Home Improvement, Renovations, Interior Design Tips, DIY

A cottage without insulation

Jun 29, 2011 Home Improvement Leave a comment

When my wife and moved into a little cottage that was more than a hundred years old, we were so excited. It was spring time and we watched as the deer quietly ate apples from our large apple trees in the front yard. We enjoyed sitting in the shade of a large oak tree in a two person swing.

It was in a word, perfect, that was until summer rolled into town with 90 degree heat beating down on our home. It had central heating and air, but unfortunately it did not seem to matter. Just as rapidly as the cool air entered the room, it vanished again in an almost supernatural way.

We first realized that there was literally no insulation in the attic. The attic was nothing more than rafters that were crudely built in the late 1900’s and no previous owner had seen fit to install insulation.

So, we immediately covered the entire attic with insulation, installed an attic fan and saw the amount of energy escaping the house diminish. However, it still wasn’t enough. The walls were paper thin and did not have any insulation either.

After having some windows replaced, we realized that the only option we had was to look at installing exterior wall coatings that would further insulate the home. We had looked at installing insulation in the walls, but the price quotes we received were outlandish.

Exterior wall coatings actually insulate the interior of the home while protecting it from harmful water leakage that is so prone in older homes. Over all, we still enjoy our little cottage and we are glad that technology has helped make it comfortable.

Where to Get Bay Windows At A Cheap Rate

Jun 2, 2011 Home Improvement Leave a comment

When it comes to buying a casement window online one of the things you will notice very quickly is they are much more than a regular window. One of the things you won’t notice right off the bat is that they are also more expensive and more time consuming to put in as well and that is why getting the best deal you can on one is what everybody wants.

The first thing you need to understand about getting a bay window is that you need to make sure it is in great shape before you buy it. The reason why you need to make sure it is in great shape is because too many people buy cheap bay windows and then come to find out the reason they are cheap is because most of the framing is still in the house that the bay window was taken out of. When you are missing the main frame from the window then you will have a very hard time getting that window back into another opening unless you rebuild the frame so that the window doesn’t just fall out of the opening. What most people are unaware of is the fact that the bigger a window is the stronger a frame it will need and that is exactly why you should not buy a bay window that doesn’t have all the things you need. Read More..

Storm Windows can be Used All Year Long

Jun 2, 2011 Home Improvement Leave a comment

You can actually leave your storm windows in all year long. It will cut down on your energy costs in the winter and summer months. There are some people in the north who remove their storm windows in the summer months and store them until they need them again come the following winter. There is nothing wrong with that at all. If you leave them up all year you can save on your energy bills. These windows will help to keep the cool air inside the house during the summer months. Even though you are from northern states you still can get some pretty high temperatures in the summer time.

In the south using storm windows all year also makes sense. It does get cold for a short period of time in the winter and once in a while a huge storm made up of hail and high winds can pass through. If you remove your storm windows you will find that you don’t have the insulating properties or the protection any more. Read More..

Graining in Paintwork

Sep 6, 2010 Interior Design Tips Leave a comment

Graining is a very old technique that is used to give painted woodwork the appearance of a high-quality wood, such as mahogany. It has the advantage that you do not have to strip off the existing finish, but it is definitely a difficult technique -one to leave until you have gained some experience of the other finishes. You will need to use a special glaze called ‘scumble’, which is available from specialist paint and decorators’ suppliers.

First, apply a coat of wood-colour eggshell oil-base paint to match the lightest colour of the wood effect that you wish to achieve.

Next, apply a coat of wood-colour scumble glaze thinned with an equal amount of white spirit and rub this on to the surface. Use a brush on the wet glaze to form a light basic grain pattern. Leave this for 24 hours to dry thoroughly. Read More..

How to Deal with Wallpapering Problems

Aug 24, 2010 Interior Design Tips Leave a comment

Raise paper gradually and place in position. Smooth down with a sponge, working from the centre to the edges

Bubbles
The usual cause is careless brushing out — areas are allowed to stick to the wall before all the air behind them has been removed. Bubbles can also be caused by lumpy paste and insufficient soaking time. If the paste is still wet, lift the paper and smooth out properly. If the paste has dried, cut a cross at the centre of the bubble and then stick down the flaps.

Bumps
Unlike bubbles, there is no air within. The cause is poor preparation.

Teats
Usual causes are poor-quality paper, careless handling and/or leaving the paper to soak for longer than necessary.

Paper not adhering
There are numerous causes, such as damp walls, untreated porous walls and too little paste.

Edges not adhering
The usual cause is either too little paste applied to the edges or drying out due to spending too much time over stages 13 and 14. Remember to press edges with a seam roller or cloth.

Pattern not matching
The usual cause is irregular stretching due to strips being allowed to soak for varying times. Do not allow part of a long length to drop suddenly when hanging.

Laundry Care Tips

Aug 7, 2010 Maintenance Leave a comment

There is an enormous range of washing aids these days, but there is no common labelling code to tell you which type you are buying. The best plan is to try several brands until you find the one that suits you. Heavy duty powders are by far the most popular — the soap-based ones are suitable for soft-water regions but in a hard-water area you will require a synthetic detergent. Some contain enzymes — the so-called ‘biological’, ‘low-temperature’ and ‘all-temperature’ washing powders. These powders are especially useful for removing protein stains such as blood and perspiration, but it seems that some people may develop a rash from enzyme-based powders.

Low-foaming products are used in front-loading machines which would not function effectively with lots of suds. The word ‘automatic’ appears on the label — a few are enzyme-free but most are biological. Liquids are available. Read More..