Category Archives: Kitchens and Bathrooms New

Home Remodeling

Home Renovations

Tackling a large scale home remodeling project can be a daunting task. Although remodeling is often very rewarding , it is often very rewarding , it is usual a long , expensive process with many details to keep in mind , and having to coordinate the plans of several different contractors can be confusing and tiresome . Hiring a total home remodeling company can help alleviate some of the stress because all communications and planning is done with one company .

Keep an eye to detail of you want help move the process such pins is a good online ideas and cheap way out than an interior decorator , helps smooth process preparing for the remodel and save time .

Getting real budget
Before hiring a company , decide what kind of remodeling you want to have done and calculate whether or not you will have the funds readily available ( estimate locked in a proposal ) pay for it. Don’t become too attached to an idea prior to determining how much it will cost to implement ; it will be much harder to stay on budget if you refuse to compromise on design details. As long as you have a good general idea of what you would like done and how much you are willing to spend, many contractors will help you create a design that fails within your budget constraints .

Cleaning Preparation
Remodling can be an extensive ordeal , lasting from several days to several months, and properly preparations will save time. Many contractors will be able to move some larger items for you, but homeowners are typically responsible for cleaning out small things can get in the way or be damaged . Many room remodels include new cabinets or storage space, so remove everything from your your current cabinets before any work begins. If everything has been thoroughly cleaned and moved out of the way , the contractor will be able to get straight tow work .

Temporary Adjustments
With major renovations taking place in your home , it may not be ideal to spend a lot of time around the house.

Planning meals . If you are planning to remain in your home while your kitchen is being remodeled , you will have to find alternate place to eat and prepare food . For this reason , you may want to consider scheduling the remodel during a time when the weather is nice enough to eat outside if you own a grill and have an outdoor seating area . It can be also be helpful to set up a small , temporary food station in an unaffected room of the house with things like a coffee maker , some nonperishables, a mini refrigerators , and a toaster or min microwave . Also be sure to have plenty of paper plates and disposable cups and utensils on hand if you will not have access to a dishwasher .

Dealing with safety issues and pets and kids is safety contractors who are osha and IICRC certified is seal of protection of your kids and property .

Plumbing and Sewer Line Pipes Installs

Plumbing problems can create considerable damage such as drywall , waterproofing , and pipes that need to tie into at the sewer lines. While some do-it-yourselfers enjoy the challenge of fixing even the toughest problems , many homeowner would rather leave the dirty work to a professional plumbing company. Before calling for help , you should know some basic plumbing concepts and problems.

Shutting off the water for winterize or emergency

Shutting the water is an important action to take in an emergency. Most homes have a main water shutoff valve located next to the water meter that can be used to stop water flow to the house . All family members should know the valve’s location and how to use it . It should should also be periodically checked to ensure proper function. Most plumbers fixtures have individual shutoff valves located in their supply lines .

Plumbing Problems Common Issues

Drain cleaning. Depending on the cause and location of a clog, drain cleaning may or may not be effective. Additionally , because clogs in multiple places can contribute to the problem , successful clearing one problem spot might not solve all of your long-term plumbing problems.

Toilet clogs Toilet clogs can often be cleared with a toilet plunger . If, however , the clog is too difficult to remove with a plunger , plumbers can use special tools special tools called augers, or snakes. Snakes are long ,flexible spring-like tools that are inserted into the clogged drain and rotated to manually break break up the clog.

Grease clogs. Grease clogs may represent a more difficult problem . Grease clogs usually occur in the two-inch drain pipe connecting the kitchen sink to the main four inch drainpipe that handles toilet waste and leads to the sewer. Because the washing machine pump forces water into the same two-inch drainpipe , a grease clog is commonly misdiagnosed as as a clogged washing machine drain line. Because grease naturally sticks to the walls of drain lines, it is relatively difficult to remove.

in some cases , the most economical feasible alternative is to replace the two-inch drain line. However , because of the high cost of replacing the line, the first attempt at alleviating the problem is to use a plumber’s snake to punch a hole through the grease as possible . Because this repair cannot remove all the grease as possible. Because the repair cannot remove all the grease , in time drain repeatedly re-clogs . If the same drain repeatedly clogs, you may need to replace the line.

Clogs in the main main sewer line .
Broken seal, joints , or pipe sections are the primary causes of most sewer line clogs . These breaks allow tree roots to penetrate and grow in the line, gradually blocking the flow of water and waste. The only way to remove all the roots from the line is to replace it, which is very expensive . In many cases, enough of the roots can be cut from the inside of the line with a sewer machine to open up the flow . Unfortunately because damaged roots an grow back in a fertile environment the line often ends up re-clogging . Furthermore , because some partially cut roots tend to shift position over time , the line may re-clog quickly.

Water Heaters , Frost Proof Outside Spigots, Tankless Water heaters ,

Fixing Siding Damaged Vinyl Protection possible water damage leaks

Vinyl is tough , but not indestructible – it often cracks under impact. This is especially true at low temperatures =. Patch small cracks by removing the damaged piece , cleaning the crack PVC primer, and gluing a patch of scrap siding from behind with PVC cement.

If large areas are damaged , the entire piece may have to be replaced . This isn t a major undertaking, because replacement pieces are fairly easy to install. But vinyl siding does fade with time, so your patch or replacement piece may not be perfect color match at first.

It s easy to remove a damaged section because each course of vinyl locks into the course below or beside it. The siding is nailed through a flange molded into the top of the course . All you need is a simple tool, called a zip tool, to unlock the pieces. When working with vertical siding, you pull the zip tool down the seam.

Restoring Aluminum

Although siding provides good weather protection and is easy to maintain , a stray baseball or large hailstones can dent it. Slight damage can be patched the procedure for repairing dents in aluminum siding is a lot like repairing a dented car fender . It consist of pulling out the dent , sanding the area , and applying two-part auto body putty. Once the surface is dry , you can san , prime, and paint it. For minor surface imperfections , you can use steel wool . It also helps to know the manufacturer and color of the siding , because you may be able to purchase a touch up kit in the original color.

You may need need to replace areas with more serious damage , although you should try other repairs, first for two reasons. First aluminum is not as flexible as vinyl; its more difficult to weave one piece into an existing wall. Second you may not find replacement pieces that match your old siding. If the repair is in a conspicuous place, you may want to consider removing and using a piece from a less obvious part of the house and then replacing that piece with new material.

Important for water damage mold issue is the r value factor and vapor barriers between the siding drywall.
A vapor barrier is a layer of thin material , typically thin plastic sheeting and sometimes foil, that prevents moisture generated inside the house from seeping into exterior the wall and condensing . It lies over the wall frame, under the drywall. Without this barrier , which is standard in modern homes but lacking in many built in 1960, moisture working through the wall can meet a surface that is below the dew point temperature . Thats when moisture becomes water that can soak insulation , cause rot in the wall frame , and peel paint mold damage. If you are installing new siding, don t add a vapor barrier over the outside wall . It will stop moisture from escaping. And much of the damage can be hidden until the problems mushroom into major repair projects such water damage or mold remediation .

Winter Problems Ice Damming Roof Repairs Blizzard 2016

Winter Problems Roof Damage

When snow, ice, and freezing rain land on the roof where you live , chances are the coat of frozen stuff will last a while, melting and refreezing several times before finally disappearing. This is not a problem unless your roof overhangs freeze solid , creating an ice dam, which can push water underneath the shingles and cause leaks.

If you can get at the roof edge safely, break off icicles before they become heavy enough to dislodge the gutter . Some homeowners attack ice-choked gutters with a hair dryer or pour hot water in gutters and downspouts to hasten melting. Start at the critical joint between gutters and downspout. Once this area is clear, melting ice will have a drainage channel as you work backward along the rest of the gutter .

Prevent Ice Dams

There are several possible solutions to ice-dam problems. Working from the outside, you can install a strip of sheet metal over the shingles covering the overhang. This method is fairly common in the rural Northeast – it is most effective on steeply sloped roofs, where gravity and the slick metal surface encourage ice and snow to slide off the roof.

Another approach is to install heat cables in a zigzag pattern along the shingles on the overhang. The resistance wiring , which looks like a long extension cord, is attached with small clips tucked under the shingles and even can be extended into gutters to help them remain unfrozen. These cables are designed to produce enough heat to prevent freeze-ups.

Because warmth rising through the ceiling or attic is often the cause of ice dams, you can also alleviate the problem by working. from the inside to reduce the heat flow with extra insulation. In a typically constructed wood frame attic floor, for instance, the spaces between floor joists should be filled with insulation. An additional layer, even the 3 1/2 inch batting used in walls , can be set on top and perpendicular to the joist for more protection. At the same time you can increase the vent size in the attic or crack a window at each end. This will make the bottom of the roof colder and closer to the temperature outdoors, which will prevent melting, while the extra insulation will retard heat flow from living spaces below.

On new construction jobs or reroofing projects, consider installing a rubberized ice shield membrane on the roof deck. It should cover the overhang and at least a few courses of shingles over living spaces. This provides a backup barrier just in case an ice dam does form and works under the shingles.

Usually, theses membrane are made of waterproof, rubberized asphalt and polyethylene in self-adhering sheets that bond directly to the roof deck and to each other at overlaps. The material is installed beneath the shingles, and it seals itself around punctures form nails protruding through the shingles above.

Air duct cleaning Cleaner Air Help Mold Prevention

Cleaner Air

Modern houses and apartments are built to be airtight for greater heating and cooling efficiency . They are so air tight , however , that new air circulates back into house very slowly it may take hours for the air in new house to recycle itself. This creates not only stale air but a build up of indoor air pollutants not need to be cleaned the air duct vents and main return. These pollutants include irritants such as dust, smoke, mold spores, pollen, and animal dander, apply air scrubbers over 4 hour period to remove all
debris inside vents and thermal fogger to eliminate mold spore in vents . Things that can cause health problems bother lungs but clog up heating and cooling systems, computers , and other electronics equipment – but also more serious environmental hazards such as the outgassing of formaldehyde from construction materials .

Several devices are available to clean air of tightly-sealed house. Forced-air cooling and heating systems can have electronics filters installed right inside the HVAC ducts. If you don t have these systems , buy a portable air cleaner with HEPA filter. Developed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission to remove almost all airborne particles. HEPA ( High Efficiency particulate-arresting) filters are widely used in hospitals. A true HEPA filter removes 99.97 percent of particles as small as 0.3 micron ( a micron is one-millionth of a meter; the period at the end of this sentence is several hundred microns across) An ultra HEPA, or ULPA, filter removes particles as small as .1 micron . HEPA filters need to be replaced periodically, typically every one to three years .

Cleaners help prevention

Electronic air filters are built into the ducts near your furnace . ) A unit can be added to existing systems by modifying the ducts) A typical electronic cleaner has a pre filter that is similar to a standard furnace filter . It traps large dust particles and can be removed for cleaning. Next in line is one or two metal boxes (also removable for cleaning) containing thin metal plates. Particles in the airflow, typically in the return duct, are positively charged on their way to the plates, The plates themselves are negatively charged to attract the particles , which are driven against the plate walls as they pass through the system. These appliances can remove over 90 percent of the most airborne pollutants, including pollen and smoke particles. The drawing back is that larger particles hitting the plates can make an annoying sound like and outdoor bug-zapper .

Things to do change the filters every 6 months , wipe down daily , bi-weekly , monthly cleaning reduce debris , particles like base boards, floors, and vacuum carpet . Have a HVAC tech come out seasonally to change over filters and maintain HVAC system for optimal cleaning levels and health.