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DIY Home Repair; How to Patch Breaks in a Basement Wall

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

One effective DIY home repair job that takes only a few minutes, but is nevertheless important to the structure of your home, is patching breaks in a basement wall.

Before beginning the project, however, watch over the area that needs patching for a couple of months. Although most cracks in cement walls are the result of normal settling, they could be a sign of major structural problems. If the problem area does not stabilize, but continues to get worse, seek the services of a building contractor, or repairing building contractor.

Assess Your Basement Concrete Wall

If the damaged area is leaking, fill it with quick-hardening plugging cement, or concrete epoxy. When mixing cement for dry patch spots, make a mortar using one part cement with two parts sand. Add water slowly, just enough to make a dough consistency; stir well.

If a new leak springs up near the repair site, there may be water backing up against the exterior of the foundation. In this case, more drastic measures for basement wall leak repair must be taken.

Whether your basement is cement or cement block, follow the repair tips below.

Do it Yourself Home Repair; Holes in cement

Use a cold chisel to enlarge the hole; undercut edges so the plug will not pop loose

Mix plugging cement and work into a tapered stopper” shape

As soon as it stiffens, pop it into the hole like a cork; hold in place for several minutes

Cracks in Cement DIY Home Repair

Using a chisel and hammer, cut cracks back to sound material; bevel the edges

Moisten the cracks well

Using a trowel, turn the mortar several times; work the mortar into the cracks with the tip of the trowel

Once the mortar begins to harden, pack the crack full

“Shave off” excess mortar using a wet trowel or putty knife

Home Renovation Tip – Repairing a Window Well

Poor drainage is often the culprit behind a basement well window that becomes stained by water or seepage. A faulty downspout or clogged gutter is often to blame, so check out both of these areas first.

Clean debris out from the well and flush with a hose to ensure it is draining properly. If the window well is made from concrete, try inserting a hose in the drain. Blow out any obstructions; waterproof the well using a waterproofing compound designed for masonry surfaces, if necessary. Follow product directions carefully.

If your basement well window is made from gravel, remove the gravel and waterproof the outside wall of the foundation. And then install fiberglass drainage board next to the wall.

If basement concrete wall restoration will be part of your diy home renovation plan, you may be able to handle the project yourself. However, if damage to basement walls and wells is extensive, chances are you’ll need the services of a local building contractor.

One quick, easy way to locate a reliable contractor in your area is through a wave-of-the-future online contractor-to-project-owner match making service such as HandyCanadian.com. Because membership is absolutely free and no strings are attached, no risk is involved.

Online resources such as HandyCandian.com make finding a contractor with the right skills a breeze; for a match made in heaven that’ll have homes and businesses in tip-top shape in no time flat. Visit their web site online for other articles on DIY home repair and renovation tips.

HandyCanadian.com is your one-stop renovation and home improvement resource website: where homeowners are matched to professional home renovation general contractors. HandyCanadian.com also offers free Home Improvement and Garden tips.

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Save on Carpet Installation – Do It Yourself!

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

Carpet installation by professionals may cost you more than you thought. If you look at the itemization on the bill you’ll find something that may look like this: $2.40/sq. yd. For old carpet removal, $4.75/sq. yd. to install new carpet, $10.25 (each) to install carpet on stairs, $30 per hour to move furniture, $.20 per linear foot to replace tackless strip… and so on. You get the picture.

Tools & Equipment

So here’s a short primer on how to install carpet yourself. Although it’s not an easy job, it’s not brain surgery, either. You’ll need include a tape measure, utility knife, hammer, heavy-duty stapler, chalk line, duct tape, gloves, carpet seam tape, safety goggles, and kneepads. Rental equipment includes a knee kicker, a carpet stretcher, a seam cutter, seaming iron, seam roller, wall trimmer, and strip cutter.

Getting Ready

First remove all baseboards and cut manageable strips of the old carpet (about 2′ wide) with the utility knife. Loosen it from the tackless strips and roll up. Remove the tackless strips and the old carpet underlay. Vacuum area thoroughly.

Install new tackless strips around the perimeter of the room with teeth facing the wall. Using a block of wood as a spacer, leave about a ½” space between the strip and the wall.

Laying Underlayment & Carpet

Beginning at a corner and hooking it over the tackless strips, lay new underlay strips right next to one another, but don’t overlap them. Staple along the inner side of the tackless strip and then trim excess. Duct tape the seams.

Roll out the carpet and fold one end over itself. Mark the measurement of the longest wall plus 6” on both edges of the carpet. Using the chalk line, join the two marks. Place scrap piece lumber the carpet you’re about to cut (so you don’t accidentally cut through the carpet underneath!) and use a utility knife and straight edge to cut off the piece you’ve just marked.

Using Knee Kickers and Carpet Stretchers

Place the toothed end of the knee kicker into the carpet about 3” from the wall and push your knee with as much force as possible into the padded end of the kicker. The idea is to stretch the carpet over the tackless strip where the teeth of the strip will grab it, holding it tightly in place.

Place one end of the carpet stretcher against the wall where you’ve attached the carpet with the other end of it about six inches from the opposite wall. Pushing the lever on it, stretch the carpet to fit snugly over the tackless strip on the opposite side of the room. Work your way around the perimeter of the room, trimming the excess carpet at the edges with a wall trimmer.

Working With Seams

Overlap the first piece of carpet by 4” to 6”, and with the seam cutter, cut through both layers, making sure the edges match exactly. Pull back the seam and center (adhesive side up) a strip of seaming tape on the floor beneath. Run the seaming iron along the tape to activate the adhesive and then replace the two carpet seams down onto it. Go over the seam with a carpet seam roller.

Tuck down the carpet between the wall and the tackless strips using a stair tool and hammer. Trim carpet at doorways with centered edges and install door-edge strips. Replace baseboards, and…you’re finished!

Learn how to make your own carpet kicker and save even more on your carpet installation tools.

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Seven Reasons Why You Need A Strategic Planning Facilitator

Friday, March 23rd, 2007

A professional facilitator brings an independent and open-minded perspective to your strategic planning process. He or she will keep the discussion focused, keep the process on track, and will encourage team members to act as equals in the process. Some organizations choose to “go it alone” and attempt to conduct the strategic planning process entirely “in house.” In my own personal and professional experiences over more than 35 years, I have always witnessed better outcomes of the strategic planning process when an outside professional facilitator is brought in. In fact, many of my clients come to me AFTER they have tried and failed at doing the process themselves.

Okay, so when and why should you use a strategic planning facilitator? Your strategic thinking business coach offers the following advice to answer that question. Here are seven reasons why it is recommended that you hire an outside facilitator.

1. If you want to ensure a level playing field between the CEO and the team members. The outside facilitator has the skills to make sure the CEO does not take over and run the meeting.

2. If you want to increase the probability of a successful outcome. The facilitator has the experience of going through many of these and brings that experience to bear for your benefit.

3. If you want to complete the process in a timely manner. The facilitator will commit to making sure you finish the process in the time allotted to do so.

4. When you want to participate yourself. It is extremely difficult, if not possible,
for the CEO or other inside person to effectively facilitate because the other people will still react to the CEO or inside person as their superior.

5. When you need to address sensitive issues and conflicts. An outsider brings the benefit of a dispassionate perspective and can more effectively diffuse arguments and channel intense moments into problem solving moments.

6. When your team is not making any progress. The outside facilitator will raise issues that you may try to avoid and will point out the dysfunctional behaviors that are being denied.

7. When your group must address complex issues and diverging viewpoints. The experience of the facilitator will help identify the issues, generate options to resolve issues, and make decisions.

If you would like to learn more about the importance of using an outside professional facilitator for your strategic planning efforts and how a strategic thinking business coach can serve as your guide and facilitator in that process, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his website at http://www.businesscoach4u.com/ or by email at jgecoach@aol.com

Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, “Glenn’s Guiding Lines – Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” and has published more than 225 articles on business.

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Do It Yourself Carpet Cleaning???

Wednesday, February 14th, 2007

As the Owner/Operator of Dry-Tech of Northwest Ohio, there are many times customers ask me “what’s the difference between the machines that you use and the type that I buy in the store or rent?” In this article I will talk about the many reasons that you should always consider using a professional rather than using a store bought or rental unit.

The truth is that the carpet machines you get from the store are just not powerful enough to clean deep down in the carpet fibers. They usually have a good cleaning concept but lack both the pressure in applying the cleaning solution and the suction to remove the dirty water. Typical residential models will apply solution if not in a passive form, a very low pressure such as 15-20 pounds of pressure (if your lucky). Common sense can tell someone even if they knew little about carpet cleaning that if a machine is $200 for “Johnny Homeowner”, one could only expect that a commercial unit that can run up to $5,000 must have something a little better!
The vacuums are not too much of a problem because they don’t need to go too deep. What happens is the machine does not push the cleaning solution far enough in the carpet. The vacuum really does not need to be too successful.

Equipment aside, a professional will have the knowledge in carpet styles, stain removal, repair and usually a pretty basic knowledge of chemistry which is the basis for understanding carpet stain removal. Remember a professional will have had experience in many situations that the average home owner does not. Dollar for dollar you get a better bang for your buck by having a professional handle the headache. Your home will be healthier and free from dust mites, allergens that can cause sickness. You and your family will feel much better when you have your carpets cleaned regularly.
At Dry-Tech of Northwest Ohio we recommend that a person get their carpets cleaned every twelve to eighteen months by a professional. If you must own your own machine, get the one that offers the most in psi (pounds per square inch) and suction. These machines are good for maintenance but will still leave plenty behind for the pros to get out even after your finished!

Noah Stone
Owner/Operator
Dry-Tech of Northwest Ohio
http://www.drytechnwohio.com

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How to Build Muscle Quickly

Wednesday, February 7th, 2007

If you are new to weight lifting, it can be quite easy to build muscle quickly. In fact, you can add over 30 pounds to your body in as little as three months. However, it will take a little knowledge and a lot of hard work to get there. Luckily for you, I am going to show you the steps to take to build muscle as quickly as possible.

You need to start off by setting some goals on how much muscle you would like to gain. If you would like to gain 30 pounds in three months, you will really have to dedicate yourself to the program. So after you’ve made your goals, there are few things that are necessary to build muscle.

1. Make sure you are working out with heavy weights. Working out is a necessity, and working out with heavy weights is even more necessary. Make sure you incorporate the squat, deadlift, pull-up, and bench press in your workout. These compound exercises will help you build muscle quickly. Your body will react to the heavy weights and help you build muscle at a quicker pace.

2. The amount of muscle you gain will be determined by the amount of healthy food you eat. The kitchen is the best place to gain muscle. If you weigh150 pounds, you need at least 3,000 calories to build muscle. If you weigh 200 pounds, you will need at least 4,000 calories to build muscle. You need to eat read meat, fish, and poultry for protein. You need fruits and vegetables for carbohydrates which give you energy.

3. The next thing you need is rest. Sleeping 8 hours each night should be enough rest for your body. I also like to take a nap during the day if I have time. Your body grows when you’re sleeping because it releases a high amount of HGH.

Shaun Allen

There are a few other things that you can do to build muscle quickly. In fact, I’ve set-up a special page for you to access these tips at http://www.betterbodyjourney.com/adtrackz/go.php?c=buildmuscle

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What is Love? Love at First Sight-True Love and Friendship-

Monday, October 9th, 2006

There are many kinds of love, but what this article is concerned with is that form of love usually known as ‘romantic love’ or ‘true love’. So what is romantic love and why do we need to define it?

Quite often we come across the scenario that a man or woman in a relationship is asking him or herself the question: “Is it love?” So, how can someone tell? Then there is another scenario, sometimes used in Hollywood movies as a plot device, wherein somebody doesn’t actually believe in romantic love — in its actual existence — and so is willing to settle for something much less… until the right man or woman comes along, of course!

Then again, there is the phenomenon of so-called “love at first sight”. Is this emotion that appears in a single moment something that a couple can base a lifelong commitment upon?

Here are my own views on the question of what is love, based on my life’s experiences.

Firstly, “love at first sight”. All the time we see other people who we find attractive. Some of them are more attractive than others. Some of them are very attractive indeed. If we see someone who falls into the latter group, and there are also other things about the person that makes him or her appear as a possible partner (for the human mind is very good at making judgments like this in a split-second, based on factors such as clothing style, what the other person is doing at the time, context and so on) then this combination of emotionally powerful components can be so strong as to qualify as “love at first sight”.

There are many couples whose relationship has begun in this way, but mere physical attraction, however strong, is not enough in itself to provide a basis for a lifelong relationship. This brings us on to the real heart of the question “what is love” — what is it that enables us to have a long-term, even lifelong, relationship with another human being?

It certainly can begin with attraction of the “love at first sight” kind, or something approaching that in intensity, though with some love relationships physical attraction is not the catalyst to start them into life. But from whatever basis a relationship begins — physical attraction or friendship or other circumstances — if the relationship is to continue and the individuals concerned are not to “fall out of love”, they must find each other’s personalities delightful. If you “fall in love at first sight” with someone whose personal habits — you subsequently discover — start to irritate you, and whose views and opinions annoy you, then you will quickly find yourself falling out of love. So, you must like the other person very much as a person. And, the feeling must be mutual, of course.

Once you have attraction, followed by a mutual liking of personalities, this then leads to a deep friendship, a friendship that becomes deepened by sexuality. It becomes a friendship to beat all other friendships and relationships, and a closeness greater than any experienced before.

And that’s really all there is to it, the deepest kind of friendship that began as physical attraction and moved on to a closeness greater than any other in the lives of the people concerned. It’s romantic love. And it is something that, with careful nurturing, can last a lifetime.

Resources: Find out how to find your true love at Single Dating Help, and learn how to use the personals effectively at Internet Personals Sites. Get a free ebook on love and relationships here: Free Ebook about Online Dating. You have permission to use this article in your web site, blog or ezine but only if you make no changes: to comply with copyright all html links must be active and spider-able, and anchor texts must be kept as is.

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DIY Your DIY Toolkit

Saturday, March 11th, 2006

Remember the last time your neighbor came over for a drink and you playfully locked him in your bathroom? God, you thought that was such a fun thing to do then, until you discovered that the bathroom door jammed and your vicious Pit bull terrier (who intensely hated your neighbor) was sleeping in the bathroom! Didn’t you wish that you’d have had an emergency DIY toolkit for times like these?

No problem, it’s not too late to make your own DIY toolkit and the best way to make your DIY toolkit is to first get some great online tool deals and then follow our instructions. Here you go:

First, buy a small storage box.
Next, buy the most used items in case of an emergency – no, it’s not what you are thinking – these items are fuses, hooks, and insulation tape. Now store all these items in a small drawer that’s nearest to the place where you frequently pass by in your house – it can be a drawer closest to the living room or in the kitchen. Don’t put these things in the storage box mentioned above!
Now, start adding this stuff to that nearby cute drawer of yours’: radiator key, electrical screwdriver, wire and pliers. Again, don’t put these in the storage box!
Keep a battery-loaded torch or flashlight handy and ensure that you have a pack of extra batteries just in case. Keep this torch (flashlight) and the batteries in the same drawer.
Great, now the easy part’s over and the tough one begins, and here are the tools you need to buy to place in that storage box we spoke about above: tape, hammer, screwdriver set, pliers, knife, spanner and hacksaw set.
Now, place that storage box back in that nearby drawer – there, you’re done.

Now, imagine the scene above if you were equipped with a DIY toolkit – most probably you’d have used the spanner and unhinged the bathroom door, and would probably have been in time to transport your neighbor to an intensive care unit! That’s how useful a DIY toolkit can be!

Jokes aside, you never know when an emergency can crop up and you may have no one else to help you tackle it. These are times when you are all alone and have to do things single-handedly – it is in times like these that you cannot do without an emergency DIY toolkit.

So, go right ahead and make that DIY toolkit because you never know when you’ll need it. And, hey, don’t forget to look for some great tool deals on the Internet – you’ll end up saving up loads of cash!

For great Tool Deals check out the author’s website at http://toolsseen.com

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Do-It-Yourself Home Security

Saturday, February 18th, 2006

You know what they say, if you want something done right, then do it yourself. Despite this being true in a lot of cases, in what regards home security, the saying might not be entirely accurate. The differences between do it yourself (DIY) home security systems and professionally installed and maintained home security systems is both financial and performance-wise. The following article will discuss the main advantages and disadvantages of a DIY home security system in comparison to a professional one and hopefully, at the end, you will be able to decide what type of home security system you’ll want for your house.

Like I stated above, price is the main reason for which home owners prefer DIY against professional home security systems. The difference can be quite large and definitely not negligible in favor of the do it yourself home security systems. However, the performance and reliability gap between the two is equally large. First of all, most do it yourself home security kits don’t usually come with a warranty. So if you break it while “doing it yourself” or if it breaks down while in use you’ll have a hard time finding a service to repair it or even replace it if it’s the case.

This leads us to the second issue that differentiates DIY from professionally installed home security systems so much. Whereas DIY systems have absolutely no maintenance support from their producers, professionally installed systems have will most likely have a non-stop team that will answer your service and maintenance needs. This doesn’t come for free of course, as most professionally installed home security systems require a monthly or yearly fee for these issues as well as for monitoring services.

Besides budget restrains, there’s another reason that drives home owners into getting DIY home security systems. It’s the same reason for which people fix their own rooftops, repair their own cars, fix their own personal computers and so forth: the personal pleasure they gain from succeeding in a field they’re not necessarily proficient with. It’s basically the same with do it yourself home security systems and admittedly, you can have quite some fun assembling the whole thing up and installing it wherever you please. Obviously, there’s always a chance that you’ll get something wrong, you’ll lose a component and you’ll miss out on a few important points in the manual but hey! That’s the risk of do it yourself items.

Whether you choose a DIY or professionally installed home security system is also up to what you’re protecting. A garage or a shed or something that you use to store less valuable objects could definitely do with a DIY system. However, if you store thousand of dollars worth of antiques in your house, maybe it’s a good idea to spend more and worry less. A DIY home security system won’t really give you a real sense of … security or at least not to the same degree that a professional one does.

Planned Home Security Gives The Peace Of Mind You Deserve.

Fraser Wheaton is the founder and publisher of The Home Security Reports website.

http://www.HomeSecurityReports.com

We aim to be the worlds largest content provider for home security information
on the internet. If you have a home security question, chances are, we have the answer.

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Get Decked Out With A Simple Do It Yourself Home Improvement

Sunday, February 5th, 2006

When you think of a home, many people think about the inside, but the outside is just as important as the inside. The value of a home includes both views of the home, inside and outside. You may have a deck that looks ancient because it is weathered and because you haven’t given it much attention. A simple do it yourself home improvement might be, to spruce up your deck. Have you heard the joke about whether a woman should wear make up or not. Well, even an old barn needs a coat of paint once in awhile. The same thing applies to your deck. Any kind of change will enhance a new look on your deck, but it may be a simple do it yourself home improvement such as painting it, that could make a world of difference.

You may need to do some repairs on the boards of the decking before painting. There may be some gouges that need filled in first. A simple do it yourself home improvement step would be to get some wood putty to fill in these scrapes. You may then need to do some sanding if the boards are pretty rough and especially if there is old paint that is coming up. This may take a little time to do, but the results will be worth the effort. There are many choices of paint to choose from for a simple do it yourself home improvement project. You can get oil based paints or water based paints, from a flat to glossy finish. A semi gloss might be a good choice for a simple do it yourself home improvement job because you can wipe it off or hose it down to clean it.

Another simple do it yourself home improvement choice for covering your deck floor might be to stain it. You would need to follow the steps above for covering up bad spots, but then you could use a stain instead of paint. You will be surprised at the amount of choices available today in the stain department. Once you have chosen the color of stain and applied it to the deck, you will want to preserve it by using a top coat. A simple do it yourself home improvement stain project isn’t really much different than if you were using paint, but you will need to put a coating on top of it to protect it from the weather and make it last longer.

No matter which simple do it yourself home improvement you choose, you will need to put two coats of either paint or stain on it, because the first coat will probably soak into the wood. The second coating will make it last longer and if you are going to all the trouble in the first place, you might as well do it right. A simple do it yourself home improvement will leave you feeling proud that you did it yourself, and also add value to your home.

Find more helpful home improvement tips by visiting http://best-home-improvement-projects.com where you will find helpful home improvement tips, advice and resources including information on easy home improvement projects, kitchen repair and Do It Yourself Home Improvement.

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Framing-Do It Yourself Or Hire It Out?

Monday, December 12th, 2005

If framing isn’t something you think you can tackle, then hiring a qualified contractor is an option. But contractor fraud is common and there are many unscrupulous contractors out there. Avoid contractors who show up at your door without your invitation. Ask your neighbors and friends if they have heard of good reputable contractors. Referrals are often best because someone else has experience with their character and work.

Really the vast majority of home contractors are hardworking, honest, reputable small-business owners who work hard to make sure that they do high quality work, use good materials, and provide solid value at a reasonable cost. They are dedicated to your satisfaction and earnestly want to earn your recommendation. Many contractors are members of professional organizations or unions that actively work to weed out contractor scams and fraud. By doing your part to protect yourself, you can prevent getting taken by clever, manipulative contractors. Here are some guidelines.

Plan your project. Regardless of the size of your project, if you plan what you want done, you will be able to describe the project in greater detail. You will then get estimates that meet your requirements and reduce the possibility of cost overruns. It also helps to ensure that you will be able to make good estimate comparisons.

Get at least three written estimates. If there are large differences in price, get a detailed explanation as to why.

Check out the contractor. Obtain copies of their license, as well as liability and worker’s comp insurance. Check the term of the insurance. If the insurance term is about to expire, get proof that the insurance has been continued. Call your state contractor’s board and the Better Business Bureau to make sure their license is in good standing and to make sure there are no outstanding complaints or suits against them.

Check their references. Get names, addresses, and phone numbers and call several of them. You might also, ask the contractor for jobs in progress where you can see their workmanship.
Look out for these things. Be wary of any contractor who asks you to pick up permits, fails to answer questions about the work, its progress, the contract, or fails to provide a complete list of subcontractors with names and licenses. You need to know exactly who is on your job, and that they are licensed and insured. It’s not uncommon for some contractors to subcontract work then not pay the sub. The subcontractor then files a “lien” against you. You could end up paying twice for the same work. Ask how cost over runs, clean up, and unexpected problems are handled. If something is damaged during construction, for example, the contractor should have a plan in place to make repairs or replacements.

Finally. Ask the contractor for a lien release. Make frequent inspections of the work in progress. Be sure all permits have been obtained and that inspections are in order.

Mark Bay has worked construction professionally and finished several basements over the years. He is the Co-owner of the Inspired Basements web site and enjoys seeing basement projects come together. He has authored many of the articles on http://www.inspiredbasements.com

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