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Swing Set Update
2008-05-18 01:58:00
Today I spent most of the day working on the kids new wooden swing set. My friend Mike came over with his two boys and gave me a hand this afternoon. That was a HUGE help having a second set of hands. Needless to say the three boys were also lots of "help", especially asking us every 5 minutes if we were almost done.As you can see we got the upper "club house" put together today along with the swing support and tunnel platform. We also go the main roof on and shingled. The porch shed roof frame is up and I just need to finish putting the shingles on it. I should be able to finish most of this up in 4 more hours.So far I figure I've got about 18 man hours into the project. If it takes another 4 or so hours this project will come in under the 48 man hours the directions predict. I hope I'm correct in my estimate!! Stay tuned for more updates.Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, wooden swing set
More About: Update , Swing

Top 5 Must Have Power Tools
2008-05-16 19:47:00
I've had a couple of people ask me what basic power tools should they buy for basic home improvement projects or a new workshop. I've listed my top 5 must have power tools that I think every home improvement do it yourself person should own. They are listed in order based on how versatile they are.1. Table Saw - It is my opinion that if you're going to buy one expensive power tool then go buy yourself a decent table saw. A table saw can do almost any cutting task you have and most likely give you the best results. I own a Delta table saw and I can honestly say it's my most used power tool that I own and one I couldn't live without. I will warn you that I think the table saw is also the most dangerous tool you can use. Make sure you respect the power and danger of this tool and understand how to properly use it.2. Miter Saw - I own a Bosch Sliding Compound Miter Saw and it's a close second to the table saw when it comes to how often I use it. I use my miter saw for everything f...
More About: Power , Tools

Top Five Money Savings Tips for New Home Construction
2008-05-16 02:55:00
Considering how fragile the economy is right now and how timid banks are to loan money for new homes I thought I'd share my experience with saving money on new home construction. It wasn't that long ago when getting loans was really easy and building large homes was the trend. Today banks are less likely to fun new construction because of the premium costs associated with new construction.In most real estate markets today you can purchase an existing home for quite a bit less money than a comparable new home. Because of this banks are much more likely to focus their loans on very good customers with plenty of equity (skin in the game!) and homes that will hold their value in this turbulent real estate market.Having said that if you're really set on building a new home there are ways you can keep the budget down and the banks more likely to fund your project. Here are my top five ways of saving money on new home construction.1. Square footage is the name of the game. No matter how...
More About: Money , Tips , Home , Construction , Savings

Wood Swing Update
2008-05-16 02:45:00
So far I've spent about 3 1/2 hours working on the wooden swing set for the kids. The directions said it would take two moderately skilled people about 20 to 24 hours to build. I hate to jinx myself but based on the progress I've made so far I can't possibly see how it will take me that long. So far I'm extremely satisfied with both the quality of this product and easy to follow instructions. Stay tuned for more photos and updates as I get further along.Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, wooden swing set
More About: Wood , Update , Swing

Homelite UT42100 Electric Blower Review
2008-05-15 04:31:00
The fine folks at Home Depot sent me the Homelite UT42100 electric blower so I could try it out. I already own a much larger leaf blower so I was eager to try out this smaller one. This little guy packs quite a punch and makes cleaning up a walkway, driveway or small project site a breeze.This little 7 amp power house has two speeds; quiet and power, ranging from 120 mph to 150 mph. At a very reasonable suggested retail price of just under $30 it's really hard to find much wrong with this blower. The only thing I don't like (and I don't like this about my larger one) is the fact that you have to plug it into a electrical power supply. But, for $30 it's really hard to complain and expect a gas powered unit! The unit only weighs 5 lbs so it's very light and easy to use. I'll definitely use this around the yard this summer cleaning up my messes and keeping the walkways looking great.I would definitely suggest this product for anyone looking for a very inexpensive lightweight ...
More About: Review , Electric

My Melanoma Saga
2008-05-14 03:35:00
For any of you that read my blog on a regular basis you already know that I've been diagnosed with Melanoma (skin cancer) twice. The first time was really scary as I had Stage III Melanoma, several surgeries and a year of chemo treatment. Well....today I found out I have Melanoma again. Last time was just a very shallow lesion that didn't require any special surgery. This time it's a little worse and it sounds like I'll be having at least one surgery maybe two. The good news is from what they are telling me this isn't as serious as the first time I had it so hopefully the treatments won't be too bad.I share this with my readers for a couple of reasons. First and foremost I think that if I can help just one person by making them aware of the dangers involved with skin cancer then it's worth sharing my personal experiences. Two it helps me deal with the emotional battle that cancer plays on someone. Wish me luck....or better yet say a prayer for me and my family.
More About: Saga

Wooden Swing Set - Construction Begins
2008-05-14 01:52:00
Tonight I started working on our kids new swing set. The instruction manual says it will take two moderately skilled people 20 to 24 hours. So if I do all the work myself that should be about 40 to 48 hours of labor.Tonight I managed to get the base frame put together in about 1 hour. My 3 year old helped so maybe we can "deduct" a few minutes that I had to chase him around the yard for parts.So far the directions are great, the materials are in very good condition and I must say I'm very pleased with the purchase. I had my doubts especially when I ordered it online through Ebay but so far so good. I hope to so quite a few posts following the progress and my overall opinion of this project and product. Stay tuned for more....Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog
More About: Construction , Swing , Wooden

Deck Safety Month
2008-05-13 16:03:00
May is National Deck Safety Month and deck failures and collapses are on the rise according to the North American Deck and Railing Association. According to NADRA there have been over 30 deaths reported in this country between 2000 and 2006 as a result of deck collapses. It is also estimated that there are over 40 million decks over 20 years old in this country.Statistics like that make it abundantly clear that it is important to inspect your deck on a yearly basis and make sure that it's structurally sound. You don't have to be a structural engineer to do a basic inspection of the structural members. It's important to look for split, checked and decayed wood. Over time foundations can move causing movement of structural members, misalignment, buckling and settling.If you find split, checked or rotten wood members you should replace them. Check to make sure you're fasteners are not corroded, missing or loose. It's also important to make sure railings are secure and meet current...

Woodridge Model 6008 Wooden Swing Set
2008-05-13 01:45:00
Well today the kids new wood swing set was delivered. An 18 wheeler pulled up the driveway and dropped off 5 huge heavy boxes and one plastic slide. My son Timmy was beside himself with joy and excitement. "Daddy let's build the swing set!" Ahh...Timmy....Daddy needs to go back to work......needless to say Mr. Timmy shed some tears when he realized that daddy wasn't going to just drop everything and make his new swing set appear.When I saw how many pieces were involved with this swing set I started having second thoughts. Oh well whats one more massive project when you're totally swamped at work and home. The directions say it should take "two moderately skilled people" about 20 to 24 hours to put together. We'll see how accurate that estimate really is. I plan on taking photos and writing a few updates as we put it together.Tonight when I got home from work we carried all the materials down to the area in the back yard that we'll built the swing set. I opened up all the boxes ...
More About: Model , Swing , Wooden

How To Install A Dishwasher
2008-05-11 13:58:00
Installing a dishwasher is a fairly easy to intermediate home improvement task. If you already have a dishwasher installed and you have the proper water shut off valves than installing a new dishwasher is very straightforward.As with any home improvement project make sure you follow the manufacturers instructions carefully and obey all local laws involving plumbing and electrical codes. The first step should always be to shut off both the electrical power supply and water supply to the existing unit. The water supply shut off valve is typically located in the cabinets below your kitchen sink. The power supply should be hooked up to an independent breaker in your main service. After you shut off the electrical breaker make sure you test the power to verify that it's shut off.Remove the lower toe-kick cover plates on the old dishwasher. This is where you'll disconnect the power supply and the water supply. The power is almost always located on the right hand side. There should be so...
More About: Plumbing

National Home Remodeling Month
2008-05-10 21:18:00
May is National Home Remodeling Month so I thought it would be fitting to talk about easy home improvements and remodeling ideas that DIY folks can do themselves. Remodeling your home can add value, efficiency and peace of mind for years to come.One of the most popular remodeling ideas is painting a room in your home or even painting an exterior door to add curb appeal. Painting is one of the basic DIY activities that most home owners feel comfortable doing. When I read home improvement blogs over at Houseblogs.net a large percentage of the home owners talk about painting projects. Painting doesn't seem to overwhelming to folks, the materials are fairly reasonably priced, the tools are simple and inexpensive and honestly the skills required are pretty basic. Today color seems to be the name of the game when it comes to painting. Adding a distinctive accent wall color or darker earth tones seems give homes a warmth that wasn't present when all we did was paint the wall Navajo White...

Green Grass
2008-05-09 22:52:00
So far this spring our grass seems to be doing VERY well. Last year (first growing season for the new lawn) the lawn just never really grew very well. It wasn't very green, didn't grow very fast and overall seemed to be struggling to stay alive.So last fall we had our soil tested and found out that our soil was very acidic and lacking in some important nutrients that grass needs to grow well. The biggest thing our soil needed was lime in order to "sweeten" the soil and increase the pH. We also had to choose the correct fertilizer based on the soil report.I think the combination of the lime and fertilizer that we applied has worked wonders for the grass. As you can see it's very green and it appears to be growing in much thicker. I'm hoping that the lawn will establish itself much better this summer so we won't have to rely on fertilizers as much.Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog
More About: Green , Landscaping , Grass

World's Tallest Building
2008-05-09 20:36:00
The world's tallest building is being built in Dubai, United Arab Emirates right now. This building is absolutely breathtaking when you compare it to the world's current leaders. The top of the new building is scheduled to be finished some time in August of this year. It will stand over 2,600 feet high, that's over 1/2 of a mile high.I'm totally amazed by large structures. As much as I love seeing these incredible engineering feats I know the reality is that one day the engineering will be beyond our current knowledge and something bad will happen. My engineering background and knowledge of engineering history tells me it's only a matter of time. It will be interesting to see what the final height is and how the building does.When it comes to my construction background I can only look at these pictures in awe. I can't even begin to imagine how high that really is. I've inspected bridges that were several hundred feet in the air but nothing even close to several thousand feet....
More About: Building

Renuzit TriScents Semi-Finalists Chosen
2008-05-09 01:44:00
Renuzit TriScents ?Transform Your Home with Tanya Memme? Promotion has chosen ten finalists for the $20,000 Home Make Over Grand Prize. I thought the house shown above is deserving of the grand prize because it reminds me of our first home. A house stuck in the 50's begging to be remodeled. Our home was just like it, very outdated bathrooms, kitchen and living rooms. Old houses like that smell musty, moldy and old. We eventually completely remodeled that house and it looked like a new home all over again. I have no doubt that a $20,000 home make over would create a very nice new home feel.I love the pictures they submitted, pink and green bathrooms. I think every house built back then had the same hideous tiled bathrooms. Just the site of those pictures gives me flashbacks that remind me how lucky we are to live in a new house. Make sure you vote for your favorite home owner and help them make their home make over dream a reality.You can see the semi-finalist gallery and vote for y...
More About: Finalists , Semi

AuroRa - Wireless Lighting Control System
2008-05-07 20:15:00
When we built a our new home we installed this wireless lighting control system from Lutron. This wireless lighting control system is a very versatile product that allows you to replace single pole or three-way switches. Each wireless switch is controlled by the master control that you plug into an outlet and place somewhere in the house. It works great on a bedside table, in a kitchen or living room. Pick a place that you'd want to be able to remotely turn on or off any of the five switches.The system also comes with one car remote. This is the feature that we like best. As you approach your home in the car you can remotely turn on all the lights. So obviously placing these switches in places you'd like to light up when you come home is the key. Entries, foyers, garages, walkways or porches are all good places. The other nice thing is you can take out the switch and move it anytime you want. The whole package retails for about $525 which I think is a great price for an entry leve...
More About: Wireless , System , Lighting , Aurora , Control

Applying Water Based Urethane To Hardwood
2008-05-06 03:31:00
I learned something new today that and I thought it was worth sharing. Because of today's strict new VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) laws most Urethanes are now water based. Most wood fillers however are still an oil based product. So you ask what's the big deal?If you apply a water based urethane over an oil based wood filler it will most likely turn yellow or at least not match the color that you started with. I've actually learned this the hard way a few times but I had no idea what actually caused it. So, a painter suggested that next time I apply the urethane prior to filling any holes. Get all your coats of urethane applied, all the sanding and preparation done. Then go back at the end and apply the oil based wood filler. You know what.....it works fantastic! Next time you're working with urethane give this a try, I think you'll be very impressed.Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, urethane
More About: Water

Blog Changes
2008-05-05 02:56:00
Any of you that read my blog on a regular basis will automatically realize that I've made some significant changes to the look of this blog. Please bear with me as I try and give the blog a new look and hopefully quite a bit more functionality so that readers can find all the good stuff I've written. Any feedback would be very welcome!
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Proper Edging of Flower Beds
2008-05-03 03:35:00
The easiest way to edge a flower bed is by using a simple half moon edger. This tool is used to cut the sod along any shaped flower bed. You simply work your way along any line you want and use the tool to cut the sod. By cutting the sod along a nice clean line you are cutting the roots.As you can see in the photo, you want that cut edge of the sod to remain exposed. This prevents the grass from working its way into the flower bed. When you put your mulch in the flower bed make sure you taper the thickness down as you approach the sod edge. If you keep the roots exposed of the sod then they won't invade the flower bed.The half moon edger is very easy to use. When you're creating a flower bed you can use a rope or garden hose to lay out a nice curved design. Then all you have to do is follow that curved design around and cut the sod with the edger. This is a really easy home improvement project that will spice up your flower beds. To maintain that nice edge just use your string tri...
More About: Tools , Landscaping , Flower , Beds

Built-In Office Furniture Using Semi-Custom Cabinets
2008-05-02 03:27:00
One of the most used "areas" of our new home is the built-in office space that we created in our breakfast nook. One of the really cool things you can do with semi-custom cabinets is put together office furniture, entertainment systems, book cases or any other type of furniture assemblies.I created this built-in office furniture using a file drawer cabinet on the left, a desk drawer in the center and a regular cabinet on the right. Then I was able to order a solid hardwood desk top to cover it. In the right hand cabinet is our computer. I cut a circular hole in the desk top and installed a plastic "grommet" so we could run all of the computer cords into that cabinet.The upper cabinets are regular wall units with a "cubbie" cabinet mounted to the bottom of the center cabinet. That works well for storing bills and important daily paper work. This office furniture ends up being the center of quite a few activities. We are able to pay bills and use the internet in close proximity to our...
More About: Office , Furniture , Semi , Custom

Solar Light Giveaway Ends Shortly
2008-05-01 04:19:00
If you're interested in winning the solar flood lights from Malibu you must leave a comment on Solar Light Giveaway tonight. Leave a great comment on how you would use these lights if you win. I'll be choosing a winner as of May 1st.
More About: Solar Power , Energy Star , Energy Efficiency

Construction Costs Are Dropping
2008-04-30 20:08:00
The current state of the construction industry and slow real estate sales has finally slowed the demand of building materials to the point where prices are dropping. Between January 2007 and January 2008, framing lumber fell 15.6 percent, insulation 3.6 percent, and wallboard a whopping 22 percent. Some markets have seen even sharper drops in material costs.What does this mean for you? Well combine the dropping material costs with slower demand on construction crews and still historically low interest rates and now is a great time to build a new home, remodel and existing one or add that addition you've been putting off for years.A couple of years ago you would have had a very hard time getting contractors to return your call. Now if you call a contractor he or she is likely to show up at your door step the same day to discuss your project. In addition the slow down in construction has weeded out quite a few of the smaller less established contractors. Contractors are sharpening th...
More About: Construction , Costs

Gutters and Rain Barrels
2008-04-30 03:30:00
It has been pouring rain here for two days and it reminded me about how many homes I see around here with significant water damage. One of my biggest recommendations to clients when they build a new home is to invest in good gutters. The conversation typically turns to the home owner telling me that having gutters in New England is a bad idea because of the snow and ice. I'll leave that arguement / disagreement for another post but I will say that I use them and I never have trouble with ice and snow.The reason that I strongly recommend gutters is simple. An average 1,000 sq. ft. roof will produce over 600 gallons of water from 1 inch of rain! So without gutters you now have 600 gallons of water splashing against your house after it hits the ground and soaking into the ground along your foundation. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out all the problems that can arise from all this water hitting your house and sitting around your foundation. The first solution is t...
More About: Green Building , Rain

Peonies and Rhubarb
2008-04-30 02:44:00
We added a couple of other plants to the flower gardens last weekend. My wife loves peonies so we bought a couple of peony roots to plant. We actually had a few of these plants at our last home in Massachusetts so it was only natural to try to grow some more. Peonies like a well drained soil with a pH of around 6.5 to 7.0 (we'll need to use some extra lime to sweeten the soil as our soil is quite acidic) and a sunny location. The flowers on these plants are quite heavy when they bloom so it's a good idea to use some dowels or stakes to prop up the plants to keep them from falling over due to the weight of the flower.The other thing we planted last weekend was rhubarb. I grew up with several rhubarb plants in our yard and I used to love having strawberry rhubarb pies during the summer. Rhubarb is a perennial that produces a fleshy stalk that is used in pies or eaten with sugar. One note of caution, the leaves of rhubarb are toxic. Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid, a corrosive and...
More About: Plants

Wood Swing Set
2008-04-29 04:46:00
Well we decided to spend our tax stimulus check on something we wouldn't normally buy. We've bought a huge wooden swing set for our kids. This will surely be a huge DIY project when it arrives. I'll have to put it together and put some type of wood sealer on the whole thing! Pictures will follow when construction begins!
More About: Wood , Swing

How To Install Leviton 6260M Electronic Timer Switch
2008-04-29 02:24:00
In a previous post, Leviton 6260M Electronic Timer Switch , I wrote about these new timer switches that I purchased to use in our three bathrooms. Using timer switches will allow us to run the fans after we've left the room in order to make sure all the excess moisture is removed from the room. This is a great way to make sure enough fresh air is introduced to tight homes and also to make sure we're getting all that excess moisture out so we won't have mold and mildew problems.Tonight I installed the first Leviton 6260M Electronic Timer Switch. The specifications for these timers require that you have a ground and a neutral at the switch location. This is an important detail that you should investigate before you buy these switches. If you just have a switch leg in the box, i.e. the hot leg only which would be two blacks or a black and a white thats marked, then this timer will not work properly.Always remember to shut off the breaker and power to any circuit you're going to be w...
More About: Energy Star , Energy Efficiency

John Deere Plug Aerator
2008-04-27 20:53:00
Today I ordered a John Deere 40" tow-behind plug aerator. One of the most important tasks to do on your lawn is to aerate it. This helps get water and nutrients deeper down to the roots. A plug aerator also helps loosen the soil to keep it from being so compacted that air and moisture can't properly disperse.This plug aerator features 28 steel plugging tines for removing soil plugs up to 3" deep. A weight tray that accepts up to 175 lbs of additional weight to help improve plugging depth on compacted soils. Individual tines that can be replaced to improve serviceability and pneumatic tires for great maneuverability.I'm really looking forward to receiving this new piece of yard equipment so I can continue to improve the health of our new lawn. Working with your lawn is another easy to do home improvement project that will greatly improve the look of your home.Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, John Deere, John Deere Plug Aerator

White Dogwood Trees (Cornus Florida)
2008-04-27 19:55:00
Yesterday I planted two White Dogwood trees. We are trying to add new landscaping features to our large yard this year so it doesn't look like a huge open football field around the house. Planting trees, shrubs and flowers can be a rather simple home improvement project that can add significant curb appeal and value to your home.The Arbor Day Foundation has this to say about the White Dogwood Tree:An excellent landscape choice in all four seasons. Flowers are showy in spring. Leaves turn red-purple in fall. Glossy red fruits attract winter songbirds. Likes partial shade; moist, acid, well-drained soil. Grows to 25', 25' spread. (zones 5-9)This should be another great fit for our yard due to the acidic soil. We also have a well drained soil because just below the soil layer is a very deep layer of clean sand. Hopefully these two trees will mature quickly and provide great flowers in the spring and shade in the summer.Tags: Home Improvement, Home Improvement Blog, White Dogwood Tree
More About: Florida , Trees

Garden Mulching
2008-04-27 00:25:00
Today I filled the flower gardens with new pine bark mulch. I like to use plain pine bark mulch that has a dark brown color. I honestly can't stand driving by homes that use that "RED" mulch. Come on folks, there is no way you can get "RED" mulch from any trees grown around here. They have to be filling that product with dies to get it that color. Anyway, in a previous post, Mulching Flower Beds, I talked about learning all about mulching flower beds from none other than Roger Cook from This Old House. Roger was pretty serious about using a good quality pine bark mulch instead of all the designer mulches out there.So today my son and I headed out to the local mulch/loam place and we picked up a yard of pine bark mulch. This year I only needed to apply about an inch of mulch because last year we put down a decent depth. Actually, it's really important that you only put down a couple of inches of mulch so that you don't choke off the other plants from air. The other important thing...
More About: Garden , Plants

Solar Flood Light Giveaway
2008-04-26 18:44:00
May 1st is the deadline to leave a comment on the Solar Light Giveaway post and enter to win a free set of solar flood lights. Make sure you sign up so you can have a chance to win these really great solar flood lights.
More About: Solar Power , Energy Efficiency , Flood

FLUKE 1AC-A1 II VoltAlert
2008-04-25 02:30:00
Today I bought a new electrical tester. In the past I've had testers but none that I really liked or trusted. I read some reviews and this Fluke 1AC-A1 II VoltAlert received some decent feedback. What I like about this tester is you can use it several ways. It has a flat tip that allows you to stick it into a receptacle to test for power. You can also touch it to wires that still have insulation on them and get an accurate test result. When it detects voltage the white end lights up and makes a steady audible tone. So far I've found it to be quite useful.Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, volt alert fluke tester
More About: Tools , Electrical