Helpful Advice For Home Construction Improvement

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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

Basement Waterproofing
2008-04-25 02:00:00
One of the most frustrating things for people with basements is water leakage. With many homeowners trying to create as much usable square footage in their homes the basement becomes a target for family rooms, play rooms, man rooms and teenager hide outs. Unfortunately most basements have some sort of water leakage problem.The B-Dry® System Wet Basement Waterproofing Process has been time tested for over 50 years and in over 200,000 homes nationwide. The B-Dry® Patented Waterproofing System is backed by a full warranty which lasts for the lifetime of your building. If you're looking for a qualified basement waterproofing company then check out one of these licensed basement contractors.

Solar Garden Lights
2008-04-23 01:20:00
Today I received the perfect gift for Earth Day. The kind folks at Malibu - Lighting the Way to Outdoor Living, sent me some really great solar garden lights to try out and do a review on. As you can see I installed them this afternoon after work and I was VERY impressed not only with the quality of the lights but also the ease of installation and the simplicity of the system.My wife and I have wanted to put solar walkway lights along our walkway since we built the house and I've been putting it off mostly because I couldn't find any lights that looked "rugged" enough to handle the elements and my sons outdoor torture! Let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of these lights.The lights that they sent me to review are the Solar Select Premium Metal Garden Lights - LZ3001-2. The light housing is made of cast aluminum which I think is great because most solar lights on the market are made of plastic. These solar garden lights use two white LED light bulbs and an inter...
More About: Environment , Solar Power , Energy Star

Earth Day 2008
2008-04-22 14:13:00
April 22nd is Earth Day. Why not take some time today to think of a new way to help out mother earth. Maybe you can start recycling, maybe you can start using more energy efficient light bulbs, maybe you can buy Energy Star rated appliances, maybe you can choose Green Building products for your next remodeling project, maybe you can use low flow shower heads, sink faucets and toilets, maybe you can make a difference. If we all take one small step each year there will certainly be a positive effect on our environment.Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, environment, energy efficiency, energy star, green building
More About: Environment , Earth Day

Planting Lilac Trees
2008-04-22 02:32:00
On Sunday my son and I planted three lilac trees for my wife. She loves lilac trees and we've been trying to decide what to plant along the west side of the house. That side of the house has two retaining walls the step the land along the "walkout" basement.The lilac trees we bought are about 36 inches tall with a root ball about 10 inches in diameter. The directions recommend a hole about 2 to 3 times larger than the root ball. Our lot is VERY sandy, in fact there is about 5 inches or so of loam on top of what I call beach sand. The good thing about this is lilacs like a well drained soil. So, we dug the holes and then filled the bottom with some good loam.Lilac trees grow best in a soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Unfortunately our soil has a pH of about 5.3 (see previous post on soil testing). After I put some soil in the bottom of the hole I applied some dolomitic lime to help "sweeten" the soil and raise the pH so it's not quite as acidic.Then we planted the trees making s...
More About: Trees , Planting

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
2008-04-20 21:10:00
I've finally decided to jump on board and try Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL) in my new home. Today I bought three GE Energy Smart 20 watt CFL's. The 20 watt CFL is equivalent to a 75 watt incandescent light bulb. These new bulbs are supposed to last 6 years or 10,000 hours of operation. An incandescent light bulb typically only lasts about 750 hours. That means you'd need 14 incandescent bulbs to each fluorescent bulb. The cost of the bulb is payed for just comparing bulbs not even considering the energy savings.Obviously using these bulbs is a great way to start living "green". Some may argue that the Mercury contained in them poses a significant environmental issue, however, with proper education people will realize that they need to be disposed of properly. These bulbs are also energy star certified.I put three of these in an overhead light fixture in our breakfast nook and I was quite impressed. The color of the light has improved drastically and the bulbs come on almo...
More About: Energy Star , Green Building , Energy Efficiency

Snow Mound Spirea - Spiraea Nipponica
2008-04-20 01:49:00
The other plant we put into our flower garden today was two Snow Mound Spireas or Spiraea Nipponica. We actually had one of these plants at our last house and I liked it. Its more of a flower shrub than a plant I guess. The nice thing about these plants is they are not especially sensitive to varying pH levels. This is good considering our acidic soil.These shrubs will blossom in late May or early June with a nice white flower. At maturity this shrub will be approximately 4 to 5 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide (not if I can help it....pruning to the rescue).Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, Snow Mound Spirea

Purple Gem - Rhododendron
2008-04-20 00:20:00
Today we started planting some plants in our flower gardens. Since we built this house we've had a hard time coming up with a landscaping "plan" that we both like. The biggest problem we have is the huge size of our yard and house. Trying to get enough landscaping done so that the place actually looks nice is a challenge. I'm sure we could hire a landscape architect or landscaper to help us out but frankly I can't see spending the money.Today we planted a couple of Purple Gem Rhododendrons in the flower gardens in front of the farmers porch. The Rhododendron that we chose was a dwarf variety that only grows to a height of two feet. These plants can survive up here in New Hampshire with a -20 degrees. The beauty of these plants is they love acidic soil. If you've been reading my blog you know that I had my soil tested last fall and the pH was 5.3 which is quite acidic. These plants also like a well drained soil and that's not a problem either considering we built our house on an...
More About: Plants

Check Out a Great DIY Blog
2008-04-18 12:53:00
Once and awhile I find a really great DIY blog and this one is no exception. One Project Closer is a blog I read daily and one I think you'll find tons of great information and find yourself returning often. Tell them Todd sent you!
More About: Blog , Great , Check

Leviton 6260M Electronic Timer Switch
2008-04-18 02:23:00
Yesterday I received the three Leviton 6260M electronic timer switches that I ordered for the bath fans. These switches allow you to choose pre-set times of 10 min., 20 min., 30 min., and 60 mins. I plan on installing them this weekend in each of the three bathrooms.The unit has 4 wires, a green, white, blue and black. The installation instructions (as usual these directions are not very good) include a wiring diagram that says:1. Connect the green wire to the ground.2. Connect the black wire to the line voltage.3. Connect the blue wire to the hot wire of the fixture.4. Connect the white wire to all of the neutrals.I do a post this weekend on how to wire one of these up. The one problem I can see is the device is fairly large so fitting all the wires, wire nuts and device into the box will most likely be a HUGE challenge.Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, electrical timer switch, energy star
More About: Electronic , Energy Star , Energy Efficiency , Switch , Timer

We Need Patio Furniture
2008-04-17 00:45:00
Our back deck needs patio furniture desperately. My wife has been harping on me since we moved into the new home that she wants to eat dinner out there in the summer. Last year a friend gave us a hand made Adirondack chair that he made for us out of Cambara wood (that's what our decking is). Today I came across this Adirondack Chair site that sells chairs, rockers and market style umbrellas. I'm amazed at how cheap you can find furniture online these days. Things that once seemed so heavy and pricey to shop for online are becoming very reasonably priced.
More About: Furniture , Patio

John Deere Tow-Behind Broadcast Spreader
2008-04-16 18:11:00
Last week I purchased the John Deere 3.5 cu ft tow-behind broadcast spreader. I finally assembled it and put it to use.First off let me say that John Deere has got to be one of the last companies selling products in this country with extremely well written directions and parts. All of the small parts (bolts, clips, nuts, etc.) are packed in a shrink wrap package that is labeled to coincide with each step in the assembly directions.What a novel concept.....great directions that include well written English sentences, great diagrams and a unique label/packaging idea. More companies should take a lesson from these folks and put some time into the assembly directions. Anyway, it took me about 35 minutes or so to assemble the spreader (that even includes my 3 yr old tagging along with me).As you can see in the photo there is a control level located just behind the mower seat so you can easily reach back and adjust the flow or completely shut off the spreader. The one bad feature if you ...
More About: Broadcast