So, you think that you are an expert when it comes to home improvement? Can you tackle some of the biggest and most complex projects in your own home? Take a look at the following tips to help you improve upon your home improvement knowledge.
When renovating a kitchen or bathroom, avoid using linoleum. The foremost reason for this is that linoleum has dropped out of vogue and can make your new renovation seem dated. Tile has a much better appearance, can be used in any situation where you might choose linoleum, and can even have radiant heat grids installed underneath for the extra touch of heated floors.
Throwing out an old sofa can be very tempting when it no longer looks new and clean. However, with the same effort it takes you to throw it out, you can buy some nice slipcovers and throw it on your sofa. Slipcovers are available in a myriad of designs and can spice up an old sofa very easily.
A quick home improvement idea is to lighten up those small, drab rooms in your home. Look for ways to make the room appear lighter and more airy. Shine your windows and raise the blinds. When incorporating light, rooms look much larger, increasing the value of your home. Eliminate clutter and paint the walls with pale colors. Your small room suddenly won't seem so cramped anymore.
You don't have to throw out your old wicker patio furniture. Sure, it may be weathered, but you can make them good as new. Replace your old cushions, or sew a new cover for them. Buy some cheap spray paint in shocking black or elegant white and spray your wicker set in the chosen color. Make sure to wear a protective mask over your mouth for safety. This can make your patio set look good as new and give you a reason to spend the day outdoors.
The kitchen is usually the room that sells the place. Take a look around and see if there are any inexpensive things you can do to your kitchen to make it look recently update. Get rid of that wallpaper or add hardware to your cabinets. Do whatever is simple and quick, but effective. You will be able to mention the update in you listing and buyers like seeing that.
Whether you are painting one room, or all of them, take the time to determine the amount of paint you will need. Avoid looking at a job and guessing as you will spend too much money. Proper measurement and planning must be made before painting.
For home improvement projects big enough to require a contractor, it is very important that you get a contractor you can trust. Review a prospective contractor's history and talk to his previous employers. Any disputes, lawsuits or cost overruns you find in a contractor's background are serious warning flags. Remember to ask the contractor to explain anything troubling you turn up, though.
Ensure you plan thoroughly when you are beginning a home improvement. Before delving into your next project, you should determine how much time, money and effort you are willing to expend.
If you are buying a new bathtub, be sure to sit in the tub and lie back in it to be certain it's the right size and shape for you before purchasing it. Also, take good measurements of your bathroom space to be sure the tub will fit in the space you have.
When tackling a home improvement venture on your own, you need to have a reliable place that you go to get advice. If you find random information on the internet from some John Doe, you could be headed towards disaster! Large scale home improvement stores are never a bad place to start.
To prevent animals like birds or squirrels from nesting in your chimney, install a chimney cap. These devices feature mesh sides that allow smoke to escape, but the solid top prevents animals from entering your chimney to build nests, which can ignite and cause a chimney fire when you use the fireplace.
If you have thought about adding an extra room to your house, then adding an extra bathroom, family room, or den to your home. Recreational areas add value as extra space, and they are a great area for entertainment needs. Have the blueprints drawn up for a family den or entertainment room, and see how it could benefit the value of your home.
Replace all of your light bulbs in your home with CFL (Compact Florescent) lights, this will help you save money on your electric bill and consume less energy. Consuming less energy will help keep energy demands down in your area and keep costs from rising for electricity. Everyone should do their part to help conserve energy.
Pay attention to safety when doing a home improvement project! Always cut off gas supply lines when you are dealing with anything that is related to your gas supply. Working near gas can have disastrous consequences. You need to find out where your shut off valve is located. Learn where all gas lines, in and around your home, are located in order to prevent potentially dangerous accidents.
Replacement Windows
For a beautiful addition to your home, consider turning two windows that are close together into sliding glass or french doors. With glass doors, you are allowing the light to come in as well as the beauty of the world outside your door. Being able to look out at nature while having your first cup of coffee will make the investment worthwhile.
If you desire to replace your window screen but you could not find a window that fits, it is easy to make one. All window sizes can be cut via frame kits and then you just have use cording to actual attach the screen. Your window may need a special screen type, but you can still make an external screen using adapters.
One energy-efficient improvement you can make to your home is to replace your windows. Older-style single-panel windows don't insulate the inside of your home nearly as well as the newer double-panel style. New windows will increase the aesthetic beauty of your home while saving you money each month in electricity bills.
If your home has low ceilings, use window treatments to add the illusion of higher ceilings. Adding a little space to a room's apparent height is just a matter of mounting window treatments (curtain rods, valences, drapes, and all) higher up the wall.
Replacing drafty older windows is a great way to keep the cold out in the winter months, and bugs out during summertime. Homeowners who undertake window replacement projects often reap significant benefits by doing so.
Are you planning on painting the trim around your windows as a part of your home improvements? Here is a trick that will save you some time. If you have a steady hand, you do not need to mask off the glass when you are painting the trim. If you get a small lap of paint on the glass, simply remove the wet paint from the glass with a damp cloth wrapped around the blade of a putty knife. If the paint has already dried, you can use a razor blade to remove it.
Replacing the caulking and sealant around your windows is a quick home improvement project with great benefits, both in terms of economy and avoiding serious damage. Proper caulk on your windows will reduce any moisture and remove the chance of drafts coming in from outside. By preventing moisture and drafts, you reduce the risk of having mold in your home, as well as keep your heating bills lower. Cracked old caulking will be costing you money on your heating and cooling bills. Remove the old caulk and re-caulk when necessary.
A home workshop is useful for successful home improvement projects. It's important to make sure your home workshop has the proper lighting and safety features. If there are few windows make sure to install good lighting and ventilation in your work areas. Equip the space with a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit. Also, other safety items like leather gloves and proper eye protection can be helpful.
To make a small, cramped kitchen look larger, use lighter finishes for flooring, cabinets, counter tops, and walls, and leave the windows untreated or minimally treated to let in more light. All of these tricks help to create the illusion of a larger room, and the brightness will add further appeal while you spend time there.
When childproofing your home, do not overlook your windows as potential danger zones. Dangling cords from blinds or shades pose a strangulation hazard, and your child can fall through a wide-open window, even if there is a shade in place. Take a look at each window in your home carefully and adjust your treatments and habits according to the dangers posed by each specific window.
While you may be decent at home improvement, it takes time and hard work to become knowledgeable about it. Be aware that you're never finished learning, and there is always room for improvement. You are sure to find many great ways to use the above advice.
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