Strapping a Ceiling
December 31, 2008
Prior to hanging sheetrock to ceiling joists it is important that strapping first be installed.
Strapping helps prevent cracks from showing up later in your home’s ceiling, as well as provides more surface area for securing the sheetrock to the ceiling.
Strapping typically consists of 1"x 3" boards that are nailed perpendicular to the ceiling joists. Strapping can be purchased at any home improvement center as individual sticks or in bundles of 10, and comes in lengths from 8 to 16 feet.
Strapping should be applied every 16 inches on center perpendicular to, and across, the ceiling joists. Care should be made in installing the strapping such that two pieces of abutting sheetrock each have access to approximately 1.5" of surface area of the strapping material. For example, the centerline of the 3rd row of strapping from a wall should be at 48 inches (the width of a piece of sheetrock). Not the edge of the strapping!
The installation of strapping is straight forward in concept, however significant care should be given to ensure that it is securely nailed and runs straight. Otherwise the sheetrocking effort may not go smoothly or be installed properly.
Is It Time For Solar Energy to Get Hot?
December 30, 2008
Solar energy has been around for quite a while and most people don’t think about it much except for the ones who are already into renewable sources of energy. Environmentalists have always loved the idea of solar energy but what has kept it from going more mainstream, being more widely used and looked upon as something someone wants to spend money to install on their property? There have been improvements in the technology of solar energy, but has there been enough? Isn’t the war on terror and the desire to be independent of foreign energy sources enough to persuade people to use solar energy? At what point will solar energy become the great and never ending source of energy many of envisioned many years ago?
Well, I, for one, think that the time has just about come for solar energy to really take off because of one reason: it will be economically the right and smart thing to do.
Beauty After life - Plants For Drying - Grasses
December 30, 2008
Dried plants and dried flowers are midway for people who cannot afford gardens or costly fresh flowers and artifical flowers or plants for decoration. The household woman will get immense satisfaction, if she can nurture the hobby of making these dried flowers and plants, and then decorate her home. But few are aware of the type of plants and flowers to select for drying and the methods of drying while retaining the original beauty without much loss of color or shape.
Agrostis: Two commonly grown grass species are Agrostis nebulosa (also called cloud grass) and Agrostis pulchella, are annuals and can be grown easily in pots through seeds. They grow to about 10-12 inches in height, and have panicles which present a misty cloud effect.
Avena: This oat species can be an important attraction to floral arrangements when dried. It is usually grown as an annual and is a popular ornamental grass.
Pennisetum: Many species of this grass are extremely decorative grassesn for floral artwork, but are suited to greenhouse and conservatory decoration. These have a long long inflorescence consisting of white or purplich bristles.
Mexican Artisans Promote the Use of Recycled Copper in the Fabrication of Their World Famous Copper
December 29, 2008
For many years copper has been the main raw material used by the Mexican artisans of Santa Clara del Cobre for the fabrication of their beautiful artisan items. Originally artisans relied on the natural supply of copper of their lands for the fabrication of their items. But has the supply of the original sources has decreased and the demand for items as copper sinks (http://www.copper-sinks-mexico.com) has increased they have had to think and look for new and alternate sources of copper material.
Thankfully they have found a reliable source of copper in the recycling industry. Trucks loaded with tons of copper junk coming form many parts in central Mexico arrive every week and deliver their precious load to the artisans shops. Artisans pay the load of copper according to the cleanness of the material, the cleaner your copper the closer you will get to be paid at international market prices for pure copper, that lately has been increasing steeply making this recycling business more profitable for the copper gatherers. Though all junk serves, artisans specially avoid junk made of copper wires covered with too much soldering due to the harming potential that this impurities have for the very characteristic look of their handmade copper items.
Home Inspection Basics
December 28, 2008
The Home Inspector
When you think about it, it is a bit odd. A person hires a stranger to snoop around another stranger’s house for a couple hours and report back. It’s sounds rather like someone hiring a burglar to case a house for a robbery. The major difference is that the owner of the home is a willing participant, too, and that everything is actually quite legal and above board. The motive of the buyer is, of course, to make sure that he or she doesn’t get ‘robbed’ with a broken-down furnace that the seller say is fine, for example. This happened to me in the days before home inspection was a common part of the real estate transaction. Though the service has been around since the 1970s, it has only really become an integral part of home-buying since the mid to late 1990s.
My wife and I ended up with a furnace that was soon condemned by a technician and a nice big bill for a new one. It was mid-November and we couldn’t exactly get along without one. What did we know about furnaces? We didn’t know how long one lasted or how to tell if it was in good shape or not. That was a dozen years ago. We know much better now about furnaces ? nothing like getting burned to make you more wary next time.
Planning Permission Tips Uk - How To Select A Property to Extend or Develop
December 27, 2008
Many people purchasing a property for their main home actually look for a property with a view to extending it. This is a very common theme that I have come across time and time again. Their motivation for doing this is usually two fold.
1. - They cant afford what they actually require so they intend to extend on the assumption that it will be cheaper for them in the end.
2. They want the location but are unable to find the right property so remodelling & extending a smaller one will create their near perfect home.
The rights and wrongs of these two motivations are another news letter in themselves but we shall save this for another day.
However, by the time they call in the Building Designer or Planning Consultant a lot of their aspirations are dashed due to either selecting either the wrong property or wrong location.
Here we explain 10 of the most common tips to observe when looking for property to extend and hopefully you will avoid a costly mistake. Many of these planning tips have already been discussed in previous news letters and are covered in depth in our Maximum Build Planning Guide.
Grow the BEST Tasting Tomatoes
December 26, 2008
Tired of tomatoes that are rock hard and taste like cardboard? Stupid question! Use these tips to grow your own tomatoes bursting with flavour.
Tomatoes are the most popular home garden vegetable grown for good reason. They are easy to grow and will tolerate a wide variety of soil types. They are also incredibly versatile. The methods described here will suit most tomato varieties. And what a variety! Big fleshy ‘Ox Heart’, sweet cherry-type ‘Tom Thumbs’, Grosse Lisse, Roma, the list goes on and on.
If you are starting your plants from seeds, put them in trays with a good quality seed raising mixture and cover lightly. Water very gently, perhaps using a spray bottle, so as not to disturb the seed. They will germinate best in a temperature of low 20’s Celsius (about 70F). In cooler climates start your seedlings indoors or use a cold frame. (see www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/start-seedlings-indoors.html)
Try to introduce them to periods of sunlight as quickly as possible to harden them off. You don’t want them to be too spindly. Once they are large enough to handle, repot them into their own small containers of potting mix. Water them in well, but gently. Make sure the containers drain well. Tomato plants hate to sit in water. Small regular dressings of sulphate of potash will help your seedling form flowers and resist disease. Just a pinch a week watered in should do it.
Avoiding Leaks When Installing Vinyl Retrofit Windows
December 25, 2008
These days a lot of homeowners are replacing their old windows with vinyl windows using the retrofit style of window frame. This is particularly true in the west, and specifically, in California. The number one arguement that I have heard against using the retrofit method, is that it is susceptible to water leaks. Well, that’s true if you don’t do it properly. But, if you do a complete tearout of your old window down to the studs, you’re going to have water leak issues there as well if you don’t install the new window properly. So I think that arguement is, well, all wet. So, let me tell you the best way to install your retrofit windows that will ensure that water cannot get in.
Air Sanders: Forget Electric, Go Air!
December 25, 2008
An air sander is a common air tool often overlooked by most people. If you already have an air compressor to run your impact wrench, you may consider purchasing an air sander instead of an electric model. Your average off the shelf electric sander is fine for little home projects. But if you are really concerned about production and speed, an air sander will blow it away. These tools are also more rugged, versatile and lighter.
The main reason is the power source is your air compressor, not the little electric motor in the sander. This also makes them easier to fit into weird places and hold over your head to reach a ceiling. At the end of the day, an air sander is much kinder to your hands, while delivering more power. They also come in models that are both sanders and buffers. I really recommend one of these if you are a car or boat enthusiast. An air buffer will make quick work of a long wax job on your favorite ski boat. You can then turn around and use the same tool to sand down your kitchen cabinets for painting.
Installing Drywall: Mudding and Taping
December 24, 2008
Installing Drywall, or hanging drywall as the professionals usually refer to the task, can be done by the homeowner. However, it is usually best done with two or more people as it requires significant lifting of heavy material. Mudding and Taping can also be performed by the homeowner, however these tasks require some practice and artistry.
Measuring and Ordering Drywall
Prior to actually hanging the drywall, the material first needs to be ordered and delivered. To determine how much material to order, measure all of the surface area, starting with the ceilings and then the walls. Calculate the total square feet and divide by 32. The result should give you the number of 4′x 8′ sheets of drywall required for the job. I would also recommend adding another 5-10% to this figure to account for inefficiencies. Drywall does come in larger sheets, such as 4′x12′, however for a Do-it-Yourself homeowner these larger sheets can become unwieldy and maybe even impossible to bring into the existing home.
For bathrooms or other moist areas Greenboard should probably be used as this material is moisture resistance.
