Home Painting Ideas for DIY Enthusiasts

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Home painting is not everyone's cup of tea. But all of us should give it a try because it gives immense pleasure while doing so. Here are some useful tips that would help you give your walls a proper finish.

Do the preparation
  • The very first thing you need to do is to wash down all the walls, which you want to paint. You can take the help of a pressure washer. It can be taken on rent from any store. After completing the washing process, take a scraper and remove all the chipped areas and loose paintings. No need to scrap the whole wall. But the uneven areas need to scraped as they create problems while painting.
  • Next thing to do is to calculate the area of the wall by square footage so that you can determine the amount of paint required. Buy paint in 5-gallon pails, rather than gallons to save more money.

Collect your tools
  • You will need painting brushes and rollers during painting. What type and how many brushes you need can be best decided by consulting your local paint store. For oil based paints, you can opt for natural or synthetic bristles, while you can use synthetic bristles with latex paint. The same rule applies while selecting rollers.
  • Don't forget to purchase some painter’s tape. It is a blue tape that comes in different widths and can be easily removed without messing up your paint job.

Precautions before applying
  • Don't start painting out of the paint cans. Because during painting it will remain open and come in contact with air, that would dry it out, thus making the paint difficult to apply. Also the brush or roller will take foreign particles like dirt into the paint that will enter your paint and can change the color as you go long.
  • Painting should be started from the edge of the wall and move towards the middle. Most of us do just opposite and face problems. If you start painting with a new can of paint in the middle of the wall, then there are chances of differences in the color and that will look more prominent in the middle of the wall. Therefore with each new can of paint, start painting from the edges.
  • Before starting painting, dip you roller in water for latex paints and in solvent for oil based paints. Either you use a pan or a 5-gallon bucket, roll it out a little to make sure it isn’t dripping. You don’t need to go all the way from the top to the bottom as you paint.

How you should apply?
  • It is good to apply the paint in a N or Y pattern. Then apply in columns up and down smoothing out all the edges or ridges. Don’t try to stretch the paint, and make sure you have enough amount of paint on the paint roller to give it a good coat. In case of applying more than one coat, the first coat should be completely dry before applying a new coat of paint.
  • It is always difficult to paint the corners. If you are careless you light see paint dripping from corners later. Get close to the corners but but don’t scrape the roller against the corner. It will cause drips. Always keep a paintbrush ready for taking care of any drips or ridges you leave behind. It is better to do this rather than trying to fix it later.
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Some Essential Cleaning Tools for Your Home

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Without having right tools you can't perform work efficiently and specially if you are doing the home cleaning. A house cannot be properly cleaned without good housecleaning tools. Cleaning tools are specifically designed for separate stages of the housecleaning process. Here we have listed some basic home cleaning tools that are needed in all homes.


Sponges
Sponges are common cleaning tools consisting of porous material. They are generally used for cleaning impervious surfaces. They are excellent absorbers of water and water-based solutions. Sponges are generally made from foamed plastic polymers or cellulose wood fibers. Natural sponges are pretty environmentally friendly.


Squeegee
Squeegee is an important cleaning tool with a flat, smooth rubber blade that is used to remove or control the flow of liquid on flat surfaces. Window squeegee is the most popular that removes the cleaning fluid or water from the glass surface. After applying the soapy solution, which acts as a lubricant and breaks up the dirt, the squeegee draws the now water-borne dirt off the glass giving a neat & perfectly clean surface. It can also be used around the house during spring cleaning time as well.

Mop
Mop are home cleaning tools in which a textile is mounted on a handle. They are generally used for cleaning floors. It is advised not to go after cheap mops. Invest a bit extra and buy a good one. You should look into microfiber mops, which use reusable microfiber cloth pads that can be soaked in a cleaning solution prior to use and dropped into a separate bin when soiled.

Hand Gloves
While dealing with home cleaning, we use a number of cleaning chemicals that are quite hazardous for our skin specially our hands. So use rubber gloves and protect your hands. Generally we people don't take much care of our hands and avoid it. In that case our hands come in contact with harmful chemicals and affect it.



Cleaning Cloths
Cleaning clothes are important accessories that we use while cleaning your home. You can find a large range of cleaning cloths in the market, some of which claim to be anti-bacterial or super-absorbent. Most of cleaning cloths are made of terry cloth, a cotton cloth with innumerable loops which make it very absorbent. Now-a-days microfiber cloths have become very popular, which promise superior cleaning action. They do so due to the presence of the millions of tiny fibres which trap dirt.
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Your Guide to Select Green Kitchen cabinets

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While planning a kitchen makeover, most of your budget goes to the cabinets. So it is really worthy to give some time to select appropriate types of cabinets for your kitchens that suits your budgets, your health as well as the environment. The traditional materials used in the manufacturing of kitchen cabinets have now being replaced with green and environment friendly materials. Just read on to find what type of kitchen cabinets you should avoid and what to choose?

Avoid the Hazardous Traditional Cabinets
The traditional cabinets leach harmful gases in your kitchen that is harmful for you and your family's health. It might sound absurd but it is totally true. Most of kitchen cabinets boxes are made from the use of particle board or fiber board, which in turn is created from a urea formaldehyde resin which is a well known carcinogen. This substrate out gases formaldehyde all the time in the surrounding and pollute the breathable air. When this emission comes in contact with any heat source, it becomes more concentrated and toxic when released. Now you can imagine the number of appliances that generate heat and are placed by the side of your cabinets. Traditional cabinets made of particle board are quite hard to update and fix.

Adopt Green Kitchen Cabinets
Now more number of people are preferring green cabinets over conventional cabinets because green cabinets do not release toxic gases into the air. Though the resources available for eco-friendly cabinets are still meager but alternative materials that are less harmful in effect can also be used. By selecting a green kitchen cabinets means you are opting for cabinets that don't pollute indoor air quality and place a strain on the environment. Before buying a green cabinet from a cabinet manufacturer you should ask for a third party certification that ensures that their products are free from formaldehyde and created with no or low VOC's.

Green Materials for Kitchen Cabinets
You can ask for cabinet boxes made with wheat board or straw board. Wheat board is the remnants of the straw waste left over from farmers' wheat crops. It is formaldehyde free and it provides the desired strength and durability according to the set standards. Thus wheat board cabinet boxes not only give toxins free environment, it also makes good use of recycling an organic waste product that would otherwise be disposed of.

Plywood boxes are a better option. Though it is a bit expensive but you don't update your kitchen cabinets regularly so you will have to take it as a long time investment, say 10 years. When you distribute that little extra expense in 10 years span and compare it to the impact on your health by the use of traditional cabinets, you will find it much worthy.

The most popular and common material for green kitchen cabinets is bamboo. Bamboo appeals to the eye, is quite durable, and is also rapidly renewable. Bamboo is a popular choice for environmentalists as it can mature in less than half the time the hardwood trees take to reach market size.

The amount of wood used in your kitchen cabinet depends on what type yo choose. Most of the cabinet doors have at least some solid core, and it differs depending on the styles you choose. Older kitchen cabinets are made from solid wood so people using them are now trying to discard them, thereby removing the threat of particle board problems. For those who can't afford green kitchen cabinets, sanding, staining and refinishing with a no or low VOC finish can be a wise decision. There are a number of optional choices, more than ever before.

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How to Install Your Jacuzzi?

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No thing can provide more comfort, after a hectic day workout, than relaxing in your Jacuzzi tub. And it would be a slicing on cake if available at home. You can install a jacuzzi with the help of an expert or you can do it at your own. Installing a jacuzzi is not an easy task and needs to be minutely taken care of for a number of things. A number of things needs to be determined before purchasing a jacuzzi. But we will not mention those points here. In this article, we will tell you what important things should be looked after while installing a jacuzzi.

1. Make the Floor Leveled: The floor at which the Jacuzzi bathtub is to be installed should be properly leveled. If the floor is uneven by a bit, you need to level the area in order to sit the tub. In case of uneven floor level you may run into lot of troubles, such as malfunctioning of drainage system and jets. The floor should be strong enough to support the weight of tub. Your floor needs to be able to support 150 lbs. per square foot.

2. Make a Stable Ground: The Jacuzzi bathtub is a heavy item even when it is empty. When filled with water and loaded with few person, it can go to almost 200 pounds per square foot. So the base area of the floor on which the Jacuzzi will rest should be made solid and stable. You need to pour one to two inch of thick layer of cement or mortar to support such huge weights.

3. Make a Supporting Frame: The bathtub should be supported along the entire length of the bottom and the rim. So the area supporting the bathtub should be framed. Some Jacuzzi units come along with frames. If the tub that you purchase is not pre-framed then either you can hire a carpenter to develop a frame or you can buy a ready made frame suiting your unit. It is important to remember that the frame should have an access panel to reach to the motor and pump in case of maintenance. Usually the bathtub manufacturers include the dimensions for the supporting enclosure.

4. For Wiring Contact an Experienced Electrician: Until and unless you are a certified electrician, you should not go for the electrical wiring part of Jacuzzi's installation. Working with plumbing & electricity can be tricky business and even most experienced DIY homeowners opt for the services of a professional electrician or an experienced plumber or a general contractor with experience in Jacuzzi installation. Such type of work involves electricity in close proximity to water, the risk is pretty much enhanced.

5. You need to clean the construction area to remove all residues. Then you should check that all connections and fittings are secured. Fill the tub with water above the jets and check for leaks. The jets should be run for at least 15 minutes and check if any problem occurs fix it before closing the area.
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How to Check & Fix the Plumbing Leakage Problems?

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According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the typical U.S. home can waste up to 11,000 gallons of water per year only through household leaks. So we should pay attention to conserve this increasingly scarce resource. Here are some very useful tips to check out the leakages in your home plumbing system.

1. A Look at Water Meter: Observing your water meter can help you identify the leakages. What you need to do is to stop using water for two hours, and check the water meter before and after that period. If the meter reading fluctuates even a little bit, then you might have a leak in your plumbing system.

2. Check the Water Bill: You need to look at the water bills for the two months of the year. Say January and February, as they are the coldest months and water usage is minimum during this period. If you are a family of four member and the consumption is more than 12,000 gallons a month that means there are some serious leaks.

3. Toilet Leakages: Toilets are the common places where leaks generally happen. To identify any leaks in toilet tank, put a drop of food coloring in it and watch for some time. If the color shows up in the bowl before you flush that indicates there is some leak. The most common reason of a toilet leak is a worn out valve seal, also known as toilet flapper. Flappers are rubber parts that can decay over time and build up minerals. They are inexpensive and replacing them might sole your leakage problems.

4. Look for Leaky Faucets: Leaky faucets are one of the most common leaking causes. It is always recommended to solve such problems with your plumber. The reason behind this is that some faucets are too old to be found in the stores, and they are almost impossible to remove without painful effort. Even if you are ready to give it a try, make sure that you buy the correct replacement.

5. Leaking Showerheads: Showerheads cause big leakage problems. Leaky showerheads can be fixed by ensuring that there is a tight connection between the pipe stem and the showerhead. One can use pipe tape to secure it. Also known as Teflon tape, pipe tapes can be found on any hardware store. It is easy to apply and can help tame unruly leaks. Another thing that needs to be taken care of is to check the washer or O-ring inside the showerhead.

6. Check the Outdoor Leaks: The in-ground irrigation system needs to be checked if you have one. You should check it each spring prior to use and make sure that it wasn't damaged by frost or freezing. Check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the spigot. If it leaks while you run your hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.

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