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, [...]
Come winter, consumers and homeowners have questions about the kind of insulation that works best in their homes. Of course, the answer varies based on your location, existing insulation, how much space you have to insulate and whether the area to insulate is accessible (for hand installation) or inaccessible (requiring spray-on products).
Before you even begin, [...]
It’s not too early to put together a priority list for home improvements or landscaping chores you need to get done before fall and winter. The stressed housing market means many contractors are offering low bids just to get work. Assemble a menu of tasks according to what you can do yourself and by jobs [...]
Get the mold out of your house now before winter comes barreling into your neck of the woods. Mold clean-up and eradication is best conducted while you can still open doors and windows to ventilate and dry your home. My house in the Pacific Northwest sits under unbroken clouds and persistent rainfall for months after [...]
When remodeling, you shouldn’t have to change the structure of your hand. Perhaps by now you’ve seen the video of a whirring cabinet saw stopping just before it slices through a hot dog. I’m not kidding. Makers of the Saw Stop line of hobbyist, woodworking and industrial grade saws use a frankfurter as the crash [...]
It’s a known fact that people who work in green buildings have greater productivity and less absenteeism. The Green Building Advisor reports nearly a 50 percent increase in on-the-job time and productivity in buildings designed to cut the worker’s exposure to allergens. So, why shouldn’t home improvement enthusiasts consider taking green measures when they embark [...]
Nearly 80 million so-called Baby Boomers are 65 years or older. Rather than spend upwards of $60,000 a year to live in a nursing facility, many prefer to modify their homes and “age in place.” That may mean spending from $9,000 to as much as $80,000 to modify their entries, kitchens and, especially, home bathrooms.
Elizabeth [...]
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