Archive for December, 2009


The History of American Ranch Style House Plans

Filed Under: House Plans
Dec.21, 2009

Ranch style homes originated in America, making them a unique domestic design. Throughout the country, the long, low, casual style of ranch style houses offers easy living on almost any budget.

Ranch homes originated during the 1920s to satisfy the need for more housing. These homes were inspired by Spanish colonial architecture from the 17th and 19th centuries with single story floor plans. During the 1940s to the 1970s, ranch style houses were in their heyday as suburbs erupted across America. Original ranch houses were usually a single story with a low, long roof. Simple, open ranch style house plans were typically in a rectangular, U-shape or L-shape design. Vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, large windows with shutters, overhanging eaves and an attached garage are all characteristics of original ranch homes. The interior and exterior of ranch homes was simple and uncluttered.

During the beginning of the 20th century, modern architecture and Spanish colonial ranch designs were fused to create California ranch style homes. Three basic concepts associated with California ranch homes are an unpretentious character, livability and flexibility. These affordable houses began to erupt throughout the Southwest. After World War II, 30 year mortgages were more readily available making it easier for people to become homeowners. As the number of home buyers increased, so did the need for affordable housing. Ranch homes became a top choice in suburban areas across the country because of their simplicity, flexibility and budget-conscious price.

By the 1950s, nine out of ten ranch homes were “ramblers”, the common name used for California ranches. During the 1940s and 1950s, ranch homes were more rustic with Swiss board edging on the trim and dovecotes. In the 1960s and 1970s, ranch homes became sleeker with a simpler design.

Modern ranch homes are more unique than their predecessors but are still are one room in depth with a long, low profile. Attached garages add additional storage and living space to updated ranches. Another feature often found in today’s ranch home plans are sliding glass doors leading out to a deck, patio or porch to extend gracious living to the outdoors. Many have separate living rooms, dining rooms and family rooms that can be used for a variety of purposes based on your constantly growing and changing needs.

Contemporary designs took over during the 1980s with ranch style homes enjoying a comeback during the 1990s. Both younger and older home buyers appreciated the affordable, single-story design of ranch homes. While ranches were often built in tracts during earlier days, today they are usually built individually based on ranch house plans chosen by the buyer. Home buyers looking for a larger home with the basic lines of a ranch often chose a raised ranch with two stories.

Whether you want a home with two or five bedrooms, there are beautiful and affordable ranch style house plans to accommodate families of all sizes. Your ranch home plans can be single story or two stories with one or more bathrooms. Shop around online for your ranch house plans so you can take time to review all your options.

Tags: ,
read more

Start Your Home Design Using These Home Design Tools

Filed Under: House Plans
Dec.20, 2009

You’ve decided you want to build a new home. Where do you start? First, we suggest you purchase your land, as this will surely impact the design of your home. Second, start putting your ideas together before visiting your architect.

Start with a vision of your new home. Is there a certain architectural style you prefer? Colonial? Cape? Saltbox? Farmhouse? From there, start with the basics in home design. How many bedrooms will you need? Do you want a Master Bedroom with or without a Master Bathroom suite? Will it be located on the first or second floor? If this is a vacation home which will become your retirement home, you may prefer to have the main rooms located on the first floor for easy access in later years. Do you want a large, eat-in kitchen or a separate dining room?

Are you planning to entertain small or large groups of people in your home? Is a cathedral Great Room on your list of priorities? Will you need a living room or media room separate from your Great Room? Do you have a specific hobby or interest that requires a separate room or area?

Compare all of these areas with your current home. Does the space you have now fit your needs? Write down the measurements of your space and then mark whether or not the space is adequate. Wherever possible, look for areas to reduce the living space. For instance, if you have a large laundry room now and you only really use half of the space, mark it as a potential space saver. Anytime you reduce the square footage of your new home you will save money in initial material costs, but in energy costs over the life of the home as well.

A home fulfills many purposes, but it can also satisfy numerous personal, aesthetic, and emotional requirements that can be difficult to describe in words. In starting to imagine your home design, it will help your architect if you identify and communicate how you want each space to feel. How?

You may find it a challenge to explain how you want a room to feel. Start by doing some simple exercises. Pick up a home magazine or imagine a home you are familiar with. Find a room you like. What do you like about it? The way the afternoon sunlight casts shadows within the room? The room’s intimacy or its abundant space?

Think about other spaces you enjoy – the park, the library, your friend’s home. How does the space make you feel? What creates that feeling? Be specific, and write down what you like about it. For instance, you might write, “I like how the room’s color tones change as the sun sets” or “I love how the outdoors is brought inside”. These small realizations will help the home design to evolve from a floor plan to a custom home that is an extension of your life philosophy.

Do this for each room in your home design. It is also helpful to describe what you don’t like about certain floor plans, rooms, or space. For instance, if you are not fond of having to walk through your closet to enter your Master Bedroom, document this. Perhaps you like the great room in a magazine photo but you don’t like the television being the center of attention. Or, you may like the space but find it lacks the intimacy you’re looking for in your home – a cozy corner where you can chat with another couple, a well-lit reading area, or a secluded spot for your cell phone chargers, mail and telephone. Keep all of your notes together. Cut out full pages or small photos that describe your likes and dislikes. As you go through this process, you can update your thoughts with text and photos. Eventually, you will come to a good understanding of what you want your custom home to look and feel like. Bring your notebook to your first meeting with your architect. Starting with your vision in hand will expedite the design process while guaranteeing success.

Your custom home architect will spend time with you to guide you through this process and will translate your ideas into a preliminary design for your consideration and review. The result will be much more than a home with a standard floor plan – you will have a custom home design that matches your philosophy and lifestyle, a reflection of who you are, your dreams and aspirations.

About the Author: Jeremy Bonin, a principal partner of Bonin Architects & Associates, 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.

Tags:
read more

Custom House Plans – Finding a Good Designer

Filed Under: House Plans
Dec.19, 2009

The field of drawing custom house plans is a crowded and competitive one. There are many architectural and design firms out there vying for a “piece of the pie.” However, if you look closely at examples of their finished product, you will find huge differences among them. The better ones offer quality designs and highly detailed plans.

Drawing a good set of custom home plans involves integrating many different concepts and ideas into a solid and usable working plan. Many designers are able to come up with a unique or interesting preliminary design, but fail to deliver when its time to detail the house structure. They draw a pretty picture but have little or no understanding of how to translate that nice design into a working plan which the builder can understand.

Having been in the business for more than 30 years, we have seen a large number of house plans which looked good at first glance. However, upon closer examination, many of these plans were found to be lacking large amounts of needed information. If a house plan is not easy to navigate or is not thoroughly detailed, then the builder is left to guess at the designer’s intentions. This often means that he will “pad” his bid to make sure that he covers any unknown construction costs that may arise.

One item to look for when evaluating a house plans’ quality level is the number of structural sections which are shown on the plan. Highly detailed sets of plans will always cut lots of sectional views through the house to show every different roof framing situation. This might mean that 10 or 12 (or even more) sections need to be drawn for a large house plan. And even a small house plan should include 3 or 4 sections minimum. However, many home plans available today (especially plans purchased through inexpensive plan directories) cut corners in this department and only show one or two house section views. This means that the builder will have to guess at the rest of the house framing.

Another item which is often missing or lacking in a set of house plans is comprehensive and accurate dimensions. We have always strived to provide more than the minimum amount of house dimensions so that it is easy for the owner and builder to layout a home on its building site. We will even calculate point to point dimensions (using trigonometry) for homes which have lots of odd angles to them (as opposed to a simple rectangle layout). Not all architects or designers will go this “extra mile,” so it pays to check these things out beforehand.

Every set of custom house plans includes several items which need to be blown up and detailed for further clarification. If a set of plans does not provide additional close-up drawings (for things such as beam connections, deck railings, stairway construction, etc.), then it is not a complete set. It is very easy to cut corners during the planning process. But the end result will be higher costs for the home owner – and lots of frustration for the building contractor.

There are some architects and designers who seem to think that its the responsibility of the building department to check and catch any omissions. But the best of the breed takes it as a matter of pride to produce the very best plan and design they can. It is the only way to build up a loyal clientele and to get referrals for future work. And that vote of confidence from former clients makes all the difference in the world.

Tags:
read more

A Few Things to Consider When Building a Windmill For Home Use

Filed Under: Energy Efficiency
Dec.18, 2009

If you’re planning on building a windmill or wind turbine to help reduce or even eliminate your electric bills, you’re not alone. Due to the run up in energy prices, millions of others are becoming acutely aware of alternative energy and the benefits that come from using it. By embracing wind power, you’ll find that there are numerous benefits that come along with it. Two of the most obvious reasons to start using wind power are the reduction in your energy costs, and the beneficial effect that it has on the environment. With that said, there are some things you should consider before you start.

Local Zoning Laws

Before you get too involved in building a windmill for your home, you need to check with your local authorities about any zoning laws or regulations that govern the use of wind turbines and windmills in your municipality. Most towns and cities have adopted laws that govern the placement and height of any wind power generating device constructed within the city limits.

Chances are good that there are also noise restrictions that set the maximum noise level that can be produced. It’s worth noting that this is one of the most important parts of research that you’ll need to do, and as such, should be the first thing you look into.

Is Your Home a Good Candidate for Wind Power?

If you’ve lived at your current location for awhile, you’ve probably got a gut feeling for the amount of wind that’s available. At my house for instance, there is rarely a day that there isn’t any wind, and on the days with wind, it’s strong. If your site passes the gut feeling litmus test, you can do some further research here: http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/wind_maps.asp

to get an even better idea of the amount of energy you have available.

You’ll Need a Plan

Probably the most important part of building your own wind generator is to have a great plan. One that’s been tested, and fine tuned to the point that even those with little to no building experience can easily complete it. It should also use materials that are easy to source, and inexpensive to purchase. And in the end, it should produce a reliable and useful device that’s capable of providing years of service with limited maintenance. While this may seem like a tall order to fill, there are some excellent plans that have recently become available that will easily satisfy those requirements.

Just remember, stay focused, do your research, have a great plan, and don’t give up. If it begins to seem overwhelming, break up your work into smaller portions and set goals based on them. If you do that, you’ll have it completed and generating power in no time!

For more information, follow these links to find the BEST Wind Turbine Plans and Solar Panel Plans.

Tags: ,
read more

Energy Efficient Water Heaters

Filed Under: Energy Efficiency
Dec.17, 2009

In this article I will cover energy efficient water heaters.

Energy efficiency is a hot topic right now and new technologies are being introduced everyday. We recommend that you do not wait until you need a new water heater to do your research. You may find yourself buying what ever is available, instead of what is best! This is not a good plan since your hot water heater is the biggest waste of your energy costs. So do your research now, and double check it just when you are ready to purchase.

Consumers have a tendency to purchase their heater based on size. Actually the First Hour Rating (FHR) is more important to consider. The FHR represents the amount of hot water that the unit will deliver during a busy hour. Estimate your family’s usage during the peak hour usage and find a unit with a FHR that will cover it.

The most energy efficient water heaters are generally gas fired. Electric resistance is an expensive way to generate heat and not as environmentally friendly. Before you make the final decision, check with your utility company to see if they have any incentives that may make electricity more attractive.

One of the new favorites is the energy efficient tankless water heater. They only create hot water as it is needed and there is a never ending supply. They have a longer life expectancy and do not reheat the same water all day long! If you leave for a week, no hot water is made.

Besides the standard gas and electric energy efficient water heaters there is the indirect water heater. This type is only for consumers who have a boiler. It uses your boiler as its heat source. This type of system eliminates a lot of the heat loss through the flue, as associated with the gas fired heaters.

The next type is a heat pump water heater or desuperheater. With this type the electric is used to move the heat from one place to another instead of actually creating it. The heat source comes from the heat in the outside air or the area where the unit is located. This type is not very common and harder to find.

Solar water heaters use the sun to heat your water. They are very expensive and hard to calculate the cost because there are so many factors that affect it. These would include the amount of sun, where you live, which way your roof is facing and the amount of hot water that you use. If everything is right though they offer a virtually cost free hot water from a renewable energy. Seems like solar power was hot, then cold and now it seems to be making a comeback. There seem to be many opinions out there for and against solar power. The drawback is that you must have some type of backup system for when there is no sun.

So the bottom line is that this is a very big decision. Make sure that you use every available resource to do your research before you spend your hard earned money. If you make a mistake, you will be paying for it for a long time!

Bob Willoughby is the publisher of http://EnergyEfficientHomeTips.net.

There are many ways to make your home more energy efficient and save yourself some money at the same time. Visit the web site to learn more about Energy Efficient Water Heaters.

Tags:
read more

Solar Power – How Does it Work?

Filed Under: Energy Efficiency
Dec.16, 2009

The most powerful source of energy available to us is not from mankind’s invention or discovery but form the nature. This source of energy is the sun which has been around form the very first day the earth was created has been providing us with an energy that’s far more powerful than anything man has been able to invent. These days the solar energy is becoming the biggest alternative for current source of energy due to the reason that it’s cheap, effective, environmental friendly and long lasting. Solar power means the conversion of sunlight into usable electricity.

The sun throws huge amount of energy every day on the surface of earth, this sunlight consists of positively charged photons particles. Solar cells or photovoltaic are used to convert this energy into usable electricity. These cells are made up of semiconductors. The most common semiconductor is made up silicon mixed up with different materials.

These semiconductors made up of different materials provide different out put of energy. The amount of energy generated depends upon the number of semiconductors. These combinations of cells are known as modules and a number of modules form an array. When sunlight strikes the surface of these cells a certain amount of this energy is absorbed into the semiconductor.

This energy allows the electron of the semiconductor to go free. These cells have an electric field that forces the free electron to move in a certain direction. This flow of electron is the current. In order to draw this current, the cells are externally connected with metal. This current is in DC form but the appliances that we use needs AC power so a device called the inverter is attached to the cells to convert the energy from DC power to AC power. The surface of the cells is coated with different antireflective material so that the surface can absorb more photons.

Following are the different types of silicon material that are currently used.

  1. Single crystalline.
  2. Poly crystalline.
  3. Amorphous silicon.
  4. Multi junction.

The single crystalline cell is the most expensive available in the market but is also the most effective in absorbing the photons and generating power. The poly crystalline is less expensive due to the material type and that is the reason it’s not very effective and less preferred. For out door purposes amorphous are very durable but does not provide huge amount of power. In order to increase power output you need to increase the number of panels.The multi junction devices have very high conversion efficiency due to the reason that they capture a large portion of the solar spectrum. The material on the surface of a multi junction is also very effective and efficient in absorbing the photons form the sunlight and converting them into usable power, this is solar power. These semi conductors have a very long life, an average of 20 years so that you can have no problem with major breakdowns or power outage for a long time.

What is solar power? it is a green and clean energy source, click here to visit the Solar power info site.

Tags: ,
read more

5 Easy Tips to Feng Shui Decorating

Filed Under: Feng-shui, Interior Design
Dec.15, 2009

In home decorating circles, feng shui design has become a popular way to style a room. Feng shui involves properly utilizing the space in a room in order to maintain good chi, or energy. There are certain things that a homeowner must or must not do in order to have the right feng shui in the room. The following interior decorating tips will help you maintain good chi in your home.

Include Color in the Room
If you want to promote good energy in a room, there are certain colors that are recommended in feng shui decorating. All of the colors stand for different things. For instance, the color red stands for good luck, which is why red is such a popular color in feng shui design. If you want a fresh and peaceful look, decorate with green. Use yellow if you’re looking for another good luck color.

None of the colors used in feng shui should ever be distracting or unappealing to the homeowner. Instead, use colors that have a comfortable feel to them.

Keep the Room Simple
In feng shui design, you never want an overly crowded space that’s full of stuff. Instead, the room should be kept very simple. You just want to include basic wood furniture and a few accessories. The room should never be cramped, and a crowded space will only offer negative energy to the room.

You can start out with some basics, maybe at first one piece of furniture and then you add another  such as a wood dresser. Then slowly add a few more items as needed. You want to be sure you don’t go overboard on the accessories or décor items.

Use Natural Materials
If you are practicing feng shui, then remember to use natural materials for the room whenever possible. The negative chi that can be found with artificial products can be kept away with natural materials such as bamboo, hemp, and organic fabrics. A great way to incorporate the feng shui practice into a room is with a bamboo wood floor or an organic cotton slipcover over the couch.

Decorate with Plants
Decorating with plants will give you a room with good chi. As living objects that help the environment, plants make a wonderful addition to any feng shui room.

You can use all different types of plants in your home to help you achieve a unique look in each room. In one room, a small potted plant might be just the thing. But in another room might call for a large standing tree in the corner. No matter what kind of plant you choose, it will make a great addition to any feng shui room.

Decorate and Design According to the Bagua
A bagua is the energy map for a particular room. Those who are really serious about decorating with feng shui need to follow this bagua specifically according to the shape and size of the room. After all, a long dining room isn’t going to have the same energy map as, say, a small kitchen. Once you use the bagua to determine the life areas, you can then start decorating your various rooms using feng shui.

Feng shui decorating has seen a rapid increase in popularity in recent years. Thus, these days feng shui is known more as a design style rather than a philosophy. If you want to get some positive chi into your home, then learn more about this practice and embrace the feng shui life in your home.

Tags: ,
read more

The Staple Down Technique to Laying Hardwood Floors

Filed Under: DYI
Dec.15, 2009

Do it yourself hardwood floors is now easier than ever due to the staple down technique. This technique is fast and requires little cure time.

In fact, this technique of laying hardwood floors is followed by only about one day to complete. At that time you can move all of your furniture in and proceed with life. With older techniques, you may be inconvenienced for more than a week.

Also, using this technique, will allow you to install solid wood floor panels rather than manufactured floor panels. These solid hardwoods are thicker and tolerate more abuse.

Tools

In practice, using staples for laying hardwood floors is not all that much different than using nails. You can use mostly the same tools to perform either task. The obvious difference being that you’ll need staples and a stapler instead of a nails and a nailer. Here is a list of the main tools you’ll need for this technique:

Staples – You need some sturdy staples so that you can firmly attach your hardwood panels to the wall and foundation.

Stapler – You need to have a good, sturdy staple gun to make driving the staples as easy as possible.

Carpenter’s Crayon – You need to mark guidelines for where you’ll fit each of the hardwood panels together. You’ll also need to mark the floor panels up so you will know where and how to cut them to fit the angles and objects of the room where the floor is being laid.

Cutter Knife – This is a sturdy, sharp knife that has the special ability to be able to cut off small chunks that need to be cut as you go when the measurements are off by just millimeters.

Rubber Mallet – You will most likely have to pound things to one side or another as well as pounding grooves together as you are laying the hardwood floors. Just don’t get carried away and pound on things too hard.

Saw – You will use this to cut up your panels where you have marked them with the carpenter’s crayon.

Claw – When you’re backed into a wall, sometimes the only way you can get a grip on the sides of the panels to pull them is with your claw.

Broom and Dust Pan – You’ll find yourself cleaning up saw dust, splinters, and chunks of wood often during this job.

Preparing the Surface

When laying hardwood floors, you’ll want to prepare your surface area well, as whatever flaws you leave there will be there for the duration of your floor. The last thing you want to do is install them without a proper, flat surface to support the wood. Any lumps or holes under the wood could cause damage and will cause squeaking floor panels

One of the things you can do to prepare the surface for laying hardwood floors is to scrape off any residues or lumps on the surface. Also, you should patch up any holes in the surface.

Next, you will need to do a good surface cleaning. Sweep the floor and get out all of the dust. More importantly, make sure no chunks of wood, splinters of wood, or pebbles are on the surface.

It may be helpful to compensate for any uneven surfaces by ensuring that your first row of floor panels are the sturdiest of the lot. These will help anchor the rest of the panels. If these are not made of good wood, your whole floor will have problems.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Start by positioning your floor liner on the place where you’re going to begin laying your hardwood floor. You can do this each time you lay down another piece of floor board, or you can start by laying the whole thing out for the entire room before laying them.

2. Lay your first hardwood panel in the corner. The grooved edges should point towards the wall. It is best if your initial corner has straight edges and no objects to have to work around. When you’re sure it is where you want it, get it fixed in place.

3. Fix your next hardwood panel to the first one by gently hitting the end of it into the connecting joint. The two boards should fit together nicely and create a smooth surface. You should not have a gap between panels. Also, you should not have the panels overlapping each other. If you hit the panel to hard, it could bust and/or the original panel could bust.

4. Staple the panels in place. Do not place the staples within one inch of the edges of the panels or you may create a crack down any edge of the panels. The panels should be very well affixed in place when you’re done.

5. Repeat steps three and four until you get to the next corner.

6. Cut the panel for this next corner carefully so that it will fit in perfectly to the corner.

7. Start your next row of panels using the leftover piece from the panel cut in step six.

8. As you add more panels to your row, you will now have to pay special attention to pound the panels together both to their current row and to the panels beside them from the last row. Remember not to hit the panels too hard with the rubber mallet.

9. When you start running into parts of your floor where there may be modifications to the shapes of your panels required, lay the panel in place as much as possible. Then mark around the exact areas where you need to cut your panels to avoid the obstacle, but still hug the obstacle as tightly as possible with the panels. Cut your panel tightly around the object. If you can’t quite fit the panel down, use the cutter knife to shave off the excess wood.

10. Continue to repeat all of these steps until your new hardwood floor has been completely laid.

Tips

-In addition to making sure that you do not staple too close to the edges of the panels, make sure you don’t drive your staples too deeply into the surface of the floor. When dug too deep, they will pull areas of your nicely finished surface down. It could also cause the floor to break the staples through at a later time when there are pressures on the floor.

-As you complete each row, recheck the row to make sure there are no small gaps at the connecting joints. These will not only look bad later and cause instability in the connection, but they create gaps under the wood as well which can cause bubbling in the floor. This can result in creaking sounds whenever you walk on the floor. If you notice a row is not well fastened in any place, gently use your mallet to push all of the gaps together before laying another row.

-Before starting each successive row after the second row is complete, first walk around on the row you just completed to test it for stability. If it squeaks, something isn’t right. It’s a lot easier to go back and correct the problem now than when you finish the floor!

Clean Up

You only want to get rid of the sawdust at this point. Ignore any advice to use a wet rag or mop. Give your floor some time to settle before you start applying water. The water will make the wood swell and it could pop out of place and even warp if it gets too wet before it has settled into place.

The exception to the water advice is if you deviated from the instructions here and used adhesives to connect joints, you will need a damp towel to rub off any excess glue before it can harden on the surface. Just be very careful not to have your floor get any more wet than necessary.

As for cleaning up the saw dust, your broom and dust pan will do just fine. If there is still some dust or debris stuck in hard to reach corners, you can get this out using a vacuum with a hose attachment. Once you’ve completed cleanup and waited a day for your floors to settle, you’ve completed the staple down technique for laying hardwood floors.

Niv Orlian is an experienced Home Improvement Adviser who writes articles for his Flooring & Carpet Cleaning online guides.

Visit myflooringhelper.com to learn more about Laying Hardwood Floors

Tags: ,
read more

Shower Pan Liner Installation Options

Filed Under: DYI
Dec.14, 2009

Shower pan liner installation if done properly will produce a shower that will be trouble free for decades. Get it wrong and your bathroom is a nightmare. So what makes a successful installation?

The real key to shower pan installation is to build a waterproof floor that moves water rapidly to the drain with no leaks. Also the floor must be sealed properly to the walls. Oddly enough, ceramic tile floors are not waterproof. The grout and some tiles are not waterproof at all. Water goes right through grout. So the key to a waterproof shower floor is a waterproof liner under the ceramic tile.

Another option for a tile floor is a fiberglass shower pan or the more expensive acrylic pan. These pans are waterproof as long as the coating is not broken. If the gel coat is cracked some of these pans can leak too.

The traditional method of ceramic shower floor construction is masonry work. A layer of masonry, like concrete is poured in over a sturdy floor and sloped to a special shower drain. The shower drain has two layers of drain holes. Over the base concrete layer a waterproof vinyl sheet is fitted and glued to the drain base to make a waterproof layer. This layer is key to the shower pan. The lower drain holes are now in position to catch any water that makes it to the waterproof liner.

Now gravels are put in the drain holes to keep them open. Then the top masonry layer is poured and sloped to the drain. Finally the tile is set and grouted to finish the floor.

An often overlooked part of shower maintenance is sealing the grout. Sealing the grout is not required, but it does keep water out of the grout. Constant soaking and drying of the grout can cause failure of the grout over time. Also another maintenance tip is to check regularly the seal between the walls and the floor. Most tile setters will caulk this joint to make sure no leaks start there. Make sure this joint between the shower floor and shower walls stays in good shape.

Another class of shower pan liner is the tile ready liner. There are several companies that make complete systems to waterproof showers ready for installation of ceramic tiles. Some systems include the walls, ceilings and floors. Some just address the floors. Look at one of these systems as an alternative to the traditional showers. The tile ready systems are faster than a traditional construction shower but usually more expensive. Suppliers of these systems are Tile Redi, Schluter and Wedi.

Puzzled about shower pan liner installation? Need more information?

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

Tags: , ,
read more

Drywall Repairs

Filed Under: DYI
Dec.13, 2009

It’s a typical scenario you’re sitting down stairs watching the TV or reading a book, and then you hear a loud bag from upstairs. Startled, you run upstairs to see what is going on, and you see your kid’s leg, arm or head sticking from the wall. After all the dust clears, you make sure that everyone is alright, and the proper punishments are divvied out, it’s time to fix the gaping hole that is left in your wall.

Now depending on the size of the hole that is in the drywall. depends on how it is going to be fixed. If you have a small door handle size hole it’s going to be easier to do it one way (which ill explain later). But if you have a larger hole it might be easier to install a large new piece of drywall that runs from one stud to another. I’ll explain that also.

Now with a smaller hole First we need to cut out the fragments that are hanging all over the place. We will do this with a drywall saw and a utility knife. Then once we have a nice clean area to work with, we want to take off about 1/2inch to 1 inch strip of paper off the drywall so that it looks like torn cardboard. Then we want to cut a piece of drywall that is slightly larger than the hole that is going to be fixed. Then start to carve away at the back side of the piece until the piece fits the opening and the paper is left. This piece is called a “patch hat”.

Now put drywall mud on the edges of the patch hat and place it in the hole. Then once in place apply a coat of mud over the patch, let dry. Once dry, chip off any chunks and sand smooth, and then mud once again. Let that dry, and do the same thing. Do this until the patch is nice and smooth and ready to be painted.

That’s how to repair a small hole in drywall. Now to fix a larger hole it’s basically the same thing except that we are going to want to cut out the hole entirely. Take the drywall saw and cut till you hit a stud, now measure to the mark and minus ¾ of an inch so that you will be half on the stud. Make two marks and snap a line, or with a flat edge draw a line through the two marks, that’s the line you want to cut. Now that you have that done we want to use the saw to cut to the stud on the other side of the hole. Take a measurement from the same place that you did for the other mark and add ¾ of an inch to it. That will get you half on the other stud. Make two marks a draw a line through it. With a framing square, use the line to make a square line at the top and at the bottom of the hole. You should have a square hole now. Now you want to cut out the piece that you have marked. Measure the hole that you have and cut a piece to fit in it. Once cut place the piece in the hole and nail to two edges where the studs are with some drywall nail. Then mud it like in the other example and you are all set. These are some examples of how to repair a hole in your wall.

Tags:
read more
Powered by WordPress. Theme: Motion by 85ideas.