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A Teen Bedroom Makeover
In anticipation of her 16th birthday, our daughter Jamie decided that her bedroom needed a new look. The light purple walls and deep lime trim were suitable during her middle school years, but now a sophomore in high school, she had visions of something new.
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All About Do-It-Yourselfers
We can hear it now - the roar of the irate. They are the battle cries of malcontent homeowners everywhere living in cramped, outdated and, in some cases, unsafe housing. "I can't live another day without a second bathroom in this house!"
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All About Plywood
As remodeling contractors, we encounter many homes that were built prior to the advent of plywood.
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All About Wood Joints
We learned early that a saw, some nails or screws, glue and a few sticks of wood along with some time and energy could produce powerful results.
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Authentic Looking False Beams
An architect once told us that when we design or remodel a home, we should ensure that walls, ceilings and floors consist of several levels or planes.
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Avoiding Remodeling Pitfalls
One of the reasons people remodel their homes is to improve comfort. Unfortunately, the process can be anything but comfortable, if not downright chaotic.
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Bathroom Remodeling, Step By Step
As licensed remodeling contractors for over two decades, we offer you our six steps of bathroom remodeling.
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Begin With a Good Foundation
With concrete, the process of building a foundation has become relatively simple. No more stacking and cementing heavy stones. Once mixed, the pasty gray substance is poured directly into an earthen trench or wooden (or paper) forms.
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Beware the Home Improvement 'Reality' Show
The surge of these types of reality shows can be entertaining and informative, but equally misleading, thus sabotaging many a project before the first nail is driven or, in the case of these shows, before the first blow of a sledgehammer is struck.
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Builders Show Off Product and Progress
We recently attended the annual International Builders Show
presented by the National Association of Home Builders. This event gave us a peek at the latest in building products, technology and allied services. Check out some of our favorite products shown at this years show.
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Building a Proper Doghouse
If you have a pooch that could use a little protection from the elements, including rain and cold, as well as sweltering heat, consider giving him a true home of his own.
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Charitable Organizations
If you feel uplifted by helping your neighbors and improving your community, read on!
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Choosing the Right Ceiling
When it comes to aesthetic aspects of the home, not too many think first of ceilings. Yet, they come in many different shapes, styles and finishes.
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Contruction Contracts
Could it possibly be that the legendary handshake isn't all that it is made up to be? Handshake or not, our experience with construction contracts has
taught us that if it isn't in writing, chances are you won't get it.
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Creating Closet Space
In our remodeling company, the most common request is for more storage space. They ask for closet organizers, more closets, more shelving, bigger closets and the like. Adding a closet is not so difficult or expensive if you build it yourself.
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Creating Your Own Home Court
If you're interested in having your own hoop, mounting one over the garage door is relatively easy and inexpensive, but the roof and garage door take quite a beating.
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Dealing with cracks in wall-ceiling joints
A listener recently called our radio show to complain about an ongoing problem that she had been battling for many years. Her home had been plagued by constant cracks where the walls and ceiling meet.
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Decorative Moldings Can Spruce Up Your Home
For most of us, a home is the single biggest investment we will make in a lifetime. so, we spend lots of time, money and energy doing what we can to maintain its integrity and improve its value.
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Designing the Modern Kitchen
Our maternal grandfather was a general building contractor. Around the turn of the century he designed and built the home that we later grew up in. The kitchen in this home was centrally located and the hub of activity.
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Diamond in the desert: A remodeler's remodel
We recently had the opportunity to strap on our tools and renovate a vintage early 1980s two-bedroom, two-bath family vacation home in Palm Desert, Calif. We thought that you might enjoy a "behind-the-scenes" look at the "remodelers remodel."
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Drawing Remodeling Plans Is Important
People who specialize in drawing remodels acquire a certain capacity for designing around what exists. This sensitivity to the cost of unnecessarily removing parts of the home can greatly reduce costs.
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Easy and cost-effective do-it-yourself bathroom fixes
It's no secret that a bathroom remodel is one of the top projects that will yield the best bang for your home-improvement buck ... But if tight finances postpone a full-blown or even a partial bathroom remodel, there are still a multitude of easy, cost-effective improvements you can do yourself to make the space more attractive and livable.
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Easy Shelving
Our father was a talented wood worker. His shop was a sight to behold. We once watched him convert a gorgeous old inlaid-wood, console television into a portable, glass-shelved bar cabinet. Our father is gone but the cabinet remains in our family.
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Framing: Metal Connectors
If you're thinking about adding on to your home - a room, an out building or a patio cover, you need to know about metal framing connectors. They are special devices that provide added strength at wood connections where nails alone would not be sufficient.
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Getting a building permit -- a scary proposition?
One of the ways we are able to keep our hands on the heartbeat of the remodeling industry is through ownership of our own honest-to-goodness remodeling company. In that capacity we get to experience -- firsthand -- changes in trends, new laws and what it all costs.
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Home Enlarging
How to make small rooms appear larger!
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Home Improvement New Year’s Resolution Solutions
Is your home looking a little worse for wear? Need a few fixes, here and there? Good impressions start at your front door.
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Home prices going up? Think refurbishing
In the last three years, the homes in our neck of the woods have more than doubled in price. Some subdivisions are holding lotteries where 400 people or more are in line for 20 to 30 home releases.
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Home-Improvement Budgeting
Before undertaking a major home improvement, it is wise to establish a budget. It should apply not only to the total project, but to each category of work.
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Homemade Picture Frames
We recently designed a picture frame that you'll find simple to create at home. It is made without special cutting, such as mitering (angle cutting) or dadoing (notch cutting). And, the design eliminates the need for connectors such as nails, screws, dowels and biscuits.
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House Framing
It is said that a good home depends on a solid foundation. Nothing could be truer. Beyond that though, the frame - or skeleton - of the home probably is the second-most important part of modern building construction.
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How Building Codes Protect You
Lots of folks think that a building permit is just another way for local politicians to collect taxes. And to some extent the permit fee is a tax, but in most communities it pays for a staff of experts who provide an important layer of protection for you and your family.
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Improving Accessibility for the Disabled
Accessible design and construction is becoming increasingly important to American homeowners, as longevity increases.
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Installing a Handrail
When it comes to building, there is a plan or "blueprint" which outlines, in great detail, what work is to be performed. A project without a plan is asking for chaos.
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Installing a Mailbox
Many of us who once enjoyed porchside delivery now are walking to the curb for our mail. The use of mailboxes is so widespread, a whole new cottage industry has developed. If cost is not a factor, you have a wide range of letter containers from which to choose.
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Installing a Preformed Tub Surround
Indoor plumbing - how different our lives would be without it. While its advantages are many, there are potential problems. Water can be one of the single greatest enemies to a home.
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Installing Crown Molding
Adding sculptured wood trim such as crown molding, door casing and baseboard can add a rich look to your home. And if you do-it-yourself the cost can be minimal.
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Kitchen Remodeling Tips
When gas stoves came into vogue, they were without properly engineered range hoods and exhaust fans. Kitchens got dirty and greasy and everyone assumed gas was the cause. It wasn't, it was improper exhaust management.
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Kitchen Remodeling Tips
As we move into the holiday season, many of us begin thinking about the condition of our kitchen. And rightly so; what time of year is it ever used more?
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Lots of rules about lots
There are three really important rules to remember when it comes to planning a home improvement: 1) Planning, 2) Planning, and 3) More Planning.
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Making a Low-Cost Cornice Box
Ready-made drapes are available in good quality fabrics, in an array of interesting colors and usually are competitively priced. It is when one buys the valance pieces and the larger head trim and heavier cornice rods that the price escalates wildly.
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Manufactured Wood
A host of alternative building materials are now available. Is one of them right for you?
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Mechanics' Liens
"Pay me or I'll slap a lien on your property!" are 10 words you don't want to hear. Here's how to avoid them!
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Metal Studs
When our grandfather was building homes in the early part of this century, a two by four measured a full 2 inches by 4 inches. Today, the same stick of wood framing material measures a half-inch less in either direction.
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New Calculators Help in Measuring for Home Improvement
When it comes to figuring out how much of something you will need for a given project, it can be confusing.
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Planning Your Dream Home
The common thread in space-and-design elements is needs and budget. Needs address family comfort. Budget, on the other hand, is what is comfortable for the pocketbook.
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Pressure-Treated Lumber and Its Dangers
We have nothing against pressure-treated lumber. What we do want to do is be informative. To wit: Bleach and ammonia, when mixed together, can cause serious illness and even death. However, if you know the danger that the combination poses, the two can be used safely separately. The same goes for pressure-treated lumber. If you know the potential dangers that exist, you can avoid injury.
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Pressure-Treated Wood
Pressure-treated wood is the green product that you see used as fence posts, retaining walls, decking and other outdoor structures. Chemicals are added to the wood under high pressure to reduce decay that results from repeated contact with water.
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Remodel overspending: 'While you're at it ...'
The end of yet another summer is in sight. It's a time when the home once again becomes the object of much attention.
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Remodeling a Kitchen
Remodeling a kitchen is a bit like cosmetic surgery. You greatly anticipate the end result, but it's the getting there that worries you. Yet, despite all the concern, planning and costs involved, there are few investments that will deliver the kind of return that a kitchen remodel will.
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Remodeling Your Kitchen
The National Kitchen & Bath Association, The National Association of the Remodeling Industry, The National Association of Home Builders and The National Association of Realtors all agree: The kitchen is one of three spaces in the home that offer the greatest return for your home improvement effort.
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Remodeling: Cost vs. Value
People are making improvements for reasons other than a return on investment. People are putting money into their homes to meet their emotional needs - a return on enjoyment.
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Repairing a Cabinet Door
Learn how to diagnose and repair a couple of common problems in order to repair your cabinet door.
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Repairing a Chipped Sink or Tub
While outdated finishes rank high on the list of reasons why people remodel a bathroom, the list is long. Poor natural light, cramped quarters, and the desire for improved comfort and convenience are almost always on a bath remodeling wish list.
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Repairing A Fence Post
Repair of a leaning fence post doesn't have to include removal and replacement of the concrete pier that holds the rotted or broken post in place. Nor does it have to involve replacement of the post.
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Repairing Blemished Furniture
Not all of our furniture is solid wood or as easy to maintain. Veneered furniture, laminate-covered furniture and furniture with a photo-finished surface are not subject to periodic overhauls. But, with a little patience most furniture can be become an heirloom if properly cared for and maintained.
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Resolved: This Year We Will Make the House Safe and Secure
When it comes to New Year resolutions, it's a good idea to include some home improvement resolutions that will save time, money and keep your home in good shape.
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Restoring Cracked and Chipped China
Repairing pottery and china can be surprisingly easy once you know a simple trick or two.
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Safety upgrades and modest remodeling are good investments
You'll want to think out exactly what you want to spend on your remodel before a decision. Currently, more modest investments are getting the best return. But before tackling any major remodeling project, first invest in safety upgrades.
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Selecting the Right Wood for the Job
Because our father was in the business, lumber yards were as familiar to us as kids as grocery stores or gas stations. We've discovered, however, that most people have had little exposure to lumber and lumber yards and thus are uninformed on how to decide on what lumber to use for what job.
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Sick-House Symptoms and Solutions
Learn all of the causes and the remedies in order make your “sick” house all better again.
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Spotting Lumber Defects
When we were kids a bow was something our sister wore in her hair: a crook robbed banks; the twist was a dance; a check was used in lieu of cash; and a shake was a cold drink, made from ice cream, that helped to make us fat. Now, as contractors and woodworkers we have had to learn a new meaning for each of these words. Each one describes a lumber defect.
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Spring Maintenance
Regular maintenance can prevent damage that can lead to hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs. Here are some suggestions for seasonal repairs that can save you time and money later on!
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Square-Foot Pricing
Because our aim always is to make you better-informed buyers, today we'll show you how square-foot pricing often can be misleading.
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Storing Your CDs
There are some nice pieces of furniture made to hold CDs, but we decided that we wanted a CD storage rack that could hold up to 100 disks for less than $10. So, we decided to build one.
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Summertime Maintenance
Early summer is an excellent time to take on outdoor maintenance tasks that have been on the back burner awaiting warmer weather.
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The Case of the Kitchen Cover-Up
It's no secret that a kitchen remodel provides the best bang for the home improvement buck. You may have found also that bringing your kitchen into the new millennium isn't cheap and isn't devoid of certain disruption, to say the least . . .
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The Latest and Greatest at the 2008 Builders Show!
At the International Builders Show, there was water, water everywhere. Nearly 2000 exhibitors showed up to tout their wares to more than 100,000 construction-buying attendees. There were plenty of new and unusual products, but the most remarkable involved water; its safety, drainage and heating.
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The Saga of Broken Tile -- And Drilling
Unfortunately, a recent home improvement didn't go as well as expected. During this homeowner's first attempt to mount a hand-shower bracket onto the wall, the plumber shattered a one-foot square tile!
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The Seven Sins of Home Renovation
Pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth; these are the Seven Deadly Sins. The church has its definitions and so do we!
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The Stud Grabber
There's a nifty new hanging gadget that is nothing more than a simple hook - as in something you hang things on. We still aren't sure whether to classify this one as a tool or a hardware item. The manufacturer has nicknamed it the studgrabber. They also refer to it as a hanging device and a utility hook.
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Tips on Soldering
Although the opportunities to use a soldering iron to make a home repair are limited, we nonetheless recommend including a small soldering tool and a tiny roll of solder in your home tool kit. With just a single repair, a soldering tool can save you more than 10 times its cost.
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Tips to Solve Your Household Problems
When it comes to our home, we often don't realize that there are simple solutions to problems that sometimes seem overwhelming.
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To-Do List For What You Do In The Spring
Spring is a time to assess how well your maintenance work held up during the winter and what other maintenance work or repairs must be made. Here's our list of spring home maintenance tasks that will keep your home humming for another season.
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Updating a Child's Bedroom
Chris, son to one of us, nephew to the other, recently turned 11. As he approached that milestone he began to find fault with the decor of his bedroom. The dinosaur wallpaper border suddenly was too adolescent. It wasn't "cool" any longer. That was just the beginning.
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Using Mending Plates
Mending plates are metal connectors that are used to repair or strengthen joints in wooden furniture, picture frames, shelving and other household connections.
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What to Do About Wood Rot
The biggest single drawback to wood is its susceptibility to damage by water. Believe it or not, it's easier to build a termite-proof home than one that is water-proof.
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What's New in Products and Construction
It's estimated that the average American home has 10,000 individual parts and components. Check out the latest and greatest in this week's project!
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Will It Last? How Long?
Knowing the life expectancy of your home's building components can help you determine how to deal with the inevitable.
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Wood home? You Need to Know About Fire, Water and Pests
From ancient China and ancient Rome to the present, the building point is the same: wood doesn't last unless it is properly protected.
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Working With Pressure-treated Wood
During our tenure as home-improvement guys on television, the producer wanted a stage built in the backyard - something that could be used as a backdrop for guest entertainers. We decided to build a covered deck overlooking the rest of the backlot at Universal Studios.
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