HowTos

How To – Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets

Updating your kitchen doesn’t need to cost a lot and with a few simple steps and maybe a weekend’s worth of time you can bring a totally new feel to one of the rooms you and your family use the most. But before you get started there are some considerations and planning that will make painting your kitchen cabinets easier and provide a more professional result.

The first thing you should do is inspect the …

How To – Selecting And Installing Cement Fiberboard Siding

Cement Fiberboard siding is no real stranger in the manufacture of exterior sheathing for homes and businesses. The product dates back decades and may have got a bad name in the business due to the use of Asbestos products that are very similar but had to be discontinued and removed from homes because of associated health problems. The fact is back in the 1950’s – 60’s it seemed there was an abundance of asbestos …

How To – Using A Union To Connect Copper And CPVC Water Line

Most homes built in the past 10 years use CPVC feed lines for the water supply but many homes may have a mixture of copper and CPVC depending on the appliance or fixture that is being plumbed.

You are likely to see these transitions between the two different materials at your water meter, outside hose bibs, water heaters and even toilets and faucet feeds.

When making the transition you have two basic choices. You can install …

How To – Restoring Antique Brass Fixtures And Hardware

Brass is used throughout our homes in both solid metal form and in plating to add style and protect other metals from corrosion.  It can be found in furniture, plumbing fixtures, door knobs and hinges, lighting fixtures and a variety of decorative accents.

To take care of your brass items you must first determine if the item is solid brass or plated with brass. A solid brass item can be handled much harsher with buffing …

How To – Replacing Missing Or Broken Asphalt Roof Shingles

Asphalt shingles although flexible in warm weather often incur damage during cold winter months during snow or rain storms. The reason for this is because the tar in the shingle hardens and the fiberglass backing becomes ridged and cracks.

If you are watchful of your roof early fall inspections can help you find any loose ends of shingles which can be reattached with roofing cement or pure silicone. However once the shingle has cracked and …

How To – Replacing Electrical Receptacles

There are a number of reasons for replacing an electrical receptacle or more commonly referred to as an outlet and with proper care most home owners can accomplish this job in about 20 minutes with just a few simple tools.

The first thing you must do when working with any wall mount electrical box whether it is a switch or outlet is making sure that the power to the box has been turned off. Since …

How To – Understanding When An Electrical Permit Is Necessary

http://www.yourepair.com/yrblog/wp-content/HLIC/e4eb74cb6931d23abf8b904fc73d3dff.jpgFirst off this is not a legal guide and remember that every locality is different. Even if you moved 50 miles within the same state you may find that rules are very different based on State, County, City Permit rules. The only way to know exactly when or why a Permit is required is to call the Building Official for your specific location and ask to speak to the office that performs electrical inspections.

So, …

How To – Tilt Wall Mounts For LCD And Plasma Televisions

Most small to midsized flat screen televisions will come from the manufacture with a table top stand for viewing larger televisions will require mounting on your wall. You may even want to mount a smaller television directly on your wall to provide a better viewing angle or just for saving space.

To mount your television correctly will mean proper selection of a tilt wall mount.  Most stores will offer mounts to fit televisions that they …

How To – Winterizing Plumbing For Long Vacations

If you live in an area of the country where winter temperatures fall below freezing it is important to take proper precautions with your plumbing if you are planning to take a long winter vacation.  Although it is important to keep your home heated a winter storm could knock out power. If that happens the temperature inside your home will fall to equal outside temperatures in under 72hrs and there will be a high …

How To – Considerations Before Replacing A Bathroom Sink

Your bathroom sink has been damaged or maybe its just time for an upgrade and change of color so what considerations should you take into account and how can you complete the job quickly and on budget.

The first consideration you have to take into account is what other supporting parts of your sink may need to be replaced.
Wall Mount Sinks
If you are replacing a wall mount or pedestal sink without a vanity then …