Monday, October 8, 2012

Home Improvement General Advice

By Simon P Lemmington


A well known rule for doing any kind of construction, repair, or renovation work is to measure twice and cut once. This age old saying still holds up today in every circumstance. Following this rule will allow you to avoid costly and time consuming mistakes associated with projects by using less materials and saving time and effort on labor.

In any home with original wood floors, the homeowner considering home improvement projects, should avoid replacing the floors, at all cost. The older a wood floor is, the less likely it is that it can be replaced with an equally attractive floor. It is much better to refinish existing wood floors. Even in cases of the most extreme damage, laying a new floor over the original one is preferable to removing it.

When is the last time you took an inventory of the door handles in your home? Brass door handles shine immensely, and they make for a great improvement in your home decor. Take a look at your door handles for each room, and switch them with brass door handles to really bring out a change.

If you are the proud owner of an asphalt driveway you need to keep on the lookout for cracks and repair them as soon as possible to keep your driveway in good shape. Keeping your driveway clean and free of debris is the first step in good driveway maintenance.

Tie a t-shirt around your face! Don't have a dust mask when you're sanding? Shame on you! If you're in a pinch though you can improvise with any close weave natural fiber. It isn't the best solution but it certainly beats having no protection for your respiratory system whatsoever!

Before starting any demolition job in your house, take steps to minimize the mess. Lay down plastic and contain the area you will be working in. Keep your tools confined to the work area as well. Demolition is a messy job and having to clean a mess throughout the entire house can take hours of extra time.

Create space in a cramped bathroom. Build floor-to-ceiling cabinets, and store similar items in baskets. This avoids any clutter on the counter top. A corner storage unit in your shower is perfect for holding shampoo, conditioner and any other items you may need. A great tip for creating space is to get rid of everything that isn't used on a regular basis. This can include out of date medications in your medicine cabinet or beauty products that you tried and didn't like. By clearing these out, you will have plenty of room for things that you actually use!

If you have a problem with the home improvements your contractor completed, complain. Start with the contractor himself and tell him which parts of your contract he's violated. If you don't get a resolution by phone, follow up with a letter via registered mail. From there, go to your local consumer protection office and ask for help.

If your air conditioner is more than seven years old, consider improving your home by replacing it. When purchasing a new air conditioner, look for the Energy Star label. This label will let you know how energy efficient the unit is and if it is a good buy for saving money in the future.

It is now possible to use mosaic floor tiles even in the commercial arena. They can be the ideal flooring for areas of hard wearing where carpet would normally fail.

There are few tasks more satisfying than improving your home. Each improvement brightens your day or makes everyday life easier. You will be proud when friends or relatives visit and notice what you have done. So why not find a little time to carry out one or two of the suggestions that you've just read about? You'll be glad that you did.




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