The most-famous motto for all contractors and DIY handymen/women is “measure twice, cut once”. I’d prefer to move the phrase, “work safe, work smart” to the top of the slogan list. A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cites 37,000 emergency room visits a year to treat catastrophic injuries caused by nail [...]
Homeowners have until December 31 to buy materials and install energy efficient home improvements under the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Provisions of the bill, an extension of previous tax credits, mandate that you buy only ENERGY STAR-compliant biomass stoves, heat and air conditioning units, insulation, roofing, water heaters, [...]
Out here in the West, it’s not uncommon to see a woman with a work belt going into the hardware store. My friend Sally thinks nothing about scaling a ladder to repair the roofs on her rentals. She’s as adept in operating a table saw as she is in handling a garden spade. Unfortunately, the [...]
The difference between completing a home improvement project with pride or ending up in an emergency room with a severed hand can be the variance of a single millimeter and a half-second of time. Motorized saws cut extremely well, and most don’t distinguish sheet metal from a forearm. Nail guns shoot right where they’re aimed, [...]
When my family moved to the San Fernando Valley in the late 1950s, most homes came outfitted with evaporative swamp coolers. I remember that they worked fairly well until August and September when temperatures soared over 90 degrees. Then, it seemed, all that the cooler did was burn energy pumping water around the pads while [...]
As the housing market continues to limp along, and as people downsize home improvement plans to simple tinkering, it’s wise to think in terms of not letting things go to pot around the property.
Even when home construction began to dive five years ago, home remodeling kept going – and even briefly picked up steam as [...]
Do you think your home will catch the eye of a potential buyer in a challenging real estate market? Look again. Even if you’ve put money into home improvements in energy efficiency, plumbing, landscaping and fresh paint, your inattention to routine maintenance across the board can send out red flags to home shoppers. Real estate [...]
In the heart of winter, it can be easy to let go of your commitment to fix up your home. There are some advantages to doing home improvement projects in the winter; your contractor may have more time for you and may charge less as the company appreciates the work. And if you’re housebound, it’s a [...]
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