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Whether you’ve got a big budget or a small one for your kitchen remodeling project, it’s wise to try to make sure your spending doesn’t spiral out of control as the process continues. There are a number of ways you can stay within your budget, beginning with staying on top of every dollar that goes out.

If your kitchen is seriously outdated or rundown, it may be necessary for you to finance your remodeling job. If that describes your situation, first weigh the pluses and minuses of the project before you sign up for a home equity loan or second mortgage.

On the plus side, an attractive, up-to-date kitchen can add thousands of dollars to the resale value of your home. The downside: if you’re not planning to move in the foreseeable future, you won’t see that money until you do sell.

A plus: if you plan to stay in your home for a long time to come, having a new, more efficient and beautiful kitchen will make life more enjoyable along the way. On the other hand, if you’re staying put, you’ll have to pay back the money you spend out of your hard-earned cash until you finally decide to move.

You could use credit cards to pay for the remodel, too. The plus side: they’re easy and require no particularly difficult approval process. The minus: the interest rates can be very costly, adding thousands to the overall cost of your remodel.

Once you’ve got your budget established and you’ve decided to move forward, you’ll save thousands by shopping hard for the various items you’re going to need to complete the job. Shopping in discount home improvement centers, looking for close-out items, watching for sales, ordering from online or mail order catalogs, and buying slightly blemished items can save substantial amounts of money.

There are also ways you can revamp your existing appliances to make them fit your new kitchen scheme. There are companies that can refinish your appliances and sinks in whatever color you want, which can save thousands over buying new ones. Many dishwashers, refrigerators, and stoves, come with changeable panels that allow you to instantly change their look completely. This can also add up to huge savings.

If you’re already happy with the color of your appliances (if they’re white, for instance, which will go with any other color scheme), you can make your kitchen look vastly different by simply adding a fantastic new sink and changing the color of the walls. New lighting fixtures are also a fairly inexpensive way to achieve a radically different look for your kitchen.

New flooring is also a terrific way to give the kitchen an instant face lift. You can use fairly inexpensive vinyl tile, which comes in easy-to-install squares that offer stylish patterns, durability, and easy-care maintenance.

You can also save lots of interest charges and years of payments by remodeling your kitchen a little at time and paying as you go. Whichever path you choose, stay on top of your spending and stay within your budget, however large it may be.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Want the designer’s touch in your kitchen? Have you ever wondered how to achieve that interior designer’s high-end look without charging up your credit cards? Kitchen Remodeling Design Jeanette Fisher teaches five ways to makeover your home for happiness. Author of interior design and real estate books, Jeanette Fisher has researched the effects of environment on emotions for over 15 years. She teaches interior design college courses and seminars. Free interior design reports: http://interiordesignpsychology.com

[tags]budget kitchen remodeling,remodel kitchen ideas,Jeanette Fisher[/tags]

1. If you do not have much time for gardening, stick to plants in containers, such as tubs, boxes and baskets. They are easier to feed and tend if you have a busy lifestyle.

2. If you are not sure what you want the layout of your garden to be, plant in pots so you can move plants around until you are happy.

3. If you are buying ready-potted plants of flowers, make sure that they have already begun to flower; otherwise there is a risk that they may never flower at all.

4. These flowering plants are known to survive and thrive in most cities with extremely hot temperatures and high pollution: Madagascar periwinkle, lantana, impatiens, cosmos, cleome (spider flower) and canna (Indian flag).

5. Add compost to your garden soil two to four weeks before you plant. This way, the compost will be integrated within your garden soil.

6. Do not place houseplants in direct sunlight. Even though houseplants need some light, their leaves will wilt if directly exposed to the sun.

7. Make your garden more fragrant by planting more lightly colored or white flowers. You can also give your garden a rich fragrant smell by adding thick-textured flowers such as gardenia, citrus and magnolia, which have very distinctive and intense scents.

8. Water features in the garden should be kept fresh. Install plants like water violet to keep the water oxygenated.

9. Do not plant too many plants in one area. Competition for resources will cause growth of poor-quality plants.

10. Never plant anything under conifers because those particular trees cause the soil to become acidic. Plants around conifers would not grow.

11. Glossy leaves reflect light so it is better to place plants with glossy leaves in shadowy corners to make your garden look bigger. They will thrive there too.

12. Soak eggshells in water overnight and then use the solution as a fertilizer. The solution will be full of nutrients from the eggshells.

13. Use a pitchfork to aerate the lawn regularly. This helps natural drainage and also encourages movement of insects beneath the ground.

14. Open the greenhouse via the door or windows for at least two hours a day. It recycles the air and gets rid of any excess heat.

Visit Gardening Information website and learn proven gardening tips.

[tags]gardening, gardening tips, gardening information[/tags]

If you have two siblings sharing a bedroom, there are a couple of easy appraoches to decorating a space that both will
enjoy.

The first approach to decorating for siblings sharing a bedroom is to makeover the room in one theme that both can
agree on.

The second apprach is to employ two separate decorating themes within the room to keep them both happy and feeling
like they have individual spaces that they can call their own.

Here are some ideas that you can use to help satify both siblings, no matter which of the above approaches wins out.

Single theme decorating for siblings sharing a bedroom

Of course, this is the ideal. When siblings agree on the same decorating theme, or don’t mind having similar bedding,
there are two great ways you can furnish the room. You can either choose to purchase them a bunk bed, or two twin
beds. You can them dress up the beds with similar or matching bedding. Some excellent bedding choices can be found
at www.homevision.com. One of the easiest, and least costly, techniques for selecting bedding is to go with “Primary
Solids Reversible and Fitted Comforters”. You can always use little accessories to accentuate a particlur theme.

To further pull together the theme for siblings sharing a bedroom, you can select wallpaper in a theme that your
children will enjoy. Or, you can borrow from one of the colors in the bedding and paint the walls a solid color shade.

But certainly wallpaper will add more personality to the room and make capturing the theme much easier. If wallpaper,
or perhaps even a simple wallpaper border, appeals to you, then check out www.decoratetoday.com. You’ll find lots of
different choices for just about every taste and theme.

After the walls and bedding are addressed, you’ll want to think about the remaining furiture. Matching furniture is always a good and safe way to go. But why not throw in some fun furniture like a funky table and chair set, bean bag chairs, etc.

Dual (two) theme decorating for siblings sharing a bedroom

To keep both siblings happy, the easiest thing to do is just split the room in half. If you can, try to get them to
agree on as many of the big components as you can. For example, maybe they don’t mind the walls being the same color
throughout the room. But, if that doesn’t work, don’t sweat it. Here’s what you can do to keep the peace.

You can paint one half of the room a solid color one child likes, and paint the other half of the room a different but
complimentary color that the other child likes. And if you purchase two twin trundle beds, the kids will feel as if
they have more of their own space. Plus, trundle beds will provide extra storage space for each child to store their
personal items.

For other furniture items, it’s okay to mix and match. But if the siblings have similar personal items, be sure to
label the items with their names so that there won’t be any bickering about who owns what.

Finally, some other furnishings you may want to include in the sibling’s bedroom are:

* Lamps
* Window treatments
* Clocks
* Throw pillows
* Area rug(s)
* Wall hooks
* Wall art (posters)
* Shelving
* Toy box bench
* Waste bin

These are just a few of the ways you can keep siblings sharing a bedroom happy. Just be a little creative, ensure that each has his or her own personal space, and everything should work out fine. Happy decorating!

Michael Holland is the creator of the Web sites http://www.kids-rooms-and-crafts.com and http://www.home-decorating-made-easy.com. His sites offer lots of FREE home decorating tips and ideas.

[tags]decorating kids rooms, kids rooms, siblings sharing bedroom[/tags]

Here are several tips for creating a wonderful hanging basket or container this summer. The first is to use an artificial soil composed mostly of peat moss. Good soils such as Fafard or Pro-Mix use perlite, peat, and other ingredients to produce a soil that will not compact over the summer. Real garden soil compacts and turns into concrete under the pressure of regular watering. And when it does, plant roots stop growing because they require good open spaces to move into and absorb nutrients. Hard, compacted soils do not grow good plants so do not use real soil in your containers. I re-use my artificial potting soil from year to year. I dump it out of the pot. Chew it up with a shovel to cut up all last year’s roots and add approximately 10 % by volume of compost. The compost increases air spaces and gives plants a boost in healthy nutrition.

Feed your plants weekly. Nitrogen, the engine of plant growth, is water soluble and as you water your containers from the top the dissolved nitrogen is leaving from the bottom. I use a fish-emulsion liquid feed with seaweed to provide all the trace nutrients my plants require and recommend it highly. You can use any liquid plant food (like Miracle Grow or Shultz) to promote growth. Compost tea is the Cadillac of liquid plant food and if you make your own compost tea, your plants will respond with bigger and better blooms as well as increased vigour.

And finally, no matter the size of the container, it is important to soak it all the way to the bottom at each watering. Continue watering until water emerges from the pot bottom. This ensures the roots can reach all parts of the container and grow properly.

Doug Green, an award winning garden author with 7 books published answers gardening questions and gives container gardening advice in his free newsletter at http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com

[tags]gardening, gardens, container gardening[/tags]

Besides matching colors and style with the rest of you bathroom or powder room, you will want to consider a few more points.

(1) Roughing in specifications: This is the measurement from the wall to the center of the outlet. Typically they come in 10″, 12″ and 14″ sizes. The standard is 12″ but a measurement should be taken.

(2) Foot print of the toilet: If you are dealing with a remodel over an existing floor covering, you may want to reference a specification sheet for the area that the bottom of the toilet will cover. For new construction or a new flooring choice, it is also a good idea to have a reference so the flooring is close enough to the ring on the toilet flange.

(3) Toilet height: ADA toilets are not just being marketed to people who need them. The new term is “Comfort Height.” Taller people, older people and all other sorts are moving toward a taller toilet that you don’t have to go down as far to sit.

(4) Elongated/Round front: Elongated has a larger “target area” for the younger members of the family. Some drawbacks are that some people don’t like the looks and if the bathroom is smaller or even average size, the bowl may protrude to the point of being in the way.

Before you begin: observe all local plumbing and building codes. Carefully inspect the new toilet for damage. If the existing toilet does not have a supply shut-off value below the tank, install one before installing the new toilet.

Caution: risk of personal injury or product damage. Handle with care. Vitreous china can break or chip if the bolts and nuts are over tightened or if the product is handled carelessly.

Installation Instructions

Step 1: Remove the old toilet
Turn the water supply off. Flush the toilet, and sponge out any remaining water. Disconnect the water supply connection. Remove the old bolt caps, toilet, and T-bolts, and scrape off the old wax seal from the closet flange.

Insert new T-bolts. If installation of the new toilet is delayed, temporarily cover the closet flange hole with a rag.

Step 2: Install the new bowl
Record model number in Homeowner’s Guide. From the bottom of the bowl, firmly press a new wax seal around the bowl outlet. Remove the temporary rag (if used) from the closet flange.

Caution: risk of external leakage. Do not lift or rock the bowl after placement - if you break the watertight seal, you must install a new wax seal. Align and lower the bowl over the closet flange and T-bolts. Apply full body weight around the bowl rim to set the seal. Do not assemble metal washers and nuts on T-bolts at this time.

Please the bolt cap bases in the “up” position over each T-bolt. Secure the washer and nut to each T-bolt.

Caution: risk of product damage. When cutting off excess T-bolt length, protect the vitreous china surface from exposure to the saw blade.

If the T-bolts extend more than

Where do you turn to for the answers to your home improvement questions? Do you go to friends and neighbors or family members? Are they knowledgeable and experienced enough to be able to provide you with reliable information? Many times you may have a pressing question and the people you normally turn to may not even be available.

Let’s take a look at some resources that you can turn to for the information you need any time. There are numerous resources such as home improvement books and magazines you can look through that may even have examples similar to a project you are considering. The next thing you could do is what I do, go surfing on the internet. You can find the answers to just about any question online in minutes.

The problem inherent with printed materials like magazines is that they are always a little behind and are only updated monthly or weekly at most. There may be some cutting edge technique or tool that you have heard about and you want more information but your magazine that you trust for such things isn’t due out for another three weeks. On the contrary, with the internet you have access to news and press releases sometimes in minutes that may give you exactly what you are looking for.

For the answers to your home improvement questions the internet is your best choice. With billions of pages of information updated constantly you will never be able to find a more rich and diverse resource of information. You will be able to find news, press releases and articles on all kinds of home improvement subjects.

Another thing you will find is that many websites will have their own Q&A interactive message boards or forums where you can post a question and you will usually get a rapid response. This is particularly true if you take the time to make sure that they have an active community. The cool thing about it for us men is that we can go online and find out the answer to a question we have and then act like we knew it all along. Oh, come on don’t tell me that you don’t do that!

Make us of the information superhighway and get online for the answers to all of your home improvement questions. Unlike the advice of friends and family members which may sometimes be unreliable, you can always count on the internet to bring you the correct answers to all of your questions.

Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about household storage and storage containers storage containers at http://www.homestorageplusmore.com

[tags]home improvement, home remodeling[/tags]

Versatile, strong & attractive, it’s not surprising that copper has been used for centuries and is today, the most frequently used metal! One of the oldest metals known to mankind, the beauty of copper is classic & timeles…

Copper holds a wonderful appeal. Both polished copper and rubbed copper items have a warmth about them, and yet a versatility that allows copper to be used everywhere, from the most modern & sleek to the most rustic farmhouse kitchens.

In the kitchen, copper pots & pans are incredibly popular for several reasons - they are easy to cook with, strong enough to last a lifetime, and are attractive enough to make a fabulous display.

These days, it’s not just copper pots and pans you can choose in your kitchen! Manufacturers have been quick to design copper appliances to cater to interior designers and homeowners, providing everything from copper pot racks - to display those wonderful pots - to copper backsplashes, tiles, counter tops, refrigerators and of course stove hoods that add a “wow” factor to any kitchen!

A range hood is often considered a real luxury item, which can even add value to your home should you sell. It provides a fabulous focal point, no matter how large or small, and can be adapted to fit over islands. Available in all shapes and sizes, almost all kitchens can accomodate a hood!

And not only can you create a stunning kitchen with copper accessories and appliances, the versatility of copper allows you to choose a variety of finishes - highly polished shine, a light hand rubbed finish or a penny brown patina - each adding warm appeal to make the kitchen the hub of the home…

image
http://www.themetalpeddler.com/sitebuilder/images/copper-and-brass-kitchen-pot-rack-5-150×112.jpg
link to
http://www.themetalpeddler.com/HangingPotRacks.html

Jason Fannin is a Master Craftsman and Coppersmith, with over 12 years experience working with metal. At the Metal Peddler’s Workshop, Jason specializes in creating handcrafted solid copper pot racks, range hoods, garden accessories and custom designs.
All items are completely handmade in USA from high quality copper.

[tags]copper,copper kitchen,copper decor,copper decorating,copper pots,copper hoods,copper racks,[/tags]

If you are looking for some ceramic tile ideas for your bathroom, here are a few tips that will help you plan your bathroom tiling project the most cost- effective way. The most important step that you can take when it comes to proper tile installation is planning. You’ll be glad you did when you see just how meticulous the work of tile setting is. Ceramic tile can be placed around bathroom vanities, bathroom showers, and bathroom shower stalls just about any other area in the bathroom that you feel is suitable. You are limited only by your imagination when it comes to tile design ideas. Obviously, choosing the tile design is your first initial step and having a look around the Internet to see what you can find in the way of design ideas is a good idea. There are millions of bathroom pictures available for you to choose from.

Tiles are made of different materials. There are nonporous and porous tiles. For your bathroom project, you should choose a nonporous ceramic tile material. As a rule, the smaller-sized tiles have smaller designs and if you install tiles that are too large, it may not suit your small bathroom and vice versa. Ceramic tile is usually used around baseboard and shower areas, but modern bathrooms are now including some around bathroom vanities and other areas. Unless you’re very confident in your installation abilities, ceramic tile projects are sometimes best left for professionals.

Choose contrasting colors for your wall and floor tiles, and then have a skirting line the same color as the floor tile. Or, you may want to consider changing the tile design or color at your chest level. This may look good around your bathroom vanity area. The next step is to calculate the square-footage of tiles you will need. Start by measuring the square-foot age of the area to be covered exactly, and it is of course, important to know the size of tiles you’ve chosen. There will be gaps between the tiles and you need to account for these as well. When calculating, consider less than a half tile as half and more than half as a full tile. Tiles come by case only, so you will not be able to purchase them separately. Go into your local building supplies store or attend a course on ceramic tile installation. You will be glad you did.

By Terry Price - Are you looking for some faucets for your bathroom? http://www.bathroomvanitiescurtains.com/delta-faucets.html or how about a circular shower curtain rod? http://www.bathroomvanitiescurtains.com/circular-shower-curtain-rod.html

[tags]bathroom vanities, bathroom showers, bathroom shower stalls, bathroom vanity[/tags]

Perhaps nothing compares to the true beauty of a cabinet. In the larger scheme of things, a kitchen cabinet is perhaps the greatest of them all. You get elegance, grace, and sophistication in a cabinet. Some people like glass fronts; some people like solid wood. Depending on what you like, free kitchen cabinet plans can help make your dreams a reality.

The Search

First thing you want to do when you search for free kitchen cabinet plans is to hop on the Internet and find yourself a search engine. I prefer Google, but some prefer Yahoo or MSN; there are other search engines such as Dogpile and Go. Pick the one you prefer.

Whichever you choose, they usually allow Boolean expressions. You want to do a search for what you want with “+” in front of them such as +free +kitchen +cabinet +plans. If you are pretty sure you want the kitchen cabinets you may want to make that +kitchen-cabinet (I say cabinet because you will get more hits if you leave off the “s”). A small hint that comes in handy is that usually, you can also use a “-” or minus sign. Such as +free +kitchen-cabinet +plans and then you could add a -naughtyword: naughtyword would then not be allowed in the result.

Now that you have a good idea of how Boolean expressions work, you can find yourself some free kitchen cabinet plans. If you cannot find what you are looking for with one search engine, I suggest you try another search engine. Often, one will not have what another will have. Have fun! Do a lot of searches until you have what you want.

Moving Forward

Once you have found free kitchen cabinet plans that meet your specifications, it is a good idea to thoroughly read those instructions. Then you will be able to carefully purchase the hardware and materials needed to make your kitchen cabinets. Usually, the first thing you should do is grab a measuring tape and some paper with a pencil. You want to take precise measurements of your kitchen and record it on the paper. This is a necessity. I suggest you measure on the inside borders of the walls. This is a great way t o learn exactly what you need.

Tools Please

Okay, now you need the proper tools. I suggest you do this project only if you have current knowledge of the power tools that are required for this project. It is really sticker shock to go out and buy all the tools needed fresh. In addition, you will need a couple of new tools perhaps that you may not have been aware of. Check the instructions for further help.

Material If You Would

Free kitchen cabinet plans are great because they are indeed free. However, you should make sure the instructions are thorough. You should have a good idea of how much material is needed for your project. The measurements you took will be essential during this step. You will want to figure out first what type of material you want. While everyone thinks solid wood is the only choice, I tell you now that it is expensive and it is heavy. Maybe you can afford the expense, but ask yourself how your walls will handle the enormous weight.

Once you have taken an honest look at what material you want to use, I suggest you visit a home improvement store or a hardware store that sells the material you need. Take in your measurements and get the material you need delivered to your home - usually at no additional charge. Do not forget the brackets, nails, screws, and other such smaller hardware. Usually, a store associate will be more than willing to help you get everything you need.

The Next Step

You will obviously want to take out those old kitchen cabinets if you have not yet done so. This is quite the chore. Sometimes, you can save the old ones and sell them, recycle them, or give them to a local charity. However, you accomplish this: those old cabinets have gotta go.

You will want to take the time to clean the walls thoroughly at this point. I like to take bleach water over the whole area and let it dry. This is easy because my husband is now in the workroom with power tools blaring. I check on him and love that pure look of ecstasy that is on his face - I rarely see that look outside of his power tools experience. I go in to help him when he needs help, but this is really an easy chore for people that understand what they are doing and have some concept on how to follow those free kitchen cabinet plans.

The End Is Near

Installing the kitchen cabinet is easy compared to the rest of your kitchen cabinet journey. I suggest you make sure that all of those cabinets are completed before you attempt this step. Sometimes, you will have a cabinet that is slightly off and needs readjusting. I never add the doors until the rest of the base cabinet is installed first. Never completely secure the cabinet until all of the cabinets are installed.

Free kitchen cabinet plans are great because you do not have to spend extra money on a project that is otherwise extremely pricey. Follow your instincts and those instructions for that best and most rewarding kitchen cabinets you have probably ever owned.

Delbert has been a co-author of many cabinet making books such as “Cabinet Making Magic”. For more than 14 years, he had taught workshop classes at his local community high school. At http://www.i-furnitures.com , Delbert will take you through a step by step guide on how to make ideal, space saving, and inexpensive bathroom
vanity cabinets that is right for your home.

[tags]Free Kitchen Cabinet Plans[/tags]

Condensation will occur on any surface that is below the dew point of the air in contact with it (temperature at which condensation will occur at the existing humidity level). In most houses in winter, the inner surfaces of the windows are the coolest surfaces and condensation will usually occur there before it appears on other surfaces. It seldom appears on walls because they are normally warmer, although occasionally condensation may occur on cold spots such as nail heads and in the corners of outside walls where the insulation is reduced, or in confined spaces where the circulation of warm room air is restricted. In some cases this can lead to mildew and the growth of mould.

When condensation becomes excessive the moisture load must be decreased or the ventilation rate increased. To reduce the moisture load, humidfiers should be shut off, automatic dryers vented outdoors, clothes drying indoors avoided, and the structure checked for other possible moisture sources (ventilation, insulation and moisture barriers in the attic, basement or crawlspaces; open cisterns; seepage in the basement etc.)

HANDY HINT

Thoroughly dry a damp spot on an exposed foundation
wall or floor with a hair dryer. Tape a 12 inch square of
heavy plastic over the spot, and check it in one or two
days. Seepage will cause the underside of the plastic to
be wet, but condensation will form on the top side!

Ventilation is generally the most effective means available to the homeowner for reducing humidity and should be obtained by opening windows or operating an exhaust fan (or the furnace fan) as soon as significant window condensation appears.

If only a moderate or minimal amount of condensation is experienced, switching the fan on a forced-air furnace to the “continuous” or “summer” setting can help reduce humidity in moist areas, by circulating and blending the air throughout the house.

Attic ventilation is normally provided by vent openings totalling approximately one square foot for every 200 to 300 square feet of ceiling area (not more than 50% through the roof, and no less than 50% through the gables or soffits).

MOISTURE PRODUCED BY VARIOUS HOUSEHOLD
ACTIVITIES FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR

Activities Moisture Produced (pounds) (litres)
Cooking 3 meals a day 2 1.0 litre
Dishwashing 1 0.5 litre
Bathing
- shower 5 2.5 litres
- tub 2 1.0 litre
Clothes washing (per week) 4 2.0 litres
Drying indoors or with unvented dryer (per week) 26 13.0 litres
Floor mopping (per 100 sq.ft/) 3 1.5 litres
Occupants (family of four per day) 12 6.0 litres

Dehumidifiers, depending on the capacity of the model chosen, are typically capable of removing 7.5 to 20 litres of water from the air in the house, per 24 hour day. The age, type and style of home will affect the degree of moisture retention, and therefore have a bearing on the size of dehumidifier required.

Controlled air exchange, using an HRV (heat-recovery ventilator) is usually a requirement in newer homes, especially those built to R2000 standards. In these homes, uncontrolled infiltration/exfiltration of air is reduced to almost zero, and therefore moisture will quickly accumulate causing condensation on windows and other cool surfaces.

Copyright Gil Strachan - All rights reserved.

Gil Strachan is a professional home inspector, representing Electrospec Home Inspection Services in east-central Ontario, Canada since 1994. Visit http://www.allaroundthehouse.com to learn more about home inspections.

“The Home Reference Book”
You can probably find a home inspection for a little less than what we ask, but you probably won’t find the Home Reference Book. A $60 value, this solutions-oriented reference tool comes free with every inspection we perform.
It’s the first tool you should have around the house!

[tags]home repair,home imrpovement,moisture problem,home condensation,home insulation,diy repair[/tags]