Cara Membuat Blog

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• 3 Tips to Maintain Your Concrete Septic Tank
• How to Check for Square
• Where Do I Get My Property Survey?
• The Best Time of Year to Install a Concrete Driveway
• How High to Hang Curtains (Height Guide)
• How to Texture a Ceiling by Hand
• How to Arrange Potted Plants on a Patio in 4 Ways
• 10+ Easy Ways to Get Rid of Skinks on the Porch
• How to (Quickly) Evict a Roommate Not on the Lease
• Here’s How Much It Costs to Renovate Each Room in Your Home
• How to measure the square footage of my apartment
• How to Texture Paint Your Walls
• How to Apply Drywall Texture to Walls and Ceilings
• How to Calculate Square Footage For Tile, Carpet, and Flooring
• The 16 Most Disgusting House Bugs and How To Get Rid of Them
• How To Cut Tile Without A Wet Saw And What Do You Need
• How to Make an In-Ground Fire Pit
• Average Cost of Utilities for a House per Month
• How to Protect Your Deck
• How to Start a Bonfire
• Should You Install Sliding Barn Doors? Factors to Consider
• How to Make an Outdoor Shower (DIY Project Instructions)
• How to figure out the square footage of a room » Rhodium Floors
• The 30 Most Ridiculous Real Estate Listing Photos
• How to Carve a Pumpkin for Halloween
• Here's How To Find Out If Someone Died In Your House
• How much does it cost to build and live in a cabin in the woods in USA?
• How To Prepare A Base For A Stone Or Paver Walkway Or Patio
• How Much Does it Cost to Install a Ceiling Fan? | Hunter Fan
• Now Six Ways To Find Out if Someone Died in Your Home –
• How much are utilities in an apartment?
• How To Texture Drywall With A Roller & Mud
• How to Hide an Ugly Chain Link Fence

3 Tips to Maintain Your Concrete Septic Tank Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:57 AM PDT Content of the material How is septic tank constructed? Video Are septic tanks still legal? How big a septic tank? How many chambers? Regular Inspections How is septic tank constructed? Septic tank Consists of Top Slab, Bottom Slab with PCC Bed, Shear walls around the tank and a top cover (Opening) to check the level of Waste water. Are septic tanks still legal? According to new regulations passed in 2015, if your septic tank discharges to surface water such as a ditch, stream, canal or river, you will have to upgrade your system to a sewage treatment plant or install a soakaway system by 1 January 2020. Video How big a septic tank? The first thing we need to know is how big the tank should be. There are several ways of working this out but if you go to the charts at this will allow you to decide the size you will need. Let us say we need a tank of 2.9 cubic metres (the amount of effluent the tank will hold) this is typical for an average 2 bathroom house with 4 people living in it. Refer to the construction drawing below for a 2.88 cu m septic tank designed for a typical household. To download the complete septic tank detail drawing you can go to www.mrfixitbali.com/septic-tank/septic-tank-3-cm.gif How many chambers? A septic tank should have at least two chambers, 3 is better but 2 is enough. The second chamber can be around half the size of the first chamber. In this tank the first chamber is 1.2m x 1.0m x 1.6m deep = 1.92 cubic metres liquid capacity. The second chamber is 0.6m x 1.0m x 1.6m deep = 0.96 cu m capacity = a total capacity of 2.88 cubic metres. Note that 1.6 metres is the depth of the effluent in the tank. This tank is purposely designed to be quite deep while having a smaller footprint for use on smaller blocks of land. Click on the image to download the full drawing The walls and floor of the tank are 10 cms (4 inches) thick reinforced concrete providing sufficient strength to withstand water pressure and a reasonable amount of earth movement. The reinforcing steel is a mesh of 8 mm diameter reinforcing bars spaced 15 cms (6 inches) apart and built into a mesh box. Regular Inspections The key to a thriving septic system is upkeep. You need to maintain your septic tank through frequent pumpings and inspections. Pumpings consist of removing sludge from the tank while inspections look into the functionality of the entire system. Identifying issues early on can help you avoid extremely costly repairs in the long-run. Proper septic system maintenance can help prolong the life of your septic tank. Be sure to use a septic tank additive that can effectively clear drain lines and replenish bacteria levels. Septic Maxx offers eco-friendly septic tank products that can do so as well as eliminate unpleasant odors and reduce material build-up. Get your hands on a highly effective septic tank treatment when you place your order today. Tags tank and adelivery and setupbars and tieson and drive plasticnotallhomewhatmorealsoaboutoversystemscontactwheremakeanyotherservicemostourtheymaythannowmaterialsthesetheirhasbothwhichpipemuchrepairplumbingbuildingsoilampdesigngroundpropertyfieldoutletneedsstbetween The post 3 Tips to Maintain Your Concrete Septic Tank appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Check for Square Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:57 AM PDT Content of the material Using the 3 4 5 Rule to build L shape & Square walls, rooms, roofs and more! Tips on this page cover: Video How do I make sure my patio is square? Learn how to do every step yourself Not all squares are reliable What does a try square look like? Hardwood frame adds strength How to Use a Level Step 2: Trick #2 – the Equal Diagonals Trick How to check for square on a four sided frame Using the 3 4 5 Rule to build L shape & Square walls, rooms, roofs and more! Tips on this page cover: Why you need to check for square when you build things (mainly to save yourself loads of grief later on..) How to square a four sided frame/roof/room/building Squaring two sides with the 3 4 5 rule (pythagoras theorum) Types of carpenters squares (tools) available Video How do I make sure my patio is square? If your patio is a rectangle, then you can measure from one corner to the opposite diagonal corner, and when the measurements are equal, the patio is square. Another method to ensure a patio corner is square is to use the Pythagorean theorem, or the 3, 4, 5 rule. Learn how to do every step yourself Here at Western Interlock, we're on a mission to take the hard out of hardscaping. That's why we publish DIY tips, tricks, and step-by-step tutorials at DIYwithWI.com and host a live DIY seminar every month during the summer at one of our manufacturing or distribution facilities. If you have any questions, you can visit our Paving Stone Display at our Manufacturing Facility in Rickreall, OR. Or, give our team of hardscape experts a call at 503-623-9084. Not all squares are reliable Never trust any tool right out of the box. Even minor bumps or dings during packaging or shipping could alter the tool’s accuracy. Always check it and set it up with squares, rules, and calipers that you know to be accurate, as we’ll show you in the following steps. What does a try square look like? A try square is made of two key parts, the blade (also known as a beam or tongue) and the stock, which are fixed together at 90° to form an ‘L’ shape. Typically the blade and the stock will be rectangular in profile, though on some wooden squares the ends of the blade and the stock might be cut to a decorative shape. Hardwood frame adds strength The table shown on the previous slide was built from a 4 x 8′ sheet of 11⁄4 ” particleboard, and edged with 2″-wide hardwood attached with #20 biscuits, as shown in the drawing. Plastic laminate was glued to the top because it resists finishes and glue better than a porous wood surface. How to Use a Level level, tape, pencil Use a carpenter's level that is 4 feet long to level and plumb your construction whenever you have room for its length. Shorter levels may be affected by warps or waves in the boards themselves and might not prove as accurate. Boards are level or plumb when the bubble is centered in the appropriate vial. Technology has improved leveling devices so much that they make the task virtually goofproof. For a modest investment you can purchase an automated water level—it beeps when the water is stabilized in the tube. Or you can buy a laser level that indicates level and projects a visible level line across long distance. A few years ago tools like these were only for the pros. Today's prices put them within reach of the average homeowner. To level on-site, just extend the length of your level with straight boards. Get in the habit of checking each piece as you install it and use the widest board possible—narrower boards (like 2x4s) may flex and give you a false reading. Center the level on the board to minimize the effect of flexing or crowning. When you need to level objects or surfaces within 6 to 8 feet of each other, a carpenter's level set on a straight board will do. But you can make almost any leveling task easier and more accurate with a water level (available at many hardware stores). Essentially two pieces of clear plastic tubing that fasten to the ends of a hose filled with water, this tool relies on the principle that water will seek its own level over any distance. Hold the ends of the level against both surfaces, and mark each board at the water line. Step 2: Trick #2 – the Equal Diagonals Trick This method is a little easier than the 3,4,5 trick but requires access to all 4 corners of a rectangle or square. This would work great for a picture frame. Just measure across the diagonals from corner to corner. If the measurements are equal then the corners are square. How to check for square on a four sided frame To form a square or rectangle frame both the plates (top and bottom) should be the same length, and all the studs or joists should be the same length as each other as well. Once nailed up, to check the structure is square simply measure from corner to corner. If the measurements aren’t the same, pull the long corner towards the middle of the structure until they even out. Once identical, the framework is perfectly squared. Nail a batten temporarily across three or four joists or studs to hold it square until secured in place. This is also a good way of checking wall plates are square before fixing them in place before you start cutting roof rafters. Tags homeusaboutsidehelpnewseeampideasfindaccountprojectprivacybuildingmeasurementanglecarpentrymeasuringwoodworkinglineskitchenedgeshoptriangleunits The post How to Check for Square appeared first on caramembuatblog.

Where Do I Get My Property Survey? Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:57 AM PDT Content of the material Cookie banner Video Where do I find my propertys survey? 2 How do I hire a property surveyor? Preparing for the Search How Much Does A Property Survey Cost? Locate Hidden Property Pins Final Thoughts The Home Property Survey: Know Your Land How to Get a Property Survey Your Due Diligence with a Property Survey Sign up for the Newsletter Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Where do I find my propertys survey? If you’re buying a home, ask the seller to check with their lender and/or title company to see if there’s a property survey on file. The local tax assessor’s office may also have one. If you’re already a homeowner and a survey was never provided to you, your local property records or engineering department may have one on file, but it’s probably older and could be outdated. While such dated surveys are typically accurate on standard city lots, they can be wrong if you live on a former country parcel that’s been altered for suburban development. You can also check with neighbors to see where they got theirs. Video 2 Contact the title company that handled the title transfer when the sale of the property closed. To issue a title insurance policy on a property, a title company often keeps a copy of a property survey to help show that the title is clear. Title companies can also make an exception if no survey is done, and therefore don’t provide survey coverage in the policy. Depending on the details of the sale, you may be able to get a copy of the property survey from the title company. How do I hire a property surveyor? Searching for property surveyors in your area is one of the best ways to find companies to get the job done. “There is a surveying society in each of the 50 states, all of which are affiliated with NSPS,” Sumner says. “Each of those societies has a website, which will typically include a ‘Find A Surveyor’ section.” It can be more cost-effective to work with the previous surveyor on the property, if possible, because that surveyor will have maps and records already on hand. If you can’t locate the prior surveyor, the next best thing is to try to work with the surveyor who assessed the properties next door. Don’t be afraid to ask your title company or lender for recommendations, too. You should also take the time to question your potential surveyor. Talk about your needs beforehand to make sure they can fulfill the requirements. Check that the surveyor is licensed to practice in the state where the property is located, Sumner advises. Be mindful of how much time it takes to complete a survey. Wooll says property surveys can usually be completed within a week, but it could take up to three, depending on the company. Sumner says there’s no way to determine exactly how long it’ll take to complete a survey since there are so many variables to consider, including the quality and availability of property records, such as deeds. Preparing for the Search There are even better information sources than your deed. The best (and sometimes most elusive) document you can lay your hands on is the surveyor’s map, or plat. The plat translates that legal confusion of numbers and terms on the deed into pictures. It may also show references to natural landmarks, or triangulation data which may locate a particular point. Plat-chasing is a major pastime among surveyors. Your plat, if one exists, may accompany your deed. Or it may languish in city or county records (clerks’ or surveyors’ offices would be the best places to search) or reside with a previous owner. Plats of neighboring land are helpful, too. They may show the location of a common boundary. If you live in a subdivision or built-up area, you may be wondering why your deed’s legal description reads only “Lot 22, Rock Creek Estates” or “Tract A, First Addition.” But these, too, are metes and bounds surveys. The surveyors created several lots at once, so they drew one map of the whole thing. Deed descriptions merely refer to the master plat, which you will find in the public records. You should also keep an eye peeled for early versions of your property description, surveyor’s notes, and descriptions of roads that border your land. Why? First, to ensure that your deed doesn’t contain mistakes; second, to find out all you can about boundary markers — the key to property lines. You are now nearly ready to step into the surveyor’s shoes. First, though, you’ll have to gather your equipment. You’ll need a compass, long measuring tape, plumb bob, level, hatchet, some ribbon, and stakes. You’ll also need a willing assistant. Now check your instruments. Do they read in the same numbers as the survey? If not, you will have to translate. Most people will have on hand the type of compass that uses the directional measurement known as azimuth. Being ornery as a rule, surveyors use another system, called bearings. To learn how to translate one to the other, see the end of the article section “Converting Azimuths to Bearings.” On to distances. We measure lengths in feet and inches, don’t we? Well, the surveyor uses either feet and tenths of a foot (be very alert for this!) or a venerable system called chains. Don’t panic at this. A chain measures 66 feet. Why 66 feet? Because it’s convenient for land computations. Ten square chains equal one acre — which means to compute acreage rapidly, all you have to do is find the number of square chains, then move the decimal point once to the left. Also, one mile stretches exactly 80 chains. A hundredth of a chain — about eight inches — is called a link. Old-timers also used a quarter-chain measure (16-1/2 feet), calling it a rod, pole, or perch. I find that if I’m faced with a description written in bearings and chains when my equipment reads in azimuths and feet, my brain reels at the prospect of translating and tramping about at the same time. It’s far better to translate all the degrees and distances on paper before you set out. How Much Does A Property Survey Cost? On average, new homeowners can expect to pay $400 – $700 for a professional property survey. However, the cost of a property survey depends on several factors, such as property size, terrain and location. For example, if you want to survey a wooded area, you’ll end up paying more than if you were to survey a flat, relatively empty piece of land. Professional surveyors also charge for the time it costs them to do research on your property. A well-documented plot of land will take less time to research and cost less money to survey. It also pays to go local, since travel time is also included in the final price. Basically, the easier the land is to survey, the less you’re going to pay. Locate Hidden Property Pins Survey pins are thin iron bars, 2 or 3 feet long and sometimes capped with plastic, which the original survey crew inserted on the property lines. If you have access to a metal detector, move the device over the ground along the sidewalk to the curb to locate the survey pin. Pins may be buried just under the surface, or up to a foot below. A few days before you dig, however, you must call 811, the free, federally designated number that will route you to your local utility company. Ask the utility company to come out and mark any buried lines so you don’t unintentionally hit one. There’s no charge for this service, but if you damage a buried utility line, you could end up having to pay to repair it. Advertisement Final Thoughts Before building a new structure or installing a driveway, it’s vital to have a professional come out and mark the property lines. Property pins can be moved over the years, and in some cases, the boundary may extend past a property boundary marker if a previous owner bought or sold land to a neighbor. In a best case scenario, you may have more land than you thought you did. In a worst case scenario, you may have poured the driveway on the neighbors’ land, and they can make you tear it out. The Home Property Survey: Know Your Land So what have you accomplished? A lot. If you found some corners, you may have staved of a boundary war with your neighbor. Show him or her what you’ve found, so you’ll agree. Then paint a few trees or pile rocks around the spot so it doesn’t go to weeds. Don’t force your grandkids to go through the same search. Even if you didn’t turn up any corners, your time hasn’t been wasted. You’ve probably dug up some useful old records, and that’s half of what you’d pay a real surveyor for. How to Get a Property Survey You may not need a new property survey if the property has been surveyed in the past. Laws vary from state to state, but typically a survey done within the past 10 years will still be valid. Check with your local tax assessor’s office or courthouse to see if any prior property surveys are on file. If you’re buying a new property, your lender or title company may be able to help you find previous surveys. When you buy or sell a home, lenders or title companies sometimes arrange for a property survey to be conducted and include the fee in closing costs, so all you need to do is pay. Depending on state laws, the homebuyer or seller might be responsible for paying, or the fee may be negotiable. To arrange a property survey on your own, you’ll want to start by researching land surveyors. Each state has a professional society for land surveyors, and you can visit the National Society of Professional Surveyors website to find your local society and find a surveyor that way. You can also ask local real estate agents, your title company or your lender for recommendations. No matter how you find a surveyor, make sure they’re licensed, insured and able to perform the job on your property. When getting estimates from surveyors, provide as much information as possible about the property and specify the kind of survey you need. Once you’ve selected your surveyor and schedule the survey, it typically takes a few weeks to complete the job. If you need one completed for a home purchase, schedule your survey as soon as possible. Your Due Diligence with a Property Survey Sounds simple enough, right? Your property survey tells you about the property you’re potentially going to purchase, and any stipulations that come with it. It’s still important to complete your due diligence when it comes to a property survey. First, get multiple quotes from surveyor companies, and pick the one that works best for you. Then, make sure you go with the surveyor to attend the property survey. You will learn more about the land you might buy, and be the first to know about any potential problems. Finally, follow up with any questions once you’ve seen the property survey. Sign up for the Newsletter Get the latest This Old House news, trusted tips, tricks, and DIY Smarts projects from our experts–straight to your inbox. Tags The offers thatuniverse of companiesfinancial offers thatcertificate of depositcards of 2022Bank of America credituspersonallikemortgagefinancialboundariesamploanloanscalculatorrates The post Where Do I Get My Property Survey? appeared first on caramembuatblog.

The Best Time of Year to Install a Concrete Driveway Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:57 AM PDT Content of the material Recent Posts Video Prep for Crack-Free Concrete DIY concrete driveway cost How to build a concrete driveway What is a driveway crossover? how much it costs to pour a 12 x 40 concrete driveway Mid-Range other factors that add to the cost of installing a driveway Installation Concrete Driveway Cost: Benefits of Having a Concrete Driveway Low Up-Front Cost Heat Reflection Curb Appeal and Resale Value Low Maintenance, Durability, and Longevity Load-Bearing Capacity Eco-Friendliness How to Save Money on a Concrete Driveway What costs are involved in driveway construction? Cost to pour concrete driveway Concrete driveway cost per square foot Stamped concrete driveway cost Stained concrete driveway cost Polished concrete driveway cost Set Rebar on Chairs Recent Posts How to Mix Concrete in a Mixer How to Break Concrete DIY Concrete Planters Guide How to Seal a Concrete Floor Is Green Concrete Eco-Friendly? Video Prep for Crack-Free Concrete A concrete driveway should last for decades if it's properly installed. Good finishing techniques will make a slab look great for a while, but proper ground prep will keep your concrete crack-free for years. Here are some great tips on how to prepare the site for a pour. DIY concrete driveway cost A DIY concrete driveway costs $2 to $3 per square foot for the concrete without stamping or staining, plus $200 to $500 for driveway materials such as concrete forms and wire mesh or rebar. Pouring a new concrete driveway is a complex job that requires special concrete tools and experience. Most homeowners are better off hiring a pro. How to build a concrete driveway Building a concrete driveway requires special tools and expertise about how to grade and level the sub-base, install concrete forms, add rebar for reinforcement, place expansion joints to minimize cracking, and finish the surface. Correct timing is critical due to how quickly concrete dries. Excavate the driveway site. If replacing an existing driveway with a new one, break up and remove the old cement. Level and grade the area for proper drainage. Build and install forms to hold the wet concrete in place. Spread a sub-base of gravel at least 4″ thick and tamp it down. Insert a rebar grid or metal mesh for reinforcement. Pour concrete into the forms, spreading it evenly into each corner. Level and smooth the concrete, then use a wood or magnesium hand float to give it an even smoother surface. Cut control joints to create individual sections to prevent the slab from cracking. Spray an acrylic sealer to protect the concrete from spalling and scaling. Cure the concrete by spraying it down with water every day for at least one week. Return to Top What is a driveway crossover? A driveway crossover is the part of a driveway that connects the edge of the road pavement to the official boundary of a property, essentially the part of driveway that is on council land (over the footpath) between the road and the official boundary of your property. The driveway crossover requires any existing pavement that crosses over the planned driveway to be removed. A full slab driveway crossover is required, by most Councils, between the kerb and property boundary. As you'll need to meet Council's standard conditions for your driveway crossover and gain written approval, it's important to check with your local council for specific rules or conditions, as some councils have stricter or alternate rules or processes in place. In most States, the driveway crossover has to be graded appropriately to protect against storm water overflow from the road. In addition to this, must be designed in a way that prevents storm water from flowing into your neighbour’s property too. Furthermore, you are required to put up adequate signage, barrier protection and redirection measures if construction of the crossover obstructs traffic and or pedestrians. how much it costs to pour a 12 x 40 concrete driveway Design and Gravel Prep Forming and Reinforcement Pouring the concrete Finished concrete driveway The costs breakdown for a 12' by 40' concrete driveway like the one we did above are below: Remove existing driveway and gravel prep – Labor 600.00 – Materials $600.00 Forming & install reinforcement – Labor $750 – Materials $150 Pouring & Finishing the concrete – Labor $1500 – Concrete $1100 (5" thick) Total cost of the concrete driveway: $4700.00 Deduct labor costs if you do it yourself: $4700 – $2850 = $1850.00 diy concrete driveway cost. NOTE: These are my costs of labor and materials in my area, your actual costs for both of these may vary greatly depending on your situation. Mid-Range A mid-range driveway has a cost that can range from $15/$22 per square foot, and it can come with the additions of engraving, use of two or more colors or patterns, use of two or three colors with a contrasting border, and a scored and stained concrete finish. The mid-range category is for someone who wants to have a good driveway with better style, as well as a few of the more simple bells and whistles. The scored and stained concrete finish will also mean it lasts a little longer than a basic concrete driveway, as well. other factors that add to the cost of installing a driveway Your landscape – Is the area flat, slightly sloped, or steep. A steep sloped concrete driveway is more difficult to prep, pour, and finish which could add to the cost of installation. The Driveway Size – A large driveway or a very long driveway would greatly add to the final cost. Concrete is a very expensive building material and adds about $150 per 65 sq. ft. of driveway. How thick your concrete is – Driveway thickness contributes a large percentage  to the cost of a driveway. Concrete costs about $150 per yard – At 4" thick that will cover 80 sq. ft. At 5" thick that covers 65 sq. ft. At 6" thick that covers 50 sq. ft. Driveway design – Curved, circular, half moon shaped, or irregular angles may increase the material (and labor) costs.  Adding color to the mix – Adding 1 bag of color per yard of concrete can add up to $80 per yard of concrete. Stamping the concrete – Stamped concrete averages about $15 – $20 dollars per sq. ft. for labor and materials.  Installation Although it is possible for a homeowner to pour a concrete driveway themselves, it is quite hard work. Time is a critical element because once the concrete is poured, it begins to harden very quickly. For this reason, it is usually left to professionals who can excavate, prepare forms, pour the concrete, and finish the surface quickly. A professional crew can do the entire project in a couple of days, while a homeowner takes usually a week or more for excavation and preparation alone, and another very long day for pouring and finishing. For the homeowner intrepid enough to pour his own concrete, having a group of willing and able-bodied helpers on hand is essential. Installing a concrete driveway starts with removing grass and other vegetation and ensuring a stable soil foundation. Wood forms are then installed around the perimeter of the intended driveway. A base of class-5 gravel at least 4 inches thick is added, graded, and compacted. Reinforcement material is added just above the packed gravel base, consisting of a steel wire grid or metal rebar laid in a criss-cross pattern across the area. The driveway is now ready for the concrete pour. This generally involves a crew of several people working quickly to fill the forms with wet concrete as it is delivered from a ready-mix vendor and then to quickly finish the surface. The finishing crew should also ensure an adequate number of expansion joints—grooves formed across the wet surface at prescribed intervals to allow the slab to shift and break at controlled places. Without expansion grooves, a slab can fragment randomly under the effect of natural settling and shifting. A key part of the finishing process is floating the concrete. After the concrete is poured and smoothed, the finishing crew uses a variety of tools to work the surface of the concrete, drawing the cement and finer particles to the surface through capillary action to create an attractive, smoother surface. The amount of floating determined how smooth the surface will be, and there is considerable craft involved in doing so because excessive floating will weaken the surface and cause it to flake, while too little will leave the slab with a rough, industrial look. This is also the time when a skilled crew can impart decorative finishes and colors to the surface of the slab. One of the most important parts of a concrete driveway installation begins after all of the above work is done—the curing. Concrete doesn't dry out; rather, it undergoes a slow chemical process that hardens and strengthens the material. It is very important that this curing process occurs under the best of circumstances. That begins with the weather. Ideal curing weather is about 70 degrees with a surface that is kept damp but not wet. In cool weather, curing will take longer. In hot weather, the surface should be dampened regularly with water to slow down the curing time. Wait at least a week before driving on the new driveway, and at least a month before parking heavy vehicles on the driveway. Wait a month or two before sealing the concrete. Best Driveway Paving Companies of 2022 Concrete Driveway Cost: Benefits of Having a Concrete Driveway Aside from being a lower-cost material for installing a driveway, concrete comes with several benefits that make it a great choice. Concrete driveways are low maintenance, reflect heat well, and have a high load-bearing capacity. In comparison, asphalt driveway costs are also lower up front, but the lifespan is shorter, which is just one reason a concrete driveway may be a better choice. Low Up-Front Cost At $4 to $7 per square foot, concrete driveways are a more affordable option than some materials like paving stones. When you consider the longevity of a concrete driveway, the cost is a good investment overall. Heat Reflection If you live in an area with hot, sunny summers, concrete is a sensible option since it reflects heat and light rather than absorbing it. Asphalt driveways tend to absorb heat and soften in extreme temperatures, so choosing concrete will ensure it’s sturdy enough to last through a sweltering summer. Curb Appeal and Resale Value Even a standard concrete driveway boosts curb appeal. Laying a durable foundation for cars to drive on is a necessity for homeowners now. It helps prevent erosion or damage to the property and makes a neat appearance leading to the house. A house with a concrete driveway in good condition will sell more quickly than a house without a finished driveway. Connect with a driveway contractorHiring a pro may be the answer. Find top local driveway experts and compare multiple project quotes. Consult a pro + Low Maintenance, Durability, and Longevity Concrete driveways require little in terms of ongoing maintenance—even less if they’re sealed. While an asphalt driveway may need to be repaired frequently and replaced within 15 to 20 years, a concrete driveway is less prone to damage from everyday living. Asphalt driveways require sealing every 3 to 5 years, but concrete driveways just need a little sealant to repair tiny cracks that may appear over time. Overall, a concrete driveway is a low-hassle and long-lasting choice for a driveway. Load-Bearing Capacity Since concrete undergoes a chemical process called curing, it’s a durable and stable foundation for supporting vehicles and other structures. While a 4-inch-thick driveway is sufficient for most cars and trucks, if you plan to park recreational vehicles or other heavy equipment on the driveway, the thickness can be adjusted to account for the extra weight. A solid concrete driveway won’t dip where parked tires sit. Eco-Friendliness Asphalt is not the most eco-friendly driveway option: Asphalt is made from petroleum, a limited natural resource. It requires intensive mining and processing that releases harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the atmosphere. Concrete is made from naturally occurring minerals and can be readily recycled when it’s reached the end of its lifespan. Well-maintained concrete lasts longer, so there’s less waste produced in the long term. Advertisement Photo: depositphotos.com How to Save Money on a Concrete Driveway Building a new driveway can quickly become expensive if you want to customize the design or shape. And if you have an existing driveway in poor condition, consider booking a consultation with a contractor to see if the driveway can be repaired instead. This is a budget-friendly option as long as the damage isn’t severe. Simply do a quick search for “driveway repair near me” to find a reputable contractor. Here’s a helpful list of ways to save money on concrete driveway costs. Do your own site preparation to save on labor. Some tasks might require heavy equipment, so weigh the costs of renting versus having the contractor do it. If you have an old driveway that needs to be removed, consider breaking up the concrete on your own but letting the contractor haul away the debris. Choose a material that best suits your climate for long-term value. Obtain multiple quotes from contractors. If the weather allows, try installing a driveway around the beginning or end of the building season to get a seasonal discount. Install a basic driveway rather than an elaborate stained or stamped driveway. Avoid designing any curves in the driveway to save on materials and labor. Seal your driveway after it has cured, then reseal it every few years to prolong its lifespan. Photo: depositphotos.com What costs are involved in driveway construction? Labour hire costs Costs for materials like gravel, cement, sealer, and or bricks Machinery and equipment costs Miscellaneous – water, electricity, and gas Image via Florida Driveway Cost to pour concrete driveway The average cost to pour a 1,000 sq. ft. concrete driveway slab is $4,000 to $8,000 or $4 to $8 per square foot, depending on the size, shape, and decorative finishes. Small driveways may cost more per square foot because most installers have a minimum job price. Cost to pour concrete driveway Quality Cost per square foot Features Standard $4 – $8 Plain gray concrete slab Basic $8 – $12 Single-color stain Basic stencil or border Broom-finish texture Exposed aggregate Mid-range $12 – $18 Stamped pattern Two or three colors Contrasting border color Engraved or scored concrete High-end $18 – $25 Multiple patterns and colors Custom decorative borders Hand-applied stained accents Advanced stenciling techniques Compare quotes to pour a concrete driveway Get Quotes Concrete driveway cost per square foot A plain gray concrete driveway costs $4 to $8 per square foot. Adding a stain, basic border, and broom-finish texture increases the price to $8 to $12 per square foot. A stamped concrete driveway with multiple patterns, colors, decorative borders, and sealing costs $12 to $18 per square foot. Concrete driveway cost per square foot Type Cost per square foot Standard $4 – $8 Stained $8 – $12 Stamped $12 – $18 Stamped concrete driveway cost Stamped concrete driveways cost $12 to $18 per square foot, depending on the number of colors and patterns. Stamped concrete, also called patterned or textured concrete, replicates the look of stone, brick, or tile. Installers use a texturized mat to imprint a pattern directly into the concrete. Stained concrete driveway cost Stained concrete driveways cost $8 to $12 per square foot. Stains penetrate the surface with a permanent color that doesn’t chip or fade, and help create decorative patterns or borders. Acid-based stains are limited to earth tones, while water-based stains come in a wide variety of colors. Polished concrete driveway cost Experts recommend against using polished concrete for driveways because it’s slippery when wet and requires extensive upkeep to maintain the polished sheen on outdoor surfaces. Sealing a color-stained concrete driveway gives the appearance of polished concrete. Return to Top Set Rebar on Chairs Rebar that's lying on the ground does no good whatsoever. Placing the rebar grid on chairs will ensure it stays centered in the slab. Chairs come in different sizes so the height can be customized to the thickness of your slab. Space the chairs so the rebar sits level. Raised rebar is the mother of all trip hazards, so move slowly and deliberately when walking through the grid. You won't be able to use chairs if you need to roll a wheelbarrow over the rebar to distribute the concrete. If that's the case, lay the rebar on the ground and pull it up into the center of the concrete as you pour. Concrete placers/rakes have hooks on them designed to do just that. Chairs are the best way to guarantee that the rebar is centered, so use them when you can. Tags homestepusourcontacttheysurecar The post The Best Time of Year to Install a Concrete Driveway appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How High to Hang Curtains (Height Guide) Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:56 AM PDT Content of the material How to Mount the Curtain Rods Video How To Hang Curtains For Wide Windows? How High To Hang Curtains Above Sliding Glass Doors? NICETOWN Sliding Door Curtain How to Hang Curtains What You Need Should Curtains Touch the Ground? Width Considerations Types of Hangers Steps for Hanging a Curtain Rod Step 1: Measure the window Step 2: Decide what kind of curtain you'll be installing before hanging the rod Step 3: Measure and mark the location of the hangers on the wall How Fabric Impacts Curtains How High Should Your Curtain Rod Be? 2. Hang them wide Low Curtain Rods Footer Other Links How to Mount the Curtain Rods When selecting the right curtain rod, go for one that is a bit wider than the width of your window. This will allow whatever curtains you chose to cover the window at all times. Go for a curtain rod that is between eight and 12 inches wider than your window, as it will give the illusion that your window is larger than it is. This is just one idea for how to make a small room look bigger. How To Hang Curtains For Wide Windows? If you have wide windows that need to be covered, bring the rod as high as possible (between 8 and 10 inches depending on wall height). This will balance out the width, making the window seem taller as well. You may want to avoid making the rod extend too much further than the window frame on wide windows. It can make it appear even wider and may look awkward. How High To Hang Curtains Above Sliding Glass Doors? The curtain rod over sliding glass doors is hung between 3 and 6 inches over the door frame. Just like with windows, the higher you hang the rod, the table the door will appear. These curtains should hang, so they touch the floor barely to make for convenient passage through the doorway.  NICETOWN Sliding Door Curtain These curtains are designed to be wide enough for use with sliding doors. Click here to see them on Amazon. Video How to Hang Curtains Once you have panels in the right width and length, hang the curtains using this simple two-step process. What You Need Curtain rod with brackets Screws Tape measure Level Screwdriver Pencil Wall anchors (optional) cottage style contemporary living room with blue curtains Credit: Brie Williams Should Curtains Touch the Ground? Yes, curtains can touch the ground slightly or even pool onto the floor. Long curtains that trail onto the floor slightly create a romantic look, which is a good option for bedrooms. Keep in mind that curtains that puddle onto the floor tend to get noticeably dirty quicker than curtains higher off the ground. You will also need to hold or tie them up when vacuuming or sweeping. These curtains are 95 inches long, which should be tall enough to allow for pooling. Click here to see these on Amazon. Width Considerations Use these tricks to make the drapes a standard width and to create the illusion of wider windows: The standard distance from the window casing to the end of the curtain rod (excluding finials) on each side of the window should be four to 10 inches. As a general rule, drapes will be open during the day, so make sure the curtain rod extends at least four inches on each side of the window's inside frame. To create the illusion of a wider window, extend the rod up to 10 inches beyond the window's frame. Illustration: The Spruce / Emily Mendoza Types of Hangers When you’ve figured out how high to hang your curtains, the next thing is figuring out what kind of hangers (or hanging method) you want to use. There are quite a few options for this – here’s some overview: Tiebacks and pullbacks can be used as an alternative to curtain rods when curtains aren’t lined up with each other. You can even add decorative finials or butterfly clips on top. This is my preferred style – I love tiebacks and find that they look very crisp and clean. The downside? It doesn’t work well if you have small windows/areas where the fabric might fall short of the molding below it without being tied back somehow. Hooks are easily the cheapest way to go if you’re just looking for something that will work. I don’t recommend hooks in most cases, because they can look messy and are harder to adjust/tighten than curtain rods or rings. Rings are a versatile option that has been in use for decades – no surprise. They make up our favorite type of rod hardware and usually come with screw-in mounts so that you can drill directly into your window frame (or you can also hand curtains without drilling). Screws are like rings, except they screw into the wall rather than being free-standing pieces of hardware. They can be useful if you want to mount some decorative brackets on the wall instead of a rod, as an alternative to curtain rings. Rods are the most common type of hardware for curtains -they come as exposed hardware (no finials or brackets) or with nice decorative touches like finials. Hanging rod systems are more complicated than traditional curtain rods, but they can offer a lot of interesting design options – especially if your windows have unusual shapes you want to work with. These can also be a good option for large rooms where multiple panels must line up well together (ie columns). Steps for Hanging a Curtain Rod Follow these steps to learn how to properly hang a curtain rod. Scroll down for the list of tools and materials needed for this project. Step 1: Measure the window To add drapes that partially cover the window, I'd add 2-5 inches to each side of the frame. To position the curtains completely to the sides of the window, which is always my preference to let in the most light, I'll add 8-15 inches to each side of the window. To fine-tune this measurement, I use a stud finder to locate the stud beside the window. If a stud if close to my desired location, I'll shift my placement so that my mounting screws can insert into a stud. If your placement can't land on a stud, just be sure to install wall anchors before installing the hanging brackets. If you have a long span of over 4 feet or are using a thinner rod, you may also need to add a center bracket to prevent the rod from sagging. Next, I'll measure the height, from the floor to the top edge of my window's frame. A curtain rod usually sets about 4 inches above the window, but many people raise the rod even higher to make the room feel taller. Keep in mind that floor-length curtain panels come in somewhat standard heights of 84 inches, 95 inches, 108 inches, and 120 inches. If you decide to move the rod up, you may need to purchase a longer panel and hem it to length or spend more money on custom curtains. Step 2: Decide what kind of curtain you'll be installing before hanging the rod The most common hanging types are grommets, which are metal-lined holes in the curtains, tabs which hang above the top edge of the curtain, rings which clip onto the curtain and hang on the rod, and a pocket sleeve which slides over and completely conceals the rod. The hanging type can adjust the overall height of the curtain, so be sure to have your curtains on hand to help determine the final height of the rod. Step 3: Measure and mark the location of the hangers on the wall On an open space, it can be difficult to replicate these measurements on both sides of the window and have them turn out perfectly level, so today I'm creating a quick cardboard template. To do this, cut the corner out of a square piece of cardboard that can fit over the top corner of the window frame. Measure and mark the desired location of the hardware Create two holes using the hanger as a guide. Now place the template on the wall, slide it against the window frame, and mark the position of the holes. Drive the screws into the wall, and position the hanger. Flip to the opposite side to make the remaining marks and install the screws. Feed the curtain onto the rod, and then place it on the hook. Add a finial, and then tighten the set screw How Fabric Impacts Curtains Lighter fabrics, such as sheers, will help make the room feel airy as they let in more light. If you need to warm up a room, try denser fabrics or thermal drapes which will also give you more privacy. Winter curtains can stop drafts and save energy. How High Should Your Curtain Rod Be? The next thing is to make sure that the curtain rod will be mounted high enough above the window frame. Generally speaking, 12-14 inches above the window frame is fairly standard and will give you adequate fabric flow in most cases. Longer windows may need a higher rod.  Other things to keep in mind:  If you have a shorter window and are opting for longer curtains, your rod height will need to be lowered accordingly. If the curtains reach the floor but won’t cover ¾ of the space (because there’s molding on the bottom or something), that also needs to be taken into consideration before placing your curtain rod. The same goes for tall windows – if they aren’t high enough, hang them lower.  2. Hang them wide When you open your curtains, you want the panels to just “kiss” the outside edge of the window frame rather than obscure any of the glass window pane. This simple trick allows the maximum amount of light to come through, and it has the added benefit of making your windows feel wider. Aim to hang the curtain rod brackets approximately 6 to 8 inches beyond the window frame so when the curtains fall naturally, they won’t block the light. Low Curtain Rods Hanging curtain rods lower–generally just a couple of inches above the window frame–is more traditional, and works best when the window frames and ceiling molding are close together. Lower curtain rods also help keep the proportions balanced in wider windows, according to HomeEnvy.com. Footer ↑ back to top Other Links Sign up for The Beginner’s Guide to Decorating Buy my decorating e-book Watch The Web Stories Jenna Kate at Home LLC is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Copyright © 2022 Jenna Kate at Home LLC Tags and wall you mount your windowplacement you choose notbyweyearsreplywouldceilingskitchenhouseamp The post How High to Hang Curtains (Height Guide) appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Texture a Ceiling by Hand Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:56 AM PDT Content of the material Choosing your materials Tips: CAUTION! Video 4. Stippled Ceiling Why You Should Try a DIY Ceiling Texture Stamped Texture Ceilings 2. Orange Peel Ceiling Texture and Home Value Before You Begin Tip 1. Scraping off a textured ceiling How to do it Pros Cons How to tell which type of textured ceiling you have Creating a Popcorn Ceiling Required Tools for this Project Choosing your materials Textures add an entirely new dimension to flat, smooth walls. Instead of a blank slate, you’ll have a surface that will attract attention, add visual interest and warm the room with an earthy, organic feel. This technique also helps hide minor imperfections, making it a great way to meld remodeled walls with existing ones—no small bonus to those of us still perfecting our drywall-taping skills! Applying a knockdown texture is an easy, low-cost, low-tech project that can dramatically change a room’s appearance and simplify wall repairs. The name comes from one of the final steps in the project when you use a wide knife to knock down and flatten the peaks of the texture applied to the walls. This step gives the texture its stucco-like appearance. To texture the walls and ceiling of an average room, the rental sprayer, the joint compound and knockdown knife will set you back only about $70 to $80, and you’ll be finished in one day. These are the three components you’ll use: Joint compound To make this project as easy as possible, use premixed all-purpose joint compound. These buckets contain about 60 lbs. of "mud" and are available at most home centers for $9 to $10 each. Don’t use the lightweight premixed compounds—you’ll be paying for a lot of air and the mix won’t be as "sticky" as the all-purpose. It generally takes 1-1/2 to two full buckets of mud to texture the walls and ceiling of an average size (12 x 12-ft.) room. Knockdown knives Traditionally, knockdown textures were done with flat trowels or wide steel taping knives. However, the trowel technique is hard to master. A much better choice is to use one of the flexible Lexan knockdown knives now available at drywall supply stores (see Photo 5). These knives are 18 to 24 in. wide and cost $15 to $18. Acoustical sprayer and gun. You’ll need to rent an acoustical spray gun, hopper and compressor from a rental center or paint store for this project. Although home compressors work fine for the initial orange peel coat, they won’t produce the volume of air you need for the heavier topcoat. Expect to pay $25 to $30 for a one-day rental. While you’re still at the rental store, be sure to put the machine through a dry run to be certain it works. Also, remove the hopper from the gun and make sure the inside of the gun is clean. Look for a trigger adjustment on the gun It allows you to control the fluid flow. The recipes in this article will give you the just-right mixes for your project. Tips: File any sharp edges off the blade mixer. Sharp edges will scrape little plastic curlicues off the side of the bucket, bits that can clog the gun or wind up on the wall. You will get mud in places you didn’t want it. Don’t worry! It cleans up easily with a wet sponge. CAUTION! If you have ceiling texture applied before 1980, it may contain asbestos. Before you remove any ceiling texture, contact your state’s department of environmental protection, department of health, or a regional asbestos coordinator for information on asbestos testing and removal. For a list of regional contacts, click here. For general information on asbestos, click here. 4. Stippled Ceiling Save Stipple Ceiling Texture The Stipple ceiling or Slap brush finish texture type is made using the stomp brush (also called slap brush), a soft brush with long bristles, which you can use to create uneven shapes on the drywall. This brush usually has a long handle so you can do much of the work even from ground level. Start by applying the mixture with a roller or a paint gun. Then press the brush against the ceiling, lift it back and proceed to move it across the ceiling until you have covered the whole surface in irregular shapes. You can use a knockdown blade or a similar tool to press larger chunks, which don't look stylish, but don't forget to press the whole surface for a uniform look. This style is easily one of the messiest, but it also helps greatly when covering imperfections in the ceiling. Tools needed: Stomp Brush Materials needed: Premixed Joint Compound Video Why You Should Try a DIY Ceiling Texture You can easily DIY ceiling texture, which will save you money. There are many different tutorials online with instructions on how to make your own ceiling texture. I will cover the most popular ceiling textures and some basic information about them. Stamped Texture Ceilings If you plan on adding texture to your ceiling, you can apply texture manually by "stamping." You can choose any object you want to use as a stamp after you've applied drywall compound. Some examples are the bristles of a broom, a sponge, a brick or tiles. Anything you can stamp on a wall that has texture can be used to make a textured ceiling. It is important to remember that if you are using an image, it will be the mirror of whatever you are stamping. This means texture that has words, for example, would be backward. 2. Orange Peel Save Orange Peel Texture For Ceiling Orange peel is a texturizer, usually found in a can, which sprays different sized ovals. They are not raised enough to be unpleasant to the touch, and produce a more uniform feel and look than most of the other texture types. Orange peel is easy to make: just spray it on the ceiling in short bursts from half a meter or more, then wait for it to dry, prime and paint. It is a good idea to try the ceiling texture spray on a cardboard first and experiment to make sure you have chosen the best angle and distance. Play around with it until you like the results The orange peel texture add character to the surface and goes well with natural or softer colors. However, it is difficult to clean, because there are tiny spaces between the ovals, which are almost impossible to reach. For that reason the orange peel finish is better not used for a kitchen or bathroom. Tools needed: Spray Gun Materials needed: Orange peel spray texture Ceiling Texture and Home Value A ceiling texture can also help improve your home’s value. Homes with an updated ceiling texture can often sell up to $4000 more than a home with the same features but a dated ceiling. Before You Begin By its very nature, texturing is a messy operation that results in wet texture material flying in all directions. When stippling a ceiling, even the most careful painter will need to cover the floors and adjoining wall surfaces, including door and window trim. Use drop cloths for the floor and plastic sheeting for vertical surfaces, hanging it with painter's tape. 1:31 Tip Wall texture effects can vary depending on how the material is applied and rolled. Practice the technique on scraps of drywall or even sheets of cardboard before moving to your walls and ceilings. Practice with both thin coats and heavy coats. Try different drying times between coats. The Spruce / Margot Cavin Featured Video 1. Scraping off a textured ceiling This approach manually removes the texture from the ceiling. Suitable for: Popcorn, Stucco or Artex ceilingsNot suitable for: Wood chip paper, Anaglypta-style paper How to do it If the textured ceiling hasn’t been painted, use a spray bottle filled with room temperature water to lightly dampen small sections – don’t overdo this or you’ll make your ceiling itself wet and heavy! Use a drywall scraper to chip and scrape away the texture to create a smooth surface Finish with a thin layer of joint compound or problem wall paint to cover imperfections Pros Cost-effective One person can do it solo You can DIY it without a tradesperson Cons Very time-consuming Messy Finish may not be as even If paper has been painted over, it will not dampen which may make scraping hard or even impossible NOTE: textured ceilings installed before 1979 may contain asbestos or lead (read on to see what to do if you think this may apply to your home). If you’re worried about the possible presence of asbestos or lead and considering this approach, employ professional testers or order at-home kits to confirm or deny the presence. How to tell which type of textured ceiling you have You can easily identify woodchip by the look of the finish – small, irregular splinter shapes behind a satin-finish layer of paper. You can confirm other textured paper by looking for joins in sheets. However it is possible to expertly hide these joins (or simply obscure them with layers of paint) so try lifting a corner with a scraper. In contrast, spiky ‘popcorn’ or Artex-style ceilings can be identified by the absence of paper. If there are no lines or creases, or the effect seems to extend in some places of your coving, that’s a painted/sprayed finish. Creating a Popcorn Ceiling During the boom of suburban housing developments, builders looked for a cost-effective way to finish the ceilings of the homes they were building that would cover any cracks or possible imperfections that occurred during the building process. The solution was to make an acoustic ceiling, better known as a popcorn ceiling. To create a popcorn ceiling, you will need to first coat the ceiling with a stain-blocking primer. This will help the texture to stick. You should also be sure that you have properly cleaned and prepped the ceiling to ensure that it is ready for paint. After you've primed the area, mix 2 gallons of water with a bag of popcorn ceiling spray. This usually comes in 13-pound bags. Once you've finished, the mixture will be slightly liquidy but will resemble cottage cheese. You will use a texture gun to spray the mixture onto the ceiling. Required Tools for this Project Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you'll save time and frustration. Air compressor Air hose Corded drill Dust mask Hearing protection Safety glasses Mixing paddle, acoustical sprayer and gun (rental), Lexan knockdown knife. Tags and ceiling and consider patternpaintingdesign The post How to Texture a Ceiling by Hand appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Arrange Potted Plants on a Patio in 4 Ways Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:56 AM PDT Content of the material Maintaining Healthy Garden Soil Video What plants go together in container? How many plants can I put in a 12 inch hanging basket? Floral Arrangement The Basics Before You Begin To Grow How to Arrange Your Flower Pot Design Arrange Plants Depending On The Size Of Your Patio 3. Go bold Ideas and Inspiration for a Cottage Garden 7. Potscape for your porch What did I plant? Grab a Free Guide FAQs About Potted Plants How do you group plants in pots? What do you put under potted plants? How do I protect my patio from planters? Group in Planters How to Keep Your Containers Looking Fresh Maintaining Healthy Garden Soil Many people think of soil as dead, decomposed organic matter and minerals. But it's much more than that. Soil is full of life. Trillions of organisms live in soil, using… What plants go together in container? One easy guideline for choosing the plants to combine in a container is to include “a thriller, a spiller, and a filler.” That translates to at least one focal-point plant (the thriller), such as coleus or a geranium with multicolored leaves, for example, combined with several plants that spill over the edge of the Aug 13, 2018. Video How many plants can I put in a 12 inch hanging basket? For hanging baskets the general rule is to use one plant per inch of basket diameter – so 12 plants per 12 inch basket. You’ll only need 5 plants per 12 inch hanging basket for bigger plants like Geraniums (Pelargoniums), Surfinia Petunias, culinary herbs and Fuchsias. Floral Arrangement The Basics Before You Begin To Grow Choose plants to suit the environment – Some places have four seasons and a temperate climate. Others have two distinct dry and wet seasons with the weather in the high 20s/ low 30s. Some places are scorching hot and others are cold. The same applies to your chosen temperature in the house for your indoor floral arrangement. You must choose foliage to suit the climate. Plants in their natural climate exude and create colorful surroundings suited to that particular atmosphere. The flower box will thrive with life in certain climates, such as tropical plants. Others, like geraniums, will survive all types of weather and can look presentable. Consider your structure and size – Plants don't always adapt to certain pots, soil or atmosphere. Read up on the plants you want to pot. Some plants need big deep pots for soil fill. Others need smaller planters. Some need a structure to grow whereas certain foliage survives anywhere. The pot size and planter material are important. Do you want plastic or terracotta? Are they wall planters, ground pots or hanging baskets? How much soil is needed? Are your plants or flowers suited to this or will there be trailing growth? These are factors to consider. How to Arrange Your Flower Pot Design start with a container with holes for drainage you should fill with soil 2″ from the top add soil to fill in after you add your flowers / plants always water immediately after planting It was fun to see how we were all offered the same planters and flowers, but all created something unique from Claire Josephson’s tips. A variety of plants create the most beautiful garden containers. Choose from a few of these: Look for a plant that will offer height like angelonia, geraniums, coreopsis, or grasses in the back or the center  Choose petunias or other blooms that will grow and fill out beautifully, filling the pot and providing color. This is your filler step… and it’s such an important one! If you’d like, add more fillers like pentas, or others that will fill in space with pretty greens and soft blooms.  Finally, add plants that trail out for your drape (the “spilling” section of your pot) like lobelia, silver dichondra {which I used}, or alisons. Arrange Plants Depending On The Size Of Your Patio The first step is to determine how much floor space you have on the patio. This is a good point to start because you can think about proper arrangement depending on how much space that you are working with. Remember that the patio is not just used for a potted plant, you might have furniture and other items in the space. If floor space is not a problem you can go all out and try different sizes of pots and even space out the plants when arranging. On the other hand, if you are working with a limited space you have to think creatively about your arrangement so that you can save space. 3. Go bold Plants come in different shades and colors. Some are more striking than others. If you haven't decided what to grow, it's better to go bold. Choose plants with bright, vibrant flowers. Because flower pots, planters, and containers are usually bland, colorful flowers like orange, red, pink can create a great contrast and complement both your planters and building.  Antique stone planted with autumn plantings @ SondraP / Getty Images Signature Now we learn enough. Let's move on to some ideas for outdoor planter arrangements.  Ideas and Inspiration for a Cottage Garden Often it's easier to explain what a cottage garden isn't than what it actually is. A cottage garden doesn't have a plethora of straight lines, defined borders, or a bunch… 7. Potscape for your porch If you are not a big fan of a gigantic pot, potscaping is definitely for you. This is the art of arranging pots in an attractive way to create a landscape. This practice does not require so much space on your front porch or patio. The basic way for potscaping is to group pots made from the same materials together. For example, you can group your terra cotta pots together. You can also group pots or flowers based on their palette.  Potscape by flower palette @ BambiG / Getty Images Signature One of the beautiful container garden ideas is to create a triangle with your pots. This form is a safe choice because it always works. Choose a tall container as a central piece. Smaller containers should be placed around. You can follow the same rule with your plants. The height contrast creates an interesting focal point. Potscaping may require some practice and patience, but the result is very satisfying.  What did I plant? Black pearl ornamental pepper, Mambo ornamental pepper bush, Celosia twisted Orange, Jade princess Millet From left to right, here are my fall container arrangement plant choices: Black pearl ornamental pepper Capsicum annuum black pearl Mambo ornamental pepper bush Capsicum annuum Mambo Celosia twisted Orange Cockscomb Celosia argentea var. cristata ‘Twisted Orange’ Jade princess Millet Pennisetum glaucum ‘Jade Princess’ Grab a Free Guide Master the Mixed Border » Immediately improve your landscape layering skills. Get my easy 8-step layering process, the "Master the Mixed Border" checklist & a printable planting pyramid; all for free. Plant Form Printouts » Print & cut out these plant forms, then arrange them over a photo of your garden bed to find the perfect design layout. Plant Combination List » Never know what to plant together? Use these stunning plant combinations for 4-season interest in your garden. Gardening Secrets Video Training » Learn the 3 Secrets that will help you to overcome the biggest gardening challenges that are preventing you from creating your dream garden. View All Free Guides » FAQs About Potted Plants How do you group plants in pots? Before grouping plants in a pot, the first thing to consider is whether the plants all have the same requirements. For instance, you should consider exposure to sunlight and other factors like water requirements and soil type. Now, if they have the same requirements and you choose completely different plants, there is no problem as long as all of them are visible from various angles. What do you put under potted plants? To avoid the potted plants from staining your patio while watering, you should place a saucer with a layer of pebbles to allow the pot to drain freely. This will help you avoid expensive patio repairs. How do I protect my patio from planters? For metal planters, seal them with rust-inhibitor sprays to prevent them from staining your patio. While you can place the small planters on a drip tray or stands, protect your patio but also don't forget to protect your plant by ensuring it has a proper drainage  When it comes to building a stunning patio with potted plants, there are no written restrictions; you are free to use your wildest ideas. Furthermore, individuality is what draws the most attention. A gorgeous potted plant on your patio is usually difficult to go wrong with. However, there are a few basic recommendations in this article that can ensure you have a beautiful patio in no time when combined with your imagination. Keep in mind that the most beautiful outdoor area is created via imagination, but let this post on how to arrange potted plants on a patio guide you to perfection. Group in Planters When deciding which plants to purchase, consider buying multiple varieties of the same species group. For example, pick several kinds of petunias, a few vegetable plants, and/or a collection of ferns. Then buy planters that are large enough to grow similar plants together. This provides clean lines and creates visual groups, which will give your garden a look of order. You could also add a flower planter as an accent to an existing in-ground vegetable garden, thus bringing beneficial pollinators, like bees, to increase the overall plant wellness. You can also try improving the visual appeal by increasing the height of your garden; try adding a third dimension to a flat garden arrangement with hanging planters, experimenting with low-hanging vines in overhead planters and brightly colored flower pots that hang at eye level. How to Keep Your Containers Looking Fresh Make sure you choose plants that have similar needs. For example, if you're trying to fill in a sunny spot on your patio, don't toss in one plant that likes shade alongside several sun-loving containers. It also helps to choose plants that have similar watering needs so you can water all of them at once. Shortly after planting, cluster containers closely to create a sense of fullness. As plants mature and fill in, spread pots apart. Keep your container garden looking its best by moving plants in peak bloom to the forefront of the garden or elevating them above their neighbors. Likewise, slip plants past their prime to less prominent positions. Every four weeks or so, add a balanced fertilizer to your pots to help give plants the nutrients need for healthy growth. Tags creativity and eyetips and tricksplants and planterspurpose and lookwalkway and canset of rules.full of bloomingrest of your homeourintousnewwellroomgardensreview The post How to Arrange Potted Plants on a Patio in 4 Ways appeared first on caramembuatblog.

10+ Easy Ways to Get Rid of Skinks on the Porch Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:56 AM PDT Content of the material What Attracts Skinks to the Porch and Balcony? Video How to get rid of skinks in the house Block access to your home Remove hiding places Eliminate food and water Block sunlight Are skinks poisonous? About Us Will Bleach Kill A Lizard? How to Get Rid of Lizards on Porch, Outside, or In the House 1. Glue Traps 2. Pepper Spray 3. Electrical Diversions 4. Egg Shells 5. Other Home Remedies Peacock Feathers How to Get Rid of Lizards Outside 1. Scooting a Lizard off a Wall 2. Make Sure to Put Away Pets How To Get Rid Of Skinks 1. Remove Their Food Sources 2. Eliminate Sources Of Water 3. Tidy Up 4. Keep It Dark 5. Use A Repellent How to Inspect for Lizards Where do skinks live? How to Prevent Lizard Re-infestation About This Site Solutions How to Keep Lizards Away Garlic Cayenne Pepper Commercial Repellents Using Decoys How To Keep Skinks Away From Your House? Conclusion What Attracts Skinks to the Porch and Balcony? Skinks love insects, bugs, pests, among other invertebrates. Like any other organism, skinks are attracted to areas where their source of food is available. Most insects are herbivores—they feed on leaves, roots, seeds, nectar or wood. So, if you’ve got any greenery, such as a garden, you're likely to see insects fly by often. Lights bulbs also attract many of the flying insects at night, perhaps because they give off heat. Your porch and balcony can attract skinks or other insect-eating organisms if you have a garden next to your house or you'd love to have security lights at night. Video How to get rid of skinks in the house Skinks in the house is a common problem for people on the lower story. These lizards will seek out artificial structures and aren't afraid to infest them. If you have skinks getting into your home, here are some tips to help keep skinks out of the house. Block access to your home The only way a reptile can get inside your home in the first place is if there were some kind of opening it used to sneak in. If you block off all possible entryways, then the lizard has no choice but to stay outside! As mentioned earlier, you'll want to do a thorough evaluation of your home (on the outside) to check for entry points. Since skinks can be extremely small (1" as a baby), they can squeeze through cracks as thin as 0.25". You know all those cracks you see in the walls of your home, around the windows, and even on the cement floor? Those are all possible ways they can enter your home. And don't forget about under doors and through window screens. Remove hiding places Your home is a whole new world for lizards. There are plenty of objects and shiny things for them to hide in, on, or under. Think about your refrigerator, oven, furniture, washing machine, dryer, couch, table, dresser, wardrobe, TV stand, closet, and more. This makes it hard to completely eliminate everything that the lizard can use to hide. You'll want to assess the situation and see where you notice the skink to hang around. Then you'll want to block off possible hiding places it could be using. If you see more than two skinks in a small area, there's likely a nest nearby that may require a professional exterminator to handle. These nests can house up to 30 lizards and you definitely don't want them to bite you (or run and disperse throughout your home). Eliminate food and water Skinks will establish territory close to a food and water source. Their food source is small insects that are found throughout your home. Depending on what bugs you have, you'll want to take the proper steps to get rid of them. Spiders, millipede, centipedes, beetles, thrips, flies, and other critters are all things they eat without care. Water can be found on leaky faucets, damaged plumbing, and even through simple condensation (such as behind your fridge). These lizards just lick off the drops of water found throughout the home and that's all they need. The water you drop on the floor after using the sink can be enough for the day. Block sunlight Every day, skinks will come out of their hide to bask in the sunlight for UVA/UVB. You can catch them in the sunlight during these peak hours in the afternoon. Check to see which area of yours has a lot of sunlight streaming in and look for the skinks there. You can also block sources light from shining into your home by shutting the blinds or closing the curtains. This makes your home not a suitable environment because they NEED sunlight. The lizard may then depart and migrate away on its own. Are skinks poisonous? Skinks aren’t poisonous, but they do bite. Skinks can be poisonous when eaten, so this could be a problem for cats, dogs, horses, and other animals. They are not venomous and do not inject venom. However, skinks will bite to defend themselves if provoked or threatened. The typical garden skink runs away and flees rather than fights, so they're naturally afraid of humans. Even so, you should never attempt to handle, catch, or endanger one because it's very possible it'll bite. The bite rarely causes any serious harm and may result in minor swelling or pain. Be sure to sanitize the wound regardless and consult a doctor if needed. The main reason why people are confused about skinks and poison is because of their color. The blue-tongued skink has bright, flashy colors that people usually associate with venom or poison. Skinks are not poisonous and don't carry any toxic venom. But if they're eaten, they can harbor bacteria like salmonella, E. coli, and other dangerous pathogens that can cause sickness. Therefore, if your pet eats a skink (or even licks one), you'll want to monitor for signs of sickness. If you handle a skink, always wash your hands afterward with good hygiene. Skinks aren't dangerous because they generally avoid humans and flee, but can be harmful if proper handling isn't practiced. About Us Hi, I'm Annemaria. I moved to the country a few years ago. I grow a large garden. (Is 75 tomato plants and 50 pepper plants too much?) This website is where I discuss how to keep your garden, yard, and house safe from animal pests. Even though many of these pests are common in the country, they are also a nuisance in the cities! Will Bleach Kill A Lizard? Yes, bleach will kill a lizard. However, it is a very inhumane way to do it, causing burns and excruciating death. Bleach is poisonous to the surrounding area and can poison any animals that might eat the lizard before or after it dies. For this reason, it isn’t recommended to use bleach. How to Get Rid of Lizards on Porch, Outside, or In the House 1. Glue Traps If you dislike lizards you can use glue board traps but this is often a death sentence for them. They are not recommended generally because lizards are truly not as bad of a problem as a lot of people might think they are. If you don’t remember to check them often, they can also cause a lot of suffering before death. And you may have the smell of decomposing lizards to deal with over time. 2. Pepper Spray The same type of spray that can prevent voles and insects will also discourage lizards. You can spray homemade pepper spray in the corners of your home or anywhere that you want to discourage lizards from hanging out. You can make it from Tabasco sauce and water or something similar. Be careful spraying any pepper spray because it can burn your eyes or skin if exposed. 3. Electrical Diversions You can purchase an ultrasonic device that emits a sound that lizards can hear but you cannot. This sound helps keep them away and is usually pretty effective. You may need more than one for good control if you have a larger home or space you are trying to keep lizard free. This method also has the benefit of being very humane compared to many others. 4. Egg Shells © Marek / Fotolia Many housekeepers swear by egg shells as a natural lizard prevention system. Most people hang empty egg shells and claim it is the smell that keeps lizards from climbing their walls or roaming on the porch all the time. If you don’t want to hang them up then putting them in something on a top shelf or similar can have the same effect on lizards. Just be sure to warn others in your house, so they are not surprised to find a bunch of old egg shells in a corner. 5. Other Home Remedies When it comes to getting rid of lizards in the house, on the porch, or outside the house, some people use a handful of home remedies. Some of them work best than others, so make sure you try them a few times and see what best fits your needs: Coffee and tobacco mix: placed in the corners of rooms or around the property deter or even kill lizards; Mothballs: their smell deter plenty of pests, lizards included; Flypaper: an obvious method to get rid of flies, the sticky paper also captures lizards that you can take outside your property. Onion and garlic: these pungent smells deter lizards and keep them away from your home. Phenyl tablets also keep lizards at bay from entering your home. Peacock Feathers Peacock feathers work in a way similar to the eggshells. Because peacocks are natural enemies to lizards, lizards naturally avoid areas they see feathers. In addition to being a bird feather, peacock feathers also have a spot on them that looks like an eye that is very effective at scaring away pesky reptiles. To use this method, put peacock feathers on your porch where lizards are usually found. This method looks better than the eggshell method and won’t attract pests. How to Get Rid of Lizards Outside Getting rid of lizards is not that hard if you follow the next tips and tricks! 1. Scooting a Lizard off a Wall The walls of a home are easy for a lizard to crawl up. If you have a lizard on your wall you can use a rolled up magazine, newspaper, used paper towel roll, or broom, to gently scoot the lizard towards the nearest exit. Be gentle doing this. Lizards can be a lot more delicate in their constitution then you might expect. There is little reason to hurt them when all that is needed is for them to go out a window or door. 2. Make Sure to Put Away Pets If you are trying to get a lizard from around your home without risking injury to the lizard, then it is best to put away your dogs, cats, etc. while you remove the lizard. While your beloved pets may mean well, they can easily kill or injure a lizard. You certainly don’t want them eating one as some lizards may be toxic to your pets. How To Get Rid Of Skinks Eager to learn how to get rid of skinks? Lucky for you, there are many ways to control the population and drive them out successfully. Here are some of the most effective methods worth trying. 1. Remove Their Food Sources The first thing you should do when getting rid of skinks is deprive them of their food source. While that sounds easy enough, skinks are not like cockroaches or mice. They typically do not eat human food. Instead, they prefer a diet of bugs! An underlying bug problem is a surefire way to attract skinks into your home. Take a look around to spot the problem. Once you find the bugs that the skinks are feeding on, you can exterminate them. When the bugs are gone, the skinks will migrate elsewhere to find food. Skinks can eat a wide variety of bugs, and the problem insect varies based on your climate. In warm and humid areas, skinks usually feed on silverfish, spiders (getting rid of spiders in your garage is highly recommended), pillbugs, and more. In colder areas, the bugs of choice are moths, fleas, and flies. Quick Tip: Don’t forget to pay attention to areas outside of your house as well. Many bug infestations occur underneath porches or around exterior lighting by a deck. If the skinks are feeding on bugs close to your house, it’s only a matter of time before they move inside. 2. Eliminate Sources Of Water Like all living creatures, skinks need water to survive. Removing their prime source of hydration can do a lot to keep skinks away from your house. However, the tricky thing is that skinks don’t need a ton of water. As a result, you have to be extra vigilant about keeping things dry. Pay attention to how water accumulates inside and outside your house. Outside, you might see stagnant puddles form after a heavy rain. Or, you might have a bird feeder or a leaky sprinkler. Whatever the case may be, remove it! Getting rid of skinks is a piece of cake when they don't have any water nearby. They'll typically vacate on their own. The same goes for inside water sources. Close toilet covers, fix leaking pipes, and don’t leave water out for too long. You’d be surprised by what sources are supporting the skink population. Quick Tip: Don’t forget to check appliances like your air conditioner. Condensation is more than enough to keep skinks alive.  3. Tidy Up Another effective way to get rid of skinks is to keep things clean. Whether the lizards are calling your porch home or they’re living in your garage, there’s likely some comforting and protective clutter in the vicinity. Many species like to use plant debris to create nests. Those living inside can also use things like scraps of paper, dust, and anything else they can find. Removing some of the mess will repel skinks by making them look elsewhere for shelter. Not only that, but tidier homes attract fewer bugs for the skinks to eat. Don’t stop at sweeping and vacuuming. Go the extra mile and clean all of those discreet hiding spots. Take a look around and seal up any holes or voids. The goal is to make your home as uncomfortable and uninhabitable to skinks as possible. With regular cleaning, there’s a lot less mess that they can take advantage of. 4. Keep It Dark Believe it or not, reducing light can work wonders if you want to get rid of skinks in your house or yard. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, light attracts bugs. Have you ever taken a look at your porch light in the dead of night? Chances are, it gets covered in bugs! It might as well be a buffet for skinks! Limiting the light will draw in fewer insects and give those reptiles fewer opportunities to eat. Secondly, skinks tend to gravitate towards light naturally. Remember, they need to find heat to thermoregulate. Light indicates warmth, so most skinks will meander towards distant light for shelter. Start by trying to keep unused lights off if you want to get rid of skinks. The worst offenders are porch and garage lights, but even decorative lighting can be a problem. 5. Use A Repellent One of the most directly effective methods for getting rid of skinks is spraying repellent. Repellents are surprisingly effective against skinks. Many commercial products are available. Some of the most commonly used come in the form of concentrated liquid. All you have to do is attach the concentrate bottle to your hose, crank up the water, and start spraying your yard. It automatically mixes, allowing you to cover your home’s perimeter. Alternatively, you can pick up in-house sprays. For the most efficiency, spray the product around areas of your home where skinks might live. Pay attention to voids, hidden corners, and other possible nesting areas. Repellents are relatively harmless, so don't feel bad about using them. Most include intense aromas that naturally repel skinks. All-natural sprays might utilize pungent essential oils, spices, and aromatic herbs. However, chemical-based products are available, too. Quick Tip: Insect-based repellents work great as an indirect method as well. Skinks only go where they can find food. If you use repellent to keep bugs away, the skinks will move out in no time. How to Inspect for Lizards Once you've identified that you have a lizard problem, you'll need to inspect your property for signs of lizard activity. Here are a few steps we recommend: Check common hiding places. Again, lizards like cool, sheltered areas. Check behind clutter in your home, garage, kitchen, or outdoor sheds for lizards or their droppings, which look like small black pellets with a white tip. If you're looking for lizards outside, search common hiding areas like warm, humid parts of the garden. Note entry points. Lizards are small enough to squeeze through gaps in doors or windows, or small openings in your wall. As you inspect your property, pay close attention to these potential lizard highways. Check your screens. Lizards can easily enter homes through open windows, or windows with torn screens. As you inspect your property, double-check all your window screens to ensure they're intact and in good repair. Since lizards eat mainly insects, they're less likely than other pests to leave behind a trail of destruction in your garden or landscaping. Still, it's smart to inspect your fruit and vegetable plants, since lizards consider these valuable food sources. Where do skinks live? The habitat of the lizards can vary according to the species of each one. While some have a preference for living in plant matter, others prefer land above ground. Skinks can burrow, so they can easily make a nest anywhere to use as a hiding place. Some skinks prefer climbing trees and living in them, and if you have trees in your yard, they will surely be visited by this little animal. But since skinks' characteristics can vary, some prefer aquatic life and prefer to live in places like ponds. How to Prevent Lizard Re-infestation Instead of dealing with recurring lizard infestations, employ these tips to prevent lizard problems from coming back: Address insect populations in your home, lawn, or garden Use barrier treatments to keep lizards out of your home Keep food scraps and water sources secure About This Site Hi, I'm Annemaria. I moved to the country a few years ago. I grow a large garden. (Is 75 tomato plants and 50 pepper plants too much?) This website is where I discuss how to keep your garden, yard, and house safe from animal pests. Even though many of these pests are common in the country, they are also a nuisance in the cities! Solutions Get rid of the lizard food source – Spray the interior and exterior with NO Bugs Super to reduce flies, moths, ants and other insects. Pay attention to surfaces around exterior lights. Fumigate with NO Bugs Bug Bombs or NO Bugs Super Fumigator. Seal or remove hiding places – Lizards are small and can hide during the day in cracks and crevices around the building. Seal up or remove these potential hiding places and make the building less hospitable to the lizards. Don’t leave the lights on – At night turn off lights that attract insects and consequently lizards. Contact your local DoC office if you believe you have found plague skinks.   How to Keep Lizards Away Unfortunately, the market isn't as open to lizard control as it is to rodents or insects. You're not likely to find a natural lizard repellent spray at the local hardware store, but there are some everyday household items that can deter a hungry lizard. The following are just a few examples. Garlic The best repellents will always be the most natural ones. Garlic, for example, is one of our favorites, and it works on lizards as well as a wide range of other pests (and is good for you, too!). You can place individual cloves in places lizards seem to hang out (be careful around household critters, as garlic is poisonous to cats and some other pets). You can also make an effective spray using garlic, onion juice, and water that can repel a wide range of pests. Related: Garlic – It Fights More Than Vampires Cayenne Pepper Cayenne pepper is another popular repellent spray. Simply mix hot sauce or crushed red pepper to water and spray it in places the lizards like to go. While harmless, the residue will irritate the feet on a wide range of pests, encouraging them not to come back. Both sprays are excellent for home and garden applications. Just make sure to respray every couple days when using outdoors, as dew and rain can wash them away. Commercial Repellents Of course commercial repellents are also available. Even the best lizard repellents can be hit or miss but this one seems to be the most consistent at keeping lizards and geckos away. Using Decoys The effectiveness of using a decoy against any pest is still debatable, but well worth trying out. Unlike larger critters, you can skip having ceramic predators littered around the property in favor of more suggestive evidence. There are quite a few potential remedies, although some are more popular than others. Want to Let the Pros Handle It?Get a free quote from top pest control companies in your area. Egg shells are one popular example. Scatter some broken egg shells around potential entry points and the lizard will think a predator is nearby. Remember, lizards tend to be egg layers, so seeing egg debris can be scary to them. The same thing can be said for decorating with peacock feathers. Peacocks are a natural enemy of lizards and seeing potential traces of one will send a lizard running the other way. How To Keep Skinks Away From Your House? Keep skinks away from your home by: Maintain proper cleanliness on your porch The more clutter up there in your yard, the more likely skinks will find a good hiding place. You must keep your porch clean to prevent skinks from staying there. Do not leave entrances on the porch where skinks can access Some porches have a wide entrance, and this makes it easier for the skinks to enter. You must seal these entrances to prevent these animals' access and other insects that can become pests. Clean all areas of the garden Your garden is a good place for skinks because they have all the comforts that these insects seek. Even if your yard is clean, skinks will likely want to live there if it's neglected. Conclusion As you can see, getting rid of skinks isn't a very complex process. All it takes is a bit of knowledge and effort! We hope you found this guide helpful and have success with your skink problem. If you have any questions about the information above, feel free to let us know. Tags insects and keepingfences and rooftops and willclimbers and arehumans and willmornings and evenings.day and mayfruits and veggies and crumbsgardens and compost myreply The post 10+ Easy Ways to Get Rid of Skinks on the Porch appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to (Quickly) Evict a Roommate Not on the Lease Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:55 AM PDT Content of the material Have You Read Your Lease Agreement? Now's the Time!  Video How to Evict a Roommate Who is Not on the Lease in Illinois My roommate isn't paying her share of the rent. Can the landlord hold me responsible? Evict the Roommate from Your Life How to Evict A Roommate What is it about roommates? Common issues Dont Forget to Check Local and State Regulations Have You Read Your Lease Agreement? Now's the Time!  Review your lease agreement before you make any quick decisions that include having your roommate move out. You and your roommate should each have your own copy of the lease, and in that agreement you will find what your options are should your roommate intend to leave. Be sure to speak with your manager or resident services office in case they require additional steps or paperwork to properly extricate your roommate from the lease.  Video How to Evict a Roommate Who is Not on the Lease in Illinois Ideally, you can simply have a civil conversation with your roommate and ask him or her to leave in an acceptable amount of time. When having this conversation, be sure to put your request in writing, date it, and file a copy. Remember, if your roommate does agree to move out, you will be responsible for his or her share of rent and utilities, if applicable. Assuming your situation is a bit stickier than this, getting rid of a roommate who is not a legal cotenant may be more challenging. If he or she refuses to leave, you may need to consult a lawyer before proceeding. The state of Illinois has enacted eviction laws to establish a lawful and peaceful framework for the removal of unwanted tenants from real property. The Illinois Forcible Entry and Detainer Act clearly states: "…no person has the right to take possession, by force, of premises occupied or possessed by another, even though such person may be justly entitled to such possession. The forcible entry and detainer statute provides the complete remedy at law for settling such disputes. Persons seeking possession must use this remedy at law for settling such disputes. Persons seeking possession must use this remedy rather than force." In other words, you cannot physically force an unwelcome tenant to move out of your unit. This family member, guest, or friend technically holds possession of the property by the prior "oral agreement" of the person having a claim of title. Because you initially allowed them to live with you, they can only be removed by going through the formal Illinois eviction process. Calling the police to physically remove your unwanted roommate will not be effective, as the Forcible Entry and Detainer Act also applies to police officers and landlords. If your unwanted guest can prove that he or she was originally allowed to move in, he or she cannot be removed as a criminal trespasser. So, what can you do? You'll have to formally terminate the right of possession of the unwanted guest through a written 30-day notice to terminate his or her tenancy. If the individual still hasn't vacated the residence after 30 days, you have the right to file an eviction lawsuit. A judge can demand this individual vacate the apartment. This process can be very timely and costly, but it is the only way to legally evict an unwanted occupant to whom you gave possession to the property by either real or apparent permission. Even if this person is a family member, or maybe never even paid rent, he or she does have tenancy. This tenancy can be proven by receiving mail at the property, owning a driver's license with the property's address, leaving belongings at the unit, having a key to the unit, sleeping at the residency regularly or semi-regularly, or even just claiming to live there. Believe it or not, not having paid rent is a non-issue. If you're thinking about changing the locks on this person, reconsider. Because you originally allowed this person to live with you, locking them out is actually illegal. It may even result in a lawsuit against you! A wrongful eviction may subject you to legal liability, which can become very costly on your end. My roommate isn't paying her share of the rent. Can the landlord hold me responsible? It depends on whether your roommate is on the lease. Most landlords don't care how roommates divide the rent; they want only to be paid in full and on time. Here are some common types of rentals: On the same lease (co-tenants): People on the same lease are co-tenants and are jointly responsible for following the lease, including paying all of the rent due and on time. A landlord's actions to enforce or terminate a lease usually apply to all tenants, so if one doesn't pay, the others have to make up the difference. Even a partial payment of rent can open the door to actions authorized under the lease and state law, such as a lockout or eviction. Try to work with your landlord. It never hurts to ask if the landlord will agree to lower the rent temporarily while you look for another roommate.   Individual (per-bedroom) lease: Each tenant in the same dwelling is separately responsible for following their own lease and will not be responsible for unpaid rent or lease violations of other occupants.   Sublease: A landlord can be the owner, lessor, or sublessor of a dwelling. If you are a tenant and want to sublet your space, you should get your landlord's permission first, preferably in writing. If the landlord agrees, you effectively "stand in the shoes" of your landlord, meaning that you become the lessor and your tenant the sublessee. Unless the sublessee signed a separate lease agreement with the landlord, you are responsible for unpaid rent or property damage caused by your sublessee.   Oral lease: If the length of the lease is for a year or less, it doesn't have to be in writing. Keep in mind that it can be difficult to resolve disputes with your landlord without a written agreement that spells out who is responsible for what. Sometimes you can combine multiple writings (like email) to prove a lease. Keep copies of email and other communication with your landlord in case you need it later.   No lease: If there is no lease, or your lease has expired, the lease term is month-to-month (or however often you pay the rent) unless your original lease states otherwise. If you are renting month-to-month, either you or your landlord can terminate or change the lease with 30 days' notice.  Evict the Roommate from Your Life If your roommate is annoying but not violating the lease, posing a threat to you, nor willing to compromise, you have one other option: evicting that roommate from your life. Yes, this might require you to wait your lease out or break it ahead of time. Early lease termination laws vary across states but, here are a few general tips to help break your lease as smoothly as possible. Provide your landlord with advance notice. Offer articulate reasoning and any evidence for what's compelling you to move (by this point, the landlord is probably aware of the issues you're experiencing). Be willing to negotiate the particulars of your leaving (maybe finding someone to replace you on the lease, or paying an extra month's rent after you depart) Don't focus on the legwork required here. Instead, set your sights on how sweet your next place will be! How to Evict A Roommate In order to evict a roommate in California, a tenant must follow the process below: 1. Provide Written Notice Before filing a formal legal procedure to evict a subtenant, the tenant must provide the subtenant with written notice to leave the premises within 30 or 60 days. Thirty days is the minimum requirement for month-to-month subtenants. However, if the subtenant complies with the demands of the notice, such as paying back rent, then they may continue residing on the property. Furthermore, a tenant can provide the subtenant with a three-day notice if they meet the criteria above for eviction. However, the tenant must provide the subtenant with a detailed explanation about the reason for eviction pursuant to the three-day notice. 2. Unlawful Detainer Lawsuit Once the notice period concludes, if the subtenant is still occupying the premises, the tenant may file an unlawful detainer to legally evict them. To initiate the formal eviction process, the tenant will need to file the complaint with the court and serve the summons and a copy of the complaint on the subtenant. Then, the subtenant will have to respond within five days or vacate the premises. Additionally, the subtenant can oppose the complaint and file a response. Under these circumstances, the court will set a hearing date on which both parties must attend court and discuss the merits of their case. Then, after hearing both sides of the issue, the judge will issue a final ruling. If the judge rules in favor of the tenant, the local sheriff can serve the subtenant with a five-day “lock out” notice to vacate. However, if the subtenant refuses to leave by the “lock out” deadline, the sheriff will physically remove the subtenant on the day of “lock out.” On this date, the tenant can legally change the lock on the apartment. What is it about roommates? A running gag in "The Big Bang Theory" used to concern Sheldon's roommate agreement. Whenever Leonard was uncooperative, Sheldon would pull out this hefty tome to remind his friend of the obligations he'd signed up to. Advice for renters: What happens when my roommate moves out and I'm not on the lease? This may have made roommate agreements into a joke. But legal website Lawyers.com suggests they're an excellent idea. "Most roommate disputes can be avoided by laying out simple guidelines and expectations at the beginning of the living arrangement in a written roommate agreement," it says. Of course, you may prefer to make yours more concise and less prescriptive than Sheldon. Common issues Roommates commonly fall out over issues that are mostly predictable: Who pays what and when Who does which chores and how frequently How tidy people should be "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine" When an occasional … ahem, overnight guest effectively becomes an additional resident General behavior, including appropriate hours for partying, loud music, and smoking, drinking or drugs Don't vaguely hope your roommates will act in a fair and civilized way over these. Instead, turn reasonable expectations into obligations by having people sign up to a written agreement. Dont Forget to Check Local and State Regulations In addition to double-checking the terms of your lease agreement, you’ll want to look into the specific laws governing evictions, tenant’s rights, and more. You always need to check local and state laws before proceeding with any of the above scenarios. Figuring out how to leave a lease with roommates can feel stressful. Knowing how breaking a lease might affect you down the road can help you make an informed decision about how you’ll proceed. Ready to move out? Search thousands of apartments for rent on Zumper and find your next home (without your roommate). Find apartments near you Get Started Tags newusinformationfaqincludesfeesrentalampestate The post How to (Quickly) Evict a Roommate Not on the Lease appeared first on caramembuatblog.

Here’s How Much It Costs to Renovate Each Room in Your Home Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:55 AM PDT Content of the material How much does a home renovation project cost? Video Tips for Saving on Home Renovation Costs DIY costs to remodel a house yourself Flooring cost Additional Costs and Considerations Home Age Structural Changes Hiring an Architect Electrical, Plumbing, and HVAC Systems Foundation Changing the Floor Plan of the Home Appliances How Much Does It Cost To Add A Room? Remodel House Into An Entryway What should homeowners know before starting a renovation? Do I Need a Home Renovation? Make Your Home More Comfortable and Aesthetically Pleasing Boost Your Home’s Value Enhance Safety and Improve Accessibility Increase Efficiency Fix Existing Damage You’re Selling Your Home Average cost to gut & remodel a house Cost to gut a house Cost to rehab a house How Much Should I Spend on a Home Renovation? Determine Financing Before Finalizing Your Budget Remodeling Cost Per Square Foot Profile Menu More Ways to Save Money on Home Renovation Attic bathroom renovation After How much does a home renovation project cost? Again, it depends on how much work you’re doing, the square footage of the rooms and whether you’re shelling out for the remodeling all at once or doing improvement projects little by little. HomeAdvisor.com’s study on renovation costs puts the average cost of a multi-room renovation between $18,000 and $76,000. My own home renovation was in this range, but projects can run as low as $3,700 or up to $150k for high-end work in pricey homes. A kitchen renovation alone averages $25,000, according to the study. A bathroom remodel averages $10,000, and a basement remodel runs about $20,000. House Beautiful also has a resource section on how much renovations can cost by room. For example, the average cost of remodeling a 35-square-foot laundry room is $6,000. Tips for Saving on Home Renovation Costs When creating your remodeling budget, use these tips to further reduce your costs: Complete demolition yourself: If you're removing cabinets or pulling up tile as part of your renovation, consider doing the work yourself. As long as there is no expertise required, this is a good way to reduce labor costs and save a few dollars. Order fixtures and finishes yourself: Your contractor will probably charge you an hourly fee to do your shopping for you and may even charge a markup. Be clear about your plans so your contractor knows you're taking on that responsibility yourself. Be your own project manager: If you need to hire additional subcontractors for your project, interview and select them yourself instead of having your general contractor do it. Do your own painting: Having a room painted by a professional can cost $300 or more. Plan to complete any required painting yourself and you can remove that cost from your remodeling budget. Shop used: Instead of purchasing everything brand-new, pick up used or refurbished items when possible. This can greatly reduce your spend on appliances and finishes. Video DIY costs to remodel a house yourself The average DIY costs to remodel a house yourself is $2,500 to $12,000 for a kitchen or bathroom. However, most states require you to work with a licensed contractor for home renovations. Common DIY home renovation projects: Painting or applying wallpaper Hanging a medicine cabinet Changing electrical fixtures (make sure the power is off) Installing a kitchen backsplash Replacing a showerhead or faucet Replacing an appliance While you can do small renovation projects yourself, hiring a professional is the easiest and safest choice for large projects, HVAC, and electrical work. Return to Top Flooring cost On average, the cost to install flooring nationally is $2,886, putting new floor installation squarely within the $5,000 remodel range many homeowners are planning for. Of course, factors such as home size, type of flooring, and installation quality can raise or lower that price. Having old flooring removed—and addressing any issues that removal may reveal—can also add to the price tag. The hardwood flooring cost is the highest, followed by laminate, stone, and tile flooring costs. Most flooring materials are paid for in square feet, so larger homes will require a larger investment. Picking the right flooring material and limiting new floors to high-traffic spaces, such as the kitchen or hallways, can also help minimize costs. Additional Costs and Considerations A home renovation project can be complex or straightforward, and sometimes it can turn into a full-blown house remodeling adventure. It’s not uncommon for unexpected costs to pop up while planning a renovation. You may need to hire an architect to assist with planning a structural adjustment, or you could discover a problem with the foundation that must be addressed. Here are several other considerations for home renovation costs to help guide your planning process. Home renovations need an expert hand Get free, no-commitment project estimates from contractors, builders, painters, and more near you. Find a Pro + Home Age It’s no secret that older homes tend to hide structural or mechanical issues that must be addressed when they’re discovered. An old house might have great bones, but updating electrical wiring to current safety standards is a good (and sometimes necessary) idea that could save you money in the long run. Add approximately 20 percent to your total budget for unforeseen costs. Structural Changes If structural changes are planned, consult with an engineer to ensure load-bearing walls are appropriately handled. Expect to pay $300 to $700 for a consultation and plan review. On average, removing walls will cost between $300 and $10,000. Non-load-bearing walls cost less to remove. Hiring an Architect You might find the planning process much easier for more complex renovation projects if you hire an architect early on. Your ideas can come to life with the help of an architect who can recommend current trends, upgrades, structural needs, and more. An architect is also helpful as a cost estimator who can determine a rough estimate on expected costs. Architects usually charge between $125 and $250 per hour. Electrical, Plumbing, and HVAC Systems Some renovation projects begin with an intention to upgrade mechanical systems for better efficiency or reliability. Updating plumbing, wiring, and HVAC systems improve home value in the long run. A typical plumbing job costs $300, electrical work costs $350, and installing a new HVAC system runs between $500 and $7,200. Foundation “Foundation problems” is likely the most dreaded phrase to hear during any home construction project. Any issues with a foundation will push the renovation costs to the high end of the estimate, which is why a budget cushion is helpful. If major foundation problems exist—along with roof and mechanical issues—it’s sometimes cheaper to demolish and rebuild. Consult with your contractor to determine the best solution for you. Advertisement Changing the Floor Plan of the Home The cost to adjust the floor plan can range from between $750 and $3,000 and up. Since floor plans affect the foundation and structural components, you’ll need to consult a structural engineer. Additions usually require a building permit from your city, and some cities may require an architect, too. A floor plan change will require an update to nearly every system from wiring to HVAC and finishing work to make it suitable. Appliances Upgrading appliances is another common reason to begin a home renovation. New appliances can cost between $200 and $10,000. An array of options are available, and it’s easy to get carried away, especially with kitchen appliances. From six-burner stoves to smart fridges, consider what meets your needs and expectations to stay within your budget. Photo: istockphoto.com How Much Does It Cost To Add A Room? The estimated cost of adding a room ranges between $135,000 – $282,000. About 33 percent of people report renovating their primary bedroom to increase livability and overall function6. Once complete, over half of homeowners enjoy being home more and feel a major sense of accomplishment. High-end average cost: $320,976 Additional home value: $152,996 Return on investment: 48% Mid-range average cost: $156,741 Additional home value: $85,672 Return on investment: 59% Remodel House Into An Entryway A grand entrance is a high-end upgrade for any home, averaging just over $9,000. While you may feel sticker shock with the price tag, consider the labor associated. This renovation calls for moving electrical elements, updating the trim, installing a wider casing and a painting. High-end grand entry door average cost: $10,044 Additional home value: $6,116 Return on investment: 61% Mid-Range entry door average cost: $2,082 Additional home value: $1,353 Return on investment: 65% What should homeowners know before starting a renovation? “Be prepared for possible sticker shock and the process taking a little longer than usual,” Emrath said. With material costs increasing and supply chains still under pressure, patience and flexibility are more crucial than ever when embarking on a remodeling project. “Be aware of the rising trends in all the costs of the remodelers for the contractors,” he said. “It’s not just them being greedy and trying to drive up their profit rate, their costs are all going up as well. Fisher said it’s also extra important to plan your project well in advance, and to hire reputable contractors. “The top advice I have is to plan ahead. You want to make sure that you are not trying to change the project midstream. That’s expensive for no reason,” he said. “The second thing, a very close second, is focus on the quality of your pro. All of this stuff is irrelevant if you have a bad pro.” Do I Need a Home Renovation? The idea of disrupting home life or getting a renovation loan just to complete a major renovation could be enough to prevent some homeowners from taking the leap. A renovation isn’t for everyone, and it’s not always the best option cost-wise; however, you might discover that it’s the perfect option for your family. Renovating an existing home allows you to experience added comfort and luxury, avoid the hassle of moving, improve your home’s energy efficiency, and increase your home’s value. Make Your Home More Comfortable and Aesthetically Pleasing You spend a lot of time in your home, especially if it’s also your work space. Why not invest in making your private space more comfortable, functional, and enjoyable? Living in a home that suits your style and needs can positively affect your overall health. Home renovation doesn’t just have to be about resale value. If a room or system has always bothered you, update it and alleviate that nagging stress. Boost Your Home’s Value Any significant improvement on a home boosts the property value. That’s money right back in your pocket someday when you decide to sell. An outdated kitchen is a primary deterrent for many prospective home buyers. A kitchen renovation improves ROI (return on investment) by 83 percent, and a bathroom renovation by at least 65 percent or more. Advertisement Enhance Safety and Improve Accessibility It’s safe to assume most people would prefer to choose a renovation project rather than be forced to complete one due to damage or disrepair. In some cases, renovation cannot be put off for long. Faulty electrical wiring, roof leaks, broken appliances, or storm damage are just a few reasons homeowners should start a renovation project. Safety is a top priority when it comes to deciding on a renovation. Increase Efficiency Upfront costs of buying a house are one thing to consider, but many home buyers also factor in long-term energy costs. Monthly costs to maintain a comfortable home add up over time. Even if you don’t plan to sell a house soon, consider renovating some mechanical systems to improve the efficiency of your house and lower bills. New double-pane windows, added insulation, or an updated HVAC system improve efficiency. Fix Existing Damage Sometimes a house has sustained some damage that doesn’t affect efficiency or function, but it’s still important to repair any damage to keep property value high. A home that’s always kept in good shape will bring more value to a sale. You’re Selling Your Home If you know you won’t stay in your home forever, updating the interior might be a great idea to improve the resale value. A home estimate can help identify areas that would provide the best ROI. Some homeowners do this frequently as house flippers. In this case, it’s best to choose styles, colors, and trends that appeal to the current market in your region. Selling your home?A home renovation can boost resale value. Get free, no-commitment project estimates from contractors, builders, painters, and more near you. Find a Pro + Average cost to gut & remodel a house The average cost to gut and remodel a house is $100,000 to $200,000, depending on the square footage and age. Gut renovation costs $60 to $150 per square foot and includes demolition, structural improvements, new electrical and plumbing, new roof and HVAC, appliances, and finishings. Cost of gutting a house and remodeling Renovation Average cost Gut a house to the studs $2,500 – $7,000 Complete gut and remodel $100,000 – $200,000 Cost to gut a house The average cost to gut a house to the studs is $2,500 to $7,000 or more, which includes permits, labor, and material disposal. If the home has asbestos inside, it costs $1,200 to $2,800 extra for safe gutting and removal. Cost to rehab a house The average cost to rehab a house is $20,000 to $75,000 or $20 to $50 per square foot. A full gut rehab costs $100,000 to $200,000 to remodel a house completely. Generally, the cost per square feet gets cheaper as the house size increases. Rehabbing is a term used interchangeably with remodeling and renovating. The extent of the remodel, location, and choice of materials affect the total cost. Return to Top How Much Should I Spend on a Home Renovation? To get an approximate idea of what your remodeling budget should be, consider the value of your home as a whole. You don't want to spend more than 10 to 15 percent of your home's value on a single room. If you spend more, the value of the renovation will not proportionally add to the value of your home. For example, if your home is worth $100,000, the maximum you should spend on a kitchen or bathroom renovation is $15,000. If your house is worth more, the spend on a renovation could be higher. "Most of the time, it's really hard for a homeowner to know where to start. I recommend bringing in a design build contractor early on in the process. In their initial consultation they can talk about your needs and priorities and help guide you through a project that is realistic for your budget." Danny Niemela | ArDan LLC Determine Financing Before Finalizing Your Budget Before setting the budget for your home renovation, you need to determine how you are financing it. If you are paying in cash, taking out a loan or applying for credit, the budget of your renovation will need to fit within the limit of your available funds. Once you know how much you can afford to spend, set aside 10 to 20 percent of your available funds for unexpected expenses. This is important. Something will go wrong or cost more than originally projected. By setting aside a percentage before beginning, you know you will have the funds available to finish your project no matter what happens. "I recommend setting aside between 10 to 20 percent for a cushion. If you hire the right contractor to do some exploratory demolition or investigative work early on there should be very little unforeseen work that needs to happen. However, in our experience once a project starts many of our clients pull out the 'While you are here, can you also do…' list and if client has the money set aside, we can easily accommodate it in duration of the project." Danny Niemela | ArDan LLC Once you've decided how much to spend, use the following steps to create a detailed plan and budget. Remodeling Cost Per Square Foot Typically, renovating a home costs $15 – 75 per square foot. However, this price can go up to as much as $120-200 per square foot depending on the project and scope of work. Lets take a look how much you might end up spending per square foot for each room in the house: Room Type Remodel Cost Per Sq.Ft. Living room $18-50 Bedroom $15-45 Kitchen $45-180+ Bathroom $35-100+ Basement $25-90 Multiple rooms $15-25 per square foot Attic $60-190 Addition $80-200 Complete gut renovation $75-185 Profile Menu Subscribe this link opens in a new tab Your Account More Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab Free Organizing App this link opens in a new tab Login Sweepstakes Ways to Save Money on Home Renovation While you can't control the supply chain, you can find ways to save money on your home renovation. Karp recommends working with people who will share costs with you upfront.  "I think the number one thing is to have the right team, a team that you trust," she says. "As much as possible, homeowners should try to get an idea of the cost of the project, meaning architectural fees, compliance fees, and build costs at the schematic design, development, and construction stage." Allow space in your timeline for unexpected delays, Weiss says.   "Make a sort of renovation calendar that has enough space for any sort of interruptions," she says. "Even [prepare for] things like your contractors have to be out because they may have been exposed to COVID. There's nothing worse than expecting a renovation to be done months and months before it’s actually done, so make sure you can dedicate ample time to the project to account for the hiccups you may face." Finally, Lavinder reminds homeowners to solidify their renovation plans before they get started.  "People may have a plan for the remodel, but then they change their mind in the middle," he says. "That has a ripple effect that affects all these different costs. Going into a project and sticking with it and not changing your mind is one of the most important parts of doing a successful remodel." Attic bathroom renovation After What I Spent: $2,500 What I Got: New laminate flooring, paint and light fixtures upstairs. Plus I moved the attic access doors to make room for some shelving in the upstairs bathroom. Money Spent Since 2013: $1,420.26 to convert the former master closet back into a fourth bedroom and to freshen up the bathroom (new mirror, light fixture, faucet, hardware and moving the attic access doors) when I was trying to sell the home. Otherwise, I haven’t done much because I’m trying not to overbuild for the area. Shop the room: Mirror, Faucet. Paint color: Sherwin Williams – Spa. Shelving unit is an Ikea Kallax. Tags Thinking of replacing usreplycalculatorprices The post Here's How Much It Costs to Renovate Each Room in Your Home appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to measure the square footage of my apartment Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:55 AM PDT Content of the material What Exactly is Square Footage? How Do Condos Stack up Against Co-ops When it Comes to Square Footage? It is more Technical than It Seems Final Thoughts Video Measure each room Why Waste Time Looking at Apartments that are Smaller than What I Want? Accuracy of a floorplan How to Calculate Square Footage Your Apartment Budget Add up all your measurements How to calculate the square feet of a house It’s important to know how much square footage you need Deciding How Much Square Footage You Need When in doubt, ask the pros Learn more: What Exactly is Square Footage? Square footage is, plainly put, the ground area of any building structure. It's calculated by multiplying the structure's length by its width. NYC real estate is expensive and it only gets more so as square footage increases, so are prepared to pay up! It's also a good idea to have a general idea of the average price per square foot so that you'll know almost immediately whether or not the listed price is reasonable. How Do Condos Stack up Against Co-ops When it Comes to Square Footage? Co-ops rarely provide square footage stats but sellers should consider including this information for potential buyers. Doing so helps buyers get a better sense of the unit's available space and whether it will accommodate their needs. Not sure of the figures?  Consider hiring a professional to calculate it for you. OR, if there are comparable units for sale in your area that provides square footage information in their listing. Use it as an estimate for yours but be sure to clearly note that the figure is just that an estimate. Condo listings typically include square footage information along with a unit floor plan. And, thanks to the NY Department of Finance. This information is available to the public when real estate is listed for sale. It is more Technical than It Seems Fun Fact: Square footage is not objective. The Attorney General allows different methods for measuring it. The only requirement is that the calculation method be disclosed. With that being said, developers can use their powers for good or evil as they can use a calculation method that will best benefit them. (i.e. including a share of the building's common spaces such as hallways to fluff up the total square footage). Final Thoughts Don’t underestimate the importance of a property's square footage, especially if you're in the market to buy in NYC.  Ask the right questions, including what method was used to calculate the square footage whether it includes any unlivable shared spaces. Related Article: Square Footage Guide To Living From Small To Big Real Life Home Best Price Per Square Feet in NYC – To Rent and Buy Measure each room Going room by room, measure the length and width, rounding off to the nearest half-foot. Real estate agents often use an electronic laser distance measuring tool. If you have one, place it on a wall, aiming it directly at the wall opposite it. You will then see the square footage displayed on the device’s screen. A tape measure works well if you don’t have a laser tool. Multiply those numbers, rounding off to the nearest square foot, then write down your measurement on your sketch. For instance, if the kitchen is 10 feet by 16 feet, the total square footage is 160 square feet. If a room has an alcove, such as a living room with an area for a home office, measure that space separately and add it to the overall square footage of the room. The same is true for rooms with closets: measure each one by multiplying the length by width. Video Why Waste Time Looking at Apartments that are Smaller than What I Want? Because the listed square footage is not as important as you think. Have you ever said this to yourself: "I can't live in less than X square feet. There is no way my stuff will fit." Accuracy of a floorplan The Strata Plan is the legal document registered at the Land Title Office that stipulates the true square footage of a condo. Listing agents generally hire professionals to measure and to create a floorplan and gross square footage for their marketing material. Take note that professional measurers calculate square footages that are often larger than the legal strata plan. I have seen a professionally measured floorplan measure up to 50 to 200 feet larger than the legal strata plan. While these measures seek to eek out every portion of useable space, the results can at no time be used to determine the true market gross value. If true market value in a subject building at a said floor level is $1100 per square foot then a difference of 50 to 200 square feet will have a huge impact on the investment/perceived market value. Example: Strata plan legal square footage of 1575 square feet x $1100 sqft = $1,732,500 Floor planner square footage of 1675 square feet x $1100 sqft = $1,842,500 A listing agent that advertises the professional measures square footage on the Multiple Listing Service must disclose this in writing at time of the showing/offering for sale. When the buyer signs their legal paperwork at time of completion with their notary or lawyer, they are signing off on the legal strata plan and square footage; this is no time to have a surprise or conflict regarding the legal square footage of their investment. How to Calculate Square Footage You can calculate the square footage of a standard-shaped room (a square or rectangle) in three easy steps: Measure the length of the room with a tape measure. Measure the width of the room. Multiply the length times the width. Example: If the room is 8 feet long and 10 feet wide, the square footage of the room is 80 square feet (8 x 10 = 80). But what if you need to measure the square footage of a whole apartment or house? No problem! You have two options: Option 1: Measure the length and width of the whole house and multiply them together (this works best for perfectly rectangular homes). Option 2: Calculate the square footage of each individual room, then add those numbers together (this works best for homes with lots of angles). Your Apartment Budget Remember: you are paying for the entire apartment. If you are only using one room most of the time, you’re paying for that unused space. Utility costs depend a lot on your square footage, as well. If saving money is a top priority for you, this could be a factor when choosing square footage. The smaller the apartment, the less it will cost to heat and cool it. Square footage is a major factor in determining the rent price, so look for a floor plan that has what you need in a layout that makes sense. Add up all your measurements Once you’ve measured each space, you can add up all your numbers to find out the rental unit’s total square footage. How to calculate the square feet of a house When preparing to measure the square footage of a home, be it a house, condo, or townhouse, start with a few simple supplies: Paper and pencil Calculator Measuring tape and/or laser measuring tool If the property is a perfect rectangle, simply measure the length and width and multiply those two numbers together. For example, if your one-story house is 60 feet wide by 40 feet long, then your property is 2,400 square feet (60 x 40 = 2,400). However, most properties have more complex floor plans. When this is the case, it’s helpful to follow these simple steps to measure square footage. Draw a rough sketch of your entire space, labeling all of the rooms you need to measure. Include hallways and vestibules as their own “room.” Measure the length and width, in feet, of each room. Then, multiply the length by the width to calculate that room’s square footage. For example: If a bedroom is 12 feet by 20 feet, it is 240 square feet (12 x 20 = 240). For each room, write the total square footage in the corresponding space on your sketch. Once each room is measured, add up all the measurements to determine your home’s total square footage. Note: If you live in a tract home, condo or townhome community, you may be able to get architectural drawings or master builder plans of your floor plan. These may already have your square footage calculated. It’s important to know how much square footage you need Although there are couples raising children in tiny homes under 500 square feet, for the basics — enough space to eat, sleep and wash — you want about 200 to 400 square feet per person. But it’s not just about square footage. You also need to consider a room‘s shape. For example, a queen-size bed needs a 12-foot by 14-foot room (168 square feet), and a California king needs one that’s 14-feet by 12-feet — same square footage but different shape. Deciding How Much Square Footage You Need The amount of square footage you need depends on a variety of factors and it isn’t the same for everyone. If you live alone, you may not need as much space as you would if you were living with another person. When sharing your apartment with a roommate, consider how much space each of you will need to be comfortable (i.e., a private quiet space and a dining space). The amount of stuff you plan to bring along with you may also be a factor, along with the size of your furniture. For example, if you must have a king-size bed, that will take up 42 square feet of your living space. Your eight-foot sectional will need at least a 12-foot wall. Measure the width and depth of your must-have pieces of furniture, and keep in mind that you’ll need some space around each item (roughly 30 inches) in order to move about. When in doubt, ask the pros If calculating the square feet of your particular property feels overwhelming, consider hiring a professional appraiser to do it. The average appraisal cost for a single-family home typically runs about $350. A condo appraisal fee is generally between $300 and $500, and multi-family home appraisals can run anywhere from $600 to $1,500. While two different professional appraisers could evaluate the same home and come up with slightly different square footage figures, they do all aim for scientific accuracy. “We’re always shooting for somewhere between 1 to 3 percent variance,” Day says. Learn more: How to buy a house 15 best questions to ask when buying a house Renting vs. buying a home: Which is right for you? Tags shapes and sizes.rulers and startroom and then Indianapolis Insurance come in allflooring in yourstart in yourthis in everyKeep in mind newourussearchweotherhelpmakecreditampconstructionmenuinsurancerentals The post How to measure the square footage of my apartment appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Texture Paint Your Walls Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:55 AM PDT Content of the material Types of Texture Paints Video Ready to Give Your Space a Chic Update? Mixing and Filling the Hopper Get your Hero Rewards! Drywall Mud Tips and Tricks Abstract Texture Painting 1. Pour roughly equal amounts 2. Work the two blues together 3. Move to the wall 4. Add a few accents 5. Create a blue-gray 6. Smooth the layers How to Texture a Wall 1. How to Texture a Wall with Joint Compound 2. How to Texture a Wall with a Texture Sprayer 3. How to Texture a Wall with a Sponge 4. How to Texture a Wall with a Roller Knocking Down the Compound Preparing the Compound Make the texture compound Let it dry, then texture again Types of Texture Paints source: home-designing.com The first thing is to choose a texture or pattern. They can be used even to add extra beauty to the ceiling or to repair the unwanted seam lines. There are many types of textures, such as: Smooth texture paint Sand texture paint Knockdown texture Popcorn texture Orange peel texture If you want to know more about the various types of ceiling textures, then read our blog, which has 20+ unique texture types and decide which one you want on your wall or ceiling. After you pick one texture, it's time to start the process. Video Ready to Give Your Space a Chic Update? Master everything from color theory to pattern mixing with the MasterClass Annual Membership and exclusive lessons from award-winning interior designers like Corey Damen Jenkins and Kelly Wearstler. From shopping for statement furniture to designing a lighting scheme to choosing the newest member of your plant family, the skills you'll pick up are sure to make your house, apartment, or condo feel even more like a home. Mixing and Filling the Hopper Orange peel is a “splatter” type texture that involves spraying plaster in a pattern over your readied walls. This means that you’re going to need a gun and air compressor to get a good spray going. Technically, you can do it by hand, too, but this method is best left to the pros. If you don’t just have a hopper gun and air compressor lying around next to the cereal bowls, don’t worry. You can rent one from a home repair store, or if you feel like it, you can purchase one for a couple hundred bucks. Just make sure that the hopper gun you get has an air adjustable valve. Also, you don’t have to go crazy with your air compressor size—a smallish one will do the job, as long as it can manage about 100 pounds of pressure. Your next step is to get mixing! About one bucket of mud per room is the ratio here—mix it up using a drill with a paddle attachment or a mud masher until it’s about the consistency of pancake batter. Fill your hopper up about half to three-quarters of the way full, and set the nozzle on your air compressor to 100 pounds. Take a deep breath. You’re ready to get shooting. Get your Hero Rewards! Connect with a local specialist today to maximize your savings. Qualifying heroes: Firefighters, Law Enforcement, Military (Active, Reserve & Veterans), Healthcare Professionals, EMS, Teachers Drywall Mud Tips and Tricks Try using a paint roller to apply the compound to the wall, then remove some of the drywall mud to create a pattern. Experiment, because drywall mud is exceptionally forgiving, allowing you to reapply or remove as needed. Be sure to give all texture 24 hours to dry before applying paint. If you wish to dry it faster, place a fan facing the desired space. Abstract Texture Painting 1. Pour roughly equal amounts Photo by Christopher Drake Mix equal amounts of the two blues onto a silicone paint-mixing mat, once the base coat is completely dry. 2. Work the two blues together Photo by Christopher Drake Use a piece of stiff cardboard and a scraping motion to blend the paint. 3. Move to the wall Photo by Christopher Drake Use the cardboard to create the biggest layer of color by softly scraping and varying pressure as you move along, angling the cardboard and using one or two hands. Let the creamy base color show through in spots. 4. Add a few accents Photo by Christopher Drake Blend some warm taupe with bits of the two blues that remain on the mat, and use the cardboard to apply it here and there. 5. Create a blue-gray Photo by Christopher Drake Tint white with smaller amounts of the two blues and a bit of the taupe; apply as in Step 3. Do a final sweep with white, allowing glimpses of the colors underneath to show through. Allow white to dominate in some areas, blue-green in others. 6. Smooth the layers Photo by Christopher Drake Use sandpaper to take care of any hard edges, then add sheen with a buffing pad. Seal the wall with a layer of wax, if you wish. Flatter the finished wall with a shapely furniture piece in front of it, and keep the rest of the decor clean and simple. How to Texture a Wall Today in this blog, we're going to tell you four different ways to texture a wall. So whether you want an orange peel or ridged texture on your wall or ceiling, by following these simple steps, you can achieve any pattern or texture. so, let's begin with the first method: 1. How to Texture a Wall with Joint Compound source: pinterest.com The first step is to clean the walls, then let them completely dry. Now combine the joint compound with the water as per the instructions written on it. It should have a consistency of a thick batter. Use a wide putty knife or a trowel to spread it on the wall. And after that, whatever texture you want, you can use the tools accordingly to create the desired texture. TIP: For example, if you want a cross-hatched texture, use a notched trowel and draw lines in the joint compound.  Once you textured the entire wall, check whether there is any requirement to do touch-ups. Add the joint compound in the required spaces. Before you start painting, allow this to dry completely for at least 24 hours. 2. How to Texture a Wall with a Texture Sprayer source: homedepot.com If you want to texture your wall in the orange peel or in popcorn texture, you'll definitely need a sprayer. By the way, it is the easiest way to texture a ceiling or wall. Just follow these steps: The first step is always cleaning the surface of the wall. Whether you're texturing your wall or ceiling,  first clean them and then leave them to dry. Then cover all the furniture, floors as you don't want to ruin them, right? Combine the joint compound with water then add it to the sprayer's hopper. After adjusting the nozzle, use slow motions to spray onto walls. After you're done spraying on the whole wall, leave it for dry for at least 24 hours, then you can start painting. 3. How to Texture a Wall with a Sponge source: familyhandyman.com With the help of a simple paint sponge, you can create a beautiful faux texture.you can also finish this in less time as it takes less time in drying. So let's know how to do this sponging technique:  If you want two texture wall effects, then first paint the wall in a base color and let it dry completely. After that, soak your sponge in the paint of different contrasting colors or the same color (depending on what kind of texture you want) for a more striking and elegant look. Then dab dab dab..repeat this step to create a random texture pattern until the entire wall is filled with the design.  TIP: For more natural patterns, use sea sponges, and for uniform & rectangular patterns, use a synthetic sponge. Both are easily available in the market. 4. How to Texture a Wall with a Roller source: youtube.com Another easy way to texture a wall is by using a paint roller. This is a very simple technique and also quite popular among people. You can use this technique to create both kinds of texture: textured paint or faux finish. Texturing with Joint Compound or Textured Paint  You already know the first two steps, right? Yes, clean the walls and mix the joint compound with water. After that, pour this mixture into a paint tray, then soak the roller in it, and roll over on the wall. Wait for some time so that the joint compound will settle on the wall, then again roll over. By doing this, a wonderful 3D texture will occur on the walls, which look absolutely beautiful.  Use a brush for the corners and then let it dry for 24 – 48 hours. Texturing with Paint for a Faux Finish  After cleaning the wall or ceiling, paint the wall in a base color and allow it to dry. Then take a stencil or a thick nap roller and with the help of a complimentary glaze paint the wall. You can also use the secondary color. That's it!! and your faux finished wall is ready!! TIP: If you want something different and unique you can achieve it by using various types of painting tools and techniques. source: ratgeber-haus-garten.com Knocking Down the Compound When knocking down the compound, you'll definitely want to use a flexible blade. Without flexibility, the chances of scoring the texture are greater. Make sure you don't let the mixture set for too long on the wall. It's a good idea to keep a damp cloth with you so you can wipe your blade clean after knocking down a section of raised mud. You'll want to leave the knife a little wet, so it glides over the next textured area smoothly. Once the edges and peaks have been knocked down and the mud has had a chance to firm up (but not set), use a long handled curved drywall knife to lightly smooth out the tops of the ridges and create the low profile “knocked-down” look. PRO TIP #2: It takes practice and experience to know exactly how long to wait before knocking down the texture. If you do it too soon, the texture will be runny and simply smear. If you wait too long, small dried out pieces of mud will drag across the surface creating unsightly lines. Depending on the temperature and humidity levels in your house, it can take anywhere from five to ten minutes for the compound to set to the desired rigidity. This can cause problems because the longer it takes the material to dry, the more vulnerable it is to failure, mold growth, cracking, and more. Preparing the Compound Before creating any knockdown texture, you'll want to make sure you tape off the area to be finished and have sanded down the walls. Here's how to prepare the compound: Add Water to the Bucket. You definitely want to put water in the bucket first and not the compound; that way you don’t get clumps or hard spots when you add the powder to the water. Add Mud or Compound. Pour the proper amount of water in a second bucket. Standard, all-purpose joint compound will work best for this project. You can use either dry compound or ready-mix compound. Avoid compounds that contain sand or grit (unless you want a unique look). Plain mud works best for this type of texture. You should also avoid lightweight compounds. These formulas scratch more easily and may not accept the texturing as well as all-purpose compounds do. Mix to the Consistency You Want. For knockdown texture, never use mix that contains aggregate. Continue to add water and powder until you have a bit more mix than you think you'll need. Better to waste some mud than to run out before you're done. Set the mixture aside for about 15 minutes to allow for complete water absorption. You don't want the mix thickening in the hopper. You must be able to spray the mixture with the hopper gun, so it should be about the consistency of pancake batter or thick paint. Make the texture compound Once the primer is completely dry, you can mix the texture material. The compound is simple and inexpensive to DIY. In the 5-gallon bucket, combine four parts drywall compound with one part water. Use your drill with the paint mixer attachment to thoroughly mix the combo. The mixture should have the consistency of a thick pancake batter and should be smooth and easy to apply. You can also buy premade texture paint if you don't want to make your own. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, and stir the paint thoroughly before applying it to the wall. Let it dry, then texture again Timing the application of the second coat is one of the hardest steps of the process. Allow the first coat to dry about halfway. You can test how dry the texture is by pressing your thumb against the wall and removing it. The part of the wall you tried should have stiff, sharp peaks. Roll the surface with a second layer of texture material once the first coat has reached your desired level of dryness. This process will partially pull up the dried paint or texture compound, resulting in a three-dimensional surface. Again, you can use the paintbrush for corners and crevices. Tags usotherideas The post How to Texture Paint Your Walls appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Apply Drywall Texture to Walls and Ceilings Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:54 AM PDT Content of the material Prep the area Video Drywall Mud Skip Trowel Pattern What To Do Roll on the texture Drywall Mud Tips and Tricks Multi-Colored Lace Drywall Texture Tools Materials for Texturing Top Articles Crows Feet Drywall Texture Things You’ll Need Applying New Texture 5. Sand Swirl Mixing and Filling the Hopper Before You Begin Tip 6 Styles and Methods for Texturing Walls 7. Slap Brush Knockdown Prep the area Before starting the project, take a few minutes to prepare your space. Applying texture to a wall is a messy process; lay drop cloths on the floor and use the plastic sheeting and painter's tape to cover windows, trim, and doorways. Some walls may require a few simple repairs before adding texture. Patch any holes with the drywall compound, using the drywall knife to press the mixture into the hole. Swipe the area with the edge of the blade to smooth it a bit. Don't worry about getting the patch perfectly smooth, as it will soon be covered with texture material anyway. Next, you'll need to pre-coat the wall. Apply a layer of drywall primer or flat white latex paint, and let it dry. This step is vital. Otherwise, the bare drywall will absorb the texture paint, negating all of your hard work. Video Drywall Mud Skip Trowel Pattern What To Do Roll the drywall mud onto your wall with the sea-sponge roller, which is easier than using a trowel. Roll on the texture Adding texture to a wall must be done in two stages: rolling on the compound and, when that layer is partially dry, applying a second coat. Begin by filling the paint tray with the texture paint or handmade texture compound. Dip your roller into the paint, roll it out, and begin applying it to the wall. A standard roller cover will create a texture, but you may want to try a cover specifically designed for texture. If you're using store-bought paint, follow all the manufacturer's directions, as they may only recommend one coat. For corners and other areas that are difficult to reach with your roller, apply the texturing material with the flat face of a paintbrush. Drywall Mud Tips and Tricks Try using a paint roller to apply the compound to the wall, then remove some of the drywall mud to create a pattern. Experiment, because drywall mud is exceptionally forgiving, allowing you to reapply or remove as needed. Be sure to give all texture 24 hours to dry before applying paint. If you wish to dry it faster, place a fan facing the desired space. Multi-Colored Lace Drywall Texture Applying lace drywall texture with two different colors creates a dramatic visual effect. First, a layer of drywall mud or paint is laid down on the ceiling or wall. If drywall mud is used, it should either be painted or mixed with a color (you can’t paint it after the next step!). Once that layer is dry, a second coat is put up, either with a spray or specialty thick-nap roller. This second coat should be a different color than the first coat. A quick pass with a knockdown knife, and the end result is two layers of texture, each with their own color. Here are our best tips for choosing paint colors for your home’s interior. Tools Materials for Texturing Texturing drywall can be a very quick and easy process as long as you have the proper tools and materials. You might have most of the following items—if not, they are available at Freedom Materials or at your local building hardware store. Make sure you have the following when texturing drywall: Drop cloths and plastic sheeting; Drywall knife and trowel; Drill and paint mixer attachment; Paint, paint brush, and paint tray; Paint roller and cover; Painter's tape and sponge; Drill and paint mixer attachment; and Drywall compound and drywall primer. Having all the right tools and materials for your texturing job is crucial to ensure that your texturing project is a success. Once you have all the necessary tools, you can decide how you want to texture your walls. Top Articles How Biodynamic Farming Works: Biodynamic Farming Guide Victorian Interior Design: 6 Design Elements of Victorian Style How to Cool Your House Without Using an Air Conditioner Types of Maple Trees: Common Maples of North America Crows Feet Drywall Texture A crows foot texture is very similar to stomp brush. The difference—and where the technique gets its name —is in the brush itself. A crows foot is two oval stomp brushes mounted side-by-side. A good choice if you want a slightly more orderly ceiling texture, or if you want to texture a ceiling in half the number of stomps. If you want to remove your ceiling texture, here are the tools to get the job done right. Things You’ll Need Sanding pole Medium sanding sponge Mud (joint compound) Water Mud masher or electric drill with paddle Perlite Large bucket Hopper gun, air compressor, and hose Wide paintbrush Paint roller Slap brush Primer Paint Drop cloths and plastic covering Applying New Texture Use the technique you perfected to apply the texture to the new wall. By overlapping the old texture with a very light application of the new texture, you can create a gradual transition that fools the eye. Odds are, you'll still see the transition somewhat. Adding an overlay coat, covering both old and new texture will create a finished look. After the overlay texture dries, roll the entire wall with one coat of primer and two coats of interior flat wall paint. 5. Sand Swirl Sand swirl adds a feel of individuality to a room without stealing the show. This style of texturing is easy to do using a compound known as perlite (primer with sand mixed into it) and a 7-inch-wide paint brush. Hold the paintbrush by the base, as this will give you more control than holding the handle. Dip the brush a few inches into the perlite, giving it a wipe on either side of the bucket to remove loose drips. Practice making a swirl pattern on a spare piece of drywall before moving onto your wall. Using the brush, start at the very top of the wall, making a big loop with an open bottom. Each row of this swirl pattern will cover up the bottom of the previous row. Apply swirls to a 5-foot section, dipping the brush into the paint after every swirl, then return to your starting point and drop down one row. Continue working your way around the room until you are complete, then let it dry. After a 24-hour drying period, you can prime and paint the walls. Mixing and Filling the Hopper Orange peel is a “splatter” type texture that involves spraying plaster in a pattern over your readied walls. This means that you’re going to need a gun and air compressor to get a good spray going. Technically, you can do it by hand, too, but this method is best left to the pros. If you don’t just have a hopper gun and air compressor lying around next to the cereal bowls, don’t worry. You can rent one from a home repair store, or if you feel like it, you can purchase one for a couple hundred bucks. Just make sure that the hopper gun you get has an air adjustable valve. Also, you don’t have to go crazy with your air compressor size—a smallish one will do the job, as long as it can manage about 100 pounds of pressure. Your next step is to get mixing! About one bucket of mud per room is the ratio here—mix it up using a drill with a paddle attachment or a mud masher until it’s about the consistency of pancake batter. Fill your hopper up about half to three-quarters of the way full, and set the nozzle on your air compressor to 100 pounds. Take a deep breath. You’re ready to get shooting. Before You Begin By its very nature, texturing is a messy operation that results in wet texture material flying in all directions. When stippling a ceiling, even the most careful painter will need to cover the floors and adjoining wall surfaces, including door and window trim. Use drop cloths for the floor and plastic sheeting for vertical surfaces, hanging it with painter's tape. 1:31 Tip Wall texture effects can vary depending on how the material is applied and rolled. Practice the technique on scraps of drywall or even sheets of cardboard before moving to your walls and ceilings. Practice with both thin coats and heavy coats. Try different drying times between coats. The Spruce / Margot Cavin Featured Video 6 Styles and Methods for Texturing Walls Textured walls can enhance any interior aesthetic in your home. Learn about the different types of wall texture to help you choose the right look for your next DIY project. Comb texture: One of the simpler techniques of texturing is comb texture. You apply the drywall compound with a roller to the wall surface and then finish it with the "teeth'' end of a notched trowel. The trowel can have either evenly spaced or unevenly spaced teeth, depending on what pattern you prefer. The end product creates a visual effect of sweeping circular rainbow patterns. Knockdown texture: The knockdown texture technique is almost identical to the orange peel method, but with one final step. Before the drywall mud has dried and hardened, you use a drywall knife or putty knife to smooth out the orange peel peaks until you achieve a stucco-like finish. Orange peel texture: Similar to a popcorn texture, the orange peel texture uses a texture sprayer to create a consistent, bumpy finish to your orange peel wall. Mix the joint compound until you have a thin, pancake batter consistency, with the resulting bumps being somewhat smooth. Popcorn texture: Popular in 1970s-constructed living rooms and dining rooms, popcorn texturing is one of the most useful methods for covering imperfections and dampening sound between rooms or floors. The technique requires a hopper gun, air compressor, and the popcorn mixture itself, which you mix with water. If you plan to create a popcorn ceiling, be sure to cover your floors and walls because this method can get messy. The resulting look should slightly resemble an even, thin layer of cottage cheese. Sand swirl texture: The pattern of the sand swirl technique creates concentric overlapping swirls, similar to those resulting from a combing technique. However, the tools and materials for a sand swirl texture create a much more subtle and understated texture. Sand swirl uses a primer and a sand mixture called perlite that you apply using a paint tray and a paintbrush. Slap brush texture: You typically apply a slap brush texture in small sections, using a paint roller, a thinly mixed drywall compound, and a double crow's feet texture brush. The slap brush method uses the crow's foot brush to splatter the wet mud in random and haphazard patterns. After twenty-four hours, the texture wall should be ready for priming and painting. 7. Slap Brush Knockdown A slap brush knockdown texture combines the slap brush technique with the flattening step of the knockdown texture to create a random pattern of flatter, wider lines, instead of peaked, thin lines. To apply this texture, you will need a roller, slap brush, knockdown knife, and drywall compound. Using the slap brush technique, work your way around the room until each wall is evenly covered in a slap brush texture. For smaller rooms, wait 10 to 15 minutes before beginning to knock down the peaks using the knockdown knife. As with the knockdown technique, if you begin too early a line caused by the edge of the knife will appear in the wall texture. Stop if this happens, and wait another five to 10 minutes before proceeding. For larger rooms, you can begin knocking down the peaks in the slap brush texture immediately. Once the peaks on every wall have been flattened, the walls can be left to dry for 24 hours before painting. Get a pro to do it for youReceive free, no-commitment estimates from pro painters near you. Find local pros + Tags Delivering to Tools Tools How to Textureway to add sotimeusaddtexturesampresearch The post How to Apply Drywall Texture to Walls and Ceilings appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Calculate Square Footage For Tile, Carpet, and Flooring Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:54 AM PDT Content of the material Use our handy calculator! It calculates using feet and inches.  Pretty cool! Estimated Tile Required: Video Calculate the square footage of an oddly-shaped room Consider waste Consider asking a professional How many square feet is a 12×12 room? How to measure for bullnose? 4. What is Net Cleanable Square Feet? How to Calculate Net Cleanable Square Feet How to Calculate Square Footage Convert all of your measurements to feet Calculate the Area as Square Footage How to find the square footage of a rectangle How to Find Square Footage: Measuring the Room How do I figure our square feet from meters? Choosing materials Use our handy calculator! It calculates using feet and inches.  Pretty cool! Area LengthArea WidthFeetInchesFeetInchesArea 1Area 2Area 3Area 4CalculateClearEstimated Tile Required:Total Square Footage All Areas:10% Square Feet (Extra):Estimated Total Square Feet Needed: Calculate the square footage of an oddly-shaped room Rooms with complex shapes can be difficult to figure out. Some people try to figure out the square footage with a single calculation. This is where problems begin! The easiest way to calculate the square footage of an odd-shaped room is to divide it into even shapes, like squares or rectangles. You should then measure each of these shapes and multiply their lengths by their widths. Each of these multiplications can then be added together to give you the overall square footage of your room. Consider waste When installing a new floor, you should always consider the waste factor. When ordering flooring materials, you should add around 10% to your total square footage. This is because some materials will become damaged due to errors, accidents and additional cuts. There's nothing more frustrating than running out of materials during installation. Avoid this by adding an additional 10% for waste onto your flooring order. Consider asking a professional If you are not confident with your calculation skills, you may want to hire an expert. A construction expert skilled in floor installations should be able to help work out square footage easily. It can also be worthwhile hiring a flooring installation worker if you have an odd-shaped room. If you are uncertain of how to correctly calculate, you may want to contact us. We can help you understand how to work out square footage of a house. Video How many square feet is a 12×12 room? The square footage of a room measuring 12 feet wide by 12 feet long is 144 square feet. To calculate this you simply multiply the width by the height. 12ft × 12ft = 144 sq ft. How to measure for bullnose? Measure the length of any outside edge where your tile edge would be exposed or you want framed out.  Bullnose (also called trim pieces and decorative tiles) are typically sold by the piece. To figure the quantity you have to establish the length of the trim piece (i.e. 6″ bullnose, 8″ decorative liner), then the rule is:  Your total linear length divided by the length of each piece equals your quantity needed.   4. What is Net Cleanable Square Feet? Net Cleanable Square Feet ("NCSF") is the sum of all floor area that requires custodial services. NCSF is a great metric to know, especially for your facility's custodial personnel. Having accurate NCSF measurements can help determine custodial staffing, inform budgeting and aid in service provider solicitation. Custodial budgets will realistically contain chemicals, paper supplies, equipment and custodial labor costs to get the job done. Not knowing your facility's true NCSF might mean that you are budgeting too little or too much for cleaning. If you want to learn more about custodial budgeting and planning for your facility teams, check out our free guide on creating a custodial cleaning plan. How to Calculate Net Cleanable Square Feet Determine the square footage of each room that needs to be cleaned. Areas that require no cleaning, such as closet areas and mechanical rooms, should not be included. Once you've gathered square footage (minus non-cleanable areas) for all rooms, add them together. This number is your total square footage that needs to be cleaned. You can take this process a step further and add cleaning costs to the equation. Multiply total cleanable square footage by a base price for cleaning. For instance, if your total area to be cleaned is 5,000 square feet and the price per square foot is 25 cents, you can multiply $0.25 times 5,000 to get a total of $1,250 for cleaning fees. How to Calculate Square Footage Square footage is area expressed in square feet. Likewise, square yardage is area expressed in square yards.  Square meters is also a common measure of area. Assume you have a rectangular area such as a room and, for example, you want to calculate the square footage area for flooring or carpet. The way to calculate a rectangular area is by measuring the length and width of your area then multiplying those two numbers together to get the area in feet squared (ft2). If you have on oddly shaped area, such as an L-shape, split it into square or rectanglualar sections and treat them as two separate areas. Calculate the area of each section then add them together for your total. If your measurements are in different units, say feet and inches, you can first convert those values to feet, then multiply them together to get the square footage of the area. Convert all of your measurements to feet If you measured in feet skip to “Calculate the Area as Square Footage” If you measured in feet & inches, divide inches by 12 and add that to your feet measure to get total feet If you measured in another unit of measure, do the following to convert to feet – inches: divide by 12 and that is your measurement in feet – yards: multiply by 3 and that is your measurement in feet – centimeters: multiply by 0.03281 to convert to feet – meters: multiply by 3.281 to convert to feet Calculate the Area as Square Footage If you are measuring a square or rectangle area, multiply length times width; Length x Width = Area. For other area shapes, see formulas below to calculate Area (ft2) = Square Footage. How to find the square footage of a rectangle Measure the width and length of the area in feet. Multiply your length and width together to get your area. Note: If your measurements aren't in feet, convert them to feet first using our length converter. Once you've carried out your calculation, you will have your square feet (ft2) figure. To calculate your cost of materials, simply multiply this figure by your price per square foot. How to Find Square Footage: Measuring the Room After countless hours of going back and forth between the Ambient® samples you ordered (and maybe sending out too many "which one do you like better?" texts to friends and family), you've FINALLY made your decision. You've found the perfect floor and – before you decide to change your mind for the tenth time – there's only one thing left to do: determine how much square footage you need to order. To figure that out, it may or may not involve your least favorite school subject. Want to take any guesses? That's right, it's math! I can tell you can hardly contain your excitement, so let's jump right into figuring out how much flooring you'll need to purchase. How do I figure our square feet from meters? One square meter equals 10.76 square feet. To calculate square feet from meters, you should multiply the number of meters by 10.76. Choosing materials If you are on a budget, the square footage of your room may influence your choice of flooring material. Large rooms require more materials, so you might want to consider lighter woods or composites in this case. If you would like more information on types of flooring, why not get in touch with Rhodium Floors today? Our friendly and experienced team will be happy to discuss your requirements. Tags For the ProFor the Proget the rightoutline the squareMeasure the AreaApply the SquareMeasure the AreaSee Inventory Sign in homeupproductsnowcalculatingbuildingspacewoodprojectshop The post How to Calculate Square Footage For Tile, Carpet, and Flooring appeared first on caramembuatblog.

The 16 Most Disgusting House Bugs and How To Get Rid of Them Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:54 AM PDT Content of the material Stop Paying for Pests Video Composting Overripe fruit Stink Bugs Eliminate Moisture by Fixing Leaks Mosquitoes Popular Reads Crickets 1. Keep your eyes peeled Silverfish Bugs Have Needs Just Like Us 5: Cover Large Openings 3: Store Trash Properly Weevils Seal Cracks in Foundation, Walls, and Vents Good bugs, bad bugs Stop Paying for Pests 1/31 Pests and people are attracted to the same things: an easy meal, a convenient water source, and a cozy place to raise a family. All too often they find these things inside our homes. Delayed repairs and poor maintenance quickly become an open invitation for bugs and rodents to enter. Once inside, it only takes a little food and water to convince them to stay, and insects alone cause more than $5 billion in damages annually in the United States. Avoid the expense and hassle of dealing with pest damage by preventing it in the first place. istockphoto.com Composting 9/31 Composting is a fantastic way to recycle food waste into an excellent garden soil amendment, but compost piles attract hungry insects and rodents. Avoid problems by using an enclosed composting system, and locate outdoor compost piles at least 50 feet from the house. Balance food scraps with garden waste like fall leaves and grass clippings to prevent a smelly mess, and never compost meat, dairy, and fatty foods. RELATED: The Best Composting Bins of 2022 istockphoto.com Advertisement Video Overripe fruit That fruit bowl on your counter may be appetizing—until one fruit gets a little overripe and attracts fruit flies. “Don’t leave food lying around – place it in the refrigerator or sealed containers if possible,” Hartzer says. Find out the 10 most pest-infested cities in America. Stink Bugs If you've never seen one, stink bugs are brown and shaped like a shield. And while they may look like any old insect, you cannot dispose of these bugs by smashing them. If you smash a stink bug, they will release a less than pleasant odor—hence the name, stink bug. Normally, stink bugs find their way into your home during the fall months to seek out warmth. Any easy way to remove stink bugs is to grab a paper towel and force them onto it. Eliminate Moisture by Fixing Leaks Firmafotografen / Getty Images Most insects require a certain amount of humidity to survive. Any source of moisture can attract them, even condensation on pipes. Fix any plumbing leaks, however minor, promptly. If your basement or crawlspace takes on water during heavy rains, you're asking for insect problems. Install an effective drainage system and run dehumidifiers as needed. Mosquitoes Throughout the world, more people are killed by mosquito-borne illness than any other factor. In the United States, mosquitoes can spread different types of encephalitis and can transmit heartworms to domestic animals like dogs and cats. Popular Reads 6 simple ways to cut your dementia risk The dangers of Medicare Part B excess charges The 5 worst things to say after someone dies Crickets Some species of crickets, such as the Jerusalem cricket, are capable of biting humans if provoked. Still, it’s rare for these critters to bite. “The cricket species kids run into in North America are basically harmless,” says Joseph Spagna, PhD, William Paterson University associate professor of biology. “I handle the common ‘house cricket’ Acheta domesticus in my behavior classes regularly, with bare hands, and they have never bitten me.” 1. Keep your eyes peeled Sure, insects can appear to have otherworldly abilities — mosquitos can fly, cockroaches can supposedly survive the apocalypse — but they can't materialize out of nowhere. Your best defense: Look for warning signs and problem areas to stop them from invading your space. For instance, ants send out "scouts" to scope the ant-friendliness of your home, so even an ant or two indoors can mean it's time to get pest-proofing before those scouts invite over their friends. Check outside and learn where bugs hang out. Firewood can be home to ants and termites so store wood at least 20 feet from your house. And standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitos, says Boyd Huneycutt, co-founder of pest control company Mosquito Squad. "Yards with bird baths, play sets with tire swings, tree houses, fire pits and catch basins to recycle water should all be checked regularly and water tipped," he suggests. Even your landscaping can be problematic: Try keeping branches and shrubs well groomed away from your walls, so bugs don't make the natural transition from their home to yours. Silverfish 10/11 The shimmery and slithering silverfish is one bug you never want to see indoors. This pest will feast on fabric, paper, glue, and cardboard boxes. Silverfish are survivors—they even predate the dinosaurs—so it’s a challenge to get them out of your home once they’re there. You can, however, get rid of them with traps, insecticides, or a natural substance like boric acid or diatomaceous earth. To make sure silverfish stay out, make a few small changes to make your home less hospitable to them. Remove piled up newspapers, junk mail, and old cardboard boxes. Store off-season clothing and supplies in plastic bins, and take your dry goods out of their boxes and store them in containers with tight-fitting lids. istockphoto.com Bugs Have Needs Just Like Us Even though we look nothing like bugs, insects and crawlers have needs exactly like we do as humans. Bugs also need water to survive, albeit a much smaller amount of it. Bugs need shelter and protection from the sun and the elements, which is why they so often try to make their homes in places that are secluded and at the very least somewhat sheltered. Bugs also need a stable supply of food, and that’s why they tend to target the places that they do. For example, spiders tend to weave webs in places where they know other bugs will be present. For example, they love to cover gaps between different surfaces, where a passing fly or mosquito might unwittingly fly. When they do, they’ll get stuck in the spider’s web, where they become a free, easy meal for the spider. Your home is designed to provide for your needs, and thus it very much does the same for bugs. This is what motivates bugs to find their way in, and thus increases your need to protect your home and keep them out. 5: Cover Large Openings A hole in your roof can mean all the bugs — and bigger intruders — can enter your home. Henry Arden/Getty Images Some of the largest holes in your home’s exterior are more difficult to cover. After all, you can’t exactly fill your chimney or roof vents with caulk. To fill larger openings and keep bugs out, use very fine wire mesh, often called hardwire cloth. This material comes in rolls that can be stapled over holes to keep out pests. It not only keeps bugs out, but can prevent squirrel and raccoon infestations, which often bring fleas, ticks and other insects into the home [source: Potter]. Look for large holes on the roof, which are often found at the chimney and roof vents. A pre-fabricated chimney cap can be used in lieu of wire mesh, and may be more successful at keeping a variety of pests out of the chimney. Wire mesh should also be installed over holes in crawl spaces and basements, as well as over grills, vents and registers [source: Gouge et al.]. Advertisement Some vents have pre-installed dampers, which are designed to keep bugs out. Check to see if yours are operating properly, and repair or replace the dampers as necessary. You can also replace existing grills or vents with screened models that are designed to keep bugs out. 3: Store Trash Properly If you keep a compost bin, it should have a secure lid. Catherine McQueen/Getty Images Just as one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, the trash cans in a home can be a gourmet smorgasbord to cockroaches and other pests. To prevent bugs from feasting on your trash, proper storage and handling are critical. Keep food trash in the kitchen and not in wastebaskets throughout the house. The trash should be placed in a can with a lid, and should be emptied each night. Exterior cans should have self-closing lids along with tight seals to keep insects out. All interior and exterior trash receptacles and recycling bins should be cleaned and sanitized regularly, especially if they’re exposed to spills. Advertisement If you keep a compost bin, it should have a secure lid and should be lined with hardwire cloth to keep bugs from feasting. Be sure to remove fully composted materials every three to six months [source: Gouge et al.]. Weevils 2/11 Weevils usually get into your house by hitching a ride in your groceries. Adult weevils burrow into rice and other grains to lay their eggs, so you may not know you’ve brought home pests until they hatch and crawl all over your pantry! The fastest remedy for an infestation? Purge. Get rid of any unsealed dry foods, including flour, cornmeal, oats, rice, pasta, and prepackaged items that don't have sealed pouches inside. Then, throw away all the boxes of sealed items like soup mixes or gelatin. Even if weevils don't eat these items, they could enter the boxes to hide, only to reemerge later to contaminate your food. After you’ve tossed the affected foods, clean the pantry shelves and spray a household insecticide around the area. Once the liquid has had a chance to dry, you can restock. istockphoto.com Seal Cracks in Foundation, Walls, and Vents zimmytws / Getty Images Any crack in an exterior wall of your home is like a welcome sign to insects. Grab a tube of caulk and inspect your home from top to bottom. Seal any cracks you find. Insects can also get in through tiny gaps around your dryer vent, gas line, or even a cable wire. Seal these areas from the inside using a spray foam product or caulk, as appropriate. Good bugs, bad bugs A female American house spider, Parasteatoda tepidariorum, with prey. (Photo: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez [CC BY-SA 4.0]/Wikimedia Commons) The survey did find pests, just not as many. German cockroaches were in 6 percent of houses, subterranean termites were in 28 percent, fleas were in 10 percent and bed bugs weren’t found at all. About 74 percent of houses did have cockroaches, but only three had American cockroaches — a “true pest,” the researchers write. The rest were smoky brown cockroaches, which have a slightly better reputation. Not only are indoor arthropods mostly benign, but some could be beneficial. On top of Trautwein's point about their role in promoting microbial diversity — which can strengthen the human immune system — some also offer more direct perks. House spiders eat a variety of pests like flies, moths and mosquitoes, for example, and house centipedes are known to prey on crickets, earwigs, roaches and silverfish. By investigating the diversity of this domestic wildlife, scientists hope to shed more light on the unique ecosystems inside our homes. And that's no trivial task: According to a 2015 study, the indoor biome is Earth's fastest-growing environment. "Even though we like to think of our homes as shielded from the outdoors, wild ecological dramas may be unfolding right beside us as we go about our daily lives," Leong says. "We're learning more and more about these sometimes-invisible relationships and how the homes we choose for ourselves also foster indoor ecosystems all their own." Tags Enter Your Homemaking your homeproof your home.into your housebut your doorsincludes your garageof your home.from your foundationinto your homekeep your home helpproofdoorswindowsampdoor The post The 16 Most Disgusting House Bugs and How To Get Rid of Them appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How To Cut Tile Without A Wet Saw And What Do You Need Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:54 AM PDT Content of the material Using a glass cutter for tiling projects Video Can you cut porcelain tile without a tile cutter? Steps to Cut tile without a Wet Saw Is there a dry tile cutter? Can you cut tiles with a Dremel? Materials and tools Step 1: Marking The Tile Step 2: Wear The Safety Elements Step 3: Score The Tile Step 4: Place A Wire Underneath The Tile To Be Cut Step 5: Break The Tile Step 6: Smoothen The Edges What saw blade to cut ceramic tile? How to cut tiles with a manual tile cutter 5 Easy Ways To Learn How to Cut Porcelain Tile Without a Wet Saw  1. How to cut porcelain tile using a tile Nipper  Instructions for proper use of the tile nipper to cut porcelain tile 2. How to cut porcelain tile, using an Angle grinder Instructions for proper use of the angle grinder to cut porcelain tiles 3. Cutting Porcelain tile, using a tile cutter. Instructions for proper use of the tile cutter to cut porcelain tiles. 4. How to cut porcelain tile using a wet wheel Instructions for the proper use of the wet wheel to cut porcelain  5. Cutting a porcelain tile, using a drill bit. Instructions for proper use of the drill bit to cut porcelain tiles Conclusions Cutting A Tile Around The Toilet Tools Critics Using a glass cutter for tiling projects A glass cutter uses the same method as the manual cutter, but ironically, you'll manually apply pressure to break the tile yourself. First, measure out and mark the area that needs to be cut using a pencil and a T-Square or yardstick. Bob Vila recommends setting the T-Square or yardstick slightly off the mark to make room for the cutter to hit the appropriate spot. Then, run the cutter along the line using the T Square or yardstick as a guide to stay straight. Press down so you hear the scraping sound of the blade hitting the tile to score it. Advertisement After scoring the tile, take the other end of the glass cutter (which should have a small round ball at the end), and gently knock the bottom side of the tile along the scored line. This action will further weaken the line to allow an even break. Then, take a wire hanger or the glass cutter itself and put it under the tile's cut line; the cutter or hangar will prop the tile up. You'll then press down on either side of the cut line to snap it in two. A glass cutter is a cheap option, starting at just under five dollars, but similar to the manual cutter, this method only works for straight cuts and porcelain or glass tile of average thickness. If you want to make angled cuts or minor cuts for corners, you can use a tile nipper and rubbing stone. Advertisement No matter what you use, though, make sure to wear protective glasses at all times—tile debris can be dangerous, especially when using manual or glass cutters.       Advertisement Can you cut porcelain tile without a tile cutter? There are several methods for cutting tiles by hand without a tile cutter, using a cutting tool such as a glass cutter or a carbide-tipped pencil. Before using any tool to cut tile, measure the glazed side of the tile to determine where you need to make the cut. Video Steps to Cut tile without a Wet Saw Prepare the tile that you want to cut or measure the area that is to be cut if you're looking to remove it from the surface. Then, take a cutting wheel and oil it with light machine oil. Score the line by putting extra pressure with the help of the hands. Now, place the jaws centred on the score line and apply pressure to break the tile. If you're trying to cut a different shape, draw the shape. Score firmly after drawing it and cut edge to edge following the scored line. Once can not only cut straight lines, but can also cut wiggly lines, curves and other abstract shapes by following this procedure. Usually a tile saw takes around 20-40 minutes to cut a tile which can be done in few minutes using the scoring tool. Is there a dry tile cutter? The iQTS244 is a revolutionary 10″ dry cut tile saw with a fully integrated dust containment system. It allows you to make precise cuts on ceramic, porcelain, marble and stone with no water and no dust.Specifications. Brand iQ Power Tools Model iQTS244 SKU 387759. Can you cut tiles with a Dremel? A Dremel tool makes cutting tile much easier than it looks. Whether you want to open a hole in tile that is already fixed to a wall or floor, or cut tiles to fit before you install them, a Dremel tool will make any tile cutting job easy. Materials and tools Glass cutter Washable marker Damp cloth Gloves and safety glasses Smoothening tool Square ruler wire Step 1: Marking The Tile Place the tile on the cutting surface. Using a washable marker and a square draw straight lines on the points you want to cut the tile. It is advisable to verify the marked points to ascertain the credibility of the cut, which reduces the wastage. A square ruler is essential for straights cuts. However, you can use a tool with a straight edge for precise lines. In case of any wrong marking, wipe it away using the damp cloth or an eraser if you will be using a pencil to draw the lines. Step 2: Wear The Safety Elements It is advisable to wear safety goggles to prevent the tiny pieces of the tile from finding their way to your eyes. Also, due to the intense pressure, you will have to apply on the tile with your palms, wear a fabric glove. The fabric glove will do you good by preventing any accidental cut on your palms. Step 3: Score The Tile This step is to essentially have a partial cut on the tile, which will be the guideline of the actual cutting. The scoring process sounds like a crackling noise. Place the square beneath the cut line to act as the guideline of the cutter to avoid any mistakes. Hold the glass gutter firmly and press it down along the drawn line. Keenly drag the cutter along the line to do a partial cutting on the tile. This step should be done with a lot of soberness because there is no room for mistakes. The glass cutter goes for approximately $10 hence at a pocket-friendly price. It is readily available in the hardware, or you can make an online order. Step 4: Place A Wire Underneath The Tile To Be Cut This step is crucial when cutting tile without a wet saw. You will require a wire which is thin enough to go through the partially cut line.  Take the wire and place it along with the cut and ensure that it is long enough to go through the entire line. Step 5: Break The Tile Place the tile on a sturdy surface that can withstand a massive amount of pressure. Also, ensure that you have the fabric gloves on to avoid any accidental cut. Use your palms to press the tile with hands on the different sides of the wire. Press hard enough until the tile completely breaks. While applying pressure on the tile, increase it gradually to avoid splintering the tile, which can damage it or cause a cut on your hands. In case the tile does not break, you will have to use the glass cutter to score it again. Step 6: Smoothen The Edges Rough edges are possible when cutting the tile and may not be appropriate for fixing in your construction. Thus use the available smoothening tool to have smooth edges. The possible smoothening tools are rubbing the stone and a slab of concrete. Whichever the tool you use, hold it appropriately along the edges and brush it slowly until you have smooth edges. What saw blade to cut ceramic tile? The best type of blade to use with an angle grinder when cutting ceramic tile is a diamond-tipped, smooth-edge blade without any notches or serration. Notched blades are for porcelain and serrated blades are more suited to natural stones. How to cut tiles with a manual tile cutter A manual cutter is used for straight cuts, they take longer to use than power tools but they are a cheaper alternative and simpler to use if you’re just starting out. They have a handle which runs on a rail, allowing you to make a smooth cut, much like with a paper guillotine.  To measure where the tile needs to be cut, place a tile on top of the last full tile, and mark with a pencil where the overlap is, this is where you need to cut. Make sure you leave enough room for the grout joint and movement joint. Movement joints must not be grouted, the use of a sealant would be recommended. Place the tile in the tile cutter, square it up to the plate and get the cutter and pencil mark in line. Press down firmly on the handle of the cutter, and push forward across the tile to score a line. Press and apply pressure on each side of the tile and it will snap into two pieces. Some cutters will have an all in one breaker built in, just put the clamp part on the tile and push down on the handle to snap the tile. If the cut isn’t clean and the edges are slightly rough, use a file or rubbing stone to smooth the edges. For smaller or curved pieces, use tile nippers to cut small pieces off to achieve the correct size or shape required. (Image credit: CTD Tiles) 5 Easy Ways To Learn How to Cut Porcelain Tile Without a Wet Saw  1. How to cut porcelain tile using a tile Nipper  A time a nipper is an excellent tool for cutting circular and arcs sections of tiles generally, Which is very difficult to achieve with a wet saw With this advantage over the wet saw, the tile nipper finds its way into this list as a brilliant alternative to the wet saw, also the tile nipper gives excellent cuts when used to do regular tile cutting and comes in a very easy to use form. Instructions for proper use of the tile nipper to cut porcelain tile Prepare the tile you wish to cut by marking it. This you can do using a marker or a good pencil to draw the lines on the porcelain tile that you wish to cut. Feed the tile nipper with the tile you have marked, hold the tile at the center of your marked line and don’t apply pressure, as the pressure can break the tiles. After you are done the cutting, you can use a rub brick to smoothen the tile edges, where they don’t come out smooth. If you follow through steps 1-3, your porcelain tile should be ready for use now! 2. How to cut porcelain tile, using an Angle grinder An angle grinder doubles as an excellent alternative to the wet saw  as it can give cuts in different amazing styles and shapes, including the L-shapes and cut, the circle, straight and square shapes and cuts. The angle grinder is perfect for producing results when the cuts and shapes are curved cuts. Instructions for proper use of the angle grinder to cut porcelain tiles To produce the best results the following instructions will serve as a guide. Mark out the shape which you seek to cut on the tile, a marker or a pencil will do a perfect job here. Mark your desired shape on both sides of your tile and apply little or no pressure when you feed the tile to the angle grinder. To be sure you are making the right cut, make multiple small cuts and turn over the tile; this will help you maintain control. If the edges don’t come out smooth after cutting, you can use an abrasive wheel to smoothen it, after your cut. 3. Cutting Porcelain tile, using a tile cutter A manual tile cutter allows you to make several adjustments to the tile and the type of cut you want; this makes the tile cutter an alternative to the wet saw, as it also produces amazing results just like the wet saw. Instructions for proper use of the tile cutter to cut porcelain tiles The first step to using a tile cutter to cut a porcelain tile is to look and adjust the tile cutter guide, so it can fit properly. Feed the tile to the tile cutter, the marked position and then place the cutter on the edge of the tile. Push down on the tile cutter and slide the cutter across the marked lines Once you get to the end, press down. The tile will break into two smooth pieces and your cut is ready. 4. How to cut porcelain tile using a wet wheel Also known as the diamond blade, the wet wheel is used to cut tough and very hard materials, the diamonds fixed at the edges of the blade, makes cutting easy and smooth. All of this qualifies the diamond blade as a good alternative to the wet saw. Instructions for the proper use of the wet wheel to cut porcelain  They are two types of the wet wheel machine, one using your top quality tile saw and the other using a wet wheel. Below are the instructions for safe and proper use. Before going ahead to cut, ensure that the tile is supported either by plywood or any support, so the tile doesn’t break off easily. Adjust the edges of the tile with the help of the cutting wheel and ensure that you guide it over the blade of the diamond wheel, till the cut is complete. The use of force is not advised. 5. Cutting a porcelain tile, using a drill bit Drill bits are amazing when used to create cuts and holes in a porcelain tile, to have a clean drill hole in the porcelain tile to fit your screws, your plumbing pipes and also your radiators spaces, a drill bit comes top of the list, which qualifies it as an alternative to the wet saw. Instructions for proper use of the drill bit to cut porcelain tiles Mark the positions on the porcelain tile, where the holes are to be drilled. Fix the tile properly to avoid twist, when drilling. Start drilling, do this slowly to cut the hole without overheating. Conclusions To wrap it up, cutting tiles without chipping may seem a daunting task at first, but you do not worry. If you get the right tool (a wet saw is the best choice you can make) and work at a slow and steady pace, you are going to make it. Be careful with porcelain tiles: since they are harder, they are also easier to chip. You might need a wet saw for those. If you need to cut ceramic tiles, then a manual cutter should do the job for you. Cutting A Tile Around The Toilet When installing tiles in your toilet, you will need to factor in the toilet itself. Which means you will need to cut the tiles to go around the toilet. There are several ways for how to cut tile around the toilet without a wet saw. One of the more common approaches is to use sheets of paper to map out the design of the floor around your toilet first. The sheets of paper need to be the same size as the tiles you are installing. For example, if you have 16 by 16 inches tiles, then the sheets of paper need to be the same size. Cut a sheet of paper for every tile you will be installing around the toilet. Using scissors remove the areas that you do not need from the sheets of paper. For instance, if you have a toilet with an angular base, you need to cut a triangular section from the corners of the paper. Once this is done lay the sheets of paper into the place where the tiles will go. When doing so, remember to factor in space between the tiles. Make sure all the sheets of paper fit snugly against the base of the toilet. Tape the sheets of paper to the tiles you want to install. Use a pencil to illustrate the cut points on the tiles. Once you have indicated the cut lines, use a tile scribe to draw a 0.32 cm deep cut line on the tiles. Next, take a pair of clippers and start removing the unnecessary tile section. Be careful not to snip huge chunks of the tile, especially when you near the cut lines. After snipping away the unwanted part use a tile file to sand down any rough edges. After this is done, you can now start installing them permanently. On how to cut tile with a wet saw without chipping, using a clipper might not be ideal. This is especially if you have never used them to cut tiles before. Without experience, you can end up chipping away large and important parts of the tile. Tools Critics Tools Critics aims to give you with a range of unbiased options when it comes to choosing a power saw. Our team hand-picks each product based on price, popularity and past reviews of customers to give you peace of mind. Tags homeaboutthesesawsamp The post How To Cut Tile Without A Wet Saw And What Do You Need appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Make an In-Ground Fire Pit Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:53 AM PDT Content of the material Best Locations for a Fire Pit Video DIY Mini Fire Pit 5. What Kind Of Rocks Explode In Fire? 14. Find The Right Furniture 5. Concrete Tree Rings Fire Pit 2. Tabletop Fire Pit 4. Stack the Rocks Set the Face Brick Gas or Wood? FAQ About Building a Fire Pit What do you put in the bottom of a fire pit? How do you prepare the ground for a fire pit? Can you build a fire pit on dirt? What is the best base for a fire pit? DIY BBQ Fire Pit Operation Guidelines Create Air Holes Fire Pit Parts: An Overview Fire Pit Safety Tips Tools Materials Conclusion Best Locations for a Fire Pit One of the first things you should do when considering adding a fire pit to your yard is where you’re going to put it. It’s important you choose a space that makes sense for entertaining while also ensuring it’s at least 10 feet away from your house and any tall trees or fences. The area above where the fire will be lit should be completely clear—no low-hanging vegetation. Nothing around the fire pit area should be flammable, so don’t locate it near any tall grass. And, make sure the area is level— don’t build a fire pit on a slope. Video DIY Mini Fire Pit Evansville Living Here's a true mini fire pit made using a flower pot to create the size and shape. Your fire pit will take the form of any large plastic container you choose, such as a flowerpot or urn. For this DIY fire pit, Deb McDaniel at Evansville Living sprayed the inside of the container with non-stick cooking spray and poured in quickly setting concrete. Set one or more gel fuel canisters into the wet concrete to create the right-sized space (coat the canister with non-stick cooking spray for easy removal). Place rocks or beach glass into the still-wet, pliable concrete mix for a sparkling finishing touch. When the concrete dries, remove the container (gently break it apart if necessary or glide the concrete out of the container) for your unique fire pit. 5. What Kind Of Rocks Explode In Fire? Nearly any kind of rock has the potential to explode – especially if it is porous and wet. When wet rocks heat up, the trapped air and water expand very quickly and forcefully break the rock apart, sometimes causing it to explode. Some of the most common rocks that should be avoided in fire pit construction include sandstone, limestone, pumice, gravel, and river rocks because of their porous nature and tendency to hold water. Hard rocks like granite, marble, or slate are much denser, and therefore less likely to absorb water and explode when exposed to heat. Other rocks that are safe to use around and in your fire pit include fire-rate brick, lava glass, lava rocks, and poured concrete. This is one area where you can use lava rocks for fire pit safety. If you have rocks in or around your fire pit, be cautious when lighting fires after it has rained. Wet rocks are much more likely to explode than dry rocks. If you frequently use your fire pit, you may even consider covering your fire pit in adverse weather to keep it dry and keep yourself safer. 14. Find The Right Furniture Portofino® Comfort 8 Piece Motion Fire Seating – Taupe Mist for enjoying a great time with your friends with comfort. The outdoor furniture you choose really helps dictate your outdoor design. To make your home feel larger, make sure the design from inside the home flows over into the design of your backyard furniture. This will make your space feel more cohesive and more like one large space from inside to outside. You should also consider the quality of materials your furniture is made of. By far the best (and most popular) material is aluminum. High-quality outdoor furniture will last you for years to come. No matter what kind of outdoor furniture you purchase, make sure it is safe for use around fire and is non-flammable. Remember to keep all furniture at least 3 feet from your fire pit for added safety. 5. Concrete Tree Rings Fire Pit This petite fire pit stands out for its unusual design and colour. Now that scalloped edges are currently on trend, this is the most fashionable fire pit in our list! source: www.instructables.com 2. Tabletop Fire Pit This chic fire pit is a elegant alternative to the traditional garden pit. Although you probably won’t be using it to cook anything, it will bring a touch of luxury to your patio. Just add your favourite garden furniture set nearby and enjoy watching the flames flicker. source: www.theartofdoingstuff.com 4. Stack the Rocks Temporarily lay out the fieldstone around the outside of the fire pit so you can select the size, shape and 'face' of the rocks as you need them to build the ring. Beginning with the larger rocks, position the stones at the base and against the earthen wall of the pit. As you place and stack the stones next to and on top of each other, only the front facing surface of the rock will show. Work around the circle of the pit, staggering the placement of the stones to create a small stone wall all of the way around the ring. Take care when placing the rocks to stabilize each one against the pit wall and against the surrounding stones to build a sturdy and good looking stone wall. Continue placing the stones and building up your wall until the field stone ring is at least 24" high. Save some of the flatter stones to use as "cap" stones to top off the walls of the fieldstone fire pit. Fire pit surrounded by pea stone Set the Face Brick To keep your mortar joints between courses a reasonable width, lay a 2-3-in. thick bed of mortar right on top of the footing. Let it set up slightly (give it at least 15 minutes) and smooth out the top. Gas or Wood? The type of fire pit you choose is another big decision. If you’re looking for the most leisurely option, you might like a propane fire pit, which they have easy, instant fires. If you want something that burns brightly, smells delightful and is used for more than just decor, you might want an authentic wood-burning fire pit. This decision can also impact your location choice, so take that into consideration. FAQ About Building a Fire Pit What do you put in the bottom of a fire pit? You’ll want to start with a layer of sand at the bottom of the pit, and then top the sand with gravel, lava rocks, fire pit glass, paving stones or even bricks for your fire pit. Alternatively, you can simply use dirt. How do you prepare the ground for a fire pit? Clear away all grass and plant material. Excavate about 8 inches of soil, ensuring that the bottom of the pit is level and the soil is compact. Can you build a fire pit on dirt? Yes, you can build a fire pit on dirt. Make sure the dirt is compact and level. What is the best base for a fire pit? You have several options. Plain dirt is fine, but sand topped with gravel makes a more attractive base. DIY BBQ Fire Pit Red Door Home Most backyard fire pits offer the charm of flames that can roast marshmallows. But Stacy at Red Door Home wanted a completely functional fire pit that can be used for cooking throughout the summer. Two full-size grills rest atop a ring of retaining wall blocks, allowing Stacy to cook anything from steaks and kebabs to s'mores. Extending the use of the fire pit ensures that it can be used for more than just the summer season. Operation Guidelines One of the most important things you can do when prepping your fire pit area is removing any combustible materials from around the pit. Any mulch, brush, leaves, and pine needles should be removed. You can collect it and use it in your fire as a starter or kindling to get things going. Many local laws say the distance that needs to be cleaned around the pit is anywhere between 15 and 25 feet. There should always be a responsible adult tending to the fire until it has been extinguished completely. Many local laws say that you must have a mesh screen cover handy to contain any sparks and embers that may get out of control. You must keep fire suppression equipment close enough that it can be used immediately if the fire should start to become a problem. Acceptable items would be a fire extinguisher, garden hose, water buckets, and sand. You must keep the fire in outdoor fire pits to a reasonable and controllable size. Keep a bucket of sand nearby to help in an emergency, or if windy conditions increase. The only firewood allowed is dry, clean, and seasoned firewood; no lighter fluid or other flammable materials may be used. Do Not Burn: Wood products that contain glue or resin Garbage, including food waste Treated or unpainted wood, like materials from wood decks. Unseasoned or wet wood Animal carcasses Yard waste Construction material Anything that will release toxic emissions, strong odors, or dense smoke when burned Materials that contain grease, plastic, asphalt, paint, rubber. Create Air Holes Leave gaps in the firebrick in four opposite points around the ring and then fill them with half bricks. These gaps are “draw holes” that feed air to the fire. Prop up the half bricks until the mortar sets. Check for level across the DIY fire pit and the vertical level of the bricks as you go. Fire Pit Parts: An Overview Illustration by Gregory Nemec A built-in fire pit is a glorified campfire, with sturdy walls of stone that help contain the flames and heat. That’s especially important in the parts of the country where there’s a risk of brush fires. So the first task in building any fire pit is checking local codes on open flames. The pit must be located far from overhanging trees, the house, and any other flammable structure. To make building stone walls easier, you can use blocks made from cast concrete and molded to look like real stone (available at any home center). They’re flat on the top and bottom so they stack neatly, and some interlock for added strength. Glue them together with masonry adhesive. Choose a block with angled sides, meant to form curves when butted against each other. The optimal size for a fire pit is between 36 and 44 inches inside diameter. That will create enough room for a healthy fire but still keep gatherers close enough to chat. As an added precaution, the fire pit should be lined with a thick steel ring like the ones used for park campfires. These protect the concrete in the blocks from the heat, which can cause them to dry out and break down prematurely. A fire pit should sit low to the ground, with walls rising no more than a foot off the ground. But for stability, the base of the wall must be buried below ground in a hole lined with gravel, providing drainage and protecting against frost heaves in winter. The gravel also creates a level base for the stones to rest on. Most concrete blocks are about 4 inches high, so if the first course and a half sit underground, and there are two and a half courses above ground with a cap on top, you’ll end up with a foot-high wall—just right for resting your feet on while sitting in an outdoor chair. Fire Pit Safety Tips Use caution and common sense! Safety is always the number one priority. Check with your local zoning department for any regulations or permits required for building a fire pit and for burning in an open pit. Be careful in selecting rock for building your fire pit. Rock can be porous, and some river rock can retain moisture that will crack and explode when heated by the fire. Use good common sense when building camp fires. Do not create a raging bonfire that is too large for your small backyard fire pit. Never leave a fire unattended. Keep a bucket of water or garden hose near the fire pit area to quench any wayward embers. The Fieldstone Fire Pit Is Ready! Bring on the S'mores!! This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. © 2011 Anthony Altorenna Tools Materials Brick hammer Cold chisel Spade Hoe Metal rake Tamper Level – 2 foot Level – 4 foot Mallet Caulk gun Pointed trowel Power grinder Conclusion Fire safety is important for every member of the family to follow. If you are planning on having a fire with your loved ones around the fire pit in your backyard, be sure to practice proper fire safety to prevent emergencies and injuries. Tags Laser Tools frompractices to enjoyas to localWays to Buildhow to legallyhouse to ensure12 to 14walls to the top ofguests to be wemystepamplovewasfirepitseptemberaugust The post How to Make an In-Ground Fire Pit appeared first on caramembuatblog.

Average Cost of Utilities for a House per Month Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:53 AM PDT Content of the material What are utilities? Video Tips for Saving Money on Your Gas Bill Fintech Statistics Electricity The Cost of Powering Your Home Calculating Power Usage Groceries How Much Would You Pay for Cable and Internet? How do I calculate utilities for an apartment? How to save money on utilities Property Tax COST OF LIVING IN TEXAS What Does It Cost To Get Online, Watch Cable TV Or Make A Phone Call? How Much Is The Average Monthly Electric Bill In The United States? How Much is the Average Water Bill? How to Save Money on Your Water Bill How Much Does Heating and Cooling Your Apartment Cost? Utility Costs Research for low monthly rates How much money do you need to live comfortably in Virginia? Other Utility Bills to Consider Cable Streaming Services Phone Plan Trash The Power of Negotiating Have the Attitude That Everything Can be Negotiated  Shop Around  Change Suppliers  What are utilities? Utilities fall into six categories: Water Heating/Cooling Electricity/gas (in addition to heating/cooling, this covers lighting and general electrical needs) Trash/recycling Landline phone Internet/cable If you’re moving into a new place, you can sometimes find out the average cost of utilities in that area by asking a landlord, apartment manager, or realtor. If you’re renting, the landlord or manager may understand utility costs from other residents or may be able to connect you with someone currently living there. If you’re buying a home, a realtor should be able to provide you with copies of the current homeowner’s utility bills. Video Tips for Saving Money on Your Gas Bill To save money on your gas bill, first check the seals on windows and doors to determine if you're losing heat anywhere. Mostly used during the winter to warm the home, gas consumption can also be reduced by adjusting the temperature — and a smart thermostat can help with this. Likewise, get used to lowering the temperature during the winter, even if only by a few degrees. The difference will certainly show up on your bill. Fintech Statistics With an average annual growth rate of nearly 25%, the financial technology industry is among the fastest-growing worldwide. The latest fintech statistics suggest that the sector should hit a value of almost $310 billion by 2022 if this positive trend… Electricity The Cost of Powering Your Home Average Electricity Bill: $65.33 – $88.10 Almost every appliance in your home is going to be using electricity at some point in time, which is why it’s important to know exactly how you’re being charged for your power consumption. Your electricity consumption is going to be measured in kilowatt hours (kwh), which is essentially a measure of how much power a device uses over time. Currently, the average energy cost in the US is $0.133/kwh, which is higher than the previous year but prices are projected to fall within the coming months. Since everyone uses different appliances at different rates, it can be pretty hard to estimate average energy usage, but here are a few constants… Calculating Power Usage Determining exactly how much electricity you’re using can be tricky, but there are a few constants you can rely on to give you a baseline. Here’s the average cost of using some necessary household devices based on data from Duke Energy: Appliance Energy Usage Cost Ceiling Fan 0.075 kwh/hr $0.01/hr Energy Star Refrigerator 43.0 kwh/month $5.72/month Dishwasher 1.0 – 2.17 kwh/load $0.13 – $0.29/load Laundry (Cold Wash, Cold Rinse) 0.3 kwh/load $0.04 Water Heater 390 – 500 kwh/month $51.87 – $66.50/month TV (40″ – 49″ LCD) 0.15 kwh/hr $0.02/hr Computer (Desktop) 0.06 – 0.25 kwh/hr $0.01 – $0.03 kwh/hr Computer Monitor (17″ LCD) 0.04 kwh/hr $0.01 kwh/hr Still, there’s one major factor to your electric bill that requires special consideration… Groceries Use a calculator provided by Iowa State Extension and Outreach to calculate the suggested grocery spend based on the age and gender of your family members. For example, a family of four can anticipate spending around $650 each month on groceries. Approximate Cost of Groceries in Iowa Per Month: $650 Approximate Cost of Groceries in Iowa Per Year: $7,800 How Much Would You Pay for Cable and Internet? If you move to Texas, you should expect to pay a cable bill of around $85 per month . However, some people nowadays say that cable is old-fashioned, so they stop paying for it entirely and instead opt for internet streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and many others. Most of these streaming services cost you around $10 per service each month. It’s also a pretty good argument if you think about it. A ten-dollar Netflix subscription offers you a vast collection of movies and TV shows to choose from. So you watch whatever you want, whenever you want, and pay substantially less. A problem with cable is that some people pay for full cable subscriptions and pay for channels they don’t even watch. If you use cable, we suggest you spend a few minutes thinking about what you pay for, and if it’s useful for you or not. If not, only pay for the ones you find entertaining and watch regularly. As for the internet, the average monthly cost of internet in Dallas is $60 per month . Although a problem some people have is paying for the internet that they don’t use. If you only use the internet to check emails, you shouldn’t pay for the internet like a person who uses it for streaming daily. Check your data usage and pay for what you need, not more. If you need to reduce internet costs, you can opt for less quota or slower speeds. How do I calculate utilities for an apartment? From a budgeting perspective, you can estimate how much you need to put aside each month for your utilities. If you’re moving into a new place, your landlord may know how much utilities typically cost. If you have the chance, you’ll likely get a better estimate by asking another tenant. Don’t forget your current utility bills. Those will give you an idea of your usage that can give you a baseline for what it’ll cost in your new place. If you’d like to calculate this on your own, you can create a budget for things like: Electricity Air conditioning/heat Gas Wi-Fi Cable You can also use a utility cost estimator or online calculator to assess your projected monthly cost of living. Remember to take these with a grain of salt, as they’re only estimates. If you want a better idea of how much your utilities will cost each month, see what your first three bills look like and take the average. Note: You may want to wait a few months if it’s summer or winter and you have your air conditioner or heater running constantly. How to save money on utilities Consider the following ways to save on energy costs: Appliances: About 13% of a home's energy costs come from appliances. When buying new models, look for the Energy Star label. Energy Star appliances meet or exceed the federal minimum standards for energy efficiency. For example, a new Energy Star-labeled refrigerator uses at least 15% less energy than one without the label and 40% less than models sold in 2001. Energy Star appliances show their annual energy consumption on their packaging, which lets you compare appliance energy costs. Windows: Leaky or old windows can account for 10%-25% of heating costs due to warm air escaping. Consider replacing windows with double-pane windows or installing storm windows in winter. Lighting: Lighting accounts for about 12% of a home’s energy budget, so changing to energy-efficient bulbs and remembering to turn lights off when they’re not in use can save money. Switching to smart bulbs is another option that can save on energy costs. If you leave home and forget to turn lights off, simply use your smartphone to shut down the smart bulbs remotely so they don’t run for the duration of your absence. Knowing average household utility costs can help you reduce your use of energy and save money. Of course, there are other factors that go into home ownership and maintenance. Learn about the cost of homeowners insurance and how you can reduce your premium with Nationwide discounts on home insurance. Property Tax Property taxes are based on the assessed value of your home, so the more expensive the home, the more you have to pay in property taxes. Iowa property taxes are primarily a tax on “real property,” which includes land, buildings, structures and other things constructed on land. The median property tax rate in Iowa is 1.29%, and the average home value is $128,700. Based on these numbers, Iowans pay around $1,660 in property taxes a year. Average Home Value in Iowa: $128,700 x 1.29% Approximate Cost of Property Taxes in Iowa Per Year: $1,660 COST OF LIVING IN TEXAS The cost of living in Texas can be 8% higher than the U.S. average. According to , Texas is on the rank no. 31 in terms of the average utility bill. The average utility bill per month in the state includes: Electricity – $100.91 Natural gas – $110.58 Internet – $58.29 Cable – $100.00 Water – $40.00 Total – $409.78 Wondering how much are utilities per month in different Texas cities? Here's a quick utility cost compilation to help you get a better idea: Note: The costs can vary based on factors like the size of your apartment, the number of people living, the locality you're in, and the amount of utility usage. City/Utilities Average Gas Bil, $ Average Electricity Bill, $ Average Internet Bill. $ Average Water Bill, $ Car Gas, $ Total Houston $110.58 $155.74 $60.33 $27 $164 $517.65 San Antonio $110.58 $160.26 $65.31 $45.64 $150 $531.79 Dallas $110.58 $128.50 $65.24 $41.23 $1505 $495.55 Austin $110.58 $147.04 $66.59 $70.39 $150 $544.6 Fort Worth $105.26 $122 $60 $40.39 $148 $475.65 El Paso $108.72 $124.36 $60 $42 $150 $485.08 The most expensive city in Texas is Austin. When compared to the national average, the monthly bills here cost 21.7% more. You can expect to shell out about $2300 per month to live comfortably in Austin. The cheapest city in Texas, on the other hand, is Amarillo. It has a cost of living index of just 80.1 as compared to the U.S. average of 100. Whether you're moving to a large apartment or a small apartment, a more expensive city or a comparatively cheaper one – it's always best to understand the specific costs of your area. This will help you create and execute your budget smartly. What Does It Cost To Get Online, Watch Cable TV Or Make A Phone Call? Your phone service, internet connection, cable TV service, garbage collection and recycling pick-ups are all utilities too. When estimating how much you'll spend on utilities each month, you need to also consider these additional costs. Consider cable or pay TV. Leichtman Research Group reported in October 2018 that about 78% of U.S. households with a TV subscribe to some form of pay TV service. Leichtman also reported that subscribers spent an average of about $107 a month on pay TV services. That’s a slight jump of 1% from a year earlier. How much are households paying for internet service? In 2018, personal finance site CreditDonkey said the average internet bill in the United States was $66.17 a month. How Much Is The Average Monthly Electric Bill In The United States? Your electric bill is like your water bill: How much you're charged each month will depend on where you live, how big your home is and whether you leave the lights on all day or flip those switches as you move from room to room. That said, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said that the average electric bill for U.S. households came in at $111.67 per month in 2017. Again, how much you pay can vary depending on where you live. In Hawaii, for example, the Administration said that the average monthly electric bill came in at a far higher than the national average at $149.33 in 2017. However, that same figure in New Mexico came in at $79.16 a month. How Much is the Average Water Bill? The average monthly water bill is around $28 for a single adult and $116 per month for a family household. Water use and cost is measured per 1,000 gallons. The average cost of water per 1,000 gallons sits at $11.48. Additionally, the average American is estimated to use 82 gallons of water a day at home. Combined, this data suggests that the average single American racks up a $.94 water use debt daily. How to Save Money on Your Water Bill Careless water usage can not only affect your water bill, but it can have detrimental effects on the environment. Here's how you can reduce your water usage. Invest in a dishwasher. Handwashing dishes can use up to 27 gallons of water, whereas using a dishwasher uses just 3 gallons of water per load. Consider getting an ENERGY STAR certified washing machine: Using an ENERGY STAR certified washing machine can result in 25% less energy use and 33% less water usage than a regular washer. Fix a running toliet Running toilets are those that continuously use water to fill the toilet bowl. These toilets need repairing or replacement, since can cause a loss of up to 26 gallons of water per day. Take shorter showers. A single bath can use up to 50 gallons of water, whereas a 10-minute shower can use as little as 25 gallons of water. How Much Does Heating and Cooling Your Apartment Cost? Nearly half of the money spent on an average electricity/gas bill covers heating and air conditioning costs. This averages to over $900 a year for the average American household. Here's a few tips that'll help you save big on your heating bill. Invest in a smart thermostat. A smart thermostat reduces unnecessary heating and cooling costs by giving you more control over the settings. Some electricity providers offer incentives for customers who install compliant smart thermostats, so it's a bonus win. Heat your home more effectively. Unless you live in a place that experiences freezing temperatures, you may get away with reducing your heating costs by simply bunding up a bit more in the cooler months. Don't rely on A/C alone to cool your home. Limit A/C use by employing other, more eco- and budget-friendly options. Keep your windows open at night to let in cooler air. Then close them during the day to keep warm air out. If possible, keep one room cool and spend more time in there, rather than trying to cool your entire apartment. Utility Costs While Virginia housing may be more expensive, you may be able to save on your utility costs. Virginia utility costs fall below the national average.  Electricity will be your most costly utility with a monthly expense of $124.54. Natural gas comes to around $74.32 per month and your water bill adds up to around $70 per month. For the internet, expect to pay $60. For cable, Virginia residents pay around $85 monthly.  Overall, your total utility costs will come to $414.25 per month. Of course, this total doesn't include any streaming services or your phone bill. You'll want to budget accordingly.  Homeowners should set aside around $400 monthly for utility bills. If you're in an apartment, budget for $100 to $150 in monthly utility bills. Research for low monthly rates Once you’ve determined what you’re responsible for, start shopping around for the best prices. Retail energy providers can help you find the lowest rate and lock it in. Search online for one in your area. Gas companies are very competitive, with some even offering cash-back incentives to use their service. Cable and phone companies often bundle services for a discount. Compare: Installation charges Services provided Fees Length of introductory rates What seems like a bargain to begin with can quickly shoot up once the initial rate expires. How much money do you need to live comfortably in Virginia? The cost of living in Virginia is slightly higher than the national average. But, how much do you need to cover all your basic necessities, enjoy a night out once in a while, and have money left to put in your savings?  Using the 50/30/20 budgeting rule, where 50% of your annual income goes to necessities like housing and food, 30% goes to discretionary costs such as travel and entertainment, and 20% goes to savings, you would need an annual income of $64,947. Virginia's median household income is $74,222, making the state a relatively affordable place to live. Granted, if you only make the minimum wage, you may find yourself struggling to earn enough to meet the comfortable living income. For example, in Richmond, you would need to make at least $15.95 an hour for a living wage. However, the minimum wage in Richmond is $7.25, making it difficult to set aside any earnings for savings. Other Utility Bills to Consider Electricity, gas, water, and internet cover the main essential utilities. However, there are a few other bills you'll want to consider. Cable Cable is nearly obsolete as there are more streaming alternatives available than ever before. The number of cord-cutters in the US is expected to grow to 40.1 million this year. If you can't live without cable, consider what you're watching. Lower tier packages might suit your needs just fine and can be as cheap as $20. Average cable bills are around $50 a month, and adding on the extras can put you in the $70-$80 range. The top-tier packages could put you over $100 a month. Streaming Services Let's face it. You've probably ditched cable TV for a variety of services years ago. These services offer a ton of variety and often have full seasons of shows that you may watch on cable. Better yet, all these streaming services have costs under $18 a month. Here's a look at some popular streaming service options: Netflix: $9.99 – $19.99 Disney+: $7.99 – $12.99 Hulu: $6.99 – $12.99 Apple TV+: $4.99 – $19.95 HBO Max: $14.99 Amazon Prime Video: $9.00 Paramount Plus: $4.99 – $9.99 Peacock: $4.99 – $9.99 Discovery Plus: $4.99 – $6.99 Also, look into bundle packages. Many cable providers offer discounts when you bundle different services including internet and cell phone service. If you're having a great experience with your provider, then switching all your services to a single provider can help you maximize your savings. Phone Plan According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spends $94 a month on their cell phone bill. This translates to $1,128 a year, which is around the price of most smartphones these days. Most families don't use landline phones anymore, so we've only included data for cell phone plans. Generally, cell phone bills include the cost of the rented or leased device, carrier service, taxes, fees, and the cost of any add-ons you may have. Your phone bill can be pricey, so here are a few of our favorite tips on cutting back that cost. Calculate the costs of leasing or buying your device. Many cell phone service carriers enable you to lease your current cell phone for a fixed monthly rate. You can then opt to buy the phone outright or upgrade to a newer phone. Unless you need the newest phone, purchasing your phone outright may save you money and interest in the long run. Shop around. Many consumers benefit from great savings and decent service by opting out of yearly cell phone service providers. If you prefer the guaranteed speed and reliability of a contract-based plan, shop around to catch a deal. Add service lines. Most cell phone service providers offer deep discounts for those who add more lines to their plan. You can stay on a plan with your family to reduce costs, or you may be able to add roommates/significant others to your plan. Consider your data usage. Look at your data usage trends on your phone or on your profile with your provider. If you're paying for an unlimited data plan, but only use 2 GB a month, you can save big by switching to a plan with lower data limits. Trash For most renters, your trash collection will not be a part of your total apartment utilities bill. The fee is commonly bundled in with the price of rent or the owner may pay the bill out of pocket. If you'll be in charge. of the trash collection bill, here's what you should know. Trash rates are typically determined by local-level governments or private waste collection companies. As a result, the amount you'll pay for waste collection is essentially a roll of the dice. For example, Sunnyvale, California residents pay a set garbage collection fee based on their resident type and the size of their cart. A multifamily unit with a large cart must pay a monthly fee set at $115.68. Those in Athens County, Georgia must pay $37.60 a month for a large 64-gallon cart. The Power of Negotiating Do you realize that the $200 suggested at the beginning of this article may not be enough to meet your utility bills every month? But there is no need to despair because you can put on your negotiating hat and bring those costs down.  It's much easier to negotiate before moving in than trying to do so after. Here are some things you can do.  Have the Attitude That Everything Can be Negotiated  They may think you are unreasonable for asking for a discount for the lawn service or the electricity bill. Still, there is also a possibility that they actually charged you more, expecting that you would ask for a discount. If you don’t, it’s your loss. Shop Around  To negotiate, you will need to know the possibilities by researching the competing service providers. This is the reason why you need to do your research beforehand. Well, if they are not willing to offer a discount, you can always move to the next best offer because you have several of them down your sleeve.  Change Suppliers  In states that have what is called an “energy choice,” you can negotiate the cost of utilities like electricity and gas. The arrangement allows you to switch to an energy supplier that offers you the best rates. And that’s…all there is to it? Look, we get it. There’s a lot to consider here, but hopefully, this guide gives you a decent idea of where to start in budgeting for utilities wherever you’re living. And if you’re in the midst of planning a move, check out our moving cost calculator for some help with getting everything where it needs to go. You really don’t want another thing to worry about, do you? Tags The Average International VanStore in a Internet cable. In thelooked into thecosts in individualcosts in theBroadband internet get into thewith insulated curtains.Men and aMoney and StressHeating and coolingclimate and energycosts and whatshowering and brushingheating and coolingheating and cooling.Heating and coolingwindows and sewerbedroomapartmentsapril The post Average Cost of Utilities for a House per Month appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Protect Your Deck Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:53 AM PDT Content of the material Applying Deck Sealer to a Wood Deck Step 1: Check the forecast Step 2: Clear the deck Step 3: Sand (if needed) Step 4: Remove debris Step 5: Stir sealer Step 6: Apply sealer Step 7: Repeat & fine tune Video Post navigation Do I Have to Stain or Seal My New Deck? What Type of Deck Sealer Should I Use? Step 3: Apply Sealant Safety Alert! Helpful Tip 3. Keep Your Deck Sealed How to Apply Deck Stain Sealer Best Deck Stain 1. Know Your Deck Products Best Deck Sealers Thompsons Waterseal Advanced Natural Wood Protector ECO-SAFE Wood Treatment – Stain & Preservation by Tall Earth Rust-Oleum Coppercoat Wood Preservative CabotStain Australian Timber Oil Penetrating Oil Thompsons Waterseal – Transparent Stain Applying Deck Sealer to a Wood Deck To get the most effective seal possible, thoroughly clean your deck before applying the sealer. Be sure all debris, dust, grime and mildew is removed. Check out our step-by-step guide for the best ways to clean a deck or pressure wash a deck. Before we get into the step-by-step details of how to seal a wood deck, there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, don't apply deck sealer in direct sunlight as the finish will dry too quickly. The sealer needs time to adequately absorb into the wood. Also, if you have a brand-new deck made with treated wood, it's best to hold off a few weeks to allow the wood to completely dry so the stain is more fully absorbed. Now, you're ready to begin! Step 1: Check the forecast The first step in applying deck sealer is to ensure that you've got at least two days of dry weather with temperatures between 50-90 °F. This will ensure the best seal. Step 2: Clear the deck It probably goes without saying, but you don't want to start sealing your deck with furniture, plants and other furnishings scattered about. Step 3: Sand (if needed) Before sealing, you may need to sand your deck to ensure that the sealer penetrates the wood adequately. Sanding is time consuming but necessary in many cases. Grab a pole or palm sander to speed up the process, making sure you sand in the direction of the grain. Always wear a safety mask when sanding to avoid inhaling sawdust. Step 4: Remove debris After sanding, you'll want to ensure that the entire deck is free of loose debris. That includes cleaning between the cracks and then making sure the deck is totally dry. Step 5: Stir sealer Before applying the sealer, make sure to stir it. DO NOT shake. Shaking may cause bubbles to form in the finish. Step 6: Apply sealer Using a brush, paint roller, or sprayer, apply a thin coat over a two-to-three-board section. You can always add another thin coat later as it will apply and dry better than one thick coat. Back-rolling may also be necessary to create the best coat possible. This requires one person to apply the seal and another person to use a roller or broom to spread puddles and work the finish thoroughly into the wood. Step 7: Repeat & fine tune Repeat Step 6 for the entire deck. Use a finer paintbrush to apply the sealer in difficult areas, such as cracks, railings and steps. Video Post navigation Previous Previous post: Should I Clean My Gutters Before Winter Hits? Next Next post: How to Care for Your Home’s Wood Siding: 7 Essential Maintenance Tips Do I Have to Stain or Seal My New Deck? Untreated and pressure-treated wood that is exposed to the elements will dry out, crack, split, twist, and discolor. Some wood has natural oils that protect them and will last a bit longer. Once the wood dries out, it is easy for insects, mold, and mildew to damage the wood. The dry wood is also susceptible to moisture damage and rot. The longer you wait to seal or stain your deck, the more damage to your investment. Sprinkling a small amount of water on the wood is a good way to check if it is ready to be sealed or stained. If the water beads, the wood isn't ready, but if the water is soaked into the wood, it is ready to stain or seal – a good indicator for pressure-treated wood that often ships wet. Wood that absorbs water will absorb stain or sealer for a better bond. Sealing helps to maintain the color and smooth surface of the wood. The longer you wait, the more faded the wood will become, and the more 'furry' the board surface. New decks constructed of pressure-treated or SPF timber should be stained or sealed as soon as the water stops beading. Staining a new deck will provide a more uniform color or tone to the wood, while sealing will help maintain the natural color. However, wood that is sealed will still fade over time but will continue to show the natural wood grain. What Type of Deck Sealer Should I Use? The type of sealer to use on your decking depends on what type of wood material you have. If you are uncertain as to what wood from which your decking is made, contact your local deck contractor for assistance, and they'll be able to recommend the best products to use or reseal your decking for you. Many wood decks are made from pressure-treated pine wood, but other woods, like hardwoods, cedar, etc., can be used in outdoor decking. For most wood decking, you'll find three different kinds of deck sealers: Clear Sealer—This is a completely clear sealant that waterproofs your wood without altering the natural color of the decking. These sealers rarely offer UV-ray protection that prevents aging and graying of your wood. Semi-Transparent Sealer—This is a tinted sealer that will slightly alter the natural color of the wood, provide the necessary waterproofing it needs, and offer some UV-ray protection as well. Solid Stain—While this works like a sealer, it also fairly opaque in its color distribution; it delivers tough waterproofing and sun protection and comes in a variety of colors. Regardless of which sealer you choose, be sure to diligently follow the instructions for each product, as it varies between brands, and you want to make sure the sealer appropriately cures to protect your outdoor decking materials. Step 3: Apply Sealant Apply a thin, even coat of high-quality, mold- and mildew-resistant, waterproof sealant with UV protection, such as Woodsman® Water Repellent or Woodsman® Wood-Toned UV Wood Sealer and Protector, using a stain brush, in the direction of the boards. Don't forget to cover corners and other difficult areas such as steps, railings, board ends and cracks. Apply two coats if needed. Safety Alert! Wear protective clothing, safety goggles and rubber gloves when sealing your deck to prevent skin irritation. Helpful Tip Do not apply sealant in direct sunlight. It will dry too quickly without absorbing into the wood. 3. Keep Your Deck Sealed An unprotected deck will deteriorate quickly. Even though pressure treated wood resists rotting and insect predation, it will still crack and split from water exposure. The only way to protect your deck successfully over time is to apply a deck preservative. There are sealers, stains and paints on the market especially designed for deck use. Aesthetically, they look very different, but they protect wood and composite decks from moisture damage, fungus growth and ultraviolet light. Some also have built-in fire retardants. Deck protection products are effective, but they have one big drawback: They lose their ability to protect wood over time and have to be reapplied. Usually, the more expensive the product, the longer it will last between applications, but there’s no magic bullet that will offer lifetime protection for a wood deck. The most important thing you can do to protect your investment is to reapply a wood sealer on a regular basis, typically in fall when the temperatures are stable and rain isn’t forecast for a week or more. Once a year is considered pretty standard, but newer formulations may reduce the reapplication frequency to once every three or four years — if you’re lucky. Advertisement Did You Know? If you’re planning to clean your deck with a pressure washer, you may be able to rent one from your local home improvement outlet. How to Apply Deck Stain Sealer Waiting nine months to a year before applying finish to a new pressure-treated-wood deck used to be standard procedure. Leaving wood unprotected lowers the interior moisture content and allows the pores to open and accept more sealer or stain. Unfortunately, it also contributes to weathering. Instead, apply finish on a new or newly cleaned deck within a few weeks. Then apply a second coat the following year. “That second application leaves more finish in the wood. Doing it right also lets you wait two or three years before putting on another coat,” says the USDA’s Knaebe. The one exception to finishing right away is new lumber that has a waxy buildup. This mill glaze won’t allow the finish to penetrate and any finish applied to it will peel off in a few months. You’ll know it’s there if water from a hose beads on the surface. Mill glaze can also appear as a burnished area. In either case, wait two or three weeks so the surface can weather. If water still beads up, sand lightly. Apply the finish when the temperature is above 50°F and the weather will be dry for a few days. Follow directions; these tips apply to all products: Wear eye protection and long pants and sleeves. Also wear rubber gloves, especially when using a stripper. Before applying a finish or cleaner, protect surrounding vegetation by wetting it with a hose and covering it with plastic tarps. Rinse again when done. Finish the top, exposed sides and — on new decks — the bottom of boards, if possible. Also coat any structural members you can reach. Future maintenance can concentrate on surfaces and end grain exposed to the weather. Relaxing on a deck is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. The right care will prolong your enjoyment by protecting the surface of the wood for years to come. FINISHES WITH slight pigmentation provide natural beauty and let you avoid lap marks. Look for "tone" on the label. Photo by Bill Matthews Best Deck Stain No products found.No products found. Thompson's Stain protects wood from mildew, moisture, and UV damage. It can be applied to clean dry or damp wood and dries in approximately 2-hours. Although application by brush is recommended, a roller, paint pad, or sprayer will work too. Clean-up is also easy with soap and water. The stain will cover between 150 to 400 ft² and last up to 3-years on horizontal surfaces and 4-years on siding and fences. 1. Know Your Deck Products Building your deck may have been about aesthetics, but maintaining it is about following directions. Wood looks pretty indestructible, but it isn’t. When you use a power washer or opt for a particular stain or protector, you’re using powerful solvents and equipment. Deck maintenance products are designed to be used in a specific manner. Almost all of them will cause problems if they’re not applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. It may sound hokey to reinforce the fact that you should read the instructions carefully on the products you use, but the fact is that not doing so can cause headaches you don’t want when maintaining your deck. For example, using a pressure washer against the grain of the wood can cause unsightly cut marks that won’t go away without sanding. Applying sealer in cold weather, before a rain or on damp wood could keep your deck tacky and sticky for days or even weeks — and never net you the sleek, finished look you want. What’s even worse is that any mistakes you make this year will come back to haunt you next year and the year after that. Keep it sweet and simple: Read and follow the directions every time. Advertisement Best Deck Sealers Protecting your deck is a lot less expensive than building a new one, so don't leave it exposed to the elements, which eventually leads to wear, rot and mildew. Take action early and often with quality deck stain and sealers to prolong your deck's longevity. But how do you know which are the best deck stains and sealers? Which ones can be trusted to withstand weather, wear and tear? Here are some of the best deck sealers on the market: Thompsons Waterseal Advanced Natural Wood Protector As one of the best water seal products available, Thompsons will go a long way to preserving your deck from mildew and water damage. It will also help with UV damage and color fading over the long term. ECO-SAFE Wood Treatment – Stain & Preservation by Tall Earth One of the great things about Tall Earth's ECO-SAFE Wood Treatment is that it's ready to use without any special pre-application prepping, as long as your deck is clean. One application is all that's needed for protection; no need to apply multiple coats. Rust-Oleum Coppercoat Wood Preservative This EPA-registered deck sealer delivers all the benefits of a good sealer while also protecting your deck from termites and ants. You may notice a slight transparent green layer after application but it will fade with time. CabotStain Australian Timber Oil Penetrating Oil CabotStain is a high-quality sealer that will penetrate deep into even the densest types of wood, and unlike most other sealers, it can help prevent UV damage with iron oxide pigmentation. Thompsons Waterseal – Transparent Stain The best of both worlds, this deck stain and sealer combo provides a transparent color while creating a waterproof surface to prevent damage from mildew, rot and mold. It's a user-friendly sealer that dries quickly after application. Tags Protect Your DeckKeep your deckgive your deckKeep Your DeckClean Your DeckKnow Your Deckmake your deckhow your deck woodenus The post How to Protect Your Deck appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Start a Bonfire Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:53 AM PDT Content of the material Fire Pit Safety Safe Placement of Your Fire Pit Understanding What You Can and Can’t Burn in Your Backyard Fire Pit  How To Safely Start and Put Out a Fire in a Fire Pit Video Commercial Fire Starter Dried Kindling/Tinder Step 2: Preparations Step 5: Construction: Log Cabin Bonfire safety guidelines Can I have a bonfire in lockdown? STEP 3: Light the Fire What should I bring to a bonfire? Stay protected How to Build a Campfire Tinder and Kindling Types of Campfires Warnings Fire Pit Safety Before we dive into different types of DIY fire pits and how to start a fire pit fire that everyone in the family will enjoy, it's important to understand some basic fire pit safety precautions. This is especially important for parents of young children and homes with a fire pit close to their dwellings. A few precautions to consider when enjoying your backyard fire pit include:  Safe placement of your fire pit Understanding what you can and can't burn in your backyard fire pit How to safely start and put out a fire in a fire pit Keeping your friends, loved ones and your home safe when burning a fire in your fire pit is a top priority. Of course, understanding the do's and don'ts of your backyard fire feature is also crucial to keeping everyone safe and enjoying your new fire pit.  Safe Placement of Your Fire Pit Place your fire pit on even ground, at least three feet, or 36 inches, away from flammable structures and objects such as trees, shrubs, sheds, decks and homes. Depending on the size of your outdoor fire pit, you may want to keep it at least 10 feet away from any other objects. Ensure nothing is sitting above your home fire pit as high-reaching flames can ignite low-hanging branches or shrubs. Whether you'd like to build a large fire feature or a tiny patio fire pit, always be sure to check with local fire codes and regulations before settling on a permanent location for your new features. Even a small outdoor fire pit can be a hazard when it’s not placed in a safe location around your property.  Understanding What You Can and Can’t Burn in Your Backyard Fire Pit  You'll only want to use the materials that are designed for being burned in your outdoor fire pit. Almost every home fire pit is designed to burn either wood or gas as its primary fuel source. Loose debris such as leaves or paper can be easily scooped up and carried away by the wind, creating the potential for wildfires and other hazards.  How To Safely Start and Put Out a Fire in a Fire Pit Avoid using lighter fluid or gasoline to help you start a fire. Using these household fire starters can cause issues such as explosions and dangerously large flames that will reach other areas around your property and backyard. Likewise, understanding how to properly put out a fire burning in your fire pit is equally important to the safety of your home and loved ones.  Always ensure your fire pit fire is completely out before going inside for the night. If you're using a propane or natural gas fire pit, you'll want to turn off the gas and check to make sure the flames are out entirely.  If you have a simple wood fire pit set up with no other fuel source, then the best way to put out your fire pit fires is to douse the flames, spread the ashes around the pit and repeat until the ashes are cool to the touch. Be sure there are no signs of smoke or smoldering flames before going inside for the night.  Just in case you need to put a fire out immediately, you'll also want to keep a hose, a bucket of sand or dirt and a fire extinguisher nearby as you enjoy your backyard fire pit fires. We also carry a variety of fire pit snuffers and covers designed to put your fire pit fires out and keep them out.  Commercial Fire Starter I’m going to come clean — nine times out of 10, I’m using a ready-made fire starter I bought at the store. They’re quick and easy, and I usually keep a box in my camper van. (Don’t worry, it’s completely safe as long as I keep them away from open flame.) Most of these fire starters — like a box of these, made of sawdust and wax — cost between 10 and 45 cents per use. My rating: 5 out of 5 roaring campfires. Video Dried Kindling/Tinder Kiln-dried firewood is best for most recreational fire situations. Placed in a climate-controlled kiln, the wood dries in super-charged fashion, with its moisture content falling below 20 percent in a matter of days. With less residual water trapped inside, kiln-dried kindling will catch easier and quicker, often with just a little shredded newspaper to get it going. My rating: 4 out of 5 roaring campfires. Step 2: Preparations Once the fire is going, it’s too late to move it away from the side of the barn, off of the natural gas line, or to tell the police that you just dropped your cigarette. Do some thinking about what the fire is going to be like, and how it is going to behave. You need space. Depending on the size, a comfortable standing distance around a bonfire can be 50′ away! Anything within that range will be very hot for an extended period of time. The leaves on any trees overhead will die. Even if the flames do not touch them, the superheated air will kill them. Make sure the car is moved out of the way, and there is nothing flammable within that range (including plant matter.) Air is not a stationary force in your fire either. The wind can wreak havoc on a poorly made structure, and carry sparks into that gas can you thought was put away “well enough.” Keep track of the wind, and if it is very windy, give up or be prepared to spend all night tracking down unwanted island fires. Also be aware that the heat of the fire penetrates into the ground and kills all the microbes necessary for other things to grow. There will be a bald spot where the fire was for a very, very long time. To help avoid this, you can lay down a tarp and cover it with lots and lots of dirt to shield the actual ground from some heat. The bigger your fire, the wider and thicker the dirt pile should be. Blah, blah, fire-extinguishers, blah, blah, water, blah, blah, stupid drunk people… If you need help with this part, stop reading and get the fire department to sponsor your party (they will probably be happy to, but they will drink all your beer.) Be aware that there may be restrictions on fires depending on where you live, and it is your responsibility to find that out. Step 5: Construction: Log Cabin The log cabin is a synthesis of the pyramid and the tepee which is a variation with its own pros and cons. Picture a square, hollow pyramid. If you only use two logs on each level, you can stack it up higher, and there is a huge column of air which can move quickly up the middle to burn from the inside out. Inside of this, set a tepee fire with an opening to light it parallel to the to large logs on bottom supporting the pyramid. The tepee will light first and catch the bigger log cabin structure. The more stable log cabin can also help to catch a log that falls out of the tepee, but be aware that if one log in the pyramid gets knocked out, burns through, or rolls out, everything above it comes rolling off onto your foot! Bonfire safety guidelines Check the weather. Never build a bonfire on a high-wind night. Make sure the area where you start your bonfire is a legal location. Check your state's laws and regulations about fires before you begin. Keep a bucket of water or garden hose nearby in case the fire begins to spread. It is important to be prepared in case of emergency. Keep a close eye on the bonfire as well as children nearby. This will help protect others around you. Do not burn aerosols, canisters or anything containing foam or paint. These types of chemicals have extremely flammable ingredients that can cause fire to spread or produce toxic fumes. Containers of these products could explode, causing injury. Ensure the wood you are burning is dry and seasoned. This means no railroad ties, nothing coated or treated and no furniture should be thrown in the fire. The pile shouldn’t be bigger than 5′ x 5′ to keep the flames containable. After the bonfire is done, turn over the charred materials with metal shovels and rakes, and douse the area with water. Can I have a bonfire in lockdown? Coronavirus (COVID-19): please do not light bonfires or burn garden waste at this time. It may be harmful to people living nearby with breathing difficulties. Instead, please keep your garden waste, compost it, or set up a garden waste collection. STEP 3: Light the Fire Now it’s time to enjoy the results of your labor. Remember to keep children and pets safely away, then light your tinder. For best results light the tinder from several sides. Don’t squirt charcoal lighter fluid into a fire; flames could travel up the stream and burn you. And NEVER use gasoline! Once your campfire is established, feed it with additional wood as needed, taking care not to build the flames too high. Be sure to keep your fire extinguishing tools nearby, and never leave a fire unattended, even for a moment. What should I bring to a bonfire? What To Bring To A Bonfire Party: 10 Essentials Camping Chair. When going to a fire, you need a place to sit. S’mores. S’mores are an absolute guaranteed great item to bring. Adults Beverages & Soda. Usually, bonfire guests are a mix of adults and kids. A Dish. Extra Food Supplies. Blankets. Long Sleeve Clothing. Bug Spray. Stay protected If you plan on having a bonfire this summer, talk to your independent insurance agent about insurance coverage you may need to protect your family, your home and your assets. Looking for insurance guidance? Find an agent in your area.   Sources:Mosquito Magnet Living the Country LifeFarm Bureau Financial Services LC 2018-304   How to Build a Campfire There’s something about getting a fire started in the wilderness that’s satisfying on the most primal levels. When you’re out for a week of backpacking, that fire may be the closest link to civilization for miles. Getting a fire started, though, takes more knowledge than just stacking some wood and sticking a lit match near it. If you’re planning on cooking over your flames with some camping cooking gear, then you have to do even more planning. We tested a few different preparation methods to find the best options for every campsite. Next time you’re getting ready to heat up some fireside coffee or grill the catch of the day, you can do it over the perfect campfire. Tinder and Kindling A roaring campfire doesn’t start out strong enough to eat huge logs. You have to build your fire from a few sparks and some kindling and keep it well tended to get that hotbed of coals. Then you’ll be ready to burn the big logs. Selecting tinder can be as simple as pulling some dried bark off a dead tree (if one is around). However, we prefer to leave nothing to chance so we always bring our own. If you want to impress your friends, pick one of Light My Fire’s Tinder on a Rope. These tinder sticks are up to 80% resin from Montezuma pine wood, so they’ll burn even when wet. Paired with a set of UCO’s Titan Stormproof Matches, you’ll have a small blaze going in no time. Kindling, which is tucked under your firewood, is an essential fire-building ingredient. For the more DIY inclined, take a look at your dryer lint at home. A handful of that stuff with a couple of drops of hand sanitizer will light up incredibly fast and will definitely score you a few mountain-man points with your buddies who were less prepared. You can also create kindling by “shaving” down larger pieces of wood. Now that you’ve got your fire-starting gear, it’s time to prepare your fire pit. What are the goals? We’ve tested four different ways to set up your wood and get things burning, so whether you’re looking to build that perfect bed of coals for marshmallows or have eyebrow-singeing flames, we’ve got you covered. Types of Campfires Austin Parker/The Manual Tipi Fire The tipi is your basic fire that every Boy Scout learned how to light. It’s also the foundation to get started on the others we’ll show you. It looks just like it sounds. Lean your wood together to shape it into a Native American-style tipi, leaving plenty of room for air and your matches. You can scale a tipi fire from the small kindling and tinder starter core all the way to massive bonfires and everything in between. We prefer to build the small kindling tipi and then build an outer one of larger wood around it to get things burning quickly. The tipi is perfect when you need even heating and quick lighting. Austin Parker/The Manual Lean-To Fire When things are hard to start because of wind or dampness, the lean-to is your go-to fire. Start by building a windbreak out of a few of your larger sticks and logs. Get your mini tipi set up on the leeward side. Then, lay longer sticks out above your core fire, stacked on the windbreak. This will allow your small starter fire to breathe without getting blown out. When it is finally exhausted of smaller fuel, it will be strong enough to start burning some of the preheated larger sticks in the lean-to. And, it will be ready to stand up to the wind and weather. An added bonus of this fire is that your windbreak will serve as a good heat reflector, so it is a good option for cooking. Austin Parker/The Manual Star Fire If you’re looking for a fire that will slowly burn through the night with little maintenance, look no further. To get things started, fire up your mini-tipi again, and then insert larger split logs in a five-point star. The fire will burn outward, so all you have to do to keep it nice and compact is slowly feed your logs into the flames. If you’re working with a campsite or backyard fire pit, this is definitely your best choice, as you can let the logs just slide down into the center as they burn down. Austin Parker/The Manual Log Cabin Fire Due to its symmetry when built well, this is your choice to get a perfect bed of coals to roast marshmallows, hot dogs, and tin-foil dinners. When you’ve got your kindling tipi built, start stacking larger logs on either side, alternating like an old Lincoln Logs kit. When lit from the bottom up, it will create an excellent bed of hot coals for cooking. Alternatively, you can build it like more of a pyramid, stacking the largest logs on the bottom and then building your core tipi at the very top. This fire will slowly and evenly burn down the pyramid. Warnings Be very careful to not get too close to the flames. The same precaution goes for pets as well. Thanks! Helpful Not Helpful 3 Advertisement Tags usaddteepeecases The post How to Start a Bonfire appeared first on caramembuatblog.

Should You Install Sliding Barn Doors? Factors to Consider Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:52 AM PDT Content of the material Barn-Door Basics Mount The Track In One Of Three Ways Video Resources: Things You’ll Need What you need Locate The Hardware Installation Steps 1. Door Assembly 2. Install Rollers On Door Face Mount Rollers Top Mount Rollers 3. Installing The Wall Track 4. Hanging The Door 5. Guide And Anti Jump Lock Do sliding barn doors work in your home? Is your door header proportionate? Barn-Door Basics Mount The Track In One Of Three Ways 1. Install solid 2x blocking behind the finished wall for mounting the track. For this method, order the track with the holes already drilled. This is the method the author used and ensures that the mounting screws are spaced evenly along the track. 2. Securely fasten a length of solid stock to the finished wall, and mount the track to the stock. The stock also acts as the head casing. For this method, you also should order the track with the holes drilled. 3. Mount the track directly to the wall studs. For this installation, you should order the track without the holes drilled. Instead, you'll need to locate the studs and then drill the track yourself to match the stud locations. It's unlikely that the holes will be spaced evenly.   Calculate The Correct Track Length The length of the track varies with the style of hardware. With the author's hardware and door combination, it's twice the width of the opening, plus the width of one side casing, plus an extra 1⁄2 in. on each side. This extra 1⁄2 in. allows the door to be flush with the edge of the casing when closed and allows the hanger to be centered on the stile. Match The Standoffs To The Casing The standoffs included with the hardware package space the door away from the wall so that it can slide without hitting the casing. The standoff length is specified when you order the hardware. Here, the author chose 2-in.-long standoffs, a common length because it works well with a 1-3⁄4-in.-thick door and 5/4-in.-thick casing. Lag screws mount the track to the wall through the standoffs and are finished to match the track. The hardware manufacturer matches the screw length to the length of the standoffs, but thick wall coverings or unusually constructed walls may require longer screws. Properly Position The Bottom Guide The bottom guide is included with the hardware. When it's in the right spot, half of the guide's length is exposed when the door is fully open or fully closed. This prevents the door from swinging on the track and makes it easy to remove the door. Video Resources: Nathan installed the Z-Bar Knotty Alder Wood Interior Sliding Barn Door Slab with Hardware Kit that can be found at The Home Depot. The kit comes with all the materials required to assemble and hang the door, though Nathan choose to add additional 3/4 inch stock in this application because the wall was not plumb and the door would have hit the baseboard otherwise. For a finish, Nathan and Stephanie stained the door using a water based stain by Minwax. Both the stain and the rags and brushes needed to apply it can be found at home centers. Things You’ll Need Barn doors Washers and bolts (come with barn doors) Mounting boards Dry wall fasteners Joint brackets Drill Spacers Bolts Goggles Hanger roller What you need Tools Cordless drill and bit Qty: 1 Tape measure Qty: 1 Level Qty: 1 Pencil Qty: 1 Adjustable wrench Qty: 1 Materials 1X4X72-inch mounting board Qty: 1 Interior screws Qty: 1 Sliding door track Qty: 1 Spacers Qty: 4 Flat washer Qty: 4 Door hangers Qty: 2 Bolts and nuts Qty: 4 Anti-jump disks Qty: 2 Door handle Qty: 1 Screws Qty: 1 Floor guide Qty: 1 Locate The Hardware Stand up the door. First, cut the door to length so that it's 1⁄4 in. below the track and 1⁄2 in. above the finished floor. Next, shim it plumb, and place the rollers on the track. Center the mounting brackets in the door's stiles, and trace the screw holes for drilling. Installation Steps 1. Door Assembly Most sliding barn doors come pre-assembled, but there are instances where they may not (like if you order an unfinished door). Board and batten doors are a type of sliding barn door that frequently arrive in pieces and need assembly. White Shanty board and batten doors are grooved for easy installation, and have specific instructions for assembly. If you have an unfinished door that you plan on finishing, you should do this before the door is assembled, or before you mount hardware and install the door. 2. Install Rollers On Door The first step in sliding barn door installation is mounting the rollers to the door. This process is different depending on whether you have face mount or top mount roller hardware. Face Mount Rollers Face mount rollers have a strap that extends down and mounts to the front of the door. White Shanty doors will have two rollers on each door, and each roller is secured by two lag bolts. You will need to measure and drill holes for the lag bolts. First, measure 2-½” in from the side of the door and lightly draw a vertical line with a pencil. This is the centerline for the two bolt holes. It’s helpful to use an L-square to make sure your line is parallel with the edge of the door. Next, determine the vertical position of the bolt holes. Position the roller strap on the door so that the holes in the roller strap are centered over the centerline you just drew. Slide the roller strap so that there is a 2-½” gap between the top of the door and the bottom of the roller wheel. When the roller strap is correctly positioned, use a pencil to mark the two bolt holes on the centerline.  Repeat this process on the other side of the door (left or right depending which side you started on). Once you have marked all four bolt holes, and double checked your measurements, use a ⅜” drill bit to drill through the door. Now you can use the included hex bolts, washers and nuts to bolt the roller strap to the door. Top Mount Rollers With top mount rollers, the roller strap is bent 90 degrees to mount to the top of the door. First, measure 2-½” in from the edge of the door and lightly mark it with a pencil. This is where the top roller mount will be centered. Next, find the center of the roller mount and mark it with a pencil too. If the roller mount is 3” wide, the center point will be 1-½” from either side. Position the top roller mount on the top of the door and align the two marks you made. Ensure the roller mount is aligned horizontally and equal distance from the front and back of the door. Once the mount is positioned correctly, use a pencil to mark the bolt holes. Repeat this process for the other (left or right) side of the door.   Once you’ve marked your bolt holes, use a 3/16” drill bit to drill holes that are 2-½” deep. Now you can use the included lag bolts to attach the roller mounts to the top of the door. 3. Installing The Wall Track To install the wall track, you will first need to drill holes in the track itself for the lag bolts that will mount the track to the wall. The lag bolts should be an equal distance apart to distribute the weight of the door. The number of bolts, as well as distance and placement will depend on the length of the track, which varies based on your door configuration. Depending on the length of the track, it may be shipped in two sections, which you will need to connect using the included track coupler. Position the track coupler and use a ⅜” drill bit to drill holes for the cap screws and nuts. You will also need to measure for the door stops, which prevent the door from sliding off the end of the track. These should be placed 2” in from the end of the track, on each side. Once you have determined the placement of the holes for both the door stops and the lag bolts, use a ⅜” drill bit to drill the holes. Now you can mount the door stops using the included cap screws, washers and nuts. Next you will need to determine the height at which to mount the track. This will need to be measured in the field. Generally speaking, to ensure ½” of ground clearance, the track should be installed so that the center of the track is on a level line that is equal to the height of the door plus 2-½”. You will also need to position the track horizontally so that the closed door fully covers the door opening. Most importantly, the track needs to be mounted securely, and the lag bolts must be secured into wall studs. When mounting the track, secure it to the wall by using the included lag bolts and spacers. 4. Hanging The Door Sliding barn doors are heavy and bulky, and you will need help to hang one. Together, grab the side of the door, lift it, and position the rollers on the track. 5. Guide And Anti Jump Lock Once the door is hung, you can install the guides and jump locks. The jump locks bolt to the top of the door and prevent the door from jumping up and coming off the track. Position the jump locks on the top edge of the door so the top of the jump lock is ⅛” below the bottom of the track, and secure them using the included wood screws. There are two types of door guides: U-shaped and L-shaped. Both serve the same purpose, which is to ensure the door can only move left and right on the track, and prevent forward and backward movement. U-shaped guides come in 2 pieces and have a vertical piece on each side of the door. To mount these, position them on the floor and slide the door between them to ensure a close fit without any rubbing. The door’s natural hanging position will dictate placement of the stops. Mark the position, move the door out of the way and attach them to the floor using an appropriate fastener (these are not included due to the wide variety of floor materials). L-shaped floor guides use a spine that fits inside a groove along the bottom of the door, and are effectively hidden from view. To install these, position them on the floor and slide the door over to ensure correct placement. Do sliding barn doors work in your home? You should always take into consideration your home style before embarking on any home renovation project. Traditional barn doors can look great in a farmhouse style, coastal, or even traditional home. However, if you install them in a mid-century or modern home, they will look seriously out of place. There are also lots of different types of sliding barn doors offering a different look. For example, a more minimalist home might benefit from metal French-style sliding barn doors, while a modern home would be better suited with a more streamlined metal. Is your door header proportionate? Before tackling this DIY barn door project, you need to keep in mind that a proportionate header is key, suggests Hum. A header is a solid piece of wood that basically anchors your barn door, helping to distribute the weight of the door and adding stability. It also adds aesthetic value. "When detailing the opening, a proportionate header is key for decorative hardware," Hum noted. "I find a simple block-finished edge without extra decorative trim is easiest to achieve, and it creates a clean, modern-cased opening for the barn door to be the main accent." Barn doors can weigh up to 200 pounds (or even more), so headers are also important for sturdiness. Mount the header to wall studs (and make sure there are wall studs at every interval on your track). Tags howaboutourgetmynewusweroomampsearchsiteemailwantseeideasoldprivacymenudesignhouseshoprail The post Should You Install Sliding Barn Doors? Factors to Consider appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Make an Outdoor Shower (DIY Project Instructions) Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:51 AM PDT Content of the material Getting Down to Basics 1. Create privacy 2. Plan for good drainage 3. Protect your siding TIP: Avoid frozen pipes Video 20. Pick a Pallet 3. Serve up Some Surf 8. Wood slats DIY Outdoor Shower Enclosure 22. Outdoor Shower Kit Types of Outdoor Showers Wall-mounted outdoor showers Freestanding outdoor showers Tips Site Selection DIY Outdoor Shower and Bathroom Episode 109: Shopping List Plants UPDATE! Step 5 Getting Down to Basics The minimum space required for an outdoor shower is 3 feet square, but go larger if you can. A shower enclosure measuring 4 feet square offers a generous amount of elbow room. If an attached dressing area is in your plans, you'll need a 7-foot-long and 4-foot-wide area for the entire enclosure. Creating a structure with roomy dimensions is, of course, just the first step. Smart design also requires paying attention to privacy, drainage, and weatherproofing. 1. Create privacy Design your shower's enclosure with the most demure bather in mind. Before breaking ground, stand in the spot where you've decided to build the shower and take note of all sight lines, including nearby decks, tree houses, and upper-story windows. Your design must block all of these views, and there are clever ways to do it without sacrificing the open, breezy feeling of showering in the great outdoors. Here are just a few: Install an overhead trellis. Fast-growing vines on a trellis or a grillwork of beams can shield you from all bird's-eye views. Construct slatted walls. To build a slatted wall, nail 1x6s side by side to three horizontal 2x4s, leaving a couple of inches between each board. Then nail a second row of 1x6s to the other side of the 2x4s to cover the gaps. Use offset partitions. This option is similar to the idea of constructing slatted walls, but it replaces 1×6 boards with 2-foot-wide sections of fencing. 2. Plan for good drainage When it comes to installing a drainage system for your shower water (also known as gray water), home owners have several choices: Install a French drain. Basic by design, a French drain consists of a hole (at least 3 feet deep) filled with crushed gravel (preferably ½ inch to 1 inch in diameter). This gravel bed provides a permeable shower floor and extends one foot outside the structure's perimeter. To make the floor kinder to bare feet, place a wooden grate or 1-foot-square slabs of stone or tile over the gravel. Gray water drains into the gravel bed and is absorbed by the ground, so stock your shower with biodegradable soaps. This system, not surprisingly, won't pass code in some towns, especially densely populated ones. Take advantage of the municipal grid. You can connect your shower to the same drainage pipe that carries away the rest of your household wastewater. This is standard practice in urban locales, and you will likely need a licensed plumber to perform the job. If possible, situate your outdoor shower near a household drainage pipe. It's always easier and less expensive to build close to water and waste access. Use gravity-fed irrigation. If you want to reuse your shower's gray water, consider fashioning a gravity-fed irrigation system. With this option, a tray beneath a permeable shower floor catches the gray water. A long, flexible hose attaches to the low point of the tray and routes the gray water into the garden. As with French drains, eco-friendly soaps are a must with this system. Also, never direct the hose toward a garden with edibles. It's unsafe to ingest untreated gray water. 3. Protect your siding Because the walls inside of a shower dry slowly, they need extra weather protection. If you are building a new house and an outdoor shower is in the plan, installing 30-pound (or 30-weight) felt paper between the wall sheathing and the exte­rior material of the house will create an effective moisture barrier. If your house is already built, however, there are less invasive weatherproofing options. For homes more than 20 years old, place a weather-sealed par­tition over the portion of the exterior wall that is inside the shower enclosure. For newer homes, apply at least three coats of a waterproof sealant to any affected exterior wall; there are sealants available for every type of building exterior. TIP: Avoid frozen pipes If you live in a climate where temperatures drop below freezing, you must drain your pipes before the first frost hits. Ask your plumber to show you how this easy chore is done. —Ethan Fierro is a designer, builder, and artist and the author of The Outdoor Shower. He lives on the island of Maui. 20. Pick a Pallet To minimize the installation work for your outdoor shower, install it in a corner. That way you only have to build one outer wall instead of an entire enclosure. In this example, the privacy fence is made from reclaimed wood pallets. You can paint or stain them to reduce water damage. Leave gaps between your slats for quicker drying. Link the showerhead to your outdoor faucet. Video 3. Serve up Some Surf Surfers are pretty attached to their boards, but you can probably find an old unused one in a  flea market. If you live in a beach town, you may even find an old one washed up. Long-boards work best because they offer more height. Use the surfboard as backing for your shower head. You can cut off the tile to build a shelf, and repurpose the surfboard fine into a towel hook. 8. Wood slats DIY Outdoor Shower Enclosure A shower enclosure can be as simple as a wooden panel. Pallets are great options! ( Source: 8 ) If you are wondering where to find pallets, or how to take them apart, here’s an info-packed article all about pallets! All about Pallets 22. Outdoor Shower Kit These were made by a company whose website oborain.com is no longer active. I really want to share these inspiring photos because it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out how to build your own version! Types of Outdoor Showers There are two main types of outdoor showers: wall-mounted and freestanding. Wall-mounted outdoor showers These outdoor showers are stationary fixtures usually attached to the main house. They are usually more affordable than stationary standalone units. They’re also often cheaper to install if they’re located near a home’s existing plumbing lines, like on the other side of the kitchen or a bathroom. Freestanding outdoor showers These outdoor showers can be stationary fixtures or free-standing portables. Stationary fixtures are usually more expensive to purchase and install because they use dedicated water lines from underground water pipes or above-ground water faucets. Portable showers are often the cheapest because they cost little or nothing to install, hook up to an existing outdoor water supply (like a garden hose) and can be placed anywhere a water hose can reach. Tips Most outdoor shower plans need to be adapted to your specific location and geography, so feel free to play with the plans listed here to find what works for you. Thanks! Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1 Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement Site Selection When selecting a site for your outdoor shower, consider its primary function. If you want people to rinse off before going in the pool, install the shower near the pool. For privacy’s sake, install it out of sight from neighbors and passers-by. If that’s not possible, you’ll need outdoor curtains or walls. Another tip: Select a site that receives direct sunlight. That will help keep you warm on brisk days and will dry the area to prevent mold formation. DIY Outdoor Shower and Bathroom     This awesome build was shown in a customer review by Byung from New Jersey. It’s an outdoor bathroom, complete with a running shower and toilet! 45 Degree Connectors and conduit support the sink, and the rest of the frame is also made from conduit and connectors with canvas attached. Be sure to check out the review for all of the pictures.The sign on the door of the structure is especially great. It’s a very impressive build that certainly pushes the limits of its materials. Thanks for the review, Byung!    Episode 109: Shopping List Plants Little kids have Christmas. Gardeners have spring. To us, this is the most wonderful time of the year. And with the start of the season come those inevitable trips to… UPDATE! Check out this fabulous “HomeJelly Reader Replica” of our outdoor shower! HomeJelly reader’s rendition of our outdoor shower. source: Sr_33 Here’s what “Sr_33” had to say about this project: “Have to finish the ‘floor’ yet, and I want to put up a privacy surround, but VERY pleased how this turned out! Since we live in FL, the water gets warm in the hose quite easily, so we didn’t feel the need to have hot/cold water. An added bonus? The soap “dish” is a shell that I dug up when I went to set the post!” BRAVO and GREAT JOB! All photography by Skaie Knox (except noted), HomeJelly Step 5 Add the water. Attach the hose to the coupler in the back of the shower. You may want to purchase a Y-splitter for your outdoor spigot so that you can run an additional hose for lawn and gardening tasks. Test the water, and enjoy! Tags ideasgetthroughmywhichposthasusedviewloveampreplyfullreadamshophotsubscribe The post How to Make an Outdoor Shower (DIY Project Instructions) appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to figure out the square footage of a room » Rhodium Floors Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:51 AM PDT Content of the material Why do I need to know how to measure square footage of a room? Video How do I figure out square feet from inches? How to calculate square footage pricing What is Usable Square Footage? Jason Somers, President & Founder of Crest Real Estate How to use the square footage calculator How to find the square footage of a rectangle How to Calculate Square Footage Convert all of your measurements to feet Calculate the Area as Square Footage How many square feet is a 12×12 room? Why is square feet an important measurement? Does a basement count as square footage? Square Footage Calculations FAQs Why do I need to know how to measure square footage of a room? There are lots of reasons why you might need to calculate the square feet of your home. Some homeowners may need this information when listing a property for sale. Others may want to know the square footage of their home to dispute a tax assessment. The most popular reason, however, is to renovate the floor of a building. It is essential to know how to work out the square footage of a room when planning on buying new flooring. Thankfully, figuring out your square footage is incredibly easy! To measure the square footage of a room, you must first find the square footage of all areas of the room you intend on installing new flooring on. This includes all nooks and crannies. Once you've done that, simply add each measurement together. Video How do I figure out square feet from inches? It might be the case that your room is not built to exact feet. In this case, you may want to calculate in inches instead. This can help you to be more accurate with your measurements. There are 12 inches in a foot. To convert your square footage measurement to inches, simply multiply your measurements by 12. To convert your square inches measurement to feet, divide by 12. Calculating the sq ft How to calculate square footage pricing Once again, we tackle a widespread issue that, despite the complications which might arise in real life, has some rather simple maths beneath it. The calculations of square footage pricing are, mathematically, the simple division of the price of a specific property by its total square footage. In everyday life, this value changes significantly depending on such factors as a location of the property, intended or potential use, and so on. It is nonetheless a useful quantity to evaluate the value of a particular house or property.   Before we talk a bit more about the usefulness of this measurement, let’s take a look at how we can use this calculator when square footage pricing comes into play. First, make sure that the “One room/area” option is selected at the top of the calculator. The area can be calculated in the previous steps or can also be inputted by the user. Then either the price per sq ft or the total cost should be provided to obtain the other value. Let’s look at a complete example: Input the size of the property’s (or property chunk’s) width and length in your desired units, Input the number of properties/chunks of the property with the size input above, [only if you didn’t follow the first two steps] Input the total area in your desired units, Input the total pricing of the property, Obtain the square footage pricing as dollars (or your local currency) per sq ft. This is an example of one of the most straightforward scenarios, but it is very representative of the typical uses of this square footage calculator. We think that it is essential not only to know how to calculate square footage or how to measure square footage but also to know what you can do with those values once you get them. When it comes to square footage pricing, its usefulness relies on the fact that it allows comparing properties (mostly houses) of different sizes and prices. It’s the equivalent of performance per dollar charts of computer parts, for example. In this manner, one could compare a 1500 sq ft with a 500 sq ft and know which one represents a better real state option, looking beyond just the price or the size of them. In fact, this can be used with any other area unit with or without converting from square meters to square feet or acres to square feet – every time we want to make a fair comparison. What is Usable Square Footage? If you're involved in commercial real estate in any way, you may have heard the term "usable square footage". This term describes the total amount of square footage that a tenant is able to use, which excludes areas like hallways, stairwells, and lobbies. When it comes to residential real estate, the usable square footage in your home refers to the amount of space that would count as your personal space. Common areas like kitchens, living rooms, hallways, and storage closets wouldn't count as usable square footage. With this information in hand, you should be able to calculate the actual square footage of your home as well as the usable square footage of your home. Being able to calculate the square footage of you home can be very helpful when you're attempting to sell your property or would like to complete a renovation. If you're getting ready to renovate your entire kitchen, knowing the square footage of the floor will allow you to purchase the right amount of materials. Keep in mind that most flooring materials are priced by square feet. Let's say that hardwood flooring has a price of $10 per square foot. If your kitchen has a floor space of 175 square feet, the flooring would likely cost around $1,750. In the event that you work as an architect or structural engineer, knowing how to calculate the square footage of a space can be invaluable for your work. Jason Somers, President & Founder of Crest Real Estate With over 15 years of professional experience in the Los Angeles luxury real estate market, Jason Somers has the background, judgement and track record to provide an unparalleled level of real estate services. His widespread knowledge helps clients identify and acquire income producing properties and value-ad development opportunities. Learn more about Jason Somers or contact us. How to use the square footage calculator Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how the calculator works and what is the square footage formula, it’s useful to know how to use the calculator, and what each of the components mean. With the “One room/area” option selected, the square footage calculator is composed of the following fields: Shape – Select the room/area shape from rectangle, square, circle, triangle, hexagon or octagon Measurements – Various measurements of the room, which change depending on the shape selected Quantity – Enter the number of rooms/areas that have the same shape and measurements Area – Combined square footage of all the spaces as input above Unit price – Price (in the local currency) per square foot Total cost – Combined monetary value of the spaces described above To use the calculator is as simple as setting the known values and letting the system calculate the rest. This means that you can use this calculator to compute the price per square foot of a property if you know the total price and total square footage. If you select the option “Multiple rooms/areas” at the top of the calculate, you can enter the measurements for up to ten rooms or areas and get a grand total at the bottom of the calculator of the square footage. For complex room layouts, divide up the room into simple shapes, such as rectangles, squares, etc., and enter each one as a separate room/area. If you’ve entered a unit price, you’ll also get the total cost. How to find the square footage of a rectangle Measure the width and length of the area in feet. Multiply your length and width together to get your area. Note: If your measurements aren't in feet, convert them to feet first using our length converter. Once you've carried out your calculation, you will have your square feet (ft2) figure. To calculate your cost of materials, simply multiply this figure by your price per square foot. How to Calculate Square Footage Square footage is area expressed in square feet. Likewise, square yardage is area expressed in square yards.  Square meters is also a common measure of area. Assume you have a rectangular area such as a room and, for example, you want to calculate the square footage area for flooring or carpet. The way to calculate a rectangular area is by measuring the length and width of your area then multiplying those two numbers together to get the area in feet squared (ft2). If you have on oddly shaped area, such as an L-shape, split it into square or rectanglualar sections and treat them as two separate areas. Calculate the area of each section then add them together for your total. If your measurements are in different units, say feet and inches, you can first convert those values to feet, then multiply them together to get the square footage of the area. Convert all of your measurements to feet If you measured in feet skip to “Calculate the Area as Square Footage” If you measured in feet & inches, divide inches by 12 and add that to your feet measure to get total feet If you measured in another unit of measure, do the following to convert to feet – inches: divide by 12 and that is your measurement in feet – yards: multiply by 3 and that is your measurement in feet – centimeters: multiply by 0.03281 to convert to feet – meters: multiply by 3.281 to convert to feet Calculate the Area as Square Footage If you are measuring a square or rectangle area, multiply length times width; Length x Width = Area. For other area shapes, see formulas below to calculate Area (ft2) = Square Footage. How many square feet is a 12×12 room? The square footage of a room measuring 12 feet wide by 12 feet long is 144 square feet. To calculate this you simply multiply the width by the height. 12ft × 12ft = 144 sq ft. Why is square feet an important measurement? A home's square footage might determine how much you'll pay in taxes on your home and what kind of renovations you may do in the future. The most important factor of square footage, however, is determining the price of a home you're trying to buy or sell. When you list a home for sale, the home's square footage is an important number to help determine the list price.  A real estate agent finds comparable properties, or properties of a similar size in the area that have sold recently to advise you on a fair offer price. A home appraiser uses a similar process of evaluating comparable properties, in addition to conducting an on-site review, to appraise the home's true value. Between you, the real estate agent, the appraiser, the architect, and the buyer, each entity may assess a home's square footage differently. If you're working with an agent and an appraiser to sell your home, it's important to measure a home's square footage accurately so you can reach a common agreement. An inaccurate square footage number could cause you to buy for too much or sell for too little, and could even hold up a sale entirely. For instance, if the appraiser doesn't include the basement in square footage but your agent did, a buyer's lender may not approve a mortgage for your agreed-upon sale price. You can contest a home appraisal as a buyer or seller, but it's a time-consuming and expensive process. That's why it's important to accurately measure square footage and arrive at a number that everyone agrees upon. Does a basement count as square footage? We alluded to it, but one of the most common questions homeowners have is whether or not basements count as square footage.  Square footage is also called "gross living area" (GLA), which is a good concept to consider when analyzing the basement question. If you can't live in a space, you can't count that square footage. "Living area" means a room must meet certain criteria like height clearances, heating, and the presence of windows. GLA only includes above-grade square footage, so completely underground basements — finished or not — cannot count to a home's overall square footage.  To count towards a home's square footage, a basement must be: Finished to the same quality and standards as the rest of the house with walls, flooring, lighting, and other features that are similar to the main living areas. Heated like the rest of the house. Space heaters (which are also a fire hazard) do not count. At least partially above ground (requirements vary by state). Those are the big qualifications.  Then, nuances and variations to how rules apply impact whether a basement counts as square footage or not. Let's look at some of the common scenarios in which basements are included to help you figure out if your basement counts. To count as square footage, basements must have a legal entrance and exit so people can evacuate in the event of an emergency. That tends to mean that your basement is a walk-out basement with a door that leads directly outside, or a garden-level lot basement that doesn't have a door that leads outside but does have windows that look out on the garden. Since the space is half above-grade with an exterior view, it may count as square footage. (Again, this is subject to different state requirements.) Square Footage Calculations FAQs Finding the measurements of your room will inform you of how much material you will need to complete the project Tags nowclosetinstallationshophomes The post How to figure out the square footage of a room » Rhodium Floors appeared first on caramembuatblog.

The 30 Most Ridiculous Real Estate Listing Photos Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:51 AM PDT Content of the material MLS Forever Video Never at a Loss For Words Concrete Dome Home How do I find my old Listings on Realtor com? How do you determine the fair market value of a home? Why is my house sale not on land registry? 2. '♫♬🎜 Come With Me You'll Be in a World of Pure Imagination …' 23. OK, I Guess Looking at a Few More Won't Hurt … Dear God, Why?!?! The Never-Ending Galaxy of MLS Whose rules govern online photo display? How do I find the sale history of a house? How do real estate listing photos get to the Internet? Step 3 – Reveal All Search Results Historical Maps of Your City Neighbors MLS Forever It starts with the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Sellers want their home advertised everywhere possible online. Increasing the exposure to online shoppers tends to maximize profit potential; their thought process is the more websites, the merrier. Many websites get their feed from the MLS. Sellers don’t necessarily care about the ramifications or the buyers’ privacy after transactions close. Video Never at a Loss For Words This room is great for an expecting family. There’s no shortage of names to choose from for a baby: Anna Mae, Wayne, Bill, Patrick, Roy, Katy … we’ll stop there for now. Let’s hope this isn’t a home décor trend but these are the 15 home décor trends you definitely need to avoid. Photo: Via Zillow Concrete Dome Home This property in Minnesota features a concrete dome home that totals 6,400 square feet. It’s spray foam insulated and creates a striking image from afar. Photo: Via Zillow How do I find my old Listings on Realtor com? To view past sales on your Find a Realtor Profile: Go to Realtor.com® Click Find Realtors® at the top of the page. Enter Agent name. Click Search. If multiple search results are received, click on your Profile to open. Click on Listings section to open. How do you determine the fair market value of a home? Divide the average sale price by the average square footage to calculate the average value of all properties per square foot. Multiply this amount by the number of square feet in your home for a very accurate estimate of the fair market value of your home. Why is my house sale not on land registry? If your property isn’t registered, it doesn’t mean there is a problem with your ownership – it simply means there hasn’t been a transaction to trigger the requirement to register since it became compulsory for your area. To sell an unregistered property you need to produce the physical title deeds. 2. '♫♬🎜 Come With Me You'll Be in a World of Pure Imagination …' "OK, I'm thrilled you chose me as your listing agent. You won't be disappointed with our marketing services. Now, I'm thinking we start with some virtual stag- …" "My nephew Francis is good with the computer." "Right, OK, but we have a talented virtual staging company we work with who make some real- …" "My nephew Francis is gonna do it. Don't make me change my mind. Now, for pictures, my cousin Jenni has a real good camera." 23. OK, I Guess Looking at a Few More Won't Hurt … Dear God, Why?!?! I mean, what goes through someone's head when they get something like this and think, “Yep, that's the one for Zillow!” Let's put aside the fact that this agent decided that putting a carpet on top of a rug was appropriate for a dining room and just focus on the sheer madness of it all. The Never-Ending Galaxy of MLS To figure out how to remove photos of your home from real estate websites, it helps to begin by understanding how the photos ended up there in the first place. It starts with MLS. Depending on your local MLS, that system might distribute its contents downline to 20, 60, or 100-plus different websites. Automatically. This includes popular homes for sale websites such as Zillow, Trulia, or realtor.com. For many years, agents could just post listings to Zillow. However, Zillow no longer offers this as an option. Instead, it has instead negotiated feeds directly from MLS companies across the country. Each website might also distribute the data to its sister websites. Agents might blog about their new listings on social media—like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest—and post photos. In the case of Pinterest, other users can then snatch the photos to "pin" on their own page. It's like a never-ending galaxy that often leaves the homeowner in a black hole. Whose rules govern online photo display? Brokers/Agents Three entities make the rules about what agents and brokers can display on their websites: The local association (in our case, the San Francisco Association of Realtors/SFAR) The state association (California Association of Realtors/CAR) National Association of Realtors (NAR). Most state associations have adopted NAR's model MLS rules in order to obtain liability insurance through NAR, and local associations adopt their own rules in line with the state and national model rules in order to also have access to the same liability coverage. To mix several metaphors: That’s the carrot that keeps this herd of real estate cats vaguely glued together. Local SFAR rules stipulate that: SFAR MLS Rules/Regulations 2018 …By submitting photographs to the MLS, the Participant and/or Subscriber represents and warrants that it either owns the right to reproduce and display these photographs or has procured such rights from the appropriate party, and has the authority to grant and hereby grants the MLS and the other Participants and Subscribers the right to reproduce and display the photographs in accordance with these rules and regulations. Zillow, Trulia & other 3rd party websites The use of photos by private companies is governed by their licensing agreement with the entity that provided the photos, as well as any other site-specific privacy or user policies. In general, if a third-party website — such as Zillow, Yahoo, realtor.com, Facebook, or any other non-broker/agent website with real estate listings — is getting a legitimate data-feed, they are also getting a perpetual license to display/use the images. As I said, privacy policies vary widely, so I’m not going to post them all here. How do I find the sale history of a house? You can look up the sale history of a house by checking the public records available at the county recorder of deeds or the tax assessor’s office. You can also find the sale records online. How do real estate listing photos get to the Internet? Typically: The seller signs a listing agreement. The broker uploads photos into the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and makes a representation about ownership and licensing/distribution that is authorized by the listing agreement or other document. Sellers can opt out of this but typically don’t. The local MLS distributes the listing compilation (photos, info) to brokers. Sellers can opt out of this but typically don’t. The local MLS distributes the listing compilation to third-party companies such as Zillow or syndication companies that, in turn, redistribute the listings to a wide variety of real estate websites. Other feeds go to individual agents or some brokerage websites at a fee. Sellers can opt out of this but typically don’t. The local MLS is obligated to give a copy of the listing to realtor.com per a separate agreement. Step 3 – Reveal All Search Results At the very least, you should have successfully retrieved one listing. If not, then the search criteria may not be correct.  Try searching again with a different word/phrase. When results are returned, Google typically omits any results that appear to have been repeated.   If this is the case, on the last page of the results, you will see “repeat the search with omitted results included”. NOTE: If too many results were returned, then the key words or phrases may be too broad. Try again with different search words/phrases being careful to select something unique or distinguishing from the description page of the property. Click on “repeat the search with omitted results included” Historical Maps of Your City Some cities have historic maps that you can search by address. There's no guarantee they include photos of your home, but it's worth a shot. You can look up historic photos of interest near you using WhatWasThere.com, for example. Otherwise, you'll have to run a search for historic maps specific to your city. Here are a few maps for major U.S. cities: New York CityPhiladelphiaSan FranciscoLos Angeles And while it's not exactly ancient history, you can look up your home's Google Street View history, too: Just search your address in Google Maps, click on the photo of your home to access Street View, and then look for the timeline, which goes back to 2007. You can also try searching for your home's address in Google Images to see what pops up. Neighbors And on a less technical note, learning about your home's history might be as simple as checking with your neighbors. (Duh!) If they've lived in the area a while, they can clue you into things you may never find in public records. "Many of them know everything there is to know about an area, a house, and previous owners," says Chantay. "You'll be surprised at what you can uncover from the person right next door." Tags News and PressBlog and ResearchResearch and Analysisportals and areprices and theGoogle and followlisting and sawrelistings and simply In theCuts in LondonLog In portal in your internet browser. bestwayinformationevenago The post The 30 Most Ridiculous Real Estate Listing Photos appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Carve a Pumpkin for Halloween Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:50 AM PDT Content of the material Pumpkin Carving Instructions: Cutting the Lid Video Step 5. Sketch out your design on paper first Transferring the design Packet Protection Plan and Draw Your Design Before You Start Carving Light up the pumpkin Separate the Seeds and Goop Tips for carving pumpkins Stay Hydrated Best Carving Tip Ever: Save your pumpkin seeds for roasting! Carving a Pumpkin Step 10. Create a chimney Pumpkin Carving Instructions: Cutting the Lid Carve the lid out at an angle to keep it from falling in. Before you start carving, cover your working surface with newspaper and put on your apron. Then: 1. Use the pencil or marker to draw a circle around the pumpkin’s stem. This will be the jack-o’-lantern’s lid. The circle should be about two-thirds the diameter of the pumpkin. It’s a good idea to include a small notch in the circle to help you align the lid correctly when you replace it. You can also use another shape for your lid, like a star or a hexagon. Some people prefer to cut a lid from the bottom rather than the top, since this can make it easier to replace and light candles. Advertisement 2. Cut along the line using the boning knife. Point the knife inward (toward the center of the pumpkin) at about a 45-degree angle. This will keep the lid from falling down into the pumpkin. 3. Remove the lid from the pumpkin and cut or scrape away any pulp that is hanging from it. Step 5. Sketch out your design on paper first If you draw your jack-o’-lantern face to size, Natiello says you can use it as a pattern: Just tape it to the front of your pumpkin and use a fork or pencil to poke holes along the lines you want to carve. (Or save yourself from creative blocks by getting a pumpkin carving kit, complete with a marker, scraper, cutting tools, and pre-made patterns.) Video Transferring the design There are various pumpkin design options; draw a custom image or use a printed pattern. From there, tape the design on the flattest part of the pumpkin. I like to use a tool that has a needle tip or pushpin would work to pierce holes through the paper, about ⅛-inches apart.  Remove the paper, and you can start carving along the dots. However, you can connect the dots with an erasable marker for more intricate designs, which is easy to wash off the surface. I also like to use a paring knife to make a shallow cut to refine the design, making it easier for etching. Don’t forget to save the design for reference.  Another option is to cut the portions of the design to make a stencil. Then draw the image onto the pumpkin. I also taped an image on the pumpkin and then tightly placed plastic wrap around to secure it. This technique makes it waterproof, and easier to carve. Recipe Resources Health Notes Ingredient Guides Tools Packet Protection 7/13 Silica gel packets, the tiny rectangular pouches that come with products like shoes and bags, can delay the growth of mold  in your pumpkins. Collect the packets throughout the year, and drop a few into your jack-o’-lantern for a longer-lasting creation. Just be sure not to place the packets on a lit candle! Related: 13 Insanely Easy Halloween Projects You Can DIY istockphoto.com Plan and Draw Your Design Before You Start Carving When designing anything, it’s always a good idea to plan out your design before jumping in, especially when you are working with something (like a pumpkin) where there is no going back once you have made a cut! Use a pencil, ball point pen, or tracing paper to draw the design on the pumpkin and then get carving. Light up the pumpkin If using a votive candle, place it inside, then place the pumpkin on top. The pumpkin won’t last as long because the heat will gradually soften the flesh over time. Other good options are battery operated votive candles or small LED string lights. Don’t forget to blow out any real candles or turn off the lights at the end of the night. Separate the Seeds and Goop As you clean out the pumpkin, put the seeds and goop (aka the pulp) in a large bowl of cold water. Give it a few good stirs and a lot of the gunk will fall to the bottom of the bowl while the seeds float to the top. Once they are separated skim the seeds off the top. Pat the seeds dry and toss them with a little oil, and salt and pepper or give them a sweet and spicy treatment. Roast at 350ºF until until browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Tips for carving pumpkins Make sure to cut the top at an angle. This helps prevent the lid from dropping inside the pumpkin when you put it back on top. Create an intentional divot or tab in the back of your pumpkin top. This makes the lid easier to align when taking on and off to relight. Consider cutting the bottom of the pumpkin instead of the top. This is a tip I got from Good Housekeeping that suggests cutting the bottom helps avoid the sides of the top caving in later. Sketch out your design on paper first. This helps to avoid mistakes when making your carvings on the pumpkin. Punch a smoke hole in the top – ideally on the backside behind the stem. This hole keeps the candle lit, by drawing the smoke out of the pumpkin like a chimney – great tips via Scout Life magazine. Remember to save the seeds – if you want to roast and eat them later. Stay Hydrated 4/13 As moisture evaporates from your carved jack-o’-lantern, it will slowly turn brown and shriveled. Keep your pumpkin hydrated by applying petroleum jelly to the cut surfaces, which seals in moisture to slow down dehydration. You can also rub the jelly along the inside of the gourd for extra protection against rot. Related: 9 Home Repair Remedies to Borrow from Your Medicine Cabinet areal-lifehousewife.com Best Carving Tip Ever: I cut off the BOTTOM of the pumpkin instead of the top! That’s right, you cut off the BOTTOM.  Seriously.  Don’t you wish you’d thought of this years ago? No more wrestling to get a lit candle down into the bottom of the pumpkin or struggling to light a candle that you’ve already placed inside! Simply cut a hole in the bottom of your pumpkin, and remove that piece for good.  Most of the guts will be pulled out with it, so you’ll only have to give your pumpkin a quick scrape on the inside. Save your pumpkin seeds for roasting! Don’t forget to save the seeds so you can make our delicious roasted pumpkin seeds with olive oil and sea salt! Now, go ahead and carve your jack-o-lantern like you usually would. Carving a Pumpkin Begin carving the pumpkin by tracing a lid. A dry erase marker was used for the tracing. A dry erase marker can be rubbed off easily after the cut is made. The lid above is a circle with a small notch. The notch will make replacing the lid easier when pumpkin carving is complete. Another option is to cut a pentagon (a polygon of five angles and five sides) or hexagon (a polygon of 6 angles and 6 sides) to serve as a lid. Cut around the outline of the lid with a utility knife or carving saw. While cutting, hold the knife/saw at an angle, this will create a cone shaped lid that will prevent the lid from falling into the pumpkin when carving is finished. Pull the stem to remove the cut lid. Depending on the thickness of the pumpkin, you may have to twist the lid to remove. Remove the pulp from the lid with a sharp utility knife. Remove the strings and seeds from the inside of the pumpkin. Save the seeds in a separate container if you plan to make roasted pumpkin seeds. After all the strings and seeds have been removed, scrape the walls of the pumpkin with a spoon or pumpkin scraper. For best carving results, it is recommended that the walls are 1″ thick in the area to be carved. Tip: A canning jar lid also works great for cleaning out the inside of the pumpkin. The edges of the lid are sharp enough to do a good job of scraping the insides and lid is easy to handle when using. With a dry erase marker, outline the face of your Jack-O-Lantern. The above outline was filled in to allow the viewer to see the outline clearly. Stencils are available for pumpkin carvings. The stencils are attached to the pumpkin with tape or push pins. The outline is drawn with a pencil or washable marker. Carve the face of the pumpkin with a sharpened knife or pumpkin saw. Insert your light source, replace the lid and enjoy! Step 10. Create a chimney First, leave the lid on for a few minutes while the candle burns. Then make a small hole where the lid has blackened. Or, save yourself the stress and go with battery-operated votives instead. Tags myideasfollowemailcookingrecipeswaybutusdaytheseweampwhatreplyscoopsubscribekitchen The post How to Carve a Pumpkin for Halloween appeared first on caramembuatblog.

Here's How To Find Out If Someone Died In Your House Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:50 AM PDT Content of the material First, Prepare Yourself Video Search Historical Newspapers Does Actually Work? In Most Cases, Its Not Required to Disclose Deaths How do I find if someone has died UK? Dig into Public Property Records Do some more research The Power of Deduction #3: Newspaper Archives and Local Gossip How to check if someone has died in your house Ask the seller or your real estate agent Search the home's address Research public records tied to the home's address Search your community's local news site Visit local community archives or genealogical societies Talk to neighbors Use online databases Why isn't it easier to figure out? First, Prepare Yourself If you’re looking at an older home or a historic property, it’s important to consider the customs and circumstances of eras gone by. “Before we had huge hospitals available close to every location, dying at home was the norm,” says Denise Supplee, a licensed Realtor and co-founder of SparkRental.com. You could leave it at that and just assume somebody may have passed away in your home. But, if you insist, you can also …  Search Historical Newspapers If you live in an older home, searching newspaper archives may yield some fruitful information. You can search an address into these websites and you may find a digitized article that mentions your house. My go-to website for such searches is NewspaperArchive. Take a look at this death report from a local Indiana newspaper from October 1950:  The home was built in 1899 and is still standing today! Check it out: I’m sure the occupant would be curious about the lives lived in their home in the past. I know I would be! Hopefully, Jesse is resting peacefully and the place isn’t haunted.  Keep in mind that there is no guarantee your address will be printed in a historical newspaper. However, the older your home is the greater the odds that this will have occurred.  Video Does Actually Work? As with any online search tool, it's essential to realize that the information you're getting is based on public reports as well as volunteered information from local residents. The site itself makes a point of having a disclaimer that there's no guarantee to the accuracy of the information. In general, it seems to have good records starting in the 1980s as that's when information on deaths in homes become public record in most parts of the country. The site also claims to gather historical information that goes further back, but it certainly isn't perfect. However, most people who use it agree that there is a decent amount of accuracy provided by the service. So while it's not 100 percent accurate, it usually is accurate enough to be relied upon.  In Most Cases, Its Not Required to Disclose Deaths Laws around death disclosures vary state by state, but most states do not require sellers to disclose deaths of natural causes that took place in the home. It is only legally required to report these types of deaths in the states of Alaska, California, and South Dakota, and only for deaths that have occurred in the past three years, Elron says. In Georgia, disclosure is only required if the homebuyer asks (this also applies to landlords whose renters ask), Supplee says.  Real estate transactions use Caveat Emptor, which translates to “Buyer Beware,” meaning the responsibility is on the buyer to discover adverse material facts, says Florida-based home insurance specialist and licensed Realtor Robyn Flint.  “Legally speaking, Realtors are not typically required to disclose if a person has died in a home,” Flint says. While they are legally required to disclose foundation issues or a leaky roof, someone dying naturally inside a home falls outside the standard of adverse material facts, Flint says, reiterating that you should always check your state laws. On the other hand, in most states, real estate agents must legally disclose if there has been a violent death or a highly publicized death on the property, Elron says. That’s in part because it can affect property values. How do I find if someone has died UK? Death records in the UK are public and you can generally find out the details of a deceased person’s death and burial online, such as with GOV.UK, publicrecordsearch.co.uk or deceasedonline.com. Dig into Public Property Records Getty / Loretta Hostettler A variety of public land and property records can be used to identify the former owners of your home, as well as the land it sits on. Most of these property records will be found at the municipal or county office responsible for creating and recording property records, although older records may also have been moved to state archives or another repository.  Tax Assessment Records:  Many counties have current property assessment records online (locate them through a search engine with [county name] and [state name] plus keywords such as assessor or assessment (e.g. pitt county nc assessor). If not online, then you'll find them computerized at the county assessor's office. Search by owner name or select the property parcel on a map to obtain the real property parcel number. This will provide information on the land and any current structures. In some counties, this parcel number can also be used to retrieve historical tax information. In addition to identifying property owners, tax records can be used to estimate a building's construction date by comparing the assessed value of the property from one year to the next. If buildings aren't specifically mentioned, you can identify possible construction by noting the date of an assessment that increases out of proportion to other nearby properties. Deeds: Recorded copies of various types of land deeds can be used to identify former landowners. If you’re the homeowner, your own deed will likely identify the prior owners, as well as reference the prior transaction in which those owners first acquired title to the property. If you are not the home’s owner, then you can locate a copy of the deed by searching the grantee index at the local recorder’s office for the name(s) of the current property owner(s). Most deeds you read should reference the immediate prior owners of the property (the ones selling the home to the new owners) and, usually, the deed book and page number of the previous deed. Learn how to research a chain of title and how to find deeds online. Do some more research If a death was suspicious (or if a murder occurred), the local paper definitely wrote an article about it. Some quick googling can show you the recent history of the home. If you think a previous owner might have died in the home, you can cross-reference past owners of the property with local death records and/or obituaries. You can find a list of previous homeowners by visiting the county recorder's office. You will be able to find death records in your local library and obituaries in newspaper archives (also often found at a local library). The Power of Deduction Let’s think logically for a moment: the older your home is the odds that someone died in it. For example, back in the Victorian era, it was common for births and deaths to occur at home. For a century-old house, the odds are pretty high that at least one member of a past family died within the house; particularly given the life expectancy in the early 20th century.  Unfortunately, this thought experiment doesn’t yield much certainty. While it may be probable that someone has died in your home in the past, finding conclusive evidence may be challenging.  #3: Newspaper Archives and Local Gossip Many deaths — especially those that occurred in suspicious circumstances — are reported in local newspapers. You can always try searching online for reports or obituaries concerning the home, or look in the library for archived newspaper reports. Neighbors are also a good source of local gossip. If you are brave enough to knock on doors and ask some fairly awkward questions, you may be able to find some helpful information. How to check if someone has died in your house Whether you live in a state that requires the disclosure of previous deaths in a house, there are several ways you can go about finding out the answer yourself. Ask the seller or your real estate agent One way to find out whether someone has died in your home is simply to ask the real estate agent or seller. Depending on your state, the realtor may or may not be required to tell you, but you'll never know until you try. Search the home's address Entering a prospective home's address in a search engine is a simple but effective first step to finding out if something notable has occurred in the house. This doesn't have to be a death, but there could be other events that are worth knowing about, like certain crimes or house fires. Research public records tied to the home's address Census records, deeds, and death certificates are all examples of documents that could be connected to a home's address. Search your community's local news site Even if your prospective home's address isn't explicitly named, you may be able to discover incidents tied to the house by using keywords associated with more general items, like the street or neighborhood name, or the names of past owners.It's possible you may also come across obituaries of a previous owner that note that the deceased person died in their home.MORE: How to settle into a new house Visit local community archives or genealogical societies Your local library's archives and regional genealogical societies may have records containing information about the house and previous inhabitants. If you're lucky, they'll be staffed by people who know the community like the back of their hand and might know the answers you're looking for themselves or will at least be able to point you in the right direction. Talk to neighbors You don't have to risk scaring your neighbors from the get-go by asking about deaths—you can simply ask what they know about the house and people who have lived there over the years. If you've done research on the home ahead of time and suspect a death might have occurred on the property, the information you've found can help you steer the conversation gently in that direction. Plus, talking to neighbors can give you a general sense of what people in the neighborhood are like and how well they know each other. Use online databases Some websites keep track of various events that happen on properties, from crimes to fires to deaths. Examples include HouseCreep.com and DiedInHouse.com.Some are free to use (and will have dubious levels of credibility), while others may require you to pay to search their records. Use these resources at your own discretion.You can also review census records via the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration or online databases set up by your area's vital records office, which can be particularly helpful if you live in an older home.MORE: How to bundle home and auto insurance to save money Why isn't it easier to figure out? Although curiosity is virtually universal, there is a reason most states don't require sellers to disclose deaths which occurred in a house. If a particularly gruesome death occurred in the house, the property could become unnecessarily stigmatized and de-valued. However, if you are truly concerned that someone may have died in a house you're looking to buy, do your own research and talk to the neighbors.  Need some help finding a home? We can help. Trelora real estate serves Colorado, Seattle, Phoenix, and Raleigh. Our mission is simple: full service real estate for a fraction of the cost. When you hire a traditional agent to help you buy or sell your home, you pay that agent 3-6% of the home’s value. Trelora offers sellers a full-service experience for just 1%. Buyers pay nothing out of pocket and receive an average refund of $6,000 at closing. Take the smart way home.  Christopher Stjernholm Christopher has been been in the Real Estate industry for 8 years and has had the opportunity to close over 1,000 deals while acting as the Managing Broker for thousands more. Christopher is passionate about continuing to find ways to simplify, maximize, and serve Trelora's clients exceptionally well and spends his time building teams to deliver high levels of service. When not doing real estate Christopher can be seen training for marathons and ultra relays with his 2 year old daughter, eating pizza, and drinking a steady stream of Diet Coke. Tags contactthanbestampbuying The post Here's How To Find Out If Someone Died In Your House appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How much does it cost to build and live in a cabin in the woods in USA? Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:50 AM PDT Content of the material Building the Base Video Rockwork Exterior Painting and Caulking How hard is it to build a cabin? 3. How much cabin can you afford? What is the easiest cabin to build? Is Owning a Cabin Worth It? Labour Do I need permission to build a cabin? 4. Use cost-effective foundation solutions Timber and Roof DIY This Small Cabin Insulation Prefab Arched Cabin Kits Construction Loans Vs. Mortgages Do log cabins keep their value? How To Budget For The Investment First, how much of a down payment can you afford?   How much take-home pay does your household bring in?  Add up your monthly expenses.   Now, make a list of expenses that will be added when you buy a home. Once you become a cabin owner, what costs will disappear from your expenses? Do some basic math to figure out how much you can spend on housing.   The leftover figure is how much you can afford each month for your house. 7. Look for specialty financing Plumbing and Electrical Can You Just Build a Cabin in the Woods? How Much Does It Cost to Build a Small Cabin? Popular Discussions Building the Base André Boettcher / Politaire For the foundation, they filled steel pipes with concrete and anchored them into the bedrock, the most eco-friendly solution they could find for building on swampy terrain. They specifically decided against a traditional concrete foundation since one of their main missions was that the cabin could be "erased" from the site if need be. "But not only constructing the cabin eco-friendly was important," they told us. "We also designed the cabin that tearing it down (not soon gonna happen) would not leave any traces and there is no issue about renaturation." "Building the house in such a way that nature can revive and that we are not dominating the place," was crucial, they emphasized. Video Rockwork On chimneys and foundations, engineered stone can be figured at $11.50 to $14.50 per square foot of coverage for labor and materials. Dry-stack stone can be figured at $11 to $13 per square foot for labor and materials. Exterior Painting and Caulking Prices vary based on exterior design, such as multiple gables, dormers, covered porches, and offsets. Figure materials at $1.50 per square foot of the log home for the exterior and the same again for the interior. If you plan to use tongue and groove for interior wall coverings, figure $1.90 per square foot. Labor is usually $100 per 1 gallon of stain used. For exterior labor, figure at double the cost of materials. For interior labor, figure at triple the cost of materials. How hard is it to build a cabin? It is difficult to build a log cabin by yourself. The nature of log cabins is to use logs. Logs for modern log cabins are too large for one person to handle themselves. It is best to leave the setting of foundation and the framing of the logs to someone who is well acquainted with the process. 3. How much cabin can you afford? Cabins might seem like a luxury, but with careful budgeting and lifestyle adjustments, you'll find they can be an affordable way to acquire property and vacation time. Budgeting for a cabin is just like budgeting for a home. The price tags vary widely, based on location, design, amenities and quality. Consider how much value you'll get for your money. If you're going to use it frequently, you won't need to rent vacation homes, which could save you money in the long run. And if you're going to rent it out, it could even make you money. But if your cabin could potentially sit there unused, collecting maintenance to-dos that you aren't around to complete, it can be a major financial drain. Speak with a financial adviser, and take plenty of time to assess pricing and location options before deciding if a second home is indeed within your budget. What is the easiest cabin to build? According to Bruce Wilde, founder of the school, a vertical log cabin is the easiest and one of the least expensive to build. "Vertical log cabins can be built by almost anyone, even if they don’t have any building experience I have even had handicapped students build a vertical log cabin. Is Owning a Cabin Worth It? Whether or not owning a cabin is worth it, is a very personal question. If you are really into that cottagecore, off-grid lifestyle that takes you out of the city and into nature then nothing should stop you from achieving that goal. Log cabins have a unique appeal and are just as good as modern homes. They only need a bit more attention but will last you that much longer. Labour Building a log cabin yourself was one of the reasons we suggested why you should live in a log cabin. So in our opinion, labour should cost nothing but hard work and sweat! If you aren't able to, or, are considering hiring professionals to build you a cabin, this can increase your build cost dramatically. If you hire external labour, such as builders, architects and project managers, it will be the single most expensive cost: Project manager – 5%-10% of total cost, realistically from $5,000 to $50,000. Builder/carpenter – 15-20% of total cost, so anywhere from $15,000 to $100,000. Actual Cost The total cost of all the labour for my log cabin was $5,500. I did most of the construction – apart from site clearance, structural engineering and surveyor activities. Do I need permission to build a cabin? You can build a cabin up to twenty five square meters in area if it is not connected to your house. But a better option might be to build an extension to the house. With an extension, you can build up to forty square metres without planning permission, as long as the house has not been extended previously. 4. Use cost-effective foundation solutions Although a slab or a crawl space is the simplest foundation for a cabin, you do have other options, especially if your cabin is 150 square feet or smaller. “You may want to consider using patio stones, super spikes, cinder blocks, tubes, or concrete piers with small outdoor structures,” says John Hickey of  Summerwood Products. Photo: Roger Starnes Sr on Unsplash Timber and Roof Timber and logs can quickly become the most expensive part of your cabin build. For some lucky folks, they will have a natural supply to use. For us, we purchased road-side soft timber logs in lengths of 32FT for just over $2,400 – most of the logs were 14" in girth or greater. Most logs are priced between $0.2 to $1 per board foot. How many board feet are in a log can be determined using the Doyle Scale. Once we purchased the logs we got them hauled to a local sawmill to prepare and cut them to size. Then another expense to get the logs hauled back to our camp! Top-tip: Try to use logs with a girth greater than 12" – this will save you money during insulation. Weather proofing your logs is essential; there are lots of techniques for achieving this – I decided to use Permachink. If you aren't familiar with caulking a log cabin, then look at our tutorial. The Permachink cost $500 and then an additional $550 for foam backers. I then used Permagard to treat the timber logs once they were delivered to site. This was very time consuming and cost around $300, but it gave me peace of mind that the timber had been treated properly. Once the cabins structure is built, you will then need to decide upon your roof. Choosing the right roof and color can really finish the cabin to a high standard and make it look great. Roofing comes as thatch, shingles (felt or cedar), tiles, EPDM rubber, slate or tin. I decided to use a tin roof because it was the perfect color, durable, and fast to build with. I used 2m x 950mm Bitumen Corrugated Sheets which cost just under $30 per sheet. Actual Cost Our cabins timber and roof bill was $6,600. This includes purchasing, preparing, cutting and constructing the logs. DIY This Small Cabin Joalex Henry Looking to live like Henry Thoreau? You can DIY with this small cabin by Joalex Henry.The expert do-it-yourselfer who built this haven single-handedly shares what you need to know about cabin construction, from picking the best logs to preventing wood rot with a coat of cooking oil. His little abode cost less than $2,500 to make using mostly reclaimed materials. Insulation Many log cabin enthusiasts are excited about having a property that’s close to nature. However, without proper insulation, you can expect a fun escape of ‘roughing it’ to become downright miserable. Insulation keeps the internal temperature of a small log cabin comfortable, meaning cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The average cost for sufficient insulation in the floor and roof of a small cabin is around $1,800 when using a standard insulation option, like 50mm or 100mm insulation. Plan to spend upwards of $2,000 when adding insulation to the walls as well. Prefab Arched Cabin Kits Arched Cabins Budget-minded DIYers will appreciate the selection of prefab metal buildings from Arched Cabins. How resilient are these galvanized steel structures? All can withstand wind speeds of up to 150 mph and up to 30 pounds per square foot of snow.  Each DIY kit comes with a construction manual and phone number for the company’s building support team. While all orders also come with everything needed to complete the exterior, foundations and finished interiors aren’t included. Prices for a 20-inch wide, family-size cabin start at $8,400. Construction Loans Vs. Mortgages The traditional mortgage is essentially a loan made by a bank for a person to buy a house.  The person pays a down payment to secure the mortgage, then pays monthly installments with interest.  The terms of a mortgage can be for different numbers of years. Construction loans are much shorter-term than mortgages.  Typically, they are paid out in stages as the home is being built.  The lender gets detailed plans and a timetable for construction, and pays the builder as the log cabin is being built. Construction loans are offered by fewer banks because some only provide loans on finished buildings.  You will want to find a lender that can provide a construction loan during the building process and will convert the loan into a mortgage when the cabin has been completed.  Construction loans typically require a down payment, but do not require principle payments.  Principle and interest payments only start after the loan has been converted to a mortgage. Do log cabins keep their value? A log cabin can be a fabulous investment. It not only adds valuable living space to your garden, it can add, on average, at least 5% – even up to 15%! – to the value of your house. How To Budget For The Investment Budgeting for a home purchase is not as scary as it might sound.  It really breaks down into a few simple steps.  Pull out a pen and pad and take a few minutes to give these points some consideration: First, how much of a down payment can you afford?   Your monthly expenses aside, this is a huge part of buying the house.  The higher your down payment, the lower your monthly mortgage payments and the less interest you'll have to pay over time.  This money often comes from savings, though many people will get creative and try selling a vehicle or something similar to help bulk up their down payment. How much take-home pay does your household bring in?  If you are going into the purchase with a partner, tally up how much income you bring in each month.  Make sure the number is the after-tax figure, as you don't want to budget for income you'll have to pay to the government later. Add up your monthly expenses.   These are going to be things like rent, utilities, health insurance, car payments, food, gas, subscriptions, phone plans, eating out, shopping for clothes and more.  Some of these items will be inflexible, like health insurance and utilities.  Others such as food and subscriptions have some wiggle room to help you make a budget work. Now, make a list of expenses that will be added when you buy a home Homeowner's insurance, property taxes, and utilities are all factors when you own a home.  You may need yard work or snow plowing during certain times of the year. You may not have experience with these costs, so try asking friends who are homeowners to see if they can give you some guidance. Once you become a cabin owner, what costs will disappear from your expenses? You will be spending vacations at the cabin, so money spent on hotels will go away or if living full-time in your log home, expenses may be lower than your current residence.  Look at all your expenses and figure out which ones will go away. Do some basic math to figure out how much you can spend on housing.   Add up all income and subtract the expenses you'll have with home-ownership.  Do not include costs that dissolve in Step 5.  However, leave some room for emergency repairs, health crises and more to avoid an unexpected expenditure from wrecking your budget. The leftover figure is how much you can afford each month for your house The Internet has no shortage of mortgage calculators, so you can start playing around with figures to determine monthly payments and total house costs.  Enter the down payment you would be able to afford, plus the going interest rate, and by entering the total cost of the house, you will see what the monthly payments would be. 7. Look for specialty financing Your cabin producer should be able to point you in the right direction to find financing. They can recommend a mortgage company that specializes in these projects or may even finance it themselves. Plumbing and Electrical Here’s where we get to the nuts and bolts of building costs for a small cabin. Utilities and services — in other words, plumbing, and electricity — can usually be installed for $3,000 to $8,000. However, there are many factors, such as terrain, property size, and distance to the grid, that can affect the total cost of installing plumbing and electricity. Can You Just Build a Cabin in the Woods? Technically, yes you can just build a cabin in the woods. However you will first need to acquire some land and make sure that you adhere to local building codes. Building your own home definitely isn’t easy but there a lot of super helpful videos online that will guide you through the process. It will involve a lot of research and going back and fourth between designing decisions. Also, keep in mind that there is not a lot of information out there about specific problems that you may face. And the information that you can find is often highly conflicting. Not only the permission part but also the construction in itself will take a lot of time if you are not experienced. How Much Does It Cost to Build a Small Cabin? How much your small cabin costs will depend greatly on the type of material you use, the home size, and the contractors. You can build a small cabin for $15,000 if you are resourceful or you can build one for $300,000 or more. You may think that just buying an old cabin will be much more affordable than building one from scratch. But renovations especially of old material can be super expensive and may even end up costing more than a newly build cabin. Most of the cost of a cabin build is labor. So if you can manage to do it yourself with the help of friends and family, you can save a lot of money. Using reclaimed wood or even some material that would have been thrown away is a cheap alternative to buying everything from a hardware store. But don’t cheap out on the materials too much as it will save you a lot of maintance and heating cost in the future. All building materials need tools to cut or transform them. Maybe you can rent some for cheap but you will definitely need to buy a few. You will also need to add the cost of land into your calculations. The average value of land in the USA is about $10,000 per acre. This will be much more expansive around cities or cheaper the further you move into rural or secluded areas. Overall, for only your cabin you can expect an average cost of $100-$200 per square foot. Popular Discussions Brilliant Design for Wearable Seating, for Certain Workers Teenage Engineering’s TX-6 Portable Mixer Join Us For Our Next Crash Course: Pro Tips for Designing 3D Printed Flexures Automatic Boot-Cleaning Machine Looks Like It Has Fantastic UX Tags In theBizarre Inventions Cabin in thecabin in thewoods. In thisCabin in thelapsed industrial designer.born in NYCfarm in the Industrial Designers pleaseemailthankspmsiding The post How much does it cost to build and live in a cabin in the woods in USA? appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How To Prepare A Base For A Stone Or Paver Walkway Or Patio Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:50 AM PDT Content of the material Related Articles Do’s and Don’ts of Paver Installation: Step 1 of 3 – Pre-installation and Planning Do’s and Don’ts of Paver Installation: Step 3 of 3 – Installing the Pavers Video Install the Pavers 4. Excavate dirt and debris Restraints Overlays Installing Pavers over Existing Concrete 6. Spread gravel How To Excavate For A Patio? Maintenance Related Articles Do’s and Don’ts of Paver Installation: Step 1 of 3 – Pre-installation and Planning People don't realize the amount of work involved with the installation of our paving stones, I am not saying that to scare anyone off of their project but a little planning will go a long way. Unilock provides an excellent technical guide for the proper installation of pavers, so please refer to it for details. To avoid common mistakes, follow these steps: Read More Do’s and Don’ts of Paver Installation: Step 3 of 3 – Installing the Pavers As of now, your project area is beginning to take shape with a solid prepared base. The next step is laying the pavers where you can finally begin to see your plan take action! The following guidelines will help ensure your project is exactly what you have imagined. Read More Install the Pavers Lay the pavers closely together according to the chosen pattern and design. Start from one corner and work your way around the area. Use a diamond saw, a masonry chisel, or mechanical splitter and safety glasses to cut pavers to the sizes required. While installing, tap the paver with a rubber mallet to ensure solid contact with the underlying compacted bedding. Lay the first pavers parallel to the foundation, and then lay the remaining pavers in a running bond or other patterns. Video 4. Excavate dirt and debris Excavate the dirt and debris to 7–13" below the finished grade, depending on the type of traffic the pavers will receive. If the pavers are only for pedestrian traffic, dig 7" below finished grade. If the project will be receiving vehicular traffic, excavate 9–13".   We recommend excavating this deep because vehicular traffic requires a super sturdy base. The deeper the base is excavated, the more gravel you can add and compact. Pro Tip: If you remove large debris and are left with large divots do not backfill with dirt. Instead, backfill those depressions with gravel and hand tamp them before laying geotextile. Restraints Once your trench is filled with sand and gravel and compacted, you should place base restraints to prevent your base and pavers from shifting due to age or weather conditions. Restraints are normally made from back polymer or plastic and can be purchased from any gardening center. Place the restraints along the edges of your pavers. They should be dug in every 16 inches and dig them into the base at different angles to secure them. Overlays Installing Pavers over Existing Concrete Thin concrete pavers or Belgard Porcelain Pavers may be placed over an existing concrete slab or a new concrete slab (4,000 psi  and 4" thickness minimum) on a sand or DriBond setting bed. DriBond will actually adhere the pavers directly to the concrete slab, similar to how thinset adhesive works for tile. It goes on as a thin dry powder (3/8" thick max). Once the pavers are installed, simply soak the pavers with water to activate it. If just using sand, you will want to install an edging restraint as shown in the above diagram. Prior to installation, verify that the distance from the top of slab to the doorsill will accommodate the proposed paver and setting bed thickness. If the concrete won't allow for the thickness of the new overlay material, many rental companies will rent small grinding equipment. As long as you are left with a minimum of 4", you can remove some of the top layer of the existing concrete. The other option would be to cut and remove the concrete near the transition and re-pour it at a lower height. If the site is located in a freeze-thaw zone, consider any heave movement in your height calculation. Thickness of the concrete slab should be 4"-6" with consideration given to heavier loading (RV, travel trailers, trucks, etc.) to determine the correct depth of concrete base and any internal reinforcement. For additional or site-specific design, consult your local Belgard representative or a civil/geotechnical engineer experienced with rigid segmental pavement design. 6. Spread gravel After you've set your grade, you'll need to lay 4" of gravel base for pedestrian applications, 6–10" for vehicular. Be sure to use 3/4-0 or ODOT road base gravel so that you get a good mix of fine and coarse aggregate for the best compaction. If you're installing a residential driveway, you can get away with only 6" on a light, well-draining soil. In colder climates with continually wet or weak soils, add an extra 2–4" to your gravel base. For parking lots or residential streets, you'll want to lay at least 8" if not 10" of gravel. Many new hardscape DIYers make the mistake of using dirt as their base aggregate layer. Don't do that! Your pavers are only as sturdy as your base. That means, if you use dirt, pavers quickly sink, rotate, and separate.  Before moving on, your gravel base needs to be flat, without any bellies or rises of more than 1/8″. Any imperfections of more than this are noticeable in the final product.  To accomplish this, you'll need to compact your gravel with a steel tamper (for small projects) or a plate compactor (for large projects). Compact your gravel in 2″ lifts, which means, compact your gravel 2″ at a time until the desired thickness is achieved. For example, if you're laying a circle patio for your backyard, you'll need to spread a total of 4" of gravel, 2" at a time. Drag a flat board across the compacted gravel to ensure there are no remaining dips or rises in the gravel. Compact the gravel one final time. Once your gravel is flat, your base is ready to start laying pavers. How To Excavate For A Patio? Before excavating, you can use spray paint to mark the areas that need to be dug. Make sure you make plans for water efficient landscaping and proper draining so that the pavers don't hold water under them. Also take note of whether there are any underground cables or plumbing so that they can avoided while digging. Maintenance Pavers are normally installed with a lifetime warranty. To maintain their appearance, sweeping and cleaning the pavers regularly is recommended. Regular sealing may also be necessary to maintain color, appearance, and ease of cleaning. It also helps protect the pavers against stains, moss, algae, and loss of joint sand. Tags byaboutallhomeupusoutdowndiygardenwhensignampfindlivinglevelgroundoutdoorhastoolsedgebetweenslopelandscapebricks The post How To Prepare A Base For A Stone Or Paver Walkway Or Patio appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How Much Does it Cost to Install a Ceiling Fan? | Hunter Fan Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:49 AM PDT Content of the material $75 $150 Video Can you install a ceiling fan without wiring? Where Should Ceiling Fans Be Installed? Optimal Sizing, Speed, and Placement How difficult is it to install a ceiling fan? Additional Ceiling Fan Features 7. Add the switch housing 3. Install the ceiling bracket Ceiling fan accessories How much does a ceiling fan cost? How long does it take to install a ceiling fan? Ceiling Fan Maintenance Tips 1. Cleaning 2. Lubrication 3. Warning Signs $75 $150 The average cost of ceiling fan installation is $75 to $150 with most homeowners spending around $150 to $350 for both parts and labor. Hiring a handyman to install your ceiling fan will cost $50 to $75 per hour and typically take 1.5 to 2 hours. If an electrician is needed, the hourly rate averages $40 to $100 per hour and it will take two hours or more. Get free estimates from fan installers near you. Get free estimates Can you install a ceiling fan without wiring? You do not want to install a ceiling fan without wiring. So when you don’t have the wiring, you’ll have to install the electrical box yourself. One switch is for the fan and the other switch is for the light attachment. Even if you don’t plan to add a light now, run the wire for a second switch. Video Where Should Ceiling Fans Be Installed? Put ceiling fans in all the rooms where your family spends a lot of time. The kitchen, the family room, the den, and the bedrooms are obvious choices. Some people have fans in all the rooms, and even on the patio and in the workshop or garage. Ceiling fans can greatly enhance the décor of any room, as there are literally hundreds of colours and designs to choose from. Ceiling fans also provide excellent lighting options, as well. Simply pick out the ceiling fan that suits your personal style and décor and Expert Electric will be more than happy to install it for you. Optimal Sizing, Speed, and Placement Use this formula to find the best fan size for a room's occupied space (the part of the room where people gather the most): Occupied space (in square feet) divided by 4 equals the blade span (in inches). Step blade span down a bit for rooms with low ceilings, and go wider if the ceilings are high. Another good rule of thumb is to remember that blade spans of less than 36 inches are ideal for spaces smaller than 75 square feet, such as baths and breakfast nooks. Spans of 36 to 42 inches work in rooms of up to 225 square feet, like a dining room. Larger living rooms and bedrooms can handle 50- to 54-inch blades. Make sure that the cubic feet of air that the fan moves per minute (cfm), measured at high speed, is near the top of its class. Some 52-inch fans, for instance, rate as low as 2,050 cfm, while others reach 7,800. High-cfm fans not only provide a better breeze, they usually have robust motors that will last longer and run more quietly. For optimal performance, the fan should be hung at least 1 1/2 feet from the wall or a sloped ceiling, 7- to 10-feet from the floor, and at least 8 inches from the ceiling. Steer clear of hanging the fan too close to any lights, as rotating blades under a bulb will create an annoying flicker. How difficult is it to install a ceiling fan? 1 out of 5 Easy Somewhat easy. It takes a bit of work to install a fan-approved electrical box, but the ceiling-fan assembly and installation are very straightforward. Additional Ceiling Fan Features Lights – Ceiling fans are either designed with or without lights, but more commonly they are designed to include lights as in many cases a homeowner is replacing a light fixture with a ceiling fan. Outdoor ceiling fans are more likely to come without lights included. Ceiling fan with a remote – Ceiling fans with remote controls start at around $70 and can be as much as $1,100, depending on the brand and other design features. You don’t have to install a new fan to have a working remote control since a remote-control kit for your fan can be purchased for $20–$100. It should take about an hour for an experienced worker to complete the task, and if your handyman is able to install the remote control in the fan housing, it will likely cost around $75, or if you hire an electrician to do the work, the total cost will be around $120. Ceiling fan remote app – Smart technology gives homeowners the ability to schedule a ceiling fan to work in conjunction with the HVAC, with responsive on-off controls based on temperatures inside the home. Many products are also compatible with the like of Nest, Alexa, and Google Home, and that allows for the addition of features like being able to control the fan using voice, or over the internet when away from the house. Return to Top 7. Add the switch housing You’ll most likely put your switch housing into place using screws. There will be a wire plug that goes from the upper to the lower switch housing. Make sure this connection is secure, because it’s what turns the fan on. 3. Install the ceiling bracket Now it’s time to install pieces of the new fan. First up is the ceiling bracket. Use the screws that come with the new fan, and secure it into the holes on the electrical box. Bring the wires from the ceiling through the center hole. In our case, that was one white wire and one yellow wire (plus the green one on the ceiling bracket). Ceiling fan accessories Depending on the ceiling height for where you're installing the ceiling fan or if you want additional controls, the ceiling fan cost can go up.     If you're installing the ceiling fan in a room with high ceilings, you'll need an extension downrod. Ceiling fan downrods can cost between $10 to $75, depending on the length. To determine what size extension downrod you need, simply take your ceiling height in feet and subtract 8. You'll need to convert that measurement to inches because ceiling fan downrods are measured in inches.  For sloped or vaulted ceilings exceeding 34 degrees, a sloped ceiling adapter is needed to ensure proper ceiling fan installation. This type of adapter costs about $37 and replaces the ceiling fan canopy that comes with your fan.    If you want to add an additional ceiling fan control or add a wall control to a fan with handheld remote, an accessory control will add an additional $30 to $100 to your ceiling fan installation cost. Typically, the remote receiver is included with the accessory control; if it isn't, it can cost around $30 for the necessary receiver. Keep in mind that if you're adding a wall control to your fan, there may be additional work required at your wall switch. You can always reach out to a certified, professional electrician for help.     Learn more about what accessories you need or might want for your ceiling fan installation by checking out our ceiling fan buying guide.   How much does a ceiling fan cost? According to a number of appliance retailers, ceiling fans can cost about $100 – $500, depending on the type and the material it's made from. Fans with powder-coated metal blades are generally the cheapest. These are for general purpose, but may eventually corrode, particularly if you live close to the coast. Fans with timber blades are more expensive but are said to be quieter when the fan is on. Fans with stainless steel blades are more expensive again but may be worth the investment for coastal properties. While most people usually buy fans to cool and circulate air on hot days, there are also reversible fans that are designed to re-distribute the hot air that rises to the ceiling from heaters in winter, giving you the best of both worlds all year round. Shop Online Shop Online How long does it take to install a ceiling fan? The specific requirements for each installation vary from job to job, but your installer should advise you how long it will take. However, it generally takes about one to two hours to install a ceiling fan for the first time. Ceiling Fan Maintenance Tips In order to keep your ceiling fan in optimal working condition, ceiling fan maintenance is extremely important. Below are some of the maintenance tasks that you can perform on your ceiling fan: 1. Cleaning Overtime a ceiling fan's blades can collect dust. Once dust has accumulated on the blades, it can become airborne during use. This either spreads the dust through the air, which is not enjoyable for anyone in the room, or it can be sucked into the motor. If too much dust is drawn into the motor, it can result in shaking and cause the motor to run hot. This can lead to an expensive repair bills down the road. You should clean your ceiling fan at least once a year. Start by cleaning the blades with a brush and then use a damp, soapy cloth to remove the remaining sticky stains. Leave the fan to dry before using it again. 2. Lubrication Most machines with moving parts require lubrication on a regular basis. Older ceiling fans require lubrication while newer fans are self-lubricating. If you are unsure whether your fan requires lubrication, check the owner's manual. If your fan is not properly lubricated the motor can become damaged and cause electrical fires. To lubricate your ceiling fan, use any light oil to fill the oil hole that is located on the topside of the motor. Fill this hole until the oil flows over and then remove the excess with a tissue or rag. 3. Warning Signs When starting up your fan for the summer, there are several problems that can generate because of lack of maintenance: Noise – If your fan is becoming noisy, check all the connections on the fixture. Tighten all the screws to ensure that nothing is moving or shaking during use. If your fan continues to make noise during use contact a professional to check for a larger problem. Bad smell – If your fan is emitting a bad smell this could likely be due to the motor overheating. Too much dust has gotten into the motor or it has not been properly lubricated. Have an expert check the fan to make sure that it is safe to run and prevent further damage to the fan or your home. Wobbling – Wobbling can be the result of an improper weight-alignment. This can happen due to a variety of factors, including: warped blades, bent blade irons, blades or blade irons not being screwed on straight, blades being different weights or shapes or sizes. A wobbling fan can be dangerous and comprise the security of the fan. Tags to Install a usweservicesampseeenergyrangemobilepriceprices The post How Much Does it Cost to Install a Ceiling Fan? | Hunter Fan appeared first on caramembuatblog.

Now Six Ways To Find Out if Someone Died in Your Home – Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:49 AM PDT Content of the material Search the web Video Google it Is The Property Value Affected If Someone Died In My House? How do you find the history of a house? What Are The Websites That Show If Someone Died In The House? #2: Ask the seller and the Real Estate Agent Consult Census Records and City Directories Read the seller disclosure form We Make Buying & Selling Simple! Can you live in a house someone died in? We’re Here to Help Ask the Neighbors Inquire of your neighbors if anyone died in your home Try How to check if someone has died in your house Ask the seller or your real estate agent Search the home's address Research public records tied to the home's address Search your community's local news site Visit local community archives or genealogical societies Talk to neighbors Use online databases Why isn't it easier to figure out? Search the web The quickest approach to finding out if someone died in a house is to utilize DiedInHouse.com. The website combines data from over 130 million police records, press reports, and death certificates to assess whether or not someone died in a house. It does cost $11.99 per search. While the website might offer important information concerning fatalities in your home, there is a clause. The site disclaimer states: “Died in House does not guarantee to have discovered or confirmed all deaths that have happened in or at a certain address.” Although the website contains over 130 million records, there are a lot of residences in the world. The website will likely provide you with accurate information as to the history of your home, but you never know. Video Google it If the thought of visiting a local government office or brick-and-mortar library scares you more than any haunted spirit, you can also try a search engine. Google the address, and look for any links from local news stations or obituaries. “You should also experiment with queries that include your address followed by terms like ‘death,’ ‘murder,’ or ‘homicide’ so you can get a complete picture of your situation,” says interior designer Brett Elron of BarterDesign. Elron says as an interior designer, he’s had plenty of clients want to know if their home has had a death inside of it.  “Before we had huge hospitals available close to every location, dying at home was the norm.” Is The Property Value Affected If Someone Died In My House? Though it's not something discussed on paper, it can affect your property value. Depending on the deaths, it could cause a serious drop in demand as well as home value. Sometimes, it can exceed 3 percent of the home's value. How do you find the history of a house? Here are 8 ways to find out the history of your home. The National Registry of Historic Places. Ask your Realtor. Look up old census records. Visit a local library, historical society or preservation foundation. Explore the home and yard for clues. Conduct a title search. Read books on the area. Ready to move?. What Are The Websites That Show If Someone Died In The House? The most commonly-used service is DiedInHouse.com, which lets you find out if there are any known records of people dying in a specific house. It gets pricey, though—approximately $12 per search! #2: Ask the seller and the Real Estate Agent Suppose you ask the seller and their real estate a direct and specific question about past deaths at the home, irrespective of what it says on the seller disclosure form. Must they answer? On a balance of probabilities — yes, they probably should. The law regarding death disclosures is unfortunately gray. Some states actively protect sellers and real estate agents who say nothing about previous deaths. Yet homebuyers in other states have successfully sued sellers for keeping quiet about grisly past events. Professional bodies such as the National Association of Realtors routinely advise their members to be open and upfront about known stigmas in the homes they are selling, lest they face a lawsuit from disgruntled homebuyers. For homebuyers the advice is simple: if you want to know something, ask. Most real estate agents will supply the information you are looking for. Just makes sure you know what you are asking. All the case law on the subject of death disclosures concerns properties that have witnessed a murder, suicide or haunting. So far, no homebuyer has successfully sued a home seller for failing to disclose a normal, peaceful death in the home. Remember those home deaths were once commonplace. There’s a good chance that an older home has witnessed the death of an occupant, and neither the seller not their agent will know about it. Consult Census Records and City Directories Clark Gable and Carole Lombard living in Encino, California (1940 census). National Archives & Records Administration Tracking down previous owners of your home is a great start, but only tells a part of the story. What about all of the other people who may have lived there? Children? Parents? Cousins? Even lodgers? This is where census records and city directories come into play. The U.S. government took a census each decade beginning in 1790 and the resulting US census records through 1940 are open to the public and available online. State census records are also available for some states and time periods—generally taken about mid-way between each federal decennial census. City directories, available for most urban areas and many towns, can be used to fill in gaps between available census enumerations. Search them by address (e.g. “4711 Hancock“) to locate everyone who may have lived in or boarded at the residence. Read the seller disclosure form Read over the seller disclosure form to see if there's anything that looks suspicious or anything that looks like it has been purposefully left blank. If so, talk to your real estate agent about having a conversation with the seller about the history of the home. It's in their best interest to tell you the true history of the home because if you find out information about a death which would turn you away from buying the home at the last minute, the deal could fall through.However, most states don't require the seller to disclose deaths which occurred in the home. California is the only state which requires a seller to disclose all deaths which occurred in the house over the past three years. The only other two states with death disclosure laws are Alaska and South Dakota, which require an owner to disclose any murders or suicides which occurred in the house within the past year. Some states do require a seller to disclose death information is a buyer asks, but the lines are a little blurred on exactly what is necessary to disclose. More after jump! Continue reading below ↓ We Make Buying & Selling Simple! List your home for one low flat fee and/or buy and get thousands cash back. Get Commission Free Realty Can you live in a house someone died in? You have to die somewhere, the choices are at home, in a hospital or out on the street. Home sounds like the best place to die. In most jurisdictions real estate agents aren’t required to tell you that someone has died in the house, unless it’s a particularly notorious death which may affect the value of the house. We’re Here to Help Feel free to reach out any time: OmegaHome1230 Peachtree Street NE Suite 1900Atlanta, GA 30309 O: (888) 859-9461 M: (404) 586-4484 E: Email Us EXP Realty, LLC. License #: 388151 Ask the Neighbors Another answer might be living—pun intended—right next door. “In Texas, a Realtor is only able to disclose physical and structural defects, not facts like a previous murder scene or death in the home,” says Benjamin Ross, a Texas-based Realtor and founder of My Active Agent. “It pays to do a little research on your own and not rely on the professionals for everything: Ask the neighbors if they have ever witnessed an event at the house.” Inquire of your neighbors if anyone died in your home While it may feel awkward, if you’re genuinely concerned about someone dying in the house, it’s essential speaking with neighbors about the home’s past. If they’ve lived in the region for a time, they’re likely to be familiar with the home’s history. Bear in mind that neighbors have a wealth of knowledge, so team up with them and acquire answers. Try There’s an entire site dedicated to finding out if someone died in your house, aptly named DiedInHouse.com. This website was founded in 2013 to solve that very question. Each search (one per address) costs $11.99 and will also notify you if your property is stigmatized in any other way, like have been used as a meth lab or to house sex offenders. The catch is that the website pulls information largely collected after 1980, meaning that you may have trouble obtaining information on deaths prior to that point. However, the website is legitimate and provides valuable information. Out of curiosity, I shelled out the cash to run a report on my address.   DiedInHouse can’t find any verified deaths at my property. And apparently, my home wasn’t used to house a sex offender or meth operation – that’s good. However, they do include an interesting disclaimer when listing past residents: This means that someone probably died at or near my home. Rest assured, I will update this article if and when I begin noticing any ghouls or spirits.  Overall, DiedInHouse provides a comprehensive amount of information about a home and those who are particularly fascinated about their home’s history will find it worth the price. Some may wish to remain willfully ignorant, though! Looking for a free alternative to DiedInHouse? Try HouseCreep, which has a database of thousands of different stigmatized properties. How to check if someone has died in your house Whether you live in a state that requires the disclosure of previous deaths in a house, there are several ways you can go about finding out the answer yourself. Ask the seller or your real estate agent One way to find out whether someone has died in your home is simply to ask the real estate agent or seller. Depending on your state, the realtor may or may not be required to tell you, but you'll never know until you try. Search the home's address Entering a prospective home's address in a search engine is a simple but effective first step to finding out if something notable has occurred in the house. This doesn't have to be a death, but there could be other events that are worth knowing about, like certain crimes or house fires. Research public records tied to the home's address Census records, deeds, and death certificates are all examples of documents that could be connected to a home's address. Search your community's local news site Even if your prospective home's address isn't explicitly named, you may be able to discover incidents tied to the house by using keywords associated with more general items, like the street or neighborhood name, or the names of past owners.It's possible you may also come across obituaries of a previous owner that note that the deceased person died in their home.MORE: How to settle into a new house Visit local community archives or genealogical societies Your local library's archives and regional genealogical societies may have records containing information about the house and previous inhabitants. If you're lucky, they'll be staffed by people who know the community like the back of their hand and might know the answers you're looking for themselves or will at least be able to point you in the right direction. Talk to neighbors You don't have to risk scaring your neighbors from the get-go by asking about deaths—you can simply ask what they know about the house and people who have lived there over the years. If you've done research on the home ahead of time and suspect a death might have occurred on the property, the information you've found can help you steer the conversation gently in that direction. Plus, talking to neighbors can give you a general sense of what people in the neighborhood are like and how well they know each other. Use online databases Some websites keep track of various events that happen on properties, from crimes to fires to deaths. Examples include HouseCreep.com and DiedInHouse.com.Some are free to use (and will have dubious levels of credibility), while others may require you to pay to search their records. Use these resources at your own discretion.You can also review census records via the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration or online databases set up by your area's vital records office, which can be particularly helpful if you live in an older home.MORE: How to bundle home and auto insurance to save money Why isn't it easier to figure out? Although curiosity is virtually universal, there is a reason most states don't require sellers to disclose deaths which occurred in a house. If a particularly gruesome death occurred in the house, the property could become unnecessarily stigmatized and de-valued. However, if you are truly concerned that someone may have died in a house you're looking to buy, do your own research and talk to the neighbors.  Need some help finding a home? We can help. Trelora real estate serves Colorado, Seattle, Phoenix, and Raleigh. Our mission is simple: full service real estate for a fraction of the cost. When you hire a traditional agent to help you buy or sell your home, you pay that agent 3-6% of the home’s value. Trelora offers sellers a full-service experience for just 1%. Buyers pay nothing out of pocket and receive an average refund of $6,000 at closing. Take the smart way home.  Christopher Stjernholm Christopher has been been in the Real Estate industry for 8 years and has had the opportunity to close over 1,000 deals while acting as the Managing Broker for thousands more. Christopher is passionate about continuing to find ways to simplify, maximize, and serve Trelora's clients exceptionally well and spends his time building teams to deliver high levels of service. When not doing real estate Christopher can be seen training for marathons and ultra relays with his 2 year old daughter, eating pizza, and drinking a steady stream of Diet Coke. Tags Die In Your In thisthe information about contactprivacypolicy The post Now Six Ways To Find Out if Someone Died in Your Home – appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How much are utilities in an apartment? Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:49 AM PDT Content of the material Your Guide to Estimating How Much it will Cost for Apartment Utility Bills Quick Facts About Apartment Utility Bills Video What Utility Types Are Common in Apartments? Trash and Recycling An Often Unexpected Expense Non-energy-related utilities and their costs How Much is the Average Gas Bill? Water Money-Saving Ideas Utility costs landlords may cover Tips Ask Current Tenants Always Check the Energy Efficiency Ratio Use Natural Heating and Cooling Estimates of Individual Costs of Utilities Heating What is the average cost of heating an apartment? What is the average cost of cooling an apartment? Electricity What is the average electricity bill for an apartment? Gas What is the average gas bill for an apartment? Water What is the Average Water Bill for an Apartment? Internet What is the Average Internet Bill for an Apartment? Cable or Streaming What are the Costs of Popular Streaming Services? Cable The Expense You Can Play Around With Digital Antenna: Cable Subscription: Streaming Television: Dedicated Streaming Services: Total bill What Is the Average Internet Bill? How Much are Utilities in an Apartment with Four or More Bedrooms? Cooking gas Tips for Saving Money on Your Electricity Bill Recent Posts Your Guide to Estimating How Much it will Cost for Apartment Utility Bills You've been on the hunt for an apartment. Perhaps you've even found the perfect apartment and are considering putting in an application. But one question has given you pause for concern…How much are utilities in an apartment? You'd be right to use caution here. Every landlord and property management company operates on their own terms. Because of this inconsistency in operations, you'll need to figure out what utilities (if any) are covered as part of your apartments monthly rent, and which you are responsible for. You'll also need to 'guesstimate' how much you could expect to pay for these utilities so that you can appropriately budget ahead of time. In some cases, the added expenses of utilities cost may make an otherwise affordable rent for an apartment out of reach. Knowing this ahead of time can save you time, energy, and frustration. But don't fret. In this guide, we'll help you figure out what apartment utility bills you might expect to pay for in addition to rent, how to find out which ones are your responsibility, and how to estimate your energy costs so you won't get hit with a surprise energy bill that your wallet can't cash. Quick Facts About Apartment Utility Bills According to Energy.gov, the average apartment renter can expect to pay between $150-$200 per month in heating and cooling costs, plus electricity. In a majority of cases, landlords include the water and refuse bill as part of tour rent Most apartment tenants will be responsible for paying for their own 'optional' utilities, such as cable, TV, and internet. What Utility Types Are Common in Apartments? Are you wondering how the utility types that you’re encountering in your apartment search are stacking up to the other apartments out there? We’ve compiled the information on what fuel sources are most common for each end use function. For heat, 46% of U.S. apartments use electricity, 40% use natural gas, 4% use fuel oil, and 10% use another type of fuel source. For hot water, electricity also takes the largest share. Water heaters are fueled by electricity in 49% of U.S. apartments, 47% use natural gas, 2% use fuel oil, and 3% use another fuel source. For cooking, 64% of apartments use an electric oven/stove, 31% use natural gas, and 5% use another fuel source. Air conditioners in apartments, whether wall units or central air, are mostly fueled by electricity. Only 16% of apartments use a fuel source other than electricity or do not report having air conditioning. Outdoor grills that use propane are only found in 9% of apartments. The other 91% do not report outdoor grills or use another fuel source. Video Trash and Recycling An Often Unexpected Expense Average Trash Bill: $12 – $20/month It’s rare for anyone to put too much thought into garbage collection beyond taking it out once a week. But yes, it does cost money to get other people to haul away your waste. The average monthly cost of waste collection is between $16 and $28. So, fairly inexpensive compared to most other utilities. While most cities have companies that bill residents directly for trash collection, others factor waste disposal into local taxes. Other areas have also begun implementing Pay-as-You-Throw systems which charge customers based on how many bags they throw away to incentivize recycling. According to EPA Collection Cost data, an average household pays about $1.13 for weekly recyclable collection, adding up to a cost of $58.67 each year to recycle. Non-energy-related utilities and their costs Of course, there’s more to utility costs than just energy. How much are utilities in non-energy areas? Trash/recycling: Curbside trash and recycling services are often included in city or town fees. But those paying independently should budget $10-$40/month. Water: In 2016, American households spent, on average, $15-$77 a month for water, according to the research group Circle of Blue, which focuses on environmental issues. Landline: Many people rely on mobile phones, but for those wanting a landline or needing it for internet service, expect to pay $15-$45 a month; the higher cost includes long-distance services. If you prefer to use the internet for making phone calls, voiceover IP service bundles are another option and cost around $20 a month, depending on the number of minutes you purchase in your VoIP plan. Internet/cable/phone: A triple package of internet, cable, and phone services average $165 per month; without the phone, the average is $132 a month. Online media-streaming services are an alternative to paying for cable, and they cost an average of $10 per month compared to $60 for a basic cable package. How Much is the Average Gas Bill? Finding an average for your gas bill in your apartment can be tricky. In some areas of the country, gas is cheaper than electric (such as in some east coast states). In other areas, such as the Midwest, electric can be far cheaper than gas energy. Always ask which of the apartments appliances run on gas vs electric and what type of gas is used so you can look up local costs in the area to evaluate how much you might be spending monthly. Water Average cost: $28 (single) – $116 (family) In the US, water usage and cost are measured per 1,000 gallons. On average, 1,000 gallons cost around $11.48. It is estimated that a single American household uses around 328 gallons of water per day, which amounts to around $3.76 daily. If you have a water bill that is regularly higher than the average, it usually means that you are not using the water in your home efficiently. Money-Saving Ideas Use a dishwasher because it uses less water than washing dishes by hand. Seriously. A dishwasher only uses three gallons of water per use, but washing dishes by hand can use up to 27 gallons of water per use! Fill up your dishwasher to the maximum recommended load before running a cycle. Take showers instead of baths. A shower only consumes around 25 gallons of water on average, but a bath can easily double that amount. Check your pipes and faucets regularly for leaks. Utility costs landlords may cover When shopping around for an apartment, be sure to ask the apartment manager for details about utility costs before you sign the lease. Find out what the landlord is responsible for and what you’re responsible for. Be sure to get this written down in the lease if you decide to rent the apartment. In the apartment listing, you may see a short blurb about what landlords cover. Some utility costs covered by your landlord may include: Water: Landlords usually cover the cost of water each month. The national average cost of water per unit is around $40 per month. Garbage: The average cost of residential trash collection is between $12 to $20 per month, according to the National Solid Wastes Management Association Electric stove: In older units, landlords may cover the cost of an electric stove Landlords usually won’t cover the cost of electricity, so be prepared to pay for this. Tips Ask Current Tenants If you are unsure about utility costs, you can ask current residents how much they spend on utilities before moving in. Just be sure to phrase the question politely since it can be a bit of a personal question. Always Check the Energy Efficiency Ratio Before buying any appliance, check the energy efficiency ratio (EER). This ratio tells you how well the appliance uses electricity to function. A higher EER means that an appliance has been rated as energy efficient. Use Natural Heating and Cooling Whenever possible, use your apartment's natural heating and cooling. Open the windows during the summer to let in cool air so that you don't need to spend as much on cooling. During the winter, use furniture to block windows to prevent drafts. It all depends on how creative you can get! Estimates of Individual Costs of Utilities Heating You will not get a separate utility bill for heating, but you will have to somehow pay for it. It will either be covered by your landlord and tacked on to the rent, or it will be included in your electric or gas bill.  Heating bills vary depending on the climate of the city you live in, and northern cities will have to pay more for heating than southern cities. You should also consider air conditioning. The cost of running an AC will be included in your electric bill, so it isn't a separate bill you need to worry about. But if you live in a hot climate and need to keep your apartment cool in the summertime, be prepared for your electric bill to go up. What is the average cost of heating an apartment? The average cost to heat an apartment is approximately typically around $80-100 per month during the winter months if you have gas heat or forced air. However, if you have oil heating, the cost to heat your apartment will be quite a bit more, likely between $200-$250 per month.  What is the average cost of cooling an apartment? It typically costs around $100-125 per month to cool an apartment during the summertime. If you live in an area with a scorching climate or have a huge apartment, the price can increase.  Electricity Electricity is an important bill, and it can get out of hand if you're not careful. It's easy to be careless and leave the lights on all night or let the AC run while you're asleep. But unnecessary use of electricity will jack up your bill and eat into your budget for other expenses. The best thing to do is be cognizant of your electric usage and to turn off electronics and other energy gobblers when they are not needed. Electricity bills will vary depending on your needs and the number of roommates you have, but it's typically between $100 and $150 per month. What is the average electricity bill for an apartment? The average electric bill for an apartment in the US is approximately $125 per month.  Gas Gas is another important bill you should take into consideration. You may not think about using gas much in your apartment, but many of your appliances may run on gas. To get an accurate estimate of your gas bill, you'll need to find out where it's being used. Do you have a gas oven and stove, or are they electric? Is your apartment heated by gas or electricity? These are essential things to know to correctly calculate your gas bill. Your energy provider will often cover both gas and electricity, and you'll be sent one bill that breaks down the costs of each utility. Pay close attention to this breakdown if you're looking for ways to reduce monthly costs. What is the average gas bill for an apartment? The average monthly gas bill is approximately $100 for apartments that have gas heating.  Water Water is another essential utility that can't be overlooked. If you're someone who enjoys long luxurious showers or you have a lot of plants, you may end up paying more. But in general, water bills are manageable are often covered by the landlord. What is the Average Water Bill for an Apartment? The average monthly water bill for an apartment in the US is $40.  Internet Although the internet was once thought of as a luxury, today it's become necessary for most renters. Internet plans vary depending on how much speed and bandwidth you're looking for. If you're a single person who just needs to be able to watch Netflix and surf the web, you can get by for $50 to $75 per month. Whereas if you're a gamer or tech aficionado and you need a lot of bandwidth to run programs, you may be looking at a bill closer to $150. What is the Average Internet Bill for an Apartment? The average internet bill for an apartment is approximately $62 in the US.  Cable or Streaming Entertainment is another luxury that has become something of a necessity. You can forgo this bill if you would rather save the money and read a book. But most renters want access to some form of entertainment options, even if that's just a Netflix subscription. Cable is great if you're someone who still likes having a whole slate of channels at your disposal. But if you're looking to save money, mixing and matching different streaming services is another way to go.   What are the Costs of Popular Streaming Services? Netflix: $8.99 – $15.99 / month HBO Max: $15 / month YouTube TV: $64.99 – $109.30 / month Disney Plus: $6.99 / month Cable The Expense You Can Play Around With Average Cable Bill: $0 – $100 (depending on plan) Here’s where things get interesting. Yes, we recognize having cable TV access isn’t a necessity, but it’s definitely a quality-of-life choice that most people find to be well worth the cost. But don’t worry about not having access to entertainment and information, because there are a plethora of great options for audio/visual content available at many price points. Digital Antenna: By far the cheapest option, as long as you’re within range of a local broadcaster, digital antennas allow you to watch a handful of television stations (typically including ABC, NBC, FOX, and CBS) for free. Average Price: $0 Cable Subscription: Here you’ll see fewer options, depending on where you live, but all companies are required to offer basic cable packages along with additional channels and bundles with internet and phone service. Average Price: $100/month Streaming Television: Recently, many companies have sprung up offering streaming television through the internet, offering customers an alternative to paying whatever their local cable company feels like charging. Average Price: $25 – $40/month Dedicated Streaming Services: And if you’re more into watching things strictly for entertainment, there are plenty of streaming video services that offer a variety of content that appeal to almost every niche from film buffs, to classic television, comedies, and horror. Average Price: $8 – $15/month (per service) Total bill If you skip the cable, your total utilities cost comes to roughly $200 a month. Keep in mind, though, that this is for the rental as a whole — if you have roommates, divide by the number of people living in the unit. Of course, if you have a very large apartment (say for four people or more) or you are renting a house, the heat, electricity and A/C will be higher, so add 20-30 percent to the estimate, and then divide. As a rough rule of thumb, expect to spend on utilities an amount equal to about 20 percent of your monthly rent if you live alone, or about 10 percent of your monthly rent if you live with roommates. What Is the Average Internet Bill? Nowadays, an internet connection is a must-have for most households. And, with the rise in popularity of remote work, it's more essential than ever. However, average internet prices can vary from as little as $20 in Washington, D.C. to as much as $70 in Alaska. Of course, depending on the provider and plan you choose, rates may be even higher. Similarly, if you want cable TV, you can contract it separately or bundle it with your internet or other services. However, streaming services may be a less expensive way to go. Or, if you have a high-speed internet connection, you could even skip cable television and just stick to the online options, instead. How Much are Utilities in an Apartment with Four or More Bedrooms? With four or more bedrooms you're looking at closer to $200- $300 per month for basic utilities, depending on the number of roommates. Cable won't change much unless you all have different tastes. But you'll likely want to invest in Wi-Fi with a higher bandwidth if you're going to have several people and devices all using the same connection. That will run you an extra $50 to $100 per month. But if you're smart and make sure everyone is frugal with the utilities you can easily get away with paying less than $150 per person if all of the rooms are occupied. Cooking gas In some buildings, if you have a gas range, you'll have to pay for the natural gas that you use during cooking. (And in some buildings, the natural gas will also provide your heat.) With cooking, the cost is minimal — $15 a month at most, usually quite a lot less. It really all depends how much you cook at home. Tips for Saving Money on Your Electricity Bill If you're looking to save money on your electricity bill, it's important to reduce your consumption. Specifically, one of the highest energy consumers in your home is the air conditioner, so it's essential to learn how to optimize its performance. First, change the HVAC filters regularly and adjust the temperature. If you live in cooler places, you might not even need to use the air at all. Otherwise, if you live in the South or other warm areas, make it a habit to leave the thermostat at a higher temperature than what you would typically set it at during the winter months. Just a few degrees will make a big difference at the end of the month. Another way to reduce your consumption is to swap out regular light bulbs with LEDs. Although they're pricier upfront, LED bulbs last longer and consume less electricity. Similarly, consider incorporating smart power strips for appliances that enter standby when not in use, yet still consume electricity. These devices account for a significant portion of your energy consumption, which you can easily reduce. Alternatively, you could also unplug them when not in use. Recent Posts Where to Go Hunting in Arizona: 5 of The Most Popular Spots Should I Move Out of State? 9 Things to Consider Tips for Food Delivery and Meal Delivery to Your Apartment 10 Signs You Should NOT Move In with Your Best Friend 7 of The Best Arizona Day Trips Near West Phoenix Tags Cleaning Your SpaceDecorating Your Spacein your ApartmentOrganizing Your SpaceFurnishing Your ApartmentCleaning Your SpaceDecorating Your Spacein your ApartmentOrganizing Your SpaceFurnishing Your Apartmentspace and thehabits and appliances and how newourinsurancebedroomaprilcar The post How much are utilities in an apartment? appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How To Texture Drywall With A Roller & Mud Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:49 AM PDT Content of the material How Does Wall Texture Work? Video How smooth does drywall need to be before texturing? Lace Drywall Texture Can you texture a wall with just paint? Drywall Mud Stomp-Knockdown Pattern What You'll Need What To Do Stomp Brush Drywall Texture Preparing the Compound Apply joint compound to wall 4 Gather your supplies 6 Styles and Methods for Texturing Walls Final Wording Things You’ll Need Paint Texture Knocking Down the Compound 3 Things You Will Need Tip How Does Wall Texture Work? Wall texture is a substance that is thicker than paint but thinner than a straight drywall compound. Texture applied to walls and ceilings creates small shadows due to the bumps and depressions. While these shadows tend to disappear in direct light, they lengthen as the light source moves at a sharper angle to the wall. This darkens the overall shade of the surface, thus slightly darkening the wall. This darkening effect does a superb job of hiding surface imperfections. If your drywall has visible seams, bulges, depressions, or other imperfections, wall texture can go a long way toward hiding them. This is one reason why ceilings are so often texturized: Because ceilings receive the most light, it is very hard to hide their imperfections.  Video How smooth does drywall need to be before texturing? Once the compound is completely dry, it is ready for sanding. The purpose of sanding is to smooth the surface completely in preparation for texturing. Use a long-handled hand pole-sander with an 80- or 120-grit sandpaper specifically designed for sanding drywall when completing the job by hand. Lace Drywall Texture A lace drywall texture is essentially a non-sand, spray knockdown. The end result is a multi-layered pattern that has a look reminiscent of old-fashioned lace. Often called Spanish Lace (after classic Spanish lace used in the fan shown here), this technique results in a texture similar to stucco surfaces, and is frequently seen in homes with stucco exteriors. If you have textured drywall you want to match, here’s a walkthrough of how to mimic the texture on your ceiling or walls. Can you texture a wall with just paint? You can create a faux texture finish with just a paint sponge if you want the appearance of texture without adding a layer of joint compound to your walls. This is the easiest way to add texture to your walls, since it requires very few materials and no previous painting experience. Drywall Mud Stomp-Knockdown Pattern What You'll Need Foot stomp brush Trowel or wide putty knife Joint taping compound Knife or paint scraper What To Do Use the trowel to spread the mixture onto the wall. Smack the foot stomp brush into the wall continuously, making a pattern across the desired space. Use a knife or paint scraper to eliminate any unwanted points, creating a smoother surface. Keep the putty knife at a 15-degree angle and avoid exerting too much pressure. That will help make sure you do not smooth out the finish too much. Apply the compound lightly in the corners and around edges. In this case, less is better. Stomp Brush Drywall Texture An older technique that’s a lot of fun to apply, the stomp brush technique involves dunking a large brush in a bucket of drywall mud, pressing it against the ceiling, then sharply pulling it back down to create a distinctive, ridged texture. Also called “slap brush” texture, the application tends to be somewhat random, as the point is to create a replicable surface in case of repair. That said, it’s not too unusual to see orderly stomps placed across the ceiling in set distances. It’s very rare to see stomped walls, as the ridges are jagged and can easily catch the clothing of passersby, and would quickly be knocked flat. Just as when you paint, it’s important to protect your home before you start applying a stomp texture. Preparing the Compound Before creating any knockdown texture, you'll want to make sure you tape off the area to be finished and have sanded down the walls. Here's how to prepare the compound: Add Water to the Bucket. You definitely want to put water in the bucket first and not the compound; that way you don’t get clumps or hard spots when you add the powder to the water. Add Mud or Compound. Pour the proper amount of water in a second bucket. Standard, all-purpose joint compound will work best for this project. You can use either dry compound or ready-mix compound. Avoid compounds that contain sand or grit (unless you want a unique look). Plain mud works best for this type of texture. You should also avoid lightweight compounds. These formulas scratch more easily and may not accept the texturing as well as all-purpose compounds do. Mix to the Consistency You Want. For knockdown texture, never use mix that contains aggregate. Continue to add water and powder until you have a bit more mix than you think you'll need. Better to waste some mud than to run out before you're done. Set the mixture aside for about 15 minutes to allow for complete water absorption. You don't want the mix thickening in the hopper. You must be able to spray the mixture with the hopper gun, so it should be about the consistency of pancake batter or thick paint. Apply joint compound to wall Work in small sections at a time. The mud is watered down so it will dry fairly quickly and you have to apply it to the wall and then skim it smooth. I generally work in 4’x4′ sections. Depending on the temperature and humidity of the room you’re working in, you may be able to do larger sections. Using a thick nap paint roller, apply a generous amount of mud to the wall.  Using a roller allows you to get more compound on the wall faster than if you were scooping it out with a taping knife. You can pour joint compound into a roller tray or dip the roller directly into the 5 gallon bucket.  I generally prefer the bucket method because it’s faster but it is also messier because the excess mud drips off the roller as you pull it out of the bucket. 4 Add enough water to make the mud more like pudding if you plan to spray a texture with a handheld sprayer. The mud should be pourable, but still stiff enough to form small clumps on the wall. Gather your supplies all purpose joint compound Paint tray or 5 gallon bucket mixing attachment for your drill thick nap paint roller spray bottle with water to thin you joint compound wet rag Magic Trowel drop cloth (cover your floors) drywall sander If you’re doing a small room where you’ll only need one bucket, I’d choose a ready mix joint compound.  It costs about $15 for a 5 gallon bucket. So for $15 you get the mud and a bucket. Dry joint compound is much cheaper.  You can get about 4 times the coverage with dry mix mud. If you’re doing a LOT of skim coating, dry is probably a cost effective option.  You still need the 5 gallon bucket which runs about $4-5. 6 Styles and Methods for Texturing Walls Textured walls can enhance any interior aesthetic in your home. Learn about the different types of wall texture to help you choose the right look for your next DIY project. Comb texture: One of the simpler techniques of texturing is comb texture. You apply the drywall compound with a roller to the wall surface and then finish it with the "teeth'' end of a notched trowel. The trowel can have either evenly spaced or unevenly spaced teeth, depending on what pattern you prefer. The end product creates a visual effect of sweeping circular rainbow patterns. Knockdown texture: The knockdown texture technique is almost identical to the orange peel method, but with one final step. Before the drywall mud has dried and hardened, you use a drywall knife or putty knife to smooth out the orange peel peaks until you achieve a stucco-like finish. Orange peel texture: Similar to a popcorn texture, the orange peel texture uses a texture sprayer to create a consistent, bumpy finish to your orange peel wall. Mix the joint compound until you have a thin, pancake batter consistency, with the resulting bumps being somewhat smooth. Popcorn texture: Popular in 1970s-constructed living rooms and dining rooms, popcorn texturing is one of the most useful methods for covering imperfections and dampening sound between rooms or floors. The technique requires a hopper gun, air compressor, and the popcorn mixture itself, which you mix with water. If you plan to create a popcorn ceiling, be sure to cover your floors and walls because this method can get messy. The resulting look should slightly resemble an even, thin layer of cottage cheese. Sand swirl texture: The pattern of the sand swirl technique creates concentric overlapping swirls, similar to those resulting from a combing technique. However, the tools and materials for a sand swirl texture create a much more subtle and understated texture. Sand swirl uses a primer and a sand mixture called perlite that you apply using a paint tray and a paintbrush. Slap brush texture: You typically apply a slap brush texture in small sections, using a paint roller, a thinly mixed drywall compound, and a double crow's feet texture brush. The slap brush method uses the crow's foot brush to splatter the wet mud in random and haphazard patterns. After twenty-four hours, the texture wall should be ready for priming and painting. Final Wording Here you came to know that "how to texture drywall with a roller". Now you can make your home more beautiful by applying texture to your drywall.  Hope this post "how to texture drywall with a roller" will help you in the right direction. If you have any questions, suggestions or tips then type them in the comment section. We welcome your tips, questions, and suggestions. Keep Learning Because Life Never Stops Teaching Things You’ll Need Plastic drop cloths Stickpins Drywall joint compound Texture paint in sand, popcorn or Venetian plaster consistencies Small whisk broom or stipple brush Hair comb Window squeegee Trowel Drywall knives Paint roller or double paint roller Metal spatula Wood grain tool Paint Texture If drywall mud is not what you're looking for, consider using textured paint, which is offered by most major paint manufacturers.  Textured paint is applied similarly to drywall mud. You can use a standard roller and paint brush for corners and edges. You also usually only need two coats, making the application that much more desirable. However, it is difficult to remove so be careful when you apply it. It dries faster than drywall mud, so you should cover the entire surface before the coat dries or you'll get lines in between roller strokes. There are not very many color options at this time for textured paint. But, you can go another route by purchasing a paint texture additive and mixing it with any color of paint you choose. No matter which process you choose, remember to apply the texture in a random pattern. If you focus too much on making everything look uniform, it won't look as professional. Luckily, random is easier to do, so have fun and enjoy the process. Knocking Down the Compound When knocking down the compound, you'll definitely want to use a flexible blade. Without flexibility, the chances of scoring the texture are greater. Make sure you don't let the mixture set for too long on the wall. It's a good idea to keep a damp cloth with you so you can wipe your blade clean after knocking down a section of raised mud. You'll want to leave the knife a little wet, so it glides over the next textured area smoothly. Once the edges and peaks have been knocked down and the mud has had a chance to firm up (but not set), use a long handled curved drywall knife to lightly smooth out the tops of the ridges and create the low profile “knocked-down” look. PRO TIP #2: It takes practice and experience to know exactly how long to wait before knocking down the texture. If you do it too soon, the texture will be runny and simply smear. If you wait too long, small dried out pieces of mud will drag across the surface creating unsightly lines. Depending on the temperature and humidity levels in your house, it can take anywhere from five to ten minutes for the compound to set to the desired rigidity. This can cause problems because the longer it takes the material to dry, the more vulnerable it is to failure, mold growth, cracking, and more. 3 Start using the stomper or drill mixer when the mud becomes stiff and hard to mix with the stick. If you’re planning to roll or spray the texture, it probably won’t get this stiff, and you can continue mixing with the stick until it has the consistency you need. Things You Will Need Pre-mixed joint compound 5-gallon bucket Stomper Drill Paint mixing attachment Measuring cup Powdered joint compound Wooden stir stick Tip Mix the texture in a bucket with a lid, and keep the lid on when you aren’t using the texture. If the texture dries out, hard specks in the mixture can make it more difficult to apply. Cover the floor around the mixing bucket with plastic to catch splatters. Tags texture of yourobjects of interest.any of thetrouble of makingseveral of the myourusreplysaysprice The post How To Texture Drywall With A Roller & Mud appeared first on caramembuatblog.

How to Hide an Ugly Chain Link Fence Posted: 27 Apr 2022 04:48 AM PDT Content of the material Covering Your Chain Link Fence Video 2) Plastic Privacy Fence Tape Weave 5. Wooden Fence Panels Frequently Asked Questions How do you cover a fence cheaply? How do you dress up a chain-link fence How can I make my metal fence look better Can I paint my chain link fence black? 8) Windscreen Privacy Covers Plant Bushes and Trees in Chain Link Fence Reed Screens Chain Link Fence Slats #2 Grow Plants On The Chain Link Fence Chain Link Fences Add Nitrogen To The Soil? Landscaping along a chain link fence Covering Your Chain Link Fence A chain-link fence is one of the cheapest kinds of fence that you can install around your property. Usually not the first choice because of aesthetic reasons, they win over a lot of homeowners with how easy they are to install. To install a chain-link fence, you dig holes on the ground that are filled with concrete around the fence posts. From there, you stretch out chain-link from post to post, wrapping it around your property. The problem is that once installed, they are tough to remove. Even with a tractor, it is a big job because they are deeply buried and encased in concrete. If you have a chain-link fence, it will be easier and less expensive to cover it up than it would be to remove it. Below are some options for beautifying your industrial-esque fencing. Video 2) Plastic Privacy Fence Tape Weave This plastic privacy fence tape is woven through the holes in the chain link fence in order to fill gaps and provide some privacy. The tape shown below is made by a company called FenPro. The tape is just under 2-inches wide and it’s sold in a 250-ft long roll. Each roll is estimated to cover 40 square feet of chain link fencing. Click here to see additional details (and available colors) on Amazon. According to the book “The Complete Guide to Garden Walls & Fences” privacy tape is usually more time-consuming compared to privacy slats. 5. Wooden Fence Panels Wooden fence panels are by far the most attractive option when it comes to upgrading your chain-link fence, and these will cover it entirely, and no one will know what once existed there. Using U-brackets, you screw the wooden fence panels into them, and this is how they are connected to the chain-link fence. This removes the need to nail up the boards individually, and once you run a horizontal board across them at the top and the bottom, they are very structurally sound. You can choose from various stains and colors, offering more flexibility aesthetically than any other option. Because they are made from wood, you can apply weather-resistant sealants to them, significantly increasing their durability. The privacy they offer goes far beyond most of the other options you have and will completely change the look of your fence. With wooden fence panels, you aren’t just upgrading chain-link; you’re completely hiding it. You may have to get a fence permit with wooden fence panels, depending on where you live. You will have to check with your city or your HOA before installing these onto your chain-link fence. They also do not often come with installation hardware kits, but you can easily find the U-brackets at a local hardware store. Frequently Asked Questions How do you cover a fence cheaply? Adding hanging pots or other planters from your fence can be an inexpensive way of hiding it. This is a particularly useful option if you want to cover a fence in a rented home, or while you wait for slow-growing climbers to get going How do you dress up a chain-link fence Over time, chain link fences tend to rust and fade. One way to improve their appearance is to paint them black or dark green. Painting your fence will make it look less industrial and help it to blend more seamlessly into the surrounding landscape How can I make my metal fence look better Paint It! – It seems so simple, but really, painting your chain link fence a colour instantly makes it look more finished. Black, white, green, or a pop of colour, I think a can of paint does wonders for this type of fence Can I paint my chain link fence black? Most chain link fences start as a silver colour, but fence paint is available in a variety of colours. Green causes the fence to blend in with the landscape, while black serves as a neutral colour that blends with any landscape. … You may not need to apply the primer if the fence just has a few spots of rust. The galvanized steel post frames and chain links can make your nice outdoor space feel like a prison yard. The chain-link fence deprives you of the enjoyment of your yard. They are strong and can keep your children and pets safe. However, the eyesore renders them undeserving of the aesthetically pleasing aspect of your yard. Because removing the fence might be costly, this article will assist you in transforming it into a work of art using the least expensive methods available. A nice fence will give you peace of mind. Jill and Jane now have a peaceful and beautiful backyard thanks to these inexpensive ways to hide a chain link fence. 8) Windscreen Privacy Covers These windscreens are like tarps that you strap to the fence. You attach to your existing chain link fence by threading zip ties through the product’s metal grommets. People like this privacy option because it is a relatively quick and easy process to tie this to your fence. The green windscreen below is made by a company called Windscreen4less and is available for sale on Amazon. The image below is the screen intended for a 6-foot tall chain link fence. Other sizes are available. Another popular privacy screen is the one shown below made by Amgo. It is 5’9″ tall (intended to cover a 6-foot tall fence) and its 50-feet long. It comes with zip ties to attach it to your chain link fence. They claim it has 90% blockage of visibility. Will this be right for you? Plant Bushes and Trees in Chain Link Fence Covering a chain link fence with wood planks is not the only option you have. If privacy and security are what you're after, then plant bushes and trees in front of your chain link fence. This will help conceal the area and create a more secure feel. Make sure you pick the tree that is suitable for your growing location. Choose a plant-based on the temperature in your region, plus consider if you need a plant that will survive well in sunlight, dry soil, and keep its color year-round. If you're going with bushes, trees, or shrubs, they'll require weekly maintenance and can take a few years to grow to full size. Also, trim the plant evenly along the top and sides and keep the top wider than the base so light filters down to the lower branches. Reed Screens Steve Outman / Getty Images Thin bamboo reeds about the thickness of a drinking straw are woven together into 8- to 16-foot long mats. These rolls are easy to carry and transport back from the home improvement store. Reed screens are usually installed vertically. Pros: Reed screens offer about 85-percent privacy when new. As the screen falls apart, privacy drops as well. Reed screens are very cheap and most home centers carry them on the shelves. If you need to cover up your chain-link fence in a day, reed screens may be the way to go. Cons: Reed screens stay attractive for about a year or two. After that, the reeds change from golden-brown to gray and start to fall out of the wire weaving material. Reed screens are a good quick fix but a poor choice for the long-term. Chain Link Fence Slats Fence slats are the ideal barrier material when you need to fence in an area for privacy purposes. The poles make it possible to see through the screen, but they also prevent anyone from seeing what's on the other side because of their height. These fences allow for long, narrow pieces to be inserted vertically, so why not do your entire fence with these? Image credit: https://dia-amazon.com/ Plus, these privacy screens are economical compared to other types that are made specifically for private areas. Fence slats are made of high-density polyethylene or aluminum.  You can also spray paint them with whatever color you like to help match them with the color of your home or complement your home color. Because of their material, chain link slats can last for a long time. But depending on the weather in your region, you can repaint them once in a while. They're also easy to replace, so don't fret if they get damaged. #2 Grow Plants On The Chain Link Fence Chain Link fences are perfect for plants because a) they are absolutely perfect for climbing plants and b) they can help deliver nitrogen to your plants. Climbing plants climb by twirling around supports or gripping onto them, and the size and design of a chain link fence is perfect for both. Clematis and climbing roses are perfect for chain link fences. But you will need many many many plants to cover the entire thing (we don't see this as a problem)! The clematis is especially perfect because it weaves its way in and out of the links, blooms beautifully and then leaves these wonderful little puffy seed pods. Chain Link Fences Add Nitrogen To The Soil? Lightning fixes the nitrogen in the air making it available to plants as nitrogen oxides. When your plants are hanging on and planted under a metal chain link fence, the chances of attracting lightning are quite high and while you don't want to be around if lightning is anywhere near your metal fence, the plants will love the extra nitrogen. They gobble it up and put on new growth the next day. Gardeners are known to string copper wire around their tomato plants and cabbage patches to harness this benefit for their plants. Landscaping along a chain link fence When choosing plants to hide chain link fences, you’ll want to start with some that will grow tall at the back of the border. Tags allbestourusereplywasideasgreatusmuchmevinespatioreview The post How to Hide an Ugly Chain Link Fence appeared first on caramembuatblog.

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