If you’ve never sliced the top of your thumb cutting open the edge of a tube of caulk, you have greater dexterity than most part-time home handy workers. I grew up around ratchet-rod caulk guns and cursed a few. Today’s drip-free caulking guns operate by a spring-loaded pressure rod that works smoothly off of the pressure of your finger. A quick trip to the hardware or home improvement store will convince you that there’s a wider selection of caulks and guns than you’ve seen before.
You’ll need the right caulk for your project-at-hand. Shop wisely and ask a clerk for help. Generally speaking, you’re probably looking for:
• Silicone Caulk: for a premium-grade, waterproofing job. Great for kitchens and baths.
• Vinyl Latex Caulk: for a water-resistant, quick adhesive job in wet areas of the bath.
• Butyl Rubber Caulk: for sealing outdoor gutter seams, storm doors and windows.
Caulking, Simplified
Do you have the caulk in the gun and are ready to spread? Hold on, turbo! Even the best-quality caulk may have trouble adhering to a dirty surface or crease filled with remnants of old caulk. It won’t adhere to soap, either, so clean the surface with plain, warm water. For rooting out old caulk, you’ll need anything from a sharp blade (for silicone) to a heat gun, screwdriver, or caulk softener (for latex or acrylic).
The tip of the caulk cartridge at the business end of the gun should be cut to match the depth of your job. Use steady pressure on the trigger as you work the tip at a 45-degree angle to area you’re filling. And here’s a tip you might otherwise overlook: always caulk a bathtub when it’s filled with water. Otherwise the tub will ride high and when it’s filled for the first time, the weight of water and bather can crack the new caulk.
It’s best to work at the careful, steady pace to get the caulk applied during a single repair. It can try your patience to match up your tracks and at the same time lay down a seamless, protective sealant. Caulk, like other adhesives, cures as it sets.
If you’re caulking cracks in your exterior concrete, be sure to buy siliconized latex concrete caulk. Again, your success will depend on how well you clean the cracks of debris and old patching compounds or sealants.
Renovating your kitchen and adding a sink? Perhaps it’s time to consider the latest options in garbage disposals. While only a few manufacturers actually make disposals and issue them to resellers, there are more choices than ever before.
If you’ve ever found yourself (I have) using a broom handle to dislodge frozen chopping blades in your kitchen disposal, there are new units that have reversible blades. And while most disposals run on a third-horsepower, you can purchase models that rev up to a full horsepower in operation. That’s like Tim Allen attaching a corvette engine to a disposal to convert it into a wood chipper.
About Disposal Options
The invention of the first kitchen disposal in 1927 is credited to Wisconsin architect John W. Hammes, the man who went on to found one of the today’s largest manufacturers, InSinkErator. Since then, kitchen garbage disposals have been segmented into three major categories: Continuous-feed, Cover-control (or batch-feed), and Septic-tank disposals.
The Continuous-feed disposal is the most-common unit found in homes and apartments. You flip a switch on the kitchen wall and the unit fires up. It keeps running until you switch it off.
The Cover-control model consists of an open mouth and stopper-cover. You push scraps and waste into the unit and then insert the stopper. The cover fires up the unit, and it runs until you remove the stopper.
The Septic-tank disposal works just like the Continuous-feed model, except that it contains a bio-charge cartridge that further breaks down waste before it feeds out into your plumbing. Cartridges must be changed several times a year.
New Ideas for Old Garbage Newer disposal models today include features like anti-jamming and reversible blades and quiet operation. The anti-jamming models have timed or auto-reverse features where the blades suddenly lurch into reverse or can be set to operate in reverse to prevent silverware, bones, lost dimes and quarters from freezing the mechanism. (Remember the broom handle trick). I don’t know how often I had to hit the reset button on those older units.
The quiet-operation feature comes either with baffles or insulation wraps around the unit. I’m not sure how much they soften the din of chopping food waste. Some models also come with hookups to your dishwasher so that wastewater from your pots, pans, and dishes runs through the blades before leaving the kitchen.
Consumer Reports says that you can expect a ten-year service life from most models of today’s garbage disposals. You can do your part, too, to extend service life by operating your disposal with a minimum amount of care. Many disposal problems are caused by homeowners running units with little water or hot water. You need a healthy stream of cold water to assist the shredder.
It’s also common sense worth repeating that you should take care to remove silverware, large bones, and large twigs or stems from vegetables from the sink before running the unit. The latter belongs in your compost pile.
Laundry rooms are designed for utility, not decor. But so many laundry rooms become catch-all enclosures for clutter, storage, and other pack-rat activities. After a while, they can become home to hazardous chemicals or firetraps with over-extended electrical outlets, or danger zones for young children.
If you’re going to remodel your laundry room, consider replacing outdated or worn parts on your washer and dryer, as well as electrical and plumbing features that are either in disrepair or require efficient upgrades. And a nice coat of paint or wallpaper can make this often dingy room more pleasing to the eye.
Basements Are Best
If you currently have your laundry in the basement, you should consider keeping it there. The small convenience you gain by moving your laundry room to an upper floors is easily offset by the potential water damage to your home from leaks or flooding. One insurance company reports $170 million in water damage from washing machine hose failures.
A simple laundry room remodel project can include new flooring, expanded cabinets with utility drawers or storage, shelving, new lighting, and, if there’s a window, fresh treatments.
Size Matters
If you need more space, think before breaking out a wall. There are stack-able and compact washing machines that may be more cost-efficient than breaking out walls. That’s if those models can serve your family.
You may also need to consider room for a new sink or ironing space. Installing new cabinets can double your existing storage and add comfort to working in the room.
Safety First Using 2002-2004 data, the U.S. Fire Administration division of FEMA reported 15,600 fires, resulting in 15 deaths and 400 injuries-–attributed to faulty clothes dryers. That means, in addition to renovating your laundry room, you should renovate your maintenance routine on washers and dryers.
If you have foil or plastic ducting attachments to the dryer, replace them with modern, fire-resistant corrugated metal to increase the air exhaust. Make a habit of not only cleaning lint traps on the dryer, but cleaning behind the traps and behind the entire unit.
Go Green
And if you want to save energy costs when replacing your washer and dryer unit, shop for Energy Star appliances that can cut your water and energy costs in half. By washing in warm or cold cycles you can also slash your electric bills.
Another tip: Paint your renovated laundry room in light colors so you won’t feel like you’ve been banished to the cave whenever you do the wash.
The use of natural elements in home remodeling and energy-efficient products are more than a passing fling. Homeowners are looking at protecting their investment and the environment at the same time. And while some so-called “green” lighting and flooring products can warm up the atmosphere of your home, they can help you save money on your annual energy bills.
A great example is Toolbarn’s recommendation to replace existing light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones. Theenergy efficient bulbs can use as much as 75 percent less electricity, lowering your costs nearly $60 over the seven-year life of the bulb. You can also cut your power costs by installing motion detector bulbs indoor and outdoors. You don’t have to leave the lights burning all night on your patio to scare off burglars.
Looking at Green Homes
Contractors are now offering so-called green homes in special subdivisions. That means you can borrow their ideas and retrofit your home with devices to lower your bills. A new home in Northern California’s “Carsten Crossings” neighborhood offers $1,400 in annual energy savings, according to developers. Flooring products and sustainable paint materials feature materials that don’t release volatile organic compounds.
Today eco-sensitive homeowners are choosing natural fibers like wool or sisal for their rugs, linoleum in place of vinyl, recycled wood, cork, and bamboo for flooring. HGTV has a nice pictorial presentation of green flooring products on its site. Bamboo is known throughout Asia for its durability and easy maintenance. Like bamboo, cork can be expensive to install, but it is also easy to clean with homemade water and vinegar solution. Both products lend a nice look and are efficient in baffling noise.
HGTV also recommends using recycled wood and reclaimed glass flooring products. Recycled tiles are bright and you can choose colors that complement your decor. You can even find ecological carpet flooring constructed out of recycled plastic bottles and corn sugar.
Don’t Forget Green Appliances
Green Home Guide authors recommend that you install “smart ceiling fans” during your home remodeling project. Fans that cost under $70 with retrofit materials that cost under $40 can curb your heating and cooling costs. What makes these fans “smart” are the sensors that detect when people leave the room, shutting down the fan until occupants return. By using a fan, you can easily raise the thermostat on your air conditioning by 5 degrees or, conversely, drop your furnace temperature by 5 degrees in the winter.
You don’t have to spend a fortune to change the way you live.
When you plan a major remodeling project, first things first: you have to hire a contractor. Of course, you’ll want to make sure that you are hiring the best person for the job. You’ll want to consider a contractor’s past work, your rapport with the person, and perhaps most importantly, the price they quote you.
Many homeowners are baffled when it comes to looking at a quote. They see lots of numbers, and of course, the final price. No one wants to pay too much. One common cost on a quote that homeowners often grapple with is the contractor markup. This markup is the amount over cost that a contractor charges. It’s vital for contractors, since this is where they earn their profit, but what kind of markup is appropriate?
The answer? The honest truth is that there is no industry standard for pricing a remodeling project. Contractors will create margins that suit them, as well as what the industry will bear.
This can all sound rather negative from the consumer’s point of view, but it doesn’t mean you lose out. If you don’t like the contractor’s price, your choice is simple: Don’t hire the contractor! It’s always suggested to get at least three quotes from contractors, so if you feel one is too high, maybe one of the other two will be more in your ballpark. If you are working within a certain budget, make sure to stick to that budget. Choose a contractor who quotes you within your budget, and who you think will be able to do the best job for you.
Just how much a contractor will charge is compromised of many components, but you can expect at least 20 percent. Obviously it might be more if your contractor has a great reputation for his work and is in great demand by everyone in your neighborhood. The theory of supply and demand isn’t lost on the remodeling industry. Sometimes if you want the best, you need to be prepared to pay a little bit more.
Contractors don’t use markups as a way to make an easy penny off homeowners. Instead a markup is where contractors are able to truly make a living from their work. So, when you’re looking at your quote, don’t assume you’re being cheated. Instead, take your time to look over your quote and decide if you’re truly looking at a fair price.
It seems in this country, we like our houses big. The bigger the better. Bigness seems almost inextricably linked to our very happiness. But what does the size of our places really mean to us? How much of that size is complicating our lives rather than enhancing them? Is bigger really the answer we need?
In response this question, I thought about the concept of ‘bigness’ and our attitudes towards it: what it means and weather or not we can feel trapped by the big things in our lives.
If you’re feeling like your life might be getting a little too big, there are a lot of ways to go bigger by getting smaller. Smaller houses. Take a look at some of the new mini-homes we found:
The best part about mini homes is that creative design and innovations have made them just as comfortable, and in some cases even more luxurious than their much bigger counterparts.
The added bonus? Imagine living without the clutter, the hassle, the ‘bigness!’ Part of me can’t help but think how incredibly liberating that would be. Maybe we need to get away from big and rediscover simple, small, happy.
What do you really need to be happy? Sure we all have basic, universal needs, but what do you personally need to be happy? When was the last time you thought about it? I know it’s been a while so I sat down and made a list to help me:
• Family
• Friends
• Food
• Shelter
• Water
• Coffee
• A new pair of Asics every 4-6 months and a trail for running
• Free time
• Tunes
• Books
• My bicycle
• A comfy bed
• A laptop with internet access
• Paper and pencils
• My cell phone
• Meaningful work
• Balance
• To go camping every once in a while
• Train tickets to Seattle every couple months
• Frozen yogurt
• A sustainable schedule
My first thought was that this list could be longer, but I’m not sure that it can. Maybe it’s not what’s on the list that we need to think about, but what’s not.
Welcome to the inaugural blog posting for ReliableRemodeler.com - we’re excited to be here and even more excited that you’re here reading!
This new space has been a long time in the works, and with great anticipation we’re excited to venture into blogging about what we love: home remodeling.
ReliableRemodeler.com has been in the business since 2001 matching homeowners to the right contractor: over 450,000 so far! Our company has always been dedicated to providing homeowners like you an easy way to access the right contractor for all kinds of home improvement projects.
Each time you visit this site our dedicated team of bloggers will have new posts on project ideas, homeowner issues, and anything else we think might interest you. We can’t wait to share our favorite remodeling trends with you, and if we can inspire you, and provide you with some remodeling ideas to get you started, that’s fantastic too!
Though we’re new to blogging, we’re excited to see where it takes us, so write on and of course, BLOG ON!
Bookmark us! Check back soon for posts on kitchen remodeling, solar panels, and the best remodeling projects for new homeowners.
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