How To Build A Bookcase

fbgfsbfsbsfBefore you dive into actually building your bookcase, your first step should be to nail down your design inspiration. Remember that the structure itself doesn’t have to be complicated. The plan just needs to be well-thought-out and the design properly constructed.

In addition to seeking out what style of a bookshelf you want to create, you should also consider its size and location. The instructions below will give you a better idea of what you need to build a bookcase and how to go about completing this DIY project successfully.

Overview & Materials

The purpose of your bookcase is important in determining the design of your project. In most cases, homeowners are looking to store books and materials, fill an empty space or add dimension and character to a room.

In this article, I’m going to outline plans for creating a pine bookshelf with open sides, inspired by the Pottery Barn Hendrix Bookcase. I want to make it clear that this is one of many bookcase design options. I’ll be showing you images of additional ideas throughout the article

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DIY Tips For Cleaning Tile Floors

dvdacdscFloors come in a myriad of choices, but tile remains an attractive choice among homeowners. Unlike hardwood floors, tile floors are durable, waterproof, easy to install and available in an array of styles. Most importantly, they don’t require as much maintenance as carpets do. However, if you want your tile floors looking like new for years, you should know how to clean them properly. Below are the best ways to clean tile floors, whether they are ceramic, vinyl or stone.

Clean Your Tile Floors Regularly

Don’t wait until your tile floors get really dirty, as you may want to avoid using strong chemicals that will degrade your tiles in the long run. Plus, who wants to spend hours kneeling on the floor just to scrub away stubborn stains? To prevent these problems, you should learn how to clean tile floors on a frequent basis. Cleaning tile floors routinely or even daily may sound tiresome. But, it’s not as hard as you think. You just need to follow these simple steps.

1. Sweep your tile floors daily with a fluffy dust mop or vacuum to remove loose dust

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Painting an Exterior Steel Door

advdavcdvdTo make a door look brand new, even an exterior steel one, sometimes just means putting on a new coat of paint. Making it look a new color can help it look updated and matched to the rest of home renovation without spending lots of money on a new door.

As with a fiberglass door, clean it first with a wet sponge filed with acetone or other mineral solvents and let it dry. Be sure to cover the glass or other window accents on the door before starting the project. Next, sand away the old paint if it’s an old metal door so the new coat will adhere better. Do not use palm sandpaper. You can skip this step if this is a new metal door.

Afterwards, apply an oil-based primer using a foam roller and a foam brush for any raised or depressed paneling in the door. With the same foam materials, apply the primer to the sides starting at the center and ending with the sides. Let it dry overnight. When dry, sand it lightly with fine sandpaper. Then apply a second coat. Let the second

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Hot Water Installation

Hot water heaters are one of the many appliances we do not fully appreciate until it stops working. Believe it not, despite its large exterior and solid metal, steel or copper, hot water heaters do malfunction and require replacement or new installation.

While installing a new hot water heater is certainly not a project for the faint, it can be done in one day with the necessary tools and steps. Below, see when it’s time to replace your hot water, how to install a hot water heater and the total installation cost.

When to Replace Hot Water Heater

Unlike other prominent appliances around the home, there are a few telltale signs your hot water heater needs to be replaced. If you start to see a small puddle or slow drip under your hot water heater, it’s on its way out. Within a day or two, you should see a trail of water slowly running away from the heater. Either way, your tank has rusted and that can not be repaired. If water is dripping from your hot water heater, replace it as soon as you can.

Additionally, and perhaps even more obvious, is the absence of hot water. However, with this sign, before jumping

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Tips To Make Your House Smell Better

When you own a house, it’s easy to get comfortable in your space and fail to notice when it’s time to make changes. You get busy working, the kids and pets are running around, and before you know it, there are smells coming from places you didn’t know existed.

Odors in the home don’t have to be a common occurrence. There are ways to prevent and maintain a home that not only looks good, but smells good too. See seven easy DIY solutions for freshening up your home so you’ve got pleasant odors roaming your space.

1. Eliminate Garbage Disposal Odors

Your garbage disposal could be wreaking more havoc in your home than you might realize. Food and grime build up over time and start to seep through to your kitchen and beyond. Start by running some lemon, lime or orange peels through your disposal to eliminate any odors. It’s said that the acid in the fruit kills some of the odor causing bacteria.

Also, if you’re an advocate of baking soda, this cleaning tip is for you. Dump your baking soda into the garbage disposal, add a cup of white vinegar and let your disposal run. Voila! The hardest part of eliminating odors

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Harness The Power Of The Sun The Complete Guide To Using Solar Energy

“Go green!” It’s the phrase that defines the millennium, and solar energy is a major player. The U.S. solar industry hit 1,393 MW of installed solar capacity, and supplied 40% of all new electric generating capacity in the first half of the year alone.

The world is already going green in big ways. In fact, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that about 11% of world marketed energy consumptioncomes from renewable energy resources (biofuels, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, and wind) and project the number to be at 15% by 2040. Further, the EIA estimates that about 21% of world electricity generation was from renewable energy in 2011 and is projected to hit 25% by 2040. And while all sources of renewable energy are valuable, solar is perhaps the most accessible. The sun’s rays are easily harnessed from anywhere in the continental U.S, and with some strategic planning, you can make your home a solar power hub.

This guide is designed to give you everything you need to know about converting to solar. It will contrast the differences between solar and traditional fossil fuels, explain the different kinds of designs of solar energy systems, discuss the myriad of solar products available for the home,

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Bathroom Floor Trends You Need To Know

Your bathroom floor is one of the most important pieces of the home improvement puzzle but it doesn’t always get the proper attention. The floor is one of the key items in any room, and it’s a design aspect that can make or break the style of your bathroom. Since there are so many different styles out there, it’s oftentimes safer to go with what’s trending instead of taking a stab in the dark. While trends give you an idea of what’s stylish, remember to embrace your own taste and go with what looks best in your home. In fact, we highly encourage you to shop around until you find the bathroom floor that’s right for you.

I’m going to share seven bathroom floor trends that are sure to make your bathroom shine. There are a number of significant factors to take into account as you shop for new floors. Some of the big features that come to mind are durability, visual appeal and cleanliness. Also, let’s not forget about cost. Our flooring guide gives homeowners a better idea of what it costs to install materials like hardwood, porcelain, ceramic tile, bamboo, vinyl tiles and laminate.

See below for floor descriptions and

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Glorious Kitchen Styles From Around The World

The kitchen is one of the best rooms in the house! It’s a space that’s fun to design, decorate and remodel. The kitchen is one place where you spend a lot of time and money. It’s no wonder most homeowners want it to not only look beautiful, but also decorate with a personalized touch.

Everyone has their own taste in clothes and it’s no different when it comes to kitchen styles. No matter your cup of tea, it’s entertaining to explore and see how people live around the world. Look no further, the following five kitchen styles are sure to inspire!

1. French Country

You may have heard of a French country kitchen design but aren’t quite sure what it exactly means. Well don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. This style encompasses a space that’s warm, comfortable and beautiful. It portrays a traditional and simple way of life.

The key characteristics of a French country kitchen include pale colors and earthy tones that are taken from a rural landscape. They’re typically dressed in crown molding, made of natural materials and more than likely have a large kitchen island. The expert interior designers at HomedIt describe another significant aspect of this style, “Traditionally, the hanging

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DIY Tips For How To Remove Vinyl Flooring

One of the most frustrating home remodeling tasks is trying to remove an old linoleum or vinyl floor. Even when the linoleum is pulled off, things only get worse. Now you’re faced with gobs of old glue that seem harder than meteorites all over the floor.

Before getting depressed while reading this article, remember that there are a few ways around this formidable task.

Alternative Approaches

One common alternative to removing old linoleum or vinyl floors is to put a new one right over it. If the existing floor is still smooth or can be smoothed with a few patches of FixAll, then the new floor can be laid directly on top of the old.

In some cases, a layer of 1/4-inch plywood is laid over the old floor to provide a smooth base and then the new resilient floor is laid on that. In still another approach, the old floor is floated with a self-leveling concrete that is about 1/8-inch thick when dry. The new floor is put on that.

When adding a new floor, particularly when adding plywood or self-leveling concrete, consider that this process is going to raise your floor noticeably. The most important concern is that it will not connect smoothly

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DIY Tips For How To Install Windows

Improper window installations are one of the biggest problems contractors and manufacturers face on the job. Traditionally, framers have always installed doors andwindows for the contractor. Now contractors increasingly are using professional door and window installers to take the burden of this work off the framers so they can do what they do best. Having specialists install windows helps ensure that the products are installed correctly. Here is a proven way to install windows so there won’t be callbacks to the contractor. It involves five basic steps:

Presumably, the rough window opening has been framed according to the specifications of that particular window. If not, measure the window and frame the rough opening 1/2 inch larger than the window’s width and height. This will allow you a 1/4-inch clearance around the window for shimming adjustments.

1. Cut lengths of house wrap into 18-inch wide strips. Starting from the bottom, stretch a length of wrap across the opening so 10 inches extends below the rough sill. Cut the wrap next to the opening on each side and fold that piece over the rough sill. Staple it in place. Repeat this process on both sides and the top of the opening. When finished, you

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DIY Tips For How To Install A Storm Door

Few things can dress up a home’s entrance like a new storm door—especially when the door is trimmed in brass and has full-view glazing. Beyond cosmetics, a full-view door can flood a home’s interior with light, brightening the lives within as it beckons to those outside. It’s a good return on investment, considering that installation takes just a couple of hours and materials total less than $400.

Unfortunately, full-view glass doors are not for every home or situation. When direct sunlight bears down on an unvented glass door, it heats the air trapped behind it. In the worst cases, the door surfaces can become too hot to touch and the heat can actually warp the entry door. Combination storm doors—screened doors with self-storing glass—are less of a problem because they can be opened during the hottest months of the year. North-facing doors, and those shaded by trees or alcoves, are really the best places for full-view glass doors.

Most manufacturers offer full-view doors with lower vent panels. A lower vent allows a little fresh air into the house with the entry door open and helps vent the space between doors when the entry door is closed. The door has a 4-by-30-in. lower vent

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DIY Tips for How To Paint A Fiberglass Door

Are you tired of the color of a door in your home but think you can’t paint it because it’s made out of fiberglass? Then you will be happy to know that fiberglass doors can be successfully painted. Painting your front door is a great way to renovate or update your home’s style. Follow these tips to create a brand new look.

To hang or not to hang?

If you have experience hanging doors, you might want to remove your fiberglass door in order to paint it. This is what professional painters do. However, if you don’t have such experience, you can paint it exactly where it is; you will just need to be careful about painting around the hardware and any glass windows the door may have.

If the door has already been painted once, it’s a good idea to strip off the old paint first. You can do this with a chemical stripping solution found at any paint or hardware store. Don’t leave the stripper on for too long though, because it can eat through the fiberglass. Paint the solution on the door, and then remove it with a putty knife. The knife should remove the old paint easily.

Patience

Clean the door

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Why French Doors Are Perfect Additions To Your Home

French doors have become the golden standard for new or updated homes. Not only do they give you a “new” feel as soon as you open the door, but French doors let sunlight in when you want and keep cold air out whenever you choose.

There are many factors that go into choosing the right doors for your home. If you are thinking of installing French exterior or interior doors, be sure to see why French doors are perfect additions to your home.

French Door Prices

Nearly every home remodeling project starts with pricing and French doors should be no different. According to our French door cost estimator, the price can range from $350 up to $4,000. Nonetheless, there are those doors that go above and beyond. Upscale French doors can cost all the way up to $10,000, without installation.

Additionally, when most people choose French doors, they usually pick fiberglass doors. Fiberglass gives the door an architectural appeal as well as lets necessary sunlight in when you wish. The average minimum cost of fiberglass French doors is $600 and the average max is $1,700. Note that the higher costs of French doors are usually associated with architectural moldings added to

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DIY Barn Door Installation

DIYing your very own barn door is easier than you might think. It’s not as simple as, say, chewing, but for the impact it delivers, the DIY necessary is definitely doable for anyone describing themselves as handy and/or owners of power tools.

It’s an awesome way to make a big change in several rooms. Yet, it takes up almost no space and is simple to use. What’s not to like?

Wood

While we love the idea of using reclaimed wood so we can morph into a purely Pinterest-based existence of fictitious barns and factories from days of olde (yes, with an ‘e’), reclaimed lumber is expensive and can be hard to find and work with.

What we do instead is buy new lumber. And for us, the knottier, gnarlier and more figured, the better. We used #2 Eastern White Pine 1 x 8 for this door. One ‘new’ thing we do like—straight, untwisted boards.

To design your own door, you need enough verticals (slats) to cover the door opening, plus no less than 1-inch on each side. At least one diagonal brace (or an X like we did) is nice and one stand-off. This goes horizontally above the door. It accepts the door hardware and

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Pro Tips For Accessorizing Your Living Room

At the end of a long day of work or taking care of the kids, when the dishes have been put away and you finally have a little time to unwind before bed, where do you go? If you are like most homeowners, you’d say the living room. Designed to be inviting, comfortable and cozy, the living room is the part of a home’s layout where, appropriately, a lot of the living takes place. Whether you’re cuddled on the sofa to watch a movie, hunkered down to read a book or gathered together around the fireplace to spend time with friends, the living room is the backdrop that makes it possible.

Given that it’s such an important part of your home’s design, the living room deserves special attention when it comes to decorating. Have you thought about how you mightspruce up yours or give it new life? What accessories could make your living room more interesting? What is worth investing right now?

When you’re looking to accessorize your living room and take its look to the next level, here are five pro tips to try.

1. Start With What You Love

In the world of decorating, there are entire empires built

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Improvement Of Mood Based On Home Paint Color

Colors are everywhere, but you might not realize the dramatic impact they can have on your feelings, behaviors and moods. Warm colors include shades of red, orange and yellow. Cool colors include blue, green and violet hues. When you decorate a room with warm colors, it tends to feel cozier. Spending time in this room may create feelings of excitement and vigor. Choosing cool colors for a room will make the space feel larger. When you are in a room decorated in cool colors, you may feel calmer and more relaxed.

Everyone has unique color preferences, often based on personal experiences. The way a person perceives and responds to color is also impacted by culture. People in various cultures have unique associations with different colors. When embarking on a home improvement project, choose colors that fit the purpose of a room. When you want people to feel energized in a room, such as a living room or an office, use warm colors. When you want people to relax in a room, such as a bedroom, use cool colors.

Continue reading to see how you can affect one’s mood based on paint colors.

Color Styling (PDF)

Cool colors tend to recede from the eye to

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How To Decorate Your Mantel

A fireplace mantel poses a familiar design question: what should I put here? Decorating a mantel can be difficult, but if done properly, it can have a dramatic impact on the overall look and feel of a room. A well-executed mantel will express the personality of the homeowner, honor special people or things, integrate with daily life and respond to the environment. From arranging decorative objects to playing with paint colors, here are a few easy and inspired design tips to help you make the most of your mantel.

Make It A Focal Point

Whether electric or wood-burning, the fireplace is a gathering space because it brings warmth into a home. Activities naturally flow outward from it. Our eyes are drawn to the mantel, creating a visual point of focus. Take advantage of this prime display place! Use it to showcase candlesticks, old family photos, flowers or a personal collection of objects. Do not overcrowd the space with every trinket and tchotchke in your home. Instead, enhance visual interest by creating a look that allows the eye to travel and focus on more than one object.

Center the Design

Hang an eye-catching work of art or mirror at the center of the mantel space

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How To Make Your Home More Pet Friendly

Pets require time, attention, and as safe and comfortable of a home as we do. Unfortunately, animals are commonly an afterthought for people who are building, buying and remodeling homes. We must start thinking of pets as important beings and attending to their particular needs, rather than viewing them as possessions, or even disposable.

Taking care of an animal is no easy task. They need shelter, water, shade, daylight, good air circulation, non-irritating surfaces, fully fenced areas and spaces to play. There are many simple DIY tips that’ll turn your home into a pet-friendly environment. All it takes is the knowledge and a desire to want to make your living space better for you and your pet.

Flooring Options

I’m guessing one of the first questions that pops into your head relates to flooring. You have to weigh many aspects including style, comfort and durability, that it becomes difficult to choose a best fit for you and your pet. See below for the best and worst home flooring options for animals.

Best Flooring Options

  • Hard Surface Floors: Bare doesn’t have to be boring. Painted concrete is lovely and durable, as are terrazzo and brick.
  • Bamboo: An excellent choice for homes with pets. Bamboo won’t wear out. It’s hard
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Tips For Brightening Your Home

The topic of brightening up your home can be very fun! It’s a chance to use your imagination, creativity and think outside the box. I don’t know about you, but I like living in a bright and friendly environment. With winters that seem to never fade, I am always trying to soak up as much natural light as I can. You can get with Perrysburg Roofing Company and learn how to get skylights installed to add more light to your home. Gone are the days of dark and dreary rooms. Neutral tones, color and natural light is definitely the way to go as you brighten your home.

There are so many options when it comes to home design and decorating that it can be overwhelming. I’m going to narrow it down for you and provide some practical upgrade tips that will go a long way. Read on to see what five tips are sure to get you a brand new sunny look and feel in your home.

Fancy Up Your Floors

Old carpet from the dark ages got you down? Replace it, tear it out and pick carpet and rugs that make you feel cheerful and happy to be alive. If you like

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Design Ideas To Make The Most Of Your Small Bathroom

Many homeowners use bathrooms as personal sanctuaries to wash away stress and revive their souls—no matter the size of their bathroom. You might wonder how someone could unwind in a small bathroom? Well, just because your bathroom is short on space doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on either style or storage solutions. With clever design tricks, your small bathroom can look bigger and more comfortable than you thought.

In this article, we will show you six small bathroom designs to help you make the most of your small bathroom.

Choose Soft Color Schemes to Open Up Your Small Bathroom

Color alters our perception of a room’s size. To create the illusion of more space, you should use neutral or pastel hues as the main palette of your small bathroom. Some may say that soft colors are dull, but both neutrals and pastels are two of the most popular paint colors this year! Plus, no one said that you have to stick to plain pink or bland beige. If you want your small bathroom to have a modern touch, you can buy some bold-colored towels or accessories to add charm to your bathroom.

Recessed Lighting is the Best Choice for A Small Bathroom

Like color,

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