Easy to Install Garage Floor Covering

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Making a Home

Most homeowners love options especially when it comes to fixing up the garage. The choices of flooring, though, might be limited based strictly on what is the easiest to install.  Perhaps the least labor intensive way to increase the comfort and usability of a garage space being converted into a family room or den, is with the simple installation of heavy duty carpet squares.

Garage floor carpet squares are so easy to install.  You don’t need any tools but a straight edge (for trimming and sizing) and a good sharp utility knife.  Because the average family garage is about 400 square feet of space, this size can be completely re-floored in less than two hours once you get a rhythm going.

Of course the first thing to do is remove all portable items from the garage floor.  Clean it well – if necessary use a mild detergent.  Make sure the floor is thoroughly dry, clean and free of loose debris before starting.  It is best to start in the center and work outward, laying your squares systematically in what ever design you wish.  If one of the garage flooring options you choose is some sort of patterned flooring, carefully match the pattern as you go along.  The squares almost install themselves – simply peel off the backing, place the square where needed and press.  It sticks without much pressure.   You will use your utility knife and straight edge as you approach the baseboards of the walls and in corners.

In the end this choice of garage floor gives a nice, cozy feel to the room.  It also alters the acoustics, so if a television or stereo system is in place the sounds will be more muted and less harsh.  And another bonus is if a square gets damaged it is easily replaced.  Simply pull up the soiled or damaged square and press a fresh one in its spot.

The only thing to be careful with is to make sure water doesn’t continually penetrate under the tiles as this can loosen the adhesive. This is easily prevented with a good and tight garage door bottom weather seal. With a dry interior garage carpeting can last for years and hold up under heavy usage.

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Should A Person Install A Decoy Security Camera In The Home?

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Making a Home

Household security is now a hot topic in the media and in society.  In the past, the idea of installing a decoy security camera would seem ridiculous or redundant.  There was a prevalent belief that people could be trusted and break-ins were seemingly scarce.  People in today’s society are now installing security systems even if they live in supposedly safe and trustworthy areas.  The media has bolstered a feeling of fear that has frightened and worried people.  But this begs the question:  Are household security systems necessary or extraneous?

The benefits of household systems

There is nothing that deters theft quite like a decoy security camera.  Any deterrent, whether it is a gate or a fake security camera, will cause a thief to skip a house and choose another target.  Most thieves monitor a potential target over a period of a few weeks.  They will watch the inhabitants of a home and note their tendencies and behaviors.  Because most thieves want to avoid confrontation, they will choose times when home owners are away or at work.  A decoy security camera will give an intruder pause because he or she will fear identification.  A person will not scope out a house if he or she feels like there is constant monitoring going on.

The installment of fake security cameras is also good because false systems are less expensive than real ones.  They also capture no real footage, which means that tapes and videos do not have to be purchased.  They instill a feeling of safety without enforcing unnecessary expenses.

The negative aspects of household systems

Even if a decoy security camera is installed instead of a real one, there is still a cost associated with this expense.  Fake systems can cost up to two hundred dollars, with extra money sometimes directed towards verisimilitude.  A decoy security camera can also be an aesthetically unpleasing sight on a home or in a yard.

Whether or not a decoy security camera is installed in a house is up to the home owner.  Those concerned with safety should consider the installment of security systems.  Those who are worried about the expense should avoid this purchase.  A home owner is always the best judge of the safety in his or her neighborhood and home.

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The Best Naperville Home Builders

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Making a Home

Building a new home can can be a stressful time in any would be homeowners life. There are so many thing that you have to do as well as choices to be made throughout the build process. That is why it is so important to find the right home builder who will not only keep your project moving along on time, but also on budget as well.

There are many new home builders out there to choose from, but if you happen to live in the Chiocago suburb of Naperville and are looking for the best of the best Naperville home builders then you really should look into Dubois Builders. They have a proven reputation among Chicago builders for building high quality custom homes that are not only built on time, but within budget as well.

No matter what size of home you are wanting to build Dubois Builders can work with you to make your dream home a reality. It doesn’t matter if you are looking to build a 3 bedroom single family home or a large custom home this is the company that can build it. They specialize in building truly one of a kind new homes unlike what other builders in the area are building.  They have access to some of the top craftsman in the United States that are able to make one of a kind hand made products for your new home.

Some of these hand made products include: custom sinks, interior and exterior doors, door hardware, and many other one of a kind accessories that other new home builders within the Naperville area just don’t have access to. So if you are thinking about building a new home or remodeling an existing home in the Chicago area or in Naperville, and you want a quality home builder that can deliver high quality craftsmanship then you really need to contact Dubois Builders before you start building your new home.

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Make Small Bathroom Remodeling Efficient and Fun

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Making a Home

Even if your bathroom is small, you can still have fun remodeling it. No matter how much space you have, there are still creative ways to create a modern design. Think on a grand scale no matter what size bathroom you are working with.

Remodel Your Bathroom With Ideas From Around The World

Japan has some of the smallest bathrooms imaginable. Picture a small closet with plumbing and that is about what some Japanese bathrooms look like. Designers involved in bathroom remodeling projects use creative and resourceful ideas to make the most out of the smallest spaces. In extreme cases you can turn an entire room into a shower by tiling the walls and floors, then letting the water drain into the floors. A curtain to shield the sink and toilet area is optional. This is an inventive design. On the positive side it would be easy to clean.

Most people aren’t going to want to turn their entire bathroom into a shower, but there are some good ideas found in the Orient. Think about trading a tub for a stand up shower. Tile two walls of your bathroom and put the shower in the corner. You will not need framing, and it will be easy to add a reservoir to keep water on the bottom. You can also get a rod to bring a curtain around to finish the process. There is nothing like inventive bathroom remodeling.

Little Things Make A Big Difference

You would be surprised at how big a difference little things can make. Bathroom accessories as simple as new towels can add a spark to an old room. Changing out the hardware on cabinets can improve a room’s look too. Just as the right piece of jewelry can complete your outfit, new drawer hands can really make your sink area look perfect.

A new shower curtain can really make a difference in your bathroom too. For more permanent changes use tile on your walls, floors, or cabinets for a great upgrade. You can do a lot with just a little bit of space.

Remember to decorate with personality. Enjoy bathroom remodeling and make it fun! You can do a lot with the space you have.

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How to Hire Reliable Custom Home Builders

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Making a Home

Most people envision building their one-of-a-kind dream home some day. These individuals have worked out all the details. They know exactly what they want. Their biggest worry is to find reliable custom home builders in Wisconsin. While there are many contractors in the phonebook, not all of them are trained to construct designer homes.

It is an art to build high-end homes. Not everyone possesses that talent. Therefore, be very cautious when hiring a contractor. Keep these four guidelines in mind, whether you are starting a completely new project, or are adding on another room to an existing structure.

  1. Licensing – Never employ a builder who is unable to provide a license. Verify that the document has not expired.
  2. Background Checks – Talk to town engineers and other building professionals about the various local custom home builders. Which one has the best reputation, and why?
  3. Investigate – Contact several companies. Ask them why you should select them over their competitors. Their answers should include:

-          We have a shorter start-to-finish construction cycle time than others. For instance, a weather-tight panelized shell can be finished in days instead of weeks.

-          Waste is eliminated because all the plans are fully engineered before the first move is made. Leftover materials are recycled.

-          We utilize a safe, controlled environment to construct panels. Using innovative equipment results in more precisely built trusses, wall panels, and floor systems.

-          Custom home builders in Wisconsin should offer one-stop-shop approaches. This includes anything from selecting outdoor paneling to picking out hardware for modern kitchen cabinets. Your home will look just the way you always envisioned it.

  1. Compare Fees – Building a home is a major undertaking, which will cost a pretty penny. Do your homework, and request written quotes. Make sure that warrantees are incorporated. You can always use the money you saved on upgrading some of your building materials, landscaping, or to pay for moving expenses.
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How to Create the Right Amount of Light in a Bathroom

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Making a Home

Bathrooms are notoriously difficult rooms in which to get the level of lighting right – if you create a room that is too dark, it will be difficult to see what you’re doing when you’re shaving or putting on make-up; and if you create a room that is too bright, you’ll give your bathroom a clinical and sterile atmosphere that will undo all the hard effort you went choosing your décor.

Natural light is by far the best kind of light to try and get in your room, and if you’re renovating you should try (if possible) to open up the windows to let the sunlight flood in. Of course, this isn’t always possible but there are other ways of getting more natural light into a room – skylights are perfect, albeit expensive to install, or you can use a sun-pipe to capture light from outside and funnel it into the room.

Whatever light you have in the room, you need to make the most of it – using mirrors to bounce the light around is a great trick, and as you’re in the bathroom you should take the opportunity to use large illuminated bathroom mirrors which will also create a stunning focal point in the room. Illuminated mirrors are available in all sorts of styles and finishes, and can really add a modern twist to any style of décor.

Your choice of ceiling lights are extremely important, and it’s always best to use recessed ceiling spot light here. These are relatively inexpensive, but often have a really great sleek and stylish look. You should dot them around the ceiling to make sure that the whole bathroom is bathed in an even and balanced light. If you ensure that the far corners of the room are well lit, the room will automatically appear to be larger than it actually is.

You can combine the ceiling lights with bathroom vanity light fixtures to highlight certain features in the room, such as a make-up desk or even just the bath. They can also help to create a more tranquil and soothing mood in the room, so you can adjust the level of the light when you’re relaxing in the tub after a hard day at work.

It’s not necessary to spend a fortune on bathroom lighting, as quite often plain and simple fixtures will look the best. If you save on the budget so that you can splash out on some luxury taps and shower fittings, your new lights will really help them to sparkle.

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Alternatives To Teflon Cooking

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Making a Home

Cooking on Teflon seems great, right? It is extremely nonstick and makes cooking a breeze. Ready for the buzz kill? Studies have shown that Teflon creates toxic off-gas at high temperatures. Temperatures high enough (roughly 750 degrees F) that you may not think you’re cooking that hot, but preheating an empty Teflon pan can cause the metal to reach that temperature easily.

Better safe than sorry!

I wanted to take a look at a couple alternatives to Teflon to that I could still cook without worrying about what temperature I’m using.

CAST IRON

While cooking with cast iron may not seem like a nonstick alternative, it is. Well, except for eggs for some reason.

Cast iron has one major thing in its favor: durability. The downside is also an upside in a way. You have to upkeep your cast iron cookware more so than other cookware. This is an upside to a downside in that the power is in your hands to keep it working well.

The nonstick surface on cast iron comes from a process called seasoning. To do this there are a few steps you’ll need to complete:

- wash and dry your cast iron
- preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
- wipe down your cast iron with a thin layer of vegetable oil
- cook your cast iron for an hour
- remove, wipe off excess oil, and let cool

During seasoning, the pores of the iron open up and absorb the oil, thus creating a nonstick surface…except for eggs. You’ll need extra oil for eggs.

If you feel like your cast iron is sticking to food more than usual, simply season it again. When Teflon coatings get scratched you can’t just re-Teflon it from your home. Unless you live in a DuPont lab.

STAINLESS STEEL
Also, not quite as nonstick at Teflon, but pretty good with a little oil…stainless steel. Stainless steel has a smooth surface with no pores to worry about. If you get stainless steel copper bottom cookware, even better! The copper will help spread the heat quickly and evenly.

One nice thing that stainless steel has in its favor that cast iron doesn’t is that it is pretty light. You’ll get a minor workout cooking with cast iron.

The main thing to consider is staying healthy and safe. Even if these two alternatives don’t work for you, it is worth it to yourself and your family to look for Teflon alternatives.

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Review of the Honeywell RTH7600D Thermostat

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Making a Home

The Honeywell RTH7600D is a 7 day programmable thermostat that is accurate to 1 degree Fahrenheit. It is the model down from the popular RTH8500D and at only $65 it is great value. This post will review the Honeywell RTH7600D to reveal both the good points and bad points about this thermostat.

As with most Honeywell thermostats the RTH7600D can be fixed to most HVAC systems including heat pumps. It can regulate 2 stages of heating and 2 stages of cooling. The thermostat is easy to install and has an easy to follow menu style system for programming. Moreover the Honeywell RTH7600D has a large touchscreen with a backlight.

The Honeywell RTH7600D offers the user 4 periods to set up for each day of the week. It is thus easy to make sure that money is never wasted over-heating or over-cooling an empty house.

This unit also features smart response that makes sure the set point is reached by the start of a new period. This makes programming easy and stops people turning the thermostat up because they are too hot or cold.

Other features on the Honeywell RTH7600D include auto change-over and temporary hold. The thermostat makes automatic changes for daylight saving and also retains settings even after a power outage.

The major difference between the Honeywell RTH7600D and the Honeywell RTH8500D is that the former is missing a vacation mode. This is a function that allows the user to set the thermostat on a timer so the house is comfortable when the family return from holiday. To get round this problem it is necessary to re-program the weekly settings.

The final problem with the Honeywell RTH7600D and indeed with all Honeywell thermostats is that it doesn’t have a swing control. Instead it limits the duration and frequency of corrective blasts of heating or cooling to keep a room at a constant temperature. For some the accuracy of the Honeywell makes up for the lack of swing control. For others (especially in extreme climatic conditions) the lack of swing control leads to short cycling.

Other than the issue of swing control and the lack of a vacation mode there is very little to find fault with the Honeywell RTH7600D.

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Water Damage Mold Clean Up After Hurricane Irene

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Making a Home

Mold removal is a necessary evil that no one likes to deal with, especially when disasters like hurricane Irene strike and we’re left standing in flooding waters that can cause some serious damage even after the wake of the storm has passed. And although luckily the storm was not as strong as it was originally expected to be, it still left a path of flooding and damage to many businesses and homes.

In order to minimize the damage caused by molds, a home or business owner must get the water damage mold clean up done quickly, otherwise the problem is only going to get worse. And, when it comes to removing mold you really only have two options:

1.    Hire a professional to get the job done
2.    Do the job yourself

If you’re going to hire someone to get the job done, always research the company in question. If you just hire anyone off the street without knowing anything about them, you could be asking for trouble. Not all companies who claim they can do the job for you are reputable. Make sure they have the proper credentials, licenses, etc. required by your city. Then, ask them for references.

If hiring a professional mold removal company sounds expensive, it can be if you don’t shop around. And it’s still not going to be cheap no matter who you decide to go with in the end. However, you may be able to work around some of those expenses, if not all of them, if you check with your insurance company to see if your damages are covered. They might not cover the mold growing on your ceiling caused by that leaky roof, but they could cover the broken tree branch that caused the damage to the roof in the first place.

If the damage is minimal (generally less than 10 square feet) you may be able to do the mold clean up yourself and save some money. If there’s a lot of water involved like a flooded carpet, you’ll need to invest in a wet vacuum or other similar equipment to dry up the carpet before you can begin removing the mold. Otherwise, you’ll still have mold problem to deal with.

Once you’ve removed the moisture, you can apply a mold removal product to the affected area. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s specifications and block off other parts of your home or business to keep the contaminated area from spreading and costing you more money in the end.

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How Sub-Zero Preservation Captures the World

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Making a Home

Although the brand is not widely mass marketed compared to its contemporaries like GE, Frigidaire, LG, Samsung and Whirlpool, Sub-Zero Preservation is starting to expand its market by increasing its number of branches and showrooms not just within the country, but in other parts of the world as well. This luxury brand, which is the refrigeration arm of the home appliance brand Wolf Appliances, is now on the run to rule every refrigeration market in the entire world. Even though sub zero prices are skyrocketing high and are no way accessible for all consumers, Sub-Zero refrigerators still have that knack to captivate the interest of potential buyers and customers.

Exactly how does this extravagant brand fascinate each and every one of those customers who come across it?

By most standards, customers would always be practical in selecting the right fridge designs for them. They would always run through the technical details – from size, dimensions to the total usable capacity of the refrigerator. Even storage features and other necessary cooling functions such as temperature management system, defrost system and the combination of storage features are very crucial to consider. You don’t have to worry all of these things if you choose to buy a Sub-Zero refrigerator. In fact, you’re probably be even more surprised as to how much the fridge can offer so much compared to other refrigerator models.

All the functionalities that are apparently innovative and convenient in all Sub-Zero refrigerators are best emphasized side by side with the refrigerator design’s visually appealing package. Affordable and cheap refrigerators can offer you decent refrigeration functions but they cannot topple the opportunity that Sub-Zero Preservation can offer when it comes to transforming your kitchen to the way you envision it to be. If you want a particular design identity to match the current design style of your kitchen, then Sub-Zero Preservation lets you customize the look of your fridge to attune it to your kitchen design architecture.

Simply put, it is the seamless combination of functionality and aesthetics that truly makes the Sub-Zero Preservation brand truly fascinating and impressive.

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