DIY

Raise your hand if you remember the vinyl roll up window shades which, over time, curled in on the edges and yellowed from exposure to the sun or gas heat.  Eventually, the recoil mechanisms would wear out and the shade would fly up scaring you and the dog to death.  Well, they are still out there but fortunately, there are higher quality vinyl window treatments available today.

Vinyl window treatments continue to be a popular choice for high humidity areas such as bathrooms or in kitchen areas.  They are easy to clean and are a less expensive option to many other types of window coverings.  Vinyl window treatments are even available in wider lengths to resemble wide – slat wood blinds.

There are options for horizontal and vertical blinds, hundreds of colors and trim pieces, plus they are better constructed than the vinyl window treatments of old.  Check out the beautiful selections of vinyl window treatments for an economical solution to covering your windows.

DirectBuy carries a wide variety of window treatments to give you home the look and efficiency you need – all at prices up to 50% off retail.

RAISE CONCRETE, FILL VOIDS BENEATH CONCRETE, DON’T REPLACE
RAISE, LIFT, FILL sunken concrete, www.mudjack.pro , these are foreign ideas to many homeowners. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this from people over the years. It never ceases to amaze me when some people will call our mudjack company and actually ask us if mud jacking or slab jacking works. That’s like asking an electrician if electricity can turn on a light bulb! Well does a bear . . . a . . . live in the woods? Okay, so we at Classic Concrete Raising are actually in the business of lifting concrete, have been for over 25 years, I s’pose that means that it must work, right? Unfortunately there are a few ‘fly by night’ fellows who have at one time or another seen or worked for a mudjack company, most likely briefly if at all, and they decide that it looks easy and they would like to “give ‘er a try”, they try it maybe for a few months or few years and leave a lot of unhappy customers in their wake because they really didn’t know what they were doing. And low and behold! “Mudjacking doesn’t work!” Or it “totally destroyed the concrete!” Well, let me tell you, we have had to fix a lot of these mess-ups in the past, and there is one company in particular that we have had to remedy their bad work on several occasions, God only knows why they are still in business! So let me give you all a ‘rule of thumb’ in picking out a good mudjack company:
How long have they been in business?
Call the Better Business Bureau, even if they are not members the Better Business Bureau will know of them if they are a “real” company. And they will know how long they have been in business and if they have had any complaints. If the BBB doesn’t know them, LOOK OUT!

read more

test

One of the important rules for buying the best refrigerator for your home is to decide how much you are willing to spend on this new home appliance. Once that budget is set, only then you consider these fridge factors:

1. Do you want a refrigerator with a smooth, shiny finish or one that is textured? Fingerprints tend to be more obvious on shiny surfaces, and are more of a hassle to clean off.
2. Consider whether you want the freezer to be on top, at the bottom or at the side. Side-by-side doors tend to have narrower shelves but if you really want to buy one, check the location of the fridge to ensure that there is space for both doors to be opened fully.
3. Check the shelves of the refrigerators at the showroom—see if they feel firm and slide easily and quietly. This is to ease the changing of height between two shelves when you have bigger items to store. And cleansing is more convenient too if the shelves can be removed easily.
4. Crispers—it is here where you will keep your fruits and vegetables. See if the size suits you, bearing in mind the kind of greens you buy. You may also want the bins to have transparent surfaces so that you can tell at a glance when supplies are running low.
5. Do you like lots of room in the door? This space is good for soda bottles, milk cartons, and drink pitchers.

Related Topics

• Buying Guide: Which Washing Machine Is Best For Me?

The third installment of plant propagation is on repotting plants. As said in earlier posts, you can “raise” your plants from stem cutting or seeds, “adopt” them from a nursery, or propagate them in various ways. Just as you would bring up children, make sure you give them room to grow and plenty of tender loving care—there’s no harm in talking go to them.

Easy Steps On Repotting Plants

1. Water the plant about an hour beforehand to make it easier to remove from the pot.
2. Get everything ready to avoid creating a mess. Have a pair of scissors or knife handy in case root trimming is required.
3. If the hole at the bottom of the new pot you are using is on the large side, cut a piece of screen to cover it, to prevent dirt from escaping.
4. Fill the bottom of the new pot with fresh, moist soil. Leave enough room for the plant and its roots.
5. Gently tip the plant upside down into your hand from the old pot. Lay your palm flat against the soil surface and place fingers on either side of the stem. Tap hard on the bottom of the pot to loosen it from the roots.
6. If you have trouble getting the plant out, do not pull the stem. Use a knife to scrape around the sides instead.
7. Use your thumbs to push up into the dirt and loosen the root structure. This is to encourage the roots to spread out and grow.
8. Check for pests and rotten roots and remove them.
9. Put the plant into the new pot, add more soil and pack it in properly while adjusting the position of the plant.
10. Tap the pot gently on a hard surface so the soil settles into any air pockets.
11. Water thoroughly.

Related Topics

• Watering Potted Plants: From the Top or Bottom?
• Basics on Potting Mixtures
• Are You Overwatering or Underwatering Your Plants?
• Lighting Tips for Flowering and Foliage Plants
• Plant Propagation: How to Raise Your Plant From Stem Cuttings
• 5 More Methods Of Plant Propagation
• Understand The Symptoms and Causes of Ailing Plants

As we were watching the news, I saw Michelle Obama on the TV talking to a bunch of kids in the White House. I turned to the GF and said this verbatim: "You know….unlike Lara Bush, whenever I see the new first lady on TV I don’t want to punch her in the face." I know it’s just a photo op, but whenever I would see Lara Bush talking to a bunch of kids (and reminding us for the thousandth time

If you have room in your kitchen to add a kitchen island, you’ll wonder why you haven’t done it before now. Kitchen islands provide so many benefits to your kitchen – extra storage space underneath, extra counter space and prep space on top, as well as the additional interest the island will add to your kitchen design.

Of course, the initial step in the process is proper measuring of your space so you will have an idea of how large your island can be. You need to measure for length, width and height. You don’t want your island to overwhelm your space;  you want it to look as if it has always been there.

Another thing you should initially decide upon is what you plan to use your island for most often. Do you want it to function primarily as extra food prep space, or are you adding your island for dual purposes such as a breakfast bar, extra space for serving food when entertaining, or will you use it as your primary work space with a sink and stove top included in the island?

Once you decide the primary purpose and size, then you can get to the exciting part – choosing your countertop material, design, style and colors.

Remodeling your kitchen adds value to your home and brings even more enjoyment to the time everyone spends in their favorite room in the house.

DirectBuy has everything you need to make your remodeling project a success with great style, great savings, and top-quality brand name products.

Solar power is a safe and popular alternative source of energy. In simple words, solar power refers to the energy generated from sunlight. There are different methods for harnessing solar energy for your day-to-day needs.

Traditionally, solar Power has been used as an alternative source of energy in the traditional building methods. In the recent years, there is increased interest and talk about the benefits of solar power. The enhanced interest in solar power is because of two reasons. One is the rising energy bills, depleting fossil fuel reserves, and second the environmental degradation caused because of burning fossil fuels.

Solar power addresses both the concerns quite well because it uses sunlight for generating energy, which is available free, and safe for the environment. This is the reason why many domestic and commercial establishments are switching to solar power to meet their energy requirements. Moreover, solar power is of great use for the remote locations where you do not have conventional sources of power. Solar power is also widely used by owners of Recreational Vehicles (RV) and luxury boats.

Solar Power For Houses

Solar power is being noticed for its widespread use at homes. Solar powered lights are quite common for garden lighting and some people are using it even for indoor lighting. Solar power is undoubtedly a viable energy source for your home because it has no recurring cost and a very low rather negligible maintenance cost.

Photovoltaic Tiles For Your Home

The only concern regarding the use of solar power is the bulky size of solar panels. However, this concern has also been addressed largely with the development of small solar photovoltaic cells and the solar photovoltaic roof shingles. The solar photovoltaic roof shingles or tiles look quite similar to your normal roof shingles and provide you the freedom from large solar panels.

You can use of photovoltaic tiles to supply electrical power for your home use. This electrical power can be used to heat water, and even heat your house. Some people also use solar power to heat the pool. The solar power generated by the PV shingles is just like the normal power you use for your everyday needs.

Solar Water Pumps

Solar power is being used to power water pumps in remote areas. Although windmills were the main source of power for the water pumps but recently the solar power is becoming the preferred source.

The government provides grants to for purchase and installation of solar power devices such as solar energy panels and solar photovoltaic singles. Using solar power entails double a benefit as you are not only preventing environmental damage but also you are also cutting down your electricity bills. If you are not able to use solar power for your house on your own, you still have the option of buying the solar power from the grid.

Related Topics

• Basics On Photovoltaic Cells
• Basics on Solar Power Home System

Most of the discussion around small spaces revolves around how we can deal with them. Too often we miss the point that in many ways small spaces are better. It’s an idea that can be hard to wrap a brain around considering the common American ideals of luxury and largesse.
Those times are changing, however, as a new generation of homebuyers opts for ’smaller is better’ rather than ’size matters.’ And it turns out that there are plenty of good reasons why small home spaces are more appealing. Here are just ten:

read more

Most modern homes have kitchen and bathroom cabinets with boxes that are made of particleboard that is covered with wood grain plastic veneer. The greatest shortcoming of particleboard is that its easily damaged by water. Even after the first time that particleboard comes in contact with water, it is significantly weakened and swells in thickness. Normally the veneer protects the particleboard against water , but water still can seep in at the joints at the bottom of the cabinet.

What often happens after a few years is that the bottom falls out of the sink cabinet because moisture from leaks or spills keeps seeping in the joints at the bottom and weakens the board.

There is a simple solution that can easily double the life of a kitchen or a bathroom cabinet. When the cabinet is new or is still in good shape, take a tube of clear acrylic latex caulk with silicone and run a thin bead along the bottom edges. This seals off the pathway for the water to attack the unprotected particleboard and prolongs the life of your cabinets.

www.eugeneslist.com
http://blog.eugeneslist.com