Constructing footings for your deck or porch project is relatively easy if you take time check the span charts for your beam and measure the locations correctly.
Some contractors will install beam posts directly in the ground with a small footing at its base and surround it with concrete. This is probably not the best way to build a deck because the concrete surrounding the wood post will eventually rot the lumber. Even pressure …
Some people believe that they are not at risk because their homes are located away from beaches and rivers but most locations can be effected by localized flash floods and when large disasters occure along large or even moderately sized waterways damage can extend for dozens of miles.
Flood insurance like earthquake coverage is a single peril insurance to protect your investment from dammage due to flood waters.
To be considered a flood the water …
First Right of Refusal is part of most contracts that allow rights to both the seller and the buyer to continue the negotiation process if problems occur they can also be used to reserve the right for a known person to make an offer at any time a property is sold.
Lets look at some the instances that First Right of Refusal can be used and the benefits and drawbacks of these clauses.
The most common use of first right of refusal …
There are many times when you will need to add or upgrade electrical, cable tv, telephone or other services in your home. To do so you need to understand both how circuits are designed and how your home is constructed to fish the wire through walls and make proper connections.
In other HowTos we will cover wall construction in more detail but lets take a look at the components of an average wall so we know how to …
Whether you are wiring your whole home or just making a custom cable that runs from your wall outlet to your television the steps and tools you need are the same.
In this HowTo you will learn how to strip cable ends and use crimp connectors.
Tools you will need
RG-6 Crimping tool
Utility knife or stripping tool
Wire Cutters
RG-6 Crimp Connectors
See the bottom of the HowTo for Tool Links
First …
Since about 1995 there has been a strong movement to increase insulation in all areas of our homes to reduce heat loss and lower energy costs. For most of us this has meant increasing the amount of insulation in our attics and adding insulation to exterior walls if the home is old enough that it was not built with insulated walls.
New construction has seen a variety of different products and methods that …
Carpet is a large investment for any home owner and the product you pick will have a lot to say about what decisions you can make for other furnishings in your home.
Other then the choice of wall paint or coverings the type and color of your carpet will will have the biggest influence on how your home looks from the inside. Other factors such as the ability of the carpet to absorb noise will give …
In this HowTo we will extend a downspout from our roof gutter under a concrete pad that is near the front doorway of our home.
Managing rain runoff from your gutter system is important for many reasons. In the summer months when rainfall can be heavy you need to have the water diverted away from your pathways and entrences to your home for comfort and safety. In the winter months when water can …
Coca Cola is getting the idea. As gas prices approach $4 a gallon Coca Cola has decided to convert its fleet of sales vehicles to Hybrid Electric cars and even some Hybrid Trucks.
In Atlanta bout 325 of its 800 vehicles used by its sales force and 140 diesel-electric hybrid delivery trucks are on the road already with plans to add 225 more by years end. In Charlotte they have 400 more vehicles about half of its sales force.
Coke estimates the …
So, now that you built your deck you need a way to get off of it and stairs are a great way to do that.
The first thing you need to do is decide of you will be building the stair stringers (things that hold the stair tread steps) yourself or if you will be buying some pre-cut ones at the lumber yard. The cost of buying them isn’t that much and if you haven’t …
When you are building your porch or deck one of the last things you will need to do is build your steps.
You have many choices you can attach your step stringers to your rim joist of the deck with a header and then use a ground contact rated pressure treated footer at the bottom or you can go an additional step and pour a pad at the bottom of your steps …
No one can really predict the problems that come with storms but if you live in an area that has seen storm emergencies before you can probably count on them happening again.
Some simple inexpensive steps can be taken to reduce an emergency to a mild discomfort to your day to day life and with a little planing you can probably get through a few days or even a couple weeks without having to …