this, as it is one of the few things where plumbing is not directly involved. Still, it would nice to get this done in the upcoming week and get some pictures on here of the finished project. Will update soon with under-construction kitchen work. Also, check out these tiles! Not too shabby, ay?    

Home Improving Walls and Ceilings

If you're seriously interested in knowing about home improving, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about home improving walls and ceilings.

Removing stains, mildew, or peeling paint, as well as repairing your home is great for preserving the homes equity. When you take the time to repair or remodel ceilings or walls you are conserving energy while blocking outside noises that pollute the home.

If you have holes in the walls or ceilings, you will need plaster, or else materials for repairing the entire area. Sometimes you merely need replacements. Plastering is time-consuming, thus if you have larger holes replacements may be worth your effort rather than consuming your time filling in the holes. As far as tools, you will need paint-scrapers, sandpaper, glue and heat guns, adhesive type, tile pliers, stud finder, utility knives, wall-cover roller, wallboard saw and knives, syringe and awl.

Removing stains will require solvents. Generally, you can purchase the good stuff at any home improvement stores. For tuff stains, you may need to reapply new paint. If you need to remove mildew use water and dish soaps or other soaps for removal, unless the walls have spores, then you will need a bleach solution.

If you are peeling off old paint, you will need to patch the areas peeling by reapplying new paint. Use a putty knife to peel off the old paint. You can also use a paint-scraper to remove the paint peels from the wall area. Spackle the around the edge of the chipping paint and once finished using sandpaper, sanding down the area; Once the patch area is dry sand down the area, clear the area free of dust before painting.

If you have dents in the walls or ceilings and/or holes, you will need to have scrapers, plaster, knife, spackle, cloth, sandpaper, and paint. Once you have the proper tools and materials you can start the procedure to fix dents, cracks and holes. You will also need the patches that come with plastering kits in the event some of the holes require additional attention.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Home Improving now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

Before you start with the spackling, make sure the area is clear up dust and crud. Apply a coating of sparkle to the area in need of repair and wait until it dries. Once the area is dry using your sandpaper sand the area where the patch and spackle was applied again dust the area freeing it of dust.

If the wall or ceiling area has, large holes you may need larger patch to insulate the area before plastering the area. Again, you will need to clean the area before applying the plaster.

Improving walls and ceilings will bring back the life of your home. The materials for repairs are cheap, and the process is simple, thus hiring contractors will only cost you a fortune. The price you will pay for repairing the home on your home is less the price you will pay to have someone else do the job for you, and in turn, equity of your home while increasing will bring you far higher rewards.

The equity of homes is essential for maintaining, since lenders will consider this first before issuing you a loan. If you have around 95%, equity on your home you can get a loan near the estimate value. Likewise, if you consider selling your home you can sell the home for what it is worth, rather than lower the price and taking a loss.

The kits purchased for home repairs and/or improving often have instructions included. Thus reading the instructions can help you move along with the process of fixing your home. The instructions are important; since following the instructions will help, you get the most out of money and work.

Note
It is important to remove any nails or other sticking up objects before starting repairs or improving of your home. If the wall area has nail holes, you can fill those in with the plaster. Making sure the surface is smooth is important also before applying plaster, paint, or other repairing solutions to walls, floors, ceilings, et cetera. Furthermore, when you apply new coatings or repair the areas damaged it will help prevent deterioration of the home.

Now you can be a confident expert on home improving. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on home improving.

The Advantages of Tankless Water Heaters

Have you ever considered replacing your old-fashioned hot water tank with a tankless water heater for your home? Although "instantaneous" or "demand" water heating systems may seem like a novel idea that couldn't possibly work as effectively as a tank, you may be surprised by the various benefits that have led many homeowners to make the switch. Here are some of the reasons why people prefer the tankless system.

One key reason for making the switch is to save space. At a typical size of 20"x13"x3", the tankless water heater can free up considerable area in your home for other purposes. A smaller size unit can fit into smaller areas and be less obtrusive than the older style.

Another reason that hot water customers prefer the tankless system is for safety purposes. The smaller unit reduces your risk of getting scalded, since huge amounts of hot water aren't stored in a tank, but rather are processed as needed. You needn't worry about an accident or explosion sending gallons of steaming water throughout the area to harm people or pets. Kids won't be attracted to the inviting spigot, since the unit looks more like a computer than a hot water processor.

An especially significant motivation is the 50% reduced heating costs over using a hot water tank. This is due to the fact that hot water tanks store water that can experience what is called "standby" losses, when heat evaporates through the flue or sides of the tank. Another related benefit is the fact that the tankless systems don't leak like tanks do, thereby further reducing potentially high costs associated with drips or maintenance. Furthermore, since it doesn't have a tank that can run out of water, your hot water supply is undiminished. Imagine never having to wait again for a hot bath or shower.

At nearly 100 percent efficiency, a tankless water heater makes good sense. NASA experts make some units, which underscores their reliability. Most of the parts used today are easily replaceable. With almost 200,000 btu/hour, you can plan on having enough hot water available for two or three showers without running low on hot water. Many customers can choose between gas and electric-operated systems.

Possible detracting elements are that you will need to find a service provider who has worked with this type of system and knows how to conduct maintenance and repair for it. Another potential drawback, depending on the quantity of hot water you use at any given time, is that the water may heat more gradually and emerge a little more slowly than you are accustomed to (size and model will be the factor).

Look for tankless hot water system providers in the telephone directory's or visit online sites that sell these products. Compare benefits as well as disadvantages to both types of systems before making your purchasing decision. If you decide to buy a tankless system, compare prices among several dealers to get the best deal. Once you find your product needs or have made a decision to up grade, The Trades Network has many qualified tradesmen and contractors available for installation.

On Paint Jobs - Kitchen Cabinet Doors

Today’s subject comes to us thanks to my cousin’s college roommate, who just recently bought a home upstate and sent me a kind e-mail telling me about some projects he was thinking about undertaking. Being a chef, most of his major wants surround the kitchen and his first idea was to repaint his kitchen cabinet doors before putting on a set of designs; we spit-balled and decided that cooking utensils and accessories would make a great theme.

Removing the doors with a screwdriver is, of course, the first step. If the cabinets are unvarnished, you can begin by wiping down the cabinet with a sponge and cloth to remove any dirt and specks; if it is varnished, sand down the door until the finish has been dulled and then wipe it down. In the case of my friend, it would be best to do the painting first and the stencil or design afterwards, especially if you’re still in the midst of making the stencil design.

Lay down some drop clothes and get to painting. Stained cabinets should be prepped with an oil-based primer, whereas bare wood works best with latex-based primers; it’s also suggested to use a synthetic polyester paintbrush while working with oil-based primers. To ensure a good finish, make sure you only apply a thin coat of primer to your chosen door(s), as using too much primer will likely cause a lackluster finish. Let the primer dry for a few hours and then get your paint buckets out.

For more open, sunlit kitchens, lighter colors (whites, yellows, light blues and greens) are usually recommended but I’ve seen some really excellent distinct connections that favor darker colors; a very close friend went cherry red with his cabinets and wooden countertops, despite my constant pleas for him to get black or dark laminate countertops. In the summer months, you could paint outside but in the winter, a well-sealed garage, basement or open living room is best for this sort of work. I await pictures of my friend’s cabinets (he’s putting a frying pan and a plate on two of them, respectively) and will post them here promptly after receiving them.