Tackle any sign of a leak at the first opportunity.

A leak doesn’t have to be an active drip. It can be something as simple as a crack or hole in caulk around the plate that backs a shower control. Water will inevitably move into that hole, where it then gets trapped. Some will evaporate. But some will remain behind, leading to weakened drywall and mildew build up.

Eventually, the damage will spread. When that happens, what could have been a minor caulking job now requires removing the shower control and maybe part of the wall in order to repair the damage. In most cases, procrastination does lead to larger expenses.

One common place for water leaks or drips is at the joints or bottom of pipes under the bathroom and kitchen sinks. Improperly applied compound or plumber’s tape leaves a small hole. Water seeps out anywhere it can. It oozes out of the joint and gravity carries it down to the bottom of the U-shaped pipe, where it drips onto the cabinet floor.

From there, the mildew starts to develop. The cabinetry, usually some form of pressboard or treated plywood, starts to rot and weaken. Over time the surface will bow. Eventually the wood fibers develop a hole, allowing the water to seep down to even more critical areas.

Feel your pipes from time to time. Make sure they’re dry around the joints and at the bottom of the ‘U’. That’s especially important right after any small plumbing job. That’s the time – when pipes have been newly installed or freshly cleaned – when the evidence of your plumber’s tape application skills are tested.

Look for water leaks that start higher up, too.

Kitchen faucets are notorious for having cracks or small holes in the caulking or sealant. Water tends to sit behind the plate that attaches to the sink at the base of the faucet. When homeowners clean behind there it’s common to use the hard metal surface of a steel wool pad or layered sponge. The caulking gets scraped.

A couple of years go by and little by little that caulking is scraped off, dries out and gets accidentally removed by repeated water exposure and cleaning. Temperature changes near the window speed up the process. Winter temperatures keep the surface cooler than the rest of the room. Summer sun coming through the window bakes the caulk. That causes small contractions and expansions that help weaken the seal.

Give your plumbing a good inspection, the way a home inspector would when you buy or sell the house. Find any drips, leaks or just holes where plumbing attaches. Fix them now before you have to tear out a floor or wall. A little maintenance now is a lot less costly than a huge repair later.

-The Fixie Chix

Tune into www.Home&YardRadio;.com with the Fixie Chick Saturdays at 10:00am on 950 ESPN for more must have information for your Home & Yard!
Women owned businesses. DIY Home Improvements. Look at my other businesses: http://www.fixinchix.com & Healthy Homes of Rochester http://www.healthyhomesofrochester.com
Well save you money on your home’s energy costs.

Brenna Hartmann also writes for the Democrat and Chronicle’s Living Section in Rochester, NY. In addition she writes monthly for The Property Source Magazine and the Home and yard Handbook which she was the founder and since has sold the handbook entity in order to spend more time with her family and children.

Websites were developed by www.crystal-hosting.netcontact them for all your web development and hosting needs.

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Paint selection is task #1.

Naturally, everyone has difficulty picking out the desired color. It’s hard to visualize a whole wall from a single, small square. Paint color changes after application, too. It always dries a slightly different shade than what appears in the can. But with some research and a little experimentation you can pick out just what you want. Today, every shade the eye can perceive can be mixed up.

The type of paint chosen is equally important. Latex has some inherently desirable properties. It cleans up easily, dries quickly and breathes to evaporate any trapped moisture. On the other hand, oil-based or alkyd paints last a very long time, produce very vivid colors and can cover a discolored wall with a single coat. Which is best depends on the intended application and, to a degree, personal taste.

Whether or not to use primer also depends on the specific circumstances. For new surfaces, or those that won’t absorb a topcoat well, a coat of primer can save money and grief. It covers discolorations and old colors. It provides a good surface on which to lay the final paint. The alternative would be many more coats of topcoat paint, raising the final costs substantially.

Preparation is equally important for producing a quality final result.

In many jobs, preparation is 80% of the work. Scraping off old, peeling paint is a must. Applying new paint over it would cause the effort to be quickly wasted. Patching gouges is important. Sanding edges and rough spots is essential to producing a smooth, professional appearance. Any surface irregularities left are amplified many times by the light reflections from new paint.

Masking and covering, with paper or plastic, using materials designed for painting is key to providing a satisfactory result. Nothing looks shoddier or more unprofessional than globs or streaks of paint where it isn’t supposed to be.

Using cheap materials (not just inexpensive, but of poor quality or design) just won’t do. A few dollars extra for blue tape and professional paper or plastic covers intended for painting work is a good investment. It’s a very small percentage of the total and makes a huge difference to the end look. Using quality brushes and rollers of the right size and material is equally important. They will make the job easier and spread paint more effectively.

Painting technique improves with experience, just as with any task. But a very fine result can be produced even by those undertaking a painting project for the very first time. Careful attention to selecting the proper tools and a willingness to take the time to do the job right is 90% of the total. With a little bit of practice, you’ll be painting like an old pro in no time.

Tune into www.Home&YardRadio;.com with the Fixie Chick Saturdays at 10:00am on 950 ESPN for more must have information for your Home & Yard!
Women owned businesses. DIY Home Improvements. Look at my other businesses: http://www.fixinchix.com & Healthy Homes of Rochester http://www.healthyhomesofrochester.com
Well save you money on your home’s energy costs.

Brenna Hartmann also writes for the Democrat and Chronicle’s Living Section in Rochester, NY. In addition she writes monthly for The Property Source Magazine and the Home and yard Handbook which she was the founder and since has sold the handbook entity in order to spend more time with her family and children.

Websites were developed by www.crystal-hosting.netcontact them for all your web development and hosting needs.

When it pertains to the opportunities that exist with renovating or remodeling your house, one of the most popular areas to have re-created can be found with the opportunities of the kitchen. The kitchen represents a room that receives a significant amount of use so abuse is often quite related, particularly when you are buying a new house which has been previously lived in. When looking into all the possibilities that exist with remodeling or renovation, cash in on the following three tips usually recommended by kitchen designers Melbourne.

First Tip: Be Aware of Flooring

It might be surprising to figure out that most homes in households aren’t flawlessly flat and often have waves that feature high points and low points. When Read more:

A slight variation to that is what this article is all about. The question is: “Should you move, or stay where you are and remodel?” Of course, you could stay and do nothing, but then, why read this article?

There are 10 reasons why you might decide to move.

1. When we had our 4th kid, our “starter” house just couldn’t handle it.

2. You want better schools for your kids.

3. Your commute to work is too long, or your job just relocated you.

4. You HATE remodeling.

5. You don’t like your neighborhood. Your street might not have sidewalks or streetlights. Your neighbor might be a rental that makes noise late at night. Your neighbors might be friendly, or maybe not.

6. The interior layout of your home might be awkward. Built-in inconveniences can eat at you over the months and leave you unhappy. Remodeling may not help, or might be too expensive.

7. The backyard – too big, or too small, too open, or too noisy.

8. The local authority won’t let you do the renovation you want. You might want a 4000 square foot house, but the town board won’t let you expand because all the other houses in the neighborhood are only 2000 square feet.

9. You’ve already got the nicest house on the block, but you want to expand it. You realize that you’ll never recover your investment if you improve your house even more.

10. Timing isn’t good. But, if there’s a house you love available now, or if you can buy a house below market value, you might decide it’s better to move now after all.

There are 8 reasons why people remodel their homes.

1. You enjoy remodeling. Some people think it’s fun – they get lots of satisfaction from making improvements. It’s a form of self-expression.

2. You’ll get exactly the home you want (or at least it comes close).

3. You like the neighborhood and your neighbors. You’ve made a few good friends while living there.

4. To avoid the remorse caused by moving. When you remodel, you change your house. When you move, you change your neighborhood, your property, the schools, where you shop, etc. Psychologically much more to deal with.

5. Remodeling can be a good investment. It normally increases the value of your home.

6. You enjoy spending time in your backyard. It’s quiet and comfortable. You have a dream garden that took years to get right. You’ve named a few of your favorite birds. That big shade tree is a pleasure to look at.

7. You like your location. Close to shopping, work, schools, trains, etc. It’s a nice street with helpful, quiet neighbors.

8. The layout of your house is very open and sensible. There are plenty of closets and other storage spaces. You love the décor. There are lots of memories here.

Some of these issues should be graded for importance, more or less than others. How important they are is up to you. So now make your lists. Give it lots of thought. Make your decision. I wish you good luck. It’s usually not an easy decision to make.

Charles has worked in the construction industry for 39 years. He invites you to ask questions and take advantage of the resources on www.continuous-home-improvement-help.com , where guidance, information and support are always available.

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Properly laid and sealed tile will keep water from getting into unwanted areas for decades. But sometimes caulking isn’t perfect and it can dry out and crack. Taking the time to make a good seal the first time around can prevent expensive repairs later.

One way to do that is to get tile to fit well during initial installation.

In the shower, the spout and shower head pipe often have to come through tile. Measure carefully and ensure that the hole is no larger than necessary. That will make final caulking easier and more secure.

One good way to do that is to take one or two pieces of tile and lay the pipe onto the tile, then score the tile around it. It’s possible to simply take the stated pipe size as a guideline. But people often get confused between inner and outer diameter. Stated pipe sizes are of the outer diameter and, for threaded pipes, of the threads not the pipe body.

Measuring the actual outer pipe diameter gives an exact answer. It also prevents any errors introduced from using the measurement of the threads rather than the pipe itself. These should be the same, since the threads are created by grooving the pipe, but small differences can occur.

It may be easiest to use a single tile, score it and break it in half, then use a tile saw to carve out a perfect half-circle on each half. The two pieces should fit back together very closely with only a very small gap between the pipe and tile. Using one piece broken in half helps ensure the edges will fit together accurately. Leaving only a very small gap helps reduce any caulking errors.

After fitting everything in place, seal the gap with a thin bead of caulk using a caulking gun. Before it has time to dry fully, take a very slightly damp sponge and wipe away any excess from the tile to leave a nice clean result. A wooden cuticle tool or ice cream stick makes for a handy device to ensure that the bead is even around the entire circumference of the pipe.

After it dries, inspect the results carefully to ensure there are no small gaps anywhere. This is the time when you make the difference between a well-sealed pipe or virtually guarantee a later repair job.

-The Fixie Chick

Tune into www.Home&YardRadio;.com with the Fixie Chick Saturdays at 10:00am on 950 ESPN for more must have information for your Home & Yard!
Women owned businesses. DIY Home Improvements. Look at my other businesses: http://www.fixinchix.com & Healthy Homes of Rochester http://www.healthyhomesofrochester.com
Well save you money on your home’s energy costs.

Brenna Hartmann also writes for the Democrat and Chronicle’s Living Section in Rochester, NY. In addition she writes monthly for The Property Source Magazine and the Home and yard Handbook which she was the founder and since has sold the handbook entity in order to spend more time with her family and children.

Websites were developed by www.crystal-hosting.netcontact them for all your web development and hosting needs.

Best Bottom Freezer Refrigerator Overall

A great appliance will last for many years into the future. So when purchasing a long-term piece of equipment, it is most important to consider the item’s quality and expediency. It is the ultimate convenience of the bottom freezer refrigerators that are making them popular among consumers today. Items in the more-often used refrigerator section are easy to see and within reach. If you have back problems, or at risk to develop some in the next decade, consider this model when purchasing your next fridge.

The top bottom freezer is the Whirlpool Gold GX5FHTXV Refrigerator. This refrigerator, with a $1,300 price tag, is a great value for all the amenities it has to offer. It has an internal filtered water dispenser, a convenient can caddy and a factory-installed icemaker. There is lots of storage, with shelving that you can slide around in order to comfortably fit all of your groceries. It is Energy Star approved, which means that it excels in performance and energy efficiency. With the GX5, you can keep your veggies and our world green at the same time!

Best Dishwasher Overall

When buying a new dishwasher, the consumer often has to make many compromises. The dishwashers that are easy to load, leave your dishes dirty after the wash cycle. The ones that are energy efficient sound like a blender crushing up ice. All of the dishwashers worth mentioning will be Energy Star qualified as well, and will have adjustable racks for easy, convenient loading. With these stacking options and enhanced filtration, you can bet that your silverware will come out sparkling clean!

The best one is the Bosch Ascenta SHX5AL0 Fully Integrated Dishwasher. It has all of the frills, without the big hit to your wallet. Consumers are pleasantly surprised by the quiet hum it makes and love the way their tableware come out with an extreme clean. It is a very dependable machine, with solid performance every time. Extra features include triple filtration, 5-level wash, a quick wash setting and a delayed start option. It will make your dishes so clean, you’ll want to crawl in there the next time you need a bath!

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Many people are looking to remodel their kitchen for a more effective or better lay out. Professional and reliable kitchen remodeling Brooklyn companies are going to find out what needs to be done before giving you a quote. They are not just going to let you know the cost of what you want done, but the cost of what actually needs to be done. This will prevent any costly surprises once work is underway. Good Kitchen remodeling Brooklyn companies know the newest and best materials to use. They will often offer you a choice between material qualities and will explain the difference. They will work with you to best meet your needs within your budget.

Bathroom remodeling in Staten Island is also high demand. Old bathrooms with mold issues are on their way out. Bathroom remodeling in Staten Island will usually involve stripping the bathroom and replacing old material with mold resistant products. It is not just about having a good looking bathroom. It is about having a safe and healthy bathroom. Products have changed so much in the last few years that bathrooms can last longer and be safer. Bathroom remodeling in Staten Island will also require that everything is brought up to today’s code. This means that a contractor needs to get a work permit so that you know the work was done to code. What was good 20 or even 10 years ago is no longer acceptable. So if your bathroom is still functional you may still want to remodel it just to bring in the new safer products.