Owner: Helpful Advice For Home Construction Improvement URL:http://www.homeconstructionimprovement.com Join Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:58:27 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Home improvement blog with tips and advice on home improvement projects. The topics cover everything from painting to building a new custom home. Site statistics:Click here
Diagonal Decking Layout 2008-03-18 18:55:00 I recently discovered a great way of installing decking on decks to reduce waste and eliminate warping butt joints. Traditionally many decks are built by installing the decking material perpendicular to the floor joists. By using that layout method, decks that are longer than 16 feet will require butt joints over a joist. Typically those joints will have a 45 degree scarf joint cut in them. Over time those joints will warp, swell and split.As you can see in the photos the butt joint can become a really bad maintenance issue. The reason there is significant waste is you try and stagger those joints. So the first decking board you might only cut off a couple of inches to get the joint centered over a joist. The next board you'd cut off 16 inches...and so forth to create the stagger.A much
Reagan Elizabeth Fratzel 2008-03-17 18:46:00 Friday night out daughter was born. ReaganElizabeth
was born March 14, 2008, 8:08 pm, 6 pounds, 6 ounces, 19.5 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great and the sleepless nights have begun!
DIY Humor 2008-03-24 18:58:00 I saw this picture today and I couldn't resist sharing it! Mansions come in many styles and shapes and this one is no exception. I must say as a member of a local planning board a structure like this would surely create an interesting meeting agenda!Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog Read more:Humor
Great Time to Build A New Home 2008-04-01 19:14:00 Anyone that reads the news today knows that the economy is severely strained and the housing market has been one of the toughest hit industries. Because of that today is a great time to build a new home. "A 13-year low in new-home sales has put home buyers in a position to negotiate on new construction for the first time in a long time," said Curtis Cadenhead, President of TheHousePlanShop.com. "Right now a buyer can expect special incentives and discounts at nearly every stage of the home building process.""We're running a promotion right now for 15% off the initial sale of all home plans and garage plans," said Cadenhead. "Even though our house plan collection keeps us competitive because we've got top-selling home and garage plans from the country's leading architects, we're not immune Read more:Great
, Build
, Great Time
, New Home
Automatic Timer Switch 2008-03-31 14:24:00 In a previous post,Energy Star Qualified Home, I discussed the importance of good ventilation in a well built, "tight" home. I also pointed out that one of the best ways to make sure you're ventilating the moist air out of your home was to use some type of automatic timer.I've finally decided to install a few of these in our new home. I'm going to install them in each of the three bathrooms. I've always been a big fan of Leviton products so I ordered three 6260M-W model timers from Leviton. These timers have four preset lengths of 10, 20, 30 and 60 minutes.The idea here is to hit one of the buttons to turn on the exhaust fan and it will continue to run for the time chosen and then automatically shut off. Not only is this a great way to make sure you run the fan long enough but it's also a Read more:Timer
Correcting Lawn pH with Lime 2008-04-04 18:57:00 In my previous post, , I stated that my lawn needs a significant amount of lime to correct the acidic soil that our lawn is growing in. In fact, our lawn tested at an average pH of 5.35! That's more than 10 times more acidic than the ideal range of 6.0 to 6.5. Needless to say that means I need to use a tremendous amount of lime.I have about 45,000 sq. ft. of lawn. The soil report says I need to apply 50 lbs per 1,000 sq. feet of dolomitic lime now and about 42 lbs per sq. feet in the fall. 50 lbs x 45,000 sq. feet / 1,000 sq. feet = 2,250 lbs of lime!! Can you believe that? And that's only what I need to apply this spring.So I decided to make a trip to HD (very much against my best intentions of supporting local hardware stores) with my son the other day. They have several products to choo Read more:Correcting
Win $20,000 Home Makeover 2008-04-04 07:37:00 Transform Your Home makeover contest right now thats really exciting. I plan on entering this contest so we can makeover our basement family room if we win. Now that we have two kids I'd love to finish off the basement family room. Right now that space is only framed out. There is no electrical, drywall, flooring or finishes. If we could finish that room off it would be a huge benefit to our family. The space would be 15 feet wide by 48 feet long. There would be a TV and entertainment section and then a section for all the kids toys.What's nice about this makeover is Renuzit's Tri Scents would help keep the basement family room smelling fresh. Even though our basement has a walkout section to it most basements have some type of damp smell. Using the new Tri Scents would be a great way to k Read more:Makeover
Selecting A Lawn Fertilizer 2008-04-03 11:48:00 In my previous post,Lawn Soil Test Report, I talked about the results of a soil analysis that I had done on our lawns soil. The resulting report recommends that I apply a fertilizer with a ratio of 3:1:3 where 1 lb of Nitrogen is applied to every 1,000 sq. ft. This is where the confusion starts to set in. The ratio is a ratio of Nitrogen: Phosphorus: Potassium. If you start looking at the bags of fertilizer that are available on the shelf of your local home store you'll realize where my confusion comes from.Seeing it's spring I started looking at the bag of Scotts Turf Builder With PLUS 2 Weed Control (Yellow bag) that is recommended for Spring fertilizing. The ratio listed on that bag is 28:2:3 or 14:1:1.5. Obviously that ratio isn't close to having the appropriate amount of Potassium in
Lawn Soil Test Report 2008-04-02 13:52:00 As spring finally approaches here in New Hampshire I've started thinking about what needs to be done to the lawn. Last fall I had our soil tested so I could take some of the guess work out of diagnosing our mediocre lawn. Three samples were taken and tested by the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension.The results of the tests told me what I already knew. Our soil is very acidic with an average pH of 5.35. The ideal pH range for a lawn in this area is approximately 6.0 to 6.5. In addition to testing the acidity of our lawn the following tests were performed:Calcium (Ca) = 132 ppm, Optimum range = 800 - 1200 ppmMagnesium (Mg) = 25 ppm, Optimum range = 60 -0120 ppmPotassium (K) = 22 ppm, Optimum range = 170 - 280 ppmPhosphorus (P) = 38 ppm, Optimum range = 30 - 50 ppm (This was go
Landscaping How To Site Launching Soon 2008-04-06 19:35:00 Pathway Landscape Design is launching a new web2.0 type landscaping site with landscape tips. With all the landscaping projects I've got planned for this summer this should be a great site to add to my favorites. The new site that will launch soon is wiki style with lots of how to's and local reviews. Make sure you check it out when it launches for great landscaping ideas. Read more:Landscaping
John Deere Broadcast Spreader 2008-04-06 16:31:00 Now that I realize that my acre plus of lawn needs so much lime and fertilizer I've been looking for larger capacity spreaders that I can tow behind my John Deere
mower. My darling wife first said "NO WAY" to my idea of spending $219 on a tow behind spreader. Now that she's thought about it a couple of days she realizes that if I purchase this type of spreader my job will be one in a quarter of the time and I'll have more time to help her with the kids. How's that for a good reason to buy some new yard equipment?So here's the stats on John Deere
3.5 cf tow behind broadcast spreader:- 175 lb box capacity with a volume capacity of 3.5 cubic ft- All stainless steel interior hardware, shaft and agitator to prevent corrosion- High speed, 6:1 reduction glass-filled nylon gears provide the widest Read more:Broadcast
Spring Fever 2008-04-05 18:48:00 I have a case of spring fever like I've never had before. This winter was the second most snowfall in recorded history here in New Hampshire. We had a total of 117.1 inches of snow in the state capital of Concord, NH. The top five snowiest winters on record were:1. 122.0 inches 1873/742. 117.1 inches 2007/083. 115.0 inches 1872/734. 112.4 inches 1995/965. 111.0 inches 1886/87That's a very impressive snow total especially considering all the talk these days about "global warming". Don't ask me my opinion because I'll be going off for days on the subject. Anyway, people here in New Hampshire are dying to get out and enjoy our yards once all this snow finally melts. Last week I thought we were all set and then this week it snowed a couple more times.It's pretty impressive to think that 117.1 Read more:Spring
, Fever
Solar Light Giveaway and Sweepstakes 2008-04-07 20:21:00 Would you like to win a set of three solar flood lights free? If so then all you have to do write a short post on your blog about what you'd like to do with the lights, make sure you put a link back to www.homeconstructionimprovement.com and then email me to let me know. I'll pick one reader at random to give the free set to.Now...you ask why am I giving away a free set of solar flood lights? The answer is simple, the folks at Malibu would like you to have them. They also wanted me to share with my readers information about a sweepstakes they are holding.Malibu® Announces Second Annual Malibu®Outdoor Living™ Sweepstakes
SPRING GROVE, Ill. (March 31, 2008) -Intermatic announced today its second annual $20,000 Malibu® Outdoor Living™ Sweepstakes. To enter the sweepstakes, outdoor livin Read more:Solar
John Deere X300 Lawn Mower Maintenance 2008-04-07 19:38:00 Last year I bought a John Deere
X300 lawn mower with the mulching deck. Seeing that spring is just around the corner (late start here in snow country) I want to get the mower ready for the upcoming summer season.The following maintenance items are suggested annually:1. Lubricate front axle pivot, axle spindles, mower spindles, pivot points, and lift pedal.2. Change engine oil and filter.3. Replace spark plugs.4. Replace air filter element (foam and paper).5. Replace fuel filter.6. Clean engine cooling fins.7. Check mower belt.8. Sharpen / replace blades.9. Clean bottom side of mowing deck.10. Check tire pressure.John Deere
sells a convenient home maintenance kit that includes oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, air pre-cleaner and spark plugs. I decided to buy the John Deere kit so t Read more:Mower
, Maintenance
Solar Light Giveaway 2008-04-08 20:06:00 I decided to change the rules for the solar light give away. Instead of adding a link to your site just leave a comment and tell me what you'd do with those lights. I'll pick the best answer as the winner. So come on folks...let me know why you want these lights. Read more:Solar
Deep Walkin Baths 2008-04-10 18:12:00 Many of the homes that we design and build are for the over 55 crowd. I like to call these pre-retirement homes and in many case retirement homes. Many of our clients ask for walk in showers with no tub base. When I saw these walkin baths I thought now our clients have have the best of both worlds. We can install one of these walkin bath tubs so that folks can just open the door and step in.RemainActive.com has a whole line of these walkin baths to choose from. The tubs range in price from $2000 to $5000. The site offers quite a bit of information about all the advantages of owning one of these tubs. So if you're in the market for a safer bathing option then check out the walkin baths at RemainActive. Read more:Baths
American Home Craft, Inc. 2008-04-12 07:55:00 American Home Craft
Inc is a general contractor located in California specializing remodeling including cabinets, countertops, entry doors, windows, vinyl siding and texture coating. Their site American Home Craft Inc has a very easy to use online form for requesting free estimates. Most new construction has really slowed down across the country and many home owners are now investing in remodeling projects. If you're living in California and you're searching for a general contractor in your area then check out their site. American Home Craft, Inc. also helps provide financing for eligible customers.American Home Craft consistently ranks high on Qualified Remodeler's annual Top 500 Remodelers List. This list is the longest ongoing recognition program in the remodeling industry and is a nati Read more:American
John Deere Home Maintenance Kit Arrived 2008-04-11 12:53:00 My John DeereMaintenance
kit arrived yesterday. The kit is great, it contains two quarts of oil, an oil filter, a fuel filter, two spark plugs, the foam and paper air filters. All of the parts are John Deere
parts which is recommended by the users maintenance manual. What I like most about buying everything this way is I know I have all the recommended parts for my particular mower. This is an easy way to purchase all the stuff each spring to keep up with proper maintenance. The only thing I'll need to do is get the blades sharpened at some point.Tags: home improvement blog, home improvement, John Deere X300
How To Change Oil, Air & Fuel Filters On John Deere X300 2008-04-13 13:47:00 Today I finally got a chance to perform the recommended yearly maintenance on my John Deere
X300 mower. I bought this mower just over a year ago so this is the first spring season after a full summer of mowing with it. I purchased a home maintenance kit which contained the oil, oil filter, fuel filter, air filters and spark plugs all in one convenient kit.The first thing I did was to remove the air filters. This mower uses two filters, a foam pre-filter and a paper air filter. The foam pre-filter was very dirty and definitely needed to be at least cleaned if not replaced. The air filter didn't look too bad but honestly, the cost of filters is so minimal compared to the hefty $2,800 price tag of this mower that I just replaced everything.The air filter on an X300 is located on the front of Read more:Change
, Filters
, John Deere
John Deere Tow-Behind Broadcast Spreader 2008-04-14 19:11:00 Last week I purchased the John Deere
3.5 cu ft tow-behind broadcast spreader. I finally assembled it and put it to use.First off let me say that John Deere
has got to be one of the last companies selling products in this country with extremely well written directions and parts. All of the small parts (bolts, clips, nuts, etc.) are packed in a shrink wrap package that is labeled to coincide with each step in the assembly directions.What a novel concept.....great directions that include well written English sentences, great diagrams and a unique label/packaging idea. More companies should take a lesson from these folks and put some time into the assembly directions. Anyway, it took me about 35 minutes or so to assemble the spreader (that even includes my 3 yr old tagging along with me).As y Read more:Broadcast
Buying Light Fixtures Online 2008-04-15 18:38:00 I'm a huge fan of buying light fixtures online. For both of my personal homes that I've built and remodeled we bought all of our fixtures online and saved a bundle of cash. Maxim lights online has a huge array of lighting fixtures to choose from. This particular light is 10% cheaper at Maxim lights online compared to similar sites. Next time you're looking for light fixtures check out the prices online. Read more:Buying
Check Out a Great DIY Blog 2008-04-18 05:53:00 Once and awhile I find a really great DIY blog and this one is no exception. One Project Closer is a blog I read daily and one I think you'll find tons of great information and find yourself returning often. Tell them Todd sent you! Read more:Check
, Great
Leviton 6260M Electronic Timer Switch 2008-04-17 19:23:00 Yesterday I received the three Leviton 6260M electronic timer switches that I ordered for the bath fans. These switches allow you to choose pre-set times of 10 min., 20 min., 30 min., and 60 mins. I plan on installing them this weekend in each of the three bathrooms.The unit has 4 wires, a green, white, blue and black. The installation instructions (as usual these directions are not very good) include a wiring diagram that says:1. Connect the green wire to the ground.2. Connect the black wire to the line voltage.3. Connect the blue wire to the hot wire of the fixture.4. Connect the white wire to all of the neutrals.I do a post this weekend on how to wire one of these up. The one problem I can see is the device is fairly large so fitting all the wires, wire nuts and device into the box will Read more:Electronic
, Timer
We Need Patio Furniture 2008-04-16 17:45:00 Our back deck needs patio furniture desperately. My wife has been harping on me since we moved into the new home that she wants to eat dinner out there in the summer. Last year a friend gave us a hand made Adirondack chair that he made for us out of Cambara wood (that's what our decking is). Today I came across this Adirondack Chair site that sells chairs, rockers and market style umbrellas. I'm amazed at how cheap you can find furniture online these days. Things that once seemed so heavy and pricey to shop for online are becoming very reasonably priced. Read more:Patio
, Furniture
Snow Mound Spirea - Spiraea Nipponica 2008-04-19 18:49:00 The other plant we put into our flower garden today was two Snow Mound Spireas or Spiraea Nipponica. We actually had one of these plants at our last house and I liked it. Its more of a flower shrub than a plant I guess. The nice thing about these plants is they are not especially sensitive to varying pH levels. This is good considering our acidic soil.These shrubs will blossom in late May or early June with a nice white flower. At maturity this shrub will be approximately 4 to 5 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide (not if I can help it....pruning to the rescue).Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, Snow Mound Spirea
Purple Gem - Rhododendron 2008-04-19 17:20:00 Today we started planting some plants in our flower gardens. Since we built this house we've had a hard time coming up with a landscaping "plan" that we both like. The biggest problem we have is the huge size of our yard and house. Trying to get enough landscaping done so that the place actually looks nice is a challenge. I'm sure we could hire a landscape architect or landscaper to help us out but frankly I can't see spending the money.Today we planted a couple of Purple
Gem Rhododendrons in the flower gardens in front of the farmers porch. The Rhododendron that we chose was a dwarf variety that only grows to a height of two feet. These plants can survive up here in New Hampshire with a -20 degrees. The beauty of these plants is they love acidic soil. If you've been reading my blog you kn
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs 2008-04-20 14:10:00 I've finally decided to jump on board and try Compact Fluorescent
Light Bulbs
(CFL) in my new home. Today I bought three GE Energy Smart 20 watt CFL's. The 20 watt CFL is equivalent to a 75 watt incandescent light bulb. These new bulbs are supposed to last 6 years or 10,000 hours of operation. An incandescent light bulb typically only lasts about 750 hours. That means you'd need 14 incandescent bulbs to each fluorescent bulb. The cost of the bulb is payed for just comparing bulbs not even considering the energy savings.Obviously using these bulbs is a great way to start living "green". Some may argue that the Mercury contained in them poses a significant environmental issue, however, with proper education people will realize that they need to be disposed of properly. These bulbs are also e
Earth Day 2008 2008-04-22 07:13:00 April 22nd is Earth
Day. Why not take some time today to think of a new way to help out mother earth. Maybe you can start recycling, maybe you can start using more energy efficient light bulbs, maybe you can buy Energy Star rated appliances, maybe you can choose Green Building products for your next remodeling project, maybe you can use low flow shower heads, sink faucets and toilets, maybe you can make a difference. If we all take one small step each year there will certainly be a positive effect on our environment.Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, environment, energy efficiency, energy star, green building Read more:Earth Day
Planting Lilac Trees 2008-04-21 19:32:00 On Sunday my son and I planted three lilac trees for my wife. She loves lilac trees and we've been trying to decide what to plant along the west side of the house. That side of the house has two retaining walls the step the land along the "walkout" basement.The lilac trees we bought are about 36 inches tall with a root ball about 10 inches in diameter. The directions recommend a hole about 2 to 3 times larger than the root ball. Our lot is VERY sandy, in fact there is about 5 inches or so of loam on top of what I call beach sand. The good thing about this is lilacs like a well drained soil. So, we dug the holes and then filled the bottom with some good loam.Lilac trees grow best in a soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Unfortunately our soil has a pH of about 5.3 (see previous post on soil Read more:Trees
Solar Garden Lights 2008-04-22 18:20:00 Today I received the perfect gift for Earth Day. The kind folks at Malibu - Lighting the Way to Outdoor Living, sent me some really great solar garden lights to try out and do a review on. As you can see I installed them this afternoon after work and I was VERY impressed not only with the quality of the lights but also the ease of installation and the simplicity of the system.My wife and I have wanted to put solar walkway lights along our walkway since we built the house and I've been putting it off mostly because I couldn't find any lights that looked "rugged" enough to handle the elements and my sons outdoor torture! Let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of these lights.The lights that they sent me to review are the Solar
Select Premium Metal GardenLights
- LZ3001-2.
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