Carlsbad Water Damage Tips

Pest Droppings in the Attic - Pest Problems

2009-10-05T12:25:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I wonder how these large animals can get through such small holes in our homes and into our attics and crawlspace's. A few years ago, I was working on a home that had water damage to the siding that needed to be fixed. The homeowner of course didn't want anymore water damage and this required repairing roof, the original cause for the siding damage.

When I bid the job, I had no idea what I was about to run into. The first day on the job, went smoothly as I repaired some damage fascia board, but the next day I was in for a surprise, as I removed the damaged siding, I found what looked like dog poop in the attic.

I was looking around in the attic and trying to figure out how a dog could of got up there. I know that I shouldn't have, but I walked around the home inspecting it for a large hole, any holes, something that a small dog could have wiggled his way into. I got my latter off of the truck and then went on the roof, trying to find a place where a dog could have got into the attic.

I couldn't find any holes and after wasting about an hour, I decided it was time to get back to work and since the homeowner wasn't there, I couldn't show him my new findings or ask him any questions. I cleaned up the mess and repaired the water damaged siding, but in the back of my head I kept thinking about how in the heck a dog got up in the attic.

To make a short story even shorter, when the homeowner arrived home that day, I showed him my findings and he informed me that he didn't have a dog. He did however inform me that he has been hearing something walking around in his attic for about a year now. He had a pretty good idea that they were raccoons.

I told him, that I had inspected his home and only found one small hole on top of his roof underneath the roof eave, but there's no way that a small raccoon could fit through that hole. He told me that you would be surprised, what these animals were capable of squeezing into and out of.

Well that's about it, the mystery was solved, I repaired the small hole in the attic and have never heard from the homeowner again. Hopefully that meant I did my job well and not that he was embarrassed about the poop in the attic.

Pest Control Ideas, House Pest Pictures

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Cancun Family Hotels

2009-10-05T05:05:00.001-07:00

Most of the time, young parents do not get the chance to bring their toddlers on vacations, especially to famous destinations like Cancun.

One great place to take the family in Cancun is the Caribbean Village Cancun. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world with a beautiful beach and many family activities to enjoy including water activities like sailing, windsurfing, boogie boarding, kayaking and canoeing. There is a great pool and a poolside bar for mom and dad. Kids have tons of supervised activities that they can participate in including a Kid's Club for ages 4 to 12. The older kids will enjoy a theater and disco. There are also many shops and restaurants within walking distance.

In an attempt to draw more guests, hotels in Cancun have taken the necessary steps to provide services, facilities and activities that cater to the whole family. One of the most notable changes is that these hotels now offer daycare facilities that allow parents, especially those with very young children, to enjoy their vacation while their children enjoy themselves in daycare.

Other notable changes include hotels offering various activities that people of all ages can enjoy. This means that children who may be too old for day care do not have to stay in the hotel room if they do not feel like going to the beach as the hotel provides many exciting activities including sports clinics, kayaking, windsurfing, and snorkeling. For the elderly, they also offer board games and cigar lounges.

Gone are the days when parents had to leave their children if they wanted to go to places like Cancun, which was perceived to offer amenities that only adults could enjoy. This is because the hotels in Cancun have taken the necessary steps to make their hotels more family-friendly by adding daycare services and various activities for all age groups, making it possible for the whole family to enjoy Cancun and all it has to offer.

Cancun Hotels provides detailed information on Cancun Hotels, Cheap Cancun Hotels, Cancun Hotel Maps, Cancun All Inclusive Hotels and more. Cancun Hotels is affiliated with Cancun Spring Break.

Basic Home Electrical Wiring - For the Do it Yourself Home Electrician

2009-10-04T20:56:00.001-07:00

The Green Bay Packers were one of the most successful football teams and Vince Lombardi said something to them that I will never forget," This is a football." All the football players laughed and he said that we're going to start with the basics and that's what I'm going to do, with this article.

Let's start with our electrical wire, the two most common electrical wire sizes, that will be used in most homes, will be 14 and 12 gauge electrical wire. Let's clear something up, right off the bat, the smaller the number, the larger the wire. In other words a 12 gauge electrical wire is a little bit larger and will carry more electricity, for longer distances than a 14 gauge wire.

What about electrical outlet plugs? These plugs are usually the same, except for the fact that they come in different colors. When I said that most electrical plugs are the same, I'm talking about your standard wall outlet plug. There are different electrical plugs that will be used for air conditioners and some kitchen appliances like 220 Volt electric stoves and ovens.

What about your home's light switches? Your standard two way light switch will usually turn a one light on or a group of lights on, from one location. A three way light switch will usually turn one light on or a group of lights on from two different locations. A four way light switch, will usually turn one light or a group of lights on from three different locations.

It doesn't get any more basic than that. I hope this gives you a better understanding about your home's electrical system.

If you're really interested in learning more about remodeling, new home construction, home maintenance, home repairs and really want to get the nuts and bolts of home improvement. Visit our web site and select from the best-selling home building books on the Internet.

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Why to Opt For Modern Showers

2009-10-04T14:00:00.001-07:00

The foremost purpose of taking a shower is to maintain hygiene in a safe manner. It is easier done that bathing, especially for disabled and elderly people as one require very less effort to step in and out, which in turn presents a lower risk of slipping and falling.

There are many kinds of showers available these days, such as electric showers, power showers and mixer showers.

Electric showers provide instantaneous showering any time for any number of people. They take water directly from a cold water supply and heat it as it is used, so the need for storing hot water does not arise. They are also easy to install, either in traditional bathrooms or in dedicated cubicles.

Power Showers produce a much more powerful spray from the faucets than either electric or over head tank fed mixer showers, as the water pressure is enhanced by a pump that generates extraordinarily powerful flow rates.

Mixer showers do not require electrical connections. They are also are easy to install. For homes with enough supply of hot water, these mixer showers are the best option as they work by mixing together hot and cold water supplied to the desired temperature. The water flow levels are also better than electric showers.

Shower models come in all hues and types that can fit to any budget. The minimalist hand held shower to classic ones which can increase and decrease water jet force according to one needs.

As the arena of showering shifted to a bathroom from open water sources, cases of drowning and getting contagious diseases have gone to negligible levels.

If you want to know more about Showers then feel free to visit Bella Bathrooms.

Do I Need a Home Inspection? - Real Estate Advice

2009-10-04T05:41:00.001-07:00

Most home inspections today run between $300 to over $1000 and sometimes you don't really get your moneys worth. There are home inspection companies that guarantee, any problems that they miss will be repaired at their expense over a desired period of time, usually a year. It seems like, most home inspection companies are just inspecting the property and have no guarantees or liability from their inspection.

It's not a good idea to buy or sell a home without getting a home inspection from a licensed home inspector. This is like having a second opinion from someone who is usually skilled in the process. I would like to point something out to unsuspecting, potential home buyers and sellers. Sometimes a home inspection company will get a little behind in their work and need to hire other home inspectors if these home inspectors don't have any experience in the construction business or have never inspected a home before. In other words there fresh out of home inspector school. You might not get a good home inspection.

You can always ask the question, how long have you been in business?... How long have you been a home inspector?... have you ever worked in the construction business or have any skills in home building and remodeling. If the answers to these questions are satisfactory, it doesn't mean, that they're telling the truth and being sincere and could lead to problems later if they are lying to you.

Let me rephrase the question now, "Do I Need a Home Inspection" from an unqualified home inspector? Absolutely not. But how can you really tell the difference and is the report going to be worth the money that you paid for it.

What would you say, if I had the solution to your problem. How about a pre-home inspection, using a home buyers checklist? What if I could give you a check list with questions, that you could ask your home inspector? Some of these questions are not going to be part a regular inspection but should always be asked and make sure you get the answers to them, before purchasing the property.

Would you be interested now? What if I told you, for under $20, you could purchase a home buyers checklist, now for the tough question, this checklist could save you thousands of dollars and prevent you from purchasing a home with major construction problems or defects, and can be used on every house you look at.

Don't buy a home without purchasing a professional home inspection checklist. These lists of questions can save you some serious headaches and stress in the future.

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

Heat Things Up With Fireplace Remodel Ideas

2009-10-03T22:30:00.001-07:00

The coziest place in your home is around the fireplace. There are many ways to spruce up your fireplace. Fireplace remodel ideas are the starting point to a successful fireplace remodel. Reviewing and planning will help you decide whether or not you can do the work yourself or if you will need to hire a contractor.

Renovating fireplace plans include: creating a new mantel to go over the top of your fireplace, changing a log burning fireplace into a more efficient gas powered fireplace, adding accessories to match the dcor in your home and completely redesigning the entire area with fireplace remodel ideas that change the entire look by updating materials and shape.

If one of your remodeling ideas is to add a new mantel or customize an existing mantel, you may be able to perform this remodel on your own. Many newer homes and condos have ones that are built directly into the wall and great remodel ideas start with adding a mantel or surround to bring more attention to the area.

On the other hand, if your ideas include the changing of your log burning fireplace to a gas fireplace it is a good idea to find and hire a contractor to perform this remodel. The reason many people's dream fireplace remodel ideas include a gas fireplace is because they burn so much cleaner than traditional wood burning fires. Additionally, these in homes are meant to be relaxing and enjoyable- and there is hardly anything enjoyable about splitting or cutting wood, stacking it and bringing it in to light the fire!

Sometimes, good ideas can be as simple as adding attractive accessories to your fireplace. In a rarely used one, you could place a fancy candelabra filled with burning candles. Hang wall sconces on either side of your fireplace to dress up the area, in a style that matches the rest of your home's dcor.

More advanced projects would include the complete overhaul and redesign of it. Changing the materials from brick to marble is an attractive option many families are taking in their remodeling efforts. These types of undertakings are likely to require the help of an experienced contractor.

This article was written by Gregg Hicks of http://www.reliableremodeler.com which provides Internet-based home improvement information and services. Offering homeowners a simple, quick, and free way to access, qualified home improvement remodeling contractors.

What is a Three Way Home Electrical Light Switch?

2009-10-03T14:57:00.001-07:00

A three way home electrical light switch is a special light switch that can be used in your hallways, large rooms and stairways. These light switches are specially made to operate one light or a group of lights from two different locations.

They are most commonly found in hallways and provide a homeowner with the option of turning the light on at one end of the hallway and turning it off, when they are finished walking through the hallway and are about to enter into another room.

Before three way home electrical light switches were made, people would turn the hallway light on and leave it on or they wouldn't turn the hall light on at all, because they knew that after they walked down the dark hallway, they wouldn't be able to turn the light off at the other end.

Three-way light switches are also used in stairways. It makes a lot of sense, to be able to turn your stairway light on, at the bottom of the stairs and then after you have walked up the stairway safely, you can simply turn the stair lights system off.

As homes become larger, it's not going to be uncommon to find three way light switches being used at either end of large rooms. If your living room or family room was located within the center of your home and had an entrance at each end, it wouldn't be a bad idea to install a light switch at each end, for travelers who are simply walking through these room.

Remember that three-way light switches, are used to operate lights from two different locations.

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link Great Home Repair Advice. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

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An Introduction To London Luxury Hotels

2009-10-03T07:34:00.001-07:00

London is one of the finest historic towns in the world with millions of tourists each year. Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, London Bridge, Westminster, and Trafalgar Square are just a few of the attractions that tourists come to see. When staying in London, many tourists wish to stay in luxurious surroundings. London boasts of several luxury hotels that can give visitors a taste of real royal luxury.

The luxury hotels in London are a combination of refined style and old world luxury. Excellent personalized services in a typical British manner leave an unforgettable favorable impression on a guest. These luxury hotels draw on their historic tradition of royalty and grand living. One gets a taste of typical British hospitality at these hotels.

Some of the notable luxury hotels in London include Grosvenor House, Park Lane built in 1928 which provides a right mix of Edwardian past and modern facilities. It overlooks Hyde Park, a huge expanse of 360 acres. Another luxury hotel that overlooks the Hyde Park is the InterContinental London. This landmark London hotel built in 1899 retains its gothic architecture with stained glass windows, beautiful wall murals and original functional fireplaces.

San Domenico, a private boutique hotel at Sloane Square provides a perfect base to explore London. Hyatt Regency, situated in the heart of West End, is perfect for shopping access and tourists attractions.

Capital Hotel provides luxury accomodation and is located in Knightsbridge, which is one of the most prestigious locations in London. It is ideal for those who want to relax and entertain in style.

Claridges Hotel in Mayfair is known for its splendid architectural heritage and glamour. It is also renown for fine food and a great bar, making it one of the London's hottest spots. The Savoy Hotel is perfectly located for shopping and visiting theaters and is very close to the city of London.

Luxury Hotels provides detailed information on Luxury Hotels, Small Luxury Hotels, London Luxury Hotels, New York Luxury Hotels and more. Luxury Hotels is affiliated with Luxury Cruise Lines.

Attic Handrail Safety - Do it Yourself Home Repair

2009-10-03T00:18:00.001-07:00

Some stairways that lead up to your attic will have a safety or guardrail to prevent people from falling down the stairs or off of them. Attic handrail safety can provide homeowners with a little peace of mind if they just follow the few simple steps. Make sure that the handrail is at least 42 inches in height. 42 inches is the minimum height for guard rails and can be found in the uniform building code.

The uniform building code is the Bible to the building industry and sets the standard for new construction and remodeling.

The 42 inches will be measured from the floor to the top of the handrail. Some older homes will have handrails that are 36 inches and some of them will be even 30 inches in height. A 30 inch handrail provides limited protection for anyone who is over five foot tall. 30 inches becomes the center point for any one over 60 inches and these people could easily fall over the short handrail.

Now for the homes that don't have any attic handrail safety systems. Some homes that were built before the 1960s won't have a handrail system at all in the stairway. Keep something in mind here, when these people were building these houses, some of them were trying to save money, some of them figured that it wasn't going to be a big deal and other builders simply forgot to install them.

It's not hard to install a working attic handrail for safety but keep in mind, that if the handrail isn't the right height, it will provide you with limited protection. Attic handrails that are lower than 30 inches can provide young children or others who are shorter than five feet with very little protection but can be a safety hazard to anyone over 5 feet tall.

If your attic doesn't have a safety handrail, use caution and be careful in these areas of your home. It wouldn't be a bad idea to install a locking doorknob if your attic access has a door that can be secured to prevent small children or other people from entering these unsafe areas.

Home Attic Repairs

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Materials Preferences - Bathroom Tile

2009-10-02T15:50:00.001-07:00

Ceramic tile is probably the best option when bathroom tile is considered. Aside from being waterproof, it can have a textured surface that resembles a stone. On top of that, ceramic tiles are quite cheap. Although stone has a better appearance because of its naturally rich and textured state, it costs a lot compared to ceramic tiles. However, people who do not have problems about blowing the budget can indulge by using stones. Both ceramic tiles and stones can be slippery and can get quite cold. Using smaller tiles may be helpful as it would use more grout. On the other hand rubber and other kinds of mats can help with the coldness that tiles feel on bare feet.

Vinyl flooring is also used for bathroom tile primarily because it is cheap. A lot of people like this because there are limitless options for designs and patterns. It can also be installed by anyone that it does not require the homeowner to pay for installation services. On the other hand, it is not the best choice for many people because it looks cheap. It looks plainly like vinyl flooring and nothing else.

Some people like the idea of using wood for their bathroom tile because it does not feel cold under their feet. However, solid hardwood is not so good with moisture. The only way to solve this problem is by perfectly installing them which would entail paying someone else to do it. Laminate flooring is a better option for the bathroom tile because of its resin components which makes it more water resistant.

For more information on bathroom renovations, small bathroom makeovers and bathroom tiles visit SmallBathroomMakeovers.com

How to Find a Excellent New Home Builder

2009-10-02T09:09:00.001-07:00

Looking for a good home builder or contractor, isn't an exact science, but hopefully, by the time you're done reading this article, you will at least have a better idea, what you will be looking for. Let's get started.

As a general contractor, the most important thing that I would be looking for any new home builder, would be experience. You can't sacrifice price for experience. If you're looking for the cheapest contractor, there's a good chance that this person will be lacking experience in home building knowledge.

How long has this person been in business? Just because you're new home builder has only been in business for five years, doesn't mean that he isn't capable of building your home. The same holds true for someone who has been in business for 30 years. Just make sure that these people have actually built homes in the past.

What is their attitude like? This is the second most important thing and I tend to focus on this more than experience, sometimes. If you don't get along with the person, you're not going to have a pleasant home building experience. If you think that there lying to you, scammers or generally don't feel comfortable with them, but they seem to have the most experience and build more homes in your area than anyone else. I wouldn't think twice about getting rid of them and finding someone else.

Last but not least, you should contact some of the people that they have worked for in the past. Talking to past clients, is going to play an important role in making your final decision. You need to find out, if these home builders, treated their clients fairly and were they generally happy with the overall outcome and performance, not only of the homebuilder, but each one of his subcontractors.

I would recommend writing out a list of questions and offering your new home builders past clients a free meal. Offer to take them out to dinner, lunch or breakfast, this way you will have their undivided attention and get the low down on your potential future home builder, it could be the best money that you ever spent.

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link San Diego Home Repairs

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Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home inspection checklist to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Thanks For Reading My Articles

Different Types of Showers - Home Tips

2009-10-02T00:49:00.001-07:00

Electric showers have gained more popularity than other types of showers due to its functional superiority. Stored water is not required for operating one. These showers comprise of an inbuilt system, which draws water from an inlet to feed the heating device. However, maintaining equilibrium in water pressure at the inlet is important to achieve maximum benefits from these showers.

Thousands of different shower models have swamped the market these days. Of these, Mira electric showers and the Triton showers stand out due to their added features. Irrespective of the model you prefer, it is of paramount importance that water supply pipes are fixed properly below the surface of the wall or the floor before installation. A separate electric circuit dedicated for the electric shower unit is an additional security feature advised by most designers and architects.

Many new innovations have come about. Standard fixed showerheads are being replaced quickly by the more convenient hand held ones. Large top showers with several sprays placed at different angles to treat different parts of the body at one time are also gaining popularity. These outlets can be activated or deactivated as per requirement.

If you are planning to buy showers for your house, several aspects need to be kept in mind. The heating systems already in place, the plumbing, electric supply lines and connections, the space available in the bathroom and moreover the tastes of the inhabitants should be evaluated. Once installed, these showers can turn bathing into a fulfilling and invigorating experience.

Written by James Chapman, a director of Bella Bathrooms Ltd who supply Showering products across the UK.

Bella Bathrooms is an online retailer formed by 2 plumbers from the North East of England. Having hands on experience of custom bathroom installation and products has enabled Bella Bathrooms Ltd to only select quality bathroom products for their online shop. They sell bathroom furniture, bathroom suites, showers and bath related products for consumers through the United Kingdom.

How to Estimate the Cost to Replace Windows

2009-10-01T09:45:00.001-07:00

The question on how to estimate the cost to replace windows can be best answered by mentioning a list of considerations that affect the final price. I have recently written an article about the cost of different replacement widows and I am not going to make this article a duplicate of that one.

Instead I will provide some guidelines that will help you make the right estimates. Just read the article right to the end if you want a comprehensive answer to your question.

How many windows you need

First you need to know the number of windows that you need to replace. You will probably need an expert to come over for a house inspection lest you leave out some that also need urgent attention.

The installation costs

In most cases the installation costs will be quoted per window. I have seen a number of people trying to save costs by attempting to install the windows by themselves and after a while having to live with leaking windows due to poor installation.

The Cost per replacement window

Once you have ascertained the number of windows you need. You will then have to get think about the cost per window. You can these really vary a lot. I mean you can get one for about $180 and even way less. It depends on some of the factors that I mention below as I list some guidelines on how to estimate the cost to replace windows.

The labour - who you will hire

Like I said earlier some people prefer to try and DIY. I usually say - wrong move. Why risk it unless you know what you are doing. You have an option to get a contractor do the job for you or find a friend or neighbour who has experience in window replacement. It will be cheaper to do the latter than the former but riskier.

Window Accessories

Different types of windows come with different type of accessories that you may need to buy in order to complete the whole replacement job.

Type of windows to Use

There are typically 3 type of windows i.e. wood, vinyl and fibreglass. Wood is more expensive, vinyl is the most popular and fibreglass is newer but also effective. You also need to figure out the type in terms of the windows themselves i.e. will they be double or single pane.

The window brands to buy

As you may know brands like Pella and Andersons are more expensive than the rest. But then they are also good quality windows. You have an option to choose a less popular brand if you want to reduce your short-term costs. I say short-term on purpose.

Proximity of supplier or contractor

This is my last point on how to estimate the cost to replace windows. The closer the supplier or contractor the cheaper it will be for you.

Click here > find window replacement quotations from companies near where you live.

Click here > best replacement window companies that are pre-screened by experts.

Important Do-It-Yourself Home Remodeling Advice

2009-09-30T06:29:00.001-07:00

Often I'm asked by homeowners, if they think that they can build something on their own. Often I end up explaining the process to them and it's pretty confusing. I would like to give some homeowners and construction handyman some do-it-yourself home remodeling advice, about projects that I think they should avoid and the reason why.

1. Working on Electrical Service Boxes

I really don't recommend, anyone who lacks experience working with electrical, to be working on it at all. When it comes to the electrical service box repairs, if you don't have any experience working in this specific area, I am suggesting this to all homeowners and do-it-yourselfers, stay away from electrical service power boxes. Electricity can be extremely hazardous to your health, so take my advice, this is coming from an expert on the subject.

2. Plumbing Water Supply Lines

I don't recommend, anyone who doesn't have any experience working with plumbing water supply lines, because if they break, or if your repair, doesn't hold properly, you could destroy a large portion of your home. Picture this, you just got through putting a new faucet in, everything looks great, but it's time for you to go to your baseball game. You come home about four hours later and the entire house is flooded with water.

This kind of stuff does happen and you need to take the advice of an expert here. It has even happened to me and I understand the process, pretty good. If you plan on fixing any plumbing water supply lines, make sure that you can spend the time, keeping an eye on your new home repair. If you're going to have any problems with them, they will usually happen within the first few hours of use.

I hope this helps, sometimes it's better to pay a professional, but I can understand, every intelligent person, is interested in saving a few dollars and learning new skills.

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link Home Repair Pictures and Advice. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

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Home Purchasing Checklists Provide Protection

2009-09-30T00:06:00.001-07:00

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for consumers with useful information for future home repairs or current home repairs that will need to be done before the home is sold. Home inspectors often use checklists like these, while they're inspecting the home.

If more home shoppers used home inspection checklist while shopping for houses, we would probably have more satisfied homebuyers than dissatisfied ones. Recently just purchasing a home, we had our real estate professional, the previous homeowner's real estate professional and a mortgage lender, involved in the purchase of the property.

There was a home inspection report from the current homeowners, available for us to look at. It provided us with the damaged parts of the home that were repaired or replaced. Some of these repairs were from termite damage and it was stated so on the report. This was helpful information for us as we walked around the home inspecting it for damage.

The work that was repaired to look satisfactory and the rest of the home had minor damage. Listening to one of the real estate sales people that were involved in the transaction, you would've thought we would get in the deal of a lifetime and they had nothing but good news to say about the product they were representing. I easily understood that, this person could have influenced some one into believing that the home was in great shape, if they didn't have a home inspection checklist with them.

The home had been re-carpeted, painted and was in generally good shape. The problems with the home, were the old windows that were hard to open, the heating unit leaked gas, the tile flooring that ran through the kitchen and a large room addition looked great, except for one thing, they installed the tile over linoleum.

This eventually will have to be replaced as the tile starts to separate from the linoleum. While I'm writing this article, there's about 40 square feet of tile that needs to be replaced, because it's popping up and cracking.

A home purchasing checklist does not guarantee that you will find everything but can't eliminate some of the things that homeowners have the biggest problems with. If you could just eliminate one of these problems, the small price of purchasing, one of these checklists would be worth it.

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for the shopper and I would recommend, never shopping for a home without one.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

By Greg Vandenberge

What is a Three Way Home Electrical Light Switch?

2009-09-29T17:46:00.001-07:00

Remember that three-way light switches, are used to operate lights from two different locations.

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link Encinitas Home Remodeling Contractors

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Building Codes - Stairway Construction

2009-09-29T11:11:00.001-07:00

The stair building code was created for building safety. Before the building code and local city enforcement (Building Inspectors), anyone could build a house. This meant Uncle Earl who had just watched a couple of his friends build a house down the street construct some sort of a dwelling. The next step for Earl would be to help these guys for a day and now he is a professional home builder. You get the point.

Stair Building Codes create the safety needed for one of the most hazardous areas of your home. You might know someone who has fallen down a stairway?

I lived in a house I built for 15 years and I redesigned the stairs from a winder design to a T shaped set of stairs. Both sets of stairs were built using the local stair building code for my city.

Wow I could not believe how many times my family members fell down the stairs. I even fell down once. I was amazed. When I switched from the winder to the T shaped stairway there were less accidents. My point is that even using the stair building codes this is a dangerous part of your house.

Having a professional stair builder install your stairs is great advice. Take it. For example this happened to me on quite a few jobs. I get a set of plans from a architect who has been designing houses for over 40 years. I looked at the stairway to find out that he has designed a stairway that is too small for the length of this part of the home. If I build the stairs using the plans that by the way were approved from the local building department, I could have a problem.

You are probably asking yourself how does this happen. Aren't these people experienced professionals. Of course they are. They probably have the U.B.C. (Uniform Building Code) in their office somewhere. Everyone makes mistakes here and there but this is one area of the home where safety is a big concern.

Just look at it like this. The stair building code was designed to improve the safety and reduce the number of accidents while using the stairs. Over the years I have seen stairs poorly designed and constructed. These stairs create problems for the owners of the buildings not just the people that use them. Did I mention lawsuits. This is one area where a lawyer will have a field day.

As a building professional I advise you to use the stair building code first for safety and second to avoid lawsuits. Get an idea from some of the pictures I have taken over the years on problems with stair building.

Use common sense while building or remodeling your home. It goes a long way.

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry. Stair Building Articles

Retaining Walls Suffer From Moisture Problems

2009-09-29T04:39:00.001-07:00

Whether you're driving down the road or through a neighborhood and you notice a retaining wall that has large cracks in it, or is severely discolored, or one that has white calcium deposits from moisture covering the entire wall, you've got problems with moisture.

The retaining wall is designed to hold the dirt back, that's it's sole purpose. It's not going to hold any moisture back unless someone has installed a waterproofing membrane to separate the soil from the concrete block wall. If the soil isn't ever going to get wet, then you probably don't need to waterproof the retaining wall.

However that's normally not going to be the case. So we need to waterproof the interior of our retaining walls to eliminate future moisture problems that could eventually, deteriorate as moisture starts to accumulate, inside of our block wall for a longer periods of time.

If you don't know anything about waterproofing, I would suggest that you hire a waterproofing expert. Waterproofing looks easier than it actually is, and might be out of your scope of work.

I'm not going to suggest that you use waterproofing paints, because I haven't seen great results with these products. However, if you're not that concerned about your retaining wall and are looking for a cheaper way to apply any waterproofing materials, these paints might not be a bad idea. Sometimes, Something is better than nothing.

If you live in a relatively dry climate, it might not be necessary to waterproof your retaining walls. But if you live in a damp or moist area, especially an area where the ground is moist all year round or more than six months out of the year, I would suggest that you waterproof the back of your retaining walls.

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link House Basement Repair Ideas. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

Dryer Vent In Basement Window.

Thanks For Reading My Articles

Don't Let This Happen to You - Home Computer Electrical Damage

2009-09-28T22:23:00.001-07:00

If you've read any of my other articles, you know that I am always coming up with great ideas, tips and even a couple of stories that can save homeowners lots of money. Here's another one of those stories, that involves a friend of mine who asked me if I could fix his outdoor electrical outlet.

I was over at his house one day, and told him that I could probably fix the electrical outlet and if we needed any parts, we could run down to the lumber yard and pick them up and his problem would be solved within a few hours. This two hour repair was about to cost him the hard drive on his computer, but neither one of us had any idea what was about to happen.

We each agreed to give it a shot, I told him to go over to the electrical panel and turn off the breaker that went to his outdoor shed. He proceeded to turn off the breaker and yelled out," It's off, try it." I plugged in an electric drill and it was still working, as he was walking around the corner, towards me, I showed him that the drill was still on and he hadn't turned off the right electrical breaker.

He went back and turned off a couple of more electrical breakers and the drill was still running. Now he frantically started to turn off one electrical breaker at a time, until I yelled out," It's off, the electrical power is, off you can stop."

I repaired the electrical outlet and he went back to turn every electrical breaker back on that he had turned off. We were proud of ourselves and he now had electrical power, back to his shed and he was happy.

Now for the bad news, his computer was running and when he turned the electricity off and on, it must've done something to his computer hard drive and it now needed to be replaced.

The moral to the story, isn't that you shouldn't help your friends. It's that you should, make sure that your computers are safely off, before you attempt to do any electrical work to your home.

It wouldn't be a bad idea, to have a battery backup, for your computer, if you use it often, just in case there is an electrical failure or something happens like the story above.

If your really interested in saving money on your home electrical bills - Energy Saving Books

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link Home Repair Advice. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

10 Things a Homeowner Won't Tell a Contractor - Common Courtesy

2009-09-28T15:58:00.001-07:00

I've been a contractor in the state of California for over 20 years and there are some things that a homeowner won't tell a contractor. These are a few things that a contractor might want to hear, but a reluctant homeowner, might have second thoughts telling their contractors how they really feel.

1. We are happy with all of the work that you did in a timely manner and we appreciate your services.

2. We are happy with the way you performed your construction tasks, efficiently and we appreciate your services.

3. The work was done by a true professional and we would recommend you to any one of our friends.

4. The payment plan that you created in the contract worked out perfectly and never made us feel uncomfortable. It never seemed like you had too much of our money or we were putting you in a bad spot financially.

5. Thanks for keeping the job clean, it meant a lot to us, because we have seen other construction jobs that look like a tornado ran through them.

6. Thanks for helping us with our design. Working with your contractor on a daily, weekly or monthly basis can be frustrating or joyful. Let the contractor know either way how you are really feeling.

7. You and your crew are extremely hard-working and we appreciate the simple fact that you didn't come to work late or leave early.

8. Thanks for the reasonable priced estimate on our project. You helped us say a lot of money and we appreciate that sincerely.

9. Thanks for doing the extra work at a reasonable price. You could have gouged us at certain times, but you chose to be fair and work things out, in a way that would benefit both of us.

10. This one is the most important and often overlooked by homeowners and it's simple and easy to do. Thanks for doing what you said you were going to do and actually doing it.

Just a simple thank you and paying them on time, for a service well done is enough for most contractors. However, a little common courtesy can go a long way, even in the construction industry.

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Click here if you're looking for additional Homeowner Contractor Advice. If you're interested in gathering more information on how to hire a good contractor, make sure that you visit our website.

10 Things a Homeowner Won't Tell a Contractor - Common Courtesy

2009-09-28T09:11:00.001-07:00